معرفی
Simon Defruyt is a doctoral researcher at the Department of Movement and Sport Sciences (MOSS) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), affiliated with the Sport Psychology and Mental Support (SPMB) research group. His research focuses on dual career support systems for elite athletes, particularly the competences required for support providers to assist athletes balancing sport and education. He holds a Master’s in Organizational Psychology and is pursuing a certification in Sport Psychology. He previously worked as a career counselor.
Defruyt leads the scientific coordination of the Erasmus+ project 'Gold in Education and Elite Sport' (2022–2023) and has contributed to multiple projects like B-WISER (2017–2018) and Mind the Gap (2018–2020). His work emphasizes mental health promotion for student-athletes and transition strategies post-sport careers.
- Key Projects:
- IOFPOC50: Online tools for dual career competencies
- B-WISER: Career readiness for athletes post-retirement
- Mind the Gap: Post-sport career infrastructure
- Awards: Erasmus+ Success Story & Example of Good Practice (2017)
- Activities: Organized dual career workshops, consultancy for high-performance centers (e.g., CAR, Hockey Belgium), and conference presentations on athlete transitions.
Defruyt’s research integrates psychology, education, and sports policy, addressing systemic gaps in supporting elite athletes’ dual careers. His publications span peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, focusing on mental health, career counseling, and inter-institutional collaboration.
