Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 1-1-1994 The retirement experiences of former elite female netball players J. L. Redmond Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Sports Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Redmond, J. L. (1994). The retirement experiences of former elite female netball players. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1098 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1098 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. THE RETIREMENT EXPERIENCES OF FORMER ELITE FEMALE NETBALL PLAYERS BY J.L. Redmond B.App.Sc. (Sports Science) A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulflllment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Applied Science (Sports Science) Date of Submission: 29 November, 1994 USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. Abstract RS'search to date on retirement from sport · has been dominated. by the study of United States, male, collegiate sports. Studies within Australia, which has a substantially different community based sport system, are just commencing. This study provided an insight into retirement from sport as it was experienced by farmer Western Australian elite female netball players. Using a qualitative interpretive approach a three stage interview process was employed to capture the individual experiences of each of the 15 participants. The interviewees were also asked to recommend interventions or strategies that netball associations could emplo~, to assist players in their transition out of elite netball. Inductive analysis of the data revealed three factors experienced by the athletes retiring from elite netball: (a) it was an individual experience; (b) ~twas a transiti~n which included a phase of assimilation; and {c) the athlete identity remained after retirement. Schlossberg's (1984) Model of the Indivictual in Transition was used to guide the study and analise the findings of this study. Nine strategies for implementation by the Netball Associations and players are provided. iii DECLARATION I certify that this thes.i.s does not incorporate, without acknowledgement, any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it does not contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in text. Signature: Date: ... /.Q: <?~ ·.".~ ......... " •.•.• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For the interest and enthusiasm shown by my Supervisor, Dr. Lynn Embrey, I express my appreciation for her support and guidance in the past two years. To my husband, Colin, without whom this thesis would have never been completed, my love, thanks and gratitude. To my children, Daniel and Amy, for makir..g life easier for thei:r Mum when life in the academic world became difficult, thank you both. To my fellow researchers, Bethany, Diana and Maree, who shared the highs and lows of postgraduate study, thank you for the laughter and support. To other family members and friends who have provided support and reminded me that there is life outside University, thank you. V TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Abstract ii Declaration iii Acknowledgments iv Table of Contents V List of Tables viiii List of Figures X CHA,PTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Background to the Study 1 Significance of the Study 9 Purpose of the Study 12 Research Questions 13 Limitations 13 Delimitations 14 Definitions 14 Conceptual Framework 19 Overview of Thesis 21 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 23 Research on Sport Retirement 23 Factors Influencing Athletic Response to Retirement 24 vi Comparing Sport and Work Retirement 25 Development of the Athlete Identity 27 Institutional Obligations 28 Prevention and Intervention Programs 30 Au~tralian Studies 33 Gender and Sport Retirement 34 Sport SpeGific Research 35 Conclusion 35 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 37 Thanantologic~~ theory 37 Ger0ntological Theory 38 Conceptual Models 42 4. METHODOLOGY 48 Design 48 Sample 49 Ethical Considerations 50 Data Collection 51 Data Analysis 54 Presentation of Findings 58 5. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 59 Netball Career Profiles 59 Factors Leading to Retjrement from Elite Netball 69 The Experience of Retiring from Elite Netball 85 vii Factors Found Which Hinder or Assist the Player in Transition from Elite Netball 97 The Players Perception of Themselves and Netball Post Retirement 107 Advice to Elite Female Netball Players who will Retire in the Futur~ 128 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 132 Research Questions 133 Successful and Unsuccessful Retirement 140 Comparison of Female and Australian Netball Players and Others Athletes Retirement Experiences 141 Work and Sport Retirement 142 Comparison of Types of Sport Withdrawal 144 Sensitising Theory 145 Strategies for Intervention/ Prevention Programs 145 Recommendations for Future Research 163 Final Comments 164 References 167 viii Appendix A Quantitative Research Methcds and Findings to Date 178 B Qualitative Research Me~hods and Findings to Date 180 C Fac~ors Influencing Athletic Responses to Retirement 181 D The Slnilarities Between Sport and Work Retirement 182 E The Differences Between Sport and Work Retirement 183 F Sussman's (1972} Analytical Model for the 184 Sociological -1\nalysis of Retirement G Letter of Disclosure 185 H Interview Guide - Interview 2 189 I Example of Data Analysis 190 J Schlossberg's (1984) Detailed look at the 192 Individual in Transition vii..1.i LIST OF TA.BLES TABLE PAGE 1 Comparison of Australian and United States Sports Systems 10 2 Individual Netball Career Profiles of the Players 62 3 Injuries Sustained During Netball Career 65 4 Retirement Decision Process - Involuntary Retirement 71 5 Retirement Decision Process - Voluntary Retirement 78 6 Hindrances to Transition 103 7 Reactions by Players to Retirement Over Time 113 X LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1 Netball Structure 1940s and 1994 7 2 Schlossberg (1984) Model of the Individual :;.n Transiti.on 19 3 Conceptual Framework 20 ~ Compari5on of Sport Involvement and Work Career Time Lines 25 5 Sussman's (1971) Analytical Model for the Sociological Analysis of Re"tirement, Adapted by Hill and Lowe (1974). 44 6 Players Initial an1 Long Term Response to Retirement from Elite Netball 114 7 Proposed Hierarchal Structure of Fenner Elite Netball Players 121 8 Conceptual Framework for Retirement from Elite Netball 139 9 The Sport Commitment Model 151 10 Proposed Change to Schlossberg's (1984) Model of the Individual in Transition 155 1 CHAPTER 1 Introduction Baci.<.r....round to the stud¥ Research on sport retirement began in the 1960s in response to published anecdotal a11d journalistic li tera1:ure w:iich suggested that athletes found the process cf retirement from sport to be traumatic. This negative perspective gave rise to t!'le use cf gerontological the0ries (the study of aging) and thanantolog.i.cal thecries (the study of dying) from the sociological field to i~~~scigate and explain sport retirement. The rielevance cf these theories was questioned by Coakley (1983) who ~uggested that they were too negative in nature and ret ·:,.. ·!ment from sport could, in fact, be a rebirth for many athletes. This prompted an expanded approach in subsequent research. Reflecting this change and the possibility of sport r~tirement being part of ~ process rather than an ending, researchers are now considering other th,eories, p~rticularly the construct "transition" (Schlossberg, 1984) from the counselling field, as a framework for understanding sport retirement. Expanding the scope of the research has not only provided a more balanced view of the topic but has also created an awareness of the complex maze of factors which have the potential to influence a particular athlete'o experience of retirement from sport. 2 Netball - A Brief Review A brief review of netball including its dev-elopment and history will: (a) demonstrate its importance to ~ustcalian sport; (b) show its relevance to the study of retirement from sport; and (c) outline some of the significant changes that have occurred to netball and Australia during the time the participants in this study played elite netball. NetbalJ development in Australia and Western Australia. '!'he game netball, which was known as "Women's Basket Ball" until A~gust, 1970 is believed to have been first played in Australia in 1913 in Victorian Primary Sch0ols (Hyland, 197'7?). It is now the most popular female participant sport in Australia (Australian Sports Commission1 1993). Australia has dominated the Netball World Championships since its inauguration in 1963. Netball originally started in Western Auscralia in 1927 at the Young Women's Christian Ass0ciation (YWCA) (Y. Auckett, personal communication, Ncvember 4, 1994) . In 1927, Western Australia, represented by the Basket Ball Association of Perth (lat0: changed to Western Australian Women's Basket Ball Association), became a foundation member of the All Australian Women's Be'\sket Ball Association (Hyland, 1977?).