You were a professional athlete. You most likely spent your whole life
working towards the goal of earning a living by playing sports. Some
might say you were born with a ball (or a pair of goggles, or a joust,
or running sneakers) in your hand. You spent your youth playing
organized sports, missing out on weekends full of video games with your
buddies because you had a weekend tournament, instead. Your whole life
has been about sacrifice, for the game you love, and the game that
eventually loved you back with money and fame. Now you’re retired, and
you’re a little scared, confused even. Where do you go from here?
Some
athletes choose to retire, move away from the spotlight, hang out with
their family for a while, and make up for lost time. Others (not many)
have made enough money in their playing career to support themselves and
their loved ones for the rest of their lives without doing much of
anything, and are content doing so. However, for most athletes, the
money will run out, and more importantly, they aren’t happy just ‘doing
nothing.’ Those are the athletes I’m speaking to now.
Building an
Online Presence Will Help You Stay Relevant
The eyeballs are
shifting. People are spending more and more time on the Internet rather
than in front of the television, and that trend won’t change. If you
want to stay relevant, maintaining a personal site and building an
online presence is the best option. Through social media, you can
interact with the fans who supported you throughout your playing career,
while earning new fans along the way. The content you create is up to
you. If you no longer want to talk about or associate yourself
completely with your sport, you don’t have to.
Conclusion
Just
because your playing days are over does not mean you have to leave the
spotlight. In fact, your retirement is a chance to expand your brand,
and to connect with the people who showed you support during your
career.
Which retired athletes who’ve left the spotlight would
you most like to see online? Which retired athletes have done a good job
of maintaining their presence through a personal website and/or social
media?
