CTD Research · 2025 Survey
The Full Data Breakdown
In 2025, CTD surveyed 125 former student-athletes spanning the NCAA, NAIA, and Professional levels of competition. What they shared was consistent across every level — the transition out of sport is harder, heavier, and far less supported than most people realize.
"Sports is what I did, but not who I was. I wish I had known that while I was still playing."
Male, 25–34 · Football · NCAA D2
The gap
A consistent gap in athlete preparation
Universities do tremendous work developing athletes. What the data reveals is a consistent opportunity to extend that support into life after competition.
89%
received zero transition support from their university
Nearly 9 in 10 athletes we surveyed said they received no formal transition support from their institution. For the few where resources existed, many were unaware or never directed toward them. The opportunity to connect the dots for athletes has never been more clear.
64%
lost their sense of purpose after sports ended
70%
rated mental wellness as fair, poor, or very poor in year one
48%
felt unprepared or not at all prepared for life after sports
86%
would mentor current student-athletes about life after sports
The emotional cost
What athletes felt during transition
Multiple responses allowed — % of 125 surveyed athletes
Mental health & recovery
The year after sports
The data on mental wellness and how long athletes took to rebuild confidence in their path.
Mental wellness in the first year after sports
Time to feel prepared for life after sports
How long did it take to feel confident in a post-sport path?
Support systems
Did anyone show up for them?
Emotional support received after playing career ended.
Did athletes feel emotionally supported?
How athletes identified during their playing days
What was missing
The gaps athletes say were never filled
What athletes wished they had learned while still playing — across all levels of competition.
52%
Career & networking
Never taught how to market themselves or translate athletic skills into professional value.
48%
Financial literacy
Budgeting, investing, and money management were largely absent from the athlete experience.
40%
Identity beyond sport
Athletes were never helped to develop a sense of self that existed outside their sport or team.
35%
Mental health support
Little to no professional support for the psychological impact of leaving sport behind.
30%
Life skills
No coach, no schedule, no playbook for real life. Taxes, housing, healthcare, and student loans were left for athletes to figure out alone.
28%
Mentorship access
Athletes wanted connection with former players who understood the transition — and found almost none.
In their own words
Real voices from the survey
Click a theme to hear directly from athletes.
This is the gap CTD was built to fill
125 athletes. One clear opportunity. CTD exists to help bridge the gap between athletic career and what comes next.
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