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During the 2020, the pandemic caused by the massive spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) resulted in a global crisis. In Spain, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a lockdown for almost 100 days and forced the sudden stop of sport practices and competitions. This interruption had a negative impact on high-level athletes’ mental health. However, its impact on young athletes, who are intrinsically developing a high-demanding dual career, remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed at (1) describing and characterizing the general impact that COVID-19 lockdown had on Spanish young athletes’ life-spheres and mental health, and (2) identifying different profiles of athletes regarding life-conditions and sport-related variables. A sample of 544 young athletes (M = 15.9; SD = 1.51) participated in this study. Measures included life-conditions and sport-related information along with the Holistic Monitoring Questionnaire (HMQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). After the screening and description of the data, profiles were defined using a two-level cluster analysis using HMQ and GHQ-12 subscales. We explored differences in demographic and sports information between profiles using MANOVA and subsequent ANOVA. Results suggest a general negative impact of COVID-19 on young athletes’ life-spheres and mental health, but with three different clusters regarding the degree of such impact. Cluster 1 grouped the 54.78% of the sample and exhibited a low negative impact of COVID-19 lockdown on life-spheres and few mental health issues. Cluster 2 grouped a 29.96% of the participants who reported a medium negative impact on life-spheres and moderate mental health issues. Cluster 3 represented 15.26% of the sample including participants who showed a high negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown with high mental health issues. The paradigmatic participant in this third group would be a female student-athlete from a medium or low socioeconomic status with high academic demands and poor or inexistent training conditions during lockdown. Current findings emphasize the need to pay attention to young athletes’ mental health and suggest possible influencing contextual variables. We suggest some applied recommendations aimed at helping clubs and sports institutions to mitigate the negative effects of such difficult circumstances on athletes’ mental health.

Framed in cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions (Lazarus, 1999), this study aimed to test how coping mediated the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport commitment in a sample of adolescent athletes. Five-hundred adolescents (M = 16.42; SD = 1.54) participated in our study. Participants completed competitive anxiety, coping, and sport commitment measures. We defined the measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling; and compared two different models of mediation (i.e., total and partial mediation) using structural equation modeling. Results favored partial mediation model where cognitive anxiety factors predicted sport commitment. Results from this model suggest direct and mediated structural relations between concepts. Somatic anxiety had a weak influence on sport commitment (total effects = 0.090 [-.131, .311]). Worry showed a positive influence on sport commitment (total effects = .375 [.262, .486]) through direct and mediated effects. Concentration disruption showed a negative impact on sport commitment (total effects = -.544 [-.724, -.363]) trough mediated effects only, showing a negative path on task-oriented coping and a positive path on disengagement-oriented coping. As a whole, our findings identify task coping efforts undertaken by adolescent athletes as a key element in the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport commitment. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the design of coping interventions in adolescents.

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Modelos de trayectoria deportiva en waterpolo y su implicación en la transición hacia una carrera profesional alternativa ResumenEl objetivo de este estudio es analizar, a partir de un enfoque cualitativo, el proceso de transición de los deportistas de elite desde el deporte de alto nivel a una carrera profesional alternativa. A partir de un deporte especialmente heterogéneo en cuanto a dedicación y retribuciones como es el caso del waterpolo, se llevaron a cabo 20 entrevistas semiestructuradas con jugadores y jugadoras de división de honor buscando la saturación de información en cuanto al género (10 hombres y 10 mujeres) y momento de la carrera (10 en activo y 10 retirados). El análisis de contenido basado en la planificación de la carrera, la conciliación de los ámbitos psicosocial, deportivo y académico-vocacional, y la toma de decisiones en la retirada que si bien la iniciación en el deporte era similar en todos los casos, una vez comenzaba la etapa competitiva, surgían tres modelos distintos de trayectoria: el lineal, en el que el deporte se considera dedicación exclusiva; el convergente, en el que el deporte es prioritario pero se compatibiliza con una formación alternativa; y el paralelo, en el que deporte y formación superior reciben la misma priorización. Estos modelos de trayectoria implican diferencias respecto del grado de autonomía para decidir la retirada, el nivel de planificación de la carrera, el tipo de identidad deportiva y la percepción de disponibilidad para afrontar la transición hacia una vida laboral alternativa.Palabras clave: Retirada, deporte, planificación, adaptación. AbstractThe aim of this study is to qualitatively analyse the transition of elite athletes from high-level competition to an alternative professional career. Focusing on an especially heterogeneous sport with regard to hours dedicated to the sport and earnings, such as in the case of water-polo, we conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with Spanish First Division [División de Honor] players seeking as much information as possible by gender (10 men and 10 women) and career stage (10 current and 10 former athletes). The content analysis based on career planning, compatibilization of the psychosocial, athletic and academic-professional domains as well as decision making about retirement revealed that although sport initiation was similar in all cases, once the competitive stage began, three different career models emerged: linear, in which sports are given exclusive dedication; convergent, in which sports are prioritized but compatibilized with an alternative education; and parallel, in which sport and higher education are equally prioritized. These career models involve differences with regard to autonomy in the decision to retire, the level of career planning, the type of athletic identity, and the perceived availability of resources to cope with the transition toward an alternative professional occupation.