Work-life balance is something that many of us strive for, yet achieving it is difficult. For those working in sports, where a job often feels like a lifestyle, the battle can be even harder. Through stories of moments in their careers, Paul Sickmon and Brandon Parks share how their journey to find a work-life balance was filled with hard lessons, personal growth, and choices.
Creating Boundaries
In the pro sports world, a season can dominate an individual’s schedule. During his time at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sickmon recalls working 100-hour weeks and having no nights off. He shares a story where during his first year at the Buccaneers he asked his boss to leave right at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays when Florida State had a home game so that he could drive up to Tallahassee and make the game. His boss approved, yet every Friday there was a project left on his desk at 5:15 p.m. that needed to be done by the end of the night. While this was unintentional, it was clear that work was always calling. Fast forward to today, as the CEO of his own company, Sickmon ensures each employee leaves early on Fridays, emphasizing that it’s the small things that matter.
Boundaries come in all shapes and sizes, and for Parks, his boundaries were time with his kids. During his first few years at the University of Tennessee, he spent some time on the road while traveling for work, only to realize that it was not where he wanted to be. He emphasizes how the greatest thing to happen to him in terms of work-life balance, was having kids. Now, he has a rule of thumb stating that if there is a business purpose to go on an away game trip, then he will go to serve that purpose. If not, he believes his time is better spent in Knoxville with his kids.
“In a lot of ways children have taken the grey area out for me. They’re only young once, you’re never going to get that time back and you’re never going to get that baseball game back. I treasure the moments I can be at the ballfield and put the phone down for a few minutes and just watch and be a dad, and that matters,” Parks says.
Being Present
Being present allows us to fully indulge in meaningful moments, grow closer to the people we cherish, and create memories that go beyond the immediate moment. Sickmon shares a memory from when he coached his son’s four-year-old baseball team. Around mid-season, he ran into an old friend with kids around the same age and asked how they were doing. The friend explained that due to his work schedule, he hasn’t made it out to one of his son's games yet. In that moment Sickmon realized how fortunate he was to have left the demanding schedule of pro sports, and truly get to experience his kid’s lives.
“It just struck me; it was like a hammer. I just felt so lucky because if I had been in that world, four years later, I would’ve had the same ridiculous, wrong pressure, to be there all the time,” says Sickmon.
Parks also came to the realization of the meaningful moments you can create when being present. In the fall of 2022, Tennessee had a huge win against Alabama which led to the fans swarming the field. That Christmas, Parks’ wife bought a huge print of the fans on the field at the end of that game. On the back of that print, she wrote a note to her son saying that she would remember that moment forever because she got to experience it with him. A sentimental moment was shared demonstrating that one of the greatest perks of working in sports is sharing that world with your family.
Making Work-Life Balance a Priority
Work-life balance in sports careers requires boundaries, choices, and a need to be present. Hearing stories from both Sickmon and Parks shows that this industry can be tough when it comes to finding that balance. While everyone has different circumstances that create challenges for them, this career is not one usually done remotely, and it does call for demanding hours. But at the end of the day, it is about recognizing the importance of being there for personal events, making meaningful memories, and prioritizing the people that mean the most to you.
If you would like to hear Paul and Brandon talk more about a work-life balance, click here.