Finding the optimal balance: father-athlete challenges facing elite Nordic skiers.

ABSTRACT: In the last decade, a growing body of research has focused on the many aspects and challenges of combining parenthood with elite sport. Although the number of father-athletes is significantly higher than the number of mother-athletes, few studies to date have focused on male athletes' experiences in a parenting context. The aims of the present study were to explore how father-athlete challenges manifest among elite Nordic skiers in Norway, and to better understand how male athletes balance their priorities as they initiate, maintain, and/or discontinue their athletic career as a father-athlete. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 world-class male Nordic skiers in Norway (3 athletes without a child, 4 current father-athletes and 3 former father-athlete

SUBMITTER: Bergstrom M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11291440 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature