Look over here for a second.

Playing on the AVP Tour.

If you get distracted during a game, the other team scores. If you get distracted during practice, you miss something important and maybe make yourself or your team have to run it through again.

So we learn to focus.

To focus when something is on the line. To focus when there are distractions everywhere.

It's one of the great things sport teaches us.

Then someone asks us:

"What are you going to do when sport ends?"

You know what that is?

A distraction.

At least that's what it can feel like to an athlete in the middle of their athletic career.

So the response? Nope. I'm focused on what I'm doing and where I'm headed right now. Figure out what I'm going to do later?

I'll do that...well, later.

Because, we’ve learned that pulling our focus away from what we're doing is bad. Besides, we have been told our whole lives that we have to work hard and stay focused in order to make it in sport.

So when we ask an athlete to prepare for life after sport while they're still trying to be great at sport, that's a tough ask.

A scary ask.

As a 5'8" (on a good day) volleyball player, I knew I needed to be locked in and focused. Anything less could be disastrous.

I remember telling my mom once, "I have my whole life to work. I can only play volleyball the way I want to for a limited window."

But I'll let you in on a secret. We all know the athletic career will end, but we just don't really like to think about it.

I mean, we really don't want to think about it.

There are times, however, when we do want to peek behind the curtain. But it's hard because often when we do, we get bombarded with information or questions we just can't answer.

I mean, I want to look. But I don't want to leave where I am right now or feel like I'm "cheating" on my sport or my team.

When something does catch our attention, or we're in the mood to wonder, we can't be met with:

What's your five-year plan?

What industry do you want to work in?

Have you started networking?

You need an internship.

Have you thought about your résumé?

We'll close that curtain and run back to sport faster than you can believe.

And let's be honest, for those of us who support current athletes, we don't want an athlete thinking about life after sport all the time.

If you're trying to do something as incredibly challenging as playing your sport at a high level, you have to be all in.

But we care. We want to give athletes tools that will help prepare them for that transition.

Without realizing it, though, our transition conversations can come across as, "You're being short-sighted." Or we arrange big events and conversations that seem to fall on deaf ears, and we wonder why the athlete isn't more engaged.

When actually, the athlete may just be trying to take full advantage of the limited window they have to perform at a high level at something they love.

We don't do this intentionally. It all comes from a place of wanting to help.

So how do we help athletes prepare without asking them to leave the experience they're currently having?

What if it's as simple as:

Hey, look over here for a second.

Notice this...

Check this out...

Make a note.

Both of you.

Okay, back to practice.

And then do it again another time.

No big event. No "let's solve the whole problem right now."

More like:

Oh, look. That was interesting. We should remember that for the future.

Okay, back to work.

Then, when they want a peek, there is something small to start with.

You can say remember when... because you were paying attention too.

And when they want another look, we can continue to go small.

Remember that thing we noticed...

Or:

I think you should talk to this former athlete. You two seem to approach things in a similar way.

Again, no big event. No major questions.

Just a taste.

Permission to be a little curious for a while.

And then...

back to practice. 😉 Cheering you on,

Jill