Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_4287" align="alignleft" width="239"] Andrew Zink, ’12, has a bachelor’s degree in sports management from UW-L.[/caption]

Grad launches career assisting former NFL players

Andrew Zink, ’12, is embarking on a career dedicated to helping former National Football League players transition to life after football. A little more than a year ago, UW-La Crosse professors helped him make his own transition to life after college. Zink started as a freshman with goals of working in the sport industry. He credits his professors for encouraging and challenging him on the path, leading to a successful career working in sports management in Washington, D.C. “In this highly competitive employment market in sport management, we are very happy to see Andrew land a career he is passionate about,” says Chia-Chen Yu, director of UW-L’s Sport Management Program. “Andrew’s job is a different type of sport career that our sport management alumni so far have not gotten involved in. We look forward to learning more about his new job.” Zink works for The Trust, a new organization launched in November 2013 to help former NFL players transition as they leave the NFL in areas such as financial education, health services, career transitions and brain and body assessments. UW-L professors encouraged Zink to volunteer, intern and gain a wide-range of experience that allowed him to narrow his interest and imagine what his next five to 10 years in sports management might look like. Zink was an officer in the Sport Management Association, a UW-L student organization. Guest speakers who visited the group would discuss their career path and helped Zink visualize himself in the industry. “My time at UW-L was so invaluable to my professional development. It shaped my way of thinking … to be proactive and take the initiative to pursue not just my education, but also my career,” explains Zink. “I realized I have the opportunity to go wherever I want to.” Zink says UW-L mentors helped him figure out the right graduate school program — Georgetown University's Sport Industry Management program, which led to later interning for the NFL Players Association. That and other internships provided him an eclectic mix of experience from accounting to sports planning, as well as networking opportunities within the NFL Players Association, which created The Trust. Zink says he loves the career so far where he manages the caseloads of four program managers within The Trust. He is on the front lines fielding inquiries to get people in touch with the right organizational resources. He is also a travel coordinator for staff and players, manages The Trust’s budget and helps get the word out about the new organization. That’s working. So far The Trust has made national news with articles in ESPN, The Washington Post and others. “I think it is going to change lives,” Bahati Van Pelt, executive director of The Trust, said in an article in The Washington Post. “I know that is a grand statement. I have seen the good and the bad and what happens when players transition out of football. I have seen families and players who have struggled or who have been successful. I know what we have available is what players need.” Zink says they don’t want to just give former players a helpline to call, but have a relationship-based service where staff can help former players maximize their resources — just like UW-L did for him. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve former players,” says Zink. “We want them to be aware of us so that when they decide to leave the league, they know we are there for support in their post-football development.”