Diary Series: Drew Dawson, Asst. Coach - Hartford

When I was asked to contribute to the National Coaches’ Diary Series, I not only appreciated the opportunity but also looked forward to a season full of interesting insight from fellow coaches around the country. I’ve enjoyed the posts by many and it’s a consensus – we’re all excited about the prospects for the season ahead. Last Friday was met with much anticipation. I was anxious for our first game and happily tracked college basketball throughout opening weekend. As I browsed the Internet for the latest news, scores and highlights, I was drawn to the drama surrounding the Carrier Classic game between North Carolina and Michigan State – the aircraft carrier, President Obama, Magic Johnson and James Worthy, camouflage uniforms – it seemed like quite a scene. It led me to reflect, for a moment, on Veterans Day and what it characterizes.

Veterans Day formally recognizes past and present sacrifice, support and dedication that military personnel provide for our nation. But beyond that, serving in the military can be akin to living a second life, a life that many civilians cannot fully grasp. Most of us would hope that veterans returning home would experience a smooth transition from active duty into society. Unfortunately, this is not nearly the case. A portion of military personnel find it next to impossible to reconcile their time in the military with “life beyond duty”. Many struggle significantly with the transition from an identity of extreme military focus to one characterized by civilian behavior and less intense lifestyle choices. I suggest that many of the transitional struggles military personnel face are very similar in nature to an athlete's transition from elite competition to “life beyond sports”.

As college coaches we know that given natural talent, success in sports requires tremendous commitment, focus and passion. For athletes who aspire to compete at the highest levels of competition, athletic identification becomes central – where time and resources are exclusively dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. We have a great appreciation for this process and encourage our kids to remain focused in pursuit of their athletic goals. However, when faced with the inevitable transition from elite competition to life after sports, our athletes’ myopic self-identification can be problematic.

I recently had a conversation with former NBA lottery pick, all-star and Hartford alum, Vin Baker. He periodically stops by to see how the rebuilding process at the University of Hartford is shaping up and I enjoy our discussions. On this day, we got into a conversation about how many college and professional basketball players truly struggle with their transition from organized competition to retirement. And, although most coaches and organizations have the capacity to comprehend the complexity of the issue in the frenzied world of college and professional sports, the idea of better servicing this dilemma goes shockingly unnoticed.

I couldn’t agree more with the words of BYU assistant coach, Mark Pope. In his recent post, he’s quoted as saying,  “After spending the fall and the summer recruiting, scheduling and fulfilling all of the administrative duties that require so much of our time as coaches, there is nothing that I look forward to more than getting back to the part of coaching that I truly love.... teaching.” Sufficiently addressing a student-athlete’s inevitable transition from competition to retirement is very much a part of our duty as teachers. Let’s face it – this transition reflects a massive shift from nearly exclusive athletic self-identification to self-identifying with endeavors outside of organized athletics that, in turn, do not provide levels of joy and self-satisfaction elite sports afforded. When appropriate, I encourage my peers to get a jump-start on preparing your student-athletes for this process. With an entire season yet to be played, there is plenty of time to design (in your own way) a platform of information and initiative that fits the goals of your program while also helping your players gain perspective and, eventually, channel intense identification with their sport to interests that self-identify other pursuits beyond basketball. All the best this season.

Go Hawks.

Drew Dawson