Ema Uskokovic | UTEP Volleyball/Beach Volleyball

Hometown/Current City: Belgrade, Serbia/ El Paso, TX
Undergraduate Major: Kinesiology
Postgraduate Field of Study: Master of Business Administration
 
How did playing college sports shape who you are today?
Playing college volleyball and beach volleyball shaped me into a person I am today and it’s still helping me grow and develop. College athletics taught me discipline, time management, and how to thrive under pressure. But the most important thing I’ve learned is resilience—how to bounce back after a tough game/loss, a season-ending injury, or when things don’t go as planned. Life is unpredictable and things don’t always go how we pictured them but being a student-athlete helped me be prepared for everything, by teaching me how to adapt quickly.
 
What career path are you pursuing after college?
After college I hope to continue my volleyball career professionally—it’s hard for me to picture myself doing anything else. However, I’ve always liked to be prepared. In undergrad I learned about the human body and proper nutrition, and now I am expanding my knowledge to the world of business. I am not exactly sure where I will end up after my volleyball career, but I want to use my knowledge in both kinesiology and business to help future athletes, especially female athletes, succeed on and off the court.
 
Which class has been your favorite and why?
My favorite class during undergrad has been Scientific Principles and Practical Application of Strength and Conditioning. We discussed the importance of strength and conditioning, how it affects the human body, and how to properly fuel it. I also enjoyed learning how training loads vary for different athletes. In my master’s program my favorite class so far is Managerial Economics. Even though it’s a challenging course, I think that it helped me understand how companies work within the economy and how they work together. I also like seeing the “human element” in economy, showing that people don’t always act entirely rational, that there are instincts and emotions involved in business as well.
 
Wha'ts the best advice you ever got from a coach or teammate?
“How you do anything is how you do everything.”- My strength coach tells us this every day and it really is true. You can’t expect to be successful in one area of your life, if you don’t pay attention to details and work hard in all areas. This mindset builds discipline and pushes you to be the best version of yourself every day. The little things do matter, they build habits that carry over into everything you do.
 
What advice would you share with today's student-athletes?
Enjoy every moment and don’t take anything for granted. The time as a collegiate athlete goes by faster than you would think, so enjoy all the fun moments, but also all the challenges that come your way. Especially the challenges, those are the ones that shape you and prepare you for the future, and they are the ones you will remember and be proud of the most when everything is over.
 
How has being a student-athlete helped you succeed in the classroom?
Being a student-athlete came with its challenges, but it’s also helped me succeed. The time management, the discipline, and the work ethic I bring to volleyball/beach volleyball translates directly to the classroom. I go back to how you do anything is how you do everything; the drive to win and compete will translate to the classroom, and to be successful in your sport you have to be successful in the classroom.
 
What's your best tip for balancing athletics and academics?
Something simple, but very useful—learn to manage your time early. Your schedule is going to be packed with practices, workouts, film sessions, team meetings, and when you add the schoolwork load on top of that it can get overwhelming if you don’t know how to manage your time. So, don’t procrastinate and plan ahead, it’s the best way to do it! Also, another big and important one is, don’t be afraid to ask for help. As a student-athlete you will have a lot of resources to help you, but if you are not willing to ask for help you will never get to use them.