This one is simple. Does going on an LDS Church mission for two years hurt an athlete's career? Few who go on missions come back & get back to a top level. This seems to be the case with those who are world class athletes before leaving. The two years off, even if some mission presidents allow them to train part time while in the mission field, hurts them and shortens their careers. Cael Sanderson of Iowa State just completed four years undefeated with four NCAA wrestling titles and is now headed to what may be a great future in international and Olympic freestyle wrestling. Cam Jones is being called a future world champion in Greco Roman wrestling but has chosen to serve a mission and this is being questioned as it will have a major impact on his development. Two years off when at or near the top of your sport can hurt any athlete. It isn't a rest period, it is the loss of training & learning time that takes away from development. 

With the two years off few top athletes come back & have the career that were projected before they left. Yes, they could have stayed home & been stopped by injury or accident or just lost disire or whatever. But losing two years seems to hurt them in athletics more than it helps, with religious or philosophical questions not part of this equation.

Does the mission hurt the athletic performance in the future?