168. Defining Success with Seattle Kraken’s Senior Manager of Player Development Katelyn Parker

168. Defining Success with Seattle Kraken's Senior Manager of Player Development Katelyn Parker

Introducing Katelyn Parker

Today I’m talking to the Senior Manager of Player Development at the Seattle Kraken  Katelyn Parker about defining success.

Her Career Journey

Katelyn earned her bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Geography from Colgate University where she also played hockey, serving as the team captain for two years. Shortly after graduation, Katelyn realized she wanted to return to hockey and began coaching at first at Brown and then at UConn. During this time, she earned her master’s in Athletic Administration and Coaching from Concordia University Irvine. Kately is currently the Senior Manager for Player Development with the NHL Seattle Kracken.

Defining Success

While it may seem that Katelyn always knew she wanted to work in sports, it wasn’t until after she experienced working outside of athletics that she realized that the part of her day devoted to hockey was what she really looked forward to. Katelyn shares how defining success is different for everyone and how that definition should be free to change throughout our careers. She was able to break away from the narrow definition of success that she held as a college student and pursue a career that matched her vision.

Inside this episode:

  •  Katelyn shares how she approached her collegiate student-athlete experience without set expectations of what it should or shouldn’t have been. Instead, she was free to take advantage of all of the incredible athletics and academic experiences available to her.
  • When she graduated, she still held onto a narrow definition of success that led her to taking a job in Boston. A few months later, Katelyn was able to realize that her definition of success could be different that what she had been led to believe in school and it was perfectly okay that this definition changed over time. 
  • Katelyn began coaching collegiately when she realized it was the part of her day she looked forward to the most. This led her to get her masters degree, thinking that she could fill in the gaps in her education as a coach. Looking back, she realizes it was a great way to capitalize on her recent experiences as a student-athlete as she learned to view things from the other side.
  • Many former athletes share a common trait of being all in on a goal or mission. Katelyn shares how this is both a strength and a weakness and how to harness it. 
  • When she made the decision to move across the country to work with the Kraken, Katelyn was given the advice that this was a hard decision, but probably wouldn’t be the hardest decision she would make in her life. Armed with that, she was free to take up a job in the sport she loved that would bring her closer to her family in the Pacific Northwest.
  • Katelyn is working on appreciating her achievements and the incredible opportunities she has. She’s practicing taking time to stop and breath and appreciate that even though this is her normal, this isn’t everyone else’s normal.

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