Whether it be as an athlete, a coach or a member of backroom staff, there is no shortage of career options in sport. But the industry is also one of the most competitive in the world.
So if events such as Euro 2016 or the Rio Olympics have inspired you to work in a sector worth £20bn a year in the UK alone, what can you do to stand out from the crowd and score your dream job?
Three graduates who have gone on to work in elite sport share their top tips for getting into the industry.
Explore all aspects of the industry, and stay up to date
Tom Bromley, 25, studied sport science and personal training at the University of Bedfordshire. He is academy sport specialist for professional football team, MK Dons.
Elite sport is so broad, it is crucial to understand all of the different areas before choosing one in particular. This is clearly important if you are unsure which area you would like to progress in, but it is also vital for those who may already have a fixed idea of their field. It may uncover opportunities that were not previously obvious, and will be a great help if you ever decide to move into a different area.
This should start with your degree – if not before. Sports science degrees are notoriously broad in their subject content and as such provide an excellent opportunity to look at all of the different fields. By doing this, I identified and therefore focused on what I found enjoyable but equally challenging, and found a role where I could put what I had learned into practice.
The world of sport is developing quickly and you don’t want to be left behind. Again, this starts with your degree, but it is even more important when you have completed your studies. In addition to having a clear grasp of key fundamentals, elements of what you have learned may go out of date very quickly, both in terms of research and best practice.
You can do this by building the professional aspect of the industry into your day-to-day life. For example, attending relevant events and drawing on the knowledge and expertise of those around you. Also, subscribe to industry magazines such as The Sport & Exercise Scientist, and be sure to read any related national news coverage.
Work with different people, and communicate well
Barbara Daniels, 51, studied English at Lancaster University, before becoming a national level women’s cricketer and coach. She now works across a number of sports, such as golf, as a coach educator, helping coaches inspire participation and performance.
Some of the best coaches I have worked with are those who have coached in all sorts of circumstances across the sports spectrum. They are not only focused on working with elite players, even though that may be where they ultimately want to work. As a player one of my most inspiring coaches had a PE teacher’s background and coached a number of different sports. She was as effective working with youngsters as she was with senior international players.
The creativity and innovation she used in keeping young players interested and enjoying the sport helped us in what can sometimes be quite dull performance environments. She was open to new thinking from outside of cricket and that curiosity and love of finding ways to help people learn and improve have become the foundation of my philosophy as I work with coaches from different sports and cultures.
This sounds simple but is a lifetime’s study. At the top level, working with athletes can be less technically focused and more about understanding them as people. This means spending time listening to what players/athletes really want: what motivates them to develop, which won’t only be about winning; what helps them to deal with failure and success; what gets in the way for them; what knocks their confidence.
To do this, you have to be genuinely interested in the person before the athlete. It means asking difficult questions and not necessarily knowing all the answers. This is true at all levels and in any walk of life where you are involved in working with people and helping them to develop. So, they are great skills to develop full stop.
Build a strong support network, and jump at every opportunity
Jonathan Ward, 25, graduated with a degree in physical education from the University of Wolverhampton. He is now the football development and sponsorship officer at West Bromwich Albion.
It’s vital to have supportive friends, family, lecturers and team-mates on side to see you through the early stages of your career. Getting into the elite sport industry is not easy, because it’s so competitive, and it’s likely that you will face some setbacks along the way.
For me, injuries derailed my original ambitions to be a football coach, but my friends and family stopped me from getting disheartened. While you might think you have a clear head, it is easy to be caught up in the moment, so getting the objective opinion of others can be really helpful.
But it’s one thing to get the advice, you also have to listen and understand. Only this way did I make the right decisions for me and my career. And of course your university lecturers have so much knowledge and experience that you can gain from.
Elite sport is not an industry where you can sit around expecting things to come your way magically. You have to make your own success, by getting out there, meeting people and by putting yourself forward for opportunities. If you are willing to consider stepping out of your comfort zone, benefits are there to be had. For example, I was offered an opportunity to play football out in San Diego.
Going overseas was a big step, but was actually one of the best things I’ve ever done. It was great to explore a new environment and I learned so much from experiencing how sport is delivered in another country that this really helped to propel my career forward. Sometimes it can be scary to throw yourself into something new, but invariably the benefits will outweigh the risks.
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