It's all about perspective 

Growing up, I never thought I could contribute in sports, outside of being an athlete. You didn't see very many minority head coaches, player personnel people, general managers or owners in any of the major sports leagues. So I pushed all my chips to the center on making it as an athlete.

I won a Washington State Championship in football in 2010 and received a scholarship to Eastern Washington University, where I earned my bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in African American studies.

It was during my years at Eastern Washington that a coach of mine told me something that changed my outlook: "If you leave this university without getting your degree, you've allowed the university to use you and received nothing in return."

From that moment, I thought about where I could make the most impact moving forward and where purpose might land. After graduating, I played a year of football overseas in Germany before returning home to start my career in education and coaching. I became a paraeducator for special needs children and coached football and basketball.

Through these experiences I knew I wanted to continue growing in athletics. But how? As I said before, there weren't many that looked like me outside of the on-field positions. But one day I read about a man named Ozzie Newsome. He played in the NFL and became an executive vice president of player personnel. It was because of this moment that I believed it is possible to work in positions off the field and reach higher heights.

It is so important to have representation in all spaces, for it will help the next generation to believe and reach beyond what they know to be possible. It sparked me to apply and then be hired at Cal as a development associate for the Cal Athletics Fund, where I can contribute by assisting our department in moving our sports teams forward while also spreading the word to athletes that a career in sports doesn't have to end once you hang up your cleats or gym shoes. You can continue to push sports forward and have a lasting impact on generations to come.

Who knows, it may be this story or the next that can bridge the gap for someone to make a decision that can change the trajectory of his or her career and family. As my wife and I – along with our families – support our son, we want him to always know and see that it makes no sense to stop in the middle of the pain. Why not push through it to see what your outcome and triumph may be on the other side?

Lonnie Hosley is a development associate for the Cal Athletics Fund.