Researcher Laia Bertran-Gracia presents a literature review on athletic careers in artistic sports at the ENYSSP congress in Budapest

The research identifies the need to adapt holistic career models to the individual and contextual demands of artistic sports.

The European Network for Young Specialists in Sport Psychology (ENYSSP) congress, held in Budapest, hosted the presentation of a poster study focused on describing athletic careers in artistic sports. The study was jointly developed by Laia Bertran-Gracia, a researcher currently conducting a research stay at the Grup d'Estudis de Psicologia de l'Esport (GEPE) who is part of the Department of Basic, Developmental and Educational Psychology and the Sport Research Institute (IRE-UAB), Miquel Torregrossa and Yago Ramis, both professors and principal investigators at GEPE, and Anna Jordana, postdoctoral researcher at GEPE. Researcher Laia Bertran-Gracia was in charge of individually delivering this scientific communication, which aimed to review existing career models and adapt them to the particularities of these disciplines.

The study's methodology consisted of a systematic narrative review of scientific literature across three key databases, including articles focused on disciplines such as figure skating, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and artistic swimming. The research team utilized a deductive thematic analysis to synthesize the findings, structuring the results according to the developmental levels proposed in Wylleman’s Holistic Athletic Career Model (2019). This procedure allowed for the identification of recurring trajectories and specific transitions within the environment of these athletes.

The findings indicate that careers in artistic sports are characterized by early specialization and accelerated transitions, particularly at the athletic level, highlighting demands such as subjective evaluation, perfectionism, and emotional regulation. The research outlines the need to adapt current holistic models to the characteristics of these disciplines and to continue exploring the personal, athletic, and academic environment through qualitative approaches. Beyond this paper, the researcher participated alongside Dorottya Molnár in a round table moderated by Anna (a visiting student at the center) and aimed at MCC psychology students, titled Psychology without Borders: A Spanish Perspective on Sport Performance and Academia, where they shared experiences regarding different roles as an athlete, coach, and sport psychologist in both applied fields and research.