Alumni Discuss Demands of Professional Athletic Careers

As a part of its yearlong 125th anniversary celebration, Westminster hosted a forum titled “21st-Century Athletes: Does Character Count?” on May 7 featuring six Westminster alumni athletes who have excelled at the highest levels in their sports on college and professional teams.
 

The panelists included:
- Rebecca Brooks ’96, a former professional basketball and soccer player;
- Kara Brown ’96, a former professional soccer player;
- Tommy Cross ’08, a current professional hockey player;
- Doug Knight ’93, a former professional lacrosse player;
- Jeff Natale ’01, a former professional baseball player; and
- Brian Sanford ’06, a current professional football player.
 

Rebecca Lobo, a former Olympian, WNBA player and legendary UConn basketball star who currently serves as an analyst and commentator for ESPN, moderated the program, which was held in the Werner Centennial Center.

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Director of Athletics Tim Joncas ’00 opened the forum by welcoming everyone and saying about the panelists, “They have led with grit and grace, both as students here on Williams Hill, at their respective colleges and universities, and in their careers. They are loyal, kind, caring, involved, balanced and responsible members of their communities. They all found greatness in different athletic arenas, but what binds them all together is that their greatness always came from their goodness, something that we all learned here at Westminster.”
 

Lobo then led a discussion with the panelists that covered such topics as how sports build character, how they learned to accept losses, the role of their parents and coaches in their careers, dealing with the sports culture, learning discipline, women in sports, the commitment required of college and professional athletes, off-season training and the benefits of playing multiple sports. She also talked about her own experiences as an athlete.
 

In response to a question about what advice they would give to current student athletes at Westminster, “Tommy Cross replied, “Enjoy the relationships in high school and college and be a good teammate.” Brian Sanford suggested, “Have an agenda and write down how you are going to achieve it. I always set a lot of goals.” Jeff Natalie reminded everyone to “make sure you work in grace with your grit,” while Kara Brown advised, “Enjoy the moment and embrace it. I wish I had taken more snapshots of those moments. …Sports can open so many doors for you.” Rebecca Brooks encouraged those who are passionate about sports to pursue them. “It shaped my college experience and my friends,” she said. Lastly, Doug Knight emphasized, “Make them tear the jersey off of you. Play as long as you can.”