Performance Transition Support Programme
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"I was fortunate to compete at 6 Paralympic Games. When I retired after the 2008 Games, it was a real challenge to adjust as I did not have a clear plan in place for the retirement transition. Support from the Institute was critical in assisting me to make a successful transition. My fears around retirement were put to rest through the great support that I received." Patrice Dockery |
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| "After Beijing I experienced a profound and unexpected emotional challenge around the post-Games 'come down'. At the time it was difficult to understand what was happening and I'd have really appreciated having the support that the Institute now offers to athletes in this period. | "Managing success after the Games was a real challenge for me and I learned the hard way how to find my path again. Many athletes struggle with their post-Games transition and I am working with the Institute to help make sure that the right advice, support and guidance are there for you. Get in touch and get involved, we're here to provide a helping hand." | |
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Gearoid Towey
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Kenneth Egan Silver Medallist, 2008 Boxing |
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After the Games are over you can avail of a number of support services that are designed to help you recover, refocus and re-energize as you move on to your next challenge. For some it's the road to Rio. For many it is the next Europeans or Worlds. For others a transition to a post-sport career, or maybe some pondering on options before making a choice. Whatever your situation, we've got something for you so take a look at the options below.
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Recover
To help you "unpack" your experience please book an appointment with one of the Institute's sports psychologists by contacting us here.
If you wish to make an appointment with one of the Institute's medical team you can do so by contacting us here. |
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Refocus
You can book an appointment with one of the lifeskills team by contacting us here.
You can book an appointment with one our profile management consultant by contacting us here.
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Re-energize
For more information on the life-skills session programme click here.
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Contact details
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To book your support please contact:
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Institute of Sport - Sports Psychology Debrief Team
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Tadhg MacIntyre
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Kate Kirby
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Kevin Clancy
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Performance Transition Life-skills Sessions
As part of the Institute's Transition Support Programme a number of life-skills sessions are run post games. A detailed description of these sessions is outlined below.
Personal Planning 1- Where am I now?
So you’ve arrived back from the Olympics, you may have had an amazing experience or one that you would rather forget!. You may even have thrown everything at qualification for the Games and just missed out. In all cases the Games are now complete and most of you will now be either in recovery or looking to re-establish yourselves back into a routine. This session is designed to help you evaluate your current status and put some short term plans into place to help you get back into a routine.
Key Points:
- How have I been since the Games?
- How do things look for me at the moment?
- What options have I got?
- How do I decide what is next?
- How do I plan to address getting back into a routine?
- What support do I need to help evaluate my current status?
Personal Planning 2 - Where to next?
You’ve had your rest and recovery post-Games and started to re-establish a routine. You may have a few options in front of you and are starting to think about planning for the season and the road ahead. This session is designed to help you evaluate your options and get the wheels in motion to put your plans in place.
Key Points:
- Are you rested and recovered and ready to start planning?
- Will your plans have implications for you and/or others?
- How can you assess what those implications may be?
- What tasks do you have to complete to get your plans in to action?
- What support do you need to implement them?
Personal Planning 3 - 2012 and beyond
You have re-established your training and life routines and plans for the coming period and assessed what needs to be done to make those plans a reality. Looking at your longer terms plans will generate focus and help you to identify any potential issues or peak times of activity that you may need to prepare for in advance. Having a clear view of your training / competition plans alongside your life goals is very productive approach to planning ahead.
Key Points:
- What tasks are left to complete to put yourplans into place?
- Now that you have re-established equilibrium have you looked a bit further ahead?
- Have you looked at your sport and life goals in tandem to see if there are any clashes?
- Where are you heading to, have you thought about the next cycle?
- Where are you heading to, have you thought about life after sport?
- What support do you need with this type of planning and plan implementation?
Life Skills Development 1 - Public Speaking - How to tell your story and create a following
You have returned from the Games with many stories you can tell, and probably some you can’t. Many will be asked to speak in front of, or to a range of audiences from local schools to corporate or sporting organisations. This session will help you to decide on and create a story that will be interesting, insightful and educational for whatever audience you step in front of. The support in this area will help you to develop a ‘product’ that you can adapt in the future and ensure that you come across in a professional manner.
Key Points:
- What should I talk about?
- What will this audience want to know about my experience at the Games and in sport?
- How do I structure the talk? Should I make it interactive?
- How long is too long? How do I stop on time?
- What should I bring? Do I talk of develop a presentation?
- What support do you need to develop a professional presence?
Life Skills Development 2 - Managing your personal finances - budgeting, pensions and saving schemes
In returning from a Games campaign you may have found yourself putting off certain tasks. This maybe one of those things that was put on the ‘long finger’. Your return to training, potentially a change in personal circumstances or even a change in location in preparation for the next steps in your life or career may require paying specific attention to this area. This support will help you to evaluate your ‘current status’ and educate you about some financial decisions you may be looking at. This is a useful session for all even if you haven’t got any major financial decisions looming.
- I’m not very good with money who can help?
- Looking at my current plans how do I make sure that I manage my budget well?
- If my involvement in sport finished today, what position would I be in?
- How do I make provision for the future?
- How do I work out what funding and finance I need for the coming weeks/months?
Performance Transition 1 - Managing the return to work or education
Once the dust has settled on your return and your have decided on a direction for your life either in tandem with your future sporting aspirations or instead of them some in depth planning and organisation is required. Unravelling your options, evaluating what options are best for you or even returning to a previous role or course, the key to a successful transition is good preparation. The support in this area can help you to evaluate your options, prioritise your task list and develop any key skills that can help smooth your path into your chosen area.
Key Points:
- Have I settled on my plans for the future or do I need help deciding?
- Have I properly evaluated my options with a look to how it will blend with other elements of my life?
- Can I develop my planning and organisational skills?
- Do I know what the process is for furthering my options?
- Can this support help me to achieve any of the above?
Performance Transition 2 - A career in sport - key career planning options
Many of you have been working with the lifestyle team at the Institute over the last cycle. A lot of that work focuses on creating positive distractions while heavily involved in sport or making provision for life after your sporting career has finished. These distractions and planning activities are important components in an athlete’s life. With sport playing such a major part of our lives it often seems like the obvious choice for a career. This session helps to provide clarity around what options are available to you in the sporting landscape and what you need to put in place to enable your career options to become a reality. Some of this may involve formal learning and other elements could be project work, internships or mentor schemes.
Key points:
- Have you thought about a career in sport?
- If so, what areas have you been looking at?
- Have you got the qualifications and experience to fulfil this type of role?
- If not, what learning or experience do you need and how can you get it?
- Can this support help to provide information and advice on a current or future career path?
Performance Transition 3 - Life After sport - the retirement opportunity
At some stage in your athletic career will come the realisation that the time has come to re-prioritise and turn your hand to other elements of your life. This is something that is normal and comes to all involved in sport at some stage. It is well documented that those that prepare for this change in focus cope much better with it, transitioning out of the life of a sports person much better. This support can help you to evaluate your options and create a platform for you to make sure that this experience is a good one.
- Should I retire?
- I don’t want to retire yet but should I prepare for it?
- What will I do if I’m not training and competing?
- How have others dealt with retirement?
- What will it feel like and how can I make the most of what I have experienced and learned?
- How can this type of support help me, my family and future life be a successful and happy one?