The Car Ride That Changed My Life
There’s a moment in every athlete’s life that hits harder than any tackle. A moment most of us feel, but very few dare to say out loud. It’s not the first debut. Not the first injury. Not even the first professional contract. It’s the quiet realisation that the thing that defines you: the game, the adrenaline, the identity you’ve carried since childhood won’t last forever. For me, that moment didn’t come at the end of my career. It came when my career was just beginning.
When My Dream and My Future Collided
I was 19 years old, living the dream I’d chased since I was a boy. I had broken into the first team at Go Ahead Eagles. The stadium felt like home. The pitch felt like a second skin. I should’ve been floating. But every day, I drove from Utrecht to Deventer with teammates who were 33, 34 years old, players who had had great careers, but were unsure of what came next.
That car ride was my classroom. I saw their uncertainty. I heard their doubts. And without them ever trying to teach me, they showed me something crucial: football doesn’t guarantee a future. You have to build one yourself.
That reality hit me harder than any defender. Because when you’re young, you still believe you’re invincible. When you’re 19, you think your career will last forever. But sitting in that car, listening to men who were once living my dream but now were unsure of their next step… something inside me shifted.
For the first time, I allowed myself to imagine a life beyond the pitch, and I realised I wanted ownership of that life.
Leaving Was Hard But It Was My Choice
Walking away from football wasn’t easy. It felt like choosing between two versions of myself: the boy who loved the game, and the man who wanted control over his future. But the moment I chose – truly chose – my path, something changed. I felt ownership again.
Nothing about my situation in the 90s made the road clear. There were no dual‑career programs, no financial safety net, no guidance for what life after football could look like. My family life was unstable, my finances stretched thin, and the future felt like a question without an answer. The choice I made back then wasn’t perfect, but it was intentional. And that intentional choice, made in the middle of chaos, without guarantees, is what gave me back my power.
Would I make that same choice if I were 19 in 2026, instead of 1996? No! I would have played longer. Maybe much longer. But the lesson stays the same: You are at your strongest not when you hold on, but when you choose how and when to transition.
Patrick Kluivert (left) and Maringo Vlijter (right)
Why Timing Matters More Than Talent
We all know, logically, that most athletes retire around 30. But emotionally? We all think we’ll be the exception.
The truth is simple: the athletes who thrive after sport are the ones who prepare before they have to.
Starting early gives you:
- confidence instead of fear
- career options while your name still opens doors
- financial stability that lets you choose passion over panic
- an identity that isn’t tied to one job
We train endlessly for our sport. But almost none of us train for what comes after. That’s where things go wrong, not because athletes lack ambition, but because no one teaches us how to prepare.
The Transition Framework I Wish I’d Had at 19
This is the roadmap I share today, the one I needed when I was still driving to Deventer at 19.
- Start While You’re Still Playing
Your off‑season is a gift, use it. Study, explore different industries, shadow professionals, take a course. A dual career isn’t distraction. It’s maturity. Benchmark your talents, on and off the pitch, against your ambitions. - Audit Your Finances
Football gives you momentum, but business often starts at zero. Even a small financial buffer gives you breathing room and clarity. - Translate Your Athletic Skills
Athletes always undervalue themselves. The truth? Handling pressure, adapting quickly, communicating clearly, leading without being asked, these are gold in business. Tech, consulting, sales, entrepreneurship, operations, they all want what you already have. You walk off the pitch with more value than you realise. - Build Your Support Team
No one wins alone, especially after sport. Find mentors, advisors, former athletes who’ve transitioned well. They’ll save you from mistakes you don’t even know exist. - Test and Learn
Internships. Certificates. Short-term projects. You don’t have to commit right away. Curiosity is your compass. - Network Like a Pro
Your athlete status opens doors many people spend decades trying to crack. Use those doors. Not for favours, for insights. If conversations off the pitch start giving you energy, listen. Your next chapter is knocking. - Reflect on Your Identity
- Ask yourself:
- Who am I without the jersey?
- What part of me has been waiting to grow?
- What passion have I silenced for years?
- Identity is the anchor of a healthy transition.
- Ask yourself:
- Plan Your Exit
Transitions don’t have to be dramatic. They can be strategic, intentional, empowering. Once you plan your exit, your future stops feeling like a loss… and becomes a beginning.
Athletes Who Won Their Next Chapter
Different stories, different motivations – but always intentional.
- Arjen Robben: purpose-driven education and youth development
- Héctor Bellerín: fashion, sustainability, culture
- Michael Jordan: athlete entrepreneurship redefined
- Serena Williams: investing in the future
- Magic Johnson: visionary across industries
- Candace Parker: from WNBA greatness to corporate leadership
- Regi Blinker: One of the founders of Life After Football
Different paths. Same truth: their next win was chosen, not accidental.
A Final Word
Leaving football wasn’t the end of my story, it was the beginning of a life I consciously shaped. Coming from a difficult and financially unstable youth with no support, stability found in pursuing a university degree was more than a need; it was my way toward happiness.
Your next win doesn’t have to be on the pitch. With the right preparation, it can be in business, leadership, education, entrepreneurship, wherever your ambition takes you.
Ownership is everything. You decide when your next chapter begins.
And if I had had the opportunities young athletes have in 2026, structured support, better guidance, dual careers, better transitions I would’ve played longer. Absolutely. But here’s the beauty of growth: every generation gets to start one step further than the last.
As the philosopher Seneca wrote: “The growth of each generation is the harvest of the last.”
My decision at 19 planted seeds I couldn’t yet see.
Today I see the harvest everywhere:
- in my three children, two at Vitesse, one at FC Utrecht, who grow up with the stability I never had
- in my work at Life After Football
- and in the renewed passion I still feel for the game
Because when you consciously choose your own path, something beautiful happens. The circle closes, not where you expected, but exactly where it should. At the end of the day, that’s the essence of ownership: a decision you only need to justify to yourself.
About Maringo Vlijter
As founder of Vlijter Business Solutions, Maringo Vlijter transforms vision into measurable impact, driving growth, operational excellence, and sustainable success. His unique perspective, shaped by a top-sport mentality and multicultural expertise, empowers brands to achieve lasting results in a rapidly evolving global landscape. Learn more here!
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