As a professional athlete, you likely optimistic about the amount of time you will spend playing your sport, extending your career as long as possible. However, life after sports for professional athletes isn’t always as planned. Perhaps you make the decision to retire a few years earlier than anticipated or you experience a career-ending injury. While these are things that we all hope won’t happen, especially the latter, it is important to plan as though they will.
First Things First: Plan B Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Plan A Failed
Oftentimes, when we speak to professional athletes, they are hesitant to start thinking about their ‘plan B’ because they are hopeful that their ‘plan A’ will remain steady and successful for the long haul. What some athletes fail to realize is that preparing ahead of time for the inevitable will actually save them from having to scramble if and when their career comes to a close. While being a professional athlete for as long as possible is the ultimate goal and dream, it is not always feasible. Wouldn’t you rather take the leap of faith and do the leg work now so that you can make the transition from sport to career as seamlessly as possible?
What Happens After Sport
According to arguably one of the greatest athletes of all time, the late Kobe Bryant, life after sports for a professional athlete should prepare for the end of their career sooner rather than later because they never know what’s to come tomorrow. The best way to prepare for the end of your career is by finding something that you are passionate about and investing in it, like Kobe did during his life. He told CNBC: “The question needs to be, ‘What is my passion?’ Not, ‘Where can I create the most value or generate the most revenue?’ But, ‘What is my next passion?’ When you find that next passion, everything else will make sense.”
During your career, you probably have strived for perfection and often done everything in your power to try to achieve it. Your work ethic is second to none and you have the talents to show for it. So, why should your post-sport life be any different? Now is the time to strive for greatness, on and off your court/field/arena.
Unfortunately, athletes can slip into a pattern of negativity when they retire from their sport or if their career ends due to an injury. If athletes do not have a positive reinforcement in their lives after their professional athletic career comes to an end, they may experience:
While this isn’t every retired professional athlete’s story, it can happen and it can happen to you. You have worked so hard to make a life for yourself that you love and that you are proud of. At F45, we feel that shouldn’t end when your professional sport career ends.
Professional Athletes and F45 Training’s Scalable Business Model
As Kobe Bryant said, it is important to find something you are passionate about and run with it. When it comes to athletes, you likely have a natural passion for health and wellness, fitness in particular. It is a no-brainer to continue on with something that will make your post-sport career actually feel like a continuation of your life while you were playing. Your next career should challenge you in a productive way, but it shouldn’t be something so foreign to you that you simply cannot grasp it.
This next step should be exciting to you and something that you truly want to do because you love it. Why not use the knowledge you have for fitness and health to your advantage?
F45 Training provides its franchise owners with a ‘playbook’ that helps pro-athletes navigate their career, and life after they retire. Studio ownership is the new ‘game’ for retired athletes. Their teammates are their studio employees and together they have one goal: to deliver their community a product that will change their lives. These goals are fun, rewarding and the return on investment could potentially be magnificent.
Technically speaking, the game plan is through the network of F45 franchise owners, who receive support with their onboarding process, from their initial inquiry and long after the day they open their doors as a brand new F45 studio. This ensures that a pro-athlete can step into the F45 franchise network and potentially dominate the fitness industry in his or her market, despite not having any previous business experience. Services provided by F45 Head Office include:
This could be a life changing opportunity.