Analysis of facilitating factors and barriers to dual careers in Olympic and pre-Olympic athletes from Mozambique
Afzal Mahomed Valà, Leonardo Lucio Nhantumbo
Abstract
Introduction: The importance of dual careers for high-performance athletes is widely recognized in the sports science literature. However, studies on this topic conducted in Mozambique are not known. Objectives: The present study aimed to analyze the dual career management of Mozambican Olympic and Pre-Olympic athletes; identify the facilitating factors and barriers to dual careers from the athletes' perspective; and compare these factors by gender and sport modality. Methodology: The sample consisted of 8 athletes drawn from a universe of 10 Olympic and pre-Olympic athletes (5 female and three male), with a sample mean age of 25.38±4.24 years, and 28±1. 41 and 21±3.61 years for females and males, respectively, of which 5 participants in the Paris-2024 Olympic Games and three pre-Olympics participants in the qualifications for the same Olympics. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey based on the systematization of factors identified in the international literature as facilitators and barriers to dual careers (Wanzeler et al., 2023). Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 22.0, with a significance level of p<0.05, and included basic descriptive statistics and frequency analysis. Results: factors were identified acting as facilitators at the personal and social level, and as barriers at the institutional and financial level, but without any differences depending on gender and sport modality. Conclusions: the conciliation of sports career activities with the academic trajectory, through a combination of multiple actions oriented towards the multidimensionality of the dual career.
Keywords
References
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Brustio, P. R.; Rainoldi, A.; Mosso, C. O.; de Subijana, C. L.; Lupo, C. (2020b). Actual and wished supports to promote a successful dual career according to Italian student athletes’ point of view. Sport Sci Health. 16(4):625-34.
Brustio, P. R.; Rainoldi, A.; Mosso, C. O.; López de Subijana, C.; Lupo, C. (2020a). Italian student-athletes only need a more effective daily schedule to support their dual career. Sport Sci Health, 16(1):177-82.
Capranica, L.; Doupona, M.; Abelkalns, I.; Bisenieks, U.; Sánchez-Pato, A.; Cánovas- Alvarez, F. J.; et al. (2022). Understanding dual career views of European university athletes: the more than gold project focus groups. PLoS One,17(2):e0264175.
Costa, F. R.; Miranda, I. S.; Hagström, L.; Santos, C. R. L.; Rezende, A. L. G. (2021). Sports-education dual career: The reality of elite fancy diving athletes in Brazil. Movimento, 27, , e27016.
European Commission (2012). EU guidelines on dual careers of athletes recommended policy actions in support of dual careers in high-performance sport. Brussels: Sport Unit, European Commission, Education, Culture and Sport.
Fleischman, D.; Sotiriadou, P.; Mulcahy, R.; Kean, B.; Cury, R. L. (2022). The impact of “capitalization” social support services on student-athlete well-being. J Serv Mark, ;36(6):813-30.
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Graczyk, M.; Nawrocka, A.; Wylleman, P.; Moska, W.; Tomiak, T.; Lachowicz, M.; et al. (2018). Type of education and life experiences in the dual career. Balt J Health Phys Act, 10(4):106-118.
Guirola Gómez, I.; Torregrosa, M.; Ramis, Y.; Jaenes, J. C. (2018). Remando contracorriente: facilitadores y barreras para compaginar el deporte y los estudios. Rev Andal Med Deporte,11(1):12-17.
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Kerstajn, R.; Lupo, C.; Capranica, L.; Topic, M. D. (2018). Motivation towards sports and academics careers in elite winter sport Slovenian and Italian athletes: The role of internal and external factors. Ido Movement for Culture, 18:29-37.
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Olah, D.; Nyisztor, P.; Borbely, S.; Bognar, J. (2022). Dual career through the analysis of policy documents: a case study focusing on athletics. Cent Eur J Educ Res, 4(1):86-96.
Postema, A.; van Mierlo, H.; Bakker, A. B., Barendse, M. T. (2022): Study-to-sports spillover among competitive athletes: a field study, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-24.
Ramos Gómez, J.; López, S. C.; Barriopedro Moro, María Isabel, B. M. M.; et al,.(2017). Events of athletic career: a comparison between career paths. Revista de psicología del deporte, 26(Supl 4):115-120.
Sum, R. K. W.; Tsai, H. H.; Ching Ha, A. S.; Cheng, C. F.; Wang, F. J,; Li, M. (2017). Social-ecological determinants of elite student athletes’ dual career development in Hong Kong and Taiwan. SAGE Open, April-June:1-12.
Wanzeler, F. S. C.; Carneiro, F. B. C.; Costa, F. R.(2023). Facilitadores e barreiras para a dupla carreira do estudante-atleta de elite: uma revisão integrativa. Rev Bras Ciênc Esporte, 45:e20230047.
Aguilar-Navarrete, J.; Flández, J.; Gene-Morales, J.; Colado, J. C. (2020). Critical incidents which limit performance of Chilean University rowers who won a medal in the Pan American Games of Lima 2019. J Hum Sport Exerc. 17(1):167-180.
Bon, M.; Doupona, M.; Wilson-Gahan, S.; Capranica, L.; Guidotti, F. (2022). Transnational migration and dual career of Slovenian and swiss elite female handball players: a longitudinal analysis. Sports. 10(9):137.
Brustio, P. R.; Rainoldi, A.; Mosso, C. O.; de Subijana, C. L.; Lupo, C. (2020b). Actual and wished supports to promote a successful dual career according to Italian student athletes’ point of view. Sport Sci Health. 16(4):625-34.
Brustio, P. R.; Rainoldi, A.; Mosso, C. O.; López de Subijana, C.; Lupo, C. (2020a). Italian student-athletes only need a more effective daily schedule to support their dual career. Sport Sci Health, 16(1):177-82.
Capranica, L.; Doupona, M.; Abelkalns, I.; Bisenieks, U.; Sánchez-Pato, A.; Cánovas- Alvarez, F. J.; et al. (2022). Understanding dual career views of European university athletes: the more than gold project focus groups. PLoS One,17(2):e0264175.
Costa, F. R.; Miranda, I. S.; Hagström, L.; Santos, C. R. L.; Rezende, A. L. G. (2021). Sports-education dual career: The reality of elite fancy diving athletes in Brazil. Movimento, 27, , e27016.
European Commission (2012). EU guidelines on dual careers of athletes recommended policy actions in support of dual careers in high-performance sport. Brussels: Sport Unit, European Commission, Education, Culture and Sport.
Fleischman, D.; Sotiriadou, P.; Mulcahy, R.; Kean, B.; Cury, R. L. (2022). The impact of “capitalization” social support services on student-athlete well-being. J Serv Mark, ;36(6):813-30.
Fuchs, P. X.; Wagner, H.; Hannola, H.; Niemisalo, N.; Pehme, A.; Puhke, R. et al. (2016). European student-athletes: perceptions on dual career outcomes and services. Kinesiologia Slovenica, 22(2):31-8.
Gavala-González, J.; Castillo-Rodriguez, A.; Fernandez-García, J. C. (2019). Dual career of the under-23 Spanish Canoeing team. Front Psychol, Vol. 10. Article 1783.
Graczyk, M.; Nawrocka, A.; Wylleman, P.; Moska, W.; Tomiak, T.; Lachowicz, M.; et al. (2018). Type of education and life experiences in the dual career. Balt J Health Phys Act, 10(4):106-118.
Guirola Gómez, I.; Torregrosa, M.; Ramis, Y.; Jaenes, J. C. (2018). Remando contracorriente: facilitadores y barreras para compaginar el deporte y los estudios. Rev Andal Med Deporte,11(1):12-17.
Hallmann, K & Weustenfeld, N. (2024). Constraints and facilitators of elite atletes dual careers: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Sprt Policy and Politics, 1-18.
Hernando Domingo, C.; Renau Michavila, M.; Thorén, P.; Bankel, J.; Karlsteen, M.; Kalaja, S.; et al. (2024). Promoting dual careers at higher education institutions: 31 benefits ranked by the project Student Athletes Erasmus+ Mobility in Europe (SAMEurope). Front. Sports Act. Living, 6:1407194.
Kerstajn, R.; Lupo, C.; Capranica, L.; Topic, M. D. (2018). Motivation towards sports and academics careers in elite winter sport Slovenian and Italian athletes: The role of internal and external factors. Ido Movement for Culture, 18:29-37.
Knight, C J.; Harwood, C. G.; Sellars, P. A. (2018). Supporting adolescent athletes’ dual careers: The role of an athlete’s social support network. Psychol Sport Exerc, 38:137-47.
Mateo-Orcajada, A.; Leiva-Arcas, A.; Vaquero-Cristóbal, R.; Abenza-Cano, L.; García-Roca, . J. A.; Meroño, L.; et al. (2022). Spanish pre-olympic athletes’ motivations and barriers to pursuing dual career as a function of sociodemographic, sport and academic variables. Front Psycho, 13:850614.
Mateu, P.; Inglés, E.; Torregrossa, M.; Marques, R. F. R.; Stambulova, N.; Vilanova, A.(2020). Living life through sport: the transition of elite Spanish student-athletes to a university degree in physical activity and sports sciences. Front Psychol, 11:1367.
Melo, L. B.S. (2018). A dupla carreira do estudante-atleta: as estratégias de conciliação das rotinas no esporte e na escola. Tese de Doutoramento em Educação Física. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória.
Olah, D.; Nyisztor, P.; Borbely, S.; Bognar, J. (2022). Dual career through the analysis of policy documents: a case study focusing on athletics. Cent Eur J Educ Res, 4(1):86-96.
Postema, A.; van Mierlo, H.; Bakker, A. B., Barendse, M. T. (2022): Study-to-sports spillover among competitive athletes: a field study, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-24.
Ramos Gómez, J.; López, S. C.; Barriopedro Moro, María Isabel, B. M. M.; et al,.(2017). Events of athletic career: a comparison between career paths. Revista de psicología del deporte, 26(Supl 4):115-120.
Sum, R. K. W.; Tsai, H. H.; Ching Ha, A. S.; Cheng, C. F.; Wang, F. J,; Li, M. (2017). Social-ecological determinants of elite student athletes’ dual career development in Hong Kong and Taiwan. SAGE Open, April-June:1-12.
Wanzeler, F. S. C.; Carneiro, F. B. C.; Costa, F. R.(2023). Facilitadores e barreiras para a dupla carreira do estudante-atleta de elite: uma revisão integrativa. Rev Bras Ciênc Esporte, 45:e20230047.
Submitted date:
07/17/2025
Reviewed date:
11/12/2025
Accepted date:
11/27/2025
