Many people participate in sports as a youth, but some go on to do so in high school, college, and even professionally. The longer one plays the more ingrained in the DNA and personality are the traits of most athletes: teamwork, determined, aiming to win, reflecting and looking to grow, and so much more. These traits can go a long way on the job and in their personal life. However, they can also become problematic. For example, in a marriage a former athlete may adapt well or they may have issues with "competing" with their partner for who does something better or more. Another example, is a sales person (and former athlete) who wants to work with another sales person to bring in more business, but the potential partner is used to moving in more egocentric patterns. As you can see this can be trouble for the former athlete's partner or coworkers.
In addition, former athletes can be hard on themselves. They may be still dealing with the should've, could've, would'ves from their previous career. This can cause issues with self-esteem, setting positive future goals, self-worth, and a disturbance of self-image. In addition to regret, even the successful elite athletes struggle with adjusting to a normal life. According to a National Institute of Health study (2019), the prevalence of mental health symptoms and disorders in former elite athletes ranges from 16% for distress to 26% for anxiety/depression.
As a former collegiate athlete, I understand these issues. At one point, I was invited to play with the WNBA team, Detroit Shocks, primarily due to my oldest brother playing in the NBA at the same time. Obviously, I had to have some of the basic skills to play at that level, but there have been many regrets that plagued my mind over the last 25 years. Mentally adjusting to suddenly becoming a mother (the reason for my pass on the WNBA), then finding myself delving into the workforce, all while being a wife, was a huge adjustment. I listened to other stories of struggles from friends, who had played at various elite and professional levels. One thing we all had in common was finding one's purpose and worth in life outside of sports.
For some former professional athletes, there becomes a struggle to learn how to pay their own bills, not being able to eat free at a local restaurant as they had before, hearing "fans" make negative comments about them, and/or realizing that they never had the chance to develop a career outside of their sport. Retired athletes are susceptible to addictions, such as, alcohol, drugs, sex, porn, social media, love/relationship, and gaming. A need to escape this new confusing life that gives no release of the happy hormones dopamine and seratonin, only pushes a person to find the "good feeling" in something or someone else.
Truth is, there is more for us former athletes. There is a life that can be filled with joy, purpose, activities, healthy interpersonal relationships, and family. Retired athletes have a purpose outside of athletics that has been developing alongside their career all along. The key is healing from any trauma that one has experienced in their career or personal life, recognizing the lack of love and belonging from their familial environment, and other therapeutic processes. As a former athlete works with a mental health professional, they will soon discover that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They will become more motivated towards a future that doesn't have to exist within an arena, field, or court.
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