ETF is a structured, evidence-based framework for the transition out of elite sport — eight components of research, language, and practice tools used by clinicians, sport-psychology professionals, and performance coaches. Free to read. Optional certification for practitioners.
Practitioner? View certification →The ETF Certified Practitioner™ trademark program runs as six sequential modules — roughly twenty self-paced hours of reading, practice, and graded checks — followed by a written case assessment. Each module builds practitioner competency in athlete-transition work.
Why athletic career transition is a systems failure, and how the ETF differs from standard approaches.
The three-layer diagnostic system: Transition Types, Core Code Archetypes, and the Formation Code.
Practitioner-level command of every ETF component — its tools, scoring systems, and delivery rationale.
The complete 20–24 session engagement arc and the structure of each key session.
Population-specific adaptations, contraindications, ethical boundaries, and referral requirements.
The business, positioning, and ongoing professional requirements of certified practice — plus the written case assessment.
I lost a friend after his career ended. No one called it a system failure. No one named what had actually collapsed. The sport structure that had organized his entire life was gone, and nothing replaced it. That’s the gap the framework exists to close.
Every certified practitioner reports cohort outcomes on a 90-day cycle. Aggregated, anonymized data is available to institutional partners through the Outcomes Dashboard.
Outcome reporting cycle per certified practitioner
Framework components, each with defined instruments
Peer-reviewed citations in the foundation paper
Graded curriculum before the credential is issued
Three audiences: licensed clinicians, sports psychologists, and transition coaches who certify as ETF Certified Practitioners™; former competitive athletes who self-implement through the Motion book and companion resources; and families navigating the transition through the Understanding the Crash + Family Playbook series.
The self-paced modules typically take 8–12 weeks of part-time work. There is no hard deadline — practitioners work at their own pace.
Yes. Every component maps to peer-reviewed research across athletic identity, social identity theory, self-concordance, implementation intentions, habit formation, and dopamine reward pathway science. The research foundation document is available free with an email gate at /research.
6 Identities® is the consumer-facing athlete product. ETF Framework is the B2B credential that certifies the practitioners who deliver it. The two share methodology and outcome instrumentation; the credential is what makes a practitioner authorized to deliver the framework institutionally.
No. ETF is a structured reconstruction system. It is not therapy, medical diagnosis, or psychological evaluation. ETF Certified Practitioners™ who are also licensed clinicians may integrate ETF into their clinical practice; non-clinical practitioners use it within the scope of coaching and do not diagnose or treat mental-health conditions.