subject: Recreating That Locker Room Feeling [print this page] One of the things mentioned by retired athletes about what they miss about sport is the locker-room camaraderie that sport provides. As an athlete you hang around a supportive sporting community with like-minded friends and colleagues. Everyone shares a common objective and passion in life. Its not uncommon for sporting relationships to extend beyond the sporting field to personal life and this can result in an athletes life revolving around sport and its contacts.
So what happens when the athlete retires? Do they stay within the sporting community? Many do and go on to be coaches and mentors. Some stick around and may even come out of retirement. I know because I did that, twice!
Many athletes, including the collegiate athlete, leave the sporting community to pursue new goals and a career. How can they recreate that same feeling of camaraderie that encouraged and supported them during sport?
I didnt think too much about a support network when I left sport. In fact, I used to pride myself on my independence and all the goals I achieved all on my own. Now I see how that held me back from recreating success beyond sport. You see, it does take a supportive network to achieve most dreams. No one truly does it well alone. All the greatest achievements were achieved through teamwork.
It might be necessary to be pro-active in creating a new network of friends and like-minded people that can relate to your new career and interests. Hang around with supportive people that belief in you and your dreams. As you grow and develop you might even find that you outgrow some friends and make new ones. You may currently have people in your immediate circle who shoot down your ideas and goals. They often have your best interest at heart and may not want you to risk failure. As an athlete, you know that the more you fail the more you will succeed.
The more people you have in your network, and know about your goals and dream, the more likely you will achieve what you want to achieve. Start sharing your dream with others. You will be amazed at how you come across people who know somebody who knows somebody that can help you.
How can you create a supportive environment for yourself? What networking opportunities are available to you? Take note that when it comes to networking and developing business relationships, think about what you can give more than what you can get. Be supportive and you will gain support. Be a good friend and you will gain friends.
Create a whole new supportive community and find the joy and passion within your new career. Like-minded people will help you to push through the setbacks and persist until you do achieve your goals. Who do you need to hang around to start realizing your dreams?
