COLLEGE ...
THEN WHAT?
Every athlete, all throughout their life, is told to work harder for the next game, the next practice, or the next workout session. But eventually, the athletic career will end.
Then...what does the athlete do next?
That's the hardest question to answer, no matter the sport.
Once the lights go off... once the crowds go home...and once we have to transition to being a non-athlete, while still respecting all the work we had to put in to get to that point.
Hear from one athlete who made that transition, a ballerina-turned-marketing-genius Dana Blair:
Then...what does the athlete do next?
That's the hardest question to answer, no matter the sport.
Once the lights go off... once the crowds go home...and once we have to transition to being a non-athlete, while still respecting all the work we had to put in to get to that point.
Hear from one athlete who made that transition, a ballerina-turned-marketing-genius Dana Blair:
Emotional sideEvery athlete is basically told to not care about their emotions. Suck it up. Play the game. What happens is that athletes don't really understand their emotions. What do they like to do outside of their sport? What makes them happy, other than getting to practice on time? Once an athlete's career ends, all of these things need to be figured out. And it's not easy. It takes a lot of hard work to understand yourself and what you love and believe in.
RelationshipsRelationships are tough as an athlete. Friends, family, teammates, they most likely all saw you as "the athlete". Once you finish your career, you are no longer "the athlete". Whoa! Who are you then? What do people ask you about if they can't ask you if you will go pro or make the Olympics? What do you say back? Understanding who you are and who you want to be away from the sport is mandatory.
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intellectual sideAlong with the emotional side, the intellectual side of athletes also gets lost by the wayside. You read a basketball book? That's great. What else? What business books have you read? How are you developing your mind away from the sport? When we are encompassed by coaches, parents, family, community, scouts, and teammates who sell us the dream, developing our mind is something we don't take seriously, or something we don't do at all. Until our career ends. Wonder where the dumb jock stereotype comes from? Right there. Know your sport and only your sport, and you are not setting yourself up for success long-term.
financialThe financial side isn't discussed by coaches, parents, or teammates. How about a career away from your sport? Are you talking about that with people? Are you diving deep on what you want to do and how you can be great at it? A small percentage of people will play their sport pro, and even less play that sport after 3 years. Then what? Set yourself up for financial success once this career ends.
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