The Rebirth of A Player

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Second chances don't come too often in professional sports. Far too often, players are given a relatively short time frame to perform or risk being cut off and entirely jeopardizing the trajectory of their careers.

In athletics we have seen careers tainted by substance test failures. A lot for these athletes are either prohibited from returning to the sport, or fail to command the same credibility, support and respect that they once had.

Support is the most fundamental thing for any athlete going through a tough time. However, because sports organizations have their own reputation, profitability and self interests to worry about, it is very rare for them to stick their necks out in constant support of an underperforming player.

Of course there are exceptions to this, depending on the sport and issue. If it is a performance related issue such as loss of form or a string of bad results, an organization might exhibit patience depending on the reputation of that athlete. In other words, past precedents would be considered when trying to assign a timeframe for potential recovery before alternative options are explored.

For an unproven athlete though, this privilege simply does not exist. Athletes are quickly dropped in places like the NBA when coaches realize they can't fit into the tempo of the game, or are not considered good enough.

Lois Karius was not given much time to make amends for his errors in Liverpool's 2018 UEFA Champions League Final Match game against Real Madrid. He was quickly relegated to substitute position the next season as Liverpool broke the bank to sign Keeper Allison Becker.

An athlete dropped usually enters a sort of downward spiral. Take for instance Athletes kicked out of the NBA, whose draft contracts were not renewed usually become 'journeymen professionals', plying their trade in multiple leagues around the World but almost never reconsidered for the NBA.

There are some athletes though who, having found themselves in difficult positions, worked their way back into favorable positions. Athletes such as Draymod Green Who plays with the Golden State Warriors of the NBA, managed to transform his career from a second round pick that not much was expected from into a multiple NBA all star player.

For Athletes who have suffered a loss in reputation from something other than active performance, the chance is always there for a comeback if they can effectively utilize. For instance, Tiger Woods despite the scandal that cost him his marriage as well as several endorsements is still the most marketable Golfer in the World today and really only requires more consistency in his on-field play to operate at the same level he did before the scandal and injuries that have plagued him since.

There is a lot of work that goes into the transformation of a reputation from one of unreliability to one of trust and readiness. It is also irrespective of age, as athletes have shown an ability to turn back the times by blooming at the later stages of their careers.