The Proof is in the Play
August 4, 2026
UofL baseball pitcher Casen Murphy plays at an away game
Three College of Business students share how their degree helped them power through the scene of college athletics
It's a warm Friday evening on the University of Louisville campus. The sunset blazes across the sky and oversees Trager Stadium coming alive as passionate UofL fans fill the stands. As the scoreboard counts down to game start, the anticipation is even higher for field hockey goalkeeper Emily Young. Not only is tonight an opportunity to showcase her skills perfected through practice drills, but also one where she plays against familiar faces. Amid blocking a shot from University of Virginia’s Mia Abello, the stiffening pressure settles when the two break into laughter. Even after a long day of economics lectures followed by pre-game practice, it is those little moments for Young that seals her confidence in knowing that she is exactly where she needs to be.
The balance between competition and academics is a familiar one for All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic and Honor Roll names Emily Young, Julia Shoemaker and Casen Murphy. As they each spend their days moving between lectures, practices, travel and competition, they’ve learned that the habits of exceling in one area often become the foundation for success in the other. What makes this group special is their highly developed discipline that translates between the field and classroom. They don’t allow their adversities to define or distract them and embody the unique culture at UofL, where academic and athletic excellence thrives through a standout spirit and determination.
Reeling in the Gains
Julia Shoemaker, a Louisville native, developed an interest in business through a high school pathways program. Both of her parents are College of Business alumni. Shoemaker also recalled that her interest in sports was shaped by her father’s administrative role for the Louisville Bats, a 20-year stint for her father and a lifetime impact for Shoemaker and her brother, who played soccer for Spalding University.
As she was nearing the end of high school, Shoemaker was hoping to be recruited to play college soccer out-of-state. “I was trusting the process and what would come next.” When she began to recognize her burnout with soccer, leaving it entirely behind was far from an easy fate to overcome. Still holding onto the hopes of her student athlete career continuing, a phone call from Louisville Rowing Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Egan Berne opened the door to a new world for Shoemaker.
Now in her junior year as a Business Administration major, Shoemaker has already acquired many valuable lessons through the guidance of her advisors, coaches and professors. The most significant insights that came from her two worlds included an improved ability to advocate for herself, which she learned through her Business Communications course. Shoemaker also credits Professor and Executive Director for Undergraduate Programs Raymond Green’s MGMT 301 course and her experience in the retail industry for sparking her interest in pursuing management roles post-graduation.
Louisville rowing Head Coach Derek Copeland and her academic advisor Matt Pence were also a part of the team that further shaped her work ethic, confidence and ability to form a simplified strategy that ensured Shoemaker stayed on top of her coursework while managing a 20-hour practice schedule. Copeland’s advice would also prove important when she ran into communication issues with her group project partners in class. Feeling frustrated, she leaned on the lessons in conflict resolution and the words of Copeland: “If we say something bad to ourselves, would you ever say that to a teammate?” Shoemaker said that the sentiment reminded her to remain competitive while maintaining compassion and patience, allowing her to become a strong team player and reliable leader.
“Over the past two years that I’ve been rowing, I’ve seen myself grow exponentially in ways I probably would have never seen if I kept playing soccer. It’s like a blessing in disguise.” For Shoemaker, preserving familial legacy is just one of the many factors that motivates and advances her aspiration to experience personal growth. Shoemaker shared her admiration for “living life on the edge” and finding comfort in uncomfortable situations, thus intentionally creating benchmarks as to what more she can seamlessly take on as an athlete, daughter and future business leader.
Pitching Towards the Future
Born and raised outside of St. Louis, Missouri, accounting and finance major and UofL baseball pitcher Casen Murphy was originally slated to pitch for Arkansas State University and study mechanical engineering. However, an abrupt change in coaching staff led Murphy to make the difficult decision to retract his commitment and repeat the recruitment process. The continuation of his baseball career into college would also inevitably signal a change of degree path choice. Murphy described that his "numbers first” mindset and background in working at his father’s pawn shop led him to choose to double-major in accounting and finance.
Murphy’s choices ended up narrowing down to the University of Missouri and UofL. With the considerations at hand, Murphy recognized that Louisville’s program was not only a winning team but also offered him the resources needed to further develop as a player ready for the professional league. Steadfast and secure in his routine and goals, the adjustment of being a college student athlete came naturally. Murphy recalled that mandatory study hours for first-year student athletes became an immediately developed habit, despite catching the displeasure from his teammates and discovered that staying ahead meant being able to perform well on the field and produce high-quality work in the classroom.
Several of the important strengths from Murphy’s experience as a student athlete in the college included “[the] ability to ask questions and be curious; I feel like it allows you to learn and develop in a much better way than if you were just sitting back and trying to do everything without asking and wondering how stuff is done.” Murphy emphasizes the importance of planning ahead and the belief that improvement arises from asking questions and consulting with experts.
Murphy also shared his intentions to remain in baseball for “as long as possible” though recognizes the opportunities available beyond playing. “My business education has taught me the importance of personal branding, networking and professional communication,” he said. "Those skills can be valuable for building relationships with teams, coaches and potential sponsors while preparing for a professional baseball career.”
As he reaches the next stage of his blooming career in professional athletics, Murphy is expected to graduate a year early, thanks to transfer credits from high school. This accomplishment alone establishes the commitment to his career and personal values and exemplifies key traits of staying ahead in the fast-paced and high-pressure industry of professional sports. In his advice to prospective business students, Murphy keeps it direct: “You can’t go halfway; you have to go all the way.”
Defining the Competitive Advantage
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, field hockey goalkeeper and finance major Emily Young doesn’t shy away from maximizing opportunity, no matter the time or place. Young shared details from her recruitment process revealing that she had been considering Ivy League schools before UofL came into the picture. This path mirrored that of her older sister Helen, who plays for Dartmouth College. Young recalls her surprising pivot to Louisville was spurred after an invitation to practice with other field hockey recruits at Brown University. While Young could keep up with the fellow recruits, she struggled to find the sense of belonging and competition that motivated her to continue playing the sport, leading her back to the path that her heart had long already decided.
“I got a lot of flack from friends and family for choosing UofL over Ivy Leagues and that potential academic opportunity,” Young shared. Despite the doubts she received from choosing to continue her education and field hockey career with Louisville, Young remained firm in her stance. "I can get a great education at UofL and I can accomplish that anywhere, I was such a believer.” To defy the doubts met with the trade-off, Young was intuitively tasked to not only tout her skills and rise through the ranks as a goalkeeper, but to remain on top of her academics and acquire the network needed to help her soar higher in the field of finance.
While Young rounds the final corner of her college and athletics career, her interest in empowering others through leadership remains stronger than ever. This year, Young will intern with J.P. Morgan. She shared that her readiness was amplified through her economics courses taught by Babu Nahata, professor of economics at the college.
“Having professors that shape the way you think and are able to provide real-world expertise or experience and bring that into the classroom, helps shape your mind and gets you to start thinking, ‘How is this going to translate to me outside of school?'" For Young’s pathway, her educational experience has strengthened her critical thinking skills, which was an imperative expectation within the J.P. Morgan’s firm culture and influential in her responsibilities as a now-private banking intern seeking to reach the C-Suite.
Beyond managing client assets and defending goalposts, Young revealed that her journey could not have been achieved without utilizing the personal and professional network around her. Young was also transparent about the mental toll that student athletes experience throughout their careers and the impact of her father’s passing. Young applies her guidance in how she navigates through those challenges in her role with Cards All In, a campus organization focusing on mental-health advocacy for student athletes and coordinating UofL’s annual Suicide Prevention Walk with additional support from her field hockey coaches and teammates. “I know that with all of them behind me, I could accomplish anything,” Young said confidently. As she begins a new chapter, the reliability and grit she demonstrated on the field continue to shape her path in finance, extending her impact far beyond athletics.
Practicing the Strategy for Success
There is a moment that every athlete knows – the one where the work you’ve been putting in, quietly and invisibly, finally breaches the surface. An unexpected race win, a game where the seemingly repetitive strategy finally clicks or when the time sacrificed during the offseason becomes justified. Those moments cannot be manufactured; an athlete can only put in the work and be ready when they arrive.
Athletics would be what brought Shoemaker, Murphy and Young to UofL first. Business would later seal their commitment by quietly shaping them as student athletes and aspiring leaders in their respective fields. The patience and communication required for Shoemaker to remain in sync during a race, for Murphy to work a count amid a late game and for Young to maintain awareness to even the toughest trick shots comes from a disposition built through years of early mornings, coaching and learning to accept misadventures without stopping or straying from the momentum. What the College of Business has given these athletes is a new arena for instincts they already held and the language to understand why those instincts work.
Ranked as the top degree path among NCAA Division 1 Athletes, the best game plan is in business. Learn more about the University of Louisville’s College of Business’ innovation-focused degree and certificate programs athttps://business.louisville.edu/
About the UofL College of Business:
Founded in 1953, the UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity and the power of people.
Connect with the CoB by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X, or by visiting our website.
Born and raised as a first-generation American in Chicago, Mercedes Ramirez is a Content Development Intern for the University of Louisville’s College of Business Marketing and Communications Department, writing stories highlighting the institution’s diverse student body backgrounds and perspectives. Ramirez is the Outreach Consultant for the Women in STEM Education Roundtable (WiSER) and an Adobe Student Ambassador, using her creative abilities as the engine of her ventures.
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