“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it.”
Michael Jordan, Basketball Legend (1984-2003)
Whether you’re entering professional sports, in the middle of a career or coming out the other side of retirement, be proud knowing your talent has got you to where you are today. What comes of tomorrow and how are you prepared for your future will determine how you handle success, failure and everything else in between.
We are here to address issues and problems you will face in your professional career. Most humans face these issues throughout their life. However professional sportsmen and women face an even tougher uphill battle due to the enormity of thought, emotion and behavioral energy required to stay at the top of your game.
Being an elite athlete will require you to think differently, feel differently and act differently. This is why you rise to the top, this is how you become the cream of the crop. Although with these unique qualities come pitfalls, you have further to fall, more to lose and fewer people around you to understand what you’re going through.
After all, that is why you stand-out.
The problems you’re facing or are about to face are real.
Are you mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to face what lies ahead:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Stress
- Addiction
- Pain
- Loneliness
- Failure
- Success
Are you aware of the trials and tribulations of life after professional sports?
How are you prepared: emotionally, psychologically and physically?
Professional athletes are plagued with depression, anxiety, and stress and it’s not just upon retirement.
When starting out you put your body, mind, and spirit through torrential amounts of stress and torment. Chances are when you’re young you may be able to cope. But how long until you burn out? When will it all catch up with you, because it will! And you need to be prepared.
During your career, you will endlessly battle to remain at the top, earn that next contract and remain ahead of your greatest competition.
You will drive to stay the best – or you may be forced into early retirement or even worse, face the fear of becoming a failure.
And of course, what about the dreaded fear of crippling injury, that career ending bombshell. And not just finishing a career short – what are the detrimental effects on the rest of your life?
If you’re one of only the very few who are fortunate to retire on your own terms, it doesn’t make it easier. You may not be prepared for what’s to come.
Sporting bodies rarely have systems and processes in place for retiring athletes, especially those struck by injury. What would you do?
The sporting industry is a cutthroat business, think about what it took you to get where you are. You are however still human, a human in a multi-million dollar global organization. Although you may want to stay focused on your current situation, you still need to plan for the future.
Where will you be in 12 months, 5 years even 25 years? Will your body hold out, have you been affected by concussion and niggling injuries which may come back to haunt you?
It takes grit, determination, and discipline to apply whatever talents you have and turn them into a successful career. Your dedication is commendable, now how can you use that after sport. What skills do you have, what do you know, what have you learned? How can you apply that outside of the game?
Apply Now
At CYC, we continue to strive for excellence and in doing so regularly deliver trial pilot programs to improve our methods and strategies. We are now accepting applications for our latest trials taking place in July and August 2017. If you are a retired professional athlete within the last five years or an amateur/semi-professional sportsman or woman between the ages of 15-19 years old and would like to participate please contact us below.