Tatiana V Ryba
University of Jyväskylä, Psychology, Faculty Member
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The present study longitudinally examined stability and change in the attributional profiles of Finnish student athletes (n = 391) in upper secondary sport schools. Moreover, it examined the extent to which these profiles, and changes in... more
The present study longitudinally examined stability and change in the attributional profiles of Finnish student athletes (n = 391) in upper secondary sport schools. Moreover, it examined the extent to which these profiles, and changes in them, were associated with athletes’ level of sport competition and school achievements and dropouts at the end of upper secondary sport school. Using latent profile analysis, five different and highly stable attributional profiles were identified for student athletes: (a) depressive (6.9%), (b) athletic self-serving (23.0%), (c) average (16.4%), (d) learned helplessness (30.9%), and (e) responsible (22.8%). The results further showed that over the 3-year study period, the responsible attributional style, wherein individuals take responsibility for successes and failures, predicted student athletes’ subsequent high grade point average and low sport dropout rates even after controlling for the impacts of their earlier grade point average, gender, and type of sport.
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... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1997; Macro, Viveiros, & Cipriano, 2009), research on ... research on competi-tive athletes, generated by our database search, is a... more
... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1997; Macro, Viveiros, & Cipriano, 2009), research on ... research on competi-tive athletes, generated by our database search, is a paper by d'Arripe-Longueville, Fournier and Dubois ...
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In editing the recent ISSP book, Athletes’ Careers across Cultures, we were able to analyze the evolution and current status of career research and assistance in 19 countries. One lesson from this analysis is that career... more
In editing the recent ISSP book, Athletes’ Careers across Cultures, we were able to analyze the evolution and current status of career research and assistance in 19 countries. One lesson from this analysis is that career researchers/practitioners should be more proactive in anticipating and matching changes in both the modern sporting context and international sporting culture (e.g., increased globalization, commercialization, professionalization, transnationalism, and cultural exchange). Based on this analysis and the collective wisdom of the book’s contributors, we suggest a new paradigm termed cultural praxis of athletes’ careers (Stambulova & Ryba, 2013), which we set as a challenge for career researchers and practitioners. The quintessence of this approach is to consider career theories, research and assistance as permeated by culture and united into cultural praxis. More specifically, the cultural praxis of athletes’ careers implies: (a) a merge of the holistic lifespan (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004) and holistic ecological (Henriksen, 2010) perspectives in career research and assistance, (b) reflexive situatedness of career projects in relevant socio-cultural and historical contexts (e.g., Ryba, 2009; Ryba, Schinke & Tenenbaum, 2010; Stambulova & Alfermann, 2009), (c) an idiosyncratic approach in career research and assistance with specific attention to diversity in career patterns/trajectories, including marginalized athletic populations, such as female, gay, and ethnic minority athletes (e.g., Ryba & Schinke, 2009; Stambulova, 2010), (d) an increased attention to transnationalism in contemporary sporting culture and to trans-disciplinary career research, helping to grasp athletes’ multifaceted lived experiences in sport and beyond (e.g., Azocar, Torregrosa, Pallares, & Perez, 2012; Ryba, 2011; Ryba, Haapanen, Mosek, & Ng, 2012; Schinke, Gauthier, Dubuc, & Crowder, 2007), (e) multicultural and transnational consulting, including international networks of existing Career Assistance Programs (e.g., Schinke & Hanrahan, 2009; Schinke, McGannon, Parham, & Lane, 2012; Stambulova, Alfermann, Statler, & Cote, 2009), (f) participatory action research facilitating close collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and athlete-participants (Ryba, 2009; Schinke, Peltier, Ryba, M. J. Wabano, & M.Wabano, 2010). In brief, the approach we have coined as cultural praxis of athletes’ careers challenges the culture-blind career theories, research and practice in sport psychology and stimulates sport psychologists to deal with issues of marginalization, representation and social justice through theory, research and applied work.
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With the rising globalization of the sports economy, athletic careers have become increasingly transnational. In comparison with an international career, a transnational athletic career is more open-ended regarding the countries of one’s... more
With the rising globalization of the sports economy, athletic careers have become increasingly transnational. In comparison with an international career, a transnational athletic career is more open-ended regarding the countries of one’s origin, settlement, and retirement. The production of mobility and adaptation to a cultural transition are critical phases for initiating and maintaining the transnational career. In this paper, we conceptualize cultural transition as a quasi-normative career transition, typically coinciding with other within-career transitions and career termination. In other words, cultural transitions are normative or predictable in the course of transnational athletic careers. The paper is based on data gathered for the research of transnational athletes’ career development and transitions in Nordic countries—that is, participants had at least one migration to or from Finland, Sweden, Norway, or Denmark during the duration of their career. The participants were both male and female, either professional or amateur in various sports, and their ages varied from 18 to 37. Narrative inquiry from the life story perspective (Atkinson, 1998) was used to elicit and analyze 15 athletes’ narrations of the ways in which their careers were negotiated in a complex sociocultural space spanning physical and discursive borders (i.e., geographic, linguistic and socio-political). Through narrative analysis, we discerned several interconnected storylines related to elite sporting (sub)cultures, gender and ethnicity discourses embedded in a particular sociocultural context, and transformative life transitions in and through which personal meanings were reconstructed. We suggest that (1) meaning reconstruction and (2) repositioning in social networks constitute the key psychological processes associated with the cultural transition. The results moreover empirically substantiated the concepts of cultural transition and adaptation, which are the focus of this presentation. The present research also contributes to clarifying the emerging concepts and establishing a common language in career transitions literature.
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Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine how amateur, serious distance runners negotiate their running practices upon transnational migration to China. Despite the extensive body of research into expatriate experiences and... more
Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine how amateur, serious distance runners negotiate their running practices upon transnational migration to China. Despite the extensive body of research into expatriate experiences and adaptation, serious leisure as a site where meaning-making occurs has not been studied in existing research. Through interviews with five female and two male expatriates, we studied the ways in which Western runners brought meaning to the transition experience and negotiated meanings and bodily practices associated with running. Through narrative analysis, we identified three core narratives of migration (possibility, necessity and growing up) and two emergent narratives (community and running to feel like oneself) about shifting meaning in running. We conclude with implications for future research in serious leisure and migration studies.
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The panel will consist of four mentors led by a moderator (discussant). The panellists will be invited to elaborate on: (a) innovations in athlete career research in general, and particularly on th ...
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Today’s sport is “on the move” in a sense that athletes, coaches, sport psychology practitioners and other sporting people are internationally highly mobile. In response, there is a growing interes ...
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A growing number of sport participants migrate within and between nations for a variety of reasons, such as athletic career development, sport tourism, and international assignments. During 2013, t ...
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We investigated the development of school and sport burnout in adolescent student‐athletes (N Time 1 = 391, N Time 2 = 373) during their first year in upper secondary school using an embedded mixed‐methods design. The questionnaire‐based... more
We investigated the development of school and sport burnout in adolescent student‐athletes (N Time 1 = 391, N Time 2 = 373) during their first year in upper secondary school using an embedded mixed‐methods design. The questionnaire‐based data were analyzed with growth mixture modeling and four burnout profiles were identified among student‐athletes. From the found burnout profiles, two were typical for the interviewed subsample of elite athletes (n = 17), that is, burnout risk and non risk profiles. We generated rich descriptions of well‐being and ill‐being, showing that elite athletes in two burnout profiles differed in their experienced demands and resources related to individual and environmental factors. The results can be used to generate practical tools for burnout detection in student‐athletes’ educational path.
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The aim of the study is to obtain information about the mental health of young Finnish athletes of high school age in terms of mood state profiles. Six different profiles were described. The overall mood score of women was higher than of... more
The aim of the study is to obtain information about the mental health of young Finnish athletes of high school age in terms of mood state profiles. Six different profiles were described. The overall mood score of women was higher than of men. The energy index was the highest for the men in individual sports and the lowest one was for the men in team sports. For the women in individual sports, it was lower than for men in individual sports. For the women in team sports it was higher than for men in team sports. The energy index was higher for women in individual sports than for women in team sports.
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The article presents the results of a study on the role of a coach in motivating athletes to build two careers, as well as their coaches' views on the dual careers of girls and boys. The results have showed that student-athletes in... more
The article presents the results of a study on the role of a coach in motivating athletes to build two careers, as well as their coaches' views on the dual careers of girls and boys. The results have showed that student-athletes in high school of sports schools often perceived the motivational climate created by the coach as a process aimed at achieving sports results. The interviewed athletes explained that this approach did not motivate them to the learning process, and moreover, devalued their educational goals. It was revealed that although the coaches emphasized the importance of receiving secondary education for athletes, they could not justify how these ideas were included in coaching practice. The coaches have agreed that those athletes who switch to elite sports should focus on developing their sports career, while the requirements of elite sports and higher education were often considered incompatible. The results have showed that coaching styles play an important role...
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Introduction. The article analyzes psychological and educational aspects of dual career development for student-athletes. The purpose of the research is to summarize modern ideas about the phenomenon of a dual career pathway, to expand... more
Introduction. The article analyzes psychological and educational aspects of dual career development for student-athletes. The purpose of the research is to summarize modern ideas about the phenomenon of a dual career pathway, to expand and deepen the knowledge of practitioners providing psychological and educational support for student-athletes. Materials and Methods. By adopting prospective and scientific approaches to studying dual career development of student-athletes, the authors analyzed 45 articles from 250 selected sources on the problem, published on the Web of Science search platform from 2017 to 2021. The keywords for the search engine included the following: ‘mental health’, ‘dual career’, ‘student’ and ‘sport’. In accordance with the research goal, the authors used the following theoretical methods: comparison, clarification and generalization. Results. The study clarifies the content of dual career as a psychological and educational phenomenon in children's and you...
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”We Were Sometimes Invisible but Never Absent” : The Contribution of Women to FEPSAC and European Sport Psychology
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New forms of neoliberal femininity create demanding horizons of expectation for young women. For talented athletes, these pressures are intensified by the establishment of dual-career discourses that construct the combination of... more
New forms of neoliberal femininity create demanding horizons of expectation for young women. For talented athletes, these pressures are intensified by the establishment of dual-career discourses that construct the combination of high-performance sport and education as a normative, ‘ideal’ pathway. The pressed time perspective inherent in dual-careers requires athletes to employ a variety of time-related skills, especially for young women who aim to live up to ‘superwoman’ ideals that valorise ‘success’ in all walks of life. Drawing on existential phenomenology, and in-depth interviews with 10 talented Finnish sportswomen (aged 19–22), we explored their experiences of lived time when pursuing dual-careers in upper secondary sport schools. Exploring participants’ bodily experiences of inhabiting the achievement life-world, we analyse how these sportswomen either learned ways of living up to this ambitious script or came to understand the detrimental effects of the script, necessitatin...
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Research indicates that the dominant discourses of gender are ingrained in dual career (DC) practices critically influencing athletes’ motivation to construct a DC pathway. While it is important to ensure that all athletes have an equal... more
Research indicates that the dominant discourses of gender are ingrained in dual career (DC) practices critically influencing athletes’ motivation to construct a DC pathway. While it is important to ensure that all athletes have an equal access to construct a DC pathway despite their gender, there is a gap in the literature examining the role that coaches play in gendering of athletes’ DC pathways. The present study longitudinally examined the gender differences in student-athletes’ motivational orientations in sport and academics throughout high school and the role of coaching style in these orientations. The gender differences in coaching styles in terms of student-athletes’ gender, coaches’ gender, and their interaction were also investigated. The sample consisted of 248 student-athletes from six upper secondary sport schools across Finland. The participants filled in questionnaires at the beginning of the first year and at the end of the third year of upper secondary sport school...
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Abstract Aim Dual career development environments (DCDEs) support athletes' effort in combining their competitive sporting careers with education or work. The characteristics of the environments may differ across cultures. The aim was... more
Abstract Aim Dual career development environments (DCDEs) support athletes' effort in combining their competitive sporting careers with education or work. The characteristics of the environments may differ across cultures. The aim was to identify essential features of DCDEs based on a cross-case analysis of seven European DCDEs in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom within the Erasmus+ Sport project “Ecology of Dual Career”. Design The study was designed as a multiple case study and based on two holistic ecological working models (Henriksen et al., 2020). The cross-case analysis included series of focus group discussions, in which two-three researchers from each partner country and four dual career (DC) support providers compared the findings across seven national cases with a primary focus on similarities rather than differences. Results A list of ten essential features of the DCDEs, structured into two overarching themes. (1) Holistic structure with five subthemes: Dedicated DC support team, Integration of efforts across the whole environment, A clear understanding of DC issues and support from across the environment, Role models and mentorship, and Access to expert support. (2) Shared DC philosophy also had five subthemes: A whole-person approach, An empowerment approach, Flexible DC solutions, Care of DC athlete's mental health and wellbeing, and An open and proactive approach to the development of the environment. Conclusion The features are introduced in the manner of discussions, thus providing detailed information about the DCDEs without losing (too much) contextual information. These features can help researcher-practitioners to understand DCDEs and guide their optimization.
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ABSTRACT The aim of this meta-study is to provide a critical synthesis of qualitative research on athletic identity in sport psychology. A total of 108 empirical studies were identified, including 63 quantitative studies, 40 qualitative... more
ABSTRACT The aim of this meta-study is to provide a critical synthesis of qualitative research on athletic identity in sport psychology. A total of 108 empirical studies were identified, including 63 quantitative studies, 40 qualitative studies, and five mixed methods studies. Qualitative and mixed methods studies were reviewed with the meta-study method, which involves a meta-analysis in terms of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and findings. In our discussion we focus on evaluating and critiquing the current status of qualitative research on athletic identity and outlining recommendations for improving methodological rigor. It is concluded that both quantitative and qualitative studies need to be more explicit about their philosophical underpinnings and better grounded in psychological identity theory.
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The aim of this paper is to examine theoretical understandings of athletic career and career termination from an existential-narrative perspective. Our critical analysis suggests that career models and many research texts have an implicit... more
The aim of this paper is to examine theoretical understandings of athletic career and career termination from an existential-narrative perspective. Our critical analysis suggests that career models and many research texts have an implicit understanding of sport as a profession and propose a normative end to the career when athletes no longer improve their results. Being framed by Western cultural narratives of ageing as decline, the aforementioned career models disregard athletes’ subjective careers and their agency in bringing meaning to experiences of ageing and decline in athletic performance. While the main focus of this paper is on theoretical analysis, some empirical findings from our recent life story research are offered to illustrate alternative narratives that male endurance athletes carve out from their experiences of ageing and performance decline in the Nordic context. We conclude that current theorising of athletic career disregards the subjective career of the athlete and might not reflect careers especially in non-professional and veteran sports.
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... For ex-ample, consultants who share the same culture with their clients should think about which of the cultural values, beliefs, traditions, and other contextual factors (eg, peculiarities of a sport system) could ... How-ever, such... more
... For ex-ample, consultants who share the same culture with their clients should think about which of the cultural values, beliefs, traditions, and other contextual factors (eg, peculiarities of a sport system) could ... How-ever, such mono-cultural career services are presently ...
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... with overarching categories and sub-categories The theoretical validity of the current project was supported ... Eight of the respon-dents noted that at least one of their elite coaches at ... coaching Involvement over and above was... more
... with overarching categories and sub-categories The theoretical validity of the current project was supported ... Eight of the respon-dents noted that at least one of their elite coaches at ... coaching Involvement over and above was exemplified by an interest in the athletes as people ...
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ABSTRACT The Cultural Turn in Sport Psychology “brings to bear a series of rich insights from cultural studies that demand ways of opening the study of sport psychology to issues of transnational, gendered, and sexual identities; new... more
ABSTRACT The Cultural Turn in Sport Psychology “brings to bear a series of rich insights from cultural studies that demand ways of opening the study of sport psychology to issues of transnational, gendered, and sexual identities; new methodologies; the nature of expertise and professional practice; and the basis of the science of sport psychology itself. In a global world with increasingly complex issues around issues of embodiment and the rapidly changing and expanding nature of the sporting enterprise, these broadened perspectives on sport psychology are both enlightening and valuable.” —from the Foreword by Patricia Vertinsky
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Objectives: To situate mostly European cultural sport psychology scholarship in a historical backdrop and then to draw on two recent examples from such scholarship to propose future prospects. Design: A review of literature is utilized to... more
Objectives: To situate mostly European cultural sport psychology scholarship in a historical backdrop and then to draw on two recent examples from such scholarship to propose future prospects. Design: A review of literature is utilized to situate the recent prominence of cultural sport psychology. This review is written temporally from past, to present, to future prospects. Method: A presentation of scholarship is presented temporally relating to the following: (a) gender scholarship, (b) cross cultural voids in race and ethnicity, (c) situating of cultural sport psychology in present day, with the emergence of European scholars, (d) the topics of intersectionality of identity and acculturation are drawn upon to reveal diverse approaches taken in this line of scholarship and practice, and (e) reflections and recommendations are proposed, calling for openness of perspectives and topic areas. Results: The presentation of scholarship is intended to serve as a form of advocacy for diverse approaches in cultural sport psychology. This advocacy is exemplified through such terms as cultural praxis and decolonization, beyond a broader call for receptiveness for diverse epistemological approaches. Conclusions: Cultural sport psychology is now becoming popular, among both scholars and practitioners. The benefits from such approaches extend beyond advocacy through research to mental health benefits for sport participants and exercisers. HighlightsOverviews the origins of cultural sport psychology from its inception to present day.Draws upon European contributions to the broader trajectories of identity and acculturation scholarship.Advocates for openness to diverse perspectives and topic areas among cultural sport psychology researchers and practitioners.Suggestions are made for the future of cultural sport psychology and how it can continue to be open to differring topics.
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Athlete Acculturation and Acute Cultural Adaptation : Expanding Knowledge from the Conceptual, through the Empirical, to the Practical
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The current paper introduces a case study conducted in one of the most well-established athletic talent development environments in Finland, with the focus on the environment’s ecological dynamics and organizational culture, in light of... more
The current paper introduces a case study conducted in one of the most well-established athletic talent development environments in Finland, with the focus on the environment’s ecological dynamics and organizational culture, in light of its recent effort to rebrand itself as a dual career development environment. Our analysis has been inspired by the holistic ecological approach and ecological dynamics, wherein the authors have considered a dual career development environment from the point of view of its transactions with agentic individuals and affordances for student athletes in the study domain, the sports domain, and the private domain. The authors believe our findings can provide other sports environments with insight into what to consider when transforming the organizational culture of an environment to better aid their student athletes in realizing their dual career goals.
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In this essay we critically reflect on our respective journeys to and within cultural sport psychology (CSP). Since the inception, CSP scholars have advocated for opening the privileged academic space for marginalised voices and omitted... more
In this essay we critically reflect on our respective journeys to and within cultural sport psychology (CSP). Since the inception, CSP scholars have advocated for opening the privileged academic space for marginalised voices and omitted subject themes; as well as cautioned researchers that the CSP project itself needs to be constantly revisited and reworked to keep it in progressive flux. We argue that, despite some notable advances, CSP remains a predominantly white Anglo-American intellectual space and that previous calls to engage with issues of power and privilege in the prevailing knowledge production have been largely unanswered. The lack of diverse voices within the CSP community may be a sign of stagnation. Therefore, we believe that sport psychology community would do well to discuss the ways in which CSP research and academic/applied practices may be alienating to the new generation of sport scholars and activists.
This symposium introduces the recent ISSP book project: “Athletes’ Careers across Cultures” (Stambulova & Ryba, 2013). The book editors and several chapter authors will discuss how culture (as a multilevel phenomenon) informs athletes’... more
This symposium introduces the recent ISSP book project: “Athletes’ Careers across Cultures” (Stambulova & Ryba, 2013). The book editors and several chapter authors will discuss how culture (as a multilevel phenomenon) informs athletes’ career development as well as existing career research and career assistance programs around the world. The first presenter will briefly introduce the idea of “Athletes’ Careers across Cultures” project and then focus on two epistemological perspectives (‘waves’) in existing career research, such as the cross cultural perspective gravitating to the positivist epistemology, and the cultural mindset perspective located within a constructivist epistemological paradigm. She will further share the insights related to the emerging “third wave” based on the cultural praxis paradigm. The second presenter will focus on Canadian context tracing an evolution and introducing several theoretical frameworks and lines of current career research in Canada. The third ...
This paper discusses a phenomenological study of children’s experience of enjoyment in figure skating. The study’s objective was to explore and understand the lived experience of eight athletes aged 8 – 10 years. To achieve this... more
This paper discusses a phenomenological study of children’s experience of enjoyment in figure skating. The study’s objective was to explore and understand the lived experience of eight athletes aged 8 – 10 years. To achieve this objective, six female and two male athletes from three different ice skating clubs in the southeastern United States participated in a taped unstructured phenomenological interview. Interviews were subsequently transcribed and inductively analyzed, utilizing the hermeneutic circle (Pollio, Henley, & Thompson, 1997). The global themes that emerged from the data suggest that the young athletes ultimately enjoyed their time in figure skating when they were doing something for the First Time, Getting Better, Being Creative, Experiencing the Body, and being around Other People.
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All material supplied via JYX is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, and duplication or sale of all or part of any of the repository collections is not permitted, except that material may be duplicated by you... more
All material supplied via JYX is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, and duplication or sale of all or part of any of the repository collections is not permitted, except that material may be duplicated by you for your research use or educational purposes in electronic or print form. You must obtain permission for any other use. Electronic or print copies may not be offered, whether for sale or otherwise to anyone who is not an authorised user. A person-oriented approach to sport and school burnout in adolescent studentathletes: The role of individual and parental expectations Sorkkila, Matilda; Aunola, Kaisa; Ryba, Tatiana V.
Within the North American intercollegiate (school-based) sport context, the career development of student-athletes is an established research area focused on athletes’ transition to the university ...
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The transition from compulsory school to upper secondary school is a challenging period for adolescents. Especially challenging it can be for adolescents who aim to integrate two domains of achievement, such as an athletic career and... more
The transition from compulsory school to upper secondary school is a challenging period for adolescents. Especially challenging it can be for adolescents who aim to integrate two domains of achievement, such as an athletic career and academic education. The pressure from two intertwined achievement domains may make student-athletes vulnerable to symptoms of burnout. The study examined the role of mothers' and fathers' affection and psychological control as possible risk or protective factors in the symptoms of school and sport burnout among 15-16 year olds adolescent athletes in Finland. The adolescents' (n = 391) burnout symptoms in the two domains were measured using questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of the first grade of upper secondary school. Mothers (n = 258) and fathers (n = 191) filled in questionnaires concerning their parenting behaviors at the beginning of the school year. The results showed that the athletes' symptoms of both school and sport burnout increased across the school year. Maternal affection buffered against the increase of school burnout, but only when not combined with simultaneous psychologically controlling mothering.
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Student-athletes who strive for success in high level sports while pursuing upper secondary education may be prone to sport and school burnout. The present study examined the co-developmental dynamic of sport and school burnout in Finnish... more
Student-athletes who strive for success in high level sports while pursuing upper secondary education may be prone to sport and school burnout. The present study examined the co-developmental dynamic of sport and school burnout in Finnish adolescent student-athletes (N= 391; N= 373) across the first year of upper secondary school by using cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM). Furthermore, we used sport and school-related achievement goals as predictors of sport and school burnout, namely, sport and school-related exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of inadequacy. The results showed that burnout dimensions in a particular domain were substantially stable within the same domain during the first year of upper secondary school, and that school-related exhaustion at the beginning of upper secondary school predicted sport-related exhaustion at the end of the school year. Mastery goals in sport and school were negatively associated with cynicism and feelings of inadequacy within ...
Despite the extensive research into coaches’ roles in supporting athletic development and motivation for sport, few studies have examined coaches’ attitudes and practices towards athletes’ dual careers. The present study extends European... more
Despite the extensive research into coaches’ roles in supporting athletic development and motivation for sport, few studies have examined coaches’ attitudes and practices towards athletes’ dual careers. The present study extends European research into athletes’ dual careers by examining Finnish ice hockey coaches’ attitudes and practices surrounding players’ education. Ten male coaches aged 27–52 participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed with an existential-narrative theoretical framework and with thematic and structural narrative analysis. Three composite vignettes were created entitled ‘supporting athletic development and players in reaching their own goals’, ‘enjoyment and physically active lifestyle’ and ‘developing good persons’. The analysis revealed that although all coaches embraced the official rhetoric where school is a priority over ice hockey, most of them had few practical examples of how this view had informed their coaching practice. It is con...
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This study is situated within an existential-narrative theoretical framework to examine the impact of career-threatening injury on professional ice hockey... more
This study is situated within an existential-narrative theoretical framework to examine the impact of career-threatening injury on professional ice hockey players' well-being and career construction. Professional ice hockey culture is construed as a privileged space characterised by hegemonic masculinity, fierce competition as well as high-risk behaviours often resulting in sports injuries. In this paper, we analyse two players' life stories with a particular focus on injury as a boundary situation involving social and temporal breakdown and re-evaluation of meaning of sporting life projects. Emergent narratives surrounding existential themes of loss of meaning and loneliness in the face of injury were analysed in connection with players' search for authenticity and realignment with self-concept. Each player developed resistant narratives to the dominant ethos of professional sport in order to restore well-being and sense of self. The relational aspects of injury are highlighted in practical recommendations.
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Participating in competitive sport increases the risk for injuries and musculoskeletal pain among adolescent athletes. There is also evidence that the use of prescription drugs has increased among sport club athletes. The purpose of this... more
Participating in competitive sport increases the risk for injuries and musculoskeletal pain among adolescent athletes. There is also evidence that the use of prescription drugs has increased among sport club athletes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of painkillers among young male ice hockey players (IHP) in comparison to schoolboys (controls) and its relation to the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and problems during activities and sleeping. Information was gathered through a questionnaire, completed by 121 IHP and compared to the responses of 618 age-matched controls. Results showed that monthly existing pain was at 82% for IHP, and 72% for controls, though IHP had statistically more musculoskeletal pain in their lower limbs (56% vs. 44%), lower back (54% vs. 35%), and buttocks (26% vs. 11%). There were no group differences in the neck, upper back, upper limb, or chest areas. The disability index was statistically similar for both groups, as musculoskeletal pa...
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New forms of neoliberal femininity create demanding horizons of expectation for young women. For talented athletes, these pressures are intensified by the establishment of dual-career discourses that construct the combination of... more
New forms of neoliberal femininity create demanding horizons of expectation for young women. For talented athletes, these pressures are intensified by the establishment of dual-career discourses that construct the combination of high-performance sport and education as a normative, ‘ideal’ pathway. The pressed time perspective inherent in dual-careers requires athletes to employ a variety of time-related skills, especially for young women who aim to live up to ‘superwoman’ ideals that valorize ‘success’ in all walks of life. Drawing on existential phenomenology, and in-depth interviews with 10 talented Finnish sportswomen (aged 19-22), we explored their experiences of lived time when pursuing dual-careers in upper secondary sport schools. Exploring participants’ bodily experiences of inhabiting the achievement life-world, we analyze how these sportswomen either learned ways of living up to this ambitious script or came to understand the detrimental effects of the script, necessitating other ways of being. For those who experience a disjuncture between the ‘perfect’ and their embodied experience, self-care practices are needed to restore life-world harmony, and orient to alternative futures.
Research Interests: Sociology, Sociology of Sport, Gender Studies, Women's Studies, Feminist Theory, and 14 morePhenomenology, Gender, Women, Feminism, Sports and Gender, Gender and Sport, Time Perception, Career Development, Youth Sports, Athletes, Young Women, College Student Athletes, Sociology of Sport and Leisure, and Women Athletes
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We examined the cultural context underlying career construction in elite sports.A performance narrative provided the structure of meanings for career identity.Athletic career practices were culturally and historically... more
We examined the cultural context underlying career construction in elite sports.A performance narrative provided the structure of meanings for career identity.Athletic career practices were culturally and historically constituted.Individuals deconstructed and created novel meanings in the process of living authentically through the athletic career.Against a theoretical backdrop of narrative career construction, this article argues for the cultural constitution of life-designing processes in and through sport. A narrative case study approach is used to explore the culturally infused, gendered construction of elite athletic careers from the life story perspective. One Finnish, male, professional hockey player (age 29) and one Baltic, female, amateur orienteer (age 27) participated in a series of three individual interviews, generating approximately five interview hours per athlete. Both participants drew upon the performance narrative plot of an exemplary athletic career to make sense of their sporting experiences, life choices, and career behaviors. Further analysis of gendered career narrations in the context of participants' lives extended contextualized understandings of career practices, discursive resources and cultural constraints of the life design at a particular socio-historical juncture. The present study elucidates the complex social, cultural, and gendered underpinnings of athletic career, as well as the ways in which agentic individuals create novel meanings in bringing authenticity to their life through the athletic pursuit.
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In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some suggestions for advancing our knowledge in this area of research and practice. First, we review the previous research in the field. Then we... more
In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some suggestions for advancing our knowledge in this area of research and practice. First, we review the previous research in the field. Then we introduce “cultural praxis” as a theoretical framework that will guide our analysis. Finally, we engage sociological studies of female fighters in conjunction with the adopted theoretical lens to outline the limitations of sport psychological research with regards to the experiences of women. It seems that the majority of the studies have used the male athlete as the norm, while research on the female athlete remains limited and focused on “differences”. Focusing persistently on gender differences, without drawing at all on gender theory reflects a gender bias, which seems to be engrained in sport psychology studies. Recent sociologi- cal studies have shed some light on the experiences of female martial artists, but have paid scant attention to the const...
In today’s uncertain, fluid job market, transnational mobility has intensified. Though the concept of cultural transition is increasingly used in sport and career research, insight into the processes of how individuals produce their own... more
In today’s uncertain, fluid job market, transnational mobility has intensified. Though the concept of cultural transition is increasingly used in sport and career research, insight into the processes of how individuals produce their own development through work and relationships in shifting cultural patterns of meaning remains limited. The transnational industry of sports, in which athletes’ psychological adjustment to cultural transitions has implications for both performance and meaningful life, serves as a backdrop for this article. This study applied the life story method to interviews with 15 professional and semi-professional athletes, focusing particularly on the cultural transition aspect of their transnational athletic careers. The aims of the study were to identify the developmental tasks of cultural transitions and strategies/mechanisms through which cultural transitions were enacted. Three underlying mechanisms of the transition process that assisted athletic career adaptability were social repositioning, negotiation of cultural practices, and meaning reconstruction. Based on the data analyses, a temporal model of cultural transition is proposed. The results of this research provide professionals working in the fields of career counseling and migrant support with a content framework for enhancing migrant workers’ adaptabilities and psychological wellbeing.
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In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some suggestions for advancing our knowledge in this area of research and practice. First, we review the previous research in the field. Then we... more
In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some suggestions for advancing our knowledge in this area of research and practice. First, we review the previous research in the field. Then we introduce “cultural praxis” as a theoretical framework that will guide our analysis. Finally, we engage sociological studies of female fighters in conjunction with the adopted theoretical lens to outline the limitations of sport psychological research with regards to the experiences of women. It seems that the majority of the studies have used the male athlete as the norm, while research on the female athlete remains limited and focused on “differences”. Focusing persistently on gender differences, without drawing at all on gender theory reflects a gender bias, which seems to be engrained in sport psychology studies. Recent sociologi- cal studies have shed some light on the experiences of female martial artists, but have paid scant attention to the const...
Schinke, R. J., Peltier, D., Ryba, T. V., Wabano, M. J., & Wabano, M. (2010). Working with community: Participatory action research with/in Wikwemikong. In Tatiana V. Ryba, Schinke, R. J., & Tenenbaum, G. (Eds.) The cultural turn in sport psychology (pp. 231-255). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Informat...more
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To cite this article: Natalia B. Stambulova & Tatiana V. Ryba (2014) A critical review of career research and assistance through the cultural lens: towards cultural praxis of athletes' careers, International Review of Sport and Exercise... more
To cite this article: Natalia B. Stambulova & Tatiana V. Ryba (2014) A critical review of career research and assistance through the cultural lens: towards cultural praxis of athletes' careers, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7:1, 1-17
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The multicultural landscape of contemporary sport sets a challenge to rethink sport and exercise psychology research and practice through a culturally reflexive lens. This ISSP Position Stand provides a rigorous synthesis and engagement... more
The multicultural landscape of contemporary sport sets a challenge to rethink sport and exercise psychology research and practice through a culturally reflexive lens. This ISSP Position Stand provides a rigorous synthesis and engagement with existing scholarship to outline a roadmap for future work in the field. The shift to culturally competent sport and exercise psychology implies: (a) recognizing hidden ethnocentric philosophical assumptions permeating much of the current theory, research, and practice; (b) transitioning to professional ethics in which difference is seen as not inherent and fixed but as relational and fluid; and (c) focusing on meaning (instead of cause) in cross-cultural and cultural research projects, and cultural praxis work. In the paper, we first provide an overview of the concepts of cultural competence and ethics of difference. Second, we present a step-by-step approach for developing a culturally competent project rooted either within cross-cultural or cultural research. Third, we focus on cultural praxis as a project that blends theory, research, and lived culture of practice. Finally, we summarize main points in nine postulates and provide recommendations for enhancing cultural competence in the field of sport and exercise psychology.
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This paper discusses a phenomenological study of children's experience of enjoyment in figure skating. The study's objective was to explore and understand the lived experience of eight athletes aged 8 - 10 years. To achieve this... more
This paper discusses a phenomenological study of children's experience of enjoyment in figure skating. The study's objective was to explore and understand the lived experience of eight athletes aged 8 - 10 years. To achieve this objective, six female and two male athletes from three different ice skating clubs in the southeastern United States participated in a taped unstructured phenomenological
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In this paper, I argue for the development of a "sport psychology as cultural praxis" (Ryba & Wright, 2005) discourse that reflects the paradigmatic shift that I believe would provide a viable gateway for the entry of psychology... more
In this paper, I argue for the development of a "sport psychology as cultural praxis" (Ryba & Wright, 2005) discourse that reflects the paradigmatic shift that I believe would provide a viable gateway for the entry of psychology of sport into the arena of (post)sport studies. I begin with an outline of future trajectories of the discipline and focus on
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In this paper, the authors discuss the symptoms of overtraining and burnout— two syndromes in which the etiology, after the decades of research, is still poorly understood. Overtraining is caused by an imbalance between exercise and rest,... more
In this paper, the authors discuss the symptoms of overtraining and burnout— two syndromes in which the etiology, after the decades of research, is still poorly understood. Overtraining is caused by an imbalance between exercise and rest, and often triggered by increased neuromuscular loading. There are no reliable diagnostic tests for overtraining. The neurological mechanisms underpinning burnout are similarly not known; however, it is generally accepted that the main cause is mental overloading. Both conditions are stress-related developmental processes suggesting malfunction of adrenal cortex and hypothalamus, mainly the pituitary. The two syndromes are also related to a variety of individual, environmental, and organizational factors. Based on the first author’s extensive practical experience of working with overtrained athletes and individuals with occupational burnout, the authors draw on both literatures to offer invaluable insights into a medical assessment and treatment of ...
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Full text: https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=45326#! In this paper, the authors discuss the symptoms of overtraining and burnout— two syndromes in which the etiology, after the decades of research, is... more
Full text: https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=45326#! In this paper, the authors discuss the symptoms of overtraining and burnout— two syndromes in which the etiology, after the decades of research, is still poorly understood. Overtraining is caused by an imbalance between exercise and rest, and often triggered by increased neuromuscular loading. There are no reliable diagnostic tests for overtraining. The neurological mechanisms underpinning burnout are similarly not known; however, it is generally accepted that the main cause is mental overloading. Both conditions are stress-related developmental processes suggesting malfunction of adrenal cortex and hypothalamus, mainly the pituitary. The two syndromes are also related to a variety of individual, environmental, and organizational factors. Based on the first author’s extensive practical experience of working with overtrained athletes and individuals with occupational burnout, the authors draw on bo...
The field of sport psychology has recently engaged scholars in a productive debate over ontological, epistemological, and methodological issues of research praxis (Giacobbi, Poczwardowski, & Hager, 2005; Krane & Baird, 2005; Ryba &... more
The field of sport psychology has recently engaged scholars in a productive debate over ontological, epistemological, and methodological issues of research praxis (Giacobbi, Poczwardowski, & Hager, 2005; Krane & Baird, 2005; Ryba & Wright, 2005). With the intent to stimulate further methodological debates, this paper explores the possibility of developing clearer insight into the life-world of the child athlete by
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Participating in competitive sport increases the risk for injuries and musculoskeletal pain among adolescent athletes. There is also evidence that the use of prescription drugs has increased among sport club athletes. The purpose of this... more
Participating in competitive sport increases the risk for injuries and musculoskeletal pain among adolescent athletes. There is also evidence that the use of prescription drugs has increased among sport club athletes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of painkillers among young male ice hockey players (IHP) in comparison to schoolboys (controls) and its relation to the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and problems during activities and sleeping. Information was gathered through a questionnaire, completed by 121 IHP and compared to the responses of 618 age-matched controls. Results showed that monthly existing pain was at 82% for IHP, and 72% for controls, though IHP had statistically more musculoskeletal pain in their lower limbs (56% versus 44%), lower back (54% versus 35%), and buttocks (26% versus 11%). There were no group differences in the neck, upper back, upper limb, or chest areas. The disability index was statistically similar for both groups, as musculosk...
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Against a theoretical backdrop of narrative career construction, this article argues for the cultural constitution of life-designing processes in and through sport. A narrative case study approach is used to explore the culturally... more
Against a theoretical backdrop of narrative career construction, this article argues for the cultural constitution of life-designing processes in and through sport. A narrative case study approach is used to explore the culturally infused, gendered construction of elite athletic careers from the life story perspective. One Finnish, male, professional hockey player (age 29) and one Baltic, female, amateur orienteer (age 27) participated in a series of three individual interviews, generating approximately five interview hours per athlete. Both participants drew upon the performance narrative plot of an exemplary athletic career to make sense of their sporting experiences, life choices, and career behaviors. Further analysis of gendered career narrations in the context of participants' lives extended contextualized understandings of career practices, discursive resources and cultural constraints of the life design at a particular socio-historical juncture. The present study elucidates the complex social, cultural, and gendered underpinnings of athletic career, as well as the ways in which agentic individuals create novel meanings in bringing authenticity to their life through the athletic pursuit.
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Objectives: Transnationalism, as part of the globalization processes, has transformed the lifestyle and the course of athletes' careers. This presents previously unexplored challenges encountered by student- athletes in combining athletic... more
Objectives: Transnationalism, as part of the globalization processes, has transformed the lifestyle and the course of athletes' careers. This presents previously unexplored challenges encountered by student- athletes in combining athletic and academic pursuits. In this article, we propose a conceptual frame- work for the taxonomy of transnational dual careers (DC).
Design and method: Narrative inquiry from the life story perspective was used to elicit and analyze career narratives of six transnational athletes (3 male and 3 female), generating about five interview hours per athlete. The developmental transition from secondary to higher education was chosen as a key transition to classify the DC pathways. Additional insights into DC mobilization across international borders were gleaned by employing the typologies of sport migrants developed in the sport labor migration research. Results: Three patterns of transnational DC were discerned from the narratives based on the direction of geographic mobility and the core migration motive underpinning the storyline. Within the present dataset, the taxonomies are: (1) Within EU mobility: the sport exile DC pathway; (2) Mobility to the U.S.A.: the sport mercenary DC pathway; and (3) Mobility to the U.S.A.: the nomadic cosmopolitan DC pathway.
Conclusions: The identified transnational DC paths are not exhaustive, and highlight possibilities of in- dividual development, unfolding through the matrices of social structures in a given location. Further research with a diverse set of transnational athletes is needed to test and expand the proposed taxonomy.
Design and method: Narrative inquiry from the life story perspective was used to elicit and analyze career narratives of six transnational athletes (3 male and 3 female), generating about five interview hours per athlete. The developmental transition from secondary to higher education was chosen as a key transition to classify the DC pathways. Additional insights into DC mobilization across international borders were gleaned by employing the typologies of sport migrants developed in the sport labor migration research. Results: Three patterns of transnational DC were discerned from the narratives based on the direction of geographic mobility and the core migration motive underpinning the storyline. Within the present dataset, the taxonomies are: (1) Within EU mobility: the sport exile DC pathway; (2) Mobility to the U.S.A.: the sport mercenary DC pathway; and (3) Mobility to the U.S.A.: the nomadic cosmopolitan DC pathway.
Conclusions: The identified transnational DC paths are not exhaustive, and highlight possibilities of in- dividual development, unfolding through the matrices of social structures in a given location. Further research with a diverse set of transnational athletes is needed to test and expand the proposed taxonomy.