Former Baldwin Wallace University racquetball player Thomas Carter has experienced notable career success since graduating in 2017.

Graduating with a degree in finance, Carter won both the singles and doubles national titles during his senior year at BW. Post-graduation, he embarked on a journey in the Racquetball Pro tour for the USA, where he is currently ranked No. 17 globally. Additionally, Carter has launched his own coaching business.

When reflecting on his journey, Carter said that sports have instilled a competitive spirit and a relentless drive for self-improvement on and off the court.

“When competing, obviously you either win or you lose, so all athletes must learn to deal with failure if they want to be successful in the long term,” Carter said. “This tough lesson has taught me how to focus on what I can control instead of solely focusing on results.”

Carter said he acknowledges and appreciates the transformative impact of his college racquetball team experience.

“I was very fortunate to play on a team filled with talented and competitive players,” Carter said. “We pushed each other hard in practice. This…helped me grow as a racquetball player and more importantly as a person. I am very grateful for that.”

Carter extends his appreciation to BW and the individuals he met there who supported him throughout college.

“I am lucky to have built relationships with a lot of great people at BW, from teammates, coaches, professors to alumni,” Carter said. “On top of that, the racquetball community as a whole is very tight-knit. These relationships have definitely helped me out in many ways over the years in my racquetball career, mainly by providing me with support and guidance.”

Additionally, Carter said that the relationships he has made will help him in his future career endeavors.

“I also know these relationships will help me smoothly transition to a new career when I decide to move on from playing racquetball professionally,” Carter said.

Patrick Keebler, the director of the BW Career Center, said it is important to offer these services that support career development to student-athletes.

“Last year we developed a career management self-directed course on Canvas,” Keebler said. “The content was designed specifically for student-athletes and can be completed in less than 20 hours.”

The career management course features comprehensive lesson plans covering finances, interviewing techniques, networking strategies and other career development tools specifically for student-athletes.

To enroll in this course, students can contact the Career Center for access. The Career Center organizes numerous events for all students, whether actively seeking employment or simply curious about exploring opportunities with various companies.

“Many student-athletes attend our career fairs and networking events, of which we offer six of these each year.”