BY LESLEY TIMBOL
HOW TO RETIRE FROM SPORTS
BY LESLEY TIMBOL
( ADAPTED FROM DR . PATRICK COHN AT PEAK PERFORMANCE SPORTS , LLC .)
As an athlete , whether or not you ’ re close to retiring from your sport , it ’ s ideal to have a plan for your retirement .
Why plan ahead of time ?
Well , you could be that statistic that doesn ’ t retire on your own terms . In other words , you might be forced to retire , i . e , a serious injury that doesn ’ t recover to the extent needed to play your sport at the elite level .
For such athletes , they enter forced retirement not only with a defeated and angry mindset but with no plan at all .
And with no plan , the mind can go into some DARK places .
One of these places is where athletes can lose their identity , since many athletes identify themselves strongly with their sport , so when they retire , they struggle to define themselves outside of being an athlete .
A second dark place is where athletes can experience feelings of grief , depression , anxiety and anger , especially if a career-ending injury was unexpected .
Another dark place is found in the physical ramifications for an athlete , especially again If the reason for retirement is injury related . Athletes may deal with ongoing physical pain , mobility issues , or the need for rehabilitation . They may require ongoing medical care and face limitations in physical activities .
Furthermore , there ’ s the element of financial strain . Professional athletes often earn substantial incomes during their careers , but early retirement can cut off this income stream prematurely . Financial planning becomes critical , especially if the athlete did not have the chance to build significant savings or