Tunnel Vision Syndrome

Inside the book and game of CareerBall: Here's the bitch of it in a nutshell: the transition that men and women competitive athletes must make from a lifetime of sports to the working world does not come as easily as hitting a ball, running a play, or achieving your best time. As an athlete, this difficult transition can be the biggest emotional and psychological challenge that you will face in your lifetime—one for which you might oftentimes be unprepared, and one in which there is little wise advice and counsel from that ever-present “coach” you’ve had by your side since the Pee Wee leagues.

A “tunnel vision syndrome” affects all highly competitive athletes to varying degrees at some stage of their lives. Parents can see it, high school coaches and college athletic administrators can see it, professional sports agents and general managers see it… and, yes, hiring managers see it at companies large and small all across America. Unfortunately, athletes who are unaware that they suffer from tunnel vision spend way too much time thinking only about sports (training, competition, etc.) and, as a result, young athletes are left ill-prepared for the balanced perspective required of “real world” career opportunities. Some call this behavior crazy or blind, some call it self-centered, and some call it selfish. I call it “tunnel vision.” But no matter what you call it, the effect of this kind of one-track thinking is the same… and you have to snap out of it!