Justin Morrow talked to a lot of retired athletes and read a lot of books before he made the decision for himself, announcing in September that the 2021 season would be the last of a 12-year career in Major League Soccer.
The messages were clear: Athletes lose the structure of their every day routine after retirement; some are left searching for purpose.
But the former Toronto FC defender, who played his last game on Nov. 7, already had a sense of purpose as the executive director of Black Players for Change. The organization is made up of more than 170 MLS players, coaches and staff dedicated to tackling the racial injustices that have limited Black people from having an equitable stake in soccer and society.