​Athlete Connections is a career development platform dedicated to preparing student athletes for the ultimate game of their life: the transition from athletics to the workforce.

Student athletes are among the most persistent, hard-working, disciplined students in the higher education system, but when it comes to looking for jobs after graduation, student athletes too often find themselves at a disadvantage. After four years or more of a hectic schedule jam-packed with games, practices and training, piled on top of classes, assignments and studying, most student athletes lack the conventional track record of internships, part-time and summer jobs and extracurriculars that their peers convert into successful job searches.

The numbers make the problem only too clear: while a recent Georgetown University study puts the overall percentage of recent college graduates who are unemployed at 12.8%, among student athletes the number is significantly higher: of the 65,000 student athletes who graduate each year, only 35% have jobs after graduation.

As former student athletes ourselves, the Athlete Connections team knows firsthand how challenging it can be to make the leap from a successful career in student athletics to a successful career in the outside world. So we set out to build the support system we wish we’d had when we first began our job hunt, and the result is Athlete Connections.

Athlete Connections is designed as the ultimate career resource for student athletes. Our website, www.athleteconnections.com, provides student athletes with free online career center where they can:

In addition to our online resources, Athlete Connections also hosts on-campus career events exclusively for student athletes, which give athletes the opportunity to discuss internships, mentorships and full- or part-time positions with business professionals.

The value of the Athlete Connections service isn’t limited to our student athletes: it’s a tremendous opportunity for employers as well.

The potential employers who come to Athlete Connections to post jobs and find new hires understand that the unique set of skills that student athletes bring to the table—teamwork, competitiveness, leadership discipline, responsibility, confidence—makes  them the most valuable employees in the workforce.  

Athlete Connections offers employers 3 ways to connect with great new hires:
   

Athlete Connections is just getting started, but already universities and employers alike are taking notice of Athlete Connections and the opportunity it presents for their student athletes and their business. 

Athlete Connections has already held career fairs at institutions such as the University of Florida, University of South Florida, University of Tennessee, University of Maryland, Unviersity of Virginia and University of Memphis. Athlete Connections recently signed an agreement with NCAS to bring our services to a consortium of 258 universities across the United States.

Leading companies across the United States are recognizing Athlete Connections as a prime resource for finding new talent. Employers taking advantage of the opportunity to work with Athlete Connections include Northwest Mutual, Pepsi, the PGA Tour, Kraft Foods, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, ADP, FBI and ATF, just to name a few. Taken together, our partner companies have approximately 3,000 entry-level and/or management trainee positions posted across online job boards, and we’re adding new employers and new positions to our job board all the time.

The Athlete Connections career development platform is an offshoot of the Athlete Connections Foundation, a non-profit organization created by our founders to foster self-empowerment, character development and life-skills education through the transformative power of sports. 

Every year, thousands of promising young people across the country fall prey to damaging influences, including drugs, crime, obesity, bullying and truancy. The Athletic Connections Foundation was founded in 2006 to help students resist these negative influences and learn valuable skills—such as teamwork, discipline, time-management, leadership and sportsmanship—that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Athlete Connections Foundation provides recreational, educational enrichment programs and activities for youth that teach teamwork, build confidence, enhance character, promote responsibility and encourage participation to shape productive citizens. Our goal is to help thousands of youth nationwide develop and expose their athletic talents, and go on to receive athletic and academic achievements, high school diplomas, college scholarships, and work on career goals that will lead them on the pathway to success — both on the field and off.