Today we’d like to introduce you to Jermal McCoy.
Hi Jermal, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my life after ball journey in 2001 when my basketball career ended. I was injured playing basketball in Japan and found that once my body failed, I had to figure out a better way to make a living and find a new passion. However, as we have discovered the passions we have are never new, they just transform into different forms of service for others. I had to find a way to address the depression, lack of a support network, career, and community service that I used to have. This is where God gave me the insight to not only figure out supports for myself but for other athletes who will at some point go through what I was going through. The LAB was born at that point and actually took several years to become a full non-profit organization. Now we serve hundreds of former athletes and athletes and plug them into a network of professionals who understand the process of transitioning from participating in sports to the workforce.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some suggestions I would give is to find like-minded individuals and don’t be afraid to ask for help! I never want to be the smartest person in the room because it means I would never learn anything from the people around me. I also wanted to do things the right way because when you cut corners, you are only increasing the possibility of your business folding due to not going through the process.
We’ve been impressed with Life After Ball, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a former professional athlete, I was able to transition into the education profession because I felt the need to share the knowledge I obtained with other potential professional athletes. I served as a head basketball coach for a public and private school for a total of 15 years. My focus was completely on developing a total student-athlete during my coaching tenure. Since ending my coaching career, I transitioned into the administration side of education and served as an assistant principal for the largest virtual school in the state. It was not an easy transition from the brick and mortar world to the virtual world, but after about three months I was able to make a significant impact on the education of my students. I voluntarily assisted several private institutions with transitioning to virtual education during the pandemic last school year as an option for educating their students. The ability to change comes easy for some and not so easy for most. The LAB focuses on helping others to change and adapt to a new environment, career, or just finding themselves again. The principles of athletics can be applied to whatever you want to be successful in.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The most important lesson I have learned from the Covid-19 crisis is that people and your relationships with them are your most important asset. During the pandemic, our organization was able to reach former athletes not only in our area but also around the globe. The importance of using technology to grow and sustain our business was vital and being able to connect to former athletes around the globe was nothing less than a blessing.
Pricing:
- Career Counseling – Free
- Increasing your Connections/network – Free
- Community Service – Free
- Counseling peer 2 peer – Free
Contact Info:
- Email: j.mccoy@lifeafterball.org
- Website: www.lifeafterball.org
- Instagram: @thelifeafterball
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLifeAfterBall
- Twitter: @Life_After_Ball
