South Africa: Why Skilled Athletes Discover Retirement So Troublesome

Retiring from elite sport could be a advanced situation for a lot of sportspeople, who are sometimes confronted with emotional or psychological challenges.

Take heed to this text 7 min Take heed to this text 7 min Suppose again to whenever you met somebody for the primary time. One of many first questions you requested, or had been requested, was probably: “what do you do for work?”

It is a well mannered, innocuous and socially ingrained means of attending to know extra about an individual. Nevertheless it additionally demonstrates the central function of our skilled lives as a part of our private identities.

For skilled athletes, their careers, exploits and recognition can turn into the defining facet of their id.

So what occurs when sporting careers finish?

The transition to retirement, throughout professions and nations, could be extraordinarily powerful to navigate.

It may be particularly tough for elite sportspeople, who can expertise retirement as a lack of id, related to their sense of accomplishment, that means and management in life.

How retirement impacts athletes

A typical saying with many sportspeople is “athletes die twice” – as soon as once they retire and once more at their dying.

Former Wallaby Brendan Cannon has spoken of this issue:

“[People] need to speak to you about what you was once, and all you need to concentrate on is what you need to turn into.”…