Balling Onward: Athlete To Successful Business Person

Becoming the best at what you do while developing yourself to be well-rounded for life after college…

Playing in college as a student-athlete was the most liberating experience that I have had. Current student athletes enjoy it while it lasts! I truly feel that there is no comparison to the college atmosphere. To be dedicated to an institution as an athlete and a student is a huge responsibility and to be given the opportunity to compete as a Division I athlete is commendable. If you are given the opportunity to compete on the highest level of college sports, first and foremost, be proud of yourself! In each step of your journey, take time to self-reflect and applaud yourself for where you have made it. When you make 10 free throws in a row, when you make yourself get up and go to the gym to get some extra shots up despite having to stay up all night studying, when you beat your time during conditioning workouts – Celebrate!

LESSON LEARNED: Be proud! You have to be your biggest supporter! Make it a habit to celebrate small and big victories throughout your journey…

You (student-athlete) Are In Control-Be About It!

As a student-athlete, like other college students still receiving aid from family back home, you are not yet an adult (Despite what we may think when we are in the moment and in college). Especially if you are on a full ride scholarship (Like many Division I athletes), your school takes care of your room and board, your dining cost, admission and enrollment fees and your books. You are also given a stipend in many instances. I say student-athletes are not yet adults because we are required to meet the schedules and expectations of our coaches and even the NCAA rules and regulations which hold us accountable in meeting standards. Although, most of us have gone through playing sports in college, we can admit that we had a lot of growing and maturing to do at the time.  Don’t allow yourself to feel like you are competing more to try to please your coach than you are to better yourself. We often hear coaches refer to player as “kids.” Saying things like, “I am going to meet this ‘Kid’ who I am recruiting in California” or yeah, “She/He is a good kid.” This label of “Kid” begins during the recruiting phases of sports and sticks with student-athletes throughout their college career. Don’t allow the commonly used label of “Kid” to deter you from growing as an individual. Student-athletes who get lost in pleasing their coaches tend to forget why they began to play in the first place. Remember who you are and continue to grow (mentally, physically, emotionally etc.) for yourself.

We feel bad or guilty when we do not please our coaches. We are punished when we are late to practice. A coach is essentially like a student-athlete’s guardian while on campus and they treat the situation that way. Coaches are trying to protect their students from failing in classes or getting in trouble off campus. The difference from a coach and a parent’s worry for a student’s behavior and performance is that a Coach understands that if he/she loses a great player because of misbehavior or bad performance that he will most likely lose more competitions and possibly lose his job. Sports in college is essentially a Business. We all hope that student-athletes have a loyal coach who is genuinely concerned about the student-athlete rather than the university winning count, but finding that is rare. Knowing that, we want to ensure that the coaches that student-athletes commit to for their four years of college athletics are coaches that make sure that their experiences as a student-athlete are progressive and fulfilling to the student-athlete’s future, rather than a negative impact on the student-athlete’s development as both an athlete and an individual.

We must understand as parents and as students, that coaches have a job as well. They have to meet quotas.  They have to recruit enough dominant players to get enough wins for their institution. If they are not effective at their jobs and tasks that are outlined in their job description, they could be in jeopardy of losing their jobs.  It is important that we keep this in mind as we are being recruited and once we have committed to an institution. The reason it is important is for us to constantly remind ourselves of our priorities and intentions prior to even meeting the coaching staff we commit to. High expectations for a coach to help with anything outside of sports or after sports will only cause more disappointment. Reality is, you have to build yourself in college so you will be confident to take on the world and it’s challenges after sports. It is very rare that a coach assists ALL of his or her student-athletes in transitioning to life after sports. I don’t think coaches are evil people.  I think that college sports is a business to them and many others involved. The more players perform, the more they get paid.

LESSON LEARNED:  Keep our emotional and physical selves at our maximum potential by not allowing coaches to “let you down.” My Dad would always tell me to “Stay in the middle.” I hadn’t truly realized the meaning of this until I had to work under a supervisor and do exactly that. Do not become so emotionally vested that your feelings will be crushed when you are disappointed, but care enough to respect your coaches.

What was your initial goal as a student-athlete?

Write down thoughts before committing to any institution. Try to think about what your end goal is as a student and an athlete. I guarantee that prior to being recruited that your goal was to make sure you pleased your coaches. If you lose sight of your initial vision and end goal while you are in college, you will be disappointed. In my experience as a young student-athlete, I found that I was very concerned about not upsetting my coaches. This meant that every game that was lost or every game that I did not shoot well or made mistakes, I questioned if I was a disappointment. My overthinking effected my performance.  That is not to blame coaches at all or to say not to trust coaches. It is however, something that would have been helpful to hear during college to fully understand that trust in your coaching staff is completely acceptable, but to what extent you trust is also an acceptable question.  Parents should trust the coaching staff who their student-athlete commits to but should also consider that this is their job and as part of their job, these coaches sell their institution to hundreds, or even thousands (depending on the sport) student-athletes a year. Their job entails them recruiting great athletes and upholding the face of the university, which may mean maintaining student-athletes, even if they are not the best fit to avoid controversy.

LESSON LEARNED: Throughout your college journey, continue to reference your end goal.  You will encounter many changes and you are developing constantly. It is important to remember your end goal. Why are you there?

The Coach’s Role

I not only know that some coaching roles can be merely a highly paid salesman position because of my experience being recruited, but also from listening to a football coach recruit his student-athletes. All day he would be on the phone, talking to recruits or their parents and had the same leisure conversation with each and everyone one of them. Speaking to on average about 20 potential students per day. He would initially talk to a new recruit beginning the conversation with asking about the recruit’s family. I am assuming this was his way of making the recruit feel like he was concerned about his personal life. He would then discuss some of the academic programs and opportunities available for the student-athlete. He would gauge from the grades and the discussions he had with the student-athlete at introduction if he should focus more on academics as opposed to the athletic facilities. Obviously, in this example, he was exemplifying his intentions to only promote education, if the 17-18 year old student-athlete showed interest in it. If he did focus on education with the student-athlete, he show interest in the student-athletes planned major. This was all part of the selling of the program, seeing that when most students committed to this particular institution, they were placed on a “start-up” route where they would take courses their first year that would allow them to remain eligible to compete. These would be courses that were easier to pass by students or that the instructors were notified that they had a majority of student-athletes, so they would plan to grade easier or give less work. It’s not a myth, this really does happen in big college. In the end, it hurts the student-athlete more than anyone else. Rather than focusing on how institutions can develop the student-athlete in order for them to be able to keep up in the major that he/she chooses, instead institutions find an easy major that requires very little development or effort from the student-athlete.

LESSON LEARNED: When a young student-athlete arrives on campus after committing to an institution, they are overwhelmed with a huge life change. They most likely are not knowledgeable enough about the courses at the university to ask the right questions. Parents, make sure you are heavily involved with this process so that your coaching staff and support staff understand that you will consistently be checking on you student’s academic performance. (Provide email to for list of questions to ask on a college visit)

After speaking with the student-athlete, he would ask to speak with the parents…

On the phone with parents of recruits, he would ask about the family again and ensure that the parent understood the university and team was very family oriented. The coach I am referring to had no family at the time, so he would make sure the recruit’s family knew he planned to have a family in the future [lol]. I assume he shared this to ensure that he was able to have a compassionate relationship with their son, like a father would for his family.  He would have casual conversation, find out some of the parent’s interests and impress them with his charm. HE, was a true Salesperson!

I don’t share this story to say that there are all twisted coaches in college sports. I am still great friends with some of my coaches that I have had over the years. I do, however, realize after working in the business industry and having a Superior direct me under professional circumstances and also having to direct others who were my subordinates, that there are times when you have to defend your job and role at any means necessary.

I say that to put into perspective the chain of command that still exists in college sports.  The assistant coaches, who work most with the student-athlete directly are given directives from their bosses. These directives may not be “Right” or ethical. A coach’s morality could be questioned. They may preach that they have loyalty to student-athletes and families, but they have superiors too that they have to “impress” to stay employed. Head coaches, I am sure feel the same pressures from Athletic Directors, donors and community. Essentially, college athletics is a business. It can get very political at times like many other professional organizations. As a student-athlete, and parent of a student-athlete, you should try as hard as you can to avoid being affected by decisions made by your coaches and have FUN! Focusing on our initial goal will help you remember this as you deal with coach’s criticism, team drama, classroom responsibilities, judgement from peers and more throughout your college journey.

LESSON LEARNED: Although it is easier said than done, focus on your achievements & what you are accomplishing. Don’t be arrogant, but be proud. Approach school with the mindset to receive your degree first- despite your goals of competing at the professional level in sports. I guarantee you with the time you spend on the court during season and off season, you are developing as an athlete. Your commitment to a college degree is an achievement to be recognized as well. Don’t get lost in this moment of constant change. Take time to be proud of yourself! 

Appreciate Where You Are and Where You Are Going

IT IS EASY FOR US, AS COMPETITORS, TO GET CAUGHT UP IN WHAT IT TAKES FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WE OFTEN FORGET THAT SUCCESS ENTAILS SELF-REFLECTION. UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATING WHERE YOU ARE AT THIS POINT AND WHERE YOU COME FROM. IN EACH STEP OF YOUR STUDENT-ATHLETE JOURNEY, APPRECIATE THE MOMENTS AND LIVE IN THE MOMENTS.

I was thinking of creative ways to ensure that my work from my PhD did not go to waste. My goal with my PhD was to gain credibility in order to help create an exceptional higher educational system for student-athletes that will incorporate their growth after college (which oftentimes is not considered when implementing programs for this student group). Without any filter: Higher education institutions, especially at the Division I level only care for their student-athletes to stay average or just below average in the classrooms so they can remain eligible to compete athletically at the institution – especially in sports that generate revenue for the institution. Before the systems in place for student-athletes are improved and in place, it is important to start with believing in your ability and understanding a successful life after sports is tangible and achievable.

Transitioning to life after sports is tough and you are, in most cases, alone. Seek mentorship and some sort of transition preparation. It is necessary. You have the potential to be great after sports. With our without sports, trust the process, be patient and have faith!

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