2021: Overcoming The Storms and Rising Above Adversity

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart?And do not lean on your own understanding.?In all your ways acknowledge Him,?And He will make your paths straight." -- Proverbs 3: 5-6

BY ROB KNOX

Scrolling through my phone at all the photos and screengrabs from the past year recently provided clarity. It reminded me that despite all my failures, and imperfections, I survived, had fun, and made it to the end of 2021.

?This past year was hard.

?Yet, there are snapshots of plenty of socially distanced selfies in face coverings along with pics of me smiling, holding championship trophies, cutting down nets, relaxing on the beach, the 47 books I finished, and numerous motivational quotes.

?That confirmed to me that despite the challenges, I had some enjoyable and fun moments in 2021.

?Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of times when I felt like everything I did was incorrect. I second-guessed decisions. Fell short during other times. Disappointed people. Missed deadlines. Had typos in releases and tweets.?

Even though we were operating under different standards than any of us were used to thanks to this global pandemic that won’t go away, the mistakes and missed opportunities discouraged me.

?It also showed that I am human. I am far from perfect and a work in progress. I needed to give myself some grace, which is important.

?Those dark moments had me focusing on the negatives instead of the things that went right in 2021 or the joy I had because, regardless of the many times I fell short, I was living my dream and operating in my purpose thanks to the grace of God.

Even though some of those experiences were hard to go through as I reflect, I am thankful that I endured those frustrating moments. They gave me the motivation and hunger to bounce back to make the necessary adjustments to strengthen myself as a person and a professional.

Dr. Christopher Curry, one of my earliest mentors when I started my professional career as a 23-year-old working at Lincoln, Pa. as a residence hall coordinator, used to have at the end of his phone message, “Don’t let nothing in life defeat you unless you’re little enough to let it.”

?That message swirled in my thoughts each time I questioned my fragile self if I was built for this challenge.?

Getting through 2021 required vulnerability, intentionality, patience, humility, hard work, empathy, and courage. Brene Brown said that “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” This was so true for me.

Each day I made sure to read a daily prayer message that helped me understand my why. I was reminded to count my blessings and not to let circumstances dictate my destiny. I also celebrated others and their success. One of the many highlights was witnessing four of my mentees get new opportunities to continue their career journey and move a step closer to achieving their dreams.

?When I looked in the mirror, it dawned on me that I get paid to watch sports, write about them, promote student-athletes, brag about what makes each athletic program special, and tell engaging stories that resonate beyond the playing field, connects fans, and shines a light on our awesome campus.

?It’s an awesome life.

It’s a grind, but it beats flipping burgers (which I did when I worked at McDonald’s) and ensuring a live stat feed is being processed in real-time (something I was responsible for at ESPN).

At the end of the day, true happiness comes from pursuing your passions. I am living that.

?I love working in college athletics.

?In between the growth, reflection, lessons, and tough love, I got the chance of a lifetime to chronicle and witness fantastic feats of our student-athletes. Before arriving to UNCG in May 2020, I had never worked directly with a Division I program that qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

It was a dream for me to be a sport contact for a Division I program that participated in a NCAA tournament. God heard. He blessed me with an embarrassment of riches. I was lucky to cover men’s soccer, softball, and men’s basketball within a three-month period winning the SoCon Tournament championship and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.

?This past year, I wrote stories about some of the most transcendent student-athletes in UNCG’s history such as Isaiah Miller, Theo Collomb, Makenna Matthijs, Kayla White, and Nick Lyerly. I pinched myself every day at these wonderful opportunities.

That was so cool.

?I just wished I enjoyed the experiences more.

?After all, these experiences don’t happen every day.

?So, the lesson for me in 2022 is to spend more time embracing every moment because as we are quickly learning, the next breath isn’t guaranteed. Nothing is. Continue investing in yourself. Inspire those around you with your unmatched work ethic, integrity, and by treating everybody with respect.

To continue growing and being one percent better each day, feedback is necessary, being uncomfortable is mandatory, and gaining a competitive advantage is paramount. At my lowest moments in 2021, I made a commitment to turn the page and used those lessons to strengthen me.?

I am motivated in 2022 to contribute to something that is greater than myself.

These 2021 trials were a test and a steppingstone to something greater.

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.