Who's a Athlete
Picture a stadium full of people looking upon you, cheering you on, rooting for you to win. That’s what a day of work looks like for an athlete! These are the people who dedicate their whole lives to a particular sport. Think Sachin Tendulkar (cricket), Diego Maradona (football) or Dhanraj Pillai (hockey), all legends in their own sport. They faced their competitors fiercely, played their game well and rose to fame! As fantastic as this sounds, make no mistake, the career of an athlete is a long hard journey of dedication and will. If this sounds like the kind of career journey you’d like to experience, then pull up your socks and head-on young athlete.
What will you do?
Where will you work?
How do you get there?
What skills would you need?
Communication Skills
Communication skills are the ability to clearly express ideas, information, and feelings, both verbally and in writing, so others can easily understand. This includes listening effectively, using the right tone, and being aware of non-verbal cues like body language. These skills help you explain your thoughts clearly, build relationships, and work better in teams. Good communication is important in almost every job, from customer service to leadership roles, because it ensures that tasks are understood and done correctly, and it helps prevent misunderstandings. build this skillHow do you make it to the top ranks?
Early Training
The earlier you start your training to become an athlete, the better chance you have of rising in your ranks. Depending on your spending ability, find a good coach who can train you in the sport that interests you. You can also start playing or participating in your school or college tournaments.
Amateur Level
Once you have competed in a fair amount of tournaments, you can start applying to sports clubs or private facilities that take on young athletes. You can also apply to the Sports Authority of India – apex national sports body – which has various centres across the country.
State/Regional Level
As you progress in your training, you can start participating in the various competitions spread across the country. Depending on your skills and determination, you can proceed from local competitions to state-level competitions.
National Level
Once you have established yourself as an expert at the state-level, you will be provided with top-notch training and coaching by the government. Depending on your skill and dedication, you can move on to participating in national-level tournaments.
International Level
This is the highest level of honour for any athlete. Representing the country at an international event will be a highlight of your career, and winning laurels here will bring you name and fame like you would have never imagined.
Career Post Retirement
An athlete’s career is short lived. As you reach the end of your journey as a player, you can choose to continue in the sports industry either as a coach, a manager or in other noteworthy positions.
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Pursuing your career locally VS abroad
It’s best to start training at an early age for a sport of your choice. You can register with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which will give you the opportunity to participate at the regional and state level, given your skills and perseverance. The government bears the cost of training here and also provides you with the best coaches. Private institutes are also available for training but can prove to be highly expensive. SAI programmes will additionally give you scholarships and support for sponsorship later in your career. The fees for physical education courses come up to INR 40, 000 for a year while a Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Fitness Management can cost up to INR 50,000. The duration of your training is entirely dependent on your skills. While some sportspersons spend years in training without much result, others make a quick jump in their career with the right kind of guidance.
Going overseas for a career in sports has its share of advantages in terms of learning new ways of playing, coaching, and managing, but it may not have the same kind of remuneration as pursuing the sport locally. Unless you hold citizenship of another country, you cannot compete in any inter-country level tournaments there. Various sports, however, have leagues that accept members from all over the world. Depending on your sport of choice and your spending ability, you can train with a big and well-known club and continue to play for their team in the future. The best countries to pursue a career in sports are Australia, Mexico, Brazil and the UK. While Australia is a hub for tennis, and Brazil is known for football, Mexico and England provide opportunities for many sports ranging from football, tennis, baseball, golf, and cricket.
How much would you get paid?
The exact number you will receive as your salary will depend on a lot of factors. This includes your performance as an athlete, the level at which you play, your skill set, etc. The other factor that affects the salary of a sportsperson among other things is the popularity of the sport. For example, a national-level cricket player may earn a seven-figure salary, while a national-level hockey player might get a six-figure salary. Top players can earn up to INR 1,00,00,000 annually. This, however, is heavily influenced by the sport you play. In India, Cricket players have the highest remunerations. You are paid separately for competitions you take part in. for example, the India Premier League, Indian Super League, and Pro Kabaddi, pay the players over and above their usual income. Also, Sports players tend to make money from other gigs like endorsements, or modelling.
What are your career options?
Sports
The most promising career in sports is being an athlete. This is where you can achieve the highest degree of honour, name and fame. If you play for the Government, the remuneration is good or you solely have to depend on your talent to become a star player and earn endorsements that will push your career forward. Your achievements here can play a crucial role in deciding your retirement plans. You can either be so successful that you don’t need a job post your retirement or automatically get nominated for senior positions in the industry due to your fame.
Subject Matter Expert – Pundit
A number of ex-sportspersons or retired athletes prefer to take up positions in the media. Sports pundits have assumed greater significance over the years. They spend hours debating the outcome of a game along with other sports journalists and their opinions hold greater value than ever. This job is also high-paying and many sports channels employ full-time sports pundits for their programmes. Even if you are unable to face the camera, you can still make it big in this role by assuming a more backhand position. You would display your opinions through writing, either by starting your own channels or writing for a newspaper or sports magazine. You could even write your own book or autobiography.
Coaching
A number of athletes take up managerial or coaching positions. This is also an option once the playing days are over. You would either work independently or with educational, government or private institutions and clubs, where you would train a new generation of athletes. Becoming a coach requires a graduate degree in physical education, which can be obtained after Class 12.
Refereeing
This option is not as easily attainable as it requires a thorough knowledge of the sport and the rules of the game. Referees and umpires are employed by the government at the state or national level to overlook the game and ensure it follows the rules and regulations stipulated by the governing bodies. Additionally, referees must have a thorough knowledge of sports equipment to ensure that it has not been tampered with before the game. You must overcome any kind of mishaps that disrupt the schedule of the game. Becoming a referee requires a diploma in the sport of your choice, followed by some experience at a minor level and completion of state registration. You would have to complete at least four years of officiating to make it to the national level of competition.
Private Sector Role
Depending on your financial status, your experience in sports can open a plethora of opportunities in the private sector. You can either pursue this in the early stages of your career or establish a career as a sportsperson. Many athletes prefer opening up private sports clubs to train young athletes while taking up administrative responsibilities alongside this venture. Other private-sector jobs include being a sports consultant where you monetise your expertise on health and fitness, manufacturing sports equipment that requires close coordination with sportspersons to build products that suit their needs or becoming an independent sportswriter which is a flourishing career in present times.
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