The NFL continues to emphasize the importance of protecting players against concussions and brain trauma, perpetuated by Junior Seau’s unexpected suicide as well as the growing numbers of former players who have also fallen on hard times (and are assumed to be dealing with the aftermath of brain trauma caused by football). Of course, any measures the NFL takes to better protect players is worthwhile, but I still wonder why this new emphasis continues to come at the expense of many other ideas that would help players even more after their sports careers end?
As I have written about in previous columns, former elite-level athletes by and large do not suffer “psychological problems” because of brain trauma, as can easily be witnessed by the increasing numbers of former athletes from non-contact sports who have also turned to drugs, alcohol, and even suicide in the aftermath of their careers. There are legions of former baseball and basketball players, for example, who never suffered concussions or other serious blows to the head, yet still find themselves depressed and troubled after they retire from sports. And yes, these athletes are sometimes suicidal, too.
My point is kudos to the NFL if they do indeed take safer measures in the future when it comes to on-field play and protective equipment, but why not seriously invest in other important aspects to taking care of your own — including player programming, sport psychology counseling services, and other educational efforts so that former players can lead happy and successful lives post-retirement? I realize that there are a few programs available today, but they are quite sparse, and the mechanism to getting players to buy in to getting help (by making these programs voluntary) simply isn’t getting it done. Instead, players need to be actively steered toward post-retirement planning so that they can learn life skills to help succeed after sports — as well as learn of the various resources available to them that will help them in this pursuit. For example, attach their pension to being required to meet with a counselor and developing a life plan after sports.
Interestingly, college sports might even be worse than professional sports when it comes to responsibly taking care of former athletes. While incoming freshman (who have potential financial value to the university) are shown a red carpet treatment, the retiring 4th or 5th year student athlete is quickly forgotten (that is, unless he goes pro, where he then remains a valuable asset to his former university). While NCAA football and basketball coaches continue to earn millions of dollars in salaries, and stadiums and arenas regularly see multi-million dollar upgrades, the players that make all this happen barely receive an emphatic high-five when they are no longer able to compete (not to mention they make no money while competing and earning the universities they play for tens of millions of dollars).
The point to all of this comes down to this: While taking care of your former “employees” (yes, I refer to NCAA athletes this way) may not make the NFL or NCAA any money, it is the right thing to do. Similar to a business having a fiduciary responsibility amongst partners and customers, the NFL and NCAA have a moral responsibility when faced with the issues around former players struggling upon sport retirement. Blaming concussions and minimizing hard contact on the field is a step in the right direction, but it’s actually a small step when compared to the complete lack of aftercare currently available to retiring athletes.
Using another example, it’s like replacing a bad tire on a car when in fact the engine doesn’t start. Fixing the tire is important, but what good is a new tire if the car doesn’t run? Similarly, protecting players from brain trauma is a good start, but if these players are ill-equipped to transition post-sports and still resort to alcohol, drugs, and suicide, then what was the overall good in only improving equipment yet still not taking care of your players?
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Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, based on the nation’s first sport retirement college course, available here!
