Seniors Prepare for Next Steps at Life After Sports Seminar

Senior student-athletes exhausting their athletic eligibility attended the Life After Sport Seminar on Monday, April 11th in Memorial Stadium. This seminar is the final Life Skills event that student-athletes attend during their time at Nebraska, and the goal of the event is to provide resources and support for attendees as they prepare to transition away from both Nebraska and from their sport.

To kick off the seminar, attendees had the opportunity to hear from Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics, Trev Alberts, on what the transition away from competing in athletics was like for him. Alberts spoke of his collegiate success on the football field and how he anticipated that success to continue at the NFL level after being drafted 5th overall in the 1994 NFL draft. He discussed the struggles he dealt with when injuries ultimately cut his playing career short and how he struggled for some time on figuring out what to do next. Alberts also shared how ended up getting his start as a television analyst before eventually getting into collegiate athletics administration. "Don't worry about what you make, just get started. Once you get started, use the same skills that have set you apart as an athlete to set you apart in whatever profession you are in. Don't be shy about using your experience at Nebraska to make professional connections that could lead to opportunities in the future," shared Alberts. 

Attendees then heard from a panel of speakers each focusing on different transitional topics. Mattie Fowler-Burkhardt, Senior Director of Development Operations for the Huskers Athletics Fund and Husker softball alum, followed Alberts and shared information about the Huskers Athletic Fund, the N Club, and provided advice on how to stay connected with the athletic department and university by giving their time, resources, and attending alumni events hosted by the athletic department. 

Following Fowler-Burkhardt was Nebraska Athletic Counselor, Nedu Izuegbunam, who addressed what to anticipate from a mental health standpoint when their playing careers come to end. Izuegbunam encouraged attendees to be mindful of their thoughts and emotions as they experience their transition away from the game and also provided an activity where attendees can asses their own personal core values to discover other areas of their lives outside of athletics that are important to them. 

Lisa Kopecky, Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition, then shared several key points regarding proper nutrition and physical health when athletic department nutrition services are no longer available on a daily basis. Student-athletes in attendance were given various tips and tricks for navigating the grocery store, healthy eating habits, making nutritional plans, setting goals, and maintaining a healthy fitness schedule.

The final guest speaker, Nic Grams, a wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual spoke with the group about having a financial game plan. He emphasized the importance of creating a budget and provided a resource sheet to help them get started. Grams also spoke on the importance of starting to save early and understanding how compounding interest impacts their savings goals for their eventual retirement. 

Finally, Executive Associate AD, Keith Zimmer, addressed attendees to thank them for the time and dedication to their sport and representing the Nebraska Athletic department throughout their collegiate careers. He also stressed to the group that they will continue to represent Nebraska for the rest of their professional lives and the impact that having been a student-athlete can have on their career opportunities, stating, "Once a Husker, always a Husker."

For questions about the Life After Sport Seminar, please contact Assistant Director of Life Skills/PEO Director, Tom Lemke.