Athletes Transitioning to the Working World
Where do you pivot to next when your time on the field, court, or track is up?
No matter the sport, it’s a transition that all athletes have to consider. Let’s look at it through the lens of three different athletes in three different phases of their athletic careers — beginning, middle, and end — and see how they approach the inevitable.
Former athletes are some of the most sought-after people in all of the working world. Just consider these stats about those who grew up playing competitive sports:
- According to the Gallup-Purdue Index Report, former NCAA student-athletes are 82% employed full- or part-time following graduation, in comparison to 78% for non-student-athlete graduates
- Through research done for another study titled ‘Sports at Work: anticipated and persistent correlates of participation in high school athletics,’ the study showed that former student-athletes are more likely to earn high-paying jobs in comparison to non-athletes
- Coming from the same Sports at Work study, employers expressed that former athletes tend to have certain personality traits that are coveted in the workplace, specifically confidence, leadership, and self-esteem
- According to Inc.com, 94% of women across all business C-suites are former athletes
Former athletes find jobs when they are able to connect the skills and attributes that they learned and developed as athletes to the necessary skills and attributes of the jobs they are seeking. Take it from a current athlete dipping her toes into the working world while she lives out her playing days.
At the Beginning:
Victoria Laino, a four-year soccer player at Williams College, is still making a name for herself on the pitch. She’s currently playing overseas with Grasshopper Club Zurich in Nationalliga A (AWSL), which is the top women’s league in Switzerland.
Thankfully it isn’t Victoria’s first time among the Swiss people, as she lived in Switzerland for nearly 10 years before she attended Williams. But it is still an adjustment having to mix in a practice and game schedule all while coming on staff with TeamWork Online.
“Tuesdays and Thursdays we have a gym session in the morning so I usually wake up and we’re at the field at 8 am. So then we have an hour-and-a-half practice. Then I come back, make myself a quick lunch, and then I log onto work for about five hours. And then I go back to practice that evening and then I come home and make myself dinner. Not too much downtime balancing work and soccer, but a lot of time on the go and just trying to fit in work where I can in between my soccer schedule,” Laino said.
One thing that has been an adjustment is working through the time difference. Victoria is comfortable being in Switzerland, but she has to consider where her TeamWork staff may be working from in the United States due to her being six hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone and nine ahead of the Pacific Time Zone. These are things you must consider when thinking of working internationally in sports and entertainment.
Like many women athletes, Victoria wanted to find another job outside her sport to ensure she was bringing in ample income. But she also wanted to gain experience in the workforce before she hangs up her cleats.
“The other part was thinking about once my playing career is completely over, how do I want to transition into the working world,” Victoria said. “I just thought it would be easier if I’ve already transitioned during my playing career. That just would make the transition later on a little bit easier. “
She may be early on in doubling up her work on and off the field, but Victoria can share insights that not many can in sports and entertainment. Her one bit of advice though is to be willing to adapt as you look for a new path in the industry.
“Being open to new things and being open to a completely different type of work and a different schedule,” she said. “Just being flexible and being open to trying new things is what would be my advice. It’s something that I’m trying to live by.”
In the Middle:
There’s no question Derrick Henry is one of the top players in the National Football League (NFL). The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner is a two-time league rushing champion and All-Pro, and he was recently ranked №12 on the ‘NFL Top 100 Players of 2022' list.
During a recent speaking tour, Henry spoke on how suffering a Jones fracture in his foot during the Tennessee Titans’ Week 8 game against the Indianapolis Colts made the 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year think a bit about life after football. Henry wants to maintain several strong partnerships well into retirement. Even as a current athlete, one thing Henry knows fellow athletes can do is build relationships today that may help them for tomorrow.
“I think being especially respectful, have good mannerisms and carry yourself with a high standard,” Henry said. “… Try to be an inspiring role model for kids that listen to you, see you as a voice. And then just be a great partner. Have a business approach about everything. Once you have a good relationship with the people that you work with, down the road, they might want to work with you again. … Leave a good impression on people.”
Part of what helped Henry understand the business side of sports early on was playing under head coach Nick Saban at the University of Alabama. With the resources the program offers to its student-athletes, it may be the closest thing we’ve seen to an NFL organization playing in the NCAA. One of those resources includes Paul W. Bryant Hall, an academic center explicitly dedicated to Crimson Tide student-athletes.
There was a load of insight Saban shared with Henry during his three years in Tuscaloosa, but the one that stood out was about handling adversity.
“We don’t run through adversity, we overcome it,” Henry said. “I think that, in life, you’re going to have things that don’t go the way you want them to go or you were expecting this thing to happen but it didn’t. That doesn't mean you give up on it. I just think you just keep pushing and, eventually, you’ll persevere and get where you want to go. As long as you’re determined and focused, whether that’s in the business world or sports world. Anything in life that you want to do, if you stay focused on that goal, you’ll get through it.”
At the end:
In 2000, following a Hall of Fame playing career in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Michael “Pinball” Clemons of the Toronto Argonauts was promoted to interim head coach.
It was not a role Clemons really anticipated to be in — especially so quickly after his playing days. But he found immediate success, guiding the team to six straight Eastern Division Finals and a Grey Cup championship in 2004. Clemons was the first Black head coach to even coach in the CFL championship game, as he was the first BIPOC coach to win a Grey Cup in CFL history.
Since then, Clemons has held many roles within the organization; he initially doubled as head coach while serving as President and General Manager, respectively. He would step away from coaching in 2007 and go into the front office as Chief Executive Officer in 2008. He would become the Vice Chair of the Argonauts from 2009–2019, leading to his return as GM, where he still serves to this day.
It wasn’t necessarily about knowing what Clemons wanted to do long-term, he just wanted to do right by an organization he’s been loyal to since 1989. But the Argonauts chose him because of how he carried himself, on and off the field.
“Being faithful where you are, I believe, is the real difference maker,” said Clemons at a recent Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment networking event presented by TeamWork Online. “Being faithful and being responsible in what you’re doing actually produces the next opportunity.”
Clemons knows why athletes are so coveted and what often makes them strong candidates for sports and entertainment organizations. Many athletes, especially those who have competed collegiately and/or professionally, have time management skills and have already proven their work ethic and other desirable traits over time. It’s not that former athletes are always more skillful, but more times than not, they often fit into sports and entertainment organizations with a different level of understanding.
He sees it in the influx of young talent that enters the industry each year.
“Those 21-, 22-year-olds are actually 15-year professionals. They’ve been working at it, they’ve been sacrificing,” Clemons said. “They’ve done things differently than many of their friends. They’ve sacrificed some of the things that others may have enjoyed as a young person to get to this point.”
Conclusion:
Athletes are sought after at a rate most candidates are not in the business world. But having the knowledge as a former athlete may give them even more of an advantage when it comes to the sports and entertainment business.
If you are looking to make the transition from athlete to a member of the business world or sports and entertainment workforce, check out some of these blog entries: 5 Things to Know Before Your First Day in the Sports Business; 5 Secrets to Ace a Job Interview in Sports & Entertainment; Life in the Front Office Podcast: Opportunities You Don’t Know About; and 5 Tips to Transition Into Sports Business.
TeamWorkOnline.com is the leading hiring platform and talent community in sports and entertainment. Our mission is to connect talented people with the right employers.
👩💻 Visit Our Website to browse thousands of opportunities in the sports industry that are posted daily.
📣 Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, our Twitter Jobs page, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
🚀 Onward!
