By Marianna Kazazi, The Sports Financial Literacy Academy
An athlete’s retirement day may come earlier than expected, due to various reasons, including the nature and intensity of their sport or due to injury. Therefore, athletes are required to have a retirement plan in place, so that they are sufficiently prepared. Since it is difficult for athletes to leave behind the sport they dedicated their whole life to, some may decide to pursue a path within the sports industry, to stay close to the action.
Becoming Coaches
Specifically, the most common next step for former athletes is becoming coaches. Retired athletes can be suitable for such a position due to their own extensive experience on the field. An indicative example is that of Pep Guardiola, who spent the majority of his playing career in Barcelona. After his retirement, he not only served as a coach for Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, but he also won several trophies with them. Currently, he is successfully coaching Manchester City.
However, this is not the case for everyone, as some former athletes may lack certain coaching qualities that are necessary in the profession. Some of these skills include leadership, strategy, and the ability to manage the different personalities of the players. These characteristics and skills are not necessarily mastered by all former athletes or even the great ones.
Personal Training
Another sports-related career many athletes pursue after they retire from sports, is that of personal training. Athletes can easily perform as trainers, as a lot of fitness clubs tend to hire former athletes to start working as instructors, especially because they are also considered as a form of inspiration to those working out there. Athletes can also establish their own fitness centre and take advantage of their name, image, and likeness to market their services effectively.
Sports Media
Sports media is a popular career option for many athletes after retirement. This includes sports journalism and sports information analysis. The growth of digital communication platforms has expanded sports journalism, helping it reach a wider audience. Roles within sports journalism often involve PR, which suits athletes who enjoy networking and connecting with others. Social media plays a crucial role, especially for athletes who understand platforms and actively research trends and algorithms. Retired athletes often choose roles like TV presenters or radio/podcast hosts within sports media. Sports journalism demands strong presentation and communication skills to effectively engage and inform audiences.
Usually, employers within the sports industry look for a combination of practical experience, education and interpersonal skills. Therefore, it is important that athletes prepare for their post-sport careers, by identifying what they would like to do after sports and focus on working towards acquiring the knowledge and skills required to pursue it.
The Money Smart Athlete® Blog is established and run by the Sports Financial Literacy Academy® (SFLA). Through its education programs, the SFLA has the vision to financially educate and empower athletes of all ages to become better people, not just better athletes. For more information on our courses, our SFLA Approved Trainer Program®, and how they can benefit you and your clients, please get in touch with us at [email protected].