Dual Career
Dual career in sport is “the successful combination of education, training or work with sport to provide an opportunity for an athlete to reach his or sporting, academic, work and life potential” (cf. European Commission, 2015).
Athletes follow intensive training programmes and participate in national and international competitions, which can be difficult to combine with the obligations and demands of the educational system and the labour market. Being able to bring together sport with the other important elements of their lives is essential not only for their well-being but also for their development in sports.
From talent level to high-performance sport to their athletic retirement, athletes will face many challenges as they transition from secondary education to higher education and/or vocational training.
In our efforts to support Luxembourg’s athletes on their way to athletic peak performance, we strive to assist the athletes through the various stages of their career. We aim to help them to acquire the competencies and skills required to not only develop as a high-performance athlete but also as an individual.
Nadia Mossong
Coordinatrice Dual Career
Services
Secondary Education
LIHPS partners with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and Sportlycée to support talented high-performance athletes in secondary education, helping them balance their academic and athletic commitments. Each student-athlete benefiting from the program is assigned a tutor responsible for coordinating their educational and sports activities, ensuring that both aspects of their development are effectively managed.
This initiative targets secondary school students who compete in and achieve strong results at major high-level international sports competitions, such as the World and European Championships and the (Youth) Olympic Games. Some of these athletes are part of Luxembourg’s elite sports teams or young talent development programs. Additionally, certain athletes relocate abroad to train in professional sports structures and must adapt to new educational systems. Providing them with adequate academic support is essential to maintaining their progress both in school and in their sport.
Given their intensive training schedules and frequent international competitions, these student-athletes often face challenges in maintaining their academic progress. To facilitate a successful dual career, LIHPS joins forces with Sportlycée to provide a range of support measures, including:
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- Individualized follow-up by a tutor to coordinate academic and sports commitments
- Personalized scheduling to accommodate training and competition demands
- Academic support & tutoring
- Tools for managing a dual career efficiently
- Personal development initiatives
- Guidance for post-secondary opportunities and career planning
Career Development
LIHPS provides career management support to high-performance athletes. This support typically accompanies the critical transition moments during the athlete’s sporting career and helps to explore available options, set meaningful goals, facilitate decision-making and ensure tailored implementation all while including all relevant stakeholders if necessary.
The main scenarios for this support are:
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- The transition from secondary school to higher education and/or vocational training
- The transition into (part-time) employment during the sporting career
- The retirement from sport and the transition into full-time employment