This article may or may not be relevant to all of our readers, as many of you are still actively involved in athletics. But for those of you who are thinking of transitioning out of competitive athletics or are curious about “life after athletics”, here are my two cents on the topic.

 

For many of you sport, athletics, or fitness is a large part of your lives.

For me, athletics was such an important part of my life that it was almost

my whole identity, or so I thought. I was an athlete since the age of 7,

and finished my athletic career at the age of 24. When it was time to decide

on my future aftercollegiate sports, I was terrified and confused. After all,

I didn’t know life withoutpole vaulting. I’m sure some of you can relate to this,

even if you’re still competing.

 

 

Here are a few experiences that helped me get through that transition, and I hope this puts you at ease as well:

 

1. Life isn’t over if you decide not to continue athletics on the same level as before.

Just as much as sports have opened up many opportunities while being an athlete, the benefits of this life-long experience still helps me in life to this day. For example, I found personal training and use my knowledge from years of training in my practice. I also coached, which helped me stay involved with the sport. My love of sports was extended from always trying to better myself as an athlete, towards helping others – there’s a lot of joy in sharing your passion of fitness with others.

 

Other ways to stay involved include: becoming a sport official/judge, volunteering with local schools, becoming a personal coach or trainer, joining a sports committee, working as a sports announcer/working in media, and many more.

 

2. You can continue with your sport if you wish on a smaller scale.

Still love running, pole vaulting, or shot putting but don’t want to compete and train as intensely? There’s nothing wrong with continuing your sport with a local club, practicing a few times a week for general fitness, or coaching others (where you can occasionally show off proper form to your students and at the same time get the fix for your event).

 

3. Trying a new sport or a hobby.

When I entered into this world of possibilities after athletics I felt like

I was cheating on my sport of track & field. But the fun of trying new

things quickly got me over it. I hated running in college, but because

I was trying running as a hobby in a social it was actually really fun!

I also enjoyed spinning (I am certified in spinning now), volleyball,

rock climbing, acro yoga, hiking, fitness classes, boot camps, and

generally all the things that I couldn’t do while competing for fear of

injuries. These activities were very fun especially that I was already

in a good shape as an ex-athlete and my physical skills only helped

me in the game.

 

4. Rest

It’s not a bad idea to just relax and rest for a little while before getting involved with another sport or hard core fitness, if that’s what you decide. Rest up and let your body regenerate from years of hard work, and take your time to look for options that will work best for you. Often athletes are trained to always be doing something, and if they’re not sore in every possible muscle then they feel they aren’t doing enough with their lives. Just understand that rest is also important, and the world will not end if you take a break. You deserve it, trust me.

 

Lastly enjoy life, have fun and follow your passion – that’s a formula for a happy life always, both during and after an athletic career.