Former Pro Athlete Speaks at MSU
9/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Rote was the sports agent for Student-Athlete Services Assistant Jonathan Taylor, a former Bobcat football player drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 2002 draft. Taylor, who is also pursuing his master’s degree in Early Childhood Development at MSU, ran across his former agent’s name while searching for motivational speakers for student-athlete meetings.
“I’ve known him since my senior year in college but didn’t realize he was a public speaker,” Taylor said. “He’s a special guy, and helped me through some tough times when I got injured.” Rote recently attended Taylor’s wedding this past summer in Bozeman.
Rote has spoken at over 100 colleges and to companies such as Dell, AT&T, Bank One and 3M. He has also spoken in Washington, D.C. for three presidents and took a year off to work with Mother Teresa and others in the battle against hunger. He was selected as “One of the 10 Outstanding Young People in the World” in 1985.
Rote spoke to both athletes and coaches while at MSU. He addressed student-athletes on “Seven Steps to Guaranteed Success in Life,” talking particularly about the MSU culture. Rote’s experience as a professional soccer player and sports agent helps athletes build a bridge from competition to real life. Rote expressed the importance of understanding the place of athletics in the big picture of college life, helping students find balance and stability in their busy lives.
“Athletes can understand that sports probably aren’t going to be their life’s occupation,” Rote said. “Right now, they need a sense of balance.”
Rote addressed the MSU coaches in a separate meeting talking about the importance of best practices in recruiting, setting personal time boundaries, and developing a cooperative effort between all coaching staffs and the university community.
“Coaches are part of a bigger scheme than just their own program,” Rote said. “They need to know that they are connected to the greater university community.”
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