RETIREMENT PLANNING: COMPARISON BETWEEN POLISH AND SOUTH AFRICAN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS

Retirement from playing professional sport is an inevitable outcome experienced by professional soccer players due to their limited time span within competitive environments. Preparing for retirement may unexpectedly occur (sometimes without warning, e.g., due to injuries) and may pose challenges for players. This study is an attempt to ascertain whether there are any significant differences in retirement planning between South African and Polish professional soccer players. The study is embedded within a quantitative research paradigm in order to discern such differences. Descriptive statistics were used to report on the demographic profile of the sample and t-tests were computed to account for the differences in retirement planning practices between professional soccer players in these two countries. The results of the study reveal that differences do exist in the retirement planning of professional Polish and South African soccer players. Based on the results of the study it is recommended that athletes should be aware of the type of support they will get from their organisations and plan for their retirement accordingly. The respective soccer clubs should also play a greater role in ensuring they support their players adequately and prepare them for a more stable future. Professional soccer players, particularly South African ones, should attend workshops and information sessions on retirement planning so that they can be better prepared for retirement.