Pro Football Hall of Famer Ron Mix of Orange County, California, is calling on former athletes to share real-world guidance with younger players preparing for life in and beyond sports.

Mentorship in Sports

Mix believes today’s athletes have access to more training tools, media exposure, and performance resources than any previous generation. However, he says many still need direct guidance from people who have lived through the full arc of a professional sports career.

“Younger athletes have more information than we ever had,” says Mix. “But information is not the same as experience. Former players can help them understand what the game demands and what comes after it.”

Mix played professional football from 1960 to 1972, spending ten years with the San Diego Chargers before finishing his career with the Oakland Raiders. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Importance of Mentorship

Mix also serves as President of the Pro Football Retired Players Association, which provides health benefits to more than 10,000 former players and over 3,000 spouses. His leadership in that role has strengthened his belief that retired athletes have valuable knowledge to share.

“Every former player carries lessons that could help someone else,” Mix says. “Sometimes it is about training. Sometimes it is about health. Sometimes it is about education, discipline, or knowing how to handle life when the cheering stops.”

Mix encourages schools, teams, coaches, player associations, and community programs to create more opportunities for current and former athletes to connect.

“You do not need a complicated program to start,” Mix says. “You need people who care enough to share their time and experience.”

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.