More Retirements ?

Spectator · All-time great

RE: More Retirements ?

scottie1 · Futures level

gutted that Ashley Hewitt retired

Ratty · County player

Spectator wrote:
- and the discipline involved in doing so would probably be useful in whatever else he then decided to do.

This is a common belief. But is it true? If it was, one might expect retired sports players to be successful in other fields after they retire; and anecdotally I'd say that they tend to be pretty unsuccessful.

(Although Francis Lee famously made millions from making toilet paper after he retired from pro soccer.)

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

Ratty wrote:
Spectator wrote:
- and the discipline involved in doing so would probably be useful in whatever else he then decided to do.
This is a common belief. But is it true? If it was, one might expect retired sports players to be successful in other fields after they retire; and anecdotally I'd say that they tend to be pretty unsuccessful.
(Although Francis Lee famously made millions from making toilet paper after he retired from pro soccer.)

It would depend on your idea of unsuccessful, and whether it meant 'failing to become media-worthy' or explicitly failing at their follow-up.

Ratty · County player

Well, the theory is presumably that the dedication necessary to reach elite levels in sport can be applied successfully in other fields. The theory can be tested by comparing the success of retired sportsplayers with the success of non-sportsplayers. If the former do no better than the latter, then the theory is incorrect, or at best unproven.

What I meant to say previously was that - attractive though the theory sounds, as we all like dedication to be rewarded - I am not aware of any research showing that it is correct. And anecdote, for example the sad stories of retired soccer-players falling on hard times, suggests that it may not be correct. Life can be so inconvenient.

korriban · Challenger level

Ratty wrote:
Well, the theory is presumably that the dedication necessary to reach elite levels in sport can be applied successfully in other fields. The theory can be tested by comparing the success of retired sportsplayers with the success of non-sportsplayers. If the former do no better than the latter, then the theory is incorrect, or at best unproven.

What I meant to say previously was that - attractive though the theory sounds, as we all like dedication to be rewarded - I am not aware of any research showing that it is correct. And anecdote, for example the sad stories of retired soccer-players falling on hard times, suggests that it may not be correct. Life can be so inconvenient.

Of all sports, I'm not sure professional football would be one to cite, especially among those who have been playing in the modern era, when fortunes could be made by investing their comedy wage packets into property and other higher risk ventures that are exclusively available to the mega rich. Furthermore, I'd suggest more footballers leave school early, when compared to other sports, so there's perhaps a disadvantage there compared to other sports. rugby is more of a middle class game by tradition, with players often ex public or grammar school or having had a University or College career.....and I'd say that a number of "known" players have gone on to have top business careers.......although the journeymen make less newspaper headlines as in all sports.

KK · Club Coach

BeefyDeedz wrote:
Ratty wrote:
Spectator wrote:
- and the discipline involved in doing so would probably be useful in whatever else he then decided to do.
This is a common belief. But is it true? If it was, one might expect retired sports players to be successful in other fields after they retire; and anecdotally I'd say that they tend to be pretty unsuccessful.
(Although Francis Lee famously made millions from making toilet paper after he retired from pro soccer.)
It would depend on your idea of unsuccessful, and whether it meant 'failing to become media-worthy' or explicitly failing at their follow-up.

Sophie Hoskins, having won an Olympic gold medal for rowing in 2012, commenced a law conversion course at the University where I teach in September 2013, having been sponsored by Freshfields, one of the top five city law firms. She did extremely well, gaining a distinction. I feel sure that the qualities required to reach the top in sport would have been a factor in Freshfields sponsoring her and awarding her a training contract. That success and any success as a lawyer which might follow will not be media worthy.

KK · Club Coach

Sebastian Coe?

Spectator · All-time great

Ratty wrote:
Well, the theory is presumably that the dedication necessary to reach elite levels in sport can be applied successfully in other fields. The theory can be tested by comparing the success of retired sportsplayers with the success of non-sportsplayers. If the former do no better than the latter, then the theory is incorrect, or at best unproven.

What I meant to say previously was that - attractive though the theory sounds, as we all like dedication to be rewarded - I am not aware of any research showing that it is correct. And anecdote, for example the sad stories of retired soccer-players falling on hard times, suggests that it may not be correct. Life can be so inconvenient.

I think if there were a theory it would be that given two people with similar giftings in a given area (law, media, business, etc) the one who had the experience of the kind of discipline that makes a successful sportsperson (assuming that they had that discipline and weren't a Marat Safin type) might have an edge.

Certainly my (admittedly limited and not, I hasten to add, personal) experience would echo KK's in terms of businesses actively recruiting athletes, with their discipline, athletic accomplishments, and experience of juggling demanding athletic careers with other things being key factors. And those athletes I've known who have represented their country in sports have indeed been very successful in other areas. But, as Korriban notes, they've all tended to be people who had been gifted with good educations as well as sporting prowess. And they are far too limited a sample to be valid!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The general mantra that I've always been surround by (and no statistical knowledge whatsoever as to whether it's right or not) is that the notion applies to practicioners of individual sports, but not team sports.

i.e. the argument goes that players of individual sports become very independent, driven, autonomous, self-disciplined, mature etc. etc. (you get the idea . . . ), whereas team players need a captain to round them up, a coach, organised practice days, and can always blame someone else if the team loses etc. etc.

This, of course, is the mantra I hear from tennis bodies (talking their own book, presumably, a bit). Football organisations may argue the opposite, I don't know.

I've certainly also seen quoted that tennis players have far higher academic records than average at school. But this obviously could be due to social milieu or a number of other factors as well.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

From steven's twitter feed, an interesting link to Sam Hutt's 'retirement' from competitive tennis and transition into coaching:

www.footsoldiersoftennis.com/2015/01/17/sam-hutt-climbs-off-the-tennis-treadmill/

paulisi · Tennis legend

I assume that Martin Lee did not have his contract renewed at the LTA.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30878568

"Finding a new job after hanging up the tennis racquet"

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30878568

"Finding a new job after hanging up the tennis racquet"

Interesting article, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I had read it. Everytime a new post appears in this thread, I panic and think - "Oh no, not another one retiring".

paulisi · Tennis legend

Nice tweet from Katie O'Brien:

Katie O'Brien ✔ @katiejobrien

I did GCSEs, A Levels & a law degree all whilst playing professionally. All it took was a bit of discipline.