Life After the Game

Mark Coogan was himself a college athlete for the University of Maryland track team. He went on to become Dartmouth’s track and field coach and consequently, he’s been able to see the transformation and growth of athletes firsthand.

I asked what type of wisdom he imparts to the incoming freshmen who don’t know what to expect. His response was unexpected, to say the least. “The world doesn’t change if you don’t win a game,” Mark said.

I did not expect to hear a former college athlete and professional runner — and a coach — say that. When I asked why, he said that he feels that the sadness and depression that comes with a hard-fought loss is sometimes treated too seriously.

Mark goes on to tell them: “Your mom and dad still love you, and you still have your same friends. You try your best, but don’t justify your existence by being on a sports team.” Mark believes that athletes relax and then compete better when they come to grips with the idea that there is more to life than sports.

“If your whole self-worth is found in how you compete in a sport, you’re probably going to get tight, not be loose, be stressed, and then you miss free throws, false start, or miss your PK,” he said.

The funny thing here is that I did this, literally.

My entire life had been about my identity as an athlete. My aspirations were athletically related and I never saw myself being able to give it up. I missed my PK, hung up my cleats, and said goodbye to the game. But, thankfully, what I learned during the game prepared me for life after the game.


**

The most difficult part about an athlete’s mental and physical investment in college sports is when it comes to an end. This seems like kind of a no-brainer, but it needs to be said. Because how do you just walk away from a sport that you’ve spent so many hours trying to perfect?

It takes a lot of self-reflection and time to realize that an athlete isn’t just an athlete. Athletes are capable professionals that have all of the key qualities to succeed in life. By the time their collegiate sports careers are over, athletes will have spent countless hours training and investing their time in a sport that, up until this point, has very much defined their existence. They’ve followed their passion for years — most of their lives — and once they hang up their uniforms, the struggle is to find something new. Something into which they can channel that raw energy.

The truth is that it’s going to end for every athlete some day. The moment you put pen to paper on your National Letter of Intent, you guarantee yourself a maximum of four years of eligibility. But when those years fly by faster than you’d ever imagined, you’re going to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “What do I do now?”

You use your athletic career to start your professional career.

“You are far more prepared to tackle the real world than you think you are,” says Carey Goodman, former Duke women’s soccer player and assistant director of athletics development at William & Mary. “You already have all of the skills to conquer the working world: time management, effective communication, work ethic, teamwork. Be confident in yourself. Follow your passion, even if it leads you down an unconventional path.”

During your athletic career, you’ve been managing the workload equivalent to a job. Waking up early, staying up late, putting in the extra hours of training, moving from team to team and across state lines, all to live your dream and passion.

College athletes might not have the most elaborate resumés, jam-packed with prestigious internships and work experience, but this fact can never take away from the experiences they have endured, the lessons learned, and the intangible attributes that playing a college sport has granted them.

To recruiting officers, CEOs, and other business owners: the “lack” of experience that you think an athlete with no work experience has . . . her athletic career has made her a committed, resilient, hard-working leader who knows a thing or two about time-management and teamwork.

Study after study has shown that former college athletes are well-equipped to enter the real world:

• Former student-athletes are more likely to be thriving in purpose, community, and social well-being, according to Gallup.
• Out of 400 female executives surveyed, 61% attributed their athletic participation to their professional success, according to an ESPN survey.

Athlete, you’re not just a dumb jock. You have trained for years, not just to play a sport, but to excel in life. Go live that life.

Businessman, don’t mistake a lack of work for a lack of dedication. Athletes have trained for years, not just to play a sport, but to be dedicated to a team, a goal, and a mission. Give them that opportunity.