By Shannon Friel
After four years of playing college sports and with graduation in the near future, over fifty of Saint Rose senior athletes have completed their last season. For most of them, their career in sports is now over and they have to transition to life post athletic-commitment.
Only one percent of college athletes go on to play professional sports. This means the 99 percent that don’t make it suddenly have to begin living a normal life where exercise is a part of their life, not the main focus. Most athletes experience initial relief but gradually fall victims of depression. Their childhood was devoted to learning that sport in order to obtain a college scholarship and college was devoted to keeping that scholarship. Then it’s suddenly over.
“Right now I’m delaying being upset,” said Sarah Illingworth, who played four years of basketball for Saint Rose. “I don’t think it’s going to hit me until next basketball season.”
Right now Illingworth is happy to be done with basketball, is struggling with “senioritis,” and admits spending too much time reading historical fiction. She is currently reading Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, recently went on a trip to Puntacana with other basketball seniors, just for fun, and this summer will be taking a trip to Europe with a childhood friend.
Although she is enjoying having the time to read, socialize, make travel plans, and play sports other than basketball, Illingworth is already feeling the sting of her last season being over. “When I wasn’t thinking about basketball I was in the gym and when I was thinking about the gym I was playing basketball…Not playing basketball every day was like losing my best friend.” She continues to go to the gym daily, but struggles because she feels like she has no goals, basketball had always been the reason she physically challenged herself to improve.
“I was given this great opportunity but I knew it would have to end. I’m not good enough to play overseas,” Illingworth said.
Unlike Illingworth, however, many athletes can’t accept that serious athletics beyond college is just unrealistic, explained Brian Beaury, the head men’s basketball coach. “We have more hanger-onners now than when I played. Then, either you went on or you just didn’t.” He believes the intensity of practice starting from elementary school makes people unable to detach, essentially the sport has become their identity. The current trend of American college athletes being recruited to play overseas has also made the dream seem more attainable but it’s rarely enough to make a true long-term career.
Beaury and assistant coach Mike Perno are concerned for those who can’t put their sports career into perspective. Some players ask to red shirt just to be involved a season longer while others turn down top-notch job offers because they’re hoping to play professionally.
“I’ve seen guys really struggle with the end of the career…the guys that leave that are use to this are left in limbo. Some of them do go through withdrawal and get depressed.” Beaury and Perno check up on athletes after their time with the Golden Knights is complete to make sure they are doing well and transitioning to normal life.
After 17 years of competitive swimming, four of those for the College of Saint Rose, long distance swimmer Sam Hall spent the last few months in the classroom instead of in the pool. She has dedicated her final undergraduate semester to student teaching, requiring her to still have late nights and early mornings. On her way to school she often passes the swim team on their way out of practice. “It’s sad to see my teammates leave practice with their wet buns and know I’m not with them.” Hall only stopped swimming competitively for a little over two months and is already signed up for a master’s league which she plans to do over the summer. “I really love swimming, which is unusual for someone who’s dedicated all the time to a sport, most become exhausted or fall out of love with it. Swimming will never really end for me.”
Hall has been competitively swimming since she was five and never stopped until now. She raced for New England’s top club swim team, Harvard Crimson Aquatics, and her high school team which won States 13 of the last 15 years. During her high school years the only holiday she ever had off was Christmas and now her day-to-day life isn’t as routine. “It’s a little hectic trying to fit in workout time and its weird not having a regimented schedule… I started a new morning routine but I find I still lay out my outfit the night before because I always had to do that to change in the locker room.” Now Hall has time to watch the news in the morning, eat a full breakfast and sometimes goes for a run.
From the women’s volleyball team, Carissa Dube is excited for her next step because she got into Marywood University for graduate school with a full graduate assistantship position. She was more involved than most student athletes, taking on academic research opportunities and leadership roles within and outside of the athletic realm. She prepared herself for her volleyball career to end since her freshman year when she realized how fast her first season went.
Currently Dube spends her time weight lifting, taking her most advanced courses, and planning for graduate school. “I don’t think people keep it in the back of their mind that this is a four year thing. I’m very sad it’s over, I would go back and do it 100 percent. But at the same time it’s the next chapter.
