Athletics: it’s more than a game

If someone analyzed a soccer, basketball, or softball game, they might be impressed with an athletic play or cheer on a particular team. In the end, they would come to the conclusion that the goal is to win the game. Still, win or lose, it’s just a game. Although winning is the goal that all athletes want to achieve, athletics is much more than a game. Athletics, especially at the college level, is a laboratory for the growth of future A-player employees. Player A is a high-level employee who is a great leader, role model, and achieves success. Hiring Player A will dramatically change a business, and with the right tactics to retain valuable employees, Player A will attract more high-quality workers.

According to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), the percentage of athletes who continue their athletic careers professionally is miniscule. 1.6% of all NCAA football players will play in the NFL, 0.9% of all female basketball players have the opportunity to play in the WNBA, and 1.4% of male football players continue their college career at a professional level. In the 2013-2014 academic year, 472,625 athletes participated in 23 NCAA sports across the country. Unfortunately, the chances of playing professionally are very slim and many talented athletes must leave athletics and enter the workplace after graduating from college.

The good news for many companies is that athletes educate themselves to be excellent employees. I believe that an employer should hire an athlete as their next employee because:

1. Athletes are achievement oriented

2. Athletes are tough

3. Athletes are good communicators.

4. Athletes are team oriented

5. Athletes are excellent at managing time.

Most athletes have a burning desire to be competitive. An athlete not only competes against an opponent, but also fights for a team position with other teammates. College athletics is a business and each athlete is expected to produce or playing time and / or team place may be in jeopardy. Achievement-oriented individuals refuse to be complacent and tend to never be satisfied. It is important to continually give athletes goals to live for in the workplace. Competing is fun for them and a company will benefit greatly from an athlete’s competitiveness.

Athletics promotes endurance and overcoming adversity to be successful. Overcoming adversity arises in different ways throughout a sports career. Athletes are expected to deal with injuries, adapt to uncontrollable things like a referee’s strike zone, and compete until the end of a game, even if they feel a victory is out of reach. Those who are resilient achieve greatness. For example, in 2004, the Boston Red Sox lost three games to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. It would have been easy to throw in the towel, but the Boston Red Sox refused to give up and the baseball team showed its resilience by winning four games in a row and then winning the World Series. Athletes refuse to let the uncontrollable knock them down; They will fight, scratch and scratch to achieve their goals. An employee with this mindset will be an impactful member of the company and will help create a culture of success.

Especially in a team sport, an athlete is required to have strong communication skills. On the field, your job is to communicate with teammates to make plays and encourage positive action through cheers of support, thus creating a unified atmosphere. Communication is not limited to verbal messages, but to any information that is exchanged from one person to another. Successful athletes are trainable and communicate consistently with their coaches and team members. Coaching ability is essential because without acceptance from both the coaching staff and teammates, communication becomes fragile or breaks down, leading to indecision, lack of confidence and lack of confidence. As a manager, you want your employees to trust the process wholeheartedly, be open to constructive criticism, and communicate through behavior, feedback, and allowing themselves to be trainable. Because an athlete is achievement-oriented and competitive, they tend to be one step ahead of non-athletes and will deliver for business success.

The benefit of being part of a team is probably the most important attribute an athlete can bring to the workplace. Being team-oriented encourages selflessness, consideration of the culture and emotions of others, and represents something much larger than an individual. Athletes work well with others and realize that their actions are a direct reflection of the team and the organization. Problems always arise in a group, but when you are with the same people more than you spend time with the family, you learn to manage and communicate with others while living for a common goal.

Lastly, a college athlete would be a great asset to a company due to their expertise in smart time management. The NCAA requires that all athletes enroll in at least twelve credit hours and maintain a 2.0 grade point average or higher. Athletes must also have a certain percentage towards their degree completed each year in order to participate in their sport. Depending on the Division (I, II or III) and the university, an athlete is also expected to excel in a strength and conditioning program as well as attend practice. Juggling academics, practice, and strength and conditioning is a task that most freshmen struggle with in their freshman year, but at the end of an athlete’s career, it becomes a chore. master of time management. The ability to manage time relieves stress and avoids feeling overwhelmed, as well as reduces drops in performance.

In conclusion, a former student-athlete is an excellent candidate for the next player A of a company. It may look different while competing in your sport, but college athletes have an impact on and off the field. Athletics builds character and sport will push the player beyond their perceived limitations. Athletes are always given a choice and those who persevere through a grueling but rewarding four-year career become better people, better athletes, and have the tools to be contributing members of society. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the best known sponsor in recruiting college athletes. In April 2012, they entered into a partnership with Career Athletes LLC to expand the recruitment of former student-athletes. Other companies associated with Career Athletes LLC include Urban Teacher Center, Northwestern Mutual, Stryker, and Federated Insurance.

References:

Brown, Lisa. “Company signs national association to hire student athletes”. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 25, 2012. Web. November 20, 2015. http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/enterprise-signs-national-partnership-to-hire-student-athletes/article_6f6babf8-8ee6-11e1-9e0a-0019bb30f31a.html

“Estimated Probability of Competing in Professional Athletics”. NCAA investigation. April 14, 2015. Web. November 12, 2015.

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/estimated-probability-competing-professional-athletics