Sports Professional

Typical Salary

To

Typical Hours

44 to 46 variable

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How To Become a Sports Professional

You can get into this job through:

an apprenticeship
being spotted by a talent scout
a sponsorship or scholarship scheme

College / University

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start by doing an advanced apprenticeship as a sporting excellence professional (AASE).

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

Other Routes

You'll usually start by joining a club or amateur organisation where you can train and get coaching. A lot of sports professionals are spotted early on by talent scouts at this stage.

You can get details of local clubs and advice on the best way to get ahead in your sport from your sport's national governing body.

If you have talent and the potential to do well in your chosen sport, you could get help from:

sponsorship schemes run by universities that offer support to students to train and compete while studying
the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme, which supports young people in education to perform at their best, while keeping up their studies

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
ambition and a desire to succeed
persistence and determination
customer service skills
excellent verbal communication skills
physical fitness and endurance
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

You'll:

compete in matches and competitions
keep up and improve your skills with regular practice
maintain your general fitness and stamina by training
make sure your diet and lifestyle help you to achieve peak performance
take advice from coaches, nutritionists, exercise professionals, sports psychologists and doctors

Working Environment

You could work on a sports field or at a fitness centre.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.

Career Path & Progression

In the more physical and contact sports, your career would usually be short. Many professionals finish their sporting career by the age of 35.

After your career ends, you could stay involved in sport by moving into areas like coaching, refereeing, team management, sports journalism or sports centre work.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

In most sports, you'll find it useful to carry on with your training or education in case you:

need another income apart from your sport
need another income for when your performing career is over

Further information

You can get more details on what it takes to become a professional sportsperson from Sport England.

Restrictions & Requirements

For some sports you’ll need to meet very specific entry requirements, for instance:

horse racing requires jockeys to be a certain height and weight
boxing has divisions according to weight