As someone with more than a passing interest in sports and fitness, it is highly unlikely that your social group wouldn’t be constructed of similar enthusiasts.
Whatever your discipline and however advanced you are within it, you are likely to have close friendships with others towards the top of the game, whatever game that happens to be.
This also means you’ll know better than most what kind of emotional toll such athletic dedication can take on a person, and the complex interrelations of professional sport and personal relationships.
Indeed, you may discover second-hand just how devastating the ending of a marriage can be for someone in the upper echelons of their sport – and you may be reading these words precisely because you aren’t sure how to help.
Sporting and fitness-focused friends are near-constantly able to share advice on technique, nutrition and more, but navigating an extremely fractious and painful life event is a little outside of the average athlete’s remit. Consider the following steps when approaching your newly-divorced pro-athlete friend-in-need.
Emotional Support
Providing emotional support is the best initial approach – and, rightfully, probably your first instinct too. This is a simple matter of being an active and present listener for when the going gets tough.
The ‘tough’, though, is likely to be a little tougher than most, even if only for the high pressure of expectation that remains with respect to your athlete friend’s specialist sport.
That said, your common interest can be a neat way to get your friend to open up about any difficult or unresolved feelings.
Exercise is, of course, a natural route to mood enhancement, as well as a great social opportunity that isn’t particularly forced or stilted.
Just remember to keep your advice to fitness, unless otherwise asked; divorces are tricky enough without having to handle unsolicited advice.
Mental Health Support
Emotional support can, and for the most part should, remain on the social side of things. However, something like divorce can be a major knock to someone’s mental health, and particularly so if they are already highly-strung as a function of their sporting day-to-day.
Big life responsibilities have a habit of mounting, and without the right oversight something serious could happen.
As such, you want to be mindful of your friend’s mental state, and how they’re taking care of themselves. Even talking them through some simple mindfulness exercises could help them stay present, rather than ruminating on the difficult days ahead.
Practical Support
Finally, it’s important to acknowledge the practical side of things. They may already have the legal side covered, but it can’t hurt to do some shopping around for divorce-specialist representation on their behalf.
Likewise, a second pair of eyes on their financial situation might be a practical help for the medium term, until assets are divided.
As touched on before, though, perhaps the best thing you can do for your pro-athlete friend is simply to be active, and present.
Make sure you’re going to the gym together, and that you’ve both got time to talk things through; the rest will follow!