The Pivot Portal: The Story of Valeriya Berezhynska
Athletes Who Made the Leap
‘Hi , My name is Valeriya Berezhynska and I am a former professional athlete from Ukraine.’
Where did you grow up and why basketball? What was your journey like during your college career?
I grew up in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, its in the south of Ukraine by the Black Sea. Once the war is over – I want to take my friends to Kyiv or Lviv in Ukraine. Great places with a lot of culture, great food and super cheap.
My dad played professionally in our city, plus a few years in Poland, so I was always around it, and it came naturally, I guess, I don’t remember ever deciding to play. I just did.
I understood nothing about recruiting process in the united states. I didn’t understand conferences, it took me forever to even grasp different High school divisions. I went off of vibes haha. One of my AAU teammates was at Rice so that was comforting. When I went for a visit, the sun was shining, campus was beautiful, every game we watched Rice won, and when we played a scrimmage I sucked, so it was my sign to go where people are better than me. During a few of my other visits I played a little too well against college girls and I didn’t like that.
what did you major in and did you think about life after basketball when you chose the degree you chose to pursue?
I ended up majoring in Psychology. I started with Sport Management/Managerial Studies, just like every athlete. After 15 minutes of Finance 101 I realized this is not for me. For one of my electives, I read the entire text book for Social Psych class I changed my major. My logic was … I don’t know what I’ll do with it but at least I wont be miserable.
Being Ukrainian, how much did the war impact you, your family, and your decision to retire?
I was pretty ready to be done. Ive been waiting a few years for a good time to end on a good note. COVID added some years to this process. Finally in Belgium (Castors Braine) I had such a great time and fantastic memories. I wanted to end my career with that group. A part of my green card application got approved when we were in Ukraine, out of all places, for Eurocup, a few weeks before the war started. So I already knew I was either done or would play until I get my residency. Once the war started I couldn’t summon enough energy to care about bball or anything else to be honest so it was time to go. My mom came over and became a refugee in Belgium while my dad had to be in Ukraine till he turned 60 (war time rules) so it was just a lot. I consider myself very blessed for having played until the very end and having been able to call it myself.
You've played all over the world. What was your experience overseas playing in France, Poland, Turkey, Spain, etc?
Ah. It’s been so up and down, but looking back it was a net positive experience that I would never trade for anything. I think I made sort of a second home in France. It’s so difficult to summarize 14 years in a concise manner. Now being a civilian and looking back, all I can say is that basketball, specifically overseas, has enriched my life beyond measure. I notice now (in retirement) more than ever the skills and experiences that I gained that aren’t really ‘normal’ or as easily or frequently accessible to people with a more traditional path. The people I’ve met, places I’ve been and things I’ve seen - irreplaceable.
It was hella hard a lot of the times tho. My last 4 years I wanted to retire so badly. It was incredibly difficult to get excited about playing. There were moments of joy of course but I started to notice the scales started to tip in favor of retirement at about a 10 year mark.
The Transition
Seeing as you were a professional athlete while earning your master’s degree, how did you manage to balance both demanding roles? How did this experience align with your career aspirations and influence where you are today?
I kind of knew I was going to get a masters in something. I have a ton of life experience but not much work experience so I wanted to boost my chances of getting a good job (totally irrelevant and made no difference BTW). After talking with my agent and running some math realized it would be cheaper for me to do it online while overseas than coming back and being a GA at a college. I love school so it wasn’t too hard to be honest but I could tell it was taking away from my focus on Bball. Mentally I was a bit drained. I’m good at turning off my feelings and plowing ahead towards whatever goal I set so I was on autopilot.
All my degrees and certificates are on the back burner for now. Maybe I’ll be able to utilize them at some later point, but for now they are not being used.
What do you currently do at Nike?
I’m on my second role in 9 months at Nike. I started as a technical developer for bags and now I do the same thing for socks. The two roles have nothing in common other than the title. It’s a whole new product that I’m learning. In more plain words I’m kind of a project manager for all the PROMO socks. So think NFL, WNBA, NCAA .. all other leagues and special events like Olympics or certain individual athletes. I facilitate communication between the design and product management team and our partners at factories all over the world.
What qualities do you believe are essential for someone transitioning from sports to a corporate or technical role?
Emotional Intelligence. The metal gymnastics are insane. It will be the most helpful thing if you can read the room, adjust to personalities and know how to communicate with every type of person. The way we talk to each other and give feedback as athletes is very harsh compared to the office. You have to be liked. No matter how good you are, no one wants to work with a jerk.
What advice would you give to someone looking to make a significant career shift, like your own transition?
Find Your People. I tried applying to jobs for first two weeks and I cried. It was miserable. I sat down and re-evaluated. I know I’m good with people. I know I’m intelligent and have valuable life experience. That doesn’t translate well on a resume. I knew I needed to meet people face to face. I got off linkedin and started talking to friends and connecting through other athlete-led channels. There is a lot of support out there. Its not easy to find, unfortunately. Within 2 weeks I found out about Nike and within a month I had a contract.
How do you approach setting and achieving goals in your current role compared to when you were an athlete?
This one has been hard. I don’t see myself being in this role forever so I don’t have a role-specific long term goal right now. I did start classes at a Portland Fashion Institute, to get up to speed on the industry basics and jargon. There are goals laid out by the company but I think they are quite vague and it’s hard to figure out what your daily ‘stats’ look like. For now I try to make sure that all the socks I’m responsible for are delivered on time and are ready to be ordered when the order dates come in. There’s a lot of work on the back end but none of it is crazy difficult. A lot of details. Which im finding out im not amazing at. Honestly, if I can keep up with following up on all the emails it’s a win for the day.
What impact do you hope to have on the sports industry through your work at Nike?
I’m still finding my way to be honest. I want to find something I can be passionate about and invested into. I want to try a few things and find alignment between my work and my interest and skills. Then I’ll see how through that role I can impact the industry. For now I’m focusing on my immediate surroundings and hoping that my co-workers can get a sense of what it’s like to have a great teammate and how much athletes have to offer if we combine our talents.
Can you share a story of a project at Nike where your input as a former athlete was crucial?
I don’t know that Ive had a crucial impact just yet. However I am used as a reference for how long cross body straps should be on bags LOL (I’m 6’4 so that helps). There was an instance where I was helping make a bball bag – I don’t think the designers are too fond of being challenged or corrected.
How did your experiences as a life coach prepare you for your role at Nike?
Oh man. I use all I’ve learned on myself mainly. It’s like a mine field figuring out how to convey a point and not offend anyone by being too direct. I would’ve thought I’d be further ahead given my background in psychology and life coaching but no no … turns out its harder to apply it to yourself than helping someone else apply it. In general it helped me with self-awareness. I do a lot of self monitoring and adjusting everyday.
Reflecting on your early career, what key moments or achievements stand out to you as pivotal in shaping your professional journey?
The most impactful thing was that for 22 years from HS to the end of my pro career, I’ve made it through every practice I didn’t want to go to. That daily grind, knowing that how I feel about doing something doesn’t stop me from getting it done. I think there are also negative things that shaped my journey that stand out to me. One is not really knowing what I wanted exactly, what were my non negotiables and not leaving teams that I should’ve left. I think I’ve developed a better sense of self and what I will and will not do after those experiences. Looking back it’s the accumulation of small things that actually had the biggest impact as opposed to one big thing.
What specific skills did you find most transferable from your athletic career to your roles in coaching and at Nike?
SO many. It’s really encouraging when I notice them. Maintaining your cool when plans change, schedules change, the product doesn’t get where it was supposed to go. Being comfortable talking to people of different backgrounds and ‘ranks’ is helpful. Finding solutions and being proactive in learning. Probably every other day I notice that I do something well and I realize I have that skill because of having played. I probably have had more experiences where I had to think on my feet, deal with personalities, handle my own development, ask for help, rely on teammates, uplift and encourage… the list goes on.
What steps did you take to prepare for your transition from sports to a technical role at Nike?
Everything happened so fast. There’s nothing that would’ve prepared me for the specifics of my role. I was confused about what I did for probably the first 3 months on the job. I took a month long vacation right before coming to work because I knew it’s the last time I’ll have 3 months off. We had a whole month of onboarding, it was exhausting and I lost 10 lbs. The most beautiful, challenging, chaotic and fulfilling experience. It’s been fun finding my way. Overseas was as chaotic – navigating new cities, languages, norms, teams.
Can you share any specific instances where your background in psychology has directly influenced a project or decision at Nike?
Most of the instances have to do with managing relationships. It has been up and down to be honest. The dynamics in the corporate world are so wildly different than on the court. What I have to use is probably a blend between psychology and communication skills from being on a team.
What are some innovative projects or initiatives you’ve been involved in at Nike, and how did your previous experiences contribute to their success?
Most of the things I help with now have to do with streamlining processes. There isn’t a lot of onboarding material for someone like myself, and other girls in the program, that don’t come from apparel background. I try to create a road map and resources for newcomers. The business is VAST. It’s incredible how many people touch product before it gets to the consumer. There are probably 10 functions just around me who give input, not counting the factory, vendors, finance people and whatever else happens. Its insane. Trying to grasp all of it takes so much time. Understandably, I’m doing more of low-lift tasks now.
How has being a part of our community “The Athlete’s advocate” helped you, inspired you, or encouraged you.
It’s been great to connect to the humans behind the jerseys. Seeing what others are going through, their triumphs as well as downfalls. I’ve realized I miss the athlete community more than I thought I would after retiring. It’s nice to stay connected through different channels. I thought I’d be fine exiting that world, but now I’m realizing how special is it and how much I miss the community so I’m grateful for such platforms that spotlight athletes and looking forward to even more of them to bring us all together.
Is there any piece of advice you would give to athletes who are considering taking that leap to change their careers?
Build relationships. You’re probably going to absolutely kill it wherever you are, but you need someone who recognizes your potential without a beefed up resume. Even here I’m noticing most of my opportunities come from intentionally connecting with people.