Cavalier Corner

June 2018

Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/989429

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 28 of 31

Bob Thiele You were the first UVA athlete to be named an All-American in cross country in over 15 years. What skills did you develop as a student- athlete that still help you succeed today? First, time management. If you do not learn how to manage time effectively – prioritize, multitask, batch your most important tasks, and eliminate waste – you cannot succeed academically or athletically. This is even more important in 2018 than it was when I was an undergraduate. We didn't have the distractions that exist now. Sec - ond, most successful athletes develop a "nose to the grindstone" mentality that lasts their whole life. In his book on Stoicism called The Obstacle is the Way, Ryan Holiday describes highly success- ful individuals as animals. Extraordinarily goal oriented, they don't have time to ponder failure or to experience fear. They devote all their mental energy to doing what they need to do to accom- plish their goals. Lastly, leadership by example. Popular culture is selling the idea that everyone can be a leader, and if you read the books, take the classes, get a few extra letters after your name, suddenly you're fit to lead. It's not true. Leadership at its core is about being morally and ethically grounded, confident, and exemplary; it's hard work. So many people in the workplace try and leap frog what leadership actually is, and worry about what leadership should look like. You completed your bachelor's degree in chem - ical engineering here, and then moved on to medical school at Vanderbilt. Later, you joined the anesthesiology faculty as an assistant pro- fessor, specializing in cardiothoracic anesthe- siology and critical care. Why did you pursue a career in medicine? It has been one of the highest honors of my life to have the opportunity to earn a living by help- ing people live longer, healthier lives. My job is to keep people safe, comfortable, and brave in the face of one of the scariest episodes of their lives, and every interaction I have in the hospital is a deeply gratifying and meaningful experience for me. My grandfather was a physician, was very in- fluential in my life, and was really the reason that I decided to go into medicine. Now an Executive Officer with Random Row Brewing Company, how is the experience com- pared to other endeavors? Starting a business is unlike anything I've ever done before. Someone once told me that if people knew how hard it was to start a small business, no one would ever start them. While that statement is probably true, the flip side is that it's hard to know how it feels to create a product, service, or experience that people want and which did not exist before you created it, un - til you actually do it. Starting a business is creating something from nothing, which is very different from educating yourself or training in sport. I still remember the night Random Row opened, and it was completely packed with people who I had never met, enjoying what my partners and I had created. It was surreal. But it is a long and uncer- tain road, and the process is incredibly humbling. You have to be passionate about what you're do- ing and you have to be willing to accept failure – if you can't, business is not for you. What advice do you have for current student- athletes at the University of Virginia? My advice to student-athletes is to really take advantage of everything that the University has to offer. These four years are unlike any other time in your life. When I was at UVA, I was hyper-focused on sports and academics. My last year I lived on the Lawn and I met some absolutely incredible people and I remember thinking, "How did I miss meeting all these wonderful people?" I missed them because I spent virtually all of my time in a library, on dirt roads, and in gyms. As I look back on my life, which is essentially halfway over, I real - ize now how important balance is, something that took me a long time to appreciate. And I can say with confidence that for me, the pendulum had swung too far. Most people ultimately seek to cre - ate a satisfying, sustainable, balanced life and that process should start in college. Why do you choose to support UVA student- athletes by donating to VAF? While it is true that I could have gone to other schools and probably replicated my undergradu - ate athletic and academic careers, what draws me back to the University are two things – the ethos that was driven into my brain from the day I got there until the day I left (but which never left my mind) – gentleman first, scholar second, athlete third – and the amazing people I met and am still close with today. I met my wife on the cross country team at UVA and we now have three future 'Hoos (hopefully). We have an in - credibly tight-knit community of friends from the UVA athletics community and our children are becoming friends even though we are scattered around Virginia. We go on trips together, and this is twenty years (half a life) after we graduated! These are lifelong relationships that I would not have formed and which could not have been replicated had I not been given the opportunity to attend the University of Virginia, and for that I am grateful. cavs for life Now that the 2018 spring semester has concluded, many of UVA's student-athletes will be entering the summer job market. The UVA Athletics Compliance Office would like to remind our VAF members, in the event you hire a student- athlete for a paying job or as a paid/unpaid intern, please be aware of the following NCAA and Athletics Compliance Office rules: The student-athlete and the employer must complete the Student-Athlete Employment Form and return it to the Compliance Office prior to the start of his or her employ- ment. Please direct the student-athlete to contact the Compliance Office to obtain the form. The student-athlete must be compensated for work actu- ally performed. Although this seems straightforward, there have been NCAA major infractions at other schools where student- athletes were paid for fictitious jobs. Compensation is paid at a rate commensurate for similar services in the area. Increased compensation may not be provided to the student-athlete for his or her reputation, fame, or personal following that they may have obtained because of their athletics ability. The employer and employee cannot publicize (or allow for publicity of) the student-athlete's name, image, or pic - ture as an employee; or participate in any form of promo- tion for the employer (e.g., commercials, brochures, flyers, contests, etc.). If you have any questions about student-athlete employ- ment, please contact the Compliance Office at 434/982- 5018 or email at athleticscompliance@virginia.edu . As always, thank you for your support and GO HOOS!! Summer Employment Eric Baumgartner, Associate Athletics Director for Compliance compliance corner JUNE 2018 29

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cavalier Corner - June 2018