More often than not, athletes, upon retiring, fail to adjust to the everyday routine of life as a normal individual, a citizen without the professional need to deck up and head to the training field at the early quarters of the rooster’s call.
The athletes who don’t make it to the golden accounts of their compatriots, base the metaphorical wall between them and the ones who make it big.
However, it must be noted that as depressing as the entire story is, not every athlete suffers the brunt of life after retirement.
The athletes in the field of a few major sports across the world are the fortunate ones, who go on to have their presence felt in the fields of punditry, commentating, business and other fields.
It is common knowledge concerning players of a mesmerizing calibre or even a player of mediocre stature, to easily and effectively create a niche for themselves in India after retirement.
Thus, this article should provide the readers with a foresight into the many careers a sportsperson can pursue after retirement from sports.
Commentary
Most athletes who retire move on to possibly the best alternative career choice, commentary. The presence of athletes from the particular sport helps in alleviating the quality of the documentation of the said sports owing to their prior knowledge.
Ravi Shastri, regarded as one of the best commentators in the world of cricket and often dubbed as the ‘Cliche King’ of Indian commentary, is one such sportsperson who successfully transitioned from being a sportsperson to a commentator.
“Dhoni finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd. India lifts the World Cup after 28 years. The party starts in the dressing room and it’s been the Indian captain who has been absolutely magnificent on the night of the final.”
Not gonna lie, this comment still keeps ringing in my head.
Also Read: Alleged Racist Comments Made Against Indian Players By Australian Crowd During Test Match
Coaching/Management
Numerous athletes, upon retiring, move on to coach or manage their respective teams, be it in club-oriented teams or international teams.
These athletes seldom leave their roots of the sport and spend the remaining half of their lives teaching the succeeding generation of sportspeople about the many nooks of the game.
Pep Guardiola, often regarded as one of the most prolific and successful of managers in recent times, is one of the few players turned manager who has been instrumental in taking his teams to extreme heights.
His fabled Barcelona team is still talked about with a sense of awe to this day. Apart from the many trophies secured by Pep Guardiola, the most significant to this day is him securing the Sextuple (UCL, La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Super Copa, European Super Cup and the Club World Cup) for Barcelona in 2009-10 season. A G.O.A.T in every sense of the term.
Business
A field that not many would have ever thought would be a go-to for sportsmen to exploit yet here we are. Business has been a major standpoint or field for numerous sportsmen, both retired and active, to set up their own empire effectively.
David Beckham is one such icon of the business world. Once regarded as the face of style in football and as stylish on the ball, he went on to establish his style statement by cutting endorsement deals with numerous designer brands such as Armani, alongside Tudor watches.
Punditry
Punditry, which essentially means the analysis and breakdown of tactics and strategies of the teams on the field, is regarded as one of the most lucrative professions for players after retirement.
This enables them to share their expertise during their time on the field to the viewers to better understand the layers of the game.
Gary Neville, the former England international, is one such player who is now regarded with terrific respect as one of the best pundits in the world of football.
His analyses and passion are both regarded in the best of regards owing to his ability to care about every little detail no matter how small or negligible.
These profession choices were a few examples, however, it is undisputed that there shall exist a lot many other career choices. It may be difficult to come out of retirement from a field you cannot do without, but it is never impossible.
Image Source: Google Images
Sources: FC Barcelona Website, BeSoccer, Goal, The Cricket Times
Connect with the Blogger: @kushan257
The post is tagged under: David Beckham, ravi shastri, indian cricket, australia cricket, 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, manchester united, Manchester City, Barcelona, giorgio armani, Pep Guardiola, Business, cricket commentary, harsha bhogle, Victoria’s secret
