The Post Season Blues and How to Beat ‘Em
The end of a season is always rough.
The ringette team that I coach had a particularly tough end to our season. We went undefeated at provincials (3-0-2) but unfortunately due to logistics we were unable to compete in the playoff round and went home empty handed. Just like that, a dream, a goal, so close within grasp, was just gone! We had no chance to prove we deserved a medal and we were sent home empty handed. It’s tough because we had no regrets, we wouldn’t change a thing about our run, but still didn’t get to where we wanted to go.
But now season is over. I’ve been there many times as an athlete and now as a coach. And you see the tears and the sadness. You hear about the funk athletes and team members get after the season ends. I’ll call them the “Post Season Blues”. I don’t know if it’s actually a real thing or not, but it sure feels like it.
The sport you’ve spent hours and days and weeks and months dedicating all your time and energy to is just done. Now what?
The funk is there every season, but even more so for those “last” seasons. Aging out of youth sports, graduating from varsity sports or retiring from a game all together. You can feel empty and lost.
Here are some of my tips on how to beat those Post Season Blues.
Reflect on your season.
Remembering all the laughs, all the wins, the obstacles you overcame and the pride you felt being a part of this team. Take it up a notch and JOURNAL about it! Write these thoughts down to help you work through the emotions.
Plan a year end party.
One last hoorah to look forward to! Get the gang back together for a celebration. Share memories, write cards, exchange gifts etc. Having that end of year wrap up gives the season closure.
See your teammates socially outside of your sport.
When the forced hangouts are over, it’s sad that your bffs won’t be with you multiple times a week. And let’s be honest, 85% of the reason we play sports is for the friendships. Plan to still hangout on a regular basis. Keep in touch and keep those friendships alive.
Explore hobbies and interests outside of your sport.
Now that your sport is wrapped up, find new things to love just as much! Maybe it’s another sport, or something totally non-athletic. Maybe it’s getting a job or travelling! Use this time to have some fun, use your brain and body in other ways and help recharge those batteries.
Plan for next season.
Use your off time to organize your offseason. Re-evaluate your goals and make new ones. Make a plan to put in some work during the offseason so you can start next season off with a bang!!
What I think is super important to note here is that the overarching theme is to find joy and happiness in your day to day. Overall as an athlete (or anyone for that matter) is to have balance in your life (**** please note balance does not always mean EQUAL). Have your sport, but have interests and hobbies outside of sport. Have social time and do activities even in season that are different than your primary sport. This is especially important for youth athletes. Let them have a day or two off where they get to do other things. When one thing has been your whole life for so long of course it’s going to be hard when it’s gone. Think about how the pandemic affected so many people, when we were left without the 1 thing they knew and loved, we all really struggled.
So embrace the change. Embrace the break. Give yourself permission to do something different or even just relax. I promise you that the love of your sport relies just as much on rest as it does on how hard you work.
Enjoy the freedom :)
