Good Career Advice from Sport Stars

career in sport

There are plenty of places that you can look for some solid career advice these days. Yet, one place you might never think of looking is in the world of sports.

What tips do some stars from different sports have to give about forging a successful career?

Invest in Yourself

Serena Williams is best-known as being arguably the best female tennis player of all time. In recent years, she has also launched her own fashion line, as well as a string of other off-court commercial activities.

When speaking about her move into the fashion world, Williams said that she needed to do it on her own. This led to her suggesting that it helps your confidence “when you invest in yourself”. This is because you will always know that you did your best and gave it a go.

You can see how this applies to other types of work too. If you don’t give it a shot and do what you really want to, you will never know what might have been possible.

Find a Role That You Enjoy

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is a basketball legend, but he shocked the NBA in 2019 when he gave up his role as President of the Los Angeles Lakers. Why would one of the greatest players of his generation want to leave that sort of role?

Johnson told reporters that he was no longer having fun. He said that he wanted to go back to who he was before moving into that job. It is clear that playing basketball is a world away from running a team.

One of the major problems that many people find is that they get promoted or shifted into roles that don’t suit them. By all means try different things. But once you find your perfect role you should resist promotions or sideways moves to jobs that you know don’t suit your skills.

Keep Showing Up and Grinding

It is easy to imagine that NFL players have an easy life of getting paid a fortune for doing what comes naturally. Yet, Danny Amendola released an open letter to undrafted agents, to show how difficult it is to have a good career in such a demanding environment.

You might never have heard of him, but Amendola has carved out a long career against the odds. He pointed out that it is important to keep working hard and always get noticed for doing the right things, such as always listening to the coaches.

He summed up that you need to “keep showing, keep grinding”. This is advice that is relevant in any role in any industry. You can’t afford to take it easy or just give up if you want to fulfil your potential.

Seize the Moment

Cristiano Ronaldo’s soccer career is a blizzard of broken records and incredible statistics. Some people claim that the Portuguese forward is the greatest player of all time. He has scored over 700 goals in his career and is the all-time leading scorer in the Champion’s League.

If you look online, you will find a long list of inspirational quotes that have been attributed to Ronaldo. One that stands out is about the opportunities that exist today but that “no one knows if they will come round again in the future.”

This is all about seizing the moment. You might be in the perfect place at the right moment to get the job of your dreams. However, everything might change all of a sudden, so it is important so do some investments.

Still, if you don’t take the first step then you will never know what might have happened. Sometimes, it is just about understanding that the time to take action has arrived.