GB Elite To Take Olympics Into The Workplace

 

by James Skitt - 01/05/09

In the current economic climate the decision facing Britain’s international hockey players as to whether they commit to another Olympic cycle has perhaps never been trickier.

True, a home Olympics in London is a massive incentive, but juggling sporting ambition with a career outside hockey is a challenge the Great Britain Athlete Career Partner Scheme is working hard to address.

Led by Emma Mitchell, a Performance Lifestyle Advisor at the English Institute of Sport (EIS), the scheme was established two years ago in response to a number of elite players leaving the sport to pursue other careers.

The initiative, which aims to help members of the GB Men and Women’s squads combine their sporting commitments with a working career, is something viewed as crucial by GB Performance Director David Faulkner.

“The work/performance life balance is vital to hockey because the sport doesn’t have a professional base” he says.

To explain the difficulties, an elite player will typically spend around three days per week training and a further 12-14 weeks a year away from home on tours, training camps and at tournaments in return for modest funding, meaning work is often essential in order for players to financially support themselves and their families.

Furthermore, many athletes are understandably keen to engage in work that will set them on a career path they can continue long after they retire from playing, all of which leaves Faulkner in no doubt as to the significance of such a scheme

“I believe the importance of career support to be on a par with sports science and medical services in our sport and we have come a long way in putting that support network in place through the Athlete Career Partner Scheme” he says.

The importance of the scheme is also recognised by Danny Kerry and Jason Lee, Head Coaches of the GB Men and Women’s teams respectively.

“The Athlete Career Partner Scheme is a key part of the jigsaw for us and has certainly made a significant impact” says Kerry, whose side finished sixth at the Olympics in Beijing last year. “I think it’s healthy for the players and I’d definitely say a balanced lifestyle helps them to relax.

“Knowing that their life outside of hockey is in order allows them to retain focus in training and perform better on the pitch” he adds, an observation that Lee too is quick to point out.

“In my experience those players who have a progressive career going alongside their hockey seem to be happier, more content and motivated” he says.

And the coaches, who know their players better than most, can also vouch for their credentials as potential employees.

“The discipline required to be an international athlete is immense” says Lee, “and that is certainly something that they can transfer into the workplace. They are very efficient, set high standards for themselves and are very dedicated” he adds.

But whilst the coaches fully endorse the scheme, they in turn realise a supportive employer is just as important.

“The training will get more and more intense as we build up to London 2012 and so having understanding and supportive employers is very important” Kerry stresses.

Which is where Mitchell, who leads the scheme, comes in, supporting the athletes in a number of practical ways.

“We’re really lucky that Emma works solely with hockey so she really understands the sport” says Rob Moore, one of the many players to have benefited from the scheme’s support.

“She takes a fairly holistic approach and goes straight into contacting people who may be interested in you – employers that are looking specifically to employ athletes. She acts as a facilitator and is available to us to go to for advice when we need it” he adds.

Despite the difficulties of finding work in the current climate, Mitchell believes the value of the scheme is now more vital than ever and is optimistic it can continue to have an impact.

“The downturn in the economic climate is obviously a concern and makes the task of finding suitable placements all the more challenging” she says. “However I believe that we can also provide employers with perhaps a more affordable option as we are not asking them to employ people on a full time basis.”

With London 2012 on the horizon, Mitchell also believes that businesses have much to gain from engaging with the scheme beyond a skilled worker. “Of course there can be no guarantees in sport, but having a potential Olympian working within your organisation is an exciting prospect for many businesses in the run up to 2012” she says. “A lot of our athletes find their colleagues at work take great interest in their exploits on the field and, in many ways, they’re taking a bit of the games into the workplace” she adds.

Despite the success of the scheme to date there are still a number of male and female players looking for suitable employment in a range of fields including Sports Marketing & PR, Sports Development, Coaching, Accountancy and more based throughout the country but primarily in the South and Midlands.

If your business is interested in employing an athlete or just finding out more the Athlete Career Partner Scheme would be delighted to hear from you.

Please contact Emma Mitchell on 0870 795 0540 or email Emma.Mitchell@eis2win.co.uk for an informal introduction.

Photography © Getty Images