2ndwind Academy Podcast
2ndwind Academy Podcast
136: Christine Ngeve - From College Athlete to Mental Health Advocate and Career Coach
In today's episode, Ryan sits down with Christine Ngeve, a former multi-sport college athlete turned mental health advocate and career coach for athletes. Christine’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and the importance of preparing for life beyond sport. From her days as a three-sport athlete at university to her current work helping student-athletes navigate their identities and career transitions, Christine shares invaluable insights on how athletes can leverage their unique experiences to thrive in the next chapter of their lives.
Christine opens up about the challenges of balancing academics, athletics, and personal growth, and how her athletic career shaped her into the person she is today. She emphasizes the importance of understanding your “fingerprint”—the unique combination of skills, experiences, and traits that make you who you are—and how athletes can translate their transferable skills into the workforce. Whether you’re an athlete, a sports enthusiast, or someone navigating a career transition, this episode is packed with actionable advice.
Key Discussion Points:
- How sports built grit and resilience while shaping an identity beyond athletics.
- Balancing volleyball, softball, track, academics, and personal life in college.
- Advocating for mental health through staff training and crisis support volunteering.
- Navigating the transition from competitive sports to the next phase of life.
- Leveraging leadership, teamwork, and adaptability for career success.
- The power of mentorship and role models in shaping personal growth.
- Helping student-athletes at smaller colleges prepare for life beyond sports.
Resources Mentioned:
- Connect with Christine:
- Email: peakpotentialjourney@gmail.com
- Phone: 336-988-4622
- Instagram: @peakpotentialjourney
- LinkedIn: Christine Ngeve
- Looking for Career Clarity for your next step? For more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out www.2ndwind.io
Why You Should Listen:
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who has ever struggled with identity, transition, or finding their purpose after a major life change. Christine’s story is both inspiring and relatable, offering practical advice for athletes and non-athletes alike. Her emphasis on understanding your “fingerprint” and leveraging your unique experiences will leave you motivated to take the next step in your own journey. Tune in to discover how to turn your past experiences into future success!
You weren't just an athlete. You learned all of these skills even if you played one match or all 50. Your experience as a whole has shaped you to learn so many different things and how they can navigate into life. So it's really that mindset piece of understanding your fingerprint and I say that all the time you go and put your fingerprint down, all these different lines appear. It's not just one line and it's unique to you. So my grit that I had, understanding who I was as a person, it wasn't athlete, Christine, it was just Christine. I'm just a gritty person. My athletic experience just enhanced that. But you take that away. I still have grit. So just because one of your identities is closing doesn't mean that all of those things go away. You're still that person.
Speaker 2:Hi, I'm Ryan Gonsalves and welcome to a Second Wind Academy podcast, a show all about career transition through the lens of elite athletes. Each week, I invite a guest to the show who shares their unique sporting story. Please join me to delve into the thoughts and actions of athletes through a series of conversations. Don't worry, there's plenty to learn from those of you that aren't particularly sporty. Elite athletes are still people after all. Let's be inspired by the stories of others.
Speaker 3:Christine, I'd like to say thanks and welcome to the Second Wind Academy podcast. Really excited to have you on here today. Thanks for joining me.
Speaker 1:Thanks for the invite, Ryan. Super excited to talk to you and catch up a little bit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's been a while since we spoke, so I think for everyone who's listening as well, they're going to join in, just as we generally catch up, see what's been going on, especially in your world, but also to, I guess, take a little step back to understand what got you to this point today and sort of some of your experiences, and then we can really delve into sort of how you're delivering and what you're up to nowadays yeah, so I'm residing in Greensboro, north Carolina, um.
Speaker 1:I went to Shaw University, which is a D2 HBCU in Raleigh, um, and so I got my bachelor's in psychology, minor in social work, there, and I played volleyball, softball and track and field there, so I played three sports. Um, everybody asked me you know how I did it, and it's honestly a blur.
Speaker 1:I do not know would not recommend um, but definitely loved the athletic experience there at Shaw. I mean, uh, just shaped me for who I am, honestly, and really drove me to where I wanted to be career-wise. And so at Shaw, gosh, I helped get some of the athletic staff trained mental health first aid certified. That was something that was really big with me. I saw some mental health concerns along the campus some of my teammates. I just thought that that was really a need and so I did that at Shaw of my teammates um, I just thought that that was really a need and so I did that at shaw. Um, I was 2019 ciwa woman of the year and then also 2019 ncaa top 30 woman of the year, honoree.
Speaker 3:Wow, christine, you, you are firing ahead and I'm trying to take notes and keep up at the same time, so I'm just gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna slow down that story because there's so much that's into that. Um, now you're talking here about and the bit that you mentioned there that's quite amazing is you were doing, uh, three sports. Is that right? Or you're in three disciplines during your your college career. Now I get, I chat with people who do too, and I think that's crazy enough. Just ask me let me answer that. Ask this first what made you go for three?
Speaker 1:so the coach my senior year created me basically came to a softball game, saw how I threw and came he was like hey, would you be interested? And at first I was like I cannot throw the jab. I could definitely can't throw shot foot because I'm not that strong and I'm not running any more than I have to, so I was like, well, I guess I can throw the jab, because that seems a little similar.
Speaker 1:He's like, yeah, you know, it's basically just like throwing a softball Like you can do it, it'll be great. So I was just like, why not? You know, why not have some experience, meet different teammates, push something out of my comfort zone? And so, yeah, I did it. I was pretty good, I mean considering I had never done it before. So it was just something like it's just a new experience for me. So it was really cool.
Speaker 3:I think I want to go even further back and just start sort of trying to understand a bit about your athletic career coming up into college and why college was something that was so important to you.
Speaker 1:I think I made a decision that I wanted to play in college. In middle school I was the back girl for UNC softball team and by then I was playing like travel softball. At that point Volleyball came in late. I didn't start playing volleyball until middle school so I developed that even late in the game per se. For people that now that I see start playing volleyball as early as how early I started playing softball. But I think middle school I made the exact decision that I knew that I wanted to play at a university. By being exposed to UNC and meeting some of the girls and the coaches and etc. I would say I really started going for both after, I would say, like freshman year of high school. Um, so I was like let's just see what happens. I didn't really know that dual athlete for a thing.
Speaker 3:I said like 14, 15 years old, where it sounds like you were enjoying both sports and you saw college as a progression. Right, Playing that progression. Now you mentioned something interesting there. You said that was through seeing some of the college players as well. Is that right? So talk to me about how that influenced you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so some I mean coach P, coach Papa was the coach currently at UNC, and then coach J, who's now the head coach at UNCG. She was the assistant and people. One thing I'll say Christine Knauer. Shout out to her because she had my name. Um, I never met anybody else with the name Christine and she was the number seven. So for a long time my number was number seven because of CK. So that was really like my development of just kind of seeing them and seeing that they were going to school, to a school that they loved, but also playing a sport that they loved, but also playing a sport that they loved, and so I was like, well, hey, I want to do that. They look like they're having fun. You know they're traveling. So I was like why not?
Speaker 3:Well, no, that's interesting. Usually, I guess, on these conversations I speak about how we are mentors and the role that we have in others. That's really I'm just going to say nice to pick that word. But it's really nice then to hear of how you were inspired by another young person really just playing the sport, and the fact you had that same number and name, Christine, sort of really inspired you to keep on playing.
Speaker 1:I mean it was even crazy like she played shortstop and at that time I played third but then my position as I developed became shortstop. So it was like really like this full circle moment for me. It's like I wasn't trying to copy her, but she was someone that I just truly looked up to, like she was someone that excelled academically. She was someone that excelled athletically, and just how I was raised with my mom, like my mom was very focused on both, like you are an athlete, but you need to also do well in school. So, yeah, I mean full circle moment. It's like you know, she probably doesn't even know how much of a big of an influence that she did, or some of the other girls, constance, or I mean she was another person, she was a predominantly Black person on a white team. So like all these things shaped me, and so it is actually now crazy now on here just to think about what got me started.
Speaker 3:Yes, it is, it is. It's these magical moments, right, these magical moments, and we never really know who we are impacting or who we are influencing by showing up to these things, just doing what we enjoy. Now, you mentioned there that ck excelled or was doing well in, in sport, but also academically. So for you, as you were hitting middle school, uh, junior high, as you were saying, well, what, what aspirations did you have from an academic perspective?
Speaker 1:middle school I had no idea what I wanted to be. Yet I knew that I wanted to be in the mental health field. Once I got to high school, after I took AP psych, that was a class that I really wanted.
Speaker 3:What does AP psych?
Speaker 1:AP is like advanced placement, so it's like a step above our honors is what we call it. So we have like the general regular class. Then you have honors level, which is a step up. But then the next step up is AP, and so you're able to take an AP test at the end of the year and potentially receive college credit for it.
Speaker 3:So what was it then about that course that made you realize something you want to follow?
Speaker 1:I think, just learning about behaviors, why people react the way they do, learning about different emotions. And at that time, you know, I was like the strong friend. I think we talk about and hear about this a lot, but I was like the strong friend. Friends came to me and asked me for advice. Friends meant it to me, you know, when they were upset they came to me Like I was that person and, funny enough, my family background is surrounded by mental health and so at one point I was like, well, I don't want to do mental health at all because my family is it. So my high school I was actually there because I was in the veterinary program. So I really went to my high school to be a vet. Yes, I know, very, yes, very career switch mind. But after I got to a point in high school where we got into understanding what it took to be a vet, and just full transparency, I was not putting my hand in the cows, but I just simply wasn't going to do that and I also only wanted to work with dogs.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, I love that purity. I love that. I love dogs. I'm going in, gonna be a vet. I want to what these other animals?
Speaker 1:no, I'm, I'm not doing that yep, I'm okay and I mean we, we went all in. I was in ffa, I was feeding the chickens and the goats and we had a chinchilla. It was all real cute at the time. However, it was cute for the class, but not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Speaker 3:Okay, all right, so we, so we've. We've got a young career. Pivot that happens, uh, from vet to moving into much more of the mental health human space. Um, I should do you have a pet dog now?
Speaker 1:and I'm very serious about them yeah, good, good, there we go.
Speaker 3:We see, uh, I love, I love that, it's good, we, we'll come back to that, we'll come back to that, yes, great. So look, so you were we're just talking about. Well, what was it then about that particular course that started education and what you've described? Yeah, there's the family background already, uh, operating in sort of space, and then that was something you know perhaps also helped you to to find this as interesting yeah, I definitely think.
Speaker 1:you know, after I got a piece of like, well, just because my mom is involved in it and my god, mom and all these other people around me doesn't certainly have to be like them, right, I can still choose my own path in it, and at that time I didn't even know sports psychology existed.
Speaker 1:So for a very long time, like junior year of college, I'm thinking I'm just going to specialize in just the general population. It wasn't until more exposure and reaching out to people on LinkedIn where I really said, oh, it's possible for me to specialize in student athletes and I don't think I would have made that connection that that's something I wanted to do until I had more life experiences as an athlete. As to why that was a need, I think you know middle school to high school, you know I encountered some bullying because of the color of my skin, but it wasn't enough for me to be like, oh, this is because I'm an athlete. As an athlete I excelled. You know I didn't really have too many struggles in that area. So it didn't cross my mind about athletes until I had life experiences as an athlete where I said, oh, we need a little, you know, just a little different type of support.
Speaker 3:A little bit, then, about that college experience and working through sports so that for you, that life as an athlete as you entered college. So you selected the school, entered the college from a sporting perspective, where did you hope to get to?
Speaker 1:I hoped that I was going to be able to set a legacy for myself, for my family, for my future child at the time, since I didn't have my son yet and wasn't thinking about a child at that point. But you know, I was just saying like, I want my family, my child, my children, to be able to Google mommy and good things pop up about mommy and things that she did, not just as an athlete, but also academically, and how they, how they correlated to both.
Speaker 3:That's fascinating. It's a wonderful way of thinking about it to be Googled I actually wrote a while back about Googling yourself and seeing what comes up. So, with that in your mind, how did the thought of that legacy or indeed the thought of when someone Googles my name this is the kind of thing that I want them to see how do you feel that shaped how you operated, how you were in college?
Speaker 1:you operated how you were in college. My mindset was very different after freshman year. Freshman year was hard for me because I came from someone from high school that you know was in the newspaper constantly and I was a starter. I got moved up from JV to varsity very young and so I'm coming off of this high and I get my freshman year. I don't play at all rarely. I mean, maybe I can count on one hand how many times I hit the court my freshman year. So my mindset freshman year was like I got to play, I got to play. I got to play. Like what are people thinking about me back at home? I'm not playing? Like I have to play. After I got through freshman year, my mindset shifted because I knew I experienced burnout and I knew that I did not want to continue after college. I had no hopes of playing professionally. So then I said, well, girl, what you gonna do, what's next?
Speaker 3:What made you recognize Because that's quite tough to have to go through a year coming off. You know the stardom that gets you there in the first place notoriety what changed?
Speaker 1:I think part of it was my coach allowing me to be a part of other things. I think some people were not willing to ask that question, like can I be late to practice because I hold an E-board position on this organization and we have a meeting in the middle of practice? That in itself takes a lot of gut, because a lot of people are wrapped up in playing time like, well, I can't miss practice because I need to play. I can't miss practice because I need to play. And for me, while I wanted to play, I also enjoyed some of this other stuff, and I think that that also came through in high school.
Speaker 1:I did other stuff outside of my sport too. So I have to give the kudos to my mom because she allowed me to do that. And so I think really, the foundation came from when I was younger, because my mom allowed me to be an athlete, but I was also in classes public speaking classes from when I was younger, because my mom allowed me to be an athlete, but I was also in classes public speaking classes. Right, I was in sewing classes and cooking classes and all these things that I was annoyed with at the time, but I was used. I knew that I was someone else outside of my sport, so it was easier for me to get to that point, but as we continue on, you know, that's why I'm here is that I know that that's not the average day for a lot of people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's right, it is quite different. And yeah, indeed, kudos to your mom to really emphasizing activities as a child, activities outside of sport, so you could feel like you're more than that then. So in college you realized, okay, I'm not taking this pro, I have these other other interests, other other, I guess, things that really challenge you in some respect. So what types of things were they that that enabled you to switch off from sport?
Speaker 1:um, so I was a part of different organizations. My major had an organization with psychology. I was in something for domestic violence awareness, mental health, queens in you, which is like women's empowerment uplifting. So I wasn't just a variety of different things, but I think also the kicker for me was I was in SAC, which is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and so I held the vice president position in that realm, and so that also was like another game changer. That's like a whole nother thing, but it circles back to what I'm now giving back to SAC now with my conference, but that has opened up doors that I didn't even know were open so tell me about what is SAP?
Speaker 3:what is that?
Speaker 1:student advice committee yeah, so that is basically like the liaison for athletes, where we go in and we can express concerns, um that we might have as athletes, things that we want to see for athletes better, whether it's like mental health related, whether it's physical, like going to the training room just an area to promote student athletes, but also an area and a space for student athletes to also express their concern. And so me and the president were to take that back to our SAC liaison who was over SAC and then they would take it back to the athletic director or things like that. So just a safe space.
Speaker 3:You were a member of the of that advisory the student or the student athlete committee and working in SAC. Um, what did you learn? How did that you know? What did you learn during that piece, because you're part of that body whilst being an athlete. How do you think that helped shape you?
Speaker 1:It pushed me a lot, um, the first time I was able to go to the CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Conference. They actually invited two people from SAT, from each representing school in the CIAA, to go there for free, and so when I went to the first time, I was in there with other SAT presidents, vice presidents, whomever and they were people that had also excelled in things outside of their sport too. So it was like a realization of almost like a you know, we're all family now, like, but it was, you know, you check the next person beside you, we're competitive. So it's like oh, you did that. You're oh, you did that, and so it's. It's like a oh, like I thought I was doing a lot, but you're doing a lot too. So for me that was really eye-opening to see, like, okay, people also really care about what they do outside of their sport as well. So it just pushed me um, which was good, you know it was. It wasn't necessarily competition, but it was just insight for me to be like keep going.
Speaker 3:How important do you see it for yourself back then that you were going down that track of doing things outside of sport whilst continuing as a student athlete?
Speaker 1:It was just so important for my development as a person. You know how to carry yourself, I I learned how to represent myself, in a way, and you know just the small things like business casual, making sure your resume is updated, having a cover letter, what questions to ask when you go up to a recruiter, like. I learned all of these things. But something, too, that the commissioner really you know hounds in on is also our mental health that the panelists always provide to us about, like listen, when you get out of here, it's going to be a little rocky, it's a little rough, and so I appreciate that transparency too, but also to know, like you're in a room that is preparing you to be able to succeed, and so I don't know what life would have been like if I hadn't had that opportunity. That's a really, really big opportunity for me that I hold really near and dear to my heart, so I just think it was just a huge milestone for me yeah, that yeah, uh, wonderful.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it really is, and sometimes we don't know what we're going to learn when we step into these opportunities. But is, uh, the first, the first part, right and often the bravest? And it sounds like you've taken a lot from it. I'm I'm curious, as you. I think you were saying it was perhaps in your junior year where you started to understand this realm of sport psychology, or indeed the role of psychology inside sport. Talk to me a little bit, then, of how that that emerged for you.
Speaker 1:I definitely think after my freshman year after I saw how I kind of I definitely think after my freshman year after I saw how I kind of navigated and managed, like how attached and how concerned I was that I wasn't playing and not necessarily how it felt for me, but what I thought other people were thinking of me. I didn't have any proof that anybody was thinking anything, but I was just so concerned because I was a star in high school and now I'm not playing. That was hard for me and I would say I developed my own mental challenges but my support system was really good. But I saw other athletes go through different things, whether it was through injury or just navigating life, things on the inside but then transferring into other things outside and coping skills and alcohol and drugs and all these things, and so I was like god, like there's not a person for us, like there has to be a person for us as far as athletes, because we do go through just different things. I think of our peers that aren't athletes in college.
Speaker 3:What do you think of? You think of the differences that student athletes go through, that typical students don't.
Speaker 1:I definitely think the scheduling piece you know we just don't. We have to really grind if we want more opportunities as far as like internships and being able to go to career fairs and all those things. Because we have those commitments we're gone half the time traveling. We have two, three, four, five practices on top of our classes, so I think that piece is different. Also, you know, we're in our bubble. We report to school before everybody else, so we're there before the campus opens up to everyone, so we're so used to our people, our bubble, so then it could be hard to navigate friendships outside of our teammates.
Speaker 1:And then also just this life that we've dedicated our life to sport, so we've been trained to go 110 miles per hour in this one area of our life that thinking about anything else is just hard. And so I just think that the timing piece really is the biggest thing, is just the opportunity. We have to be so selective, so intentional on making sure that we know how to have a cover letter, a resume, internships, community service, all of that. It's not to say that people that are working during school don't also have to navigate that. I just think it's different when you also add that mental component of like we've been going 110 on this one thing all life. And so now, when something throws a wrench in that, now we're not only throwing in a wrench of what we're used to, but now you want us to cope with it too, when coping is our sport.
Speaker 3:So it's a lot of back and forth I've never thought of, I've never written down what those differences are for a student athlete compared to everyone else.
Speaker 2:And yeah, that time management, definitely a key one there are too many stories of bankruptcies, mental health issues and, unfortunately, suicide, and so I think it's time to act. Every year, we see thousands of athletes that reach a point where they need to consider their life after they leave sport. This might be at retirement, injury or they need to juggle dual careers between sport and a job. As a former English professional footballer, I have somehow managed to transition from sport into banking strategy, innovation and now life coach, career practitioner and founder of the Second Wind Academy, so I want to help those around me find their career. Second wind. Find me on Insta or through my new Facebook group, second Wind Academy, where I'd love to know your thoughts and suggestions.
Speaker 3:You used to have been relatively empty, except for your people for that morning practice.
Speaker 1:Exactly yeah, even going to the CAF.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We go to the CAF, usually with our friends because it's after practice. Yeah, I mean, it's all the things I remember. Even during homecoming we would be looking at the clock what time are we going to get back? Cause maybe we can make the pep rally Like we're traveling on. You know these key things and we're missing out on things of normalcy. That is for the whole campus, but sometimes we had to miss out because of our sport, but we're used to that. But also, college is that foundation. You know where you should get community service and you should have an internship and you need to be networking, but sometimes it's just hard.
Speaker 3:Yeah, simple as that it is, it is hard, I guess you know I can think of Jim who, who joined me on the show a while back, and you know he says athletes, they take the hard path, they run uphill, and that's really what starts to set athletes apart, right, certainly those elite athletes. So for you, recognizing all right sports psychology, that could be somewhere where you might move into. What shifts did you have to make in order to make that happen? What sort of experiences did you start to make in order to make that happen? What sort of experiences did you start to search for outside of sport?
Speaker 1:I searched for opportunities. I mean, it's really, really hard as a psychology major without a license to really get anything. So I found out about the crisis text line, which is a service for individuals. They can text 741, which is a service for individuals. They can text 741-741 and text HOME. That'll open up the crisis hotline. And so I volunteered there. So I had this very intense training. This is the first time that I'm learning how to ask someone like are you thinking about suicide? So I'm getting this in-depth training. You know, something that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was very scared at first, but it was just a great experience. It was like something I could put on my resume and be like hey, like I do know how to do an assessment, I do know how to do a risk assessment, to ask someone and how to de-escalate and that stuff. So I started there. That was my first thing.
Speaker 3:Well, kudos to you for stepping into the front line. Like you know, you went straight into learn again. Taking that, you went right into the front end saying I'm going to learn by doing again. Quite an athletic trait. Now, if I understand correctly, that crisis line is a generalist line, that's not just for athletes. Is that true?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's for everyone. Yep, it is for everyone, and I really liked the idea because of someone who doesn't like to talk about their feelings like outwardly. I love to write it down in a journal. I can send you a note and share it with you. I'll do that all day. But if we have to do this and share my feelings, I'm just a little on the shyer side. So I liked the idea where you know people didn't necessarily have to talk on a phone. You know it can just be a text back and forth. So that's what really pulled me to that, because I like that as an option.
Speaker 3:Do you know what this is. That's really good. Actually, I I didn't, you know, truly appreciate that type of line of communication opened up, but when I think about, um myself, that as I communicate with young athletes and and even my children, I can understand why the messaging as a, as the mode of comms, is very appealing, uh, to individuals. Yeah, and so taking that experience, that journalist experience, communicating through and through that channel, how do you think that helped you to? You know for what? For what came next?
Speaker 1:yeah, I think I then started to explore people on linkedin, and so, at the time, the person that I think really shaped my next move was tish gearing, and she was the camera exact title, but she worked with the panthers. I think she was the director of player wellness when you say panthers, you mean carolina panthers, okay yes, the nfl team yes, and at that point I wanted to focus on nfl players.
Speaker 1:Why, I do not know. I understand now. Why now? But at that time I didn't have a why, just think I thought it was pretty cool at that point.
Speaker 3:It's a good enough reason to start.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so she has MSW, and so that's what I was going back and forth with, and we talked about opportunities. I didn't feel like I was prepared to go straight to my doctorate after I left Shaw Quite. Honestly, I just don't. I just didn't feel comfortable. It was really scary for me. Dissertation made me want to faint and I just didn't know if I was academically prepared. Not that Charlotte had to prepare me, I just think that I balanced street sport and academics and maybe could I have done a little bit more to prepare me academically, maybe. And so I was like well, what could I do next? And so she had an MSW. She talked to me, I messaged, her.
Speaker 3:She messaged me back just to bring back again. She had a. What did you say, uh?
Speaker 1:a master's in social work, so an MSW yep okay, yes.
Speaker 1:So that's when I found out about social work. Didn't know about social work. My mom, um, was a social worker in a different realm but didn't really consider social work. She said, listen, this is what I have, this is what you need to do to get here. You don't necessarily have to get your PhD. And I said that's awesome, I can do another two years, that's easy. And so that's where my minor came in. And then you know, I wasn't going to change my entire major because you know that was going to be a lot, but I could add in on my earner and add some extra classes.
Speaker 3:So that's kind of what pursued me to get my MSW as well and so the you know again, you got that family background, they've got that experience so that perhaps in the back, you know, is that that bit of influence? But what you really started to see was you're starting to think about where you wanted to work environment that you want to operate in. Obviously, from that sporting world probably the the largest sporting team in you know, in carolina is is is where you're wanting to, to head to, um, you know, and and so from there you were able to see well, in that environment, what types of roles might work and you know what's interesting. So you went there, not with the idea of having to study, but it sounds like the environment and the opportunity was so strong that it's like, well, yeah, I can study, I'm happy to do more studies to make this happen. Is that?
Speaker 1:fair? Absolutely, yeah, that's definitely fair. Um, I knew that I had to go to grad school because I was getting my bachelor's in psychology. I didn't know what I was going to go to grad school for, and so I appreciate the guidance because I also think in the sports world you see a lot of PhDs and a lot of PsyDs, not a lot of MSWs or master's level clinicians in that realm, and so I was a little hesitant, like, well, I don't know, am I going to be, you know, reputable, like are people going to think that I can do this? But the more I talk to people and the more that I see, you know I will stand on my MSW to fight in the same ring as people with doctoral degrees, and I'm working on my doctoral degree. So, again, but I really use my MSW as my selling point. So, yeah, I just appreciate the guidance.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's really good because there's more than one route to get into that field and indeed then to stay there, and it sounds like for you there's a balance where you're in the area Now you're in where you want to be. Now you're starting to build that capability and with the you know, going through doctoral, I guess structure to be next.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I definitely think it was cool. Like she was like my gateway, and so then I started to research more people and then you see more people doing working with athletes. I'm like, okay, you started as an English major and then you went and got your master's in this and okay, and I mean really you know it's. I think I discredited myself too, because I'm like girl tap tap Like you. Just you're about to graduate. You played three sports in college. Like I'm like girl tap tap Like you. Just you're about to graduate. You played three sports in college. Like that's rare, right, ncaa top 30, like hello, like I think I also had to take a step back and realize who I was. Like these are things that you accomplished that not everybody can say they accomplished. So also put some credit on yourself.
Speaker 3:Why do you think we do that? Why, as an athlete, do we not always appreciate the, the effort, the hard work, what we've achieved, and you're like, no, that doesn't matter anymore. Uh, because I'm off. I'm off the court, uh, it doesn't matter what. Why do you think we do I?
Speaker 1:mean, I think it's because, like all our life, someone is telling us yeah, that's, that's great, you achieved that. But this is also your next thing that you need to focus on, and so it's just like a continuous thing of like there's just always something else, and so it's like you win one championship, well, you need to win two, and then now you need to win three, and then, well, you also need to be MVP, and then you also need to do this. Like well, you get this, do this. Like well, you get this. Now, you know, get invited to the Pro Bowls. I mean, it's like we always get things added on so you don't really get to sit in the season to appreciate it. You're so focused on the next season, and so I think, for me, I was so focused on trying to get to my next place. I didn't even sit to think what I was doing at Shaw and how that was going to prepare me for my next season.
Speaker 3:How much do you think that mentality has changed for you since you've stopped being that student athlete?
Speaker 1:I still think it's something that I struggle with now. I guess I wouldn't say struggle, but I now to this day, I work like seven jobs. I have like seven different projects, because I just don't know what idle time looks like for me, and I don't like it. I don't like to not have anything on my plate. I know how to juggle a whole lot of things and I think I'm doing something well, and then that's something else comes to my head like oh, but you could make this better. And I just think it's the mentality of an athlete. I don't think it's a bad thing. I think you do have to slow it down so you don't burn yourself out as an adult. But I wouldn't trade that piece about me because I never settle, I'm never stagnant, it's always up for me. So I appreciate that part of me, but I just think it's the nature of the game.
Speaker 3:Many people do one sport. In college you did three. So here now you're saying you're doing multiple projects outside, you know in your world, whereas perhaps others would do fewer. So when you think then about where you're heading, so you know how would you describe what is next for you?
Speaker 1:I will. I'm in the works of various partnerships with colleges to really implement this life after sport thing. Um, that is just something that I know I'm very passionate about because I've seen it, but I've also excelled in it, and so I use my NCAA honor as my selling point, because I did not get there because of my athletic achievements. Really, they didn't care about any of that. They did, but the most was like what did you do outside of that? And so I mean that's the selling point is like listen, I did this, I graduated with honors, I was one of the top 30 in the nation. This works. This is something that we should be focusing on, and so I'm working on various things to try to implement that in some of the colleges and universities that I'm working with.
Speaker 1:Of course, I have my own business where I do one-on-one coaching. I really like that. I really like meeting with the individual student athlete. That's my favorite. But also knowing institutions, we need something like that and allow the power five. You know big schools have that. I'm wanting, like the smaller D1s and D2s and D3s.
Speaker 3:You know what I love about the theme, and that theme is you are picking up your experience as a student athlete and you're helping current student athletes to set themselves up for that life after sport. But you're doing that not just from your playing experience but also from your studies and also from that work experience and extracurricular things that you were doing at the same time experience and actually curricular things that you you were doing at the same time and you know I'm a big sports person.
Speaker 1:you know any football player I work with which is what I primarily did when I worked at mc state was like I want you to make it to the league. I hope you get there. Do not forget about me, don't, don't forget about little me when you make it there, but I care so much more about you than you making it to the league. Like we are a small percentage that even make it to college athletics right, it was already a small percentage. Then we go even smaller when we talk about pro. So it's not me saying don't think about this, but it's like understand who you are outside of your sport so that if that's not your time or your calling in that season, you know how to do an interview. You have a resume, you have a cover letter, you know some of these, what are your strengths, what are your challenges? You just know how to navigate the other set of your identity, like your fingerprint includes more than just one piece of you. So it's just really my goal is to help athletes understand that.
Speaker 3:So for you, when you think about what challenges did you have as you opted to leave sport, what stands out for you as some of the biggest challenges for you and your athletic career transition?
Speaker 1:My biggest one was the physical aspect believe it or not was working out. To this day. It is still a challenge. I have to shout out my strength coach, Coach Wayne Hall. He's a strength coach currently at Shaw University. When I talk about people that were inspirational in my life, people that shaped me for who I am during my time in college and beyond, he is one of those people, and so I didn't realize how spoiled I was, because I would walk in, I would look at the board and I wouldn't ask any questions. You want me to do 17 down and backs? I did them. You want me to do how many birthdays? I did them and I did them, and then I left. I didn't have to think about it.
Speaker 1:When I graduated I said, oh, I need to remember what works out, what body. I can't just do arms, legs, tricep, bicep, back all in the same day. There's people in here. I've gained weight. It was so much for me. It is still so much for me. What have you done to get through that? I'm still in contact with coach hall, so he does still send me workouts.
Speaker 3:um he's now getting. He's gonna get messages from everybody.
Speaker 1:Now say hey he is definitely highly recommend. Um, there is not. It's just not the same. You know, before I started trying to go back to him now as someone that has had a kid who is definitely not in athletic shape at all, you know I was working out maybe consistently for a month before I reached back out and said, hey, like I'm going to drive to Raleigh, which is like an hour and a half drive for me from Greensboro, I'm going to drive on my Mondays to come work out with you at least once a week. That is a testament to just kind of how he is.
Speaker 1:But giving myself some grace Sorry, I'm going off on a tangent but giving myself some grace is what has helped me. Not comparing myself to my future, my past athletic self has helped me to change the narrative right. Because I think when I was at Shaw I did go through this big transformation thanks to Coach Hall. I was the heaviest I'd ever been in life and I became the smallest I had ever became in life and a part of that was just noticing small things that I couldn't do, that I wanted to be able to do, but also like how my jersey was fitting and what that looked like. You know girl stuff in a sense of just how we look in our jerseys and stuff.
Speaker 1:But you have to give yourself some grace, because I know that that was a season in my life. I want to just be healthy in this season. I'm not competing, I'm not trying to get any weight on, just have a great, healthy life. And so I had to change my mindset of like, why am I working out? I'm not working out because I'm forced to or because I'm going to get docked on playing time. I'm working out and I want to be healthy because I want to be healthy for myself, I want to have a life, nice long living life for my son.
Speaker 3:And so it's that change of purpose. And so for you, initially, as we spoke about there, you went in the gym. Everything's up on the board. This is telling you what you're going to do. Boom, I'll work out. No question I'm gone. And that you sort of knew was because coach had put it up there to make you a better athlete, and so, without that reference point, it's like, well, what am I doing this? Why am I here, what?
Speaker 1:and so you've done the work now to to find that purpose, which is live a healthy life, be able to go around with your son, to to do these things right, and they're special yeah, I, I definitely think too you made a good point of like he did that to make me a better athlete, and I think also to the confidence piece like I went in there and if he told me to lift, you know, 195 pounds, okay fine. And so I think too, like learning that confidence in myself, like you're still strong, you're still powerful, you can still lift. But it didn't. It took me up until a couple of weeks ago when I went back to work out with him, when he had me working out with the current softball players lifting what they were lifting, and I looked at him like I said I needed some alterations and he didn't give me any, but I did it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so I think it was like a testament of like that confidence that I had while at Shaw. It estimate of like that confidence that I had while at Shaw it's still there. Different life experiences have happened, but that grit is still there, and so sometimes you also just need that reminder.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, you do, like you say, it's still in there. It was always in there as an athlete, and even as we come out and shift careers, we pivot careers, to that extent it's still there and you start from that athletic side. So so, look, it makes me then ask you know, and I appreciate the time as well, but when you're then thinking of you know, you like the one-on-ones with athletes that's something you said, you really you know what types of guidance do you give to them for, you know, to help them with that transition, to help bring their intrinsic capabilities, uh, and use that in, I'll say the more, the more traditional workforce, what sort of advice?
Speaker 1:I think the biggest thing is the transferable skills. Like we have to understand, articulate why being an athlete has taught us so much in different life lessons. I think you know the biggest thing is like well, what's your strengths? I don't know. I'm a captain, Okay. Well, how can you translate that for someone that's offering you a job, Instead of saying I'm a captain, how does that translate to life? Being able to manage different personalities, being the leader, being punctual, being accountable, getting used to framing these athletic experiences into transferable skills, Because sometimes we just feel like well, what did you do in college?
Speaker 1:I was an athlete. I was on the basketball team, Okay, what else did you do? I didn't really have time to do anything else because I was an athlete. I was on the basketball team. Okay, what else should you do? Well, I didn't really have time to do anything else because I was an athlete. Right, Shifting our mindset, shifting our verbiage of how we say that Well, I was able to navigate and do teamwork. So I'm gonna be a great effective person on being able to work on a team and know how to know my role and shift my role in various ways. I'm very flexible and adaptable, right, Because you have to be that as an athlete.
Speaker 1:So understanding you weren't just an athlete like. You learned all of these skills, even if you played one match or all 50, your experience as a whole has shaped you to learn so many different things and how they can navigate into life. So it's really that mindset, piece of understanding your fingerprint and I say that all the time you go and put your fingerprint down all these different lines appear. It's not just one line and it's unique to you. So my grit that I had understanding who I was as a person. It wasn't athlete Christine, it was just Christine. I'm just a gritty person. Listen, it wasn't athlete Christine, it was just Christine. I'm just a gritty person. My athletic experience just enhanced that. But you take that away. I still have grit. So helping them understand just because one of your identities is closing doesn't mean that all of those things go away. You're still that person. It's helping them understand that it's just really important.
Speaker 3:That's wonderful and if I understand you know, as I'm taking notes here, but if I understand, I like that understanding that you're more than just a fingerprint, so recognizing that mindset shift is you're more than the athlete, there's so much more to you and that's, you know, that key thing. That second one you mentioned, then, is about bringing out those transferable skills and capability of, and you're, a leadership. You're in a team sport. You've, you know that teamwork really comes out, and it sounds like the last bit you help them to do is really to articulate that to. Well, how do you tell people? You tell them voice or talking to them, but then also making sure you've got a resume, you know you can write it down, document it in that way, and, and so I like that, that the fingerprint, the transferable skills and being able to truly articulate or communicate that message out. I think for me that is really clear.
Speaker 3:I really like that thank you, thank you yeah, and and so, look, I you know I've got to say thank you very much for sharing your journey and I'm going to say journey so far, um, in terms of you and your career. And look, there are people who are going to be watching and listening, who are going to want to reach out. We'll put information in the show notes, but please just tell us what's a good way to perhaps get in touch with you and follow your journey.
Speaker 1:Yes, so definitely you can shoot me an email at peakpotentialjourney at gmailcom. My business number is 336-988-4622. And then my Instagram handle is peakpotentialjourney. And then you can follow me on LinkedIn under Christine Yvette Ndebe.
Speaker 3:Okay, wonderful, Christine. Once again, thanks for joining me today on the Second Wind Academy podcast.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Ryan, for having me. It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 3:Thank you for listening to the Second Wind podcast. We hope you enjoyed hearing insights from today's athlete on transitioning out of competitive careers.
Speaker 2:If you're looking, for career clarity for your next step. Make sure you check out secondwinio for more information or to book a consultation with me.
Speaker 3:I'd like to thank Claire from Betty Brook Design, Nancy from Savvy Podcast Solutions and Cerise from Copying Content by Lola for their help in putting this podcast together. That's all from me. Take it easy Until next time.
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