How Athletes Can Be World Class After Sports And Avoid The Pain Of Regret
I was talking to an old teammate of mine the other day, and he shared with me the following story: 10 years prior, he had finished playing semi-pro basketball and had a young daughter to support. Being in his early 20’s and trying to just survive and put food on the table, he immediately felt an important and common urge.
This urge would come back to haunt him years later (we’ll get to that in a moment), and it continues to plague TONS of athletes as they exit sport and enter a new season of life.
It’s the urge to avoid the void and stay busy.
The void I'm referring to is...
The void of not having a purpose.
The financial void of no more income.
The security void of no more health insurance.
The passion void of no more purpose and TEAM.
The stuckness void of no more physical challenge.
The feedback void of no more accountability + coaching
The richness void of no more growth and achievement.
The identity void of no longer being a pro athlete.
The love and affirmation void of no more fans and announcers.
It's the same void that keeps the modern athlete from noticing their skeletons. And it's so painful and uncomfortable that they stuff it down and desire to move past it, quick! You’ve got a game to win, after all! Only this time, the stakes are your LIFE.
So what I’m trying to say is: THE VOID IS REAL.
And my friend avoided it just as many of our teammates did, too.
And one day, he found himself lying in a hospital bed looking at the ceiling. He had just been shot and almost lost his life in a drive by shooting in his hometown. Months before, he had started hanging out with some old friends back home, guys that he thought were clean. Guys he thought were just like him and had some things in common. He thought they had his back, and would look after him. He thought he was back home. But he quickly realized he was anywhere but home. He was alone, receiving a wake up call: “You’ve got some soul searching to do.”
Disclaimer: this was the LAST PERSON I ever expected to be in this situation. He was one of the most powerful and kindest people I ever played with. If you met him, you would be shocked that he would’ve been caught in a gun fight in the hood.
But there was silver lining in all of this for him, he tells me.
For this first time in years, he was forced to finally SLOW DOWN.
And in that quiet space, the void became visible.
He realized he had pushed through and overlooked his pain. His regret. His embarrassment. His loneliness.
The pain from this unaddressed void had translated into anger, addiction, high levels of stress and anxiety, depression, lashing out at his daughter and her mother, and disintegrating relationships.
It was obvious, it was unaVOIDable.
That year, he grew more in one year than he EVER had in his basketball career.
He learned to CONFRONT THE VOID and follow some simple steps that we both teach today. They’re part of the proven World Class Method™️ I developed, and they are what made athletes great while competing, yet they’re rarely leveraged in life after.
And they include:
OBSERVE: dive into your emotions, become aware of them and the impact they have on your reactions. Learn to pause, listen, and respond deliberately instead of reacting with the reptilian brain.
GATHER: surround yourself with inspiring leaders.
INSTITUTE: create structure & routine (invest time in your spiritual development)
AUDIT: set goals and check in with them periodically
SOLICIT: keep a mentor + solicit feedback
MOVE: keep moving your body
LEVERAGE: leverage your transferable skills (know your identity + vision)
ENRICH: invest in your personal growth, constantly.
In summary, our message to athletes everywhere is this:
Slow down, do not rush your process.
If you don't, you may miss the void and forget who you are and what made you GREAT in the first place.
The World Class Method™️ supports athletes in accessing the core VOID-addressing techniques mentioned above through our proven formula, modeled after the athlete's journey from 'potential' to world class status.
We facilitate direct training and course work for current and former athletes around the world who want to be world class in their real life. We facilitate healthy mental wellness and emotional intelligence for men and women.