transition stories

Anytime a professor or anyone I met asked me to describe myself or give a few characteristics about my life, my go-to answer was, I am a field hockey player. But when my senior year ended, I was no longer a field hockey player. Something that defined me for so long no longer was true. That was the most difficult piece to it- how should I define myself now?

Describe your background and experience with sports in general.

Growing up I always played/tried every sport even though field hockey was my favorite. The “try all” attitude came from my family background- my dad loved all sports and he coached many of our recreation sports while I was growing up.

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

At the time it was exciting- I had that feeling of, I did it! I was able to manage playing a Division I sport and doing well in school. We had a decent season my senior year, which made it even more exciting. I was looking forward to some personal time and to having a bit of my “social life” back for the last semester of college. The end of the season meant I had time to myself and my schedule wasn’t planned for me around sometimes 3 practices a day in the off-season.

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

The initial feeling was excitement of course, with the sadness that something that was a huge part of your life is over. But the most difficult part for me was that being a field hockey player defined me for my entire life, especially in college. From 5th grade through college, field hockey was a major part of my life. In college, field hockey shaped who my group of friends were, most of whom I am still friends with today, and it shaped my schedule. Anytime a professor or anyone I met asked me to describe myself or give a few characteristics about my life, my go-to answer was, I am a field hockey player. But when my senior year ended, I was no longer a field hockey player. Something that defined me for so long no longer was true. That was the most difficult piece to it- how should I define myself now? I was definitely lost for awhile, especially making the transition back to home and looking for a career. I truly had nothing to define me at that time.

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

The one thing that helped me the most was staying involved with field hockey when I began coaching high school field hockey. That became a piece of the puzzle that began to define this new stage of my life.

How has your physical activity changed since college?

My physical activity drastically changed since college. In college I was always in shape, always trying to be the best. But as soon as my last season was over, I stopped all together. In my head I described it as a break. I was always told when, what, and how to work out for practice and now I wanted a sense of freedom. I thought, I will work out when I want to. Well, months went by and I found myself losing all desire to engage in physical activity. Then, when I moved back home I think there were phases I went through where I would work out a lot. It wasn’t for myself though, it was for my image. For the past four years I was the athlete in the family, the college super star who made everyone proud and I felt like I still had to live up to that and try to be the best. But it didn’t last for long. Now I find myself keeping in good physical shape for myself and wanting my body to be healthy, but only engaging in moderate physical activity.

How have your eating habits changed since college?

My eating habits relatively stayed the same right after college. Just recently, about 5 years after college due to health reasons, my eating habits changed drastically, even consulting with nutritionists.

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

There are other things that define you as a person; find those things and keep moving forward. But hold on to the memories that shaped you along the way.