No Former Athlete

No Former Athlete
  • 5.0 (17)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the No Former Athlete Podcast, where we explore the challenges retired athletes face as they transition from sports to a new identity. Most athletes spend more time retired than playing, often feeling lost and confused. It's not about sports. Hosts Erin McGinnis and Alex Gasaway delve into the emotional hurdles of leaving competitive sports. Through personal stories and insights, they discuss the search for new validation and maintaining confidence and purpose. Tune in as we highlight these hidden challenges and reshape life after sports.

  1. MAY 8

    From 3rd ACL Tear to Everest Base Camp in 13 Months

    What happens when you stop playing the sport that shaped your entire identity? In this episode, we’re talking about the very real transition from college athlete to “normal life” — and why so many no former athletes struggle with losing structure, purpose, validation, and identity after sports end. Jen, a retired Division III soccer player turned physical therapist and business owner, shares her experience navigating athlete identity, ACL recovery, burnout, perfectionism, and the mental side of life after college sports. After tearing her ACL three separate times, including once during her senior season of college soccer, she opens up about grief, rehab, resilience, and learning how to channel her competitive mindset into new challenges outside of athletics. We also dive into: The pressure of chasing athletic scholarships and playing college sportsChoosing Division III athletics over the D1 grindRecovering from multiple ACL tearsThe emotional side of sports injuries and rehabNo former athlete identity and post-college depressionBurnout, hustle culture, and productivity addictionLearning how to rest without guiltTransitioning from student-athlete to working professionalBuilding confidence outside of sportsFinding purpose through fitness, movement, and entrepreneurshipHiking to Everest Base Camp after ACL surgeryIf you’ve ever struggled with life after sports, missed the structure of being an athlete, or wondered why achievement and productivity became tied to your self-worth, this conversation will hit home. Whether you’re a no former athlete, college athlete, physical therapist, runner, soccer player, or someone figuring out who you are after a major life transition — this episode is for you.

    1 hr

  2. FEB 19

    Why It's Impossible to Stop Being An Athlete Even 20 Years Later

    Okay, here’s the real story. No Former Athlete didn’t start as a business idea. It started with an identity crisis. We were in the middle of the pandemic, feeling off, watching Brittany Runs a Marathon… and by the end of the movie I was signing up for an Ironman. Why? Because I missed being an athlete. Not the glory. Not the applause. The identity. The structure. The validation. The feeling of knowing exactly what I was good at. No one prepares you for the day your sport ends. It just… ends. And then you wake up the next morning and you’re still the same human — but you don’t have practice anymore. In this episode we talk about: Why “former athlete” feels like a gut punchHow self-worth gets wrapped up in performanceWhy athletes are told to “just move on”The grief nobody namesAnd why you don’t actually have to stop identifying as an athleteThis isn’t about living in the glory days. It’s about mental health. It’s about acknowledging the part of you that trained for two decades and didn’t just disappear because society said it should. If you’ve ever wondered: “Why does this still affect me 10 years later?” “Why do I miss something I chose to stop?” “Why does draining a shot still feel like proof I’m good at something?” You’re not alone. You’re a No Former Athlete. And we’re done pretending that part of us is supposed to vanish.

    38 min

  3. FEB 14

    She Built One of the First Women’s Sports Platforms — Now She’s at ESPN

    From Competitive Cheerleader to Women’s Sports Broadcaster | Athlete Identity After Sport with Ari Most people assume Ari played basketball. She’s 6 feet tall. She covers women’s sports. It feels obvious. But her athletic background? Taekwondo. Gymnastics. Competitive all-star cheer. Volleyball. Use code ARIPOD to get a special discount to get lifetime access on the NFA Breathe Here Now Virtual Breathwork session. https://bit.ly/Ari-Breathwork In this episode of the No Former Athlete Podcast, Ari shares her full athletic journey — from earning a black belt at 4 years old to competing in Division I cheer, to navigating a medical situation that abruptly ended her volleyball career. We talk about: The physical reality of competitive cheerleading (and why it’s one of the most demanding sports)Growing up tall in gymnasticsLosing a sport unexpectedlyTransitioning out of team athleticsRedirecting competitive energy into career and entrepreneurshipFounding Highlighter and building a platform for women’s sportsThe perfectionism that follows athletes into adulthoodWhy women’s sports advocacy is her life’s workThis conversation goes deep into athlete identity after sport, chasing perfection outside of competition, and what it means to still be an athlete long after the uniform comes off. If you’ve ever struggled with life after sports, leaving a team environment, or redefining what winning looks like — this episode is for you. Are you an athlete? Ari’s answer: Always. Forever. Even if it looks different now. Use code ARIPOD to get a special discount to get lifetime access on the NFA Breathe Here Now Virtual Breathwork session. https://bit.ly/Ari-Breathwork

    55 min

  4. JAN 29

    The Cost of Chasing Relevance in a Dopamine Economy

    What happens when the thing that defined you… ends? In this episode of No Former Athlete, Brad Hauter opens up about life after sport — from being told he’d never play again, to playing professionally for 10 years, to chasing validation long after the crowd was gone. We talk athlete identity, fake dopamine, ego, grief, and the emotional crash that comes when the season ends — sometimes over and over again. Brad shares what finally helped him find grounding, purpose, and relevance beyond the game. If you’ve ever felt lost without the structure, validation, or identity of sport — you’re not alone.

    42 min

  5. JAN 23

    Washed Up Athlete Was My Whole Personality

    In this episode of No Former Athlete, we sit down with Megan, a former D1 soccer player whose career ended suddenly after multiple concussions. What followed wasn’t just an exit from the game—it was a full identity reckoning. We talk about control issues athletes carry into adulthood, why rest can feel like failure, and how so many no former athletes (NoFos) replace sport with work, productivity, or “impressive” job titles just to feel valuable again. Megan opens up about living with unfinished business, navigating invisible injuries, staying close to sport through her career, and learning how to ask a harder question: Who am I doing this for now? This conversation explores: Losing sport before you’re readyWhy athletes struggle with rest and free timeIdentity after injury and retirementThe pressure to stay “impressive” post-sportWorking in sports vs. healing from sportLearning to sit in success instead of chasing the next goalIf you’ve ever felt anxious without a schedule, uncomfortable slowing down, or unsure who you are outside performance—this one will hi

    53 min

  6. JAN 15

    From Filming My High School Team to Running a Production Company

    Ever look back at your high school athlete days and think, “Damn, who was that person?” Same. In this episode, Brandi takes us on a hilarious, honest, and nostalgic ride from being a basketball star to figuring out who she is after the final buzzer. We talk college hoops drama, identity crises, career pivots, concussions, and why walking away from the game might’ve been the best move she ever made. Now a director and creative entrepreneur, Brandi shares how her athlete mindset still drives her — just in a different arena. If you’ve ever felt lost after leaving something that defined you, this one’s for you. In this episode: – “I used to be an athlete” moments 😂 – Why college ball wasn’t it – Career burnout & the pressure to “figure it out” by 30 – Turning creative hustle into a career – Rebuilding identity after sport

    44 min

  7. JAN 8

    I Graduated… Then Checked If I Could Redshirt and Keep Playing

    Are you still an athlete if you’re not competing anymore? In this episode of No Former Athlete, we sit down with Zach, a former collegiate baseball player, to talk about the moment sport ends—and everything that quietly comes after it. Zach opens up about how his brain still defines “athlete,” why adult leagues don’t quite count, and what it actually felt like to hang up the cleats. From checking his college stats after graduating to see if he could’ve redshirted… to giving a final speech that was supposed to bring closure (but didn’t)… this conversation captures the subtle grief, confusion, and identity friction so many no former athletes carry without realizing it. We talk about why it’s so hard to work out when you’re no longer training for something, why being “coached” in fitness settings can feel deeply uncomfortable post-sport, and how much we miss the parts no one warns you about—the locker room jokes, the bus rides, the in-between moments of practice, and working toward one shared goal with your people. This episode isn’t about wanting to go back. It’s about understanding why that part of you never fully leaves—and how no former athletes learn to carry it forward into work, relationships, and everyday life. In this episode, we explore: How NoFos define “athlete” after competition endsThe emotional whiplash of knowing it’s over—but not feeling doneWhy many athletes stop training when sport disappearsMissing the team more than the gamesWhy adult leagues feel both healing and frustratingFinding competition, purpose, and camaraderie post-sportIf you’ve ever thought, “Mentally, I’m still an athlete… but I don’t know where that part of me fits anymore,” this episode is for you.

    50 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    I Was Secretly Dating My Teammate, then Everything Blew Up

    What happens when being an athlete is all you’ve ever known — and then it’s suddenly taken away? In this episode of No Former Athlete, Kelly Balch opens up about growing up as a multi-sport athlete, earning a soccer scholarship as a goalkeeper, and competing at a high level — only to lose her senior season two practices in. What followed wasn’t just the end of a career, but a deep identity rupture she didn’t fully grieve until years later. Kelly shares what it felt like to not “look like” an athlete anymore, dating her teammate in secret at a religious school, and compartmentalizing her pain by killing off her athlete identity and becoming an artist instead. We talk about her last game in Italy, exchanging jerseys after a win, and the long-term impact of athlete mindset on creativity, entrepreneurship, and leadership. This is a conversation about grief, identity, queerness, ambition, and what it really means to still be an athlete — long after the games end. If you’ve ever lost a version of yourself you thought defined you, this episode is for you.

    44 min
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5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Welcome to the No Former Athlete Podcast, where we explore the challenges retired athletes face as they transition from sports to a new identity. Most athletes spend more time retired than playing, often feeling lost and confused. It's not about sports. Hosts Erin McGinnis and Alex Gasaway delve into the emotional hurdles of leaving competitive sports. Through personal stories and insights, they discuss the search for new validation and maintaining confidence and purpose. Tune in as we highlight these hidden challenges and reshape life after sports.

Information

  • Creator
    No Former Athlete
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © No Former Athlete
  • Show Website
    No Former Athlete