Is Your Relationship Ruining Your Sports Career?

Have you ever been in a situation where your partner has seemed resentful of your achievements? In an ideal partnership, both parties should be fully supportive of each other, giving acclaim to success and offering encouragement when things don’t go as well as someone had hoped. If this isn’t the case, and there is any imbalance or even some jealousy when you are in the habit of bringing trophies home, this is an issue that needs to be addressed. In this article, telegraph dating experts have shared their opinion of what makes a relationship strong or weak and how it can influence achieving your goals. What are the telltale signs to look out for? 

Partner always argues with you about how hard you are working and not spending enough time with them

Say you have an important event or competition coming up, so you feel a need to get into ‘the zone.’ This could entail upping your training regime. Depending on the actual activity, this might mean spending more time at the gym or heading out earlier in the day to do your running exercises. Perhaps you’ll need to carefully consider your diet for a while, cutting out treats. Rather than staying up late watching Netflix, you’re keen to get to bed early so you can relax and be at your freshest on your big day. Does your other half encourage you all the way? Do they willingly make sacrifices so you can still enjoy the same meals together? Or do they moan at not seeing enough of you? Do they question just how important this competition even is compared to their happiness?

Partner pulls you away from your dreams instead of pushing you towards them

This is another classic indication your goals in life are viewed through a prism of selfishness. Rather than taking a close interest in your endeavors, your other half either shows apathy or downright hostility. This is unfair on you, as this will weigh heavily on your mind when you need to be 100% focused on what you need to do to achieve your dreams. Perhaps there are underlying reasons for this apparent lack of enthusiasm? It would be only natural for you to wonder if they are so indifferent towards this aspect of your partnership, then is this an indication of how they feel about you in the context of your overall relationship. If they’re secretly looking for a way out, it would surely be better if they just came clean, rather than stringing you along and risking jeopardizing your sporting success further down the line? Imagine if everything fell apart 24 hours before the big competition?

Partner always makes you feel guilty for having your own life and goals

When your significant other is exhibiting this degree of obstinacy where your ambitions are concerned, you have to wonder if jealousy is playing any part? Going out of their way to make you feel guilty about something you are so passionate about might well be an indication of their lack of similar yearnings. If that is the case, it’s not fair that they’re taking this out on you. Their shortcomings are their problem. Someone focused on achieving recognition during their sporting enterprises needs to have someone they can always rely on unconditionally. This should be a given in any relationship, even outwith the sporting field. Can you imagine a baseball or football team competing successfully if there was even one weak link in the chain, such as a quarterback who kept on being distracted by his favorite cheerleader or a coach who left the game halfway through because he was more interested in catching up on some TV show? These might seem ridiculous situations, but what is more absurd than being made to feel guilty about your passions by your partner?

The partner asks you to skip important training events

It would help if you never were expected to compromise your dreams in any situation short of some dire domestic crisis or medical emergency. If you would never demand your partner skipped something meaningful to them, why should this be reciprocated?

These examples all demonstrate areas where your relationship could prove to be detrimental to your sports career. Key questions arise, which you’ll need to consider carefully. To what extent can this situation be resolved? Are you at a junction where you feel confident that voicing your concerns will lead to a change in heart? Or do you sense having passed the point of no return? If it’s the latter, you might have to consider getting out. Because a communication breakdown like this can lead to a relationship becoming toxic. And would ruin your aspirations.