LAPS recently delivered two inspiring “Ahead of the Game” events in Doncaster and Wimbledon, bringing together athletes, education providers and businesses to explore life beyond and alongside sport.
“Ahead of the Game” is designed to support athletes at every stage of their journey. Whether you are in a youth development set-up, competing professionally, or recently retired, it’s never too early or too late to start thinking about future career opportunities, education pathways and building a strong professional network.
Doncaster Event Highlights
The Doncaster event featured a brilliant panel discussion with Tyler Roberts, Ryan Watson and Lewis Warrington, alongside guest speaker Jamal Anderson. The panel shared honest insights into their sporting careers and the importance of planning for the future, discussing the realities of professional sport, the importance of education and personal development, and how athletes can start preparing for their next chapter while still competing.
Jamal delivered a powerful talk about transitioning from elite sport into the business world, highlighting how the skills developed through sport, such as discipline, resilience, teamwork and communication are directly transferable into the workplace. The panel and guest session together gave athletes a real insight into what comes next and how to start preparing early.
The event also included workshops and networking opportunities, where athletes were able to speak directly with education providers and businesses about courses, career pathways and employment opportunities.
Wimbledon Event Highlights
The Wimbledon event continued the momentum with an incredibly inspiring talk from Leon Reid. Leon shared his powerful personal story, having grown up in the care system and living in 13 foster homes before going on to become an Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist. He spoke honestly about the challenges he faced growing up, the resilience sport gave him, and how he has since gone on to build a successful coaching business and run training retreats in Marbella.
His story was a powerful reminder to athletes that your background does not define your future, and that with the right support, mindset and planning, there are many opportunities available during and after sport. The event ended with another inspirational panel discussion from Marlon Harewood, Brendan Kiernan, Saleem Akanbi and Herve Pepe.
As with Doncaster, the Wimbledon event included workshops, guest speakers and networking opportunities, giving athletes the chance to connect with businesses and education providers while thinking about their future career and education options.
Looking Ahead
Both events were a great success, with athletes, businesses and education providers all benefiting from the opportunity to connect. The atmosphere across both days was positive, proactive and inspiring, with many athletes taking important first steps towards planning their futures.
LAPS would like to thank all guest speakers, panellists, exhibitors and attendees who made both events so valuable and engaging. We look forward to continuing to support athletes in preparing for life during and after sport through future “Ahead of the Game” events.