Jorrit de Ruiter: How to stop struggling after professional sports life?
Today I want to shine a light on a very important and under valued topic: life after professional sport. The reason is a brave article about one of the best female mixed doubles players we have had in my sport, Gail Emms from England.
Maak kennis met Senna van den Beukel!
Once you decide to quit doing the thing you love to do most you need to reinvent yourself. Who are you beside your sport? What’s your new identity and what are you going to do to have your days filled in a satisfying way? Those topics are really NOT easy and can cause huge problems, mentally, physically and for some athletes also financially. Unfortunately the services and support of association and National Olympic Committee almost stops the moment you walk out of the door of professional sports. They suddenly kind of forget all the years you performed on a world stage in big events as World & European Championships and Super Series tournaments. You are simply not interesting anymore while it’s actually a golden opportunity to keep an athlete inside your association as for instance a coach, mentor for youngsters or an advisor for the board.
Together we need to pay way more attention to this problem which is getting bigger and bigger. NOC and a National association should not take only responsibility for supporting and developing athletes during their professional careers but should also take care of them in their post professional sports life! If we can create a society that makes it clear where to go to once you retire and who can coach and help you in your new life things will get so much easier.
Read the full opinion piece at Jorrit de Ruiter's website.
QR-code voor dit artikel
Smashing pakt na een felle strijd twee punten tegen Duinwijck
Afgelopen zaterdag speelde Smashing voor een volle zaal tegen meervoudig landskampioen Duinwijck. De herendubbel van Duinwijck…
4 november 2024
DKC scoort in Wateringen
Zaterdag was het tijd voor de clash tussen de badmintonners van VELO in Wateringen en DKC. Bij de line-up viel op dat DKC kon…
4 november 2024
Tabeling en Piek missen drie matchpoints bij hun afscheid als badmintonduo
Robin Tabeling en Selena Piek zijn er in Den Bosch, bij hun laatste optreden als badmintonduo, niet in geslaagd voor de derde…
27 oktober 2024
Oranje-duo Robin Tabeling en Selena Piek zondag in finale van Yonex Dutch Open
Robin Tabeling en Selena Piek staan zondag in de finale van het gemengddubbel op de Yonex Dutch Open 2024. Het Oranje-duo (WR-16)…
26 oktober 2024