Career development planning in women's handball elite players – middle ranking countries specifics

The purpose of this qualitative research was to study the outcomes of  career development of women’s handball players through longitudinal systematic observation. The purpose was to identify the sociocultural factors and personal characteristics that enabled athletes  from geographically small countries with middle-ranking national handball teams to fulfil their quality of life aspirations and trajectories in combination with professional sporting career goals. Data collection commenced in 2012 when all athletes participated in semi structured interviews. A total of fourteen  interviews were conducted – eight  with Slovenian women’s national team athletes and six with Swiss national team athletes. All athletes were ranked in the top ten players in their national teams, all had played more  than 50 international matches.    Systematic observation of the athletes also commenced in 2022 and continued for seven years with records made of the career development of each player and their migration patterns, and their respective career transitions.  At the conclusion of the observation phase, the eight migrant players who were still actively playing handball were re-interviewed. The study concluded  that access to dual career prospects, represent key points of successful career development in women’s handball players from geographically small countries with middle-ranking national handball teams. The model of a successful female  athletes from geographically small countries with middle-ranking national handball team identified several key factors for success. These factors included excellent handball skills;  a successful dual career pattern; an adequate level of education and, a migration experience, and realisation of their quality of life aspirations and trajectories as significant factors in evaluating their success, both as athletes and on a personal level external to sport.