How to Let Go of Your Sports Career

Letting go of your sports career is something many former athletes wrestle with long after their playing days are over. The “what if” questions that loop in your mind for months and sometimes years later can be haunting. Whether you made it as far as you wanted to go or not, there’s something about the end of an athletic career that can be hard to move on from impacting your mental health and wellness.

Every athlete’s career has an expiration date. Even the best of the best have to stop playing eventually. Still, one of the greatest challenges in life after sports is coming to peace with the end of your playing days. 

I’ve heard the stories.

• Joe’s career ends due to an injury, and he carries anger for years.
• Sam’s career ends because she wasn’t chosen at the next level, and she blames the people around her.
• Jason gets cut from the team; Brandon makes a bad decision that gets him kicked off the team; Laura decides to leave on her own terms; and all of them live with lingering regret and emptiness.

Each story is different yet also similar in the feelings of anger, blame, regret, sadness, loneliness, and so on. Of course, you may not feel this way, but in my experience, many athletes think about the “what ifs” whether they talk about it or not.

As an athlete mental health and mindset coach, one of the areas I work on players with is the transition into life after sports. Most of the time, the very first step we take is to let go of what was so that we can step forward into the future. Easier said than done, but definitely possible.

If you’re struggling with letting go of your sports career, here are a few tips:

I’ve written before about tips for transitioning into life after sports. The pointers that follow are more about how to accept and be at peace with the end of your playing days.

• Give gratitude for the career that you had. – It’s common to think about what could have happened, so instead focus on being grateful for all of the things that your sports career afforded you. Not everyone gets to have that experience. Sit with the gratitude that you got to do what you loved. Focus on what you gained, rather than what you lost. Make a list and reflect upon it.

• Write a letter to your sport. – “Dear football, what I want you to know is…” Whatever you need to say, just say it. Writing things out in the form of a letter can help you hash out all of your feelings, get clear, and be more at peace.

• Your life isn’t over; it’s beginning a new chapter. – As I mentioned above, everyone’s playing days come to an end eventually. In life we’re constantly making transitions. Give yourself permission to begin a new chapter. It’s okay to grow into another part of yourself and dream a new dream.

• You’re right where you’re supposed to be. – There’s no reason to place anger or blame on yourself or someone else. Those emotions will eat you up. Everything happens for a reason and in divine timing. As cliché as that sounds, it’s true. I like to look at things spiritually. Even if you don’t always understand the answer of why something happened the way that it did, there’s a lesson and opportunity that’s meant for your soul. Sometimes, those lessons are painful, and that’s totally normal and okay. The point is that every challenge brings a new opportunity, so try to embrace that instead of fighting that.

• Life happens in the present. – Obsessing over the past blocks you from being clear in the present moment. As an athlete, you’re probably familiar with the terms “flow” and “zone.” You know that both of those concepts happen in the present moment, and only in the present moment. Use those skills to help you accept where you are so you can operate from growth mode.

Would you like support in letting go of your sports career? Contact me here.