Over the past 25 years, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services in San Diego, California, has discovered that many of the attributes and characteristics found in student athletes align with those of top performers in the insurance industry. From producers to client managers and service teams, we have found that former student athletes are likely to embody the personal discipline and soft skills necessary to have successful insurance careers.

Here are five skills that former student athletes can bring to your agency:

1) Self-motivation and discipline. Successful athletes strive to improve their performance and push themselves to beat their personal best, even when faced with challenges. Both attributes are beneficial, particularly for producers.

2) Time management. Student athletes know how to balance school obligations with the demands of their sport. If a student athlete cannot learn to effectively manage their time, they often cannot continue to play the sport they love. As an insurance professional, exceptional time management skills are required to effectively manage the demands of the work.

3) Coachable. To excel and improve performance, student athletes must accept coaching from those with more experience. The ability to embrace coaching—whether on the field or in a boardroom—can transform an average player into a superstar insurance professional.

4) Competitive. Competitive athletes are eager to exceed others' abilities in whatever game they play and enjoy being on a winning team. This competitive desire serves insurance professionals well, as every new client or renewal is a potential win for the agent, their team, the carrier and the insured.

5) Teamwork. Working as a team is the first skill athletes learn when they begin playing sports. Rancho Mesa has hired a significant number of former student athletes, and teamwork is embedded in all departments. Regardless of individual roles, every worker in sales, client management and client services are team-first players who raise the bar of everyone they work with, from their teammates to clients and carrier partners.

How do you proactively find former student athletes? Recent graduates often list sports history on their LinkedIn pages or resumes. Additionally, the interviewer can ask a potential hire about past athletic experience.

At Rancho Mesa, we have gone a step further by working with San Diego State University. The university offers a credited course for student athletes called “Aztecs Going Pro," which helps prepare students for life after college sports. Industry professionals—from banking, finance, technology and insurance—are invited to attend classroom learning sessions, lunches and mock interviews to prepare student athletes for their next careers. By becoming involved in this program, we can give back to our community and potentially find a new team member.

Bringing student athletes into an organization's talent pool ensures self-motivated candidates with discipline and time management skills who are coachable, competitive and thrive in team-focused environments. You will not be disappointed.

Dave Garcia is president of Rancho Mesa Insurance Services Inc. in San Diego, California.