Career After Sport

Athletes Beware: Avoid the “Superman Syndrome” by Planning for Retirement

Julie — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:50:44 +0000

Too many athletes fail to conceive of, let alone plan for, retirement during their sporting career. Viewing it as off in the distant future or as a problem for someone else, they subscribe to the Superman syndrome and believe in their invincibility. Surely, they think, “it’s not going to happen to me.” But it will.

The reality is that you will either have the good fortune to bow out on your own terms, or the decision will be made for you.

This summer will see the end of many a footballing career. During the transfer window, some players will sign lucrative deals and be lauded by media and fans alike. But there’s another side of the coin. What happens to the players whose contracts are not renewed, who have suffered a career-threatening injury, or who are simply getting too old to continue playing at a professional level?

Following retirement, you may wake up not knowing what you want to do with the day, let alone with the rest of your life. So, what can you do now to prepare for the next stage? Follow these five tips to create the retirement of your dreams:

Cultivate self-awareness

In Western society, our self-esteem is often tied to what we do rather than who we are. Consistent with this, when you hang up your boots for the last time, everything that made you feel good about yourself will be cast aside.

Before that day arrives, consider your strengths. What do you do well? How can you use your strengths to your advantage and in an area you’re passionate about? Long before retirement, you should start looking for other ways to boost your self-esteem outside of sports to gain a balanced perspective on your personality, values, and future goals.

Take control

We all want to feel at least some degree of control over our lives and have the autonomy to make our own free choices. If you’re forced into retirement on account of an injury or age, then you don’t have any control over that decision.

My best advice is to not leave it all to fate. Accept that you will have to retire at some point and start planning now. Doing so will give you a sense of direction and control that you can hold onto long after your final game. In fact, planning for a career after sport may actually improve your athletic performance in the interim.

Know what’s important to you

Without sugar-coating it, after retirement you might feel as though you’ve lost your family. After all, you’ve literally been kicked out of the locker room from one day to the next. The same fans who once begged for your signature no longer give you a second glance. Not surprisingly, many former athletes end up feeling lost, lonely, and as though their best years are behind them.

That’s why it’s vital to know what you want in life, what you value, and to be clear on your future goals. Above all, seek out new experiences that are personally meaningful and rewarding.

Grow your support network

As an athlete, you’re connected to your team, your fans, and feel a strong sense of belonging. In a word, you’re never alone. After retirement, unless you have a very supportive family or circle of friends, you’re likely to feel a significant void.

Surround yourself with the right people throughout your professional career, rather than relying on hangers-on and teammates to boost you in the end.

Make time for hobbies

For many athletes, nothing compares to the adrenaline rush they experience when they cross the finish line or score the winning goal. And perhaps nothing ever will.

However, if you pursue other hobbies and interests throughout your career, you’ve got a much better chance of finding pleasure again. It’s also worth emphasizing that you can still enjoy the game post-retirement.

No matter your career stage, retirement is inevitable and you need to take responsibility for it. Embracing this can help you to prepare for your life after sport. Although the transition may be challenging, following these five steps will help you on your way.

The post Athletes Beware: Avoid the “Superman Syndrome” by Planning for Retirement appeared first on Career After Sport.

Life After Sport: Entering the Workforce

Julie — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:34:31 +0000

Adapting to life after sport is already difficult enough for retiring athletes but what challenges do you face entering the work force?

Over the last few years, retiring athletes’ problems moving into second careers have made the headlines as yet another athlete faces financial or emotional issues. But what actually happens when you enter the work force? What further issues can you expect?

We know that some skills transfer easily from sport to the work force. Leadership, commitment, drive and attention to detail are attributes that work in both settings. However, some behaviours are no longer appropriate. Take job history for example. Many athletes have been accustomed to changing teams frequently – concepts such as loyalty and longevity are not often a priority for club or athlete. In today’s world, employers still expect to see stability on a CV; too much moving between companies and you are labelled unreliable and disloyal…and the job offers dry up.

Then there is job purpose: having been used to knowing what you had to do and why, at work you may just not “get it”. You may feel that you have entered a “mundane world of ordinariness”. With no obvious reason for doing what you are doing, you end up questioning the sense of it…and getting frustrated.

When it comes to goal setting, in sport, everything is geared to success. You know what you want to achieve and how you will get there. In organisations, goals tend to be fixed annually, if at all. They may even be imposed on you. And they are often less tangible than ones you are used to.

As for feedback on your performance, you will often have to wait until year end to hear how you are doing. You may need to learn to read the signs. The “no holds barred” type of performance assessment you may be used to just won’t happen.

And remember that whilst teamwork is a transferable skill, it often requires more cooperation than competitiveness. Using the same drive and single-mindedness you have shown in the past may not always be appreciated.

Experience has shown us that transition into the work place can be tough. You are behind your peers. You require new skills. You have to adapt to a way of operating which is foreign to you. Preparation is key. Gain awareness of the pitfalls by talking to people who have already been through it and learn from them. If you have the opportunity, try job shadowing or an internship. Get as much prior exposure to the world of work as possible. The more you plan for your future, the easier it will be.

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Life after sport: what next?

Julie — Fri, 01 May 2020 06:53:01 +0000

At the start of this year, who could have predicted the dramatic events that would unfold in 2020? As we celebrated enthusiastically the start of a new decade, I don’t think anyone could have imagined the traumatic impact the Covid-19 pandemic would have on our world just a few months later. Our lives have changed forever.

And what about sport? We have seen postponement of major sporting events such as the Tokyo Olympic Games, the UEFA Euro 2020 and Wimbledon. The 2020 sporting calendar has been decimated with cancellation upon cancellation of major events with no one able to say for certain when “normality” will return.

In this climate of uncertainty, you may be asking yourself what happens next. Not just looking to the continuation of your sporting career, but afterwards. Do you have a plan for life after sport?

Retiring from playing sport professionally can be overwhelming. Preparation is key. As an athlete you wouldn’t dream of approaching a game or performance without a plan. In the same way, you now need to plan and prepare for life after sport. Career Transition Workbooks have been developed specifically with this in mind. With a series of targeted exercises, they will help with everything from developing your self-identity and marketable job skills to finding support and building a professional network to make the change easier.

Here is a three-step process to help you manage your transition:

STEP 1: Download the FREE Career Transition Questionnaire. Your responses will reveal your key concerns and will indicate the right workbooks for your progression.
STEP 2: Based on your answers, choose the Workbooks that will address your needs.
STEP 3: Subscribe to a monthly package that includes all the workbooks AND personal coaching from Julie.

Don’t leave your future up to chance. Download the FREE workbook NOW and discover how you can plan for an easier retirement.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Julie here to set up a chat.

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