Compete. Identify. Repeat.

Finding your identity inside and outside the sports arena.

If there is one thing that all athletes have in common, it is their drive to compete and win—even at all costs. Competition can serve as a fuel for life. It is the ultimate motivator, coach, and even friend to the competitor. 

And though this idea of competing serves wonderfully in the real world, often the athletes can find themselves struggling with identity once the cleats are off. On the field, driving towards a goal and winning over others is commonplace. Expected. Appreciated, even. 

But in the house, classroom, or workplace, high levels of competition are often suppressed and replaced with things like collaboration, red tape, and bureaucracy. This transition can be jarring for high performers and skilled athletes. Many times, competitors struggle finding purpose in a less-than exciting world. Once the fastest, strongest, or most elite; now they must blend in, work as a team, and even go unnoticed. 

So, what is the remedy? How does a finely tuned athlete settle comfortably in a world run by businesspeople and money? What does a competitor have to do to find their identity when not competing? 

Maintain Motivation

To start, it is important that an athlete recognizes the value of strong motivation in the “real world.” Values like devotion to your task, careful time management, and going the extra mile translate beautifully into a work environment. 

Take sales for instance. If there was ever an example of competition in the workplace, sales take the win. Learning how to rise above the rest, get out earlier than others, pound the pavement, and win at all costs, are common conjectures in a sales office. 

As an athlete transitions from the dugout to the desk, they should consider carrying with them the same drive that pushed them to be great in their sport. Their boss will appreciate it in the end. 

Leveraging Your Skills

The many skills you pick up in a sport don’t simply fall off or go away when you aren’t competing. In fact, with great intentionality, athletes can harness those same skills in a non-sport environment. Take endurance for example. Athletes often are primed to push past their perceived “normal” limits in order to achieve a goal. In the workplace or outside of the arena, we would refer to this as “stretching” ourselves. We can do the difficult tasks that come with normal life. 

Lean on your skillsets and apply them generously. After all, you devoted years to learning how to be the best at them!

Further Reading

In her article “Hanging Up the Cleats: How to Transition Out of Sports,” Tess M. Kllweln PhD, ABPP, CMPC, offers more ideas on how to bridge the gap between an athlete’s identity in sports and their identity in the outside world. 

She says, “While athletes dedicate a substantial amount of time and energy to sports participation, transitions are inevitable.” 

The good news is, according to Tess, there’s plenty of hope. You aren’t alone in what you may be going through. Millions of athletes are adjusting to a life in the “real world” as we speak. If you need someone to talk to, let us help you get connected. You’re a winner in our book and deserve the best!

Now go out and win!

References:

Tess, K. M. (n.d.). Hanging up the cleats: How to transition out of sports. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/in-the-trenches/202312/hanging-up-the-cleats-transitioning-out-of-sports#:~:text=Key%20points%201%20Transitioning%20out%20of%20sports%20can,skills%20gleaned%20from%20sports%20can%20smooth%20the%20transition.