Publication Date

2025

Abstract

The transition away from college athletics is a significant marker for student athletes. Yet much existing research has focused on Division 1 athletes, leaving Division 3 underexplored. This study looks at the challenges athletes learn to navigate leaving two major institutions simultaneously—-college and athletics. By looking at how sports operate as a near-total institution, it reveals how athletes are socialized into their sport and structure their life around athletics. To study this transition, I utilize semi-structured interviews with former D3 athletes from Illinois Wesleyan University. While many athletes recounted feeling a loss of identity, they also reflected on how their experiences in sports gave them transferable skills for their post-graduation life. Additionally, they noted the lack of structure in their lives after graduating, which granted a sense of freedom while also spurring anxiety. Finally, athletes reflected on the loss of community after leaving their teams and the difficulty of replicating it within their current positions. By providing an understanding of the challenges athletes face in the transition out of college, this research can help universities and athletic departments better develop support systems for these athletes to aid their post-graduation lives.

Disciplines

Sociology

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