SDSU’s Institute for Athletes in Retirement and Transition Hosts Conference
First-ever event provides answers to the question: “Is There Life After Sports?”

Contact: Randy Carmical, Director of Communications
(619) 594-0206 Randy.Carmical@sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Thursday, April 27, 2006 – San Diego State University’s Institute for Athletes in Retirement and Transition (IART) will be hosting its first conference: “Life After Sport – Athletes in Transition” on June 2-4 on the SDSU campus. The conference will be attended by local and national retired professional athletes, interested sport business professionals and academic researchers. The cost is $185 and the event is open to the public. For more information visit: www.sdsu.edu/iart.

The conference will feature workshops being conducted by academics, doctors and retired professional athletes from around the U.S., including one from Scotland. Workshops include such topics as: Coaches Career Development and Transition; Who am I Now?: Rediscovering your Identity Following Sport Career Termination; Deconstructing An Athletic Career: Success, Pain, Injury and Disengagement; and Meaningfully Transforming the Retirement Experience: The Moral Responsibility of Athletic Communities. Steve Scott, one of the first inductees to the Track and Field Hall of Fame and considered to be one of the greatest mile runners in history, will be the event’s keynote speaker.

The IART was developed to support retired collegiate, elite and professional athletes through various programs, including research and publications, mentoring, advising and nationwide networking. Conceived by Scott Tinley, a former professional athlete and current instructor in SDSU’s Sports Management MBA Program, the program will enlist the support of teams, leagues, complimentary organizations, as well as individuals and groups in providing assistance to athletes who require this highly specialized form of guidance in their retirement.

“For every former professional athlete that leaves the world of sport with some degree of stability, there are hundreds, at all levels of sport, that suffer through the idiosyncrasies of emotional trauma connected to major life change,” said Tinley. “This group has identified a unique sub-culture of men and women who could benefit from the services of this institute. Beyond that, research opportunities transcend sport retirement and should be applicable to many of society’s challenging life transitions.”

The IART will develop a number of athlete-centric opportunities with a primary focus on research, networking and mentoring. With the Institute’s ties to SDSU, IART will be able to access resources that will facilitate the growth of programming.

About Scott Tinley
Scott Tinley was a professional triathlete and two-time winner of the Hawaii Ironman World Championship. He was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in 1996. Now retired, Scott is a writer and teacher. His latest book, Racing the Sunset, is a journey through athlete retirement and the larger issues of life transition and change. It is the result of one of the most thorough research projects ever attempted on retiring athletes. Scott also teaches in the English Department at Grossmont College and "Sport and Society" at both San Diego State University and Cal State San Marcos. This seventh generation Southern Californian currently resides in Del Mar, California with his wife and two children.

About SDSU’s College of Business Administration
With over 5,500 students, the SDSU College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the U.S. Its programs in international business and graduate entrepreneurship are ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. This year, the college is celebrating “50 Years of Educating San Diego’s Business Leaders.”

About SDSU
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degree in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s more than 33,000 students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.