OPINION: There's no harder call for an athlete to make than to give it all away.
As our premier winter codes draw to a close, that question has been considered and answered by some of our most iconic sporting heroes.
When the curtain falls on those competitions this year, it will also lower on the careers of Wyatt Crockett, Dillon Boucher, Simon Mannering and Wendy Frew.
They haven't necessarily been the best in their chosen sports, but over their years, they have set standards for honesty, integrity, hard work and dedication that even the stars could (and should) aspire to.
Some will go on to become great coaches or administrators in their games, but others will simply step back into the real world and bring those qualities to the betterment of their communities.
Crockett hasn't always been a fashionable choice in the All Blacks front row, but as the national team prepared to play France this year, with a mounting front-row casualty list, selectors felt pressure from all around to call the Crusaders prop back from the wilderness.
Suddenly, everyone wanted him - even those three wise men - and no-one doubted 'Crocky' would answer the call if required.
But All Blacks management had also been through that retirement process themselves and were just as determined to respect Crockett's hard-made choice.
His 200th Super Rugby game - all for his beloved Crusaders - provided a chance for the game to honour his contributions before he disappeared into the sunset. He handled the occasion with incredible humility, even as he declared, "Welcome to my stadium".
Boucher was a teenager when he began his 25 years in the National Basketball League under coach Tab Baldwin in a champion Auckland team. He was better known for his hairstyles than his skill, but he quickly proved himself the ultimate opportunist.
When Baldwin took over the Tall Blacks, he smuggled Boucher onto his staff as a 'video camera operator' and when NBA centre Sean Marks became unavailable, the video guy was promoted into the playing line-up and never left.
At a time when the NZ public began to care deeply about basketball, Boucher showed us you didn't need to score 20 points a game to be effective. As we began to learn about the mythical 'triple double', Boucher showed us that too.
He became the sneakiest operator in the league – his best offensive move was picking the pocket of an unsuspecting defensive rebounder for a cheap lay-up. Boucher took that attitude off the court, where he was often the first with his hand up to schmooze sponsors, and quickly talked his way onto VIP invitation and mailing lists all over town.
Suddenly, players - both here and across the Tasman - wanted to play with him, and he became the catalyst for many championship teams in the New Zealand and Australian national leagues.
When he retired from the Tall Blacks, then-national coach Nenad Vucinic was desperate to recruit him as his assistant, even though he had never coached in his life. Vucinic reasoned, unless Basketball NZ snapped him up quickly, someone else would and basketball would be the loser.
Vucinic was right, but luckily Boucher has since transitioned into a general manager role with the NZ Breakers, where he will hopefully remain to guide future generations through the game.
During his 14 seasons with the NZ Warriors, Mannering has been everything to that club and to NZ rugby league.
His blue-collar ethic on the field has seen his body ravaged by injuries that have barely slowed him - until recently. Mannering's style is neither flashy nor attention-seeking, but whether his teams have won or lost, he has been the one constant through all their performances.
And dear God, how they have lost. Can you imagine how hard it is for a man who shuns the spotlight to front TV cameras as captain and explain how his side has conspired to fall on its collective sword again for the fifth, sixth, seventh week in a row?
Mannering wasn't always a fashionable choice as skipper - he didn't rant or rave at his players enough for some people's liking.
But by holding his dignity in those times of crisis, Mannering added weight to his words whenever he chose to break the silence.
The Warriors owe Mannering a title - or at least a very deep playoff run - to send him off in the style he deserves.
One-cap Silver Fern Frew has seen many excellent netballers pass through the Southern Steel/Sting during her many years of service to that team. They have come and gone, and many of them will return to Invercargill for a reunion this weekend.
The occasion should double as a celebration of that franchise's most loyal servant, who sealed her place in local folkore, when she returned from a freak car accident, arm and leg surgery, and 70 stitches to take the court in the Steel's premiership final victory over Central Pulse.
Her team are again poised to contend for the national title and perhaps Frew can still be cheered (and chaired) from the court as a winner.
If you listen to these stories, a common thread emerges. Neither Crockett, Boucher, Mannering nor Frew regard themselves as overly talented, but they have worked hard and were 'lucky' to reap the rewards of their perseverance.
As they leave, they'll be reflecting on the battles they’ve won and lost. They’ll be thinking about the teammates and rivals they’ve gone to battle with and against – for they share a bond with both.
They’ll be closing a door on something that has preoccupied them since childhood, and has turned them into fine men and women.
They may be apprehensive about what lies ahead – but they will know for sure it's time to face that new challenge now, whatever it brings.
Grant Chapman is Newshub online sports editor.
