Once the cheering stops: The life of a retired pro-athlete

With the money, the fame, and the luxury lifestyles, the life of a professional athlete  seems desirable and glamorous. When an athlete is drafted into the NFL, MLB, ect they are not thinking about what life will be like after they finish their athletic career. They are thinking about how their life will be during the years that they play. Unfortunately, the life of a retired athlete is not a glamorous one. These athletes are rushed through college and into the professional world. They retire around the age of 35 (if they are lucky) and then are kicked back into the real world, with all the real world problems. For the past decade they have been handed everything and have not had to work in the corporate world. They were constantly in the lime-light and always felt needed. After this, they are in their mid 30's and have never had a corporate job. They end up feeling lonely and useless. While they were playing a sport, their friends were climbing their way up in their occupations. This causes extreme psychological problems and in some instances, many retired athletes have committed suicide. Athletes feel so needed by their fans and then are not needed at all when they enter the real world. US sports culture idolize so many professional athletes, but tend to find a new face to idolize once that person has finished their prime. It is hard for a person to peak in their professional career when they are in their early 20's, when they have the rest of their lives to live. 

I never thought about the life of a retired athlete. I always thought their lives would be just as glamourous as when they were playing a sport. I think they live in a somewhat "fantasy" world where they are always needed and are liked for their talents. When their talents run out, what do people think of them as? It's sad that they have probably never worked a real job in their lives because they dedicated their lives to a sport.