Abstract

High-performance sports is almost equally determined by specific factors - athlete's competence, training quality - and non-specific ones, coming from the social, family, school or professional environment of each athlete. The society he lives in, the culture, economical system, have a great influence on the athlete's performances and his whole career. Also, retiring from the sports life has to be approached from a multidimensional point of view; researches reveal associate factors concerning the circumstances of giving up sport career. Since 1993, the authors have been interested in examining the influence of the social 'economic Romanian changes upon sports phenomenon and upon Romanian athletes' retirement reasons. The authors' hypothesis states that in most of the cases the lack or insignificant social protection measures for athletes or former athletes (legislation, trade-unions, health insurance, social integration programs), political, economical social changes determine early sport retirement and a difficult adjustment to a great extent. Einleitung (abgeaendert)