The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate elite athletes' retirement transition experiences, including its psychological impacts, and post-sport career adaptation of elite athletes in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The secondary objective was to investigate the role of the entourage on elite athletes' retirement transition. Lastly, the dissertation made cross-national comparisons, looking specifically at sport budgets, population size, and sport organizational structure impacts on elite athletes' retirement transition in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. To address the objectives stated above, this study used a grounded theory research approach and developed the Paths to Post-Sport Career Adaptation model presented in Figure 4. Grounded theory can be described as a systematic, yet flexible methodology for collection and analyzing qualitative data to construct theories that are grounded in the data themselves (Sparkes & Smith, 2014) The grounded theory approach was chosen to explore the experiences of retired elite athletes and their entourage members because it accords the impose theory on the data. A total of 17 retired athletes (12 males and 5 females) from various sports (athletics-6, swimming-2, Boxing-2, rowing-2, field hockey-2, gymnastics-1, triathlon-1, biking-1) in Southern Africa and their entourages (n = 35) participated in the current study. All athletes had competed at the Olympics except one athlete who had competed at world championships and the commonwealth games. The study observed three major themes (type of retirement, dual-career, and challenges) consistent with the primary objectives as crucial in elite athletes' retirement transition and post-sport career and an additional major theme (social and financial support) consistent with the secondary objectives. The first major theme of type of retirement was derived from interviews with athletes and entourages to explain reasons for retirement and post sport career adaptation. Sub-themes observed under type of retirement were voluntary and involuntary. The second major theme observed in the study was dual-career. This finding reflected the athletes' balance between school and sport as primary in preparing for a post-sport career transition and adaptation. Sub-themes observed under the major theme dual-career were graduating from university, full-time job during one's career in sport and part-time job during one's career in sport. The last major theme observed in the primary objective was challenges. It was clear from the respondents that athletes faced challenges including lack of financial resources to maintaining an elite sport career and support during retirement transition. Sub-themes observed under the major theme of challenges were financial resources, lack of trained coaches, lack of facilities, and lack trained medical personnel. Consistent with literature on retirement transition, the study observed that athletes' experiences in elite sport are crucial in explaining not only their retirement transition, but also their post-sport career adaptation. The major theme consistent with secondary objectives was observed across the three phases of data collection indicating athletes receiving social and financial support from a variety of entourage members in their elite careers in sport as well as during retirement transition.
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