On retiring from sport an athlete may set new goals, establish a new career but they may still miss an important key. This key can be the difference between a successful transition or a loss of purpose and drive. I'm talking about the loss of significance, an important human need as discussed here.
Many people have attempted to transition between both sport and business. There are examples of successful sports performers going on to have successful careers as entrepreneurs, but what about going from sport psychology (or science) to business? I get asked about this all the time, as I work in business (but am qualified in sport psych) and in future will direct people to this article!
Early research into withdrawal from sport focused on problems faced by young athletes retiring from full-time sport. Issues were identified which can affect the quality of the transition, laying the groundwork for later research into the retirement of professional athletes, and influencing approaches being taken by sports federations and others to helping sportsmen facing retirement. This article examines the main trends and offers some conclusions.