The 21st century has introduced us to an exponential amount of opportunities that were once unheard of before, and thought to be nearly impossible. In the case of myself, and many young people, most would say we have it easy, and we do. There is no debating that. Our generation of 90’s and 2000’s babies does not work as hard. We are constantly given more than we deserve. And we are not proactive in preparing for success – most of us.
At the age of 14 – my freshman year of high school – my love of basketball was just that. A love. A passion. A hobby. It would not have any impact on my income, family, relationships, health insurance and overall well-being. I’ve never been more wrong. The phrase, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is often said. That is accurate, but every passion comes with a toll.
Whether it’s the sacrifice of having to travel everywhere, or spending an abundant amount of time on something, or working with people who may not be the easiest to deal with, work can stress us out. Any job comes with stress. What is maybe even more stressful? Finding a job.
All of this can be said for in our small basketball world where six degrees of separation comes into play and it’s not only about who you know, but who knows you. The networking game is a scary one. Reaching out to adults, searching for the right words to say, giving them a reason why they should give you the time of day, and hoping to not screw it all up is more frightening than searching for a prom date.
Steiner Sports CEO Brandon Steiner said it best in a class the spring of my junior year at Syracuse University. “Your parents will always ask if you are searching for a job. Tell them – my job is looking for a job.” We can all attest to this statement.
With the upgrade in technology comes the fact that there are less jobs and even more people. The beauty of finding a job in basketball is just that. It’s basketball. And sometimes – most times – we don’t appreciate what we have in life. “I tell my friends I go to Las Vegas and California six times during the summer,” said one Division One College Basketball coach. “They tell me I’m lucky. I tell them they are wrong.” Often times, we as young people lack the knowledge and experience in order to make the right choices, say the right things and make the most of every experience. We are constantly distracted in the moment by technology, the same thing that can help us build our brand.
As I sit on a cross-country flight taking me from Los Angeles to New York following a weekend of networking and learning, I constantly ponder life and what the future holds. I would be lying if every day I did not think of what job I would like to pursue around the time of graduation.
But there are so many factors that go into it that we sometimes overthink. What will it pay? Is there stability? Do I have a clear role? Am I needed? Could I do better? What is the time commitment? Will I have enough time for my family and spouse? Am I truly passionate about this job or am I taking it for the wrong reasons. Gregg Polinsky, who does player personnel for the Brooklyn Nets, once told me, “Young people are impatient.” My friends and I can echo this. We are not patient because we are a part of a “what have you done for me lately” society. We always want something we cannot have because it is foreign and new to us. But are we actually prepared for it?
The point of my trip was to meet a man I hoped to work for one day. Someone I had never met or spoken with; never exchanged a single email or text with. Los Angeles Clippers VP Kevin Eastman made me think outside the box about simplicity and preparing for success – whenever it does come.
“Be there before you get there,” Eastman said. In order to prepare for success, and finding that dream job of ours, we must prepare tirelessly for what it entails and be ready to hit the ground running. Preparation trumps pressure, in the words of Eastman, knowledge is quickness.
“Seek wisdom from those who came before you,” Eastman said. This was one that I had struggled with for so many years. I was a know it all. Everyone labeled me a basketball recruiting expert when I didn’t even know what an expert was. Over the past few years, I have made mistakes like many. Acknowledging those mistakes is key, however, as we do get second chances. We have the opportunity to learn from those mistakes, and most importantly, we have a chance to prevent them by learning from those who have gone down our path before. As Eastman said, there is a big difference between “learn it alls and know it alls.”
Lastly, Eastman said, “commitment, loyalty and teamwork have no expiration date.” These three traits are not ones that turn on and off. They do not turn off once we get the job. These are three traits that must be engrained in us from the beginning. Without these, we have no chance at getting the job, and if we do, there is no way we can succeed.
We constantly have to think about how we can become our own brand in order for people to want to find out who we are. It is instrumental that we stand out from the pack in order separate ourselves. When Coach Raveling introduced Kentucky coach John Calipari at his Coaching For Success Clinic in Los Angeles this past weekend, he called Cal “the most innovative coach in basketball” multiple times. As we continue to see the transformation of basketball on all levels, as well as the consistent dominance of Kentucky Basketball, it makes me wonder why more programs are so reserved. Why not hire younger individuals to create new strategies and gameplans off the court in order to market a basketball program? College basketball programs are upgrading to the 21st century, but still market their schools at a 20th century speed.
What is the point of sending mail to recruits unless it makes them want to visit the campus? Isn’t that the goal?
Why work at a beautiful, sun-filled university when everyone outside of your region is not aware of it?
What is the point of talking to recruits and college coaches for the first time if they aren’t already aware of your head coach, program, and selling points?
Why spend big money on a coach and his staff if they aren’t going to be given the proper tools to be the best staff and stand out compared to everyone else in their conference?
This can be said for the college and pro level. Marketing matters, and using technology to one’s benefit matters. As we continue to see more innovative people enter the basketball realm, whether it be Analytics guru John Hollinger and Recruiting expert Dave Telep going from ESPN to the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, or Indiana University’s Men’s Basketball program hiring a person to do the graphics and messaging for their mail-outs, it is imperative that we utilizing the same technology that a Fortune-500 company would if given the opportunity. Analytics are no flash in the pan, nor are graphics, social media, apps, information and culture. Culture is changing with the times, and what was once not even heard of decades ago is now being done by innovative leaders.
Why am I writing this? I’ve come to the realization that the game has changed and is only advancing in the way we communicate, market, advertise and win. I write this because I know a large number of people who are in this same situation – whether they are looking to find a leg up on the competition, or are trying to break into the business but don’t have the traditional credentials. I am writing this because I am one of the hundreds of thousands of college seniors, among others, who is set to graduate in the next few months and is deadly afraid of the word “failure” when in fact there is no such thing as failure if preparation, thought and care goes into this.
To conclude with a thought from Kevin Eastman, “success is the result of choices you make, actions you take, questions you ask and circles you travel in.” No one started at the top, and no one got there by themselves. With the guidance of mentors, learning from mistakes, doing the unrequired work and the persistence to be different and innovative, we can all inch closer to finding the job we want regardless of what anyone tells us. I look forward to that moment.
