Why the "I Don't Know" Feeling Is Normal
Let's start with the most important thing. Not knowing what you want to do doesn't mean you've failed. It means you've spent your whole life doing one thing at 100%. Sports were your world. Your identity. Your daily schedule. And now that world is changing.
A 2020 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that 72% of athletes describe the transition out of sports as an "identity crisis." Three quarters. That's not weakness. That's statistics. And you're not alone in it.
The problem isn't that you don't have skills. You have plenty. The problem is you've never stopped to look at them from a different angle. In sports, you're a leader, a team player, a strategist, a communicator. You know how to work under pressure, meet deadlines, take feedback. These are exactly the skills companies look for and pay above-average money for.
But you don't know that. Because nobody told you. And this article changes that.
Step 1: Take Stock of What You Can Do
Grab a pen and paper. Seriously. Right now. And answer these questions:
What do you enjoy in sports (besides the actual performance)?
Do you enjoy organizing the team? Helping younger players? Analyzing opponents? Communicating with media? Working on tactics? Each of these answers points to a specific direction outside sports. If you like organizing - management, event management, project management. If you like helping younger players - coaching, education, mentoring. If you like analyzing - data, analytics, scouting.
What situations in sports do you handle best?
Are you best under pressure? In crisis moments? When quick decisions are needed? Or in long-term planning? Building relationships? Motivating others? These answers will tell you what type of work would suit you. Quick decisions = sales, crisis management. Long-term planning = project management, strategy. Motivating = leadership, HR, coaching.
What interests you outside of sports?
Do you watch business videos on YouTube? Do you like technology? Do you cook? Are you into fitness and nutrition? Do you read about investing? These "hobby" interests can be the seed of a career. One former soccer player I know started following social media marketing during his career. Two years later he had his own agency. Another was interested in nutrition - today he has certification and his own practice.
Exercise: Write a list of 10 things you're good at because of sports. Not sports skills ("I score goals"), but transferable ones ("I can perform under pressure," "I can lead a group," "I'm disciplined"). This is your foundation. Your capital. And it's bigger than you think.
Step 2: Explore Options (But Don't Decide Yet)
The biggest mistake athletes make? They want an answer right away. "Tell me what to do." But life decisions deserve time. Not months of thinking in your head. But weeks of active exploration.
Here are 7 directions athletes most commonly choose - and they work:
1. Coaching and Training
The most natural transition. You know sports from the inside. But careful - being a good athlete doesn't automatically make you a good coach. A coach needs patience, the ability to explain and motivate different types of people. If this appeals to you, start assisting with a youth team. It costs nothing and you'll find out if you enjoy it.
2. Sports Management and Organization
Running a club, organizing tournaments, working for a federation. Athletes have a huge advantage - they understand sports from the inside. They know what players need, what coaches deal with, how a season works. These positions often don't require specialized education. They require experience, contacts, and willingness to learn. And you have all of that thanks to sports.
3. Fitness, Personal Training, Nutrition
You have the body, the knowledge, the credibility. Personal trainer certification takes 3-6 months. With it, you can start immediately. The hourly rate for a personal trainer ranges from $30-80. With 20 clients a week, you have a solid income. And the flexible schedule you know from sports.
4. Sales and Business Development
Athletes make great salespeople. Why? Because they know how to build relationships, handle rejection, work toward a goal, and be competitive. Sales positions often offer above-average pay (base salary + commission) and don't require specific education. Many companies actively recruit athletes for their sales teams.
5. Entrepreneurship
Discipline, resilience, ability to take risks - these are entrepreneur qualities. And you have them. You don't have to start a company with 50 employees right away. Start small. An e-shop with sports equipment. Online coaching. Sports camps for kids. A blog or YouTube channel. Today is the best time to start your own business because the barriers to entry have never been lower.
6. Education and Personal Development
College, courses, certifications. Many universities have programs for athletes. Some offer individual study plans for active athletes. Online education is also an option - courses on Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning cost a few bucks a month and give you concrete skills (marketing, programming, design, project management).
7. Media and Content Creation
Commentator, expert, influencer, content creator. As an athlete, you have a story people are interested in. And social media gives you the platform to share it. More about this path in the article How to Make Money on Social Media as an Athlete.
Important: You don't have to choose right away. And you don't have to choose one thing. Many athletes combine - like coaching + personal training + content creation. Start by exploring. Talk to people who do it. Go to events. Read. Follow. And gradually the picture will form.
The Mental Edge: 25 Mental Techniques for Athletes
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Learn more →Step 3: Talk to People
This is the most important step and most athletes skip it. Why? Because it's uncomfortable. In sports, you're used to handling things alone or with a coach. But in a career transition, you need networks. Contacts. Mentors.
Here's what to do:
- Reach out to 3 former athletes who are already working outside sports. Ask them: How did you start? What would you do differently? What helped you the most? Most people love sharing their experience. Just send a DM on Instagram or an email.
- Find a mentor. Someone who's already been through what you're going through. It doesn't have to be a formal mentoring program. Just someone you can call occasionally for advice.
- Go to networking events. Sounds scary? I get it. But it's like the first practice with a new team. At first it's weird. After the third event, you know 20 people and understand how it works. There are plenty of events for entrepreneurs, startups, and managers wherever you are.
- Use LinkedIn. Create a profile. Write what you do and what you're looking for. Follow companies and people that interest you. Comment on their posts. After a month of active LinkedIn, you'll have more opportunities than you can imagine.
Step 4: Do One Small Thing. Now.
This is a principle you know from sports. Big goals are achieved through small steps. You don't plan an entire season at once. You focus on the next practice. The next game. The next step.
It's the same with your career. You don't need to have your whole life planned out. Just do one thing. Today.
- Sign up for an online course (like Coursera - tons of courses are free)
- Message one person you admire and ask them for 15 minutes of their time
- Go to an information session at a university
- Update your resume - and if you don't know how, check out the article CV Builder for Athletes
- Sign up for a one-day workshop or seminar in a field that interests you
- Call your local employment office and ask about retraining courses (some are free)
The 5-Minute Rule: If you can do something in 5 minutes, do it now. Signing up for a course? 5 minutes. Sending an email to a mentor? 5 minutes. Creating a LinkedIn profile? 10 minutes. These small steps have a cumulative effect. In a month, they'll turn into an avalanche of opportunities.
Your Athletic Skills Are Gold
Let me tell you this straight, because you need to hear it. Thanks to sports, you have skills that companies pay $3,000-6,000 a month for. You just don't know it. Look at this comparison:
- Discipline and work ethic - you've been getting up at 5 AM for practice for years. Employers would kill for this.
- Performing under pressure - penalty kicks, finals, clutch moments. Companies need people who don't freeze when a deadline hits.
- Teamwork - not the "I collaborate with colleagues" from a generic CV. Real teamwork, where you have to function as one organism.
- Taking feedback - your coach tells you what you're doing wrong, and you improve. Most people can't handle feedback. You can.
- Handling failure - you lose. Regularly. And you get back up. Again and again. In business, this is what separates the successful from the average.
- Time management - you juggle practice, school, recovery, personal life. You know how to manage your time.
- Goal orientation - you set goals and systematically work toward them. That's the foundation of any success.
More about how to translate your athletic skills into employer language in the article Transferable Skills From Sports That Companies Want.
Mistakes to Avoid
Here are a few traps athletes fall into. I know them because I fell into them myself.
1. Waiting for the "Right Moment"
The right moment doesn't exist. You'll never be 100% ready. You'll never have 100% of the information. Start with what you have. And adjust course on the go. Just like in a game - you don't have all the information, but you make decisions and act.
2. Comparing Yourself to Peers
Your old school buddy has a company, your friend makes six figures a month. And you're starting from zero. That hurts. But remember - you've spent the last 10-15 years investing in something different. Your investment has value. You just need to convert it into a new form. And that takes a little time.
3. Searching for the Perfect Job
Your first job outside sports doesn't have to be your dream job. It can be a stepping stone. A part-time gig, an internship, hands-on experience. Something that gives you experience, connections, and a sense of what you want (or don't want). You'll find the perfect job after 2-3 steps, not on your first try.
4. Isolation
Don't deal with it alone. Talk to family, friends, a mentor. If you feel like you're going in circles, seek professional help - a career counselor, a mental coach. Isolation never solves a problem. It only makes it worse.
Your First 90-Day Plan
To give you a concrete structure, here's a plan for the first 3 months:
Month 1 - Discovery: Do a skills inventory. Answer the questions from Step 1. Talk to 3 people outside sports. Sign up for 1 online course. Create a LinkedIn profile.
Month 2 - Exploration: Pick 2-3 directions that interest you. For each one, find out: what it involves, how much it pays, what you need to get started. Go to 1 networking event. Update your resume.
Month 3 - Action: Pick one direction and take the first concrete step. Sign up for a course, send your resume, arrange an internship, start creating content. It doesn't have to be a final decision. But it has to be action.
You're Not Alone
This might be the most important thing I can tell you. Thousands of athletes have been through the same thing. And they made it. Hockey players who now run companies. Soccer players who work in media. Swimmers who became coaches. Tennis players who are entrepreneurs. Every one of them had that moment when they stood at a crossroads and didn't know where to go.
The difference between those who made it and those who didn't? The first group took the first step. Even when they didn't know where it led.
You're an athlete. You've survived practices that would break an ordinary person. You've handled losses that would crush others. You've dealt with pressure that most people can't even imagine. And now you're supposed to find your path beyond sports? You've got this too.
Start. Right now. One small step.
Tip: If you're interested in how to work with your mind and handle pressure, check out the e-book The Mental Edge: 25 Mental Techniques for Athletes.