There comes a time in some student-athlete’s career when you have to say goodbye to the sport you love and live a non athletic regular person life (NARP). This is a commonly used term for athletes when they have been playing sports their whole lives and don’t know their daily activities are going to function without sports. I got the opportunity to talk to some senior student-athletes here at West Virginia Wesleyan College who just played their last game or are nearing the end of their season. When sports have played such a big role in your life that you went on to play at the collegiate level it is very important to you, and I was able to speak with a few athletes about their next steps after college and sports. I got to speak with Ridge Stokes senior Defensive end for the WVWC football team, and Taylor Maucere senior forward for the lady bobcats soccer team.

Starting with Ridge, he has a very clear path of his post graduation goals and had interesting statements on how he is going to adjust to life with no sports. He had this to say, “After graduation I plan to work as a nurse in the ER. I have recently accepted a job in Harrisonburg Virginia as a night shift ER nurse. I’ll be doing this for the next two year as I apply for CRNA school. Where I plan to further my career in the nursing field. I am going to miss playing football because it played such a big role in my life ever since I was 5 years old and it is already odd to me now that the season is over not waking up at 6 a.m. for a meeting then heading to practice. I think once I graduate soon and get to start the next chapter of my life I will enjoy being a fan of the sport rather than playing it.” Ridge dedicated 17 years of his life to football and is now ready to hang up the cleats and throw on scrubs to help better the lives of his patients.

My second student-athlete Taylor Maucere has a similar plan and goal for her life after sports. Taylor had this to say, “I graduate this May from Wesleyan, and will obtain my Bachelors in Biology.  After college I am moving to Gainesville, Florida to pursue my education at the University of Florida.  I was accepted into their biomedical graduate program for molecular cell biology and cancer research.  I wish to earn my masters, and then move on to medical school to become a pediatrician.  I was thankful to have no college debt, due to receiving both athletic and academic scholarships throughout my years at Wesleyan.  If there is one thing I have learned about college it is that there is no time to waste, and that the years fly.  However, as a student athlete I was taught time management, social skills, problem solving, and work ethic.  In order to be a student athlete you need to set your priorities in an orderly fashion, which isn’t always easy.  Although this was sometimes tough to juggle, there is not one part of me that would change playing soccer these past few years.  I was faced with adversity, winning MEC’s, going to NCAA’s, making it into the sweet sixteen, and earning All Tournament Team.  On top of all that was accomplished I have met some of my best friends playing this sport, along with making memories we will never forget.  A student athlete is someone who always works hard, for not just themselves, but others, and always helps when needed.  I am thankful for the opportunities I was given, and look forward to my future in the next few months to come.” Taylor will be joining Ridge in the hospital environment to help people better their lives and it is such a cool experience to see students at West Virginia Wesleyan go on to do great things in life.

In conclusion, it is an odd adjustment for athletes to go from playing a sport they love from the time they were young till becoming an adult and continuing your passion at the collegiate level, to retiring your first passion. Student-athletes are very well disciplined people who have to manage a balance between priority one academics and the sport that all their other time is dedicated too. It seems Ridge and Taylor are ready to live the “NARP life” and begin their 2nd passion in life as proud medical care professionals.