Canadian student-athlete retirement is an underrepresented research topic as it pertains to collegiate sports at Canadian universities (Paré & Tracey, 2025). Similarities are often drawn between National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) students-athletes in the United States and their Canadian counterparts; However, several distinctions exist in their experiences, including different scholarship opportunities and expectations for acceptance into academic programs (Geiger, 2013). Therefore, it is important to recognize the gap in research related to the athletic experiences of Canadian student-athletes.

In this article, Paré and Tracey (2025) explore the lived experiences of 15 former Canadian collegiate athletes and their transitions out of collegiate sport. Using a cross-sectional qualitative study design, the researchers aimed to answer three research questions:

• How did student-athletes respond to retirement through their transition process?
• What factors contributed to student-athletes’ responses to retirement?
• What resources assisted student-athletes through the retirement process?

Some of the practical implications for both institutions and mental performance consultants include encouraging holistic development (e.g., athletic, personal, academic, spiritual, social, and occupational) and calling for increased use of formal interventions throughout the retirement process. Furthermore, the article explores the distinctions in access to appropriate athletic retirement resources between Canadian and NCAA institutions.

References

• Geiger, N. M. (2013). Intercollegiate athletics in Canada and the United States: Differences in access, quality, and funding. College Quarterly, 16(3), 1–17.
• Paré, M. A., & Tracey, J. (2025). The days, months, and years after the final game: A qualitative investigation of retirement transitions in Canadian university student-athletes. Journal for Advancing Sport Psychology in Research, 5(1), 4-18. https://doi.org/10.55743/000029