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College athletics prepares you for career challenges

Conditioning, morning practices, injuries, road trips, game days with big wins, losses or close games are constant during a college sports season. Considered one of the busiest times of your life, juggling athletics while working toward a college degree is emotionally and physically draining. The upside, of course, is the discounted tuition, which results in him beating his college-dropout classmates with an average of $21,000 in government loans. Is that the true end of your experience? Absolutely not, he gains valuable leadership and time management skills, experiences ups and downs that mimic real-life executive decisions, and develops a work ethic that will help him thrive in his career.

College athletics provide multiple contributions to your resume, especially if you have a GPA above 3.5. Employers are looking for multitaskers and high achievers. If you are a team captain of your collegiate team, it suggests that you have leadership skills, dedication, and communication. The awards and achievements you receive during your college career signify passion and hard work and that makes for a powerful resume.

Control, last-minute game situations, and tough decision-making take place at some point or another during your college athletic career. How will that translate to your business career? You gain an understanding of how to deal with complex situations. Your ability to deal with conflict is tested as you work in a competitive environment and you get many opportunities during each season.

Have you ever received a bad call during a game? Or have you ever felt incredibly frustrated in your sport? During your business career – a colleague may leave unexpectedly – or the company you work for may make a sudden change. Famous football coach Vince Lombardi says, “It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up.” His familiarity with past frustrations and various situations prepares him for difficult times ahead in his future.

Most athletes develop frustration management skills to be successful in their sport. Do you externalize or internalize your frustration? Do you blame yourself or other people? College-level competition tests your true personality. Nearly every college athlete has sustained an injury due to the intense stress placed on their body during four years of college-level athletics. Patience and the struggles you face teach you adaptability. Traits that are incredibly difficult to teach are habitual due to their experiences. The victories and failures you encounter give you experience in handling real-life situations.

One of our own presidents competed at the college level. Gerald Ford, our 38th president, played college football at the University of Michigan. He played center on offense and linebacker on defense. Ford helped Michigan win national championships in 1932 and 1933. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science between 1931 and 1935. “Sports became a training ground for politics, because it taught Ford how to handle the glare of media, including sharp criticism from critics, he learned should never get far under his skin” (Mieczkowski). President Ford’s experience playing college football helped him achieve many of his life goals, including earning a law degree from Yale University.

College athletes get more than a scholarship for education, they receive leadership skills, teamwork, and competitive learning. The physically intense workouts you face as an athlete shape you physically and mentally for the rest of your life. You made it to the college athletic level, you’re a natural competitor. Controversy and diversity is an environment you have become accustomed to. You learned how to win and succeed or lose and bounce back with a team. Participating in college sports teaches and develops your natural business skills. Due to his involvement in sports, he is now accustomed to an active lifestyle and this will culminate in a successful business career.

Sources:

Mieczkowski, Yanek. (02-08-04). Gerald Ford’s secrets to success… 30 years after he became president It’s time to consider what motivated him. History News Network, February 13, 2011, http://www.hnn.us/articles/6501.html

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