What It’s Like to Retire in Your Early 20s

.....Transitioning out of a linear education system into regular adult life can be a challenge for any 20-something; adding in the end of a long sports career can make it even harder. At an age when most people are embarking on their careers, elite athletes are already wrapping one up, and facing issues that most people don’t confront until later in life. Retired athletes, much like the rest of us, would benefit from having more than one identity in life—they’re just forced to learn this lesson young.....

.....Young athletes are typically conditioned to have a singular focus on their sport from an early age, with the tacit belief that this is the only route to success. But a little more personal freedom might not be antithetical to maximizing athletic performance. Wendling is researching how having career commitments outside a sport can increase athletes’ well-being. Her hypothesis is that this would also improve athletic performance. Whether or not that proves correct, perhaps a better quality of life would be its own reward for a young athlete in the twilight of their career.

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Bethany`s Notes: Back in the day many Olympic athletes had full time jobs apart from their training...might a part-time job be helpful for athletes to reshape their identity?