Print This Post
Life After Sports
Are there any of us who have not dreamed of becoming a professional athlete? What sports fan has not fantasized about hitting a game winning basket, scoring the game winning touchdown, or scoring the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl? For the majority of us, that dream is just that, a dream.
For those people with the talent, dedication, and a little luck to make that fantasy come true, the life of a professional athlete can be on line with that of a rock star or movie star.
However, even the biggest superstars of the game have to face the reality of retirement one day. And that day for an athlete comes much sooner then a music or star of the screen.
After all, Mick Jagger is in his 60’s and still rocking, movie stars act their whole lives, while athletes usually only last into their 30’s until they have to retire.
Throw in the uncertainty of making the team every year with younger and faster players coming in, not to mention the chance of a serious injury, and your career could be cut short quicker then you ever imagined.
Of course, there are some professional athletes who were superstars and will make money for the rest of their live on just their name alone, such as Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky. However, the majority of retired athletes are just not that lucky.
There are many former athletes who have remained close to their professions, either as coaches, broadcasters, or even player agents. Some have used their names, locally, in the cities that they played in to set up business ventures such as a restaurant or car dealership.
For most current and former athletes though,navigating the potentially rugged road from the college and professional ranks to the real world can be extremely difficult.
Support is essential for an athlete who has retired. This support could come from family members, friends,or the professional league they played in. Some of the respective leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL) have begun to offer assistance through their retired player associations such as counseling and career guidance, but a lot more work is needed in this field.
Athletes are used to having so much attention focused on them. Many do not know what to do once the limelight is off, they have been accustomed to receiving everything for free. It would be great if they were assigned a career coach once their playing days were over.
Leave a Reply
Visit The ProWife Locker Room!
The ProWife Advertisements
