2020: Positives & Lessons Learned

by ROB KNOX

Driving across the state of North Carolina along the narrow and curvy roads of Interstate 40 in the Appalachian Mountains into Tennessee recently offered me a lot of time to reflect on 2020. I thought about so many people and experiences that brought me personal joy this past year.

My emotions were all over the place in 2020.

It’s been hard to be joyful when the reality has been that over 300,000 people have died because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been tough when there’s been so many killings of unarmed Blacks at the hands of police this year. That has put so much into focus.

I thank 2020 for helping me become more empathetic while providing the gift of perspective and understanding.

While the outside world saw me accomplish a goal of becoming an Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications at UNC Greensboro (UNCG) and covering a game at historic Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus, it wasn’t an easy year. There were some moments of doubt and frustration.

Others saw the blessing of me appearing on several podcasts and leadership-based panels, but what one didn’t see was the challenges of dealing with the death of one of my close cousins, moving during a pandemic, being scared throughout the summer because of the racial and social injustices being manifested, learning new colleagues, and adjusting to being furloughed for the first time in my life.

Yet, through all the tears, I continued to smile.

My faith, family, and friends helped get me through 2020.

I learned so many impactful lessons during the past 12 months that will make a difference moving forward. In addition to becoming a master of mute during Zoom calls, I became more patient, resilient, creative, measured, and determined to enjoy every second of each day.

The year started with plenty of promise as I traveled to Anaheim, California for the NCAA Convention. It’s always a memorable time spending valuable time networking with my colleagues across the industry, meeting new people, and learning. It was my first time in my life in Anaheim and our hotel was down the street from Disneyland. I also had breakfast with one of my former student-athletes who was working in college athletics at the time.

Then my phone buzzed two days after I returned home from California with the stunning and still hard-to-fathom news. Kobe Bryant. Helicopter. Dead. No way.

Little did anyone know this was the beginning of a startling spiral of difficult news where it seemed like one iconic pioneer after another died from John Lewis to Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Chadwick Boseman to Lou Brock. Prior to those deaths, the year started with David Stern and Sam Wyche each passing away on New Year’s Day.

Positives of the pandemic allowed me to slow down, spend time with my family, read more, make myself a priority, and focus on ways to use my voice to inspire change. I got a chance to have fun with my kids, be intentional in how I learn, and reconnect with friends over the phone that I hadn’t spoken to in forever.

Relationships became a priority for me. Checking in on people was critical for me. Encouraging friends, celebrating others, and surrounding myself with positive people inspired me, gave me energy, and made me better.

I read 42 books this year from leadership strategies to sports biographies to crisis communications to the 9/11 tragedies, which is crazy when I think about it because I never set a goal. I knew I had additional time thanks to working from home, which was cool. I was so thirsty and curious to learn and grow. Candace Parker retweeted me.

Personal highlights included becoming a member of Women Leaders, NABJ, and the Advancement of Blacks In Sports (ABIS).

When sports were paused, I got a chance to enjoy watching classic and historical games that transported me back to when I was a wide-eyed teenager and young adult trying to discover my purpose in this world.

We learned about entanglements, were introduced to bubbles, and partied with D-Nice in 2020.

We celebrated champions on and off the field. Shared in the pain during the mid-summer protests that paused NBA playoff and WNBA regular-season games, respectively.

So, while we all know that 2020 was rough, I chose to show up every day, and focus on the positives. There were still memorable moments as we celebrated the successes of many people from graduations to births to jobs. Remember, you change the world every day through your actions and energy.

The pandemic took away my fun ability to take selfies, but social media brought me closer to a lot of different people. Zoom placed me in spaces and around people that I admired from a distance.

I connected with people from all different industries in sports. I was able to register for webinars that in the past would have never been possible. I heard advice from Mark Cuban. It was impactful, empowering, and encouraging. More importantly, it was nice to know that I added value to many of these groups.

So, while we all want to throw 2020 away, there are some important things we can take into 2021. We survived. We are stronger. We are all more vulnerable, which is a great thing. Jon Gordon shared during a webinar that “positive people shine brightest through adversity.” That’s us.

As the ball drops in Times Square later this evening in a world that’s a lot different than it was 365 days ago, I have faith that 2021 will be the best year ever. 

A huge fan of women's basketball, Rob Knox is currently the Associate Athletic Director of Strategic Communications at UNC Greensboro (UNCG), a CoSIDA past president. An award-winning communications professional, Knox has over 15-years of experience in several sectors of the media including sports information, newspapers, and television. A member of The Lincoln University of Pennsylvania Athletics Hall of Fame, graduate of the NCAA Leadership Institute, and 2011 CoSIDA Rising Star Award winner, Knox is one of the most influential, passionate, and accomplished athletic communications professionals in the country.