Today most world-class athletes begin their careers at a very young age. Academies and clubs are recruiting players at six, seven and eight years of age. In most cases they are physically training their young bodies and risking long- term repetitive-use injuries by the time they are in their teen years.
Besides the physical toll, they often sacrifice family time (many move away from home) and in some cases academics, definitely not leading normal social lives.
The focus becomes singular: be a star athlete at all costs. This goal is usually pushed by their coaches and, sadly, by some parents. The goal usually is tunnel vision … win, win, win.
However, what will happen when the athlete hits hard times? And there definitely will be hard times. Who will be there for that young athlete when this occurs?
Hopefully parents will be supportive, but from my experience this is not always the case. Sometimes coaches stay around to help. However God is always there for the tough stuff if the athlete allows him in. The biggest roadblocks that athletes typically will face during their career include bad defeats, serious injury, and ultimately retirement.
Losing a sports game is a challenge even for lower-level athletes. I have known many ladies league tennis players who have taken a long time to get over a defeat. One woman told me that she was losing sleep for close to two years due to a particular loss. Imagine what must be going through the mind of a high-performance athlete after a particularly devastating loss on the biggest stage. If that athlete has a strong relationship with God then he/she will know that God still loves him. That feeling of being loved may be something that the athlete is not experiencing anywhere else at that moment.
Athletes with faith should also understand that there is a purpose to God’s plan, and this plan usually requires humility and fortitude.
Being humbled will help them learn and grow and improve. If they pray they know that there will be brighter days.
Athletes sometimes allow their sports to define who they are. “Athletes have a tendency to position shame … and describe it as an agonizing experience in which they perceive their global self as a failure,” writes Brian Smith in Glorifying God in Sports.
We are more than the sum of our victories and defeats, as Jesus reminds us in Scripture. Peter failed many times, but Jesus made him the first pope.
Society and sports fans may like to label athletes based on a result, but it is vital that coaches and parents reinforce the principle that we value the whole person.
While always being there to listen to your child, parents can make a point of normalizing life after a defeat. Doing something together as a family can help an athlete know that nothing has changed in your relationship because of a loss.
Remember also to pray together at this time in gratitude for good health and for the talents God has given us. We don’t just pray after wins.
Injury is tremendously frustrating. Top athletes have worked hard to keep bodies superior, sculptured, sleek, and strong. When the body is broken often the spirit breaks. Long jump specialist Abigail Irozuru of England trusted God to stay with her throughout her long recovery from a torn Achilles that cost her an Olympic spot in Rio. She prayed for patience and persistence through the pain, and she says that God is the reason she never quit and ultimately made the next Olympics in Tokyo.
National Football League star Greg Ellis also made a video called “I Am Second” recounting how he put God’s will first and how God helped him be humble and see the positives in coming back to the Dallas Cowboys after a career-threatening injury.
Retirement for anyone in any career comes with some serious adjustments. We all need to have a purpose and mission for our life when we step away from our career. This is much more challenging for a top athlete who, as mentioned earlier, has had one focus only since the age of six. Of course it would be very helpful to have brought God with you for the whole journey, but it is vitally important at the end.
Again, athletes feel a loss of identity when they retire because competition is all they know. As a Catholic athlete we must know that we are sons and daughters of God before anything else. The Lord has always been captain of our ship and nothing will or should change in retirement.
Tennis pro Roger Federer just announced his retirement from the sport, and through his Catholic faith, his beautiful family, and a trustworthy team around him he seems to be well prepared for the next stage of life.
Cara Button, senior manager of Canada’s athlete wellness program Game Plan, has counselled athletes on retirement for many years. She told the Epoch Times they ask questions like “Who am I if not an athlete?” and “What’s interesting about me outside sports?”
Athletes who have gone from being the centre of attention to being forgotten often become depressed. Once again having God and family in your life are key. Your family can remind you that you are part of them and they need you in their life. God reminds each of us that we are MVPs in his family and that at every stage of life he has a job for us.
Through prayer and spiritual direction Catholic athletes can be shown how to take the gifts that they had in sports and use them in the next stage of life.
God will always have your back during the tough stuff.
