Login
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
After her career as a professional athlete, Jade Hopper has shared the valuable skills and lessons she gained throughout her tennis journey, which have played a key role in shaping her professional identity and driving her success as a lawyer.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, Jade Hopper, a special counsel at Nicholes Family Lawyers, shared the valuable lessons she gained from her career as a professional Australian athlete, which have helped her stand out and excel in the legal field.
In the same episode, she discussed the factors that influenced her decision to end her professional tennis career and fully dedicate herself to a career in law.
When transitioning into her legal career, Hopper reflected on how her time as an athlete had “shaped my working personality” in ways she hadn’t fully appreciated when she first retired from tennis.
Hopper acknowledged that, as a lawyer, she frequently finds herself “referring back to different ways of thinking, different sayings, and different analogies” that were refined and developed during her athletic career.
One of the key lessons Hopper learnt during her athletic career, which she continues to apply in her legal practice, is the importance of feedback and the ongoing pursuit of self-improvement.
In fact, Hopper developed a concept she has coined the “red pen theory”, which she applies to her personal approach to receiving and integrating feedback.
“It’s this idea that as an athlete, you actually pay someone to critique you because you’re paying your coach, your trainer, your mental psychologist, and your sports psychologist to tell you what you can do better, what you’re doing wrong, and how do you improve,” she said.
However, upon entering the legal profession, Hopper observed a shift in how others perceived feedback. Rather than embracing it as an opportunity for growth and development, she noted that many viewed it as “harsh, as if I’m failing or not doing a good job”.
Shaped by her experience in tennis, Hopper’s perspective on criticism led her to actively “seek out that feedback”, as she no longer had a coach providing continuous guidance and input.
She encourages fellow lawyers, particularly those in the early stages of their careers, to adopt this mindset as a means of learning from those with more extensive experience and expertise.
Hopper recognised that “getting that red pen back on your work is heartbreaking”, but she explained that “if you turn the perception of it” around, the constructive nature of such feedback can prove invaluable and positively influence various aspects of one’s career.
“Look, it’s not easy every day. I know there were definitely days early in my career that were heartbreaking. Like on the tennis court, when the coach is telling you you’re doing something wrong.
“But attempting to rephrase the red pen on your work to think, ‘OK, thank you. I appreciate your feedback, and I’m going to utilise it moving forward.’ I think [it] is a huge advantage,” she said.
Another key mindset shift that Hopper brought from her tennis career, which sets her apart as a lawyer, is her deep understanding of the persistence and consistent effort necessary to succeed.
In tennis, Hopper embraced the “million ball theory”, which emphasised the need to “hit a million balls in one phase for you to improve that 1 or 2 per cent”. She explained how this principle shaped her understanding that “you have to do the work to be successful in the future”.
Hopper explained that she continues to apply this theory to her legal career, recognising that immediate success is not always guaranteed and that sustained hard work is essential for long-term achievement.
“You’ve got to hit the million balls, you’ve got to draft the million letters to feel like I know how to do this now. Then you move forward a little bit, and then whether it’s you moving forward and you actually get the promotion, or you just move forward in your confidence of what you’re doing again,” she said.
We're evolving — and so should your insights. Heads up — Lawyers Weekly is going premium from 1 May for just $5 a month. Stay informed without missing a beat. More information coming soon.
Get breaking news
Grace Robbie
