The ball is in your court: Five ways student athlete can prepare for future career

As a newly retired athlete I understand how hard it is to prepare for life after athletics. Not only do they have to work hard at their specific craft, they also have to worry about their education. There are many skills that athletes use everyday that could also be used in the workforce.  Here are some ways that an athlete can use their skills in the workforce: 

1.Time Management 

Student athletes have to be very proficient at time management. Whether that be the long practices, road trips or studying for a final exam, student athletes must have time management skills. When you have a career time management is very important; every deadline must be met and work must be done properly. During your career, if you don’t manage your time properly, you will be fired or demoted, just like in sports.

2. Effort 

Student athletes must put in excellent effort to succeed at their craft. The more effort that an athlete puts in, the better results they see in their craft. When you have a job and you show great effort, you get more benefits out of it, like a promotion. When you show great effort, people will want to work hard just because they see you doing it. 

3. People Skills 

Student Athletes work with all kinds of different people, races, genders and ethnicities. This is mainly unique to athletes because they have to play against their opponent or interact with their teammates closely. In the workforce, you will meet people from all kinds of different places and will have to interact with people that are a different race than your own. Athletes will have the upper hand because of years of competition. This will impress your boss, because a person with good people skills is hard to find. 

4. Leadership Skills 

As a student athlete, your ability to lead your team on and off the field will determine how successful your team will be. Without good leadership on the job, the entire operation can fail; just like in sports, you must work as a team. Weak leadership is equal to a weak team. Strong leadership is equal to a strong team. As a leader, accountability is key for any team, whether that is a sports team or just your coworkers.  The stronger your team works together, the more success they will have. 

5. Perseverance

The best student athletes are survivors, warriors and they never give up. All of the student athletes’ skills I have named are important, but if you don’t have perseverance, it is hard to be successful. Student athletes have this skill, which is great in the workforce. No matter how bad it gets, the student athlete will not give up which mean they can handle the ups and the downs of a career more than most people.