Because successful athletes talk so much about hard work and discipline, it's easy to assume that they don't do much with their lives except sports. And it's true that top athletes do take training seriously.
But balance is important, too. Research done by Richard Ferguson, a sport psychologist at Averett College in Danville, Virginia, indicates that athletes who are compulsive about their training do not perform as well as those have the proper perspective. "It seems the elite understand how to draw the line between hard training and overwork." (1)
If sports take up so much of your life that there's no room for anything or anyone else, it's unlikely you'll keep up the pace for very long. You won't be at your competitive best if you're unhappy, if you're burned out, or if you're resentful.
And if the only way you can survive competitively is to train all the time, you're probably in the wrong sport. Eventually you'll either start losing or injuries will finish you off.
Of course, sometimes it's not so easy to have personal goals when you're an athlete and are the subject of tremendous pressure from others. Coaches, parents, agents, sponsors, and anyone else involved in your career may have their own plans and agendas for your life. Often the more successful you become, the less your personal life is your own.
So what do you do?
1. Don't let yourself become isolated from the outside world. Jay Coakley, director for the Center for the Study of Sport and Leisure at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs says it is very easy to lose perspective. "It feels good to be so damned good. If you're not careful, [physical talent] cuts you off from the rest of the world to the point where your judgments don't reflect anything but your limited sport-based world and the goals you've set for yourself." (2)
In order to avoid becoming too narrowly focused, open yourself up to new ideas and outside influences. Read books and articles about non-sports topics. Talk to people who don't know or care much about sports. Seek out people whose opinions you value (such as teachers or ministers) for their perspective.
2. Don't let the people around you control your thoughts. If they try to convince you that exploring other options, asking questions, and contemplating the meaning of life will interfere with your training and motivation, don't listen to them.
Far too many people close to athletes try to screen them from the rest of the world in the mistaken notion that they are doing them a favor. This protective strategy may work in the short term, but in the long term it could backfire. Eventually athletes may feel resentment because they weren't allowed to experience life to its fullest.
According to George Leonard, author of The Ultimate Athlete, "Athletes can be given back their feelings and humanity at no long-term cost to performance. In fact, the inculcation of higher awareness may well result in breakthroughs in performance levels." (3)
How Have Athletes Combined Sports with their Personal Goals?
A number of athletes have intentionally sought ways to blend their personal goals with their sports careers. Here are a number of examples.
1. Religion and sports. More and more athletes are publicly talking about their spiritual beliefs. Most, but not all, of those quoted in the American press are Christian. And there are many religious groups set up to serve them. Sports Outreach America is a coalition of more than 100 national sports ministries including large groups such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and smaller ones such as Christian Surfers United States.
"Then, between my sophomore and junior years [in high school], I decided that He's given me this ability. There is some reason for that. So I have to do something with it." (5)
2. Family life and sports. Many athletes find that their competitive lives are enhanced when they have children and husbands or wives to share their experiences with. While juggling roles can sometimes be a challenge, most agree the rewards are worth the effort.
Like Eggeling, many professional women golfers have decided to combine sports careers with motherhood. For example, in 1990 there were 17 touring pros who brought along their children. So many children, in fact, that Kinder-Care Learning Centers, Inc., became the official LPGA child-care provider and provided free child pick-up and delivery at tournament sites.
She also noted, "I can't put into words what it meant to have (2-year-old) Paul around while I was training. It kept me from focusing everything on I-I-I, me-me-me." (11)
3. Volunteer work and sports. Many high profile athletes find that sports give them the opportunity bring attention to causes which are important to them. Less famous athletes sometimes directly link their athletic endeavors with their personal causes.