What am I going to do after squash?
I have been asked this question constantly since I graduated college and started playing squash professionally in 2006. After playing for five years and making the top 30 in the world, I have passed the “giving it a shot for a few years” stage, into fully committing to play the tour as a career choice until I am around 30 years old. While delaying, and perhaps forever altering the trajectory of my life “after squash,” I feel even at 30 that I have time to pursue any career I wish.
With that said, being a professional athlete has certainly shaped and changed the way I think about work. Independent thinking, creating my own schedule to get things done, and taking responsibility for myself has become ingrained in me. This leads me to believe working in a small business or start-up might be ideal.
I also can’t deny that staying in squash in some capacity is very alluring. It is tough to walk away from a situation where I could make six figures right off the bat. It would also be a shame to waste my experience and knowledge of the game by not passing it on in some capacity.
In an ideal world, I could coach part time (maybe a college team or juniors at a club), while satisfying my entrepreneurial energies by managing or working at a small business the rest of the time. I’ve been warned about it before… but maybe I should try to open my own squash club?!?
