This is a great piece from sprinter Ato Boldon, former world champion and 4 time Olympic medalist
http://www.athleticsweekly.com/blog/10-things-retired-athletes-know-that-active-ones-dont/
My favorite are:
7. The competitors you think you hate so much now will be your friends when you are retired. Dont take it that seriously. Compete without hate.
I believe that women’s hockey athletes from around the world should all work together to promote our sport and get it known to hockey fans. By training and playing together throughout the collegiate system and after in the CWHL, we push the envelope and constantly improve the level and pace of the game. And the truth is, we have very similar traits whether we are Canadians or Americans: we are passionate, competitors, leaders, team players, and have the desire to win, and we love to push our limits etc. We have all overcame barriers to be able to play the game for our country. I am so grateful for my experience at the University of Minnesota Duluth where I became friends with athletes from Sweden, Finland, U.S., Switzerland, Germany,and Russia!
6. Figure out what job you will do next, in early or mid-career, not post career. Few get to decide when they retire, most get forced out.
This is a tough one… I wish I knew exactly where I stand in that category as I am well passed my mid-career point. It is scary in a way but I believe that I will figure it out when the time comes whether I want to seek opportunities to stay in the game of hockey through coaching which I have enjoyed so far. Or if I want to pursue a career in Law enforcement as I am trained to be a police officer in Montreal. I would also consider returning to school to get a master but I am unsure in what field yet. Any suggestions of what you imagine me doing? I believe that our generation often work in a different field than the one they studied for and many do multiple careers and jobs. I hope I can find something that is challenging every day and that I will love as much as I love being a hockey player.
5. One day you’ll awake and won’t be fast anymore. Does your career define your whole life or existence? It shouldn’t! Have a life so you dont have to go get one after.
Although we hope that we are not that person whose career completely define our life, I am sure it is not as simple because hockey and training are clearly full-time endeavours in our lives. All our focus shifts to becoming the best we can be. We train hard and also rest hard but our mind is always set on what is next in our athletic career. We think about the upcoming games and tournaments. We always want to find a way to get fitter, faster, stronger, quicker. We learn to love to train off-ice because it makes us better on the ice. Hockey occupies some much of our time and our thoughts. I can understand that it can be hard to find a meaning after it is all done, to find something we believe we can be as good at as we were at hockey. Something else where people look up to us and need our leadership.
I hope you enjoy the top 10 list as much as I did!
Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions!
Caro