name a few differences.
To that end, this book is written with everyone in mind and with no single classification featured. All student-athletes are welcome in this book and all are acknowledged. All of us are challenged to do the best we can and to help each other out. We must learn to be interdependent (as Covey wrote). And to encourage one another.
We sincerely hope these pages will unlock a few of the mysteries contained and camouflaged on college campuses. We are confident these “secrets” can make you more successful in college and beyond. We wish you all the best,
The Authors
How to Use This Book
NOT SURE HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK (OR WHERE TO START)?
If you are a high school student-athlete hoping to play collegiate athletics, please read Secrets 1–11 first.
If you are a high school senior who won’t compete as a collegiate student-athlete, check out Secrets 12–20.
If you are a college freshman or sophomore, check out Secrets 1–11 and 15 first, then 12–14 and 16–20.
If you are a college junior or senior, check out ALL the Secrets.
If you are a college graduate, check out Secrets 13, 14, and 16–20.
And as a special request to everyone, please review the recommended readings and other resources (found in Appendix B) for your ongoing benefit.
Part 1
Succeeding as a Student-Athlete
Secret 1
Create and Follow Your Student-Athlete Plan
THE SECRET IN A FEW WORDS
There is an old saying that failing to plan is planning to fail. Sure, it’s a simple twist on a few words, but the second part of the saying is where the big outcome rests. No plan means you fail. For many that word “plan” is probably mysterious or simply a hassle. Most of us remember in elementary school having to produce an outline that used roman numerals, capital letters, and arabic numerals. Many of us thought it was stupid to be forced to outline a report on birds or the state of Tennessee. Why couldn’t we just start writing the report? The reason was that “the plan” (i.e., the outline) would make writing the story so much easier. For student-athletes, the creation of a plan, simple or otherwise, is a massive determinant in achieving post–athletic career success.
CREATE AND FOLLOW YOUR STUDENT-ATHLETE PLAN
When we asked Oliver Luck, Executive Vice President of the NCAA, about career planning for a student-athlete, he succinctly said, “The backup plan is going pro in your sport.” Yes, a leader of the NCAA who played in the NFL is suggesting that a career in pro sports is Plan B. Plan A is your life path based on your academic choices.
Steve Cobb, Director of the Arizona Fall League, said, “It is important to have a plan as an athlete, a roadmap. If you don’t have a plan, you aren’t going to get to where you want to be. And you can have the best game plan of anyone, but if you don’t have the right people supporting you or around you, your plan won’t be as effective.”
Wise words from these two executives are ones to take to heart, and an indication that you should probably start your plan now.
Most young adults arriving on a college campus as recruited student-athletes (or walk-ons) have both specific and vague goals. And the source of these goals has likely come from life experiences, role models, parents, or peers. Commonly held objectives for freshmen student-athletes entering college include the following:
List No. 1
1. Impress the coaching staff and earn “playing time.”
2. Beat out others on the team and emerge as a “starter.”
3. Take advantage of the university’s training facilities to help achieve Goals 1 and 2.
4. Make new friends and settle into college life.
5. Figure out how to balance athletics with academics and a social life and eventually graduate.
6. Make sure to take care of mental health and consistently make good decisions on sleep, food, socializing, and interpersonal relationships.
Unfortunately, for most student-athletes, there are several other desirable goals that never get stated or are formulated so vaguely that they don’t register until late in an athlete’s senior year. Those goals look a lot more like this:
List No. 2
1. Identify a professional work career that seems exciting and will sustain the lifestyle I want for the many years after I finish playing my sport.
2. Graduate in four or five years with a degree in a major that will enhance the procurement and enjoyment of my future professional career.
3. Graduate with honors or a GPA that will impress future employers or make admission to graduate, medical, or law school possible.
4. Take advantage of every single Athletic Department and University/College offering that makes me more accomplished and more functional for life after college.
5. Build an individual brand that resonates with teachers, administrators, the media, and future employers.
6. Join professional groups on campus or attend professional presentations that facilitate the development of a well-rounded individual and not “just” a “jock” or athlete.
7. Take advantage of the travel opportunities related to my sport and get to know the different cities and countries I might visit. Get out and explore.
. . .
ROB SMITH
(former student-athlete, Head Baseball Coach at Ohio University)
I didn’t have a plan, and I was very misguided early on in the process. I had some struggles, and I didn’t really get things going until after my first year in school. I learned how to start prioritizing things like my academics, because the baseball wasn’t hard to prioritize.
I was also the first person in my family to graduate from college, so academics wasn’t a highly emphasized thing in our house, and I got buried early on because of that.
The
