The Seasons of an Athlete

Your life has many seasons. Athlete is just one of them. 

Sports revolve around seasons. In season, offseason, preseason, post season. It is a continuous cycle, not unlike a tree and its leaves changing with the weather. Athlete careers revolve around those seasons. But in a greater sense, an athlete's career is a season in itself.

THE PRESEASON:
The journey to become a high level athlete starts at a young age. The dedication to practices, work outs, games, traveling, being away from family and friends, less access to social life - all those things start as you are growing up and finding out who you are. 

IN SEASON:
Being a high level athlete takes a lot of time and focus. Once you reach the big leagues, the journey doesn't end, it's just beginning. From practices, coaches meetings, team appearances, marketing, building your brand, staying fit and healthy, traveling for games, and giving back to the community, your schedule is packed with to-dos both in the game and outside of it. 

THE POSTSEASON:
It's tempting to define your athletic career as the journey of your lifetime - your purpose. But in reality, your journey as an athlete is just one season out of many that you will experience in life. And when playing sports ends, a new season begins: life after. Life after sports doesn't have a playbook. There isn't always a coach there to help you make adjustments, prepare for the next game, and set the next goal. It's on you.

But you're ready.
Sport is your foundation. You've learned valuable skills from being competitive, working as a team and goal setting. It's now time to use those skills sport has taught you to grow new connections, explore new heights and reach new accomplishments. 

Whether it's a new job in a new industry, going back to school, starting your own business, starting or spending time with your family or taking care of yourself physically and mentally, your seasons will change over time, just like in sports.

Just remember, no one stays in season all year round. There's an offseason for a reason. You need to rest, you need to recoup and you need to grow. 

Life after sports shouldn't be seen as an end, but rather a new beginning, to explore the many opportunities available for you. And we're here to help you make the most of it.