transition stories

I actually think I ate more and worse during college. The availability of fast foods, and a lot of it, probably made it worse. For a while though, that “type” of eating stayed with me after graduation. I had to really think about what I was eating for. I wasn’t burning so many calories anymore, so I didn’t need to consume as many either.

Describe your background and experience with sports in general.

I played baseball, soccer, volleyball, and hockey growing up in Canada. Then I focused solely on hockey (the thing to do in Canada). I started playing hockey at age 4 and continue to play today. I played at the highest level of minor hockey in Toronto, then played what’s called Junior Hockey for 2 years, and then I was recruited to play as an NCAA student-athlete. So pretty much hockey was what brought opportunities into my life, yet also kept me from experiencing some other things that some of my friends were experiencing (family travel, winter/spring vacations, consistent part-time employment, “time”).

Describe what it was like for you to transition out of college sports. What did this experience mean to you at the time?

It was pretty difficult. I actually graduated early and therefore had a year of eligibility left over and spent a semester (not as an enrolled student) helping the team. I was trying to hang on to the dream a bit I guess. I knew that I probably wasn’t going to play pro, even if I had the talent to do so, and many of my teammates would. For me, using 4-6 years to play minor hockey didn’t seem worth it in the long run. Once I was “done” it felt a little strange. Even after getting into graduate school, when people asked me what I was in school for it was strange to think of myself as “just a student.”

In your experience, explain what the most difficult part of no longer being a college athlete was for you.

The most difficult part about not being a student-athlete anymore was thinking about what I was possibly missing, especially since I had a year of eligibility left. I always wondered (and still do), What if I stayed another year?

Describe any personal strategies, people, or other resources that helped you make a positive transition.

I can’t say there is one single strategy that I used to make a positive transition, but one thing I take pretty seriously is “hindsight.” I look at what hockey gave me. I look at where it took me (school). I look at when I stopped playing and where I ended up. And that makes me think, Hey, that worked out pretty well.  It’s difficult to do that in the short-term, but overall that has helped me feel good about where I am today and what being a student-athlete did for me then.

How has your physical activity changed since college?

Oh, boy…It goes up and down. I am currently down. I feel like I always need to “go hard” or just stay home. So if I don’t have 60 minutes in the gym, it feels useless. I am getting better at it, but some days it’s much easier to stay at my desk.

How have your eating habits changed since college?

I actually think I ate more and worse during college. The availability of fast foods, and a lot of it, probably made it worse. For a while though, that “type” of eating stayed with me after graduation. I had to really think about what I was eating for. I wasn’t burning so many calories anymore, so I didn’t need to consume as many either.

What advice would you give to current student-athletes as they prepare to make their own transition out of college?

Reflect, reflect, reflect. Reflect on the type of person being a student-athlete made you and think about what it means for your future. Think about all the amazing things you’re about to experience that you’ve never experienced before and just soak it in. Just because you’ll no longer be a “student-athlete” doesn’t mean that time in your life is gone. It was an important time, and it will always be an important time.