By Choice or Circumstance

Preparing college athletes for life beyond sports is crucial for their long-term success and well-being. Many college athletes dedicate a significant portion of their time and energy to their sport, often at the expense of exploring other career and personal development opportunities (Barzca-Renner et al., 2020; Manthey & Smith, 2023). When their athletic careers end, whether due to graduation, injury, or other factors, they may face identity crises, financial instability, and difficulty transitioning into the workforce (Hansen et al., 2019). Therefore, it is essential to equip collegiate athletes with the skills, knowledge, and support necessary to prepare them for life after sports. This preparation can foster resilience, adaptability, and a sense of purpose beyond their athletic identity (Kidd, 2022). This commentary will explore the complex implications of sport retirement on overall social-emotional well-being of collegiate student athletes and suggest strategies to increase positive outcomes, utilizing the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) as a framework to explore the student athlete mindset about transitioning out of competitive sports.