Junior-to-senior transition in men's sport under dual institutional constraints: a comparison of team and individual athletes.

BACKGROUND

The transition from junior to senior sport is a multifaceted process involving psychological, physical, social, and organizational demands, and is conceptualized through several models of athletic development and career transitions. This study examined how Israeli junior athletes experience this transition, with particular attention to structural differences between individual (swimming) and team (basketball) sports and their implications for progression within elite sport pathways.

METHODS

A qualitative design combining deductive theory-informed analysis with inductive thematic analysis of field-based data was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 male athletes, aged 14-20, who were concurrently competing in youth leagues and training at senior level.

RESULTS

Five interrelated domains emerged: entry pathways, changing performance demands, integration and support, military service as structural constraint, and retrospective evaluation. Swimming transitions were institutionally structured and selection-based, emphasizing technical refinement and residential cohesion. Basketball transitions were market-driven and relationally negotiated, characterized by intensified physical demands, performance pressure, and hierarchical integration. Military service functioned as a systemic bottleneck for swimmers and a logistical strain for basketball players.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight how sport typology and cultural context critically shape transition experiences, extending understanding of junior-to-senior transitions as embedded within interacting sport-specific structures and broader sociocultural conditions.