Examining the life skill development and transfer experiences of former high school athletes

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated how participation in high school sport can be conducive to the development of various life skills. However, there is a lack of exhaustive knowledge regarding the life skills that are developed in high school sport and how athletes believe these skills transfer to different life domains. The purpose of the current study was to examine the life skill development and transfer experiences of former high school athletes. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 male and 10 female participants (Mage = 31.95; SD = 13.74). A deductive thematic analysis was conducted using the conceptual model for life skills interventions. The findings illustrate specific examples of life skill development in sport and subsequent life skill application in life by the same participant, thereby providing evidence for the occurrence of the process of transfer. Participants discussed how they developed in high school sport and subsequently applied in life many of the life skills theorised to be associated with the basic psychological needs of autonomy (e.g. self-control), competence (e.g. coping with stress), and relatedness (e.g. social responsibility). The current study offers empirical evidence consistent with the notion that the life skills developed in high school sport can be transferred and applied in other life domains.