Sport for a Livelihood and Well-being: From Leisure Activity to Occupational Devotion

Hallmann, Kirstin; Bogner, Laura; Sander, Kathrin; Reuß, Konrad

This study explored the occupational devotion of lifestyle entrepreneurs and their well-being. Although the number of enterprises in the sports industry increased over the past years, limited literature exists on this topic. Therefore, this paper focused on lifestyle entrepreneurs who turned their sports into their occupations. We conducted semi-structured interviews and a follow-up survey with lifestyle entrepreneurs (N = 13) from various sports (e.g., yoga, kiting, football). The thematic analysis revealed a strong connection between the individuals’ choice of career and well-being. Other themes (and sub-themes), such as mental and physical health and value (co-)creation, were identified, corroborating the authors’ assumption that these lifestyle entrepreneurs started a career in their sports to reach a higher quality of life. The results uncovered that well-being and occupational devotion are closely linked. Co-creation is connected to well-being, and this can accrue social capital in the community. Thus, the results recommended support for lifestyle entrepreneurs as they provide community benefits.