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The concept of “when you know, you know” is widely understood and accepted in relation to any number of things — love, pain, joy and so forth.
It applies to jobs and careers too. Theoretically, at least, you know when to leap at an opportunity and also when to call it quits. Most people, though, will admit to slogging through their days and counting down the years to retirement.
The sports world has two fine examples of “when you know, you know” when it comes to stepping away. These professionals couldn’t be further apart on the surface, but their heads are in the same, right place.
The first soon-to-be retiree is a legend, with 46 years of coaching under his belt and more championships and accolades than can fit in this space. Fittingly, he’s in his 13th career Final Four this weekend in a must-watch game against North Carolina.
The second wasn’t even born until midway through the legend’s career, but she’s racked up an impressive record herself.
Mike Krzyzewski, the head coach of Duke men’s basketball for 41 of those 46 years, announced last June that this would be his final season with the program. The reason, he explained, boiled down to time.
Speaking to The Sporting News, Coach K, who’s 75, said he wanted to do more with his family — his wife of more than 50 years, their daughters, their grandchildren. Being the head coach of a college program is a year-round job, from recruiting to preseason to conference play to hopefully a postseason presence, only to do it all over again.
His family’s supported him over the decades, Coach K said, so now it is time to give back.
The coronavirus pandemic, perhaps surprisingly, wasn’t really a factor. Coach K said that on the contrary, when COVID-19 hit he felt it was more important to stay at Duke and be a steady presence for the players and staff, even though he had already been contemplating stepping away.
For the other big retiree, though, the pandemic did play a role in hastening her departure from her sport. It prompted her to realize just how much she valued her home over the stress of never-ending travel and the pressure to prevail.
Ash Barty is only 25, but the Australian tennis star’s already made up her mind about stepping away. Last week she announced she would retire after capturing three Grand Slam titles — most recently the Australian Open earlier this year. She’s the current No. 1, a ranking she’s held for more than two years, and was poised to have a great future on the court.
But people close to her, including her longtime coach, recognized what Barty did, especially during Australia’s isolating pandemic lockdowns: that her life is much broader than just tennis and that merely stacking on championships wasn’t the key to her happiness.
Barty has worked hard since her first victories as a teenager and met her goals, culminating in her Grand Slam victory at home. She recognized what she wanted, fought for it and achieved it, and now she can move on to other things.
Unlike tennis stars who are still contenders at or nearing 40, who push their bodies to the limit in order to stay competitive, Barty sees potential beyond the tennis world. During a hiatus early in her career, she joined a professional cricket team. (Some see that sport as a potential landing spot.)
In 2020, the pandemic’s first year, she skipped the pro tour entirely to stay home in Brisbane. 2021 saw her leave a few times but ultimately return after the U.S. Open and sit out the rest of the season. Being home helped her realize how critical it is to have a balanced life, which no doubt helped her decide to retire so young.
Coach K and Barty both certainly got sideways glances and outright criticism for their decision. From their perspectives, however, who can blame them? They’re not afraid to do what’s right for them; if anything, their confidence can be an example for the rest of us.
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Reach Celia K. Downes at cdownes@staradvertiser.com.
Source: Star
