June 2023 AOTM: Reid Meyer

Welcome back to TWN’s Athlete of the Month! Each month we are highlighting athletes in our network to share what they have accomplished outside of sports, their contribution to the athletic community, and more. Make sure to check out our weekly newsletter to learn more about the athlete, what motivates them, and how to contribute to their cause.

Our June Athlete of the Month is Reid Meyer! 

ABOUT REID

Reid is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of Athletes to Athletes. Athletes to Athletes focuses on educating and empowering high school student athletes as they navigate the college selection and recruiting process. 

Reid was just like any other athlete about to enter college. More than anything else, his focus was on a school’s athletic program. During the recruitment process, he chose to attend Texas Tech University, knowing that not much else drew him there besides baseball. His academic and social life didn’t match up to his expectations and he started to struggle with his mental health. Reid ended up attending 4 different schools and quit baseball during his time in college. He realized eventually that a great athletic program doesn’t necessarily mean a great college experience.

Unfortunately, this experience is the norm for most college athletes. So, with the help of other former NCAA athletes who had been through the same, Athletes to Athletes was formed. With a focus on empowering the next generation of student-athletes, Reid and the rest of A2A want to make sure that disjointed college experiences become the exception, rather than the norm. 

Through their Athletes to Athletes podcast, they host athletes to share their authentic stories of triumph, failure, and how they were able to navigate through the world of being amateur and/or pro athletes. The show gives listeners an inside look into the minds of athletes, proving they're more than just their sport.

From conversations around mental health to teachable moments, breaking barriers and pushing through obstacles, to entrepreneurship, the Athletes to Athletes team has highlighted more than 50 different individuals talking about their lives both in and outside of the game. 

Reid looks to use his personal experience with the college selection process as a former athlete to aid the next generation of student athletes in their future decisions. In recognition of his important work, he’s currently nominated for the Hashtag Sports “Next Up” award honoring individuals under the age of 35 whose work emphasizes the impact of the next generation of leaders on sports and entertainment.  

And, if you’re looking to stay up to date on what could affect you and your family during the college selection process, sign up for the Athletes to Athletes Report Card for the most notable stories in college athletics and admissions. 

In an interview Reid did with the Navigating NIL Podcast, he shared his journey through collegiate athletics, his entrepreneurship experience and the intersection of his sports career with mental health. He opened up about his struggles with depression and how important the college environment outside of sports matters so much for athletes as human beings.  

“I failed to process the fact that it doesn’t matter how much you love your sport and it doesn’t matter how much you want to be involved with your sport, it really only constitutes for about 30% of your total college experience. So that other 70% has got to be locked in and working for you. No amount of sport is ever going to make that change.”

We love that Reid has taken his own experiences and challenges and channeled them to create the Athletes to Athletes community. What he and his team are building will continue to support the next generation of student athletes as they navigate their own college decisions and experiences.

REID x TACKLE WHAT'S NEXT

We also had the pleasure of hosting Reid on Timeout with TWN back in 2022 to talk about his athletic experience and what inspired him to take the learnings from his own experience and create an organization to help other athletes.

Reid talked about his collegiate athlete experience and how he focused mostly on sports when choosing his college. He realized after the first few months of being enrolled that he wasn’t at a school that was the best fit for him. He shared this advice for athletes thinking about what’s next, be it college or life after the game:

"Explore who you are outside of your sport. Understand that you are a person first and you're a person who does this thing, this sport. And that's great that you do this thing but there's so many other things you can do at the same time and it doesn't diminish your care, quality, passion, whatever you want to call it, for your sport.”

Reid also talked about what it’s been like building a business and being an entrepreneur, and how his skills and experience as an athlete translate to the work he’s doing today. He shared his thoughts on hustle culture and the pressure entrepreneurs face to be working all the time.

“I don't want to diminish the idea of hustle culture, but it is this idea that you have to get this thing going fast and sometimes that's just not the reality. If you love something and you want to do something, find a way to make it work in your life, create time in your day to grow and build in that space.”

Thank you, Reid, for sharing your story with us! 

OUR FULL INTERVIEW WITH REID MEYER: 

Why did you create Athletes to Athletes?

I created Athletes to Athletes because I saw a need that I felt wasn't being fulfilled. As a former college athlete myself, I constantly found myself having to choose between my athletic goals and "everything else", and it caused me to have a really disjointed college experience top to bottom. After attending four schools in four years and quitting my sport halfway through my college experience, I became obsessed with creating a healthier way for student-athletes to approach the college selection process.

What did being an athlete teach you about the work you are doing now?

My time as an athlete shaped the business I run today. My experiences and the experiences of fellow athletes created the groundwork that has grown into the A2A Academy Curriculum. In an ironic sense, I really owe my entire post-playing career to my identity as an athlete.

In my opinion, the best thing sports did for me was expose me to individuals I would have never crossed paths with otherwise. The environment I lived in growing up was fairly homogenous, so sports was my opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life, and it made me the person I am today. It has helped me broaden my scope as an individual, and as a business owner.

What is the most important thing you did for yourself to start planning for life outside of sports?

Quit my sport before graduating college. This isn't one of the more standard strategies, but my relationship with baseball had soured so much by my sophomore year that it was causing me more anxiety than happiness. Everything in my gut was telling me it was time to hang up the cleats from a competitive standpoint, but it took my brain a much longer time to rationalize the decision. Because I chose not to continue playing, it adjusted the schools I was able to apply to, where I ultimately finished my degree, and the opportunities available to me beyond college.

When and how did you decide you were ready to make the transition out of sports?

I decided to quit playing my sport at a competitive level during my sophomore year of college. I was struggling with my mental health, and the majority of that struggle was centered around my relationship with baseball and the fact that I didn't know who to be if I wasn't "The Baseball Player". Playing my sport had always been a safe haven growing up, but that relationship changed when I got to college and coaches' livelihoods were on the line for each win and loss.

I found myself having to talk myself into going to practice and games, and spent most of that time thinking about the things I was missing out on while on the field. My body knew it was time to move on, but I'd argue my mind never really got comfortable with the idea until I started my first semester as a full-time-student.

What advice do you have for athletes around moving on from sports to their next chapter?

Embrace every piece of who you are with the same excitement you embrace your athlete identity. I have been amazed at the communities I'm now a part of based on my other passions and interests after thinking I'd never find the same camaraderie I had while on a team. Every person has a complex web of interests and passions, and as athletes we're taught to mute our other interests so as to not get in the way of our athletic "potential". I reject that idea entirely, and firmly believe that by embracing all of who you are, you can give your sport the appropriate time and effort it requires when it's time to be an athlete.

Thank you Reid for all the work you’ve done and continue to do to support the next generation of athletes. We're proud to highlight you as our June 2023 Athlete of the Month.