The career decision-making processes of female basketball players who joined a commercial league after graduating from high school: An investigation using the Trajectory Equifinality Approach

The purpose of this study was to clarify the career decision-making processes of former athletes using the Trajectory Equifinality Approach (TEA). The participants were 4 former female basketball players who joined the Women's Japan Basketball League (WJBL) soon after graduating from high school. The TEA was used as a framework for analysis of semi-structured interviews designed to reflect the diversity and commonality of career choices. The following 3 points were identified: (1) Family and high school coaches had a significant influence on career choice at the time of high school graduation and led to joining the WJBL, affecting both Social Guidance (SG) and Social Direction (SD). (2) With regard to career choice leading to retirement, the SG and SD influencing career choice were more diversified than at high school graduation. (3) Former players who had reached a new Equifinality Point (EFP) where they continued to be involved in basketball as a second career were significantly influenced by their coaches during their playing days. In summary, this study has clarified the diversity and commonality of the career selection process that former WJBL players actually followed. These findings are expected to contribute to broadening the range of career choices and second career choices for athletes, leading to career development.