Averee Dovsek: The Challenges Facing Student Athletes - Work In Sports Podcast

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…

I saw someone post today, quite longingly, that they miss sports. I know it’s a feeling we all empathize with, but it was the manner they shared it. It just seemed so raw and honest. 

Not like a complaint, rather just a plea. Like it had a deep sign in the middle. I miss sports.

We all feel that way, but I can only imagine what it’s like for college athletes right now who would be in the midst of their spring seasons. Athletes are used to routines, almost all that I have interviewed, have their days organized to the extreme. 

Wake up, train, study, practice, gym, practice, class, train, bed. 

Scheduled down to the minute. Preparing their mind and body for competition. 

Now, take that away.

I know many athletes when they finish their career, they lose a piece of their identity, they’ve always been a competitor, and athlete - that is their brand - and they struggle to reidentify themselves with the world, and within themselves. 

They don’t know who they are. 

Now imagine in our current world, having that taken from you unexpectedly. There was no soft landing you can see coming in the future -- just one day, poof, it’s gone. 

The Hofstra men’s basketball team hasn’t made the NCAA tourney since 2001. They’ve only made it four times total, losing all four times. They qualify, they are pumped, and then it’s over. 

Baseball players, golfers, track and field stars… it all just ended. Their routine was broken, but also the chance to make incredible, lasting memories. 

Which is one of the main reasons I wanted to have Averee Dovsek, Hofstra women’s golfer on the show this week. Through the despair of her season being canceled, she is still making the absolute best out of things and keeping a positive attitude. AND before this world turned upside down- she was already a model for how student-athlete can manage their time and still gain career-focused experience…  

Here she is, the next big star in sports broadcasting, you heard it here first, Averee Dovsek…

Questions for Averee Dovsek, Hofstra Women's Golfer and Aspiring Sports Reporter

1: There is so much I want to talk about in regard to your career development in the sports industry, some of the sports broadcasting internships you’ve done, and more… but I want to start out with being a student-athlete in this crazy time.

You compete on the golf team at Hofstra, Division 1, what is it like right now being a student AND an athlete in this unique time?

2: This should be a time of year you are training, practicing, competing, but with that not being an option, how are you maintaining your edge?

3:  A big part of playing sports is the community that comes from being on a team – how are you staying connected with your teammates and trying to keep that bond strong?

4: I get questions from student-athletes all the time, saying “I don’t have the time to intern, how can I get a job in sports without experience”. I’m empathetic to this, but you’ve done some very high-level internships, how have you done it and how would you advise other student-athletes?

5: Let’s talk about those internships, you’ve leaned into who you are, and I think that is really smart. Your edge is your knowledge and experience in golf and you want to go into broadcast journalism so getting an internship last summer at the Golf Channel made a lot of sense.

These roles are competitive, what was the hiring process like for you, and why do you think they selected you for the role?

6: What did the role consist of, and how did you make the most out of it?

7: You seem like a naturally outgoing person, what was your approach to networking and getting to know people at Golf Channel while you were interning?

8: January 2020 you land another great internship at PGA Tour Radio – for someone that wants to be in broadcasting this is a dream role – before the world was shut down, what was this opportunity like?

9: You know what I love – you didn’t just throw your hands up and say, things are shut down, I’m going to go sit on the couch for a few months… no, you started your own podcast titled “Why You Suck at Golf” – This shows a lot to employers about you as a person and your drive – what have you enjoyed most about running your own podcast and what can listeners expect when they tune in?

10: You are on track to graduate in 2022, depending on how higher education handles this time, what are your big goals as you approach entering the sports industry full time? What does your dream role look like?