WASHINGTON – For several weeks this summer, American University men's and women's basketball practices ended a little differently.

After the final drill, the teams gathered in the bleachers to hear from visitors whose careers had taken them to federal courtrooms, corporate boardrooms, professional sports franchises, news organizations, financial institutions and entrepreneurial ventures. Afterward, many stayed to meet the players, exchange handshakes and continue the conversation more informally. Coaches also asked players to write thank-you notes to the visiting VIPs—a small gesture, they said, for building professional relationships.

The VIP Summer Visit Series, organized by American University Interim President David Marchick, brought an extraordinary collection of leaders to campus with a purpose that went well beyond basketball.

Over the course of the summer, the teams met CEOs and CFOs, finance executives, attorneys, entrepreneurs, current and former federal judges, journalists, university leaders and members of American's Board of Trustees.

The group included Chief Judge James E. "Jeb" Boasberg and Judge Casey Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; former federal judge Gerald Bruce Lee; Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone; journalist David Aldridge; business leaders Alan Meltzer, Charlie Lydecker, Victoria Harker, Stuart Bernstein, Mark Duber and Paul Servidio; and many others representing an unusually broad spectrum of professional experiences.

But the series was less about titles than what happened once the visitors entered the gym.

They spoke candidly about careers that did not always follow straight lines. They talked about relationships, resilience, communication, preparation and failure. They challenged the players to consider who they wanted to become when basketball was no longer the center of their daily lives.

For men's basketball head coach Duane Simpkins and women's basketball head coach Kelly Killion, that exposure is an important part of what a college athletics program should provide.

Lessons That Cross Industries

Despite the variety of professions represented, common themes emerged.

Work hard. Learn how to communicate. Treat people well. Remain curious. Build relationships before you need them. Do not expect a career to unfold exactly as planned.

Former TEGNA Executive Vice President and CFO Victoria Harker encouraged the players to understand their own strengths and then find work that allows them to use those skills doing something they actually enjoy, particularly when they may spend eight to 10 hours a day doing it over the course of a career.

Attorney Melanie Nussdorf offered a concise approach to professional relationships: "Everybody's job is to make the other side smarter."

Stuart Bernstein, a former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark and longtime leader in real estate development, emphasized both hard work and communication, urging the student-athletes to "treat people like you would want them to treat you."

Meltzer Group founder Alan Meltzer was characteristically direct about one of the qualities he credits for his own success: outworking the people around him.

And Kim Stone, whose career has included leadership positions across professional basketball, sports and entertainment before becoming CEO of the Washington Spirit, reminded the players to appreciate the industry they are part of.

"We work in the toy department of life because we work in sports," Stone told them.

The messages often sounded familiar to athletes because many of the habits required for professional success are already embedded in their daily lives: showing up prepared, accepting coaching, responding to adversity, working within a team, and continuing when circumstances become difficult.

Charlie Lydecker, Chairman and CEO of Foundation Risk Partners, connected that mindset directly to competition, describing the importance of continuing to fight for the final points, which makes the difference between a good season and an exceptional one.

Conversations with the judges brought another dimension. Their discussions centered on judgment, integrity and the willingness to make difficult decisions, reinforcing Simpkins' message to choose the "hard right" over the "easy wrong."

From Conversation to Connection

The series was deliberately designed to continue after each visitor left campus.

Players practiced introducing themselves and speaking with professionals from fields they may know little about. They were encouraged to follow up, write professional thank-you notes, and remain connected with the people they met.

For junior Dean Hogans, repeated opportunities to do that made the process itself less intimidating.

"Having these VIPs come in and being able to reach out to them afterward has really helped us become more comfortable in the professional world we'll enter after college," Hogans said. "Getting knowledge from these leaders is valuable, but being able to make a connection with them has been really helpful too."

That access is part of what Marchick believes separates the experience available at American.

"American University is truly unique—a mid-size university with a beautiful suburban campus in the most powerful, international city in the world," Marchick said.

The series put that advantage into tangible form. Instead of simply telling student-athletes that Washington offers extraordinary professional opportunities, AU brought some of those people directly into the gym.

The relationships also gave the players a chance to think about life beyond sports long before they are forced to confront that transition.

For Marchick, even one of the simplest requirements of the series illustrates the larger goal.

"Our student-athletes are truly exceptional—exceptional students and exceptional athletes," he said. "Coach Simpkins played at the highest level in college basketball, and he has talked about not being adequately prepared for the transition from playing basketball to his next career. We want to make sure our student-athletes are prepared for successful and meaningful careers.

"Even something as small as writing a thank-you note to the leaders who visited matters. That practice—like shooting free throws—will make them better prepared when they seek internships and jobs after college."

The basketball lessons will continue when the teams return to the court this fall.

The lessons from this summer were intended to last considerably longer.