Creighton Bluejays: The Invisible Competition with Nate Funk

Elite athletes will eventually come to a point when their competitive career comes to a close. Many athletes struggle to create a new identity for themselves and find their new path. They often find themselves questioning, if I’m not an athlete, then who am I? I sat down with my brother Nate, and discussed how this looked in real life for him.

Nate Funk had a standout college basketball career with Creighton University, winning 3 Missouri Valley Conference Tournaments, playing in 3 NCAA National Tournaments, 1 NIT Tournament, and continued to excel playing professional basketball overseas. In 2010, Nate was inducted into Creighton’s Hall of Fame.

Many young kids dream of one day being a college athlete/division 1 athlete. Was that always your dream?

 I wouldn’t say it was this lifelong dream that I was striving for as a kid, it just wasn’t that big around us in Sioux City. Looking back, when Kirk Hinrich committed to Kansas and I saw him play on TV, it gave me something to shoot for.  Like he opened that door and made it more a possibility. Not necessarily that level, but Division 1 for sure. 

Youth sports is very competitive today. Were you pushed to compete at an early age?

Not really.  In fact, my (our) parents let me go to ONE basketball camp in my childhood. My teammates in middle school all went to Kansas camp and I begged our parents to let me go.  Wouldn’t let me.  They all got to meet Jacque Vaughn and I was so jealous.  Another one that stuck out was the same team went to a tourney in Minneapolis and our parents wouldn’t let me go. It was almost as if they were keeping me from doing that extra stuff, which in hindsight probably fueled me more.  In their defense, the vast majority of those kids never even played high school ball. That’s what they’ll say too!  Now, I wasn’t deprived of basketball tournaments by any means BUT I never played year round.  Always played 3 sports until high school, then it was 2. I didn’t solely concentrate on basketball until college.  Mom even asked Coach Altman when he visited our house for dinner in high school if I could play baseball at Creighton.  Quickest “no” I’ve ever heard.

When did you have the dream to go division 1?

Not until junior year of high school. Because I was so small, I didn’t think I would even play varsity in high school. 

2002-2003, you were the only freshman to earn playing time for Creighton’s nationally ranked team. Were you confident in yourself that year?

Ha!  No.  Freshman year I was still very skinny and weak and I looked like I was 12 years old. I wasn’t confident at all. I struggled a lot. I can’t talk about my Freshman year without mentioning these two things.  I dreaded practices because of one person - DeAnthony Bowden.  He made practices my Freshman year a living hell for me.  That said, I owe him a tremendous amount of gratitude for how much he pushed me. He’s the toughest dude I’ve ever played with or against.  The second thing, Larry House told me after our road game against Wichita State that “Funk, you’re gonna be a good player.”  I’ll never forget that because I knew Larry was one of the guys who I needed to prove to that I belonged.

Weren’t you road roommates with Kyle Korver, and how did that relationship impact you?

Yes, we were roommates on road trips. I guess the coaches wanted Kyle to groom me, and pull me along, so I could follow his lead.  Maybe it was because we were both from Iowa and we’d have a connection in that way.  Who knows? He was a positive influence for me. That was the start of a life-long friendship.  I’ve lived in Texas now for 8 years and each time his team came to either Dallas or San Antonio, it’s turned into an annual reunion and it’s like we pick up right where we left off.

You mentioned before that Kyle having confidence in you was a big confidence boost. How did he show that?

I remember as a Freshman I had some TERRIBLE games and he was an All-American who was setting records.  So it was this interesting dynamic but the guy never showed any frustration towards me. He was always extremely positive about everything.  I still have the picture of him and I he signed after he graduated that says, “Batter Up!”.

 You mentioned as an athlete, “every single day you are training for something, every day you are working towards something.” What were you working towards?

 Well for me, I had this overwhelming fear of just sucking. I didn’t wanna embarrass myself. Freshman year I embarrassed myself a lot. I had some pretty bad games. After that year I was in the gym at least 6 days a week working out.  I had the mindset that whether it’s my own teammate or an opponent, I couldn’t let them outwork me.   ESPECIALLY since I didn’t have the God-given talent and athleticism that a lot of them had. 

Sophomore year you earned a starting position as a shooting guard. You led the team in scoring and assists, joined Kyle Korver, Matt Petty, and Kevin McKenna as the only Bluejays to lead both in scoring and assists in a season. How did you progress from Freshman year, (not confident in yourself) into Sophomore year?

I knew I had a good possibility of starting thatt next year, but only if I put in a lot of time in the off season. I knew I had to get stronger, get faster,  and work on a lot of things. I had to work on expanding my role, not just as a back-up role player, but into a starting role, eventually into a leading scorer role. 

What did your off-season training look like?

It was every day, non-stop.  I really didn’t take any time off after the season. I was in the gym the next week. I was living in the gym.  Lifting, individual skill work, pick-up games, etc.

When did you learn about the mental aspect to athletics?

My first exposure to any real mental aspect of sports was from Coach Osborne.  Coach Altman was friends with him so he asked Coach to come meet with our team and talked about the mental approach to the game and life.  I loathed Nebraska growing up.  My favorite team(s) were the teams Nebraska was playing.  So initially it was hard for me to put that aside.  Haha.  But I’m telling you, when you’re in the same room as Coach Osborne, you feel like this divine presence.  It’s hard to explain.  

After that, I got to meet with him individually, it was really cool.

Junior year you led the team in scoring and rebounding, first-team all-MVC and MVC Player of the Year runner-up, named first-team all-District 6 by the USBWA, All-Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Team, and Led the entire conference with your 18.9 points per game. What did you learn about yourself this year?

I finally learned I was good enough to compete at that level.

Going into your senior year you were a Preseason all-MVC pick and preseason Collegeinsider.com and Mid-Major All American. Street and Smith named you a preseason third-team All-American and one of 16 candidates nationally for the USBWA Preseason Player of the Year. 6 games into the season, a shoulder injury led you to medical red-shirt. How did that affect you from a mental standpoint?

Spending a whole career up to that point, preparing to play, then suddenly you can't play or practice, it’s very tough. Being 16 years ago my memory may not be the best, but I remember not handling it too well. I think I went into a bit of a shell. I wasn’t and still am not a social butterfly so basketball was my outlet. I don’t think that’ll be breaking news for anyone. So to not have that - it sucked.

Your final season, you helped lead your team to another MVC Championship, and led the entire conference in scoring with 17.7 points per game. Named 1st-team All-Valley and Most Outstanding Player of the MVC Tournament. Looking back at your final year what would you have to say?

I wish we would have won games in the NCAA tournament.

You were inducted into Creighton Hall of Fame in 2010. Who did you find supportive in your career?

It’s really hard to narrow that down.  There’s too many people to name.  Omaha is such an amazing sports town and Crieghton’s fanbase is so loyal. They treated me so well.  Omaha will always be second home to me.  Of course Mom and Dad, they were always there for me. Every game.  Home and away.  Mom couldn’t always get off work but Dad somehow managed to find pilots with small planes to fly him to games.  As for coaches. Coach Altman, D Rock, Coach Grensing. My teammates. The list goes on.

What did basketball look like post-Creighton?

Went to California for 8 weeks, that was the first taste of what it was like to have basketball be my job: non stop training, basketball, rest, recovery, and eating well. That was prep for working out with quite a few NBA teams. Played summer league with the Golden State Warriors, then accepted a contract offer with a team overseas in Germany after summer league.

What was playing professional basketball overseas like?

The basketball was a lot of fun. Really good memories from it. It was very competitive, there are so many good players in Europe.

Nate and teammate Anthony Tolliver in Germany

I remember when you were overseas, the mental battle you dealt with, can you explain?

Hardest part mentally being over there: the amount of downtime spent doing nothing and we didn’t have the communication tools that we have now.  I spent a lot of time alone.  It was extremely difficult.  Every single day was groundhog day.  Wake up, eat, practice, eat, nap, practice, eat, play video games, stay up til 2 or 3 am. Repeat.  For some reading this that sounds like a great life.  It was in a lot of ways but every day for 10 months it takes its toll.  

What did you specifically battle with?

I questioned why I was doing it at times. The pay checks were great, I was young. I was making a significant amount of money.  But I was really lonely.  I thought I was missing out on things back home.  I’d see things my friends were doing and thought I was missing out on those experiences.

Looking back, what would have helped you?

Having access to a sports therapist.  Someone to help me navigate the daily grind from a mental standpoint.  The physical part of it was extremely difficult, but nothing compared to the mental and emotional rollercoaster.  No question I would have played for a lot longer than I did.

What led to your retirement from professional basketball?

I could have gone back. After my 3rd season I took a year off because I hurt my foot my last game in Turkey, pretty bad. So I was out because of an injury. The following year, I was training in Omaha to go play again professionally overseas. I was playing in a summer league with professionals & amateurs, I did well. All the pro guys were asking me- you gonna play again? I had a tryout scheduled with the team I played for my first year Europe. I was preparing to go back. Then I tore my hamstring.  Bad.

How did that injury affect you?

At that point- when I did that- I had to tell myself that was it. I was done playing.  

Athletic identity greatly impacts athletes in their transition into retirement. Many athletes struggle big time with this. How do you relate to this?

You identify yourself with what you are working towards. When you play a sport collegiately or professionally, it’s a year-round thing so it becomes you. You identify as that. Everywhere you go on campus, you’re not just a student. When it ends, you are a former student-athlete. It’s a totally different mentality and concept to wrap your mind around.   

How did this change in identity affect you mentally?

Living in Omaha during the time following my playing career was hard. I mentioned before that the fanbase is amazing.  There’s a LOT of Creighton basketball fans and a lot of people who follow the team(s). I got recognized a lot.  I got the question, ‘So what are you doing now…?’ almost on a daily basis.  That was a tough question for me to answer because I still hadn’t de-identified myself as a basketball player.  So I felt a lot of shame and embarrassment when I tried to answer, because I really didn’t know what I was going to do.  I didn’t have a plan - I was supposed to be a basketball player for a lot longer.   In a sense I was embarrassed to be done playing.  I had a hard time admitting to myself that I had to move on to something else. 

Why was it hard?

Everyone knew me as a basketball player and the fact that I wasn’t anymore, it was difficult and I struggled with that. I knew I wanted to continue playing.  But I was in the process of having to de-identify myself as a player, and I didn’t want to not be identified as that anymore. So when people would always ask me what I was going to do, it was hard. I wasn’t ready to answer that question yet. There was a lot of shame in it.

Can you expand on the shame?

I felt I had a lot of years left in me. I felt like I should have kept playing. So when people asked, ‘Why are you not playing anymore?’, I didn’t have a short answer.  It was a story.  Maybe a story I told myself I don’t know.  It was hard. One of the reasons I had to move out of the area was because I needed a blank canvas in a way. 

Do you feel like you have peace with it today? 

No I don’t.  I don’t know the exact numbers on this but I’d guess professional basketball players amount to 1% or less of all basketball players playing on the globe?  Maybe?  So I gave up something I was a 1%-er at.  Hard to have peace with that honestly.

Can you get peace with it? 

I’m sure I can.  Time will 

You are not alone, A lot of pro athletes struggle with this. 

Yes. I read an article about Dwayne Wade who just retired, he said even before retirement that he was going to have to see a therapist with his transition away from basketball. He’s one of the top players in the history of basketball. I wasn’t remotely close to that, and it’s still hard.

Looking back is there anything you would have done preventative?

If I could go back in time, first I would have had a sports psychologist in college, and no question about it when I played in Europe. I would have paid whatever I had to. I mean hell, I paid $2,000 a month for personal training during the off season. I would have paid a lot of money to have a sports therapist. I definitely would have played longer. I just didn't know about it.

Should there be more mental care in sports?

Yes. But I think it’s becoming much more commonplace as athletes discuss their mental health more.  You’ve seen a lot more of it within the past 5 years.  It’s pretty easy to say, ‘this dude is making $20 million a year, how can he be depressed?’  This is just a theory but look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, maybe a lot of them lack love, TRUE relationships and friends?  That’s huge.  The physical stuff is hard, but really most high level athletes are wired to tolerate pain.  It’s another one of those things you identify with and accept. It’s the mental stuff that really takes its toll.  Dealing with injuries, bad games, etc. 

The first athletes I ever heard of hiring mental coaches or psychologists were golfers.  Which made sense because it’s just them out there.  They've got a lot of time for mental chatter to overwhelm them between shots.  

How could colleges help athletes transition better?

Schools ought to have some off-boarding process for their athletes. Maybe they do. But I’d have all the athletes meet with a psychologist to determine the need for ongoing support.  Regardless if they continue playing or not - just make it standard.  Even if that student-athlete is graduating and getting a full time job.  They should still get the opportunity to address their mental well-being.