Brief Introduction to the Psychology of Athlete Retirement
Last week, we revisited the topic of athlete identity in preparation for this week. Why? For the following reason. As important as athlete identity is for driving high performance and motivation in sports, athlete identity is a key predictor of athlete adjustment trajectories, though the mechanisms are not as clearly established (Haslam et al., 2021b; Haslam et al., 2024). Whether athlete, coach, sport and performance professional, or mental health counselor, understanding athlete identity is crucial. It also means that, given we don’t know the mechanisms, we must pay attention and remember to work with an athlete as a whole person.
It can not be overstated. Many athletes devote so much of themselves to their sport! For example, it takes a high level of dedication to excel as an elite athlete, which may mean making many sacrifices along the way. For many athletes, leaving the sport that they love can be considered a major life transition. With that transition, athletes may experience a combination of a loss sense of self, identity crisis, depression, and/or anxiety. Keep in mind this does not happen to everyone in the same way or to the same degree.
Loss of Identity and Purpose
So many athletes devote themselves to their sport and develop a strong athlete identity that defines so much of who they are so when they no longer have the sport they love a void in purpose can open and there can be a shift or loss of identity. Research has specifically addressed how having an athlete identity that is central may prevent athletes from diving into other aspects of their life, giving them less to build upon when developing an adjusted self-identity leading to existential concerns upon leaving their athletic careers (Chun et al., 2023).
Mental Health Challenges
Retiring from sport has major implications for physical and mental health, especially if someone highly identifies with their athlete identity (Roberts et al., 2023; Stambulova & Schinke, 2025; Voorheis et al., 2023). There can be a risk for an increase in levels of anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and substance misuse during the time of transition into retirement (Montero et al., 2024).
Impact of Circumstances
We must always consider circumstances. One that we need to seriously consider is loss of career due to injury, for example. When retirement happens involuntarily, suddenly, or is injury-related, the result may have higher psychological distress when compared to a voluntary retirement (Furie et al., 2023). We also must consider the length of time and the intensity of their career (Schmid et al., 2024).
Emotional Journey
Athletes are humans! We cannot take humanity out of the equation. That means there may be a grieving process that occurs at the end of a career for the loss (Schmid et al., 2025).
Supporting Athletes
So, what steps can athletes and those that support athletes take?
Be proactive with career planning.
Work towards developing and maintaining a diverse identity outside of sports.
Develop and keep a strong social support network.
Seek a good therapist if additional support is needed.
We are not done yet! There is one of these steps that we need to take a deeper dive into, developing a strong social support network. The Social Identity Model of Identity Change (SIMIC) suggests that when it comes to navigating life transitions, like retirement, it can be less stressful and even promote well-being if people can maintain pre-existing group memberships (Social Identity Continuity) or even develop new ones (Social Identity Gain) (Haslam et al., 2021a). What this means is that during times of transition there is support. SIMIC offers that part of navigating the loose of a valued social identity means finding new groups that are aligned with the old identity (Haslam et al., 2021a). When thinking about this from a simple human perspective, it makes total sense. Humans are social creatures, and we need others in our lives.
And, if we are talking about what may be helpful in developing programing these are important components to consider stepwise (Voorheis et al., 2023):
Working to make sense of an athlete’s experience and understanding that retirement is a processing that will be ongoing.
Working to develop a well-rounded sense of self-identity and understanding how they may be able to use their unique skills and strengths in creative new ways.
Helping an athlete understand how to gain control of their retirement transition through a clear plan and adapting to new routines, experiences, and opportunities.
Normalizing the retirement transition via “living in the next” and developing confidence to move in a new direction.
Athlete retirement is a topic that needs more attention. We need to be there to support athletes as they transition out of what they know.
Two blue chairs on the beach. Blue sky and blue ocean are in the background.
take action today moment:
Whether you are an athlete or someone supporting an athlete, be mindful of transitions impacting identity. Transitions are a part of life, and they are also something that we can be proactive about from the beginning. From the minute one starts playing sports, it can help to remember that there will be a time when sports, in the current form, may not be so it is wise to remember to step up an identity that includes and nourishes other aspects of self. If you are a person supporting an athlete, be a part of that support system and encourage the athlete to build a well rounded self.
Learn More About Athlete Retirement:
Coping with Athlete Retirement
The Psychological Hurdle of Sports Retirement
References
Chun, Y., Wendling, E., & Sagas, M. (2023). Identity work in athletes: A systematic review of the literature. Sports, 11(10), 203. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11100203
Furie, K., Park, A. L., & Wong, S. E. (2023). Mental health and involuntary retirement from sports post-musculoskeletal injury in adult athletes: a systematic review. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 16(5), 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-023-09830-6
Haslam, C., Haslam, S. A., Jetten, J., Cruwys, T., & Steffens, N. K. (2021a). Life change, social identity, and health. Annual Review of Psychology, 72(1), 635-661. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-060120-111721
Haslam, C., Lam, B. C., Yang, J., Steffens, N. K., Haslam, S. A., Cruwys, T., ... & Fransen, K. (2021b). When the final whistle blows: Social identity pathways support mental health and life satisfaction after retirement from competitive sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 57, 102049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102049
Haslam, C., McAulay, C., Cooper, D., Mertens, N., Coffee, P., Hartley, C., ... & Fransen, K. (2024). “I’m more than my sport”: Exploring the dynamic processes of identity change in athletic retirement. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 73, 102640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102640
Montero, A., Baranoff, J., Adams, R., & Drummond, M. (2024). Athletic retirement: Factors contributing to sleep and mental health problems. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1350925. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1350925
Roberts, K., Kuhlman, K., Byrd, M., & Hunt, T. (2023). The influence of athletic identity on mental health symptoms during retirement from sport. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 32(5), 630-634. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2022-0362
Schmid, M. J., De Crom, L., Conzelmann, A., & Schmid, J. (2025). Patterns of reasons for retirement in Olympic athletes from Switzerland: A person-oriented study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2025.2510248
Schmid, M. J., Hlasová, H., Ronkainen, N. J., Conzelmann, A., & Schmid, J. (2024). Leaving elite sport, abandoning athletic identity? Development and predictors of athletic identity post-retirement. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 54(3), 450-461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-023-00934-2
Stambulova, N., & Schinke, R. J. (2025). A commentary on high-performance athletes’ retirement and mental health: from mental health and transition literacy to athletic retirement literacy. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2025.2561818
Voorheis, P., Silver, M., & Consonni, J. (2023). Adaptation to life after sport for retired athletes: A scoping review of existing reviews and programs. Plos One, 18(9), e0291683. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291683