By Liz Horiatis

Overseas

Over 380,000 athletes participate in college sports in The United States. The odds are less than 3 percent of making it professionally. Because the chances of playing in a professional league such as the NBA are so low, many athletes pursue careers overseas. Playing in other countries can allow more playing time, greater exposure, and sometimes more money.

José Hernandez, Director of the Rudolf Fitness Center at Gonzaga University, enjoyed his years as a professional basketball player in his home country of Venezuela. “It was pretty awesome. The fans treat you like a hero. When you are part of a professional league you are treated very nice, like a celebrity,” Hernandez said. “There is nothing better when you’re completely in-tune with what you want to do.”

Since Hernandez was 4 years old he says he knew a career in athletics was in his future. “I was born and raised very poor. Basketball was my way out. I feel like God himself told me in order to succeed I needed an education. Basketball helped me get that,” he said.

Recruited from Venezuela when he was 21 years old, Hernandez played basketball at Jacksonville College just outside of Dallas, Texas. His junior college career took him to the University of Central Missouri. “College basketball was a lot of work. What most people call fun, it’s not. There’s a lot of preparation, but I call it fun,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez played four seasons for Venezuela’s national team after his college career ended. The lifestyle of a professional athlete took a toll on Hernandez. “Everyone likes attention, but it started to get awkward,” Hernandez said. “I personally wanted to move on. I wanted to pursue a higher education. This is very important to me. People liked me just because I could make a shot.”

Hernandez earned a masters degree in Sport and Athletic Administration from Gonzaga, and Spokane became his permanent home in 1992.

Although Hernandez’s basketball career ended, his passion for sports and fitness lead him to a career at a respected university. “A healthy lifestyle is the way to go. I enjoy sports and athleticism. It is important to me to be authentic, to live the way people know me to be,” Hernandez said.

Transitioning

Former college basketball player and current Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach at Gonzaga, Lisa Fortier, also found her career in the field of athletics. Fortier says she will never trade her travel sweats for a 9 to 5 office job.

The schedule [of an office job] is not flexible and you can’t wear sweats,” Fortier said. “You have to get up in the morning and be in a place for eight hours. It’s a long time in a row. You have to get re-acclimated when you’re used to a college schedule. You have a class in college and then a three hour break,” Fortier said.

Eight hours in the office, followed by study sessions for the CPA exam, and feeding his 2 ½ -year-old daughter dinner, is the schedule former Whitworth University basketball player Bryan Williams is accustomed to now. Williams transitioned from receiving the Northwest Conference MVP in 2007 to becoming a full-time family man. “Having a daughter forced me to grow up in a hurry,” Williams said.

William’s father, Head Basketball Coach at Mead High School, fueled William’s passion for the game from an early age. “I started playing when I was 6 years old. I’ve always loved basketball and I still do. I pretty much grew up in a gym,” he said.

Adjusting to life after college basketball took some time. “If you want to sleep-in and not go to class that’s an option when you’re in college,” Williams said. “You can’t do that now. You have responsibilities. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but from the average college student it’s a lot different.”

The Real World

Although the move from the court to the cubicle never happened for Fortier she says she sees worth in skills learned from athletics that can easily transfer to the work place.

“I think the biggest skill is teamwork. You don’t always like the people on your team. You have to figure out what the goal is, and work with that person just long enough to meet it,” Fortier said. “Some people who aren’t in sports think that sports don’t teach you anything and I think they’re crazy. The punctuality, dedication, follow-through, commitment, and problem solving apply in all areas of life.”

Williams used his experience as a college basketball player to secure a job at Moss Adams, an accounting firm in downtown Spokane. “Basketball was a good selling point for me,” Williams said. “I know how to work as a team and in that kind of environment. I pushed the basketball experience a ton; the leadership ability, overcoming adversity; the list goes on. The abilities that you gain for the real world are invaluable.”

Making the jump from a university to an office can be difficult for any graduate, but a college athlete may have a harder time. “When you’re a college athlete you can’t study abroad or take summers off to pursue internships. It’s tough to find a career that will make you happy when all your time in college is spent in the gym,” Fortier said.

Williams tried to prepare himself for the end of his college superstar days, he said. “After you’ve been away from it [basketball] for a couple weeks you realize you will never be in that same level of competition again,” he said. “I tried to get the most out of every minute every day. I knew this would be the last of it.”

It was only a few months after graduation Williams started his job as an accountant. “It’s the natural progression. You have to find something else to do. You don’t really have a choice. You have to become an active member of society. It’s what you do,” Williams said.

Once former athletes find their new work schedules hard to handle they often resort back to what is familiar, Fortier said. “A lot of people work and then realize that work stinks and try to get back into playing,” Fortier said. “You don’t want to say ‘Quit your dreams. You need to get a real job.’ I understand what it’s like when you have that passion and you’re a little bit lost trying to figure out what you want to do.”

Williams isn’t contemplating a return to the game of basketball as a player, but as a coach. “I started this year helping my dad a little bit [with coaching],” Williams said. “I’m definitely interested in coaching. I want to stay in the game.”

“You find ways to still incorporate basketball into your life,” Williams said. “Whether it’s coaching or playing in a recreational league. You don’t just all the sudden not enjoy playing basketball. The joy will always be there.”

Organizing a Sunday competitive open gym at his alma mater like former NBA all-star John Stockton does, or lending knowledge to younger hopeful athletes as a coach, are a few ways basketball lovers fill the void that will inevitably be present when the glory days are over.