Dual Career Athletes

Social Responsibility based on the belief for growth of people and organizations. To be more specific, the abilities of athletes to accelerate at the workplace and organizations to grow by capitalizing ...

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 - Full article at http://www.dualcareer.com/downloads/Gudni_Valentinusson.pdf

Guðni Heiðar Valentínusson is a great example of an athlete who has managed to get an education while playing professional basketball. It did come at a cost he is willing to pay over-and-over again. Its been a tremendous challenge for him combining sport and education with his epilepsy. As most might know, epilepsy is a continuous disorder caused by recurrent, unprovoked seizures that may result from a hereditary tendency or a brain injury. It requires an extra effort to be able to play basketball on a high level and get an academic degree. Guðni is a excellent role model for dual career athletes and moreover for individuals with epilepsy who want to play sport or stay active.      As a recent graduate, Guðni is planning to go back to Iceland to find a job within his expertise. He is still very engaged and dedicated to play basketball which he states has given him diligence, commitment and ambition. He is planning to manage his time in a way that he can still play basketball while combining it with his career. He hopes to get opportunities to work at a health care center or a fitness center as a health counselor or a physical trainer focusing on preventing and reducing diseases such as obesity and diabetes.      Even though he does not mention it, it is quite known that Guðni's main hobby is smoothie making. He is known to blend all kinds of healthy, nutritious, fruity, delicious smoothies for both health reasons and pure enjoyment. He describes his hobbies being always related to sports: playing, working out or watching sport events. He also enjoys outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, playing golf and being in the nature as well as spending time with friends and family. He likes traveling to different countries and by living in Denmark he has been able to enjoy more travel opportunities.

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New research shows middle school students in the best physical shape outscore their classmates on standardized tests and take home better grades. Published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, it’s the first study linking children’s fitness to both improved scores on objective tests and better grades, which rely on subjective decisions by teachers. The study is also among the first to examine how academic performance relates to all aspects of physical fitness – including body fat, muscular strength, flexibility and endurance. The results showed the fittest children got the highest test scores and the best grades, regardless of gender or whether they had gone through puberty.

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"One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence" - Kobe Bryant

     As you are probably aware Kobe Bryant had a season ending injury recently at the age of 34. Here are some of his thoughts on this:

     "This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I've done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I'm supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??      I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me...Then again maybe not! It's 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I'm wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what's the purpose of social media if I won't bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far... greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn Achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.       One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day."

       Even though Kobe has all the will, determination,  and the desire and he will probably be able to come back for a few years, we all know that he will eventually have to find a new career journey

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      The pictures are taken at the Holbaek Spring Basketball Camp that took place from 19-21 April 2013 in Holbaek, Denmark. The camp ran for the 4th year in a row focusing on developing basketball players. It was attended by nearly 80 young players between the age of 10-14 who were excited to participate in different basketball skills development and competition drills. I was happy to be invited as a guest speaker. During my 20-30 min interaction with the players I managed to convey the message that it is important to work hard on the court as well as in the class room. As I related myself being exactly like them at that age (young and humble, trying to dribble a ball) I was surprised to see that they could understand my life experience. Some of them have the dreams to be great basketball players and others would gain a great mindset of playing sports and having a healthy lifestyle. As I was going through my story some of the questions they asked were connected to what I am doing at the moment as one cannot play sport forever. It was a great experience to see that the 10-14 year old basketball players would understand the message I am trying to tell them: Develop a great sport career supported by education and professional interest which you could carry past your sports career.      If you are interested to read about a specific topic connected to +Dual Career Management for Athletes , send your requests to [email protected]      Stay updated with the latest posts on Facebook: facebook.com/dualcareer

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     To ensure the best relations between you and your sponsors, use the same principles that are used in building personal relations. Give your sponsor the feeling that you are adding value to the relationship and actually do add value to the relationship. Go beyond your agreement and always be prepared to do the little extras. Be seen to be willing to help, listen and learn. Provide new ideas and surprise your sponsor in a positive way by taking initiation and not only waiting for them all the time to do something for you. You should be responsible enough to do things for yourself and even for them.      The bottom line is that in order to build long-lasting relations with your sponsors, you need to be valuable and helpful. This will ensure that you are necessary to them, and a long-lasting beneficial relationship will be created.

     If you are interested to read about a specific topic connected to +Dual Career Management for Athletes , send your requests to [email protected]

     Stay updated with the latest posts on Facebook: facebook.com/dualcareer 

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- Dual Career Consulting

www.dualcareer.com     Once a plan has been set out with a sponsor, it is imperative that it is monitored to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Here is where a lot of athletes make mistakes. It is important to maintain good relationships and create a network of sponsors. Having one close relationship does not guarantee ultimate (sport/business) goal fulfillment. As an athlete you should be aware of the impression you leave to all the available sponsors even if you are not directly connected to them as you never know where you could for your business realization. That way you are not exploring only opportunistic behavior but it will be as a state of mind which projects maturity and business orientation.      Remember to progress your direct relationship with your mentor/sponsor and in the same time expand your network and opportunities. Make sure that you provide your contacts with updates and be willing to reassess the relationship and your plan when the need arises. The worst thing would be to let your contract run with no one having a sense of what is being accomplished or achieved.      If you are interested to read about a specific topic connected to +Dual Career Management for Athletes , send your requests to [email protected] Stay updated with the latest posts on Facebook: facebook.com/dualcareer

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- Dual Career Consulting

It will be a great idea to use your sponsor for career mentoring. You, as an athlete, could approach the right sponsor where the circumstances allow it or you could have the access to HR consultants. You should develop a plan with your mentor that includes objectives that are relevant to both of your needs. Just like the personal goals you set for your sports performance, these objectives should be realistic, achievable and measurable. They could include future goal for education, internship, job or collaboration and employment with the very sponsor. From the very beginning of a new relationship with a sponsor, certain objectives need to be laid out by both parties. These objectives then need to be developed in a way so that they ensure positive outcomes for both parties - you and the sponsor. Certain limitations need to be constructed and respected in the relationship. The better you have worked together to set objectives, the more you will both achieve through the relationship. If you are interested to read about a specific topic connected to +Dual Career Management for Athletes , send your requests to [email protected]

Stay updated with the latest posts on Facebook: facebook.com/dualcareer

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 It is important to remember that sponsors are business partners and not just suppliers, and so they have to be treated with a high degree of professionalism. The most important part of being professional is demonstrating that you care for the relationship. Let your sponsor know that you care and show them that you care. As they are interested in your sport, you can show them how you are interested in the business they do and while you have easier approach to them you can show them how you can contribute to their business.  There is nothing worse than portraying that you are simply involved because you need the extra money or exposure. All of these things will build a stronger and more professional relationship with your sponsor and could provide you with future business opportunities.

     There are simple and easy ways to demonstrate true professionalism. Here are a few tips:

Keep your sponsor informed about and updated on all of your activities.

Do not let your sponsor ever be surprised by something you have said or done.

Find a good balance in the way you communicate with your sponsor. You could establish a bi-weekly approach by either calling them or sending an e-mail.

Be accessible. Make sure your contact knows how to get in touch with you and is actually able to do so when needed.

     If you are interested to read about a specific topic connected to +Dual Career Management for Athletes , send your requests to [email protected]

     Stay updated with the latest posts on Facebook: facebook.com/dualcareer

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In terms of Dual Career development it is important for the athlete to develop a good relationship with sponsors. It could either be with the sponsors of the team or with a direct sponsor. Either way, making an impression and showing an interest in different topics outside of sport could eventually be carried out close to or after the sport career end. Maintaining relationship to sponsors could benefit the athlete career orientation and direction after the sport career. Every athlete who has ever worked with a sponsor will know that it is always easier to renew an existing contract than to sign a new one. This is yet another reason showing that it is very important to build good relations with your sponsors to ensure easier and better out-of-sport opportunities.

     Follow up and find out about the four hints to help you build a long-lasting relationship with your sponsors.

     If you are interested to read about a specific topic connected to +Dual Career Management for Athletes , send your requests to [email protected]

     Stay updated with the latest posts on Facebook: facebook.com/dualcareer

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    Do you remember back in the day when Michael Jordan quit? Wait a second, he never quit, he retired 3 times! How hard could have been for him to make the transition to post-athletic career? But man, did he do it well.

     As he is turning 50 today, he left a huge foot-print on the modern day athlete marketing. He created the “Jordan Brand” through his athletic greatness and partnership with Nike back in 1984 after he got drafted by the Chicago Bulls to play in the NBA. Nearly 30 years later his basketball shoe is the most selling basketball shoe you can find. Some of his corporate partners are Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck, 2K Sports, Presbyterian Healthcare and Five Star Fragrances while we should not forget that he has 80% stake of the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan is unique in that he has been able to maintain that emotional connection with his consumer base for more than 25 years.

     In a short summary this is how you as an athlete dominate sport retirement. In case, you do not think you can pull off the same marketing powerhouse you will be well off getting a useful education and planning your after sport career in advance.

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I got a knee injury approximately 4 weeks ago in a basketball game. As I play in the best league in Denmark I was doing well and I was even selected for the All-Star Game.  At first my injury looked like it might take 4-5 weeks to recover but an MRI scan showed that I have a torn ACL. As an athlete I know that I will put in the necessary effort to recover and I will be capable of playing basketball again in the fall.

     I do love playing sports in general. At the moment I cannot play basketball while everything else is still the same and life goes on. Now is the time to reflect on the lifestyle I have adopted by playing sports. I can continue staying healthy by eating right and working out/rehab after the injury. I have gained many qualities from playing a team sport which I can put to work in my job search and future career. By investing time in my dual career development while I was still playing gives me the opportunity to have a safety net. Now I can place focus on my education and experiences gained through sport and business work as I am looking for a professional “after sport career” realization. #athlete+ #dualcareersystem

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Sports performance is boosted by a well-balanced lifestyle combining study, training, work, social relationships and spiritual well-being. Balancing these important layers in the athlete lifestyle helps the ability to focus and achieve goals. Athletes should aim for balanced lifestyles as it will help them become the best athletes possible. This is usually challenging as there is only that much time during the day, including training on top of it, but understanding these layers of athletes’ life would help set goals and achieve them one by one.

     A good attitude and approach to education, work and other pursuits usually translates into enhanced sport achievements. This could be based on the simple fact that by achieving things outside of sports helps put less pressure on performance in sport. These allows "A Whole Person" approach and by focusing on different aspects athletes do not burn out and lose sight of the big picture.

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Making long-term plans for a career after sports can be discouraging. A good idea is breaking the process into a series of stepping stones, and asking yourself where you want to be in five years' time. This is a good way to stay focused on your goals and get the best out of your development and opportunities that come on the way. Look at each experience, project or opportunity in terms of its contribution to your overall career.

Overview:

As athletes are also continuing their careers into later life means that they need to plan even more (Introduction) First, clarify your career objectives by identifying what you are good at and what you enjoy (Career Objective)

Identify transferable skills from you sport to the professional career that will make you attractive to a future employer (Soft Skills)

Then, consider which professional industries or organizations you are interested in (Professional World)

Approach people in your network for their thoughts and explain why you would like to work in a particular role (Seek Advice)

Start looking out for opportunities to expand your experience (Experience)

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     Once you have a clear idea where you would like to go and the skills you will need to develop, start looking out for opportunities to expand your experience. This does not necessarily mean quitting your sport and finding a job immediately just because of your new sense of direction and motivation. Trying to expand your experience will help you see fresh opportunities for your career after sports. If you are able, search for workshops and find somebody to discuss the skills you are looking to develop and why you would like to work on specific projects. This way you would be able to enrich yourself professionally. Besides that you could also look elsewhere for volunteering opportunities or an organization where you can build your competences.

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As an athlete looking to enter the “professional world” you should consider which industries or organizations you are interested in. Of course, more or less, they should also be connected to your field or competence or education. You have two options here in terms of how you balance priorities. Some people will begin by looking at what they most enjoy in their current situation and find ways to make that a bigger part of their career. A lot of time this keeps athletes within sport. Others, however, might look at the industries they feel most passionate about and work out how their skills set and competence could fit in. What is important is to remember that each job will be a stepping stone in your career progression. You may have to make some compromises as you work towards your dream job. It is important to start planning early and recognize your motivators and skills as it might take a while to gain the skills. access and to retire from your sport.

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Identify transferable skills from you sport to the professional career that will make you attractive to a future employer. These are generic skills that are needed in many roles, for example, working under pressure or interacting with people to negotiate and persuade. To identify these, consider any feedback you have received from others, perhaps as part of a performance appraisal. It will be important both for your personal awareness and in competency-based interviews to explain how you have applied your soft skills from your sport and the outcomes achieved.