There’s no ‘type’ of sportsperson or LAPS member, so there is no set route they might go down. But the one constant is that if they have a career in sport, they will need a second career – which is where LAPS comes in.
There’s no set rule for this either! Some may have gone straight into elite sport at school, some might have completed university either before or alongside their elite sporting career – many will head to the USA for the incredible sports facilities on offer.
This is a common misconception. A very, very small number of footballers don’t ‘need’ to work again – but even if there’s no financial requirement, most would want to excel in another career just as they excelled in their first career. Sportspeople love being challenged, and back themselves to succeed.
We are frequently asked about sales roles, as it’s perceived that sportspeople are motivated by targets and KPIs. But in reality, at any one time we can be asked to find roles in any industry, or in any function. In our content library you can see headteachers, police officers, financial advisers, Savile Row tailors, black cabbies, and everything in between.
High levels of motivation, confidence, the ability to perform under pressure, a comfort with feedback, teamwork, resilience, leadership … the list goes on.
Yes, there are loads of these ‘dual career’ athletes (read a blog from one of them, Wales rugby international Flo Williams). Every sport has a different time commitment based on how much work you have to do away from the field of play, or whether it’s an endurance sport like road cycling or running, which demand a high volume of training. But most athletes could dedicate some time to a career alongside their sport, or a business, or an investment. And most relish the opportunity to also excel at something else, away from their sport.
Any age! There isn’t a lower limit, but most have retired from sport by aged 40.
In the professional sports such as football or rugby, a lot do get let go at 18, 19; and we work alongside the clubs to offer them options. For some, such as LAPS’ very own Ronnie Wells, they transfer into another high-performance sport (in Ronnie’s case, sprinting and then bobsleigh). Others might go to university, or enter the workplace.
You can start by speaking to us about what your needs are, and we will work with you to connect you with the right people.
It depends on the role; but athletes are used to getting their hands dirty and working hard, so they will likely relish the new challenge.
You’ll get a highly motivated person who has a totally different set of life experiences to the average member of society.
If it’s something we can’t help with, we can refer to other specialist organisations. Here’s a page with places for athletes to get further support.
Great! We are asked to find people work experience frequently. Get in touch and we will find a way for you to help someone.