Two San Jose State students’ creativity and innovation led them to start a podcast to uplift student-athletes who are transitioning from college sports to the real world.
The Beyond Football Show, a podcast that streams on YouTube and Spotify, gives coaches and community speakers a platform while hosting workshops that help give athletes resources from the field to post-football life.
The show is an extension of the Beyond Football program, a student-athlete development program created in July 2017 to prepare SJSU football players for their future.
Public relations sophomore Kate Le is a creative operations intern for the program and initially had the idea to start a podcast in January.
“What I really, really like is kind of just getting to know these athletes and these coaches just because I’m not a college student-athlete,” Le said. “It’s kind of just really cool to see the dedication that these athletes have and then also the dedication these coaches have for their own athletes.”
Le co-hosts the Beyond Football Show with Hannah Hall, a communication studies junior.
Hall is a medically retired women’s soccer player who said the show has a deep connection to her because she knows firsthand the importance of preparing for a career post-sports.
“Being a medically retired athlete, I had to focus on life after sports a little sooner than others on my other teammates,” Hall said during a phone call. “So I think I’m able to share that aspect and that importance of the professional development.”
Beyond Football Director Tobruk Blaine said the podcast was an innovative way to highlight the program’s mission.
She hopes Hall and Le’s drive can inspire students to take initiative.
“They came up with an idea and they didn’t have any reservations on bringing that idea to the person who makes the decisions,” Blaine said. “Being bold and courageous in their kind of approach to doing something that hadn’t been done before and didn’t exist, I think that is what’s inspiring about them.”
Le believes student-athlete development programs don’t exist at many universities and student-athletes are unprepared for post-college life.
“There’s really no direction for [student-athletes without development programs] and I think that it’s super cool that we have this program to help these guys [at SJSU] out,” Le said.
Hall said one of the most crucial aspects of the Beyond Football Show is showing student-athletes and their supporters they can succeed on and off the field with the support of the Beyond Football program.
“It’s important to really talk about the message of Beyond Football and what they are trying to deliver for a football player,” Hall said. “It is so important for donors, supporters, coaches, parents to hear about the work that we are doing to help these players get to the next level of life.”
