NORM GADDIS

Wake Forest Adviser Helps Athlet By Mary Garber

51H Reporter bull

Norm Gaddis helps Wake Forest athletes adjust from the competitive world of intercollegiate sports to the competitive world of business and professions It isnt an easy transition according to Gaddis and Wake Forest is one of the few schools that tries to smooth the path for its athletes

Gaddis said that a representative of a national company told him that he had visited 38 schools talking with senior students and that Wake Forest was the only one with an active program to advi$e and help its athletes in job procurement after graduation

Gaddis took the job two years ago and as a pioneer he has had to feel his way through it There were no guidelines so hes had to learn by trial and error

He doesnt guarantee an athlete that hell get a job His role is to show them how to make a good impresshysion when applying for a job to keep up with openings and to help make contacts

His help may range from showing how to prepare a resume to setting up an interview with a corporate executive It may include advice on what courses to take to best prepare the student for a career or help in realizing that the young person is not likely to step in as president of a big corporation when he graduates from college

Gaddis wQrks mostly with athletes but be will help

any student who needs advice U an opening comes to him and be bas no atblete to fill it he passes the information on to the university placement office The two work together Football and basketball players bave been most active in the program tennis players and golfers the least Gaddis thinks this probably is because tbe tennis players and golfers know pretty well what they want to do after college

Athlttes Gaddis bas found arent different from Wake Forest students Few think about their aftershy

college plans until they are seniors He wisbes they would plan ahead a little better

Many of them are concerned about the value of a liberal arts education as preparation for the world of business Gaddis understands their concerns but beshylieves that the liberal arts education tan be of value

I recommend that they concentrate on a wellshyrounded education that they take as much history English and philosophy as they can Gaddis said I think it is important for them to be at least computer literate that they take some subjects tbat will give them a computer backgrouDd 1lnd they should also bave some mathematics

These courses wUl enable them to go into a compashyny and score well in positions in adq istration as pepsonnel managers in marketing and motion and advertising

The dream of becoming a profeSSional atb_is not

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Winston-Salem Journal Winston-Salem ~C Friday April 1 1983 Page 23

es Prepare for Real World a factor with Wake Forest athletes as it is in some schools

Our athletes dont concentrate on the pros said Gaddis Some of them are interested in pro careers but they r~lize that they need their degree if the pros dont work out

Phil Denfeld is an example He is interested in a career in pro football but he also wants to get his masters degree in bU$iness He knows that his pro sports career is limited He wants to get an education that will make him competitive in business and he is not counting on pro sports as his lifes work

Many athletes do want to stay in some field related to athletics Some want to teach and coach while others want to work with sportsmiddot equipment compashynies sports promotion and similar careers

At best though the transition from college to cashy reer isnt easy

Its tough for any student said Gaddis They find themselves working for a company where they are expected to produce The company wants to know what you can do to increase their earnings That is the bottom line

Athletes like other students sometimes have unreshyalistic ideas about what jobs are available

All of them want to find challenging rewarding raquobs~hat pay a good salary said Gaddis In reality they must start at the beginning level and establish

themselves with a record before they can move up Gaddis said that some of the athletes are weak in

verbal and written communication They need to strengthen themselves in these areas said Gaddia These things are important when they go for their job interview They have only one opportunity to make that first impression If tbay cant express themselves adequately it will be a weakness

Gaddis thinks that athletic participation is an asset The athlete has been etllosed to all areas of comshy

petition and motivation He has worked in a competishytive situation he has worked as part of a team He has concentrated on specific goals All these things help him said Gaddis

But there can be a problem in the transition from being a succcesful athlete to this new role in business

Gaddis said that athletes at Wake Forest range from those who are excellent students to those who need tutoring help to get through

Gaddis said that Winston-Salem business leaders have been most cooperative in working with Wake Forest athletes They call Gaddis and tell him about job opportunities and one local business executive spent an hour talking with one Wake athlete about his professional future

These are the things that makes Gaddis feel the program is worthwhile

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