Strengthening policy goals to support dual careers of athletes in a Hungarian region: Opportunities for competence development through education

This study examines the effectiveness of dual career programs for athletes in the Western Transdanubian Region among high school students. The aim of this research is to analyze the possibilities for developing the competencies necessary for a successful dual career and to assess the coherence between policy support and educational development. Using an online questionnaire, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 596 secondary school students in two cities, distinguishing and comparing sport-oriented and non-sport-oriented institutions. The research examined the practical implementation of dual career guidance programs and the effectiveness of school sport support. The results confirmed that more than half of the respondents had not participated in any formal dual career support program. While sports-oriented schools showed higher levels of support, non-sport-oriented schools showed a significant lack of such programs. Despite the high aspirations of students to continue their sporting careers after high school, and the ambition of a significant number of students to become professional athletes, the majority have not received training or guidance on how to build a dual career. Instead, most relied on their families or themselves. The study concludes by calling for a rethink of the framework for dual career support systems to better align policy with practice.