From the Pitch to the Portfolio: How Credo is Supporting Athletes in Financial Services In the world of elite sport, success comes down to hard work, discipline, and an unshakable commitment to improvement. It’s no surprise that these qualities translate into high performance off the field—particularly in industries like financial services. We spoke to Billy […]
For professional athletes in the UK, securing a mortgage isn’t always as straightforward as it is for those with traditional careers. Despite often earning high salaries, many sportspeople struggle to meet standard lending criteria due to irregular income, short career spans, and complex financial structures. To better understand these challenges and how athletes can successfully […]
Lucy Shaw was a water polo player for England and Team GB and competed at the 2015 European Games in Baku. She is now an Environment and Consents Specialist at Ørsted, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies and is based in their office in the Wirral. You can reach Lucy on LinkedIn. Sport led me directly to my career now […]
Ahead of the Game: The Ultimate Event for Athletes Planning Their Next Move Transitioning from a career in sport to the next stage of life can be both exciting and challenging. Whether you’re actively exploring new career paths or simply preparing for the future, Ahead of the Game is a must-attend event designed to support athletes at […]
Biggest Takeaways From A Menstrual Health Expert – For Athletes and Practitioners For the final webinar of our 2024 athlete support series, we had the privilege of hosting menstrual health expert Dr. Natalie Brown, founder of Optimal Period. Natalie shared valuable insights on how the menstrual cycle affects training, how to manage symptoms, and, most importantly, […]
From Running Tracks to Orthotics: Mhairi Henry’s Story Mhairi Henry, an NHS orthotist, combines her passion for athletics with her dedication to healthcare. From representing Great Britain in international athletics to helping patients regain mobility, her career path shows how personal experiences can drive professional choices. From Athlete to Professional Mhairi started running at 12 […]
After years of blood, sweat, and tears, countless hours of practice, and unwavering dedication to your craft, you have finally reached the pinnacle of your sport. Then, one day, before you can blink, it’s all over. The uniform is put away, the cheers from fans fade into the distant past, and the stadium lights go […]
How do you set and achieve your own goals once you’ve left sport behind? The best companies use OKRs… so can you!
The festive season is a time for indulgence, celebration, and, for many, a bit of excess. From delicious treats to an overload of sports events and betting advertisements, it’s easy to find yourself caught in temptation. With an increased focus on sports and the bombardment of ads during this time of year, those struggling with […]
Robbie Simpson Right, so my best sporting moment of the year is Ollie Watkins late winner against the Netherlands in the semi-final of the euros this summer. I’ve known Ollie since he was 19 years old when I signed for Exeter City FC and he was a young superstar coming through the ranks there. I […]
Abi Holden is a national champion in women’s singles, has represented England on several occasions including winning bronze in the European Team Championships and has won four international competitions. After her badminton career ended early because of repeat injuries, Abi has transitioned to explore a medical career. Soon after leaving the sport, she began working […]
Welcome to the newest members of the LAPS team, Lauren Smith and Samruddh Bhat. Lauren Smith: Firstly I’d like to say how excited I am to be joining the LAPS team. It has come at a very transitional time in my career and I’m excited for what lies ahead. After 12 years of training full-time […]
Sion Bennett was a professional rugby player who has played under-20 and Sevens for Wales, and for clubs including Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Northampton Saints, and now Valley RFC, in Hong Kong. He’s now a director for property advisory experts Centrick. (credit: Patrick Leung / Valley RFC) What do you do now? Around five years ago, […]
Debbie Flood was a GB rower and Olympic silver medallist, going to four Olympic Games, winning three World Championship titles and two Olympic silver medals. After retiring, she qualified as a prison officer, working in HMP Huntercombe. You can find Debbie on LinkedIn. People think being a prison officer is mainly about security, and of […]
Catherine Fall is an Orthotist at Stepping Hill hospital, part of the Stockport NHS Trust. She was a world ranked tennis player who played at junior and senior levels, reaching a career-high WTA ranking of 1211. She retrained as an Orthotist as well as being a part-time tennis coach. You can connect with Cat on […]
Gareth Allen was a professional snooker player. After a career in the sport, he started an apprenticeship with Airbus in North Wales, where he is now a Skilled Aircraft Fitter. He is also a WPBSA qualified snooker coach. You can find Gareth on X and LinkedIn. When I was three years old, my granddad bought […]
Nathan Jones is Associate Head Coach at Old Dominion University (ODU) Norfolk, Virginia. He graduated from Urbana University, Ohio, with a degree in Sports Management in 2016 and an MBA from Tiffin University in 2019. Nathan came through the Tranmere Rovers academy as a goalkeeper. You can find Nathan on LinkedIn. I went through the Tranmere Rovers academy […]
Kieran Holmes-Martin is a PhD student in medical engineering, and an Associate at Outsmart Insight. A member of the British Sailing Team from 2012 – 2020 in the Olympic Windsurfing discipline, he ranked among the top 5 in the world consistently. You can connect with Kieran on LinkedIn. I began windsurfing when I was 7 […]
Max Philpot plays in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in Australia, for Aussie Rules (AFL) team Williamstown. He is also an Account Executive at FANZO, the pub finder and TV guide for sports fans. You can find Max on LinkedIn. I’m an Account Executive at FANZO. My day-to-day role is speaking to pubs and venues […]
When I retired after a 20-year career in rowing, taking me to five Olympic Games starting with Sydney and finishing with Rio, I was keen to support British Rowing in setting up a mentoring programme. When I started mentoring, I thought it would be about advising and that I would be passing on my experiences. […]
Michelle Griffith Robinson is an Olympian, life coach, mother of three and an ambassador for Diabetes UK, The Menopause Charity and also Women’s Aid. Michelle represented Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and England in the triple jump event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the 2002 Commonwealths in Manchester and […]
Marilyn Okoro was a Great Britain runner at 800m and 4x 400m distance. She became part of the UK Athletics Board in 2022. You can find Marilyn on Instagram and LinkedIn. I have competed at every level in athletics and now I’ve taken a place in the UK Athletics board room, hoping to effect the […]
Eric DeGolier was pilot for Matt King at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games in the track cycling, representing the United States. He is now founder and CEO of London-based BodyRocket, an on-bike device providing real-time aerodynamic feedback. You can connect with Eric on LinkedIn and find out more about BodyRocket here. The role, as pilot, is quite unique in that in […]
Philip Wingfield played semi-professional football for Farnborough FC and Kingstonians FC, and played in the final of the FA Trophy at Wembley. He now has a ServiceMaster Clean franchise, covering Kingston Upon Thames in Surrey. I’d had trials as an 18-year-old for Crystal Palace FC, but hadn’t quite made it so I’d ended up playing […]
Peter Laverick had to retire from rugby in the UK with knee injuries, then took a semi-pro contract in Hong Kong but had to retire again after concussion. He shares his advice on how to move on from sport, when your career ends long before you wanted it to. You can find Peter on LinkedIn […]
We’re celebrating sport technology this month. Sam Brearey is co-founder of Accessercise, the first ever complete fitness app created specifically for people with impairments. Sam was a Double World, Triple European and National Sailing Champion, competing for Great Britain. You can find Sam on LinkedIn, along with his co-founder Ali Jawad PLY. Sport was my […]
Jason Severino Lampkin is from North Wales, and played in the youth system for Manchester United and Aston Villa before injury ended his professional career. He is now in the US, as Business Partnerships Manager for the freelancer platform Fiverr. You can find Jason on LinkedIn. I was meant to be the next Michael Owen, […]
Here at LAPS, we’re huge fans of @TheFoodieFootballer on Instagram. It’s Marc Pugh, former AFC Bournemouth ace, now online health coach, who is one of a handful of people who have scored in every one of the top five divisions in the English football pyramid. We wanted to understand where his love of food started […]
Careers in education: Rosamund Bradbury was a British international rower who competed at the World Championships, World Under-23 Championships, and European Championships. She is now a maths teacher at the British School in the Netherlands. Straight after I finished as a rower, in 2016, I went into a role in road planning for an international […]
Female Sports Coaches // Vicky Huyton set up the Female Coaching Network (FCN) in 2014, after working as an athletics and football coach. You can find the FCN on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and connect with Vicky here. The joke in my family was that my sprint times are calculated on a calendar not a […]
The latest in our life after sport / athlete transition series. Jessica Lloyd OLY is a Business Psychologist at Zircon, after completing work experience at the same company after being introduced by LAPS. She was the youngest qualifier, at 16, in the original qualifying rounds for the London 2012 Olympic Games where she placed fifth. […]
Guest post from LAPS’ James Voss, former pro rugby player for the likes of Jersey Reds, Leicester Tigers and Coventry RFC. How do we create a positive culture in the workplace? Early on in my career, I was in a team where without any shadow of a doubt, there would be fights on a weekly […]
Part of our athlete transition / life after sport series: Sam Maunder plays scrum-half for Exeter Chiefs, and became a co-owner of Exeter coffee shop, The Common Beaver. The café can be found on Instagram and Facebook. Visit our new careers in hospitality page here [LAPS log-in required]. I had previously spent a lot of […]
What do footballers do next? Andy Hunt played for clubs including Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion, and Charlton Athletic. He subsequently moved to Belize with his wife, former MTV VJ Simone Angel, where they opened the Jungle Dome, creating bespoke adventure tourism packages for great people. You can connect with Andy on LinkedIn and find […]
Athlete career transition special: Alex O’Meara is the founder and owner of Blackbeard Coffee, and plays rugby professionally for Richmond. He has previously played at the Cornish Pirates in the Championship. You can follow Alex on Instagram and LinkedIn. It all started during the first lockdown when, like most people, my partner and I settled into a routine being home all day […]
Greg Worthington is a Rugby League player turned security operative. His previous clubs include Huddersfield Giants, Toronto Wolfpack, and Halifax Panthers. After Toronto Wolfpack withdrew from the Super League due to financial problems during Covid, Greg made a choice to locate back to the UK and play semi-professionally to build his career in security which […]
Matty Blythe played Rugby League for Warrington Wolves, Bradford Bulls, Leigh Centurions (now Leopards) and Rochdale Hornets. He is now an operative with Vanquish Group and works all over the world, including working with musicians (like Stormzy), celebrities, ultra-high net worth individuals and sports personnel. You can find out more about careers in security here and you […]
Nick Arnold played for Reading FC as a scholar and subsequently for clubs including Wycombe, Aldershot, Wealdstone and Whitehawk. He is now Principal Recruitment Consultant at CPR Recruitment Ltd, as well as First Team Coach at Welling Utd FC. You can connect with Nick on Twitter and LinkedIn. Turning Pro My story is quite a […]
Alice Masterman was a two-time Sailing World Championships bronze medallist in the 29er class. She competed in the Olympic-class 49er FX, and is the head coach of the junior 29er class. She is now a surveyor at Flude Property. You can find Alice on LinkedIn. My sailing career was massively disrupted by Covid, which probably […]
Susie Dear is a British rower, aiming for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Here she discusses her struggles with weight management. If you identify with any of these issues, please seek professional help. You can connect with Susie on LinkedIn and Instagram. Power to weight, a term that athletes are familiar with; but for some […]
Fergus Bell was a footballer who went on to co-found the athlete’s investment collective 4CAST. You can find Fergus on LinkedIn and Twitter. I came through the Sunderland FC academy and was then offered a deal with Hibernian FC. I had a great time in the Scottish Premier Football League with a lot of young players. I went on to […]
LAPS is really excited to be working with the British Elite Athletes Association (BEAA) to provide careers support as they launch a new platform for World Class Programme alumni. Elite British athletes formerly on the World Class Programme can now connect with one another across sports thanks to a new digital platform. The pioneering service, […]
Athlete Now was set up by former pro golfer Holly Calvert, and sports scientist Nicole Booth. You can register on Athlete Now on their website, and follow the organisation on Facebook and Instagram. Whoever thought a car journey could inspire an idea? One that could potentially change the way athletes prepare, train and perform. Well, […]
Marisa Ewers is General Manager of Aston Villa FC Women, having previously been Head of Women’s Recruitment. She was a player and captain of the club as it won promotion from the Championship to the Women’s Super League (WSL) and has represented Germany at Under-20 and Under-23 level. Marisa studied the MSc Sports Directorship with […]
Anya Shrubsole MBE was Player of the Match during England’s 50-over Cricket World Cup victory in 2017, and has 173 caps for England. She plays for Southern Vipers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and for Southern Brave in The Hundred, both based at the Ageas Bowl. She has recently started working with LAPS as Sports […]
Shaquille Antoine-Clarke was an academy football player with Manchester United and a youth team player with Rochdale. He since re-trained as a podiatrist, and now works at a Margaret Dabbs London foot clinic. You can connect with Shaquille on LinkedIn. It was my football career that first gave me an insight into podiatry. I saw podiatrists […]
Donna Lobban is Head Squash Coach at Oriam, Scotland’s high performance sport centre based at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. She was previously Australian national squash champion, ranked world number 13, and Commonwealth Games champion. You can find Donna on Twitter, and follow the Heriot-Watt squash programme here. Squash was in my family, which was how I discovered the sport. I first […]
Imogen Walsh is a former World Champion rower for GB who competed at the World Championships as a lightweight. She works for Fulham Reach Boat Club as Prisons Manager. You can find Imogen on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. “Representing your country in sport is something for “other” people, “special” people, definitely not someone like me”. […]
Thanks to everyone who was a part of Ahead Of The Game 2023. Watch this space for details of next year, but in the meantime here’s the highlights package from the three-event series of 2023, visiting Hillsborough Stadium, The Valley, and Ashton Gate.
Cameron Golden plays hockey for Uhlenhorster HC in Hamburg, and Scotland. He is studying for an MSc in Sport Business, Management and Policy virtually from Manchester Metropolitan University. You can follow Cam on Twitter and Instagram. I played hockey in Scotland until I was 19, then my club in Scotland played in the equivalent of […]
Grace Prendergast is a Kiwi Olympic champion rower who competed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in 2022. This year’s Boat Race takes place on Sunday 26 March. Grace can be reached via LinkedIn and Instagram. I knew I wanted to do something different after the Olympics. I’d been doing the exact same pattern every […]
Abi Evans has recently joined LAPS as Partnership Manager. Abi is a winger for Saracens and Scotland, and you can reach Abi on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. See Abi’s LAPS bio here. My answer to “what do you want to be when you grow up?” has always been “an athlete”. Younger me didn’t know what […]
An opinion piece by Rob Steed, LAPS co-founder. Last weekend, 9368 people packed into the Arena in Sheffield for a top-of-the-table ice hockey match against Guildford Flames. That’s an exceptional attendance, but to put it in context, that’s more visitors than most League 1 football clubs and Premiership rugby clubs had last weekend, and almost […]
Jake Robinson is a Marketing Executive right here at LAPS. He was Brighton and Hove Albion’s youngest ever goal scorer at 16 years old, and his career has taken him to Shrewsbury, Northampton, Luton and Torquay. He is now playing for Worthing FC alongside his work for LAPS. Find Jake on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. […]
Nicola George is a former elite tennis player, who retrained as a podiatrist and is the owner of Foot Faults podiatry clinic in Ormskirk. She competed at Junior Wimbledon at 16, but after retiring from sport pursued a career in podiatry. You can connect with Nicola on LinkedIn. Interested in using your sporting expertise in […]
Remember when we lived in masks and hand sanitiser? Our franchise partners Anytime Fitness have written this blog showcasing the strength of the fitness industry after it emerges from the chaos of the last two years. To find out more about Anytime, visit the LAPS Members-Only site. After the challenges of the past few years, […]
We’re all sports fans – but we’re also careers fans. We’ve had some awesome moments in 2022, as Britain emerged from Covid restrictions, and here’s some insight into what the LAPS team actually do at work. Robbie Simpson: LAPS’ co-founder and MD, ex-footballer. My best moment with LAPS was when I got contacted by Richard […]
Lawrie Wilson is an ex-footballer who played for Charlton Athletic, Colchester, Stevenage, Port Vale and Ebbsfleet. He’s a founder of WillU Financial Group, who specialise in life and health insurance brokage, asset management, estate planning and foreign exchange. You can follow Lawrie on LinkedIn and Twitter. As a footballer, I understood that my success was […]
Grant Roberts is an Over Power Fitness franchisee and former footballer. He came through the Leeds United and Sheffield United Academies, and spent his career at Histon FC, Gainsborough Trinity and Boston United. You can follow Over Power Leeds on Facebook and follow Grant on Instagram. As a footballer, I was never the type of […]
Charlie Willett is a rugby union player for Exeter Chiefs, and represents Ireland in Rugby League. She’s studying for a Personal Training qualification with Motion Fitness Education, who have offered discounts to LAPS members on Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training, Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training and Level 2 Certificate in Gym Instructing. […]
Toby Burton Carter plays Wheelchair Rugby League for Ireland, and plays his club rugby as captain of Warrington Wolves. You can follow Toby on Twitter and Instagram. I’m a lifelong rugby league fan, but despite living in Wigan I am captain of Warrington Wolves. It’s made for an interesting dynamic and the Warrington stickers I […]
It’s back! For the third time in five years (no prizes for guessing what happened in 2020 and 2021) we’re creating new opportunities for businesses to meet sportspeople looking to secure their future, and after going from one event to two in 2022, we’re going even bigger in 2023 and holding three events across England. […]
Claudia MacDonald is part of England’s Rugby World Cup squad for the delayed 2021 World Cup, held in New Zealand between 8 October and 12 November. She plays her club rugby in Devon for the Exeter Chiefs. You can follow Claudia on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. At the time of writing this blog, Claudia and […]
Finn Tapp was a semi-professional football player for non-league club Oxford City, having previously played as a professional for Milton Keynes Dons. He won the 2020 edition of Love Island, the first to be set in South Africa, with his partner Paige Turley. You can follow Finn on Instagram and Twitter. Now, I’m asked more about Love Island than about my […]
Michael Hefele was a centre-back whose clubs included Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest. He now works in the commercial and coaching team at Huddersfield Town, as well as studying with VSI Executive Education. To find out more about your options studying with VSI Executive Education, have a look at their CEO of a Sports Organisation […]
Yona Knight-Wisdom is a diver who became the first Jamaican male diver to compete at an Olympic Games. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and view his website here. Hey, I’m Yona! This year I’m competing at my THIRD Commonwealth Games. Whilst this edition is in a slightly less exotic location compared […]
Olivia Breen is a Welsh Para-athlete competing in the T38 100m in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. You can follow Olivia on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I’m off to my third Commonwealth Games this summer and I can’t wait. I won gold and bronze in the Gold Coast in 2018, two years after connecting with […]
Birmingham 2022 is just around the corner and I’m definitely feeling the weight of the event starting to bear down on me. You can tell yourself as much as you want that it’s just another race and just to go through the processes, but at the end of the day, it’s been a four-year journey […]
Emily Nicholl is Vice-Captain of the Scottish Netball team, the Scottish Thistles, heading to her second Commonwealth Games. She’s also a qualified lawyer and works at Pinsent Masons. Follow Emily on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can follow the Scottish Thistles here. “If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you […]
Kim Brady is a former US college footballer, turned businesswoman and now life coach. She can be reached at https://kimbradybusinesscoaching.com/ or on Twitter and LinkedIn. In sport we don’t like talking about ‘the end’: when our time is up and someone else takes our place in the changing room. For some, retirement is a choice; […]
Dominic Ball is a defensive midfielder who has recently signed for Ipswich Town FC. He was a graduate of the Tottenham Hotspur academy, and his previous clubs include Rotherham United and Queens Park Rangers. Lots of people have asked me: “why did you decide to write a book in the middle of your professional […]
Former South Africa national football team captain with 58 caps and LAPS workshop deliverer, Dean Furman was a graduate of Chelsea FC’s academy, and played for clubs including Glasgow Rangers, Oldham Athletic, Doncaster Rovers and Supersport United in South Africa. As a LAPS member, we introduced Dean to Gerad and Paul at Gameplan Financial and […]
As a young boy, I would dream of being a first-team regular in the Premier League and appearing on Match of The Day every week, just like millions up and down the country and around the world. Fast forward 20 years and I now find myself in the fifth tier of English football, where I […]
LAPS is delighted to bring you this insight from scrum-half Leanne Infante, part of England’s victorious Six Nations squad, straight after the Red Roses sealed the title with victory against France. Firstly, what a tournament this was – and for many reasons! Reasons such as breaking crowd records, smashing viewing figures, hitting huge cap milestones, […]
Miriam, Holly and Annie are exhibiting at the In-House Recruitment Expo in London on 4 and 5 May. We’ll have a stand and Annie will be giving a seminar on why career changers are a great asset to any organisation. It’s something we feel passionately about, for obvious reasons. Sportspeople are likely to have a […]
My favourite sports film is not really about sport at all. Forrest Gump, in the 1994 film, becomes a top kick returner in the All-American football team, an international ping pong player, and an early pioneer of ultrarunning. He also, along the way, exposes the Watergate scandal, inspires John Lennon to write the song Imagine, […]
I left school at 16 to make football my full time profession. In total, I spent four years at Huddersfield Town, at a time when we were promoted out of League One and fighting for play-off places in the English Championship. My career went on to include time in the English Conference League, Premier League […]
One thing that all sportspeople have to learn quickly is the ability to fail, in my opinion. And in no other sport is that more true than in cricket. As the best cricket player ever, Sir Donald Bradman, once said: cricket penalises a mistake in the harshest possible manner amongst all sports. Especially if you […]
After gaining an honours degree in philosophy followed by a 13-year career as a globetrotting professional sportsman I may not have been the immediate choice to take on commercial sales for a top rugby club but that is where I found myself in February 2012. Called into the office of the Chief Executive of Exeter […]
In March 2020 I was selected as part of the GB Rowing Team for the Tokyo Games. It was something I’d dreamed about for nearly a decade, having joined the GB senior rowing team in the run-up to the Rio Games and qualified the Women’s Quad in 2019 – and it came at the end […]
Hi everyone! My name is Rhys Maredudd Davies. I’m a former canoe slalom athlete and coach, and currently a clinical psychology PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh. My research focus is on mental health in athletes and retired athletes. Back in October 2015, I was competing for an elusive space in the Rio 2016 […]
The footballing world has evolved a lot since my first steps into the professional game. The money keeps going up, the standard keeps going up, the expectation keeps going up, but the number of places available for young players to live their dream stays exactly the same. I was never a believer in planning for […]
2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Two-time Olympian. Becoming the first British woman to represent Team GB in two different sports in a Summer and Winter Olympics. These facts I’ve had at the back of my mind ever since we knew that the Winter Olympics would be held back here in Beijing. But the Beijing of 2022 […]
LAPS’ Partnership Manager and former rugby international Holly Wood shares her advice on applying for roles. Networking – ‘the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.’ It is never too early to prepare for life after sport. Networking is a common term you will come across when seeking […]
After Covid forced the cancellation of our 2020 Ahead Of The Game events, we’re can’t wait to get together in two iconic venues – Twickenham Stadium and Old Trafford – to bring together athletes and businesses on 23 March (London) and 30 March (Manchester) 2022. Athletes: come along if you want to build your network, […]
Tokyo 2020 and the 2020 European Football Championships both became 2021 events (surely a pub quiz question of the future?) so a lot of sport was packed into this year. The LAPS team got our heads together to come up with some of our highlights from the disrupted fixture calendar, and it’s fair to say […]
Florence Williams is a Welsh rugby international, playing her club rugby at Saracens. She is women’s sport lead at creative agency MATTA. You can find Florence on LinkedIn. ‘Women in sport’ was largely reserved for television sport presenters, the infamous wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of England footballers, and the odd Olympic gold medallist throughout the 1990s […]
Throughout history, some of the most memorable boycotts and protests have come from sportspeople competing at the highest level. Picture Tommie Smith and John Carlos, hands above their heads in the Black Power Salute on the podium at the 1968 Mexico Olympics; Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the National Anthem in the NFL; or Muhammad Ali […]
When I left the world of football there were a few things that I took into the workplace and a key one was leadership. Despite being a proud Welshman with a Welsh dragon tattoo, I was captain of the England Blind Football Team for four years so I had a good stint in the role. […]
It’s difficult to sum up over a decade of learning and experiences all in a blog post so I’m not sure where I should start. We all have our own journey, and if this is the only paragraph you read from this post, the best advice I can give you is: stay true to yourself, […]
‘Why don’t you wear gloves?’ Most rowers will be familiar with this question from non-rowers. Being a sport where you are holding and rotating oars in your hands, you develop anything from callouses several millimetres thick to open blisters on your hands. But you don’t wear gloves. There are lots of sane reasons, such as […]
Finding purpose through vulnerability. Sprinting came naturally to me. I won from the moment I set foot on a track. I beat the guys who were supposed to be the fastest, time and time again. “Oh that’s ‘blah blah’ you’ll never beat him, Sam. He’s too fast.” I beat all of them, every single time. […]
The transition from elite sport into the big, wide world is inevitable, yet daunting. No matter how much you plan for the transition, it will always be a challenge like no other. Unfortunately, I experienced this far sooner than I thought would be the case. My retirement from international hockey in June 2021 was premature. […]
We’ve got some news… the LAPS App is now live! You can now experience our free platform for pro and semi-pro athletes on your other devices. download for Apple download for Android We’re extremely grateful for the financial support we received from the European Regional Development Fund on this project
interview with Lucy van de Haar, by guest contributor Lucy Ingram of Peloton Inside Out
Guest post from Farrell Treacy, Short Track Speed Skater and DMU sports scholar
We’re off to IHRE21 and Holly’s running a seminar!
Why sustainability could make for an exciting new career for athletes
Guest post from Jamie Proctor, footballer for Port Vale FC
Jack Green, former Team GB Double Olympian in Athletics, now Head of Performance with Champion Health.
Ollie Rayner, ex-Sussex & Middlesex Cricketer, now HR Change and Transformation Consultant at Annapurna Recruitment
interview with Shannon Malseed, by guest contributor Lucy Ingram of Peloton Inside Out
from Head of Content Ben Mercer
Guest post from Paul Connor, former Footballer turned Podiatrist
Nitin Mishra, Former Football Scholarship Athlete, Currently Senior Consultant at IBM
Guest post from Tre Whyte, former Olympic BMX Athlete
Guest post from Danny Williams, British Judo Olympian and Coach at Camberley Judo Club
Guest post from Scott Agnew, Director of The Fitness Group
Guest post from Sam Carroll, ex-Everton Academy footballer, now Sports Journalist for Liverpool Echo
Guest post from Danny Thomas, ex footballer now Business Development Executive and podcast host.
Guest post from James Craigen, newly appointed Head of Talent at LAPS and professional footballer for Arbroath FC
Guest post from Bobby Copping, former professional footballer, now Academy Operations at Peterborough Utd FC
Guest post from Annabel Chaffey, ex-GBR Bobsleigh Athlete, now Account Executive at Lane 4
Guest post from Martin Campbell, ex-pro Badminton Player who has set up his own Financial Management business.
Post from Gints Antrops, Basketball player for Olimpia Matera
Guest post from Dr Chris McCready, Player Care at Manchester United FC.
Guest post by Andy Longley, Co-founder & CEO at teamup.inc
guest post from Scott and Jonathan from Lexcal Property
guest post from Adam Rouse
our founders are here to outline a few goals for the coming year
guest post from Trystan Bevan
guest post from Rupert Freestone
by Kieran Merrilees, LAPS Partnership Manager for Scotland
by James Craigen, LAPS Partnership Manager for Scotland
by Holly Myers, LAPS Partnership Manager for London & South of England
Today, we’re launching the LAPS Placement Service. From this week, you’re able able to partner up with us and access our gifted, driven and motivated pool of athletic talent to find an amazing new employee for your business.
It’s been about a year since our last lot hopped on board the LAPS bandwagon but we’re delighted to say we’ve gone and got 3 more!
guest post from Fontaine Wright
guest post from Jason Severiano Lampkin
guest post from Stephen Jones, Founder of MiTeamDNA and Scotland A Rugby player
guest piece from Tom Mitchell, England Rugby 7s Captain
changing times = a change in approach March was meant to be a big month for us here at LAPS. We had our Ahead of the Game event series set up and ready to go, held at 3 iconic sports stadiums across the country. Villa Park → London Stadium → Hillsborough We’re a remote and […]
Innovative Events connecting Footballers and Employers We’re excited to announce Ahead of the Game 2020, with support from the Premier League, League Football Education (LFE) and The PFA. Following the success of the first Ahead of the Game event at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester in April 2019, LAPS is is bringing Ahead of the Game 2020 to 3 iconic […]
On Wednesday 4th December 2019 we held a Member Meetup hosted by MacDonald and Company in Mayfair, London. Some of the biggest names in the sector – Macdonald & Company, Grosvenor, Knight Frank and The Crown Estate – came to enlighten our athletes on the sector, took us for a walk around the area and give […]
We’re excited here at LAPS as we’ve welcomed 3 new members to the team! All 3 have been involved in professional sport and we’re pleased to welcome them to the fold. They understand the possibilities and challenges of sporting careers and they’ll be of great value to our members with their expertise of how athletes […]
On Wednesday 18th September 2019 we held a Member Meetup at Tileyard Studios in London. Hosted by Focusrite, at Tileyard, London, this was our most interactive meetup yet. Here are a few images from the session:
Given that we work in sport, nothing makes us happier than a promotion – so we’re delighted to share the news with you that Terry Moor has been promoted to Head of Partnerships and Events here at LAPS! Terry joined the team in January 2018 and has worked tirelessly ever since to build new partnerships […]
On 24th April 2019, we ran Ahead of the Game at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. Here are some brief highlights….. You can watch the feature here:
LAPS member Kieran Bywater has been talking about his transition from football to financial advice with St James’s Place. Here’s his story…. My name is Kieran Bywater, I used to be a professional footballer at a premier league club until my release in 2015. I then turned to the United States to begin studying for […]
LAPS, with support from League Football Education (LFE) are pleased to announce details of Ahead of the Game on Wednesday 24th April 2019 from 1pm-4:30pm at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Staged at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester and completely free to attend, we encourage clubs to extend the invitation to all U18, U23 and senior players, […]
On Wednesday 27th February we were up at the HQ of Adidas to run a LAPS Members’ Meetup. We heard from LAPS founder Robbie Simpson, Emily Lake from Switch the Play, and some of the team at Adidas, including Recruitment Manager Marcel Edwards. You can watch the highlights of the event here:
There are many business speaker events and lunches these days, but to launch the first LAPS business networking event on Thursday 28th February at All Bar One Milton Keynes, really shows the importance of talking about athlete transition and what elite sportsmen and women can bring to a company, post (and possibbly during) sporting career. […]
LAPS is delighted to present our newest feature – the Franchise Gateway, due to be hitting your screens in April 2019. Franchising is a well-established business concept where you become a self-employed business owner – but working under the umbrella of well-established brand. Costa Coffee, McDonalds, Domino’s Pizza, Shell Fuel Stations – these are all […]
The production crew from Sky Sports’ Ballsy Women show recently visited Robbie back at his first professional club to talk about what we do and why we do it. You can watch the video here:
We’re thrilled to welcome on board our new Head of Marketing, the Olympic, World, European and All England badminton champion, Gail Emms MBE. Gail’s love of badminton began at the age of four, and saw her represent her country for the first time in 1995, and go on to become an Olympic silver medallist in […]
A few months ago, two LAPS members started their journey beyond sport. We announced our partnership with St. James’s Place Wealth Management 6 months ago, the partnership has gained a vast amount of interest from our members including Tom McCready and Callum Hassan. Both joined the Manchester academy 3 months ago, so knowing that they […]
From football to finance – LAPS member Tom McCready shows what transferable skills really mean At just 26, footballer Tom McCready assumed he would continue playing for many years. But when persistent injuries took him out for a whole season, he was forced to consider what plan B might look like. “It scared the life […]
Our CEO, Rob Steed, and our Head of Partnerships, Leon McKenzie were recently interviewed, along with some of our members, for an article by GiveMeSport. This interview took place at the most recent of our members’ career seminar, hosted by wealth management company St James’s Place. You can read the full article here
Sky Sports News recently ran a feature on our Play It Forward workshops. They visited us when we ran a workshop at Southampton FC Academy, and interviewed Leon McKenzie who delivers the workshops. You can watch the feature here:
We’re very pleased to be supporting UK Sport at the Athlete Futures Roadshows in 2018, and have today published a page on our website showing companies who are attending the event. Click here to see who’s going to be there Staged as four half-day events, the Athlete Futures Roadshows give elite athletes the opportunity to […]
Highlights of our recent careers seminar with Sky Betting & Gaming in Leeds: Speakers were Dale Tempest, Kylie Paynter and David Prutton. Members can watch the full seminar by logging into LAPS.
Today, The Sun newspaper ran an article and interview with Robbie Simpson about why he founded LAPS. You can read the article by clicking here.
This week saw the start of our Play It Forward workshops, which we’re delivering on behalf of the Premier League, which will eventually see us delivering 90-minute workshops to all of the Premier League Under 23 squads. The workshops are delivered by our Head of Partnerships, Leon Mckenzie, whose own transition from elite sport is […]
Here’s a short video from our recent careers seminar with St James’s Place in Manchester. Our next event with SJP is in London on 10th May. Limited places remaining, so LAPS members should book now via the member’s website.
The LAPS team were at AFC Wimbledon today for a careers fair for academies from Luton Town, Watford, Millwall, Barnet, QPR, Fulham and of course AFC Wimbledon. Our Head of Partnerships, Leon Mckenzie, was asked to make a short presentation on the importance of planning for life after professional sport, and the team signed up […]
Turn to page 22 of this month’s edition of Knock Out London magazine for an interview with our Head of Partnerships, Leon Mckenzie talking about mental health in boxing and his involvement in LAPS. It’s free to view online by clicking here. Thanks to Brooke Streatfield for the interview.
Sean Thornley is a former tennis pro on the ATP tour, and now works in corporate hospitality sales for Arsenal Football Club. Members can log into LAPS to watch the full video by clicking here. Here’s a preview for everyone else:
LAPS, in association with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust are pleased to announce that LAPS members can now book onto our next free careers seminar with Sky Betting & Gaming. The session is on Wednesday 21st March at 4pm at the Sky Betting & Gaming offices in Leeds. LAPS members can click here to book […]
We’re absolutely delighted to welcome on board former pro footballer and super middleweight boxer Leon Mckenzie! Leon joins us as our new Head of Partnerships, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. During his footballing career, Leon played in all four English professional leagues, starting out with Crystal Palace in 1995. He made appearances […]
Rhys Weston is a former professional footballer. He started out at Arsenal, and after a 15-year career that included international caps for Wales, he retired and almost immediately started a new career working for a company that arranges golfing holidays. LAPS members can watch his full interview here: https://app.laps.careers/videos/rhys-weston/ Here’s a preview for everyone else…..
Exciting news for our members today as we officially announce a brand-new partnership with St. James’s Place Wealth Management. Recently voted “Best Financial Adviser” at the 2017/18 Personal Finance Awards for the eighth year running, St. James’s Place has been providing its clients with the very best investment and wealth management advice for over 25 […]
Our latest video interview is with Martin Dobson. Martin started his playing career at Bolton Wanderers, before moving to Burnley, Everton and Bury. Since retirement he has moved into coaching, including for Leicester City and Everton. Members can log onto LAPS for the full interview. Preview below…..
Our latest video interview is now live on LAPS – members can log in now to watch the full interview. For everyone else, here’s a preview…
Our latest video interview is now available for members to view on the LAPS platform, and this time its with former ice hockey player Marc Twaite, who hasn’t moved too far away from sport in his new career as a professional angler and bait manufacturer. During his sporting career, Marc played hockey at the highest […]
LAPS, in association with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust are pleased to announce that LAPS members can now book onto our next free careers seminar on Retail with Aldi. The session is on Tuesday 17th October at 4pm at Aldi’s Academy in Bolton. Log into LAPS for more details, and to book your place.
LAPS are delighted that we will be featured at the 2017 Player Care Conference, hosted by the Premier Sports Network. The conference is an event which is exclusively inviting delegates from the world of player welfare, and it will allow for discussion about international best practice with a range of influential figures in a close-knit […]
LAPS are delighted to welcome members to attend the first of our careers seminars. This would be perfect for any of our members who are interested in taking on a career in finance or technology, and enjoying a fast-paced, lucrative and rewarding career. This promises to be an unmissable event, and whats more – its […]
Its been a busy couple of weeks for LAPS, and in particular founder Robbie Simpson, as we’ve been featured in a number of articles across various news outlets recently. First, on the 20th August, we were featured by the Federation of Small Businesses, in which Robbie raised awareness of the work currently being done by […]
Following on from our first ever competition, LAPS are excited to bring you details of our second exciting chance to improve your skills, and boost your chances of thriving in a career after sport. Our friends at 3e Training are offering one LAPS member a free place on their next Powerful Presentation Skills training course […]
A feature has been dedicated to the work being done by the Life After Professional Sport in yesterday’s Telegraph. It centres around the initial struggles, and then success of retired professional Badminton player Gail Emms. Emms made her post-retirement emotions public after publishing them on a blog, something which was picked up on by one […]
The latest edition of FC Business magazine features interviews with 2 of our founders, Robbie Simpson and Rob Steed, talking about life after sport and the founding of LAPS. You can read the article by clicking on this link.
The latest edition of Professional Player magazine featured an interview with our founder Robbie Simpson. The cover interview was with Cristiano Ronaldo, and there were also interviews with Niall Quinn and Matt Green, as well as a range of sport and lifestyle articles aimed at professional footballers. You can read the interview with Robbie by […]
Life After Professional Sport have been recognised on two different radio stations this week, as founder Robbie Simpson has been interviewed by TalkSport and by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Robbie was featured on TalkSport’s Extra Time on the 20th May, alongside LAPS member and previous interviewee Bradley Pritchard. The show can be found by clicking here, […]
Our latest video interview is now up on the LAPS website, and this time its with cricketer Shaaiq Choudhry. Shaaiq played for Worcestershire C.C.C for five years, having initially been given an eight-week trial period, eventually leaving the club at the end of the 2015 season. He has played over a number of the games […]
If you’re interested in a career in finance, then it would definitely be worth attending an event on 24th May that our friends at the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust are holding. The event, like LAPS, is aimed specifically at current and former sports professionals and elite athletes who are either preparing for, or already in […]
LAPS have been busy filming new video interviews for our members today with two former footballers. The first is with Andy Scott, who has stayed in the football industry since retiring, having held some major job roles within it. During his playing days, Andy played for Sheffield United, Brentford and Oxford United. Since retiring, he […]
We’ve filmed a lot of video interviews in a short time at LAPS with a range of interesting people who pursued sporting careers in almost every field, and similarly are now pursuing careers away from sport in almost every industry. However, the interview that has just gone live might just be our most interesting yet… […]
The winner of our first ever competition, Chris Birchall, received expert advice from the team at Life After Professional Sport on how to create, and perfect a winning video CV to send to employers when applying for a job. Chris is a former professional footballer who has studied a media studies degree at university, and […]
We have filmed another video interview, this time with former footballer and current operations manager Paul Gibbs. During his sporting career, Paul played for a number of clubs, including Colchester United and Brentford, with both of whom he reached Football League Trophy finals at Wembley, and also for Diss Town, with whom he lifted the […]
Our latest video interview is up now, and this time its with Harriet Scott, a professional footballer playing for Reading Ladies & Republic of Ireland. Harriet plays as a defender for Reading, and has had a successful time at the club so far, earning promotion into Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2), before winning WSL2 to […]
LAPS have today been recognised in the national press again, this time by the Daily Mail, who have published an interview with LAPS founder and current Exeter City footballer Robbie Simpson. Robbie talked to MailOnline writer Mike Keegan about a range of subjects relating to the reasons why he was so keen to launch LAPS […]
Our next video interview has been filmed with Jody Craddock. Jody is a former professional footballer, and now works as an artist. Jody started his football career with Cambridge United, before signing for second-tier Sunderland and helping them earn promotion to the Premier League, where he would pit his wits against the best players in […]
We’ve filmed a new video interview, this time with Kerry Williams. Kerry is a former Great Britain & Leicester hockey player, who played in attack during her sporting career, and is now working as a football brand manager for Nike. During her hockey career, Kerry made appearances a series of prestigious tournaments, including at World […]
On New Year’s Eve we launched our first ever Life After Professional Sport competition! We asked you all to sign up as members, and then invite people you know who are also current and former ports professionals to do the same in order to be entered into a random prize draw for £250 worth of […]
Life After Professional Sport were hugely excited to be mentioned in an article written by Virgin Group founder and world renowned entrepreneur Richard Branson. The article is titled ’10 reasons why businesses should hire former athletes’, and considers a variety of factors which make current and former sports professionals potentially excellent employees, all of which […]
The Institute of Recruiters have written an article about the work that we’ve been doing at LAPS. It features comments from Robbie and Rob about why LAPS was founded and some of the work that we have been doing so far. It also includes an insight into some of the challenges that current and former […]
Would you like to win £250 worth of vouchers to spend at Selfridges? Selfridges is a high-end department store, founded in the early 1900s, originally on London’s famous Oxford street, and has since opened new stores in Manchester and Birmingham. They sell everything from luxury clothes, to the finest home decorations, to the newest technology, […]
We’re extremely excited to announce that the LAPS platform is now LIVE – and its exclusively free for all current and former sports professionals to join! Simply click here and follow the steps on our website to join and begin accessing our member-exclusive features, which include: An advice section, in which you can look through our […]
The LAPS team were in attendance at the Athlete Futures event at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry today. The event was open to all Olympic athletes, and those receiving support from UK Sport and the EIS. We wanted attendees to start thinking about their future careers, so brought along a “future careers photo booth”. Let […]