College life…there is nothing like it! Embrace it! You only have four years and trust me, those four years will go by faster than you could imagine! As a student-athlete you don’t have that much of a social life, especially while you are in season! As fast as those four years go by, don’t let the years finish the race before you do. What I mean by that is don’t let time continue to go by without you making a plan for yourself for after college. If it takes plan A, B, and C then make it happen!
At my alma mater, Claflin University, we had some great people in our Career Services department who did everything in their power to help students find jobs. An issue that I noticed was being able to reach out to the student-athletes. As much as we are not suppose to make the separation between regular students, and student-athletes, it is pretty hard not to! At some point you have to stop and realize that you have to be responsible and make the necessary steps towards your future after sports!
Although my schedule was always hectic, I made time to try to stay in contact with our career services department. A lady by the name of Ms. Green always offered to help critique my resume, cover letter, and personal statement. We also had many forums that were held on how to conduct ourselves in interviews. Looking back, I realize how valuable those tools help me as I transitioned away from my sport.
It’s not the easiest transition but honestly it’s coming rather you like it or not. Like most, sports has been my whole life. I played basketball for 10 years, volleyball, track & field, cross country, and softball. Sports was my outlet, and somewhat therapeutic for me. I always stayed busy, just like most of you student-athletes today. Imagine how I felt when I knew I wouldn’t be playing under that whistle anymore……what a TRANSITION! I came to terms that I can’t play forever but I knew that the skills I learned through playing sports would help me once I got into the workforce.
