How is Dr. Daniel Zimet serving athletes in transition?
Transitions, in sport as in life, can be very difficult, especially if you are not prepared for them. Some of the most challenging times in my life have been during major transitions. College. Marriage. Parenthood. Divorce. Unfortunately, I was short on the resources to manage these changes and it took a toll on my life.
Perhaps, one of the most difficult transitions of all is when an elite athlete must exit their sport. Athletes are some of the most resilient people walking the earth, but yet are still human. After years and years of investment into the single most important thing in an athlete’s life, sport is gone in a blink of an eye and it is nearly impossible to replicate that experience. The mental health impacts can be negative and sometimes tragic.
My guest on this episode, Dr. Daniel Zimet, is a licensed psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant®. Dan and colleagues in our field of sport psychology are conducting the Athlete Transition Study to better understand the experiences of retiring athletes on a large scale.
In Episode 46, Dan discusses the inspiration for conducting the Athlete Transition Study and why its implications are so important to how we support retiring athletes. Further, Dan and I discuss the unique challenges of athletic identity and how sport psychology professionals help athletes keep things in perspective.
So, what was your biggest takeaway from my conversation with Dr. Daniel Zimet?
For me, it’s that we must truly understand the elite athlete’s transition experiences in order to serve them properly. Athletes lose a critical part of their identity when they retire and the potential long-term mental health consequences are significant. Investing in the Athlete Transition Study is a small price to pay for a potentially huge payoff.
My suggestion to elite athletes and their loved ones is share your story. You are not alone. All athletes, elite and non-elite alike, can struggle after they leave sport. Without the proper support, the transition out of sport can be extremely difficult. Share your story with a friend or trusted professional.
I want to thank Dan for his kind generosity and the wisdom he shared with The Freshman Foundation Community.
You can learn more about the Athlete Transition Study on their website at https://athletetransitionstudy.com as well as on Instagram and Twitter @athletetransitionstudy.
To learn HOW mental performance coaching can help your mind work FOR you rather than AGAINST you, visit https://michaelvhuber.com.
Thank you for listening. We’ll see you back soon for Episode 47!