Representing Ireland may damage prospects

Two-thirds of Ireland's sporting elite believe representing the country will have a negative impact on their employment prospects, and one-third believe it has negatively affected their education, according to a new survey commissioned by the Irish Institute of Sport.

The preliminary findings of that survey will be presented at the first conference on elite sport organised by the Institute, which takes place today in Croke Park. All 327 elite athletes catered for under the Irish Sports Council's carding scheme are being surveyed, and while the preliminary findings are based on only the first 20 per cent of responses, they are, nonetheless, significant.

"Representing Ireland shouldn't be a handicap on your employment opportunities," says Phil Moore, the Institute director of athlete services. "But this survey suggests that it is. Clearly full-time or even part-time athletes dedicated to their sport for five or six years do lose out on work experience and promotion, and are therefore some ways behind when they do come into the workforce.

"But it's something we can turn around. One of the main reasons the survey was commissioned was to find ways of addressing the issue, and we're already working with a career agency that can provide valuable temporary work placement and other career advice for the elite athlete."

The survey is being carried out independent of the institute, under Dr Aidan Moran and Dr Suzanne Guerin of UCD's School of Psychology. Titled The Performance Environment of Elite Irish Athletes, the survey also addresses issues such as finance and facilities, which according to the initial findings, don't appear to be a significant consideration in terms of athlete performance.

"A similar survey 10 years ago found that finance was the biggest single issue," adds Moore, "but that has changed, and athletes no longer believe finance impacts on performance either positively or negatively. The big issue now appears to be education and employment, something we will learn more about in the second phase of research."