Why Student-Athletes Make The Best Employees
Being a Division One student-athlete was akin to a demanding full-time occupation. It encompassed early morning gym sessions, followed by a packed schedule of classes, football meetings, and intense practice sessions. While the daily timetable varied with the season, it was not uncommon to invest approximately seven hours each day in athletic-related activities.
The transition from high school to college marked a notable increase in the time dedicated to athletic pursuits. Initially, the demands of being a Division One student-athlete were somewhat overwhelming, but with time, I adapted and thrived.
It might come as a surprise, but the level of detail that goes into a sport is remarkable. This involved frequent meetings, diligently studying opponents, critiquing our own performance, and implementing game plans. Moreover, we were expected to have playbooks, schemes, and strategies committed to memory for both our team and the opposition, necessitating additional study outside the designated football hours.
The most intense period of the year fell in August, a month before school commenced and before our first game. During this time, football, volleyball, and soccer players were often the sole inhabitants of the campus, making non-student-athletes a rare sight. We affectionately referred to this period as “fall camp.”
Fall camp was characterized by grueling hours of film sessions, meetings, and two-a-day practices, leaving little room for anything other than football.
A typical day during this period followed a structured routine:
- 7:00 AM: Breakfast
- 8:00 AM: Meeting
- 9:00 AM: Practice
- Noon: Lunch
- 2:00 PM: Meeting
- 3:00 PM: Practice
- 6:00 PM: Dinner
Most collegiate sports necessitate year-round training, with varying durations throughout the year. These statistics reflect the average hours spent per week on athletic activities during the season in 2010, but they only scratch the surface. When you factor in the time required for excelling in the classroom, the total hours invested as a student-athlete become considerably greater.
In essence, the life of a student-athlete is defined by a constant juggling act, and it equips them with valuable skills that are highly desirable in any organizational setting. These experiences cultivate high-stress tolerance and effective time management skills.
Reason 1 — Perseverance: Student-athletes face challenges on and off the field, requiring an extraordinary effort to excel both academically and athletically. They cultivate the ability to persist in the face of difficulty, a trait highly valued in the workplace.
Reason 2 — Teamwork: Team sports teach the importance of collaboration and personal sacrifice for the team’s benefit. Student-athletes understand that a team’s success depends on everyone excelling in their roles, a principle they carry into the workplace.
Reason 3 — Discipline: Discipline is ingrained in student-athletes, fostering self-control and the ability to sustain focus. This discipline allows them to make small sacrifices in the present for greater future rewards, a key characteristic of high performers.
Reason 4 — Criticism & Failures: Coaches’ feedback and performance evaluations teach student-athletes to embrace criticism and view failures as opportunities for growth and learning.
Reason 5 — Competitiveness: Competitiveness fuels student-athletes’ motivation to improve, helping them thrive under intense pressure in the competitive business landscape.
Reason 6 — Growth Mindset: Student-athletes with a growth mindset actively seek new opportunities, skills, and challenges, making them limitless in their potential.
In conclusion, student-athletes bring unique perspectives and valuable traits to any organization. An organization’s performance is closely tied to the qualities of its employees, and student-athletes possess the traits that hiring managers seek when evaluating job candidates.