Game Changer Catch Up: Adila Gathers
2018 Game Changer Adila Gathers always knew she was going to play college basketball since she was a little girl. Growing up in Buffalo, New York, Adila’s love for basketball stemmed from watching her father as head coach for the Buffalo State College basketball team. Adila recalls her dad instilling in her that hard work pays off and that is how you turn your dream into a reality. Her hard work did pay off when she received two separate scholarships to play college basketball. Originally, Gathers went to play at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania. After one year at Saint Francis, Adila decided to transfer, accepting another offer to play basketball at Niagara University and graduated from there. With a childhood spent constantly being around the game and her impressive college career, this combination led Adila to pursue a career in the sports and entertainment industry. Adila sat down with The Winning Edge to catch up and share her journey.
Adila, how did you hear about The Winning Edge?
So, this is actually a funny story. My mom found it on twitter back in 2018 and encouraged me to apply for the 2018 Game Changing Retreat in Miami. I didn’t have a great reason as to why I didn’t want to do it but I just kept putting it off. I actually waited until the last day to send in my application and I think it was up until the final hour because it took me forever to make a submission video that I was happy with! Basically, the final video was just me saying “I am a minority, please help me.” From there, I heard that I had gotten into the retreat.
What made you decide to submit the application and want to get involved with Winning Edge?
Being a minority, there are not a lot of spaces where you go and have a lot of people that you can look up to in those types of positions and roles. I knew that I wanted to further my career in sports I knew The Winning Edge would be a great starting point.
What has been the most impactful part of your experience so far?
After being a Game Changer at the 2018 retreat, I volunteered at the 2019 retreat in Atlanta as an assistant to their event coordinator. After 2019, I was brought on as a volunteer/intern to do all event coordinating. Due to COVID-19, plans obviously changed; however, it gave myself, Corinne and even Maria an opportunity to put our heads together and figure out my role within The Winning Edge. I have basically gone through every single step throughout The Winning Edge. I have done everything from administrative work to site visits at different hotel and venue spaces. Most recently I did a gig and ended up getting a full-time position from it.
What was the ‘Gig’ and how did it help you get one step closer to your ideal career?
I knew I needed a new job and I knew that I wanted it to be in the sports industry. Whether it was coaching or being a director of operations, I was open to anything in sports. Within The Winning Edge I had done a lot of data compilation which made me think that I could possibly continue to do similar work in another space. Corinne encouraged me to sign up for a sports innovation Gig with Molly Tissenbaum and the whole experience was extremely eye opening.
From the Gig, an intern was leaving and she needed someone permanently. Since I had done a bulk of what she was looking for, I was offered the job as junior analyst in a sports innovation lab. My entire goal for 2020 was to come out with a job and to get back into sports. I hit a point where I did want to get away from sports entirely but it just kept creeping back into my life and now, I am fully immersed in excel and algorithms. It is a side of the sports industry that I never knew I would come to love.
Is there a specific person in Winning Edge that has been very influential or the most impactful to you?
Because I have been involved with The Winning Edge for a while, I have had the opportunity to meet all mentors across the board. Each and every one of them are so willing to help even if you are not their specific mentee and they are willing to do whatever is necessary to help you succeed. However, if I had to choose one person, I would have to say Corinne. I have thrown so much at her and she has definitely thrown stuff back but we have built a two-sided relationship that I feel is mutually beneficial. She has pushed me to my limits in the best way allowing me to grow into the person that I am and hold the position that I do. She is the most influential on this entire process.
Going back to the impact of the mentors, they are extremely influential in this process as well. Those are people that take the time to revise your resume and go through an interview process. Because they have known you for a span of time, they are able to help you with your strengths and weaknesses as they have an understanding of who you are and where you want to be. That is one of the best parts of the process because when you are growing of age, you are not sure about who you are or who you want to be. Having a group of people to come in and help you through that process is amazing.
What would you tell somebody who is considering engaging with The Winning Edge?
Why not? The worst someone can say to you is “No,” but The Winning Edge will always say try again. The Winning Edge is a safe space where minorities and women can come together to let out their insecurities while also finding comfort in understanding that everyone goes through these things. Together we can overcome a lot of things but we have to be willing to open up and put forth the hard work. Regardless of what space you want to go into, even if it’s outside the scope, The Winning Edge definitely will provide that space. A space with insight and a family-oriented community that anyone can be a part of and thrive off.
You can follow along with Adila’s journey on her social media - Twitter, LinkedIn
