An organisation assisting professional sportspeople in the transition from the pitch to the workplace has called for businesses to take a chance on athletes and their ‘endless’ transferable skills amidst the uncertainty of Covid-19.
Life After Professional Sport (L.A.P.S) is a company aimed at assessing and boosting athlete employability skills in a bid to ease the transition from the track to the trades after retirement.
‘L.A.P.S started in 2017 and was set up by Robbie Simpson, an ex-professional footballer,’ said James Craigen, a current Scottish Championship footballer and Partnership Manager for L.A.P.S.
‘He’d left Cambridge United and realised that there just wasn’t nearly enough support for any athlete looking to transition or create a greater sense of security for their future. He then came up with this idea of a free platform for athletes either retiring or current professionals. What we do is help them with offering career advice and speak to them about what they’d like to do and talk about their different options whether that’s university or jobs.’
It’s not just businesses, ex-Manchester United and Premier League winner Luke Chadwick believes will reap the rewards from giving athletes a go in the workplace, it would be an enormous benefit to help tackle the often toxic struggle that comes when an athletes professional sporting career comes to an end.
‘To start with, I never admitted it was over. I was still thinking the phone might ring and I’ll get another club and carry on playing.’
Chadwick, who hung up his boots after finishing at boyhood club Cambridge United in 2015, suggests that much work is to be done in order to offer genuine solutions to help the mental strain that comes with retirement, but companies like L.A.P.S are certainly a step in the right direction.
‘More could be done to support players coming to the end of their sporting journey, absolutely. It’s your whole identity. All I was ever known for from 9 or 10 was being a good footballer so it’s a strange and a really tough time.’
Ex-GB swimmer turned sport psychologist Laura Dawson also echoed the idea of more needing to be done to help improve ‘wellbeing’ in athletes following retirement and the benefit of organisations such as L.A.P.S.
‘I’m really big on wellbeing. Obviously with sport psychology people always think it’s going to be about winning and how to start winning this and that. I am still like that, but I’m also very keen to ensure clients have a good sense of wellbeing whether they are at the beginning of their journey or end.’
James suggests that the benefits businesses would gain from hiring athletes in the workplace are endless.
‘Athletes have spent all of their lives showing discipline in working towards a goal of consistent improvement in their chosen sport. We’ve now got a membership of over 4,000 people which is why I’ve been brought in to help athletes and organisations who want to tap into these athletes, their skills and endless transferable skills.
‘Businesses who are looking to make the most of the amazing skills an athlete or ex-athlete has should get in touch via www.laps.careers and athletes wanting to find out a little more about what we do during these times or looking to put things in place should get in touch too.’
