When to Walk Away

When do you walk away from a sport you love?

At some point in time, every athlete must answer that question. Earlier this week, Brett Favre, decided to play for one more year for the Green Bay Packers. Michelle Kwan recently announced her intention to remain Olympic eligible. Andre Agassi is in his 30s and still playing tennis. Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs just turned 40 and is pitching better than ever. Any day now, Roger Clemens will be making his decision about if and where he will pitch this season.

On the other side of the equation, former running back Jerome Bettis retired after the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl. Lance Armstrong rode is his final Tour de France last summer.

It seems to me that every athlete, and every team for that matter, has a window of opportunity in which they reach their optimum level of performance. They peak physically, mentally and emotionally. Everything works in harmony. It is at this point that they are in the best position to perform at their best, break records, achieve recognition or win championships.

For some athletes, that window is open only a short time, perhaps a year or two. For figure skater Katerina Witt, that window lasted nearly eight years during the 1980s. The White Sox are in that "window" now. They've the good health, great talent, great coaching and strong support from fans and team management. They're in a good place right now, which bodes well for the team this season. How long will that window stay open for the Sox? We just have to wait and see.

As time goes on, that window begins to close. The physical, mental and emotional strengths that an athlete counted on eludes them. Opportunities to excel in their chosen sport become fewer and far between. And it seems harder and harder to get motivated to train and compete.

For some athletes, the physical body is still able to compete, but their heart just isn't into competing anymore. Barry Sanders, former running back for the Detroit Lions, walked away from football, even though physically he could have competed for another ten years if he wanted to.

Other athletes refuse to acknowledge what their bodies already know -- they can no longer compete the way they used to. Michelle Kwan, for example, should be walking away from figure skating -- with her head held high. She isn't the skater she used to be, and I doubt she will be able to recapture what she has lost in recent years. The window of opportunity has closed for Kwan. The Olympic gold medal that is missing from her trophy case will never be hers. And she must wake up to that reality, however harsh it may be.

Age, illness and injury can take its toll on an athlete's body. And team owners and coaches recognize that. That's why 'diminished clauses" in players' contracts are more commonplace in baseball these days.

Some athletes are fortunate enough to know when the time is right to walk away. Years of getting beaten up on the playing field finally took a toll on running back Jerome Bettis, but he stayed in football long enough to enjoy a Super Bowl title. Lance Armstrong walked away from competitive cycling after winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France.

It's one thing to say you love to play in your sport, but the real question is, does you love to compete? If that competitive fire has burned out, it's time to walk away and find a new outlet for your talents or a new career. Brett Favre, to his credit, has returned to football because his desire to compete is still strong and he still has the talent and physical ability to contribute to his team.

No one likes to admit that they've come to the end of the road, that they are no longer invincible. It takes a long realistic look in the mirror, and the courage to say, "I'm done. I've accomplished what I want to do, and I'm satisfied." That's when they're ready to walk away.