By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
Just a few weeks ago we held our first Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for retiring players, and this historic event is already paying dividends for participants.
Within 48 hours after completion, the participants had already established a group email and were following up with each other to maximize its impact, which is still continuing.
“Over four days, the attendees created a bond where they gained a trust and confidence with each other and the faculty so they can support each other going forward,” said former player Patrick Kerney who taught finance during the event at Tufts University outside Boston.
This was no surprise since it was the first course of its kind in professional sports, and was also the first time we invited spouses to attend a transition event.
“The spouses attending was absolutely awesome, since they were able to get the information first-hand without a filter, while also having the chance to talk with the Transition Coaches,” added Kerney.
Those Transition Coaches are – like you – former players who joined us at Player Engagement to teach the social, psychological, and physical aspects of transitioning out of the NFL.
We believe that employing this holistic total wellness approach for the first time better prepares them, and was a natural progression from our acclaimed NFL Career Transition Program that hosted 250 former players the past four years.
“Rather than just preparing players for their next act in life, we addressed obstacles that we know these players will encounter along the way, to help ensure they will succeed,” Kerney noted.
This strategy proved effective, particularly because of the participants’ diverse age range that spanned the past few decades.
“This worked well because the older guys identified with the younger ones just departing the game, and shared their success with them,” observed Kerney. “They let them know that their unique tools and talents will pay off, and that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.”
This give-and-take was enhanced by both the Tufts faculty and our league personnel who covered topics ranging from family and food to physical and mental health, while also focusing on finance and player benefits.
“NFL personnel made it clear to attendees that benefits belonging to them were agreed to in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), so they were told to come get it whether it be disability, 401K, or the variety of other options that exist,” said Kerney. “We all made it clear to them that this is real money that can have a great economic impact for them as they leave the game.”
But these types of topics can also be complicated, which is exactly why we wanted spouses to attend, and also why we have been inviting them with increasing regularity to many of our Player Engagement events.
“Going forward, the husbands and wives who share the same common struggles can now work together to accomplish their family goals as they move into their new reality,” closed Kerney.