We’ve all heard the adage “It’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. It just doesn’t work.” Early on in my career I worked for a financial technology company in sales. I had a solid position, good pay, great flexibility, and support. WhileI was working to get CP on its feet my colleagues and management even encouraged me and would keep up to date on any new athletes or things I had in the pipeline. Not only was I supported but I crushed my role consistently hitting 150% of my quota. Things were great until I lost sight of whatI truly wanted and let my ego get in the way. I knew that I would eventually be full time with Connected Performance and have a lot more responsibility on my plate, yet I let that sidetrack me. After an old colleague reached out to me to tell me how “great” and “flexible” this new company was, after a 15-minute conversation with the manager I was offered a package with baseball pay that almost doubled what I currently made with other commission pieces and multipliers. After three months at the new company, I was miserable, failing, and restricted. I was in a bad spot and had a ton of regrets.
That’s what we see both in an individual’s journey through life as well as an athlete’s journey through either college or professional organizations. For example, the preferred walk on pitcher at a D1 who would have a successful D2 career but never toes the rubber. Or the guy who left a great job to chase the money who is now miserable. But what constitutes us to be put in that position in the first place and what are some ways we can avoid it? Here are a few:
1. Ask Yourself What Do You Want?
If you don’t know what you want, you’ll never be able to give yourself what you need. This is typically one of the first questions we ask when meeting with a prospective athlete or coach. What is the problem you’re trying to solve for or what are you trying to accomplish? Each person is different. Some athletes want to go to a school where they will enjoy themselves in every facet of their life and graduate after 4years. Other guys will do whatever it takes to get drafted no matter what environment that looks like. Obviously, these athletes want two completely different things. Therefore, their fit and road map will look totally different.
2. Check your ego at the door
We mention this a lot throughout our blogs, but it can’t be truer. Just because you’re on that D1 roster or make$120,000 a year, is it really helping you get to where you want to go? People will do anything for a fancy label, title, or status increase. However, does it really satisfy them? If you’re the last pitcher on one of the best teams in the country, is that the right spot for you? For some, it is. Others, definitely not. Check your ego and do what’s best for you, not your image.
3. Ask the right questions
Now that you understand what you want and have a balanced perspective. How do we find the right fit? It’s crafting the right questions. If you’re searching for a school that prioritizes development, you can ask the coach open ended questions such as:What do you prioritize the most? What does a typical practice routine look like?
You can ask really any question to gear it towards your own individual fit. At the end of the day there are other athletes on the list for your organization. If you turn them down, you’ll be replaced by the next person on that list. It’s a never-ending cycle for them. However, you only have a few chances to make sure your fit works. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter the division, level, organization, or company if it’s not the right fit for YOU. To find the right fit for your training needs, email Training@Connected-Performance.com.