The Story Behind United After Sport

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Hey everyone – I'm Kyle. Appreciate you dropping by.

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Over 20+ years ago, I felt blindsided.

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After my final collegiate soccer game, I was now a former athlete who was struggling. The teammates, the training, and the motivational support were gone. I wasn't prepared for the change. And truthfully, no one really talked about it. I thought I was the only one feeling this way. I navigated this on my own, and my life after sport moved on. Since then, I've had many life events. You name it. first job, marriage, kids. All the things.

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Fast forward to a few years ago. I came across a research paper about the mental and physical challenges retired athletes often face. It was like someone had transported me back in time. I was flashing back, consoling my 21-year-old self. All these feelings surfaced. It wasn't me all along; this is real. This emotional validation was so powerful. In an unexpected way, it was healing for me. Even all these years later.

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Now here we are at this peak moment. A personal breakthrough, and then came the worst part. Realizing nothing has changed. Wait, how is that possible? With all the human and technological advances we have made in the past two decades, athletes still have limited resources today. To me, it's one of the great travesties of athletics.

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But next came an even harsher truth. The reality is that athletes are no longer prioritized when they retire. The sporting world moves on without us. To the next great athlete and championship pursuits. That fundamental truth has not changed over time, and culturally, we have not been able to scale a support system to make the most meaningful impact.

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This ignited a fire in me. Knowing that retiring athletes like you reading this are still faced to go at this alone. My personal experience changed everything. It's a driving force I cannot explain, it's something I feel. That's how United After Sport was born. The idea is that if we, as former athletes, come together to be the solution to this problem. It's rooted in a greater purpose. A belief that athletes can be the solution to this long-standing challenge.

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Now for a bit of good news. All it takes is a few minutes scrolling through Instagram, Tik Tok, or YouTube and hearing what retiring competitive athletes like yourself are saying at every level—high school, college, Olympic, professional—it's universal. One simple yet powerful phrase rises to the top: "No one ever talks about this." In all my research around this topic, I realized something. There are a lot more former athletes 'talking about this' than we think. From books to podcasts to social media, it's there. It's just not always easy to find or accessible. And that's where the idea of creating the world's largest knowledge hub and community came from. Where we curate and share the very best knowledge and wisdom to give back to all of you. With an ambitious goal to unite 1 million former athletes across the globe.

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There's power in numbers. I'm not the first and certainly won't be the last to have this driving passion to support former athletes. And that is amazing. What I've learned on my own journey to support former athletes is that there are many smart and talented people who have been in this space long before me. From former pro athletes to renown sports psychologists, it's impressive. And then there are others who seem to be getting started, like me. And it spans across generations of former athletes. But regardless of where we all are, what I believe in is the power of this collective. The idea is that when we are united, we are greater together than as individuals.

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Here is my moonshot.

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If former athletes come together, 1x1, sport by sport, country by country, sharing their knowledge, stories, and journeys, we can build something greater. A community and support system that will far outlive all of us. Something we can pass onto all future generations of retiring athletes.

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And if you are the next generation of retiring athletes, this is for you. Something I really wish I had when I was you so many years ago. A place to discover the wisdom and insight of all those who have come before you. To hear the very best of what others have already figured out. Like your own personal cheat code, accelerating you on a path to success after sport. And, of course, a community of your peers to support and inspire you along the way.

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If you believe, like I believe, in the power of this collective, then come stand united with us.