A Closing Ceremony for Competitive Athletes
Dear Athlete,
What happened next after you walked off the playing surface for the very last time? Whether it was leaving the pool, the track, the court, the field, the ice, etc. there was a final moment when you left for the very last time.
Some of the most profound memories as athletes come from the closing of a season or playing career. Inside the walls of the locker room, after the final game/competition, and season-ending were places that held so much meaning because of the emotions that come along with the significance of a chapter ending. These were the moments where coaches gave their final talk to the team to celebrate a season, recognized players, and honored the seniors or teammates who had just played their last game. Maybe you even had a final team dinner or social outing to celebrate together and say your goodbyes.
While these moments as a collective group are deeply impactful, we can miss the significance of this time to deeply honor ourselves. If we move past these moments too quickly, we may lose the opportunity to celebrate, honor, and recognize all of the years, sweat, and tears we personally poured into our athletic experiences. Taking the time to reflect, honor, and hold space for yourself is the first step in the process of beginning to relinquish your athletic identity and provide the time to honor, celebrate, and say goodbye to your athlete self.
For this reason, at Inward Athlete we have created an experience to meet this need. Inward Athlete holds closing ceremonies for athletes to honor and celebrate their time as competitive athletes together as a collective group.
What is it?
This is a virtual “live” 90-minute closing-ceremony experience for athletes/ex-athletes of all levels of competition and stages of retirement. At Inward Athlete, we believe the dedication, commitment, and sacrifice you have poured into your athletic experience is not something that should be moved on from without deep honoring of self and the experiences you have had throughout your athletic career. For this reason, four times a year in the months of March, June, September, and December), we hold space for athletes to come together as a group from any sport, from any part of the world, who played at any level of competition, to honor themselves and be witnessed for their individual experiences as athletes.
What to expect
Dr. Jen Gellock, the founder of Inward Athlete, LLC will lead the group through closing ceremony practices that will involve time for prayer/intention setting, personal reflection, guided visualization, experiential ceremony practices, and peer support. Her intention is for athletes to come just as they are and however they are feeling about leaving their competitive sports careers behind and to gain closure as they process the emotions of their athletic careers coming to an end. No matter if you are an athlete whose career came to an end yesterday or ten years ago, we invite you to join us for this experience to honor and close this chapter of your life with intention.
Who is this for?
This closing ceremony is for any athlete current or retired who played at any competitive level of sport who knows the importance of taking the time to honor, celebrate, and say goodbye to their competitive career.
What does it cost?
This is a free event that welcomes donations.
What will you need?
- A notebook
- A candle
- Any pictures/medals/artifacts of achievement you would like to honor during this ceremony (use your intuition)
- Water - we’ll be moving emotions so staying hydrated both before, during, and after the ceremony will be important
- A yoga mat or somewhere cozy to sit and relax and lay down (preferably not your bed) create a new space for yourself
- Comfy and cozy attire is recommended
- Dedicated 90 minutes just for you in a private setting where you will be uninterrupted
Upcoming Closing Ceremonies:
- Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time
Sign-up today for free to get the link to join the ceremony via Zoom