Hello and happy FRIDAY!! This #featurefriday is all boss babe Ashley Emanuel, former Volleyball player at Louisiana Tech and Texas State! Ashley started off her collegiate career at Louisiana Tech where she played her freshman year. She then transferred to Texas State and competed there her remaining 3 years, helping the team win 2 conference championships. During her time at Texas State, Ashley was in the top 3 all-time in the weight room record board for both highest hang clean and vertical jump. She also earned the Bobcat award for earning the most amount of points during their preseason training system. Ashley Graduated with a degree in Computer Information Systems and Qualitative Methods and Statistics, and is now a Risk Management and Compliance Analyst for a Global Communications company. Ashley also started a cruelty-free, vegan cosmetic side business in 2017 that continues to thrive today! #entrepreneur Read on to learn about Ashley's athletic experiences!
GamePlan: If you could sum up your college athletic experience in one word, what would it be? Ashley: “Stressful” but no regrets :)
GamePlan: What is a lesson you learned while playing college athletics?
Ashley: How to be mentally tough and remain confident in my own abilities.
GamePlan: 😍
GamePlan: What is one of the hardest moments you had to get through while playing college sports?
Ashley: When I sprained both of my ankles my senior year a week and a half apart from each other.
GamePlan: What is one of the hardest moments you had to get through while going through the recruiting process?
Ashley: Remaining hopeful that I would find the ideal school.
GamePlan: What is your favorite memory from playing college sports?
Ashley: Definitely game day and warming up prior!
GamePlan: Why did you decide to transfer?
Ashley: I was homesick and wanted to return home to Texas (I grew up in Houston). I had always considered Texas State, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to move back and be closer to home.
GamePlan: What advice do you have for student-athletes who are trying to play at the collegiate level?
Ashley: Know that it takes more mental and emotional toughness than physical strength. Some days you will want to quit and think you can’t go any further, but just know that if you love the sport enough all the sweat and tears will one day be worth it.
GamePlan: This is so true!!
GamePlan: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything? If so, what would you do differently?
Ashley: I would get a jump on college recruiting and take it much more seriously much sooner in high school rather than waiting until senior year to decide.
GamePlan: If only you had something like GamePlan to help you out back then!
GamePlan: What are you up to now?
Ashley: If I am not playing beach volleyball, I am either crafting, riding my bike, hiking or scooting somewhere close by (still haven’t gotten the guts to ride too far away from home) :)
GamePlan: What role did athletics play in helping you get to where you are now?
Ashley: It allowed me to stay calm in the midst of chaos and just trust that everything is always working out in my favor.
Words of wisdom! So much valuable information in here - I love how Ashley touched on college athletics instilling in her the ability to be mentally tough and confident. That has stayed with her in adulthood as she took the leap to start a business while continuing to work a full-time job! Ashley also realized that the school she initially chose was not the bet fit - and that's ok!! Remember that transferring is always an option and in the end she made her way to a place that was a great fit and allowed to her to excel. Thank you, Ashley! Tune in next week!