CINCINNATI — For many athletes, it’s difficult to look beyond what comes after being an athlete.
But for two former college football players, they’re hoping to make that transition a bit easier.
What You Need To Know
- Life After Sports Foundation will focus on physical and mental health, as well as professional development and financial literacy
- The program was started by two former college football players who said they both struggled with the transition from playing sports to finding a job
- The nonprofit hopes to partner with local schools to work with athletes from all sports
Wjhante Holden might not have played quarterback in college, but he was a corner at Southern Connecticut State University.
While he’s been out of college for six years, he still loves giving back to kids and sharing the joy of being an athlete.
But for Holden, when he finished playing college ball, it was tough to grapple with what was next.
“The idea for Life After Sports came — after sports, obviously — when, you know, our football careers were ending, they both ended differently," Holden said. "But, you know, ultimately not at the pinnacle of where we'd like to have reached.”
Holden and his former teammate at Southern Connecticut State University, Duke Pierre, came together to create Life After Sports. It's a nonprofit foundation focusing on mental health, professional development, financial literacy and physical health to prepare for life after being an athlete.
“Life After Sports kind of — I wouldn't say I found it; it more of found me," Pierre said. "I started realizing very early on, even going back to thinking about high school, that my future was more than being an athlete.”
For both Holden and Pierre, the transition after football wasn’t easy.
“I felt like I went through an identity crisis where it felt I felt lost," Pierre said.
Which is why they started Life After Sports. The hope is to connect with high school athletes in all sports to prepare them with getting a job and being set up with financial success, especially with the way NIL has changed college sports.
“There's a lot of adjusting that goes on," Holden said. "And so I think that helping athletes kind of work through that, at all stages of, you know, their career is, something that we strive to do.”
While the two former teammates look back fondly on their time as college athletes, they know the work they’re doing now is something that will make the world after sports a much less intimidating place.
“I think if I had something like Life After Sports, I think it would start clicking for me faster," Pierre said. "To understand, I need to start planning, you know, doing my resume, started getting training, started looking into the fields that I would want to get into.”
“I think it would be huge — super, super impactful," Holden said. "I think I would be like, you know, somewhere with a lot higher net worth than I have now.”
While the foundation is just getting its start this fall, they hope to connect with high schools across the state to partner with on bringing these programs to their student athletes. For more information on Life After Sports Foundation, click here.