A Theoretical Basis for Counseling the Retired Professional Athlete

Abstract

Retirement of professional athletes is compared to the dying process since, by retiring, athletes lose their personal identity which is dependent upon their careers. Professional athletes may go through psychological stages similar to those described by Kubler-Ross for dying patients. A three-stage counseling process is proposed of listening/confrontation, cognitive therapy, and vocational guidance to help professional athletes cope with loss of identity and move toward building a new one.