Athletes don't retire, they just hibernate for a while

The news of Justine Henin’s possible comeback shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise. Athletes that prematurely retire quickly realize nothing they do in the next phase of their lives can replace the void left behind, it’s that simple. Thus they do the only thing they know, which is to come back in an attempt to recapture what they had tried and probably subconsciously hoped they could leave behind.

Elite athletes are almost programmed from a young age to achieve. Every minute of their day in some way is connected to them squeezing every ounce of potential out of their bodies, and once they decide that the work outweighs the rewards, they run toward normalcy. However it usually doesn’t take long for them to realize that what made them great in the first place was enjoying the effort and sacrifice aligned with high achievement. Factor in the adrenaline of competing, and the void of that no longer being a part of your life, then all roads point right back to the field or court that gives you the best chance to recapture the “fix” you have grown addicted to.

The sad reality is very little in the regular day life can compare to what goes on between the lines of elite competition and whatever normalcy is sacrificed is quickly deemed a worthy sacrifice once that normalcy becomes commonplace. Athletes have the cruelty of life’s greatest resource after their careers end, time. For most that is a luxury, but when you are struggling to find meaning in your life, as most do, it is torturous. It is the aberration, not the norm, for athletes to find peace in life after their playing careers, and those that do have most often been able to put their learned skill set and passion into another endeavor.

Look at two of the biggest symbols of not being able to let go. Brett Favre has tarnished his legacy with these emotionally charged retirement events that eventually segue into comical comebacks. Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player in history, is so lost he spent most of his Hall of Fame induction speech mocking his former adversaries and dropping hints about a possible return at 50. It seems like some sort of undiagnosed disease afflicts certain athletes, “comebackitis” Even the most successful 2nd career athletes, i.e. Magic Johnson or Oscar De La Hoya, would most likely trade everything in just to be able to restart the cycle of competing.

I don’t know Justine Henin too well and it is fundamentally unfair to draw conclusions when you don’t have all the information, but hearing that she might come back, especially after her compatriot, Kim Clijsters just returned so triumphantly, is hardly surprising. It would be unique if she actually walked away from the game and never looked back.