Features of Social Adaptation and Professional Orientation of Athletes at the University during the Completion of their Sports Career

The end of a sports career is a diffi cult stage for an athlete, which can be described as a crisis. In this regard, it is necessary to organize targeted activities to identify, prevent and overcome existing problems. The purpose of the article is to identify key problem areas related to the integration of athletes into the social environment and their professional self–determination at the end of active sports activity. The main task of the work is to determine the strategic directions of higher education institutions in order to eff ectively solve the identifi ed problems. The results of the study: a systematic understanding of these problems, the development and justifi cation of the logic of studying the relationship between the athlete's life plans and the problems that arise with the greatest probability, the identifi cation of a cluster of relevant areas of activity of a sports university for professional orientation and social adaptation of athletes ending their careers.