To be a truly successful athlete, their achievements on the field must be matched by their behaviour off the field.
Too many athletes are struggling and missing out on opportunities
So many athletes struggle to piece together the multi-faceted elements of participating in high level sport. They can feel stressed out, burnt out, and left out.
The sad truth is this can cause many of them to drop out of sport altogether. Alternatively, they persevere but feel completely lost at the end of their athletic career.
Self awareness and diverse skills truly empower athletes
We believe that developing athletes holistically allows them to enjoy a more balanced journey during and post-sport.
One of the most effective ways to develop an athlete's broader skillset and capacity to do well in life is to give them exposure to (and preparation for) experiences outside of sport.
When athletes engage sponsorship and/or commercial relationships they become part of the business world, and are no longer confined to sport. They are able to make positive developments to their network, skills, credibility, opportunities and ability to transition out of sport.
This September we're hosting a brand new Athlete Pathway Webinar series that aims to empower our clients and their athletes to navigate their pathway during and beyond sport. Click here to register to attend. The series kicks off with a presentation on athlete sponsorship by global athlete pathway expert, Vickie Saunders.
Everyone benefits
Athletes are able to pursue a life of their own design.
For sports organisations, more athletes are sustained throughout their journey, meaning a higher retention rate, increased participation at all levels, and improved performance.
And for businesses and sponsors, these athletes become inspirational role models, whose skills, behaviours and achievements on and off the field provide great insights and learnings. These skills make the athletes great team members and leaders, and are transferable for the development of all individuals within an organisation.
Australian athlete, Shantelle 'Barkjindi Warrior' Thompson is the first Aboriginal Woman to win a world championship in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. She is a mother of 3, and balances her time between sport, family, and creating a successful career through corporate sponsorship and being an ambassador for several large organisations including the Layne Beachley Foundation and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Click here to watch the video.
Shantelle is a woman who has taken a holistic approach to her life as an athlete. She has engaged sponsors and relationships that are relevant to her in areas other than sport, and is gaining practical experience in working with businesses and organisations who gain value from her skills as a speaker, trainer and expert in Storytelling (something that is a hot topic in corporate, but an ancient tradition that Shantelle's Aboriginal heritage gives her unique knowledge and skills in).
Shantelle will be speaking at our Athlete Pathway Webinar Series on Storytelling later this year. Click here to learn more about the webinar series and register to attend Shantelle's session.
Every athlete has the potential to create a sustainable and fulfilling journey in sport, while also setting themselves up for success post-sport!
Aligning vision, values and opportunity
An athlete typically has 4 pathways that coincide;
Performance - this relates to their athletic activities and ambitions
Professional - both in education, employment and career development
Personal - their relationships with family, friends...and themselves!
Passion - beyond sport, many athletes have another passion such as music, art or travel.
At some point their sporting career WILL come to an end. By ensuring their other pathways are active, they are less likely to experience the infamous post-sport crash. Sometimes public, often hidden—always devastating.
For many reasons, athletes often only focus on sport and neglect the other pathways. We find that when an athlete looks to fulfil and support each pathway concurrently that they have a much more successful and enjoyable time in sport and in life!
By identifying their needs and ambitions in these 4 pathways, as well as their Vision and Values, an athlete can begin to look for ways that commercial relationships (such as sponsorship or being an ambassador) can fulfil their needs and help achieve their ambitions.
With this self-knowledge they will be guided towards the RIGHT sponsors and the RIGHT activities! If an athlete is PASSIONATE about the environment, and wants to develop a career in public speaking or teaching, then gaining experience while being an ambassador for an environmentally focussed company is a great way to fulfil their needs, work towards their goals, whilst aligning with their values!
Introducing The Athlete Pathway Webinar Series
Join us online for our 6-part Athlete Pathway Webinar Series created for athletic directors, educators and advisors.
The series starts on September 2nd/3rd (depending on your timezone). The first topic covered is sponsorship, presented by global athlete pathway expert, Vickie Saunders.
Click here to learn more about the webinar series or to register to attend. We'd love to see you there!
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