Life After Sports – What I learned in Life After Football

*This is a follow up to my last post entitled, Junior Seau and Me.  You may want to read that first, before you read this post.

Athletes are unique individuals; they are Superhuman of sorts.  The experiences they have on the field, court, track and mat mold them for the rest of their life.  They are mentally sharp, quick-witted, and emotionally strong in mist of adversity.  They are bigger, faster and stronger than 99% of the world.

Yet they are still human at the core of their existence.

An athlete’s transition or lack thereof has been a hot topic of discussion and debate recently.  I have followed this topic very closely because over the past six years, I have been transitioning out of professional football.  I’ve used myself as a living and breathing case study.  Why?  Because I want answers and I want solutions!  I have personally had my ups and had my downs, but I will not have it be all for not.

It breaks my heart, and to be honest darn right pisses me off to see so many athletes have a hard time making a transition out of sports, and yet no one has stepped up and provided an affordable, scalable and actionable solution.  Many individuals have tried and I applaud them for that, but individuals can’t cause change working alone.

Well, that ends today!  With modern technology there is a solution and Athlete Game Plan is going to provide it.

I think I speak for athletes around the world when I say we are not looking for handouts, sympathy or free rides.  We are looking for direction, just like we did when we played sports, and we need COACHING so that we can train to be the best and most productive members of society we can be.  There is no question about it.  Athletes have the potential to be leaders because people look up to them, so let’s equip them with the resources to make a positive impact on not only their lives, but also the lives of others.  The well-rounded athlete can excel at more than just his or her sport. He or she can thrive as a role model, mentor, civic leader and business owner.  These are the type of people who will start small businesses and jump-start our economy and the same skills that lead to success on the field will inevitably lead to success off of it as well—but there’s a catch. Athletes need to train just as hard off the field to maximize their marketability and potential as they trained on the field.

*Here is a very direct message to the athletes that are looking for a FREE ride. 

You will live a very lonely, financially depressed and unfulfilled life if you continue to look to others for support.  Start taking responsibility for your actions and be accountable for yourself and your life.  Invest as much in your personal development as you have invested in your athletic success. For every successful athlete who has made the transition, there have been far too many who have struggled post-retirement.

You may be thinking why do athletes need help?  Isn’t college the tool and the resource that is supposed to prepare you for life after sports? Yes, it is, but the sad reality is that many athletes have received special treatment their whole life and that is one of the problems. Athletes at the college level and especially professional level have been treated like no other human beings in this world.  They have experienced moments in their life few in this world can relate too.  But they still have feelings, hardships, emotions and problems.  They have been trained to be tough on the exterior and suck it up.  But sometimes a person has to deal with the inside to live and grow, and failing to learn how to do so precludes a successful transition to the next phase of life.  For many athletes, there is immense pressure from home to make it to the pros to provide for their family. Unfortunately, many athletes are simply not mature enough at the time to take advantage of college and the God-given talents they possess, and eventually live to regret it.

I was one of them, and I am certainly not alone. Does that mean we should just forget about them?  Does that make the problem any less real?  I’ve never accepted that immaturity is permanent, I know first hand that it’s never too late to make a solid transition and build the skills and tools necessary to not only succeed, but thrive in life after sports. I was fortunate to eventually come out on top and it is time to give back, but I can’t do it all on my own. I need your help.

If you are former athlete, I want to provide a solution that is based on statistics, science and from those who have actually experienced the journey.

Not just theory.

If you want to be part of Athlete Game Plans mission to provide a reasonable, affordable, scalable, and actionable coaching program, I need you to fill our this extremely short 10 question survey below.

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I have personally invested a lot of time and money in this project and I want to make sure it is done right!

To Your Successful Transition in Life After Sports,

Philip Larmon

Founder of Athlete Game Plan

P.S. Dream Big!

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