Sport & Entrepreneurship

Background A career in elite sport can be short, fragile and time consuming. Most successful sporting professionals will have to retire in their 30s and will therefore need to find a new job and role in life. This project addresses this issue but adds ‘preparation for self-employment through entrepreneurship training’ that builds on existing skills and competencies learnt in sport. Objectives Athletes face multiple risks, with many missing out on quality education and training that could help them prepare for a new career, including self-employment. A career in elite sport can be short, fragile and time consuming. Many sports professionals may have to retire around 30 and will therefore need to find a new job and role in life. The objective of this project was to create a set of support materials for individuals engaged in sport to enhance their ‘employability pathway’. Implementation The project objective was achieved by the creation of a set of training programmes, self-assessment tools and other support materials for individuals engaged in sport (18-30 years old) to enhance their ‘employability pathway’. They have been designed to develop their entrepreneurial skills and competences. This was achieved by harnessing the complimentary and overlapping dimensions of entrepreneurship and sport. Achievements The results of the project were (i) a review of the various on-line entrepreneurship programmes specifically targeted at sports people that resulted in a comparative appraisal of their content and review and identified best practices; (ii) the development of targeted training programmes for sports people and (iii) the creation of an Internet based training and support Platform where the interactive tools and training materials developed reside.