Beyond The Locker Room

Walking off the court or field for the last time, whether you're a high school athlete or a professional, can be a traumatic experience. You go from a world where sports takes up most of your time and thoughts to a place where you are going to be assessed and measured on a set of skills you may not have developed yet. Yet the skills you developed as an athlete-perseverance, being a team player, showing up on time, putting on a game face-can get you through the process of figuring out a game plan for the rest of your life. This book isn't just for athletes, but for anyone going through any major transition, from being a stay-at-home parent headed back into the work force, to changing jobs or careers, to life changes like divorce or losing a parent. The principles presented here can guide you through all kinds of transition. Leonard Wheeler loved playing professional football, but he knew that his football career wouldn't last forever. He did all he could to prepare for the day when he could no longer play. Even so, when his career-ending injury happened, he struggled. After learning from his own mistakes, he developed winning techniques to help others find their path beyond the locker room. This book also features leadership and transition advice from a variety of NFL, NBA, WNBA executives and former players, including Dale Davis, Eugene Robinson, Charlotte Smith, Troy Vincent, Andre Collins, Tracy Perlman, Felicia Hall Allen, and Hardy Nickerson. Former NFL player Leonard Wheeler has been motivating athletes, executives, and major corporations around the world for fifteen years. He has served organizations including the NBA, Capital One, MasterCard, and the USO as a dynamic speaker and executive coach. He is an entrepreneur and an active Regional Director for the NFL.