THE CAREER OF AN ATHLETE

1
THE CAREER OF AN ATHLETE

• Tuuli Merikoski-Silius
• counsellor of The Finnish Olympic committee

2
THE CAREER OF AN ATHLETE?

• the athlete can educate him/herself to the career
  he/she wants in addition to sportcareer
• flexible studies at trainings terms
• to the working life at sports terms
• system
• Studying and lifes career are parts of the
  Training process !

3
TRAINING AND STUDYING-WHY BOTH?

• The changes of the elite sports and the society
• Appreciation of elite sports in the society
• The special position of elite sports has
  weakened
• Only few become professional athletes
• Studying supports training process
• only thinking athletes can be succesful
• Education will help atheletes to exploit the
  sport career later on
• total intuition Taking better care of the
  athletes!

4
The councellor of Finnish Olympic committee

• OCs councelling for the supported athletes
• -study- and career planning
• Cooperation with differents sport associations
• - education, information
• - network of coaches and councellors
• - activation of associations
• Coopeartions with institutions, sportcolleges,
  training centers
• - network of councellors, principals, teachers,
  coaches
• Development of system Ministry of Education,
  Board of education,..

5
PLACE OF CHOICES

• 12yr. special focus on Sport at comprehensive
  school?
• 15 yr. upper secondary school
• high school (gymnasium) or vocational
  education?
• Top Sport School or regular school? Development
  possibilities as an athlete? Coach/team? Playing
  or studying?
• 19 yr. Closest garrison of army or special
  forces for athletes?
• 20 yr. Polythecnics or University? Which field?
  Where? Flexibility in studies? Training or
  studying? What after studying? Training or work?
• 30 yr. Should I finnish the sport career? What
  after that? To the work? studying? how to benefit
  from the Sport career?

6
Problems for combining studying and training

• total load and lack of time
• special qualifications of different sports,
  circumstanses, team
• lack of flexibility in studying absences, test
  arragements -attitudes
• differencies in studies (medicine, education,
  pfysical education)
• Total financing, financing of studies, study loan
• Lack of information and guidance

7
The Education System

• higher education Universities, Polytechnics
  - Sport academies
• - academic freedom, academic responsibility?
• - business studies at Turku and
  Seinäjoki polytechnics
• upper secondary level High Schools Vocational
  Schools
• - Top Sport Schools - sport vocational
  schools.
• -regular high schools and vocational schools
  focus on sport -
• - sport institutes, training centers
• basic level Comprehensive schools
• - focus on sport

8
Sport institutes

• URHEILULUKIOT
• Aurajoen lukio, Turku
• Kastellin lukio, Oulu
• Kuninkaanhaan lukio, Pori
• Kuopion klassillinen lukio
• Kuortaneen lukio
• Mäkelänrinteen lukio, Helsinki
• Ounasvaaran lukio, Rovaniemi
• Salpausselän lukio, Lahti
• Sammon lukio, Tampere
• Sotkamon lukio
• Voionmaanlukio, Jyväskylä
• Vörå samgymnasium, Vöyri

• URHEILUAMMATTIOPPILAITOKSET
• Jämsän seudun koulutuskeskus
• Kotkan amm. koulutuskeskus
• Lahden ammatti-instituutti
• Oulun kulttuurin ja tekn ol,
• Oulun sos. ja terv.alan ol,
• Pohjois-Pohjanmaan aol
• Pirkanmaan Taitokeskus
• Pohjois-Savon ammattiopisto
• Rovaniemen amm. kky
• Turun ammatti-instituutti
• Helsingin tekn. alan oppilaitos
• Hyvinkään ammatilliset oppilaitokset

9
Experiences of guidance

• What athletes need
• support of their own thoughs
• information where and what they are able to
  study in terms with sport
• information of alternative possibilities
• help for negotiations at institutes
• encourragement, umderstanding and support
• money, financing for training, flexibil study
  loan --gt foundation of professional promotion for
  athletics
• a little bit kicking -)