Sports play a monumental role in our society. In this Communication Quarterly article, co-authored with Regina Alabere, Jake Michalski, and Courtney Brown,  we sought to understand what communication in sports teaches people about communication in the workplace. Although the workplace health promotion literature describes how wellness initiatives may influence specific organizational behaviors, it does not a) account for sports activities outside of work and b) explain how sports experiences can shape our general understanding of work. Participating in sports outside of work is likely to serve as a source of anticipatory socialization. Yet scholars have understood little about how athletic involvement outside work may socialize individuals to vocations and organizations. To fill this gap in the literature, we focused on the sports and work experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Interviews and observations of working Special Olympics athletes illuminated how sports communication socialized individuals by helping athletes learn valuable skills used at work, adapt to various job duties, and develop confident work identities. These findings demonstrate the importance of sports communication beyond the playing field, and we encourage continued exploration to better understand the impact of everyday athletic experiences.