I am not a professional athlete, never was, never will be, and am happy with my playing career being an average local YMCA basketball player. Like most people, I have never made money participating in sports, and actually spend money to participate in the sports I enjoy. It was known at an early age that I would never be an NBA player but the lessons I learned and continue to learn in the sports arena help me on a daily basis in the business world. There is a certain drive with most athletes and will to succeed that can be used to help the athletes with life after sports. I can only imagine the transition from professional athletics to “life after sports” would be extremely difficult for many athletes. Sports have been the athlete’s drive in life for many years and when the professional sports career ends, what next? I recently sat down with retired NFL safety Ainsley Battles to discuss life after sports and to discuss the online arena he has started to help athletes network with each other and help with the transition from athletics to the business world.
The following is from Ainsley Battles regarding his transition.
As I have gone from the playing field into the working world I see the advantages athletes bring to organisations. Our greatest attribute as an athlete is our ability to honestly critique ourselves. The ability to handle criticism from external sources (coaches) is not something new, in fact athletes seek the input of their colleagues and supervisors. We know how important criticism relates to success. I learned from a young age, “You are not as good as you think, and things are never as bad as they seem.” If you are like me you have had your fair shares of being “chewed out.” I’ve learned to hear the message instead of the tone.
On the other hand, a drawback of being an athlete is learning how to express myself. All athletes know the culture of the weight-room or the practice field. The majority of things that you can say and do are simply not acceptable in the working world. I mean the intensity you approach your work with can really scare people. There is a time and place for emotion. There is a cultural learning curve that happens. The successful athlete will be the one who learns how keep their intensity and remain approachable. Athletics lays a great foundation, no matter the sport.
I think most athletes get into trouble because they don’t know what job sector to enter. As an athlete, you develop different sides of yourself. The athlete, who performs, the private person, who you are away from your sport, the son/daughter, who you are with your family (not just blood related). The sports world provides an arena for all these personalities to exist in harmony. When sports is over, the personality is still there.
Ainsley had an idea a few years ago to start something that would allow athletes to connect with each other and help with the transition from sports to business. That vision is now coming together on the web site Joccupation.com. Battles states the following regarding Joccupation –
Joccupation.com is a social networking website that equips athletes for their transition from playing to working. As a former professional athlete, I know first hand how terrifying the transition can be. After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2000, I began my NFL career as a walk-on, undrafted free agent, with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After four seasons, I suffered a career ending injury.
Upon my retirement in 2006, I realized a universal truth: as sure as a career starts, it must come to an end. Athletes must understand the value that their training, discipline, and performance can add to their occupations off of the field. What’s missing is the link between athletes and business. Joccupation.com fills this gap through our web-based social networking services.
Transitioning professional athletes need to be empowered to think of themselves as more than playmakers on the field. Joccupation.com will help them see themselves as corporate professionals who can use their experiences on the playing field to contribute to the success of corporate and community interests. This site has been created around the following ideals: identify transferable skills athletes bring to business, manage career expectations, create a framework of thought to navigate in the business world, and facilitate direct communication with other athletes who have made, are making, or will make the transition.
It is a very interesting site that is free for everyone to use and people don’t have to be professional athletes to be a part of the community. It will be interesting to see if the site catches on – it is a great idea and offers a great arena for athletes who mean business.