Abstract - Motivation towards sports and academics careers in elite winter sport Slovenian and Italian athletes The role of internal and external factors
Background and aim. In considering the lack of structural dual career measures in Italy and Slovenia, the aim of this study was to evaluate internal (e.g., motivation towards sports and education) and external (e.g., sport, academic, psychosocial, and financial aspects) factors of dual career (DC) of current elite winter sports Italian and Slovenian athletes.
Methods. The European Student-athletes’ Motivation towards Sports and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ-EU) and an informative questionnaire were administered to 123 elite Italian (n= 57; females: n =16; males: n =41) and Slovenian (n=66; females: n=31; males: n=35) athletes. Principal Axis Factoring extraction and Varimax/Kaiser Normalization rotation methods ascertained the SAMSAQ-EU three-factor model (e.g., Student Athletic Motivation, SAM; Academic Motivation, AM; Career Athletic Motivation, CAM). A one-way ANOVA and a correlation matrix (p≤0.05) were applied to ascertained differences between countries and relationships between internal and external variables, respectively.
Results. For internal factors, a difference (p=0.013) between countries emerged for AM only, with highest values (3.80±0.76pt) for Slovenians and lowest for Italians (3.11±0.5 pt), independently from gender. Relationships (p≤ 0.01) were found for AM with current schooling status and father’s education and for CAM with problems in sports/academic career.
Conclusions. Findings indicate that national socio-cultural systems influence the athletes’ motivation towards DC, with parents having a relevant role in DC paths of their progeny. This study confirmed the need of specifically tailored DC parenting education programmes, which will empower them to effectively provide DC support for athletes as students.