Check your ID: How to Pivot When You Can No Longer Put “College Athlete” (or “Summa Cum Laude” or “Musician”) on Your Resume

College can often present a fork in the road. Do I play college sports or do I join the world of “NARPs” (Non-Athletic Regular Person)? 

For some the choice is easy. There is no scholarship on offer, or they’d rather attend a favorite university over a scholarship at a school that isn’t right for them. 

 For others, the choice is made for them, like when injuries force medical retirement.

And then of course there are students who make the hard, or perhaps really easy, choice to step away from college sports. Perhaps it’s a different career path. Or they choose their own well-being over practice and competition. 

 Although the reasons are many, there is usually one big question that follows: “What now?” How do you spend your time when you no longer have two-a-days and hell weeks? Do labels like competitive, athletic, or disciplined still apply to you? What happens to your identity when scores, rankings or athletic accolades are no longer an active way to measure your success?

 In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from students who, for various reasons, no longer play the sports they grew up loving as a kid. They’ll share how they struggled with the adjustment as well as ways they’ve found new communities and competitive outlets.

 While our discussion centers around leaving the sports arena, the skills we talk about will be helpful to anyone who’s facing a big change. 

 This episode can help answer the questions:

• What words do you associate with the term “college athletes?” When are these labels helpful and when are they harmful?

• How do you tell when it’s time to quit for good vs. just having a bad day?

• Since sports can play a lot of roles in a person’s life (community, exercise, therapy), how do you fill those holes once you leave?

• We know the phrase no pain, no gain, but are you experiencing the pain of stuckness or the pain of growth by staying on your sports team?

• What are healthier ways to form your self-worth or identity besides labels and resume builders?