Problems of athletes’ social adaptation after the completion of their sports careers were discussed in the RIOU

On April, 5 at the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) in Sochi with the support of the Detech consulting company the Success After Success round table was held. It was dedicated to athletes’ adaptation and socialization after finishing their sports careers.

Representatives of sports federations from 19 regions of the Russian Federation, who attended a course of study in the framework of the Olympic educational program, took part in the discussion, implemented by RIOU together with the ROC.

Among other participants of the round table were Andrei Markov, head of the Russia-2018 Organizing Committee’s department of site preparations and event management in the host city of Sochi, Evgenia Govyadova, head of the Human Resources Department of the FGBU ‘South Sports’, Sergey Pilosyan, Director of the Sports Department of the Sochi City Administration, Demian Sidorenko and Anatoly Volosov, teachers-experts of the RIOU.

According to the results of the survey, 72% of the aoudience agreed that the problem of athletes employment, after completion of their sports careers, really exists, and these people need professional support.

Sergey Khorokhordin, honored master of sports of Russia in Gymnastics, and Olga Prut, master of sports of international class in Rhythmic Gymnastics, graduates and students of the RIOU, shared their experience.

The discussion aroused genuine interest. The participants discussed the problems faced by athletes after finishing their careers.

Representatives of the labor market confirmed that former athletes have an undeniable advantage when they decide to stay in the sports industry and build their career as managers. However, in order to succeed in the new role, they need to learn a lot, as they have to compete with experienced managers who have gained experience and improved their management skills while athletes were achieving good results in their sports.

All speakers noted the necessity to provide psychological support to athletes and conduct professional consultations for them at the final stages of their sports careers in order to ensure a meaningful approach to choosing a future profession and a painless transition to another job.

Analytical data on the results of the round table will form the basis of a new large-scale project ‘Career Management Center’, which will help the athletes socialize after their sports careers.

The Detech company has been evaluating the potential and the efficiency of people and teams for specific working tasks, since the 2004. All members of the Sochi Olympic Games organizing committee and volunteers have been selected with the support of the Detech company.