By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
Now that the Super Bowl is over, and with it the conclusion of another football season, we former players have even more time to recognize and imagine our life outside of sport.
It is our new normal as we go through our everyday life in the general public.
For some of you, February 2014 may be the first month without football in your future since childhood.
But rest assured, you are not alone.
Scores of your NFL brethren – as well as athletes in all sports – face the reality of transitioning out of the sport they love.
No matter what sport it is, we in NFL Player Engagement – and other professional sports as well – are prioritizing how to identify each ex-athlete’s tools to help ease the transition beyond the gridiron, court, diamond, etc.
But we could use your help, and now is the perfect time to take a self-inventory of your own toolbox.
Ask yourself, “What skills do I have that I can carry into the NEXT phase of my life?”
You are not alone in this endeavor. We are here to assist you in finding the tools and practices to win by teaching you how to maximize the resources around you.
And we are not alone either, as we have developed strong relationships with the majority of influencers in this space, joining both our and their expertise for your benefit.
First, you have highly developed skills to transfer as a result of your time in the NFL, including collaboration, teamwork, memorization and discipline.
The objective is for us to work together and explore how we can transfer your on-the-field skills to begin a successful post-football career, since these tools can be useful in your NEXT life as we work together to map your journey and set goals to close on your new opportunities.
Second, we provide resources that address your total wellness, specifically the mental and physical challenges often associated with transition.
These resources include our former players working with you in our peer-to-peer approach to ease the stress of transition, and develop a plan of action to begin a balanced and healthy life of success.
Third, we highlight the importance of reconnecting you with significant others, family and friends. They helped you succeed during your NFL experience, and may play an even more important role in propelling you to explore the endless possibilities available as you rediscover yourself for your NEXT phase of life.
It is important to remember that not only you, but those around you, are adjusting to your new routines as you redefine your sense of purpose and role in their lives.
But it is ultimately up to you, and we recognize you are the one undergoing various stages of reflection, connection, exploration, choice, repackaging, and taking action.
That is why we are here to help you streamline and understand this process through our programs, services, and educational resources, all aimed at addressing your transition through family safety, physical and mental health, and lifestyle.
Additionally, we offer you our Player Engagement Outreach, which includes former or transitioning players for social and civic responsibility, which could lead to jobs. And as always, we have our NFLPE Boot Camps that allow you to rediscover your passions outside of the uniform.
Most importantly, never forget that transition affects everyone, and is constantly happening inside and outside of everybody’s household.
With this as your new normal, now you can imagine – and determine – your life outside of football.