Mitch Hildebrandt didn’t know what to do with his life. After retiring at 30, the former goalkeeper found himself in a fog. He sat alone in the apartment he shares with his wife in North Carolina, unsure what could possibly fulfill him after his professional soccer career had ended with an MLS Cup championship.



“I was just sitting in the apartment all day, wondering what I was going to do,” said the former FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United goalkeeper. “That’s when the thoughts kinda creep in, but you don’t realize it. You’re in a—I don’t want to say a depression, but there’s something that’s missing.”



Soccer players are creatures of habit. Their daily routines are an essential part of their lives both on and off the pitch. Retirement from the professional level can be a jarring end to a life structured by competition. When the mental and physical demands are gone, the adjustment can be...