A Preliminary Investigation Of Marketing Student-Athlete Programs In Australian Higher Education

Research suggests the dual pursuit of education and sports provides a more holistic approach to developing athletes. Yet, little research has investigated the types of support services needed for student-athletes well-being. Guided by a transformative sport service research paradigm (TSSR) and the holistic athlete career (HAC) model, this research seeks to provide empirical insight into which services are critical in supporting student-athletes well-being. Survey findings from student-athletes (n=867) suggest a variety of support service types are important with notable differences identified in sub-groups (e.g., regional vs. metropolitan, gender). Further, consistent with the TSSR paradigm, student athlete programs are found to contribute to well-being. Theoretically, this research contributes empirically to the HAC model and the emerging area of TSSR. Practically, a clearer understanding of key support services and well-being emerge, helping guide more effective promotion of student-athlete programs in Australian higher education.