Understanding Retirement from Sports

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Abstract
Retirement from competitive sports often poses significant difficulties for an athlete, whether competing at the high school college, elite, or professional levels. This article describes the meaning that sport involvement may have for an athlete, and indicates how the affiliation with an identity as an athlete may influence adjustment to retirement. Research has suggested that many athletes are poorly prepared for their retirement from competition and may face considerable difficulties in their coping with the significant life changes that accompany the end of their sports careers and sports identities. Suggestions are presented for various programs to assist athletes before, during, and after their retirement from competition, with special attention given to the application of a life development intervention (LDI) approach.