Between "passion" and uncertainty: The occupational socialization of professional soccer players

On the basis of a socioethnographic survey conducted in a professional soccer training center in France, the means of occupational socialization are analyzed in this demanding, captivating institution. Light is shed on how trainees appropriate this professional world and its requirements. As they enter this social universe, they encounter a key tension. On the one hand, training calls for a heavy investment that trainers and trainees experience as a "passion" and understand as being separate from the world of "ordinary" work. On the other hand, it is also a major source of uncertainty as to trainees' prospects, given its intense selectivity and the few outlets in the labor market. It requires of trainees a strong commitment in time, body and spirit with prospects so uncertain that the course of training is seldom free from periods of soul-searching. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.