Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves

163: Kayla Byrne - The Art of Pivot: Basketball Dreams to Giving Back to her Alma Mater

• Ryan Gonsalves • Episode 163

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Kayla spent years chasing the dream of playing basketball overseas. She trained, sacrificed, and pushed through setbacks with the goal of turning pro. But after college, that dream didn’t happen.

What followed was a quiet but difficult shift. One where she had to face the question that many athletes avoid until it’s too late: What now?

In this episode, Ryan speaks with Kayla about the realities of life after sport—when you’ve put your whole identity into your game, and suddenly it’s not there anymore. Kayla’s story is honest, emotional, and deeply relatable for anyone who’s felt lost after walking away from the thing they’ve worked toward their whole life.


What You’ll Learn:

  • How Kayla’s relationship with basketball shaped her life from a young age
  • What it felt like to give everything to a sport, only to end up without a contract
  • The impact of injury, lack of play time, and how that affected her confidence
  • Why “floating” after graduation is more common than most people admit
  • How Kayla found purpose by returning to serve athletes at her alma mater
  • The role faith played in helping her rebuild her identity
  • What helped her move from regret to gratitude
  • How she’s using her story to support the next generation of athletes through transition
  • The power of letting go of what you thought your life should look like, and owning what it is

💎 GOLDEN NUGGET:
“Basketball gave me so much, but it also took a lot from me. Learning how to move forward meant accepting both.”

If you’re in the middle of a career shift or trying to figure out what’s next after sport, Kayla’s story will remind you that it’s ok to start again—and that you’re not alone.


Connect with Ryan and Second Wind Academy:

Credits:

  • Editing: Nancy at Savvy Podcast Solutions
  • Design: Claire at Betty Book Design
  • Show Notes: Cerise from Copy & Content by Lola
Speaker 1:

Yeah, so you had that fixation. You had that clear goal on what you wanted to achieve. At the time, did you feel like you were making sacrifices?

Speaker 2:

I think one of the biggest sacrifices was being away from home, like playing college basketball, because this seemed like the best decision for me to play at this school at this time. But being so far away from family to where I only got to see him around Christmas time or so, that that was a sacrifice in itself and and in the ways of missing out on those social gathering things, I don't really think I missed out on much because it just wasn't something that I was like sad about missing.

Speaker 1:

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. Kayla, I want to say massive thanks. Welcome to the Career Clarity with Athletes podcast. It's good to have you join me. My evening must be, I don't know, day afternoon. Well, I've no idea where we are.

Speaker 2:

My morning. Yes, 7am, north Carolina time. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Love it Bright and early. So thanks for joining me. At the start of yours end of mine, I always say I'm looking forward to the conversations, and you know what it's? Because I am, I really am. I like your background, your transition, basketball administration and really giving back, and so I think your story's good. You've got you've probably got a lot to give and we'll probably only just delve. We're going to delve as much as we can in this short amount of time, but really want to say thanks for coming on and it's going to be. It's going to be a good chat.

Speaker 2:

I'm excited, ryan. I'm looking forward to it, thank you. Thank you for having me on. I appreciate it, the opportunity to get to talk to you.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. Now, look, I know we were chatting just before we went on there. We've had it, we've had a couple of conversations, but we were talking about, I guess, half marathons, and you've just done your third half marathon, as we're talking now, in fact by the time this is published, it might have been four or five.

Speaker 2:

Oh my gosh, now you're putting it out there. It's a little pressure for me. Yeah, I just completed my third half marathon back home in Chicago and it was kind of like, oh, do I want to sign up for one in the summer, like it's pretty hot, but I just figured, you know it's early enough in the morning. Hopefully it'll be good and and I've done majority of my training down here in North Carolina, so I figured I'd have an advantage and and I wound up PRing and shaving off six minutes from my previous time yeah, I'm just in awe because I've done two half marathons probably about maybe 16 years apart when I did them, and they were not the most enjoyable thing I've ever done by any stretch of the imagination.

Speaker 1:

So the fact you've done three, you've done your PR, clearly getting faster and yeah, just to put it out there in public, maybe now tempted to do a marathon as well.

Speaker 2:

And yeah, just to put it out there in public maybe now tempted to do a marathon as well. You know what. That's definitely in the cards for my future. I just have to figure out when. When is the right time. But you're right, I can do it and I think I just need proper training time to be able to knock it out, awesome, awesome.

Speaker 1:

Well, look, kayla. We may well come back to your athletic exploits in terms of what you are doing and how you're pushing yourself, because I think that is quite simply part of your DNA.

Speaker 2:

I'd love to, just for everyone who's listening, for everyone who's watching, just tell us a bit about yourself and what you're up to nowadays living in North Carolina, a town called Wilson, which is 50 minutes or so east of Raleigh, and I'm working at my alma mater actually, it's called Barton College, and so it's a Division II school, and I played basketball for two years at the school. I graduated in 2023. And now I work in our athletic department. My title is athletic operations coordinator, and so my duties kind of change on the day to day in our department. It's small enough to where no one wears just one hat. You wear multiple hats.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I enjoy that piece. Sometimes it can be, you know, you get a lot put on you some days and then other days you have other, just specific areas to focus on. But all in all it's very rewarding and I believe that I'm learning so much every day.

Speaker 1:

So when you think, then of that title and you know you do all the sounds like it's quite a varied job. It changes, as you said, on a daily basis. What are perhaps the top two or three things you enjoy most about what you do at Young Law?

Speaker 2:

Definitely Interacting with the people at Barton, so the student-athletes. It's just so great to be able to see them every day and I hope that I'm making a difference in their lives and impacting them in a positive way. That's one of the reasons why I really wanted this job was to come back to not only my alma mater but to work with these 18 to 22 year olds and help them get on the right path for their lives or keep them on the right path. And another part is to be able to engage with my co-workers and see them every day and the community. It's the best part of the job, for sure.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's good. So you know you talk about going back to the college where you I guess where you played. You got to spend a couple of years there. I'm always interested because this is about finding that clarity in your career For you. To me, you've only just graduated, right, so you're still kind of in that early transition phase of this, you know, finding your second wind in many respects. But before we sort of tackle those aspects, let's just get a bit of a background. You said your hometown, chicago. What drew you to basketball or how did you actually get into sport in the first place?

Speaker 2:

yeah, so I, I've been playing basketball since I was about four years old and so you know my parents would just sign me up, like any parent they signed signed me up for all the different sports, and so when I was growing up, I played soccer, but football for you guys. I played softball when I was younger and basketball. I even played one season of flag football actually I was in fifth grade, but that was interesting and so but basketball always stuck with me and I went on to keep playing in middle school and then I played for our feeder team, which feeds into the high school, played in high school and then we wound up playing at a junior college in North Dakota, a town called Devil's Lake.

Speaker 1:

What was the town?

Speaker 2:

The town was called Devil's Lake. Okay, all right, an interesting name.

Speaker 1:

Right it is, it is okay all right, yeah, okay, everyone's googling now exactly what that is and I'm gonna be doing you gotta google it yeah I will be.

Speaker 2:

That's it key action for everybody it's you know it's a small town but great people. I'll tell you that it really helped me grow as a person you know, living away from home and it was just a great experience great people. I'll tell you that it really helped me grow as a person, you know, living away from home and it was just a great experience great people there.

Speaker 1:

So what made you go there? I suppose there's probably this little connection here, which is when you were playing sport, when you're doing basketball then, as a youngster for you, then where did you want to go? What were your aspirations as a player?

Speaker 2:

So when I was about 13, that's kind of when I got really serious about basketball and I knew, like this is what I want to do. This is I want to dedicate myself to this sport and see how far I can go with it, and knowing I want to play at the next level for sure.

Speaker 2:

But this was 13 years old and I kind of got inspired by a guy named Nick Stauskas. He played, he's from Canada, he played for Michigan and went on to play in the NBA and overseas and such. And I was just watching his shooting videos one day and I was like, okay, I want to kind of do what this guy's doing. And so from when I was 13 and decided that I was just going to the gym every single day, working, working, working, and then before you know it, you know, I'm in high school. And then during high school was tough, because I played my freshman, sophomore year and then my junior year, which is a pretty pivotal year, especially when, like getting recruited and things like that, I had gotten, gotten injured and so I dislocated my ankle a week before our season was supposed to start. So I I had to sit that whole whole season how was that for you at the time?

Speaker 2:

that was really hard because at that time everything was basketball, basketball. It wasn't a day when I wasn't playing or thinking about basketball. So that was taken from me and I had to kind of shift my mindset, saying, okay, now it's, how can I show up for my team even though I'm not on the court?

Speaker 2:

yeah and again it was. It was not easy, but I had the rehab. I did my rehab, physical therapy and then I was able to play in my travel basketball season leading up to my senior year. So, yeah, so all those things, they led me to my school in North Dakota and then from North Dakota to North Carolina.

Speaker 1:

So talk to me, then, a little bit about how that works. You your first college, then going there basketball was a key thing for you Academically. What was going through your mind? Did you have an alternative path that you were following?

Speaker 2:

So I kind of was always in the mindset of like being involved in business, but kind of diving deeper into that I hadn't really given it much thought. It was always just like you have to in order to play basketball, you have to go to school and do school, and my dad has a successful business. So he always told me that business is a very versatile degree and so that's the way I wanted to go versatile degree and so that's the way I wanted to go. But again, beyond that I didn't really give it much thought as to I want to do this. When I graduate it was always basketball.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and so what was that shift? You know you were just getting into it, that athletic shift and probably, I guess, social shift, moving from home, moving from high school, going to a new place. As you look back at that time, were there any moments where you struggled in that early transition there?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I would say my freshman year was tougher in terms of being away from family and friends. Basketball was going really well and school was going really well. I mean.

Speaker 2:

Basketball was going really well and school was going really well. I mean, when I moved away I didn't have family around. I didn't know anyone in that state. So for me it was like in a way it helped me dial in on basketball in my studies and developing friendships with my teammates and other people at the school. But it was hard to be away from family and it felt kind of like I was isolated up there, especially when it's winter nine months out of the year. That was that didn't help much either.

Speaker 1:

But it's funny, you said isolated all the way up there. You mean geographically you were isolated, or is it yes?

Speaker 2:

that's exactly what I mean. I it felt like here's Chicago and here's all the hustle and bustle, and then I'm up in this state where no one could probably find me if they tried.

Speaker 1:

Well, luckily you survived, so that's a good thing. But here you know, you've moved to this environment and I'm interested in that moment. Then, like you say, your freshman year was really good. You're starting to, you know. Know, your basketball was good, school was good. What did you start to dream of? Where did you start to think this could get to?

Speaker 2:

so for me I again the end goal was always trying to go play overseas, play professional ball, and so that was always on the forefront of my mind from before even freshman year. But when I started playing my freshman year of college basketball, it was more of it was closer than it had been when I was younger, and so that was kind of the goal. But it was also like don't look too far ahead, because you still have this business to take care of before before you try to make it over there. So that's that was the goal is is getting overseas and playing overseas. Yeah, that's the goal that I, that I always had and how did that change?

Speaker 1:

given that was your goal, how did that make you focus on basketball and and well, actually, just being a student, being a young woman playing basketball, studying away from home, socializing, how did you manage to prioritize what was most important?

Speaker 2:

I always made sure that I was able to get my workouts in on top of our practices. So we practice almost every day, but I would get my my workouts in on top of our practices. So we practice almost every day, but I would get my workouts in on my own. I would go an hour, an hour and a half before practice, typically, and then I was trying to implement being in the weight room regularly as well. I did not like the weight room as much as I liked being on the court, so sometimes that was tougher, but I knew that I needed it in order to help me.

Speaker 2:

But for me, I really prioritized basketball and my studies, because I had to finish my studies in order to be able to compete on the court. And so, and socially, I believe I did a good job at balancing all that. I wasn't always going out and partying and things like that, but I was still friends with a lot of people who did and you know, good, good for them, but it just wasn't really on my mind at the time. It's just not, not was was really in the cards for me and I felt that I can't do that. I gotta. I'm focused, I'm laser focused, but looking back on it, there's nothing wrong with a little balance and I think sometimes maybe I lacked that, sometimes because I was so fixated on yeah, so you had that fixation.

Speaker 1:

You had that clear goal on what you wanted to achieve at the time. Did you feel there was a sack, like you were making sacrifices?

Speaker 2:

I think the one of the biggest sacrifices was being away from home, like playing college basketball, because this seemed like the best decision for me to play at this school at this time. But being so far away from family to where I only got to see him around Christmas time or so, that that was a sacrifice in itself and and in the ways of missing out on those social gathering things, I don't really think I missed out on much because it just wasn't something that I was like sad about missing yeah, I know what you mean and I ask.

Speaker 1:

I ask the question that in a full, genuine way because often at the moment, as we're going through, we don't recognize it being a sacrifice. We feel this is what I need to do. You mentioned doing your extra sessions, getting into the weight room even though you didn't like going there, but you put the extra reps in because you had that goal in mind and right. So it's not necessarily a sacrifice, it's a prioritization that's it prioritization.

Speaker 2:

And that's it prioritization. And sometimes I think, when you're younger and just starting out in college, it's tough because you can be pulled in all these different directions Not to say again that going out and having some fun that's bad, that's a good thing, but it's also important to not get too tied down and to lose your dirt like the way that you were going, lose the path, and so I think I always had that on my mind to where I was, like I don't even want to, I don't even want to chance it because I don't want to get derailed from what I'm trying to do.

Speaker 1:

What do you mean? You don't want to chance it?

Speaker 2:

Like I don't want to. If I want to really liking that, you know that time going out, I don't want that to to now be my priority and then basketball drops, which I don't ever think it would have happened, but I always had that in my brain of like, if I'm doing this, then I'm not, then I'm not getting enough rest or I'm not preparing for my next training session, If I'm going on doing this, then basketball will suffer and, and that's you talk about that fixation, that goal, orientation to achieve it.

Speaker 1:

And you, I guess, as you look back because, as you said earlier, that was the purpose, that's why you were there, that's why you moved away from home was to work towards achieving that dream and you wanted to give it your all. How did that path continue? How did you know what was that college experience like for you, said, a couple of years there and, moving on, what? What was that shift?

Speaker 2:

yeah. So when I first got to North Dakota, that was again. It was like, oh, this is a new place and I'm so far away from family, like once'm done here, I can't wait to leave and go somewhere warmer and go somewhere, just go somewhere else. But actually, as my time was winding down at Lake Region, it was getting tougher and tougher thinking about that last day, mainly because of the relationships I had built and the friendships I had built, and it really hit me the day that I had to leave was like I don't want to leave these people and this place and I had formed all these great relationships. I'm like I won't find that somewhere else, no way. And then, coming to Barton, I wound up having that and I would say even more, which is such a blessing within itself.

Speaker 1:

So was it always the plan to make it to somewhere like Barton?

Speaker 2:

So when I was at the junior college, knowing that's only last for two years, of course, it was in my brain of, yeah, I like to move on to another school, a four-year and ideally a Division I or Division II school, a higher level school, and so I really reached out to a bunch of different schools around the country, like outside of the north part that I was in the northern Midwest part, you could say, because I was not looking for as much of a climate, harsh climate- I was gonna say basically, you want, you wanted a good school with a good climate that's correct, yes, so yeah, that's good, I'm with you yeah, yeah, absolutely, and so I was.

Speaker 2:

I was willing to go anywhere really within the us, that that even places that. I hadn't been North Carolina, for example. So I had reached out to a bunch of coaches and then my coach at Barton, she had reached back out to me, and this was a week or two before I graduated from the school in North Dakota. So so time was kind of ticking and I was getting a little, a little antsy. But long story short, I wound up committing without even seeing the campus.

Speaker 1:

And so what was the? What was the first year like? What was it like for you coming from then junior college, coming now to Barton, with continuing with these, this dream of turning pro, getting a WNBA, going overseas? What was that? What was your initial period like?

Speaker 2:

it was a transition for sure, because you know when you're on campus you don't really know a whole lot of people, but luckily that's where your team can kind of come in, come into play, because I was able to get introduced to some teammates over the summer when I had, when I had finally made that visit. So when I was on campus I wasn't like I didn't know anyone, but I knew a couple friendly faces but it was still new. You know, it's a new environment and and sometimes that can be intimidating. But I was more excited and you know it was my junior year, so again I'd been to college before. I was eager to get to work and just get going yeah.

Speaker 1:

And so it's interesting, isn't it? You, in order for you to pursue that, that journey, you, you kind of went to junior college knowing it would end in two years, knowing you would, you would, all things being well, move on again. And that shifting of friendships, that social circle and expectations, so, like you say, it makes it a bit easier. Then, when you have that expectation that, hey, I know I'm going to move, it's going to end at some point, I'm going to go into that, that next spot. So, with that shift and interbutton, having that sort of okay, you knew you're going to go, you knew you're going to be making new friends and sounds like relationships continue to build in that way. Did anything change in your focus, in your prioritization, perhaps? Or was it like same again? Let's keep going.

Speaker 2:

It was basically the same. I basically came in with that same mindset as I had at my previous school and then it made me even hungry, because this is the next level and my junior year. Their leadership and competitiveness that was great. I was grateful to be a part of that, but I don't think my mindset shifted at all.

Speaker 1:

Great. So for you then now playing at that next level up, gradually more responsibility, I guess, coming, given your experience as a player. How did that continue? As you were starting to move through the seasons, how did it go for you?

Speaker 2:

So it was a little bit of like a transition for me in terms of basketball, because I went from playing a fair amount at my junior college and then when I got to Barton, like I said, my junior year, you know, I I was playing behind these, these seniors, and so I wasn't getting as much time as as I'd been used to and, yeah, and that was tough. That was tough because it's like I was still showing up every day, getting my workouts in and before practice and things like that and and knowing what I was capable of. But it just, I guess, wasn't in the cards for the coaching staff to to give me some more minutes. So that was a tough, that was a tough. That was a tough thing.

Speaker 1:

How did you deal with that?

Speaker 2:

I mean I was frustrated, but at the same time we were winning, and sometimes when you're winning it kind of helps things. So sometimes I was like, okay, well, they've got it figured out, we're winning. So it's like if it's not broken, why would you fix it? I feel like, is where the mindset that they were coming from? And I'm the new kid on the block, so I got that. But it was still tough because I was like oh, a year ago I'm playing majority of the minutes and I'm a big offensive player for our team, and now this year it wasn't as much. I mean, I was averaging maybe like nine or ten minutes a game.

Speaker 1:

so it was a big change for me yes, yeah, and so you were frustrated that you're winning. When you look back, how well did you cope with moving from being that main player to then, like you say, getting nine, ten minutes a game?

Speaker 2:

I'd like to say that I coped well, but I think in the moment it was just majority frustration, because all of my career, basically, I had worked and earned the things that I had gotten whether that's a spot on the team, basketball accolades, whatever that is I put in the work for it. I didn't just cruise my way through and so that didn't change here. I was still putting in the work, and so I was expecting to see better results. And not seeing that was the most most frustrating thing, for sure and so what happened then?

Speaker 2:

so after our season ended, because we went 28 and 2, we won a conference championship.

Speaker 1:

It was great and so that I mean that's awesome to be part of.

Speaker 2:

Like you said, be part of that team yes, I think to like looking at it from like climbing wise, like okay, you, you wanted to play in college, so you went to your juco. You were successful at your juco, so you, you moved on to this school and your first year here you win a conference championship. Like boom, like end the story there, like that's, that's a great way to end the story, right. But so I was just even hungrier once season ended and our school year ended. Then that summer I went home to Chicago. It was like back to the drawing board, like let's go and like put in the work.

Speaker 2:

Um, you know, I had my end of season meetings with my coaches at the end of my junior year, and so they told me what I needed to work on and that's what I went and did. And so that summer was like okay, coming back my senior year, like this is gonna be, I'm gonna, this is my team and then I'm gonna lead them. And so senior year comes around and it was not at all how I wanted it to go. It was a rebuilding year, for sure, because we had lost the 16 years, but we just couldn't get it right. Couldn't get it right and it was frustrating for me more than my junior year, because I was still not seeing those results.

Speaker 1:

Go on, talk about the results you wanted to see. You're putting that effort, you're doing your training, you're showing up. What results did you want to see or expect to see?

Speaker 2:

playing a majority of our games, rather than just averaging 11, 12 minutes a game, which is what I was averaging my senior year. It was like I'm just putting all this work and it's not. I'm not seeing it pay off this year, especially when I thought, like this is my year, it's my senior year, this is my team, so that was a. That was a hard pill to swallow, for sure. I mean, there's only so much you can do when you're not the one running the team. So, again, it was just coaches had a different plan. But at the end of the day, you know, we wound up doing not so great. My senior year.

Speaker 1:

So the elements you could control. You know, I often think about it this way, and you just reminded me of that the elements you can control was showing up, was putting the effort, given your all, but, like you say, you don't control the selection. You don't control in that way the minutes or the plan that goes in place, which then suggests the amount of minutes a player like yourself is going to be able to get. So how did you? I guess, looking back, because that's a lot of frustration, that's a lot of effort that you put in, how did you manage? Or to what?

Speaker 2:

extent did you manage yourself between what you could control and what you couldn't control and how you sort of expressed that? Yeah, so you know, I thought about it a lot and it never crossed my mind to just stop showing up and just stop, because I think that's an easy thing to do, right, like when those cards sometimes can be stacked against you. Then it's easy to be like all right, you know, I'm just going to give this a rest, it's probably just not going to happen, and things like that. And I didn't do that, not at all. I continued to push through and continue to work on my game, just staying ready, trying to stay as ready as I could for when my name was called.

Speaker 2:

And then there were times there were games where my name was called and I did perform well and it's like that feels so good but like why couldn't that be every game? But looking back on it, I think it helped me go through some adversity, battle, through that. That really tests your character. It really does, and it it really tested my character. And there were some days I was upset, I was mad and you know I wish I could handle that better, but that's just how it was yeah, how did going through that change your perspective on what you wanted to achieve and where you wanted to get to?

Speaker 2:

It made me just be like, ok, I want this season to end so I can just focus on my next chapter, which is trying to play overseas, so that. So, again, that never derailed me from what I was trying to do. I just said this is going to go away and this is going to be done, the season's going to be done, and then it's I'm going to graduate and move on and I'll be overseas and that'll be that. And so, from when the season ended, I did a showcase in Texas in March March before I graduated and so that that was a really great time.

Speaker 2:

I met a lot of great players from different schools and competed and that's Ryan, that's what felt like, okay, this is where I need to be, this is exactly how this is supposed to be going, and so that was so exciting. And then I came back to Barton because you know, I was finishing my degree and things like that, and kind of already had my sights on like, okay, we're what's the next showcase? So I was at that point and it was frustrating because that season the senior season, kind of like made me even just more excited to like get out and just be done to move on yeah, but the other part in that is the relationships and friendships that I had developed at Barton.

Speaker 2:

You know, like I said earlier, those I thought I wasn't going to find that again.

Speaker 1:

You know, like I had at Lake Region and I and I, I did that and I think more with those relationships and and that was the hard thing that I was like, okay, but when I leave here, like that's those people, you know, I'm, i'm'm gonna be away from them and I'm not gonna see them as much, and so that was a hard, hard thing to be in the middle of yeah, to try and navigate that and think how do you once again have to rebuild that social network, that support structure that got you through, I guess, a challenging season from a basketball perspective, right, or challenging year from a basketball perspective? So this dream continues. Anything academic push to the side, overseas, let's make this happen. What came next? How did you go through to make you know, to sort of put the steps in place to even have an opportunity to move overseas?

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm. So I had a friend that I trained with back home and so she wound up playing in Australia for maybe three or four seasons, I believe, and so I had reached out to her just, you know, using using my contacts and my network, and just voicing to her hey, like, do you recommend any agents? Because you know, out there you gotta be careful. You know to her, hey, do you recommend any agents? Because out there you got to be careful, Some agents they just want your money and they're actually not going to get you anywhere. You never know. You got all different types. So I thought, with reaching out to her, she'd be able to recommend someone to me. And so she wound up recommending an agent to me and and I was really grateful for that because, like, I trusted her and and stuff like that so so then I think I got in touch with that agent may sometime, so I graduated in mid-may, and then what?

Speaker 2:

23? Yeah 2023.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so then, communicating with the agent, I think about a week and a half, two weeks after I'd been in communication with him and I had been sending him film with me and my stats and things like that for my college career Kind of gave him the rundown of my career and so he had called me and he'd said, about a week and a two weeks after I signed with him, he was like I got two questions for you Do you have your passport and are you ready to go? And I said I was just like speechless. I was sitting at my kitchen table back home and I was like okay, I was like yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 2:

What's? What are we doing? Where are we going?

Speaker 2:

And he had talked to me about an opportunity to play in Ireland, and so he said that the team was interested in me and basically do I want to play for them, and so, really without question, I said yes, of course, and so the agent was kind of the go between between myself and the team, and so after a little bit, it was like I wasn't hearing from him, though, like about this, because he said I was going to leave within like the next month and so, knowing that I was still going to the gym every day and prepping and, you know, getting in pickup games and things like that, so that then it wound up not happening.

Speaker 2:

And he claims that you know, the team, they ghosted him or whatever, or however he wanted to phrase that, and that there would be other opportunities. So that was a tough pill to swallow because like, oh, you got my hopes up, like I was ready to go, this is my future, let's go. So that not happening was was tough, and in at some days it got hard to even like go to the gym because it was like man it was like I'm working, but what's the end goal?

Speaker 2:

like it's hard sometimes to continue to be consistent when there's not that end goal and you don't have that yeah, like tangible.

Speaker 1:

You were putting in the effort, you were showing up, doing extra and in this and taking yourself to the gym because that goal, well, it was actually tangible, it was right, it was there. You, you had this call. You're like this is going to happen and but it sounds like, as that started to then get pushed further and further away just from you from a motivation perspective, it became hard for you to still, well, show up for yourself yeah, yes, absolutely it was, it was. What did that feel like then? What did it feel like?

Speaker 2:

Well, I feel like it wasn't so much that I was questioning things, it was just sheer frustration. My journey has been very rewarding, but man, it's like man like, my journey has been very rewarding, but man, it's been tough. My whole journey it hasn't been easy and I've had to. There's been things I've had to overcome before, and so I would just try to keep that mindset, to try to overcome this obstacle.

Speaker 1:

And how was then your communication with well, I guess with people around you, like, were they preparing for you to you know, your parents must've been thinking okay, so you're leaving in a month.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's exactly what it was. They my parents are, you know, the most supportive people in my life, and so they they've sacrificed a lot for me to be able to to chase my dreams and be able to play basketball and play in college and things like that, and so they were just so excited for me, for whatever was next for me. If I was leaving in a week, they'd be like all right, we're in this with you. If I was leaving in a month or two months, you know we're in this with you. So, no matter what it was, they were going to be behind me.

Speaker 2:

And I think part of that was like hard to tell them oh, this opportunity, which they were very excited for me too, is no longer on the table. Is what I'm hearing. And so for that, it's like I felt like, am I letting them down? That was kind of in my head, which, of course, not for a second, like they love me regardless. Down, that was kind of in my in my head, which, of course, not for a second, like they love me regardless. But that was kind of a a tough thing to be able to talk to them about.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I mean, it is tough that, like you say that they put a lot in. I can understand why you feel that way, for for them, how did it unravel then, when you know what? How did it continue to? You know for you, because this is still a dream and whilst it's been pulled away from you, what came next for you?

Speaker 2:

so, yeah, so that was about june of 2023 and then just continued to communicate with the agent and we had frequent communication in july as well, and I was still just waiting for a call or something like that. I was always on my phone with me and I was like, all right, could today be the day that this happens, finally? And so July, august really not much was happening, and so I wound up going on some trips my mom, she's a flight attendant and so I thought, hey, might as well go see the world a little bit, so one of doing that and a little bit of traveling. And then, and then September, um, I was actually visiting at Barton and I had received a text from my agent saying that I there was an opportunity in Portugal, and he said would you be able to leave in one week, though? One week? And so, while that's a lot to read just from a text, again, of course, I said yes, because through that time June, july, august I was still prepping as if I was leaving the next day.

Speaker 2:

You know, and so I was again. Some days were harder than others. I was still prepping as if I was leaving the next day, you know. And so I was again. Some days were harder than others, but I still had that goal and and so he had reached out to me, and then we had a conversation about it and he said well, you know, I'll keep you updated, but like I want to let you know, like, are you, do you want this job, Do want this? And I said yes, like no question. And then a week, a week rolls around and I hadn't heard anything. Anything since that first day I've heard anything from agent. And so once again, it was kind of the same thing as with Ireland. It was like now they, I haven't heard from them, and I've reached out to them multiple times. And so, whether that's true or not, I'd hope that he was telling the truth, but it was just so frustrating that this happened the second time. It's just like let me go over there and prove myself.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I guess in talking to others about this, to what extent is this, is that typical? Is that the type of thing that agents might often do, or at least those types of stories you know?

Speaker 2:

happen, because it seems, it just seems really harsh, right? Yeah, I think so, and I also think it's like, okay, if, if it's not set in stone, then probably don't tell I don't know, or be upfront and say this isn't set in stone yet, but this is what this team is saying, because how he was coming off was they want you.

Speaker 1:

They like you got to tell me yes.

Speaker 2:

And then I'll tell them, and then, and then that'll be it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so how? So how did that interaction certainly this last one. How did that change what you wanted to get out of basketball?

Speaker 2:

seeing that it was. It was September. You know I, I was a bit drained that that was just hard to not only. You know, I graduated college and I thought I'd be gone within a month of graduating because that's just what was in my mind. And so now it's September and I'm still here and I was drained. I was very drained, especially with, like telling my friends and family too, like when you, when you tell them and then sometimes those things don't happen, yeah, it's kind of like gut-wrenching a little bit. And so I wound up taking a step back from basketball and figuring out you know what, like what's my identity beyond, beyond this game, because I know I do have one and so much of my life has been dedicated to that. How did you know that?

Speaker 1:

Kayla, how did you know you had an identity beyond the game?

Speaker 2:

Well, I feel that I always knew I had that, but my mind was so fixated on basketball for all these years that I couldn't really give it much thought, because I was, you had my sport right in front of me, and so in this moment in September, it was like is it still in front of me or is this a sign to pursue other things in my life and figure out what my, my purpose? And so that was hard, though that's a period of like floating that I, I guess I would call it is.

Speaker 1:

you're graduating from school and yeah go on tell me that's interesting description you've.

Speaker 2:

You're in school and playing your sport.

Speaker 2:

You have that like safety thing and you're like this is my identity, this is me. But then once you graduate, and you know even if you're not planning on playing your sport at the next at the pro level and you just graduate and you're trying to figure out your next move, that's hard. Just graduate and you're trying to figure out your next move. That's hard. That's a tough place to be.

Speaker 2:

That time, that in-between time and that's kind of what I mean by floating is like you haven't grabbed onto something else. After you left this, some people will have jobs lined up and that's great for after they graduate, but some won't. And so in September, this was this period of like, okay, what actually am I doing next, if I doing next, if I'm not going to be playing basketball overseas in this moment? And what came to me was financial stability. I was like do I want to continue to chase this goal but maybe not be financially stable? And that was just. I mean, you know you could live at home and that's great, but it's like, or do I want to get a jumpstart on my career and establish myself and be able to build that resume for something that could hold a little more weight in the future?

Speaker 1:

for me.

Speaker 2:

That was the question I was kind of trying to figure out in September. How did you figure out? Was kind of trying to figure out in September.

Speaker 1:

How did you figure out? How did you figure it out?

Speaker 2:

So I had mentioned that I was coming and visiting Barn a couple of times after I had graduated. So I did that in September and October and November. I was actually able to come visit like once a month basically, and I'm so grateful for that, to be able to visit my friends and it's basically like I never left, and I heard that around campus a lot.

Speaker 1:

So why were you coming back every month?

Speaker 2:

Because those friendships and those relationships that I built, that was really hard to be so far away from, and so I felt so detached when I was, like back home.

Speaker 2:

I had good friends back home, of course, but you know these are your, your teammates, your people that you see in the cafeteria, that you go to class with and that you just build these relationships with. For it was two years, one to two years and and that's just build these relationships with for it was two years, one to two years and and that's just hard to leave, especially when you know like they're really good people and they have good intentions for you like that's something you like. Why would you want to leave that environment?

Speaker 1:

so that I mean. So that's great. So you managed to, I guess through the, your social network that kept you coming back into, as you say, your alma mater, to come back in and join in time at Barton. So then, at what point did an opportunity start to appear for you to sort of move towards what you're doing now?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, I, I had, you know, been visiting and I was talking to one of my friends who was working there at the time, working at Barton, and you know she had suggested hey, like you know, maybe, maybe you should look into this role. And in the athletic department she said I think you do a really, really good job in it. And I said, oh, wow. So I wound up like reaching out to our boss and and just saying, hey, like my name is Kayla and you know you don't know me, because at the time he didn't, our athletic director didn't, it was a different athletic director that I like, went to school and played under.

Speaker 2:

And then we had that transition when I graduated, and so you know, just, I was like, yeah, I'm just going to send an email saying, hey, you know, my name is Kayla, congratulations on the position. But yeah, I'd be interested in coming back and working here, kind of listing the reasons to why I want to come back here.

Speaker 1:

What were those reasons, kayla? What did you write down? Was it just? Hey, I used to play here. Can I get a job?

Speaker 2:

no, no, it wasn't. It wasn't like that it was, it was more so. I love the opportunity to give back. I love the opportunity to give back to what this school has given me. The school has given me so much an education, a degree but these relationships, I believe, will last a lifetime, and I've been influenced by leaders on the campus at Barton in great ways, and now I'd like to be one of those people. I'd like to be one of those people to again influence these kids, these 18 to 22-year-olds who, at this point in their life, they need this guidance, they need people who want the best for them and we'll lead them in the right direction.

Speaker 1:

And I said that this is why I'm here, this is my purpose, and so that's that's why I voiced him was the opportunity to do that yeah, well, so moving in and getting the I guess the role that shift from player to administrator, you know, within that season or that gap of one season, what was the biggest challenge for you in shifting that perspective?

Speaker 2:

there were so many times when, like I'm in my role, working, and I'm like, man, they just get to play, like they're just, they're just playing, I want to jump in, I want to play. So that was that was tough to be like, okay, you are, you're an administrator and this is your role now. And, being an admin, you're overseeing all the teams. You're not just overseeing one the basketball team, you're overseeing all the teams. You're not just overseeing one the basketball team, you're overseeing all of them, which, again, is a part I really enjoy about the job, because I'm able to be involved in these people's lives and these people's lives, and so part of that was like OK, and also because it was my alma mater, it's like you're not a student anymore. Right, you are on the other side. You know, you just graduated, you're on the other side.

Speaker 1:

Well, that's right. Well, perhaps a silly question. Did sort of new doors suddenly appear, like when you walk around campus like, oh I never knew that place was there, wow.

Speaker 2:

Oh, absolutely Like the building that I work in now. I couldn't tell you the amount of times that I'd been in there Maybe one, maybe two times and now I work there and I go in there every day. But when I was a student it didn't really mean much to me at all.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and has your view of being a student athlete, or to what extent has been your current role? How has that changed your view on what it means to be a student athlete?

Speaker 2:

for me what what it means to be a student athlete is. You're a good player. Obviously you got to this point in your life not, you know, not being just okay. You're a good player and you've taken your studies seriously, or hopefully, to get to this point. But I hope that student athletes see themselves as more as just their sport. I think it's so easy to get wrapped up in it, though. I mean I'm sure you've heard it so many times Like our identity. We put so much in our sport, but it's like you also need to look at what's around you. Like, for me, these relationships that I built. They helped me get to where I am today. Like like being who I am and my personality helped get me there. Basketball is a great thing, but did it ultimately? Did it help me get to where I am?

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it did, but again, you want to look beyond your sport as well and know that you're more than just the player.

Speaker 1:

You're a person too for the role and I suppose I'm asking that in some respects because I'm like what did you have to give up being a basketball player in order to be successful as the sort of athlete advisor?

Speaker 2:

yeah, so for me, I, I think I just let my passion speak for me. You know, in my interview process it wasn't like I had to really think about what I was saying. I was just so passionate about this is a great opportunity and I really want it and I think when your passion sometimes comes out and speaks for you, then things will just flow. Yeah, a great opportunity. Like I'm grateful to be in this position, and so yeah.

Speaker 1:

I kind of just let that you know. Take, take the lead in the interview process, for sure. And so now, in order to be successful, what have you had to leave behind?

Speaker 2:

for me. I mean, you know it's not. It's not being able to play every day and not being able to have basketball at the forefront, because, you know, this is the career that I've chosen and again, I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the career that I have and but I've had to yeah, I've had to put the basketball to the side. Not saying that I don't play pickup here and there, I'll play pickup here.

Speaker 1:

Well, I guess that it's what it okay. You could shoot. You said you're a forward, big forward. What were the skills that made you a basketballer? What were the skills that got you to junior college, that got you to Barton, that got you playing, that got you on on the radar to be moving overseas? What were those I guess underlying skills that supported you to do that?

Speaker 2:

In terms of basketball, shooting was my main strength. So being able to shoot the ball, that was why a lot of people had noticed me throughout my career. But also, you know, just the dedication to the sport, um, the unwavering dedication I mean that never shifted, if anything, it only amped up, you know, as I kept going in in the sport and so those are the things that that helped get me to the those next levels.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, throughout, throughout our conversations, what's really become apparent to me is that you your goal, you have this goal, you have this orientation towards achieving that goal. You put a plan in place and you work hard. You have this work ethic where you show up early, you put in the reps before practice, after practice, you go and do weights by yourself when you don't like it. You did the training to keep you fit, ready to go overseas. And so, to me, what that also brings forward is, like you said, that fixation, but that passion, that dedication, that work ethic to get something done. And the way you've just described your interview was you basically just were able to just say, yeah, well, I'm really passionate about this and I'm going to work really hard.

Speaker 1:

And you know, that's, that's what you've basically described, which I guess got you to where you got it to where you are in basketball, but it's also getting you to. It's got you to where you are now and probably help you to move to where it's next, because those traits are not in everybody, right, and especially when you get off the court you know, perhaps you already see it already is that others around you? It's like no, no, we need to get in there. We need to do this work. We can't go until it's done.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I again bring up a great point.

Speaker 2:

I was thinking about this the other day actually again you bring up a great point I was thinking about this the other day actually was basketball had taught me, has taught me, like this mindset and I think really the first time that I really implemented this mindset was starting at a young age was if you want something, you got to work for it and you got to be dedicated and trust the process.

Speaker 2:

And so I bring that over from basketball to here into the real world and being able to again take that work ethic with me and take that positive mindset, like when you're with your team on the court and things aren't always going great, you still have to stay positive and you say, hey guys, we got this. You know you rally your team and that's the same here in the workplace is you have to be able to get through tough days and tough times and be able to reap those benefits because you will. You know there's always a light at the end of whatever tunnel that is. So I think that everyone can take that with them, especially as, being a student athlete, you know you can take those lessons and take those into the real world.

Speaker 1:

So today, I ask you what does success look like for you in this career, as you unleash your second wind and move on? How do you describe success now?

Speaker 2:

describe success now. Success now is seeing others around me succeed, and so what? What that kind of means is you know whether that's a student, student athlete that I've been in contact with and been helping um in whatever way, or that's a co-worker helping them get through something. Seeing those people succeed and those people be motivated to be able to do things that maybe they didn't think they could do. That success for me is seeing others be successful in their lives and so now stop building from that.

Speaker 1:

When you look at student athletes coming through, who, what you know, who have aspirations to do all sorts of wonderful, wonderful things, as they listen to this, as they watch this, what advice would you give to them?

Speaker 2:

you know I I just say find your purpose. And sometimes that can be that be hard, but you can do it in in a way where just communicating and just interacting with people on a daily basis, you know you're able to to kind of find yourself. And you can find yourself when you're going through hard times. You can find yourself through good times, but when you realize times you can fire yourself through good times, but when you realize, okay, this is why I'm here in this life and I have a strong faith, and so I believe that God has put me here to help others. And so when you know what your purpose is, it kind of makes just like your journey that much clearer and it's like the center of why you do things, why you do the things you do. So even if you don't know your purpose, you know, just keep showing up every day. There's going to be good days, there's going to be bad days, but if you just stay the course and surround yourself with good people, things will work out for you.

Speaker 1:

Kayla, listen, I've enjoyed our conversation. It's been great learning a little bit more about you and your journey, also your perspective on what's happened, but I love your perspective on what's to come as well. I think that's absolutely great. So, listen, thanks for coming on and sharing your story.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, ryan. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to share my story and giving me this platform. It's been great having this conversation with you and, you know, diving deeper into all these different topics, so thank you.

Speaker 1:

Absolute pleasure.

Speaker 2:

All right, awesome, ryan, take care.

Speaker 1:

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. Take care, 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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Ryan Gonsalves

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