Abstract
Aim:To describe what suffering multiple concussions meant for former semi-professional or professional hockey players who were forced to end their career.Results:Nine former Swedish hockey players, who once played on national or professional teams were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed with reference to hermeneutic phenomenology to interpret and explain their experiences. The theme of losing one’s identity as a hockey player was constructed from five subthemes: being limited in everyday life, returning to the hockey stadium as soon as possible, forming a post career identity, lacking understanding and support, and preventing injuries by respecting other players.Conclusion:The former hockey players struggled with developing their off-the-ice identities and with finding other sources of meaning for their lives.
Highlights
All participants were successful semi-professional or professional ice hockey players with great ambitions to continue playing at that level, despite having suffered multiple concussions as players
The participants experienced being forced to end their careers as ice hockey players as an enormous loss, as playing hockey had been a major part of their lives since childhood
Participants in this study described the support they received from their families, former teammates and fans as critical to their transitioning away from their previous lives as ice hockey players
Summary
To describe what suffering multiple concussions meant for former semi-professional or professional hockey players who were forced to end their career. The aim of this study was to describe what suffering multiple concussions meant for former semi-professional or professional hockey players who were forced to end their career due to concussion
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