BODY CHANGES *Part One* College Athlete --> Professional Working World

I was lucky enough to be able to experience the life of college athletics. The sense of community and life lessons I gained, are irreplicable. For college athletes, the transition from the world of collegiate sports to the professional working world can be both exciting, yet daunting. I am the type of person who makes plans for plans. So, transitioning into a new world without a detailed agenda, seemed to happen more like a car accident. There is limited preparation or discussion about some of the significant life changes that unravel at a rapid rate. Senior year you are spot lighted, and you have the system down of where to go and who to see. However, in a few short weeks you are a "freshman" all over again. During this transition, I no longer had community at my fingertips and working out- was no longer required. As if those two things weren't enough, I was also navigating time management, nutritional and identity challenges. Everything I had become comfortable with, was tested.

When you are a part of a team you are accepted into a “second family.” You develop roommates, classmates and friends that you encounter on the daily. Upon graduation your “second family” shatters into a million pieces. Your second family continues school or begins establishing their own professional career. Neither you or your teammates schedules sync like they used to. Now, you must go out of your way to make connections. It is so important to fulfill this sense of community in your life. I craved community and began to involve myself in multiple outlets including my job and kickboxing. Even with some major outlets to collaborate frequently, I was still not fully satisfied. So, I got a dog too! Companionship with my dog provided me with a consistent source of unconditional love and connection. This significantly helped me with the feelings of loneliness, anxiety and security during this change of season. Having a dog also provided me with a responsibility to care for and maintain a schedule beyond the scope of myself.

My typical week while in college, would involve walking from class to class, lifting weights and attending practice. That movement was no longer built into my day, and I knew I would need to find a supplement for it. I found my workout outlets by taking my dog on multiple walks, kickboxing and I also began helping my mom on her weight loss goals. Some other ideas people may be interested in could be hiking, Zumba, yoga, joining a recreation team and so much more. I have learned that if I did not get my primary workout completed in the morning, it never get done. You have to be accepting to your body and allow movement to fit in your life. This may be different compared to your friends.

As for your schedule, if you hit auto pilot and don’t pay attention to your needs of recovery, you won’t be able to maintain performing at your highest level. Many people live by the saying “If you love your work, you will never work a day in your life.” To me this means you won’t ever need to take a vacation and well that is a load of crap! Everyone needs breaks from things even if they are doing what they love.  Consider an NFL player, when their work season is over they take a month to recover by going to the beach. As a society we are constantly in "GO MODE" and often reserve the weekend for tinkering, playing catch up and rest. As you can see, rest, comes last and is often the one thing we don’t get to. If you are finding yourself looking forward to the weekends or rolling over your to do list, be sure to take the time off from your busy schedule to slow down. Burnout can happen in a blink of an eye and no job is worth your health.

As a type A, planner… I went from a detailed class and game/practice schedule, to 9-5, with random events sprinkled in. This is TOUGH! You need to set up your calendar. There are birthdays, meetings, workouts, meals, meal prepping, family events, bills and more that no longer have someone else scheduling and monitoring. ITS ON YOU. Time management is so crucial, and it is a big piece that is often overlooked. In fact, many of my friends and coworkers to this day still struggle with time management and over/under book themselves creating unbalance in their work and home life. I enjoy color coordinating my calendars and inserting tabs for best use of my schedules!

Along with changes in your routine, your body may also experience changes. That’s okay, be patient and receptive! In my own experience, one large change was my menstrual cycle. It went from 1 day, every other month to monthly for 5-7 days. It was important for me to not only accept my new unpleasant normal, but adapt by having a routine, and solid meal plan to support my body during different phases. In college, I had access to lunch at the café and I would more than likely have a mix drink at the bar and Taco Bell at 2am. Now, I would be sick for days. When you hit 30, Taco Bell acts more like a laxative than a hangover cure. Having lunch at the café was always convenient, because I never had to consider what to have. There was no brainstorming, grocery shopping, cooking... I just walked in and ate healthy meals. If I would have familiarized myself with how to properly fuel my body and when, I feel I would not have to be playing catch up, as much today.

That leads me to identity. Who am I when I am not on the field? Honestly, I had no idea. When your life is sports you have more than likely trained for thousands of hours, and that sport has become a huge part of who you are. Remember that your sport has taught you so much that applies to your everyday life... Allow yourself to invest your knowledge from your sport into other parts of your life to explore passions and find purpose through other outlets. Some skills I picked up while being in sports that applied to everyday life were teamwork, resilience, dedication and coachability. 

 Remember to use the skills and experiences you have gained from your collegiate career both physically and emotionally, to propel you forward for life after college. With the right support, mindset and preparation you will be resilient and find success on your endeavors!