"Will Work for Minimum Wage...Or Less!"

Growing up with four horses, cats, dogs, rabbits, and many other of God's creatures helped us appreciate the animal world. So it was no surprise when my older sister declared her interest in becoming a veterinarian. Having great wisdom and obvious foresight, my parents lined up an opportunity for her to spend a day with the local vet just down the road. This "Job Shadow" was the most valuable education and experience my parents could have provided. The very first medical procedure of the day consisted of snipping a puppy's tail and no sooner than the vet cut that little bugger's tail, my sister hit the floor...passed out cold. Well, needless to say she no longer wanted to become a vet and I gained one of the best stories about job shadowing that I could ever have. Better than I could've ever imagined.

As I recently read about two different professional athletes working internships during their off-season I couldn't help but reflect on my sister's fate. While not wishing the same outcome as my vet-to-be sister on these athletes, I'm excited to see the pubilicity Carolina Panther wide receiver, Steve Smith and New York Ranger, Sean Avery are receiving for their off-season actions. "There's not many well-known athletes that put on a business suit in the offseason," (Morgan Stanley, Vice-President) Derek Copelan said about his NFL intern. After filling out an applicatoin and undergoing a background check, Smith will work for free as he learns more about financial planning. At least, the NHL's Avery worked out a better paying deal, as he'll be paid minimum wage for his time with New York based Vogue Magazine.

In my book, FROM GLORY DAYS, NBA Hall of Famer, Dave Bing, shared the insight he possessed while still playing and worked during the off-season of his last seven seasons in the NBA. Working in finance and marketing, Bing purposedly prepared himself for the next phase of his life, long before it would arrive...and the rest is history. Bing is now world-reknown for his Bing Group which employs over 600 people and grosses over $500 million annually. A business Bing has built from scratch.

While Avery and Smith can only hope that they could have half as much success as Dave Bing has had following his professional career, time will tell what the value of their off-season experience will be. Minimumly, they will get a taste of something that could become the next phase of their lives....a new career.

I believe many current athletes can learn from these present and past professional athletes, (as well as my sister) who realize when it comes to exploring a job, there is nothing better than real life experience. Don't forget, 100% of Professional Athletes Ultimately Experience Job Termination. Professional athletes must eventually face a new phase of their lives and the sooner they prepare, the smoother this transition will be.

You can find out more about me and my transition services at: www.fromglorydays.com

FROM GLORY DAYS TO HOMELESS DAYS

While former NBA player, Joe Pace, might be able to joke about his inability to fit through the doorway of a Seattle homeless center his story is no joke, and does not fit the typical route of a former NBA Champion.

Ironically, it was thirty years ago the 6'10" Pace reached the pinnacle of an NBA career and donned a championship ring for the Washington Bullets after beating the Seattle Supersonics. Now, he is a resident of a Seattle homeless shelter where he works as a security guard for the first part of the day, hops a city bus to kill time for the remainder of the afternoon, and returns to the shelter at night to share a room with 60 other destitute people. Pace's plight did not go unnoticed as he became a headline this past week for such a twist of irony. In recent weeks the NBA Retired Players Association has also publicized his dire situation to it's members looking to collect clothing, toiletries, and other non-perishable items for him. Not being of average stature it's only befitting this assistance comes from some of the land's tallest men, as Pace sports a 44 Extra-Long Jacket and size 18 shoes.

But how did this large-statured man go from staying in the poshest hotels to the hard, small beds of a homeless shelter?

After winning a national championship in college, Pace went to the NBA but became impatient with his progress and decided to play overseas, one season shy of qualifying for an NBA pension. For the next 12 years he travelled the world, playing in seven different countries including the likes of Italy, Venezuela, England, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, and Argentina. It was in Argentina where his luck would turn drastically bad following a serious back injury while dunking and spending the next eights months confined to a bed. Following a multitude of unsuccessful back surgeries, Pace departed South America with a case of gangrene, the ending of his second marriage, and a loss of livelihood for which he had relied. Returning to the States with few prospects, he submitted to the use of drugs and alcohol and eventually sought rehabilitation. Pace jumped from city to city, only to ultimately commit the biggest regret of his life by selling his NBA Championship Ring for $1,000. He receives $600 a month from a permanent disability check and is on a long waiting list for subsidized housing.

As the word has gotten out about Joe Pace, many of his old teammates regularly stop by to see him, provide clothing and gift certificates, and look to provide emotional and spiritual support.

It's encouraging to see past relationships and the human factor have such a positive effect on such a life as Joe Pace's. Though, the NBA truly is a business, it's good to see the NBA Retired Players Association reach out in assistance of one of their fallen brothers. My hope is that they will not simply assist after someone has come to this point, but educate young athletes so as to help prevent them from such a plight.

As for Joe Pace...I hope he is finally able to find himself back on top, in his own little way and start by having a home.

You can find out more about me and my book at: www.fromglorydays.com

THE OLE' GRAY MARE

The lyrics of a legendary song is silently sung in the minds of many former NFL players. "The Ole' Gray Mare Just Ain't What She Used to Be," perhaps not written with former professional athletes in mind, but exemplifies the physical and emotional digression which occurs during and especially after a career in professional sports.

With the assistance of some longevity statistics, the NFL has recognized this concern and is coming to the aide of many ole' gray mares. According to the National Center for Health Statistics and cardiologist, Jeffrey Boone, an NFL veteran's life span is 16 to 22 years less than the average American male. The average NFL career spans 3.52 seasons and it is estimated that a player loses two to three years off their life expectancy for every season played. A sobering stat, which is dependent on their NFL position. NFL linemen are especially considered prone to heart and cardiovascular conditions that put them at high risk for heart attacks or strokes.

Come to the rescue....the Gridiron Greats and Health Force Partners who are working in conjunction with the NFL and NFLPA in order to offer hip and joint replacement, as well as heart and other cardiovascular screening. Health Force Partners is hoping to screen 10,000 former players over the course of the next few years according to Boone.

The battery of tests run on each player costs between $2,000 and $3,000 and is being paid by an alliance of the NFL, NFLPA, NFL Alumni, and the NFL Hall of Fame. After experiencing the screening one former NFL offensive lineman stated, "It changed everything I did last year. When they tell you that you have a body of a 68 year-old-man it gets your attention."

While healing the physical scars left from a modern gladiator sport is commendable, unfortunately, it is often we overlook the emotional ones, too. As we continue to mend our broken heroes let's not forget to assist in the not so obvious, emotional side of this process, as well.

Watch for further discussion to occur on this topic in future blog posts.

You can find out more at: www.fromglorydays.com

PEAK PERFORMANCE

The winning est coach in men's college basketball once stated, "Mental is to physical, as four is to one." Yogi Berra is quoted as saying, "It's 80 percent mental, the other half is physical," when discussing the mental aspect of professional sports. Though, Berra's math might be slightly off both he and Bobby Knight's emphasis on the mental side of sports says it all.

Understanding this, the LA Dodgers recently hired a sports psychologist from a Toronto consulting firm to assist the beleaguered franchise. The focus of the consultant is to work extensively in the area of performance enhancement, motivation, and injury recovery. During Spring Training in Arizona, players were asked to complete online profiles if they wanted to be assessed.

As franchises understand only one or two games may separate a pennant race, General Managers and Coaches are looking to many things to gain an edge. "When a team has $100 to $150 million invested into its players, hiring a psychologist makes sense," University of Missouri associate professor, Mike Stadler, commented. "It's like the Dodgers hired another coach."

It's great that teams are understanding more and more the importance of addressing the mental side of sports. Squeezing the most potential out of every player with the use of sports psychology. But after optimizing and fine tuning these thoroughbreds to perform at their peak performance, what happens when those playing days are done. How does an athlete convert this enhanced way of thinking back into normal, everyday life? The REAL WORLD, so to speak.

I believe I have the key. Converting this peak athletic performance into peak post-athletic performance is essential to success in a professional athlete's next phase of their life. My SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION PLAN FOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES does exactly that....setting up athletes for as much success out of the stadium of sports as they had while in it.

You can find out more at: www.fromglorydays.com