Two former female athletes are forging a smooth transition from standout athlete to just plain student.

Monica Rincon, a senior double majoring in international business and operations management, with a minor in Spanish, is a former star tennis player for Ohio State now preparing for commencement in the spring. Her attention has shifted from sports and classes to finishing up her degree and attending job fairs.

“Right now I’m focusing on finding a job for when I graduate,” Rincon said.

Former basketball standout Lauren Shenk, a spring 2002 graduate in molecular genetics, is now immersed in medical school at OSU. She also was recently engaged.

A common theme both women share is the increased amount of free time without the burden of practice and games.

“I definitely like having my free weekends,” Shenk said. “I’ve never had real weekends before.”

Shenk said studying for medical school has replaced the time she used to spend on basketball.

Rincon said during a typical week she would practice 2-3 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. In addition to that, when she had matches away, the team would leave on Thursday and not get back until Sunday.

“I have a lot more free time now. I don’t feel as rushed to get things done,” said Rincon. “I can take my time doing things. I can focus a lot more on school.”

Both athletes agreed they miss their sports. They still keep in touch with their respective teams and play every now and again.

“When the season first started up again, I really didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing,” Rincon said. “I ended up going to practice for a while, but then I realized that I didn’t have to, and took a break from it.”

“I let them know I’m available to play in practice,” Shenk said. “I’m going to try and keep in contact with them as much as I can and go to as many games as I can.”

Jennifer Carter, OSU sports psychologist, said many athletes have trouble adjusting to life without sports. She said it is different for each individual.

“Some feel a sense of relief once they’re done playing their sport, while others become sad and depressed and have trouble moving on,” Carter said.

“To some people, athletics is a huge part of their identity; without it, a hole in who they are develops,” Carter said.

Rincon and Shenk spent their first summers away from sports in different ways.

Rincon went to Guanajuato, Mexico, for the summer to explore Mexican history, politics and the Spanish language. She did not pick up a racket while she was away.

Shenk kept herself in shape by training for the Columbus Marathon, in which she participated last month.

The thought of taking their skills to the professional ranks appeals to both women.

Shenk said she toyed with the idea of going overseas for a couple of years to pursue a professional career.

“I never really seriously considered it because medical school is such a commitment (four years) that I didn’t want to put it off,” she said.

Rincon has not yet decided whether to give the professional tennis circuit a shot.

“I would love to play tennis for a while longer, because this is a time in my life when I could do it,” Rincon said. “I will always have my degree and career to fall back on.”

Both women agree that through playing sports, they have attained skills they will be able to apply throughout the rest of their lives.

“As I go to interviews, I find the people are looking for people with a good work ethic, that are good time managers, and are competitive,” Rincon said. “I feel fortunate to have that experience through playing tennis.”

Shenk likens the skills she attained in basketball to the knowledge she is obtaining in medical school.

“There is never an end to what you can learn, or the skills that you could attain. That helps me a lot now,” Shenk said.

Both women have quality reasons for choosing their particular career paths. They are strongly rooted in family background.

As a teenager, Shenk’s father was diagnosed with leukemia. He was later given a bone marrow transplant and recovered.

“Medicine intrigued me, I could relate it to my life. It showed me the good medicine could do,” Shenk said.

Rincon, who is of Hispanic descent, wanted to pursue a career in which she could apply her knowledge of Spanish and her culture. She also wants to utilize the skills she attained while being captain of last year’s tennis squad.