E36 - The psychology of becoming an elite athlete

In this episode of the “Experts in Sport” podcast, host Martin Foster sits down with Paul Wylleman, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Brussels, to discuss the transition from junior to senior level that athletes undergo as part of their career. Time Stamps:  00:00 – 02:57 Introduction & career background information on our guest 02:58 – 06:28 Overview of an athlete’s transition from junior to senior level 06:29 – 13:16 How the Holistic Athlete Career model (HAC) was developed  13:17 – 18:34 Detailing the diverse transition experiences of junior elite athletes 18:35 – 25:17 The psychosocial impact of transitioning 25:18 – 31:06 The athlete identity 31:07 – 39:17 The importance and diversity of coach-athlete dynamics 37:18 – 45:06 Athletes in higher education 45:07 – 47:38 Preparing athletes for the transition (https://www.dualcareertools.com/) 47:39 – 55:26 The financial and legal aspects of the HAC model 55:27 – 59:34 Struggling vs. coping with the transition 59:35 – 1:01:59 The future of this branch of research 1:02:00 – 1:03:30 Episode recap and conclusion