careernav.

Career Progression

Sport has no set career path like a traditional occupation. You will probably have been outstanding in your chosen sport from a young age. You may have been selected in junior representative teams at regional, state or national level. You may be fortunate to have been invited to one of Australia’s sports academies such as the Victorian Institute of Sport, Australian Institute of Sport or Cricket Academy; or you may have served an early apprenticeship with a club after being selected through a draft programme.

Once you gain experience, you usually compete at national and then international level. World championships are held for most sports. Many sports are represented at either Winter and Summer Olympics. As a professional sportsperson you have followed a similar path and relinquished your amateur status to pursue a full time career in your chosen sport.

Australia has always enjoyed a love affair with sport and its sporting heroes. However the big bucks are made by only a handful of sportspeople – Mark Webber in Formula 1 racing, Lleyton Hewitt in tennis, Karrie Webb, Geoff Ogilivy and Adam Scott in golf and Harry Kewell in football all earn over $7.0million a year in contracts, prizemoney and endorsements. They are the select few. Chasing your dream on the national or international circuit is expensive and the golf and tennis circuits are chock full of players barely above the poverty line.

Players in professional team sports  such as AFL, ARL, ARU, Soccer Australia and the cricket teams all earn a handsome living; but few are going to retire hugely wealthy, and all have to hope and pray injury does not interrupt and end their career early. Player contracts begin at $40,000 per year and reach up to $600,000 to $700,000 for the game’s elite “marquee” players. In the higher-paying sports such as soccer, tennis, golf, Moto GP and Formula 1 even lower ranked players earn hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But when age catches up with you and the inevitable retirement day arrives, let’s hope you have more than memories to fall back on. That’s where a commercial manager, a formal education and some forward planning will have established ‘life after’ and a comfortable life at that.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Whether you’re an individual or team sportsperson you have a responsibility to maintain a high degree of expertise in your particular sport, to attend regular practice sessions and undertake private training to maintain the required standard of fitness and play to the limit of your capacity for yourself but also for teammates and support staff associated with your career.

You are also expected to undertake sports promotional activities, demonstrations, radio and television appearances and be available for the reporting press.

As a public figure you also have the responsibility to not bring the game into disrepute, to set an example for so many younger people aspiring to the level you may achieve.

Career Path Options & Employment

Sportspeople have numerous options available after their professional career has ended. You can be a fitness instructor, go into coaching, motivational speaking, a career in the media, a newspaper columnist, sports administration or sports management. You can leverage your professional image in modelling, hospitality, international tours and event management.

If you are a coach, then your tenure is likely to be short but good coaches seem to re-appear at other clubs or guiding new individuals.

On the other hand, many new tertiary graduates in sport- and leisure-related fields are now having difficulty finding work.