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 and Sportlycée in order to support talented high-performance athletes throughout their secondary education. Talented athletes aspiring to take part in major senior and junior competitions, such as World and European Championships and (Youth) Olympic Games can be supported by:
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- specific tutoring in order to better manage the sport and school load
- learning courses and an individualised work program after or before sports-related school absences
- tuition in the event of learning difficulties in certain branches
Additionally, LIHPS can also assure specific support courses for athletes in individual and team sports in order to prepare for the integration into foreign school systems if student-athletes need to relocate their training centre abroad.
Together with Sportlycée, LIHPS is also setting up a support program for talented athletes that aims to promote the development of competences and skills that are essential for the successful pursuit of a dual career through a series of workshops and support measures as well as a better communication and link of all relevant stakeholders in the athlete’s dual career.
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