Growing up, I wanted to be the first female professional
baseball player. Well, that didn’t work out (yet), so my next dream was to be a
college softball player. That one did.
I am so thankful for the time I spent playing softball at
Campbellsville University. Now that the experience is over, though, I realize
just how instrumental those years were and are to my career today. The
characteristics I developed and lessons I learned have led me to believe that
college athletes have quite an advantage when it comes to beginning their
careers.
Here are the top 10
things college athletics taught me:
1.
If
You are on Time, you are Late
This statement used to irk the fire out of
me (Shannon Wathen). It seems like such a small concept, but I am so thankful that
this was ingrained into my brain. In the professional world, timeliness is
everything. I may not make 18 people run an extra timed mile if I’m two minutes
late to a meeting, but I certainly can make my company or client’s image
suffer. Early is on time.
2.
Work
Hard when No One is Looking
I learned this lesson the hard way. My
first summer before freshman year, I didn’t take the conditioning, lifting,
hitting or fielding very seriously. No one was looking, so I didn’t see why it
mattered. When I stepped on campus, though, and my body could barely take the
first of three practices that day, I determined I would never slack in my off time
again. This has come to be especially important in a job where I have the
blessing to work at home. I know that my work matters whether or not my boss
sees my every assignment get completed. I have a job to get done- despite the
recognition.
3.
How
to Work with Different Types of People
I think this is one of the best qualities
that can result from playing a team sport. I spent hours upon hours with the
same group of girls every week. Many of these hours were full of fun and
happiness, but, as you can expect with a group full of 18-22 year old females,
much of the time was drama and tiring. I learned to appreciate the qualities of
my teammates and how to work together with all sorts of personalities and
levels of ability. This is extremely important in the career world, where I
work with different ages and personalities. There is still one goal, despite
the differences.
4.
Move
Past and Learn from a Mistake
I took far too long to develop this skill.
Moving past a mistake for a perfectionist is difficult. But when you bobble a
grounder and have an extra base runner on due to your error, you have to learn
to get ready for the next ball. Harping on one error only leads to more. The
same is true in the working world. I had a week a few months ago where it
seemed every project I worked on and e-mail I sent had an error in it of some
type. Prior to my college athletic experience, I would have beat myself up.
Instead, I used it as a motivator to get better and pushed past it.
5.
How
to Take Criticism
College athletics are not for the weak at
heart. I had to toughen up very quickly when I began my career at CU. If I made
a mistake or could have done better, I could count on being told so. I learned
criticism is not to tear me apart, but to challenge me. The same is true in the
working world. Former college athletes are able to take the criticism and
challenge.
6.
Work
for the Bigger Picture
I truly believe most college athletes who
played a team sport enter the working world with the unique ability to
understand their company’s mission. Every day at practice or in games you are
reminded it isn’t about YOU. If I am asked to sacrifice bunt in order to
advance a runner, I will gladly sacrifice my base for the good of the team.
That transfers into my career. If I am asked to run errands or staple papers, I
see the bigger picture and how it benefits the organization as a whole.
7.
There
is Always Room for Improvement
No matter how great of a ball player you
are, you can always be a better one. If I reached one goal at Campbellsville,
all the sudden I was challenged with a new goal. A .350 batter should aim to be
a .450 batter, or a faster runner or better bunter. In the same way, I know I
will never reach my max in writing ability or marketing skills. I can always be
better. In fact, that is part of the reason this blahg exists- to become a
better writer.
8.
How
to Succeed
Not many people need to be taught to
celebrate when they succeed. It’s a great feeling to win a ball game or nail a
work project. I do think, though, that I learned how to properly “win” during my time at Campbellsville. I learned
how to be proud of my success, but still evaluate and see how I could improve.
I learned to win with humility and to give credit to my team above myself. When
former athletes do well in their job, I think they use it as fuel to continue
succeeding for the good of their business.
9.
How
to Lose
True character is shown in a loss. Nothing
would make me angrier than losing a game. In high school, this anger resulted
in sulking and a “give up” mentality. At CU, I learned I had to use the anger
to fuel improvement. A loss meant taking extra cuts the next day and getting my
mindset ready for another game. The same is true in the workplace. When I do
fail, I now have the mental strength to move past it and let the failure fuel
me to do better, while maintaining integrity.
10.
How to Enjoy my Work
I love softball. At the collegiate level,
though, many days it felt like more of a job than a hobby. I had to constantly
remind myself of my first love of the game. Every day was full of hundreds of
grounders and cuts and every day I tried to remind myself just how much I loved
the opportunity to catch another ball and swing another bat. In the same way, I
think college athletes have the ability to find what they love about their job
and continuously work with that reminder. I love writing. Even the days when it
isn’t new and exciting, I remind myself of that first love and how thankful I
am for the opportunity to write as a part of my job.
What do you think? Are there other benefits I missed or even
negative results of college athletics?
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