Sacrificing for sport: a qualitative examination of the experiences of sport employees and their partners

Purpose There is a growing body of literature on work experiences within the sport industry. As these experiences become better understood, it raises concerns about the ripple effects on the employee's household, particularly the impacts on their partner. Therefore, the current study seeks to further understanding of the existing work–family relationships, utilizing family systems theory and self-determination theory. Design/methodology/approach We interviewed 25 couples where at least one partner works in college sport using a phenomenological approach to elucidate the lived experiences of the employee and partner. Findings Findings show a wide discrepancy in the perceptions of work experiences and personal and professional sacrifices between employees and partners. Three sub-themes (partner support and sacrifice, travel and event attendance, and boundary management) illustrate how employees often viewed the personal-professional trade-offs as necessary for working in the sport industry, whereas partners felt they must sacrifice their careers, overcompensate for a lack of partner availability, and face growing isolation. Originality/value These findings extend current understanding of family systems theory and self-determination theory by demonstrating how individuals within the family system can perceive the same situation, relationship and/or culture as vastly different. Therefore, despite the interconnectedness of the family system, individual perspectives can and may be divergent. Further, the findings illustrate partners may not be able to meet their basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence as they prioritize the sport employee's career over their personal and professional well-being. Practical implications for individuals and their families, as well as organizations, are discussed.