Post-Collegiate Andrea Mosher, For Love of the Sport

Photo courtesy of Dennis Banks.

The average salary for a grocery store manager in the United States is $36,422.

A post-collegiate athlete may not even sniff that amount of money in one season or maybe two seasons for that matter. We ask former collegiate 400 meter hurdler Andrea Mosher what makes an track athlete without a shoe contract to cover living and training expenses, a coach and very little support continue to stay in the sport?

In other words, why do post-collegiate athletes continue to train and compete in a sport where the journey to the mountain top is steep and with seemingly little pay off.

It’s the passion for track and field that changed her life. The former 400 meter hurdler who competed for Illinois State University from 2002 to 2005, with a personal best time of 58.39 is doing everything in her power to continue training and remain as close as possible to the sport that she loves.

On why she continues to train….the reason I decided to run post-collegiate was because I felt I never realized my potential in college. I had surgery for a torn labrum in my hip after my sophomore year in college, and it took a full year to recover. Some other training-related issues came up that didn’t allow me to fully prepare for the 400 hurdles, and I ultimately finished my career on a disappointing note.

I took off sometime off after my collegiate eligibility to heal and strengthen my body and trained injury-free for a full year although my training was not consistent enough to lend itself to elite competition just yet.  Over the past year, my Achilles have been rather nagging and have interrupted my training, but they’re on the rebound now and I’m beginning to plan for 2010.

On Paying the bills and work-life…in June ‘09, I will begin full-time work as the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Coordinator at ISU.  In 2006, I graduated from Illinois State University with my undergraduate degree in exercise science and then immediately began my master’s program in sport management. I worked as a graduate assistant in the student-athlete academic center at ISU and graduated in May ‘08 before accepting an internship with the same department working with student-athletes to help them identify and pursue their academic, athletic, personal, and career goals.

In order to gain access to training facilities and earn some extra cash, I also coach track collegiate and youth track as well being a personal train on the side.  I also write for Wes and Allyson Felix’s fitness website, www.iglisten.net, which also me to share my passion for fitness.

On Biggest issues with being a post-collegiate…..It’s not college anymore the financial and time commitments are tough. There is more than just going to class and practice and that full-financial support from being a collegiate athlete is gone.  If you haven’t obtained sponsorship, you have to work for everything you need. Some clubs exist to help aid post-collegiate athletes, but one of the biggest problems with post-collegiate programs is that they are great “ideas” but fall short in reality.  That is really another separate issue though.

Successful athletes need support financially, emotionally, and physically. Finding a way to gain support in all of those areas is key. Many people look to clubs for help, but finding a club that helps you reach your goals can be difficult when all things are considered. You either train alone or with a group. Obviously, a group would seem to be the better pick, but should the post-collegiate be willing to move across the country to train with the “best” club? Or do they attempt to successfully balance sport and “real life” by working on their career while training at an elite level? You can be successful on your own (I always think of Sandra Glover), but each path requires a PLAN. It ultimately depends on what’s most important to the individual.

Developing consistency is a challenge - you have to be much more dedicated and disciplined. Track usually becomes the first thing to suffer because your job or school requires longer hours.

It’s important to have a plan. Many of us forge ahead in the post-collegiate world without a methodical training and competition plan because we either just repeat what we did in college, or we lac access to proper coaching. Developing networks and relationships with respected advisers is key. Even if you have a knowledge of the sport, it’s tough to be your sole source of guidance and although Gail Devers eventually ended up coaching herself, it is a little more complicated when you’re so fresh out of college.

On the best aspects of being a post-collegiate athlete…..Even though I’ve yet to realize my post-collegiate potential, it is incredibly freeing to learn about myself as an athlete. With each year, I learn more and more about what works for me, what doesn’t work. You really become a student of yourself and of the sport. You operate the type of program that you believe in.

It’s a tough decision to “retire” from competitive athletics. That’s not what keeps me going though — I’m not holding onto a dream of “what could have been.” I still feel that I can improve, but more than that, I still love what I do. The opportunity and ability to still train at this level is exciting and inspiring. Even when things aren’t going exactly as planned, I still feel blessed to find myself at the track at 2:00pm on a Tuesday… laying the foundation for the future. It’s a job that doesn’t pay much, but I get better at it every day and it’s so personally rewarding.

I understand why it is not uncommon to see “older” 400 hurdlers. This is an event that requires patience, maturity, and the type of discipline that can only be developed over time. These qualities carry over into other aspects of life as well, helping me both personally and professionally.

Special thanks for Andrea Mosher.

Related posts:

1. Sub 10 Second Tuesday - Tennessee’s Ellen Wortham
2. Sub 10 Second Tuesday - UNC Charlotte’s Darius Law
3. Sub 10 Second Tuesday - NC State Assistant Coach Terry Reese