ATLANTA, Ga. (February 20, 2026) - For many student-athletes, the final game marks the end of one chapter. For Abby, it marked the beginning of another — one rooted in purpose, perseverance, and people.

Meet Abby Vanhoose, a LaGrange College graduate and former softball player who has made the transition from the softball field into the medical field.

Abby's transition from from the softball field to her role in the hospital didn’t come with much pause. There was no extended break to process the end of her athletic career. Instead, she shifted immediately into preparing for the next goal she had always dreamed of achieving: becoming a nurse.

“My transition was a little different,” she shared. “After athletics, I needed to focus on achieving my dream to become a Nurse. My studying didn’t end — I immediately went into studying for the NCLEX and interviewing for my position at the hospital.”

By midsummer, she found a small way to stay connected to the game she loved, joining a local slow-pitch softball league. But once she passed her NCLEX and stepped onto the hospital floor as a registered nurse, she knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.

“Once I passed my NCLEX, I began working and love every single minute of it.”

Though the uniform changed from cleats to scrubs, the mindset did not.

“I stay connected with my sport and athlete mindset by simply being a Nurse,” she explained. “Every day there is a new challenge or a new skill. There is always a new opportunity to learn something and to be a good ‘teammate’ to your coworkers and help them out.”

Like softball, nursing is a team effort. It requires communication, trust, and resilience — especially on hectic days.

“It can get hectic but we constantly work together and have each other’s backs to get through it.”
 

Her time as a student-athlete prepared her for more than just competition. It prepared her for real life — including its challenges.

“Being a student athlete helped me prepare for life after college in many ways. It taught me how to overcome obstacles,” she said. “You will fail in life, however if there is anything that athletics has taught me is that you must fail to grow. You cannot grow as a person or in your career if you believe you have nothing left to learn.”

That lesson has proven invaluable in healthcare, where no two days are the same. Difficult patients, long shifts, and high-pressure moments are all part of the profession. But athletics taught her to trust the process and treat every experience as a learning opportunity.

Her senior year was a true test of balance. Twelve-hour night clinicals. Nursing exams. Early morning lifts at 6 a.m. Practices. Games.

“While it was possible, it was difficult on some days,” she recalled. “However, that helped me learn better time management and how to really take advantage of the free time that I do have.”

That skill remains central in her career today.

“Time management is everything, but I am so much better at it now than I would’ve been without the experience in athletics.”

 

As a competitor, success once meant wins, stats, and team accomplishments. Today, it looks very different — and far more personal.

“I know I’ve had a good day when I have helped someone’s healthcare journey go by a little easier,” she said. “Whether that’s making my patients smile in a bad situation, helping educate them on something new that they didn’t know the day before, or even just getting them up to look outside because they haven’t been able to see the weather in weeks.”

She has learned to value the small victories — a perspective rooted in her athletic journey.

“I have learned to focus on the little wins in life for myself and my patients. That is what’s important and I have absolutely learned this from my journey in athletics.”

Her message to current student-athletes navigating life after sports is simple but powerful: keep going.

“There are going to be many opportunities that God will lay in front of you… When that happens don’t be scared. Relax, trust the process, and rely on God to lead you through.”

She carries with her a reminder from Isaiah 60:22: “When the time is right, I, the LORD, will make it happen.”

“Your education, your athletic experience, and most importantly God has already prepared you more than you will ever know.”

 

From the softball field to the hospital floor, her journey reflects what life after sports can truly be — not an ending, but an evolution. The scoreboard may look different now, but the impact is just as meaningful.

And in this next chapter, she’s still winning — one patient, one lesson, and one small victory at a time.

Next Chapter Friday Feature is a new series highlighting former CCS student-athletes from across the conference who have transitioned from competition to life beyond sports. Each month, we’ll share their journeys—how the lessons, values, and experiences of being a student-athlete continue to shape their careers, communities, and lives after graduation.

 
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)

The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
 
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