Associations between student‐athletes’ self‐esteem and career adaptability across the high school years

The key challenges in sustainable elite sports concern young athletes´ holistic development. Consequently, preparation for dual careers has been recommended to enhance athletes’ well‐being and equip them for life after sports. The aim of this study was to examine the developmental associations between self‐esteem and career adaptability among adolescent athletes across the high school years and investigate the role of gender in these developmental trajectories. A total of 391 student‐athletes were followed up four times from the beginning of high school (T1) to its end (T4) using the Dual‐Career Form of the Career Adapt‐Abilities Scale and the Self‐Esteem Questionnaire. The results indicated that individual differences in student‐athletes’ self‐esteem and career adaptability were relatively stable across the high school years and were thus modeled via the between‐persons factors capturing differences between individuals across time. The results further showed that the overall levels of self‐esteem and career adaptability were positively associated. Males showed higher overall levels of career adaptability and self‐esteem than females. This study suggests that it is important to facilitate youth athletes’ self‐regulation resources by involving them in vocational developmental tasks. Further, gender differences should be considered when supporting student‐athletes’ development.