Seeking New Careers, An Athlete’s Life After Sports

For anyone who’s a fan of sports, the idea of playing your favorite sport to earn a living is right up there with things people wish they could do. What most regular people don’t understand is that being an athlete is not just a “struck of luck” kind of situation. Being an athlete, and above all a successful professional athlete takes years of training, preparation and sacrifice, some that most people end up not wanting to do after seeing the compromise needed. For those others who do put in all time and effort, making it in a world as rough and tough as professional sports is a whole other matter in itself. While sports betting fans only get to see the professional life of athletes, once they become mere mortals again is where for some life truly starts over.

Being an Athlete Has an End Date

A professional sports athlete when healthy and with a good injury less record of playing can usually have a hefty 10 to 15 year playing career. In sports, 10 to 15 years playing at a top level usually means a hefty amount of money will come their way into their bank accounts. As said by a Financial Times report, “ Many former athletes find it hard to adjust to conventional working life” Part of the adjusting to a conventional life after sports mostly comes along the lines of hopefully having made sound business decisions, basically saving money for the day after they retire, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day and so on.

It’s a sad fact that most professional athletes face bankruptcy only a few years after retiring from professional sports practicing because of bad economic decisions. From the NFL, to the NBA, MLB and onwards pro athletes are exposed to vast amounts of money from early on in their career which in most cases, due to immaturity ends up backfiring towards the end. Pro basketball players like former Celtics great Antoine Walker and former Mavericks player Delonte West are just two of the various cases of athlete’s lives going south after retiring because of poor money decisions.

Those Who Are Lucky Stay in Sports

It’s a normal thing nowadays whether you’re watching football, basketball, baseball or any other pro sport to find some retired athletes of the sport now working behind the cameras as broadcasters, commentators or analysts. Who best to understand and give sound opinions on what’s going on in a game than someone who played it. Tony Romo in the NFL, Alex Rodriguez in the MLB and Shaq in the NBA are some of the best examples of a successful TV life after leaving the sport all adding incredible insight to what we are watching on the screen.

Other examples include former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive legend Warren Sapp who went more along the lines of internet podcasting. The former Super Bowl champion inked a deal with top sportsbook company BetUS to host a weekly podcast where he dishes out about anything and everything regarding of course football and other sports.

Planning for the Future, Another Game Athletes Need to Play

While athletes devote almost their entirety of time to trying to excel at their craft while staying in tip top shape, planning for a future after sports is something that needs to take as much importance. The completion of a college education as well as secure venturing into business projects always seem like the best and most secure options for players thinking about the afterlife of sports. While having big houses, fancy cars and seeing that everyone who has been with them for their entire career is a priority for most athletes, planning for the future to secure a good, hefty and secure lifestyle should also be a priority.

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