Sports professional
Sports professionals are skilled and talented competitors who are paid to perform at elite level in their chosen sport.
What you'll do
As a sports professional, you could:
- work with coaches, sports scientists and psychologists to improve performance
- follow training programmes to develop your skills, technique and stamina
- compete in events, matches and competitions
- take part in promotional and sponsorship activities
- get advice on nutrition and lifestyle to achieve peak fitness
- work with physiotherapists and medical staff to recover from injury
Working environment
You could work at a sports club, at a fitness centre or at a sports arena.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding, outdoors in all weathers, you'll travel often and you may spend nights away from home.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- persistence and determination
- ambition and a desire to succeed
- physical fitness and endurance
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- physical skills like strength, balance and co-ordination
- leadership skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a sports professional
You can get into this job through:
- an apprenticeship
- being spotted in amateur sport by a talent scout
- sponsorship or a scholarship scheme
Apprenticeship
You may be able to do a Sporting Excellence Professional Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in one of the following sports:
- cricket
- equestrian
- football
- rugby league
- rugby union
These apprenticeships give talented amateur sports players the chance to develop their sporting skills alongside their education.
Once you've completed your apprenticeship, you may be able to turn professional or continue as an amateur while you get more experience.
You can find out more about this route from the professional body for each sport.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Other routes
The route to becoming a professional varies from sport to sport.
Typically, you'll start by joining a club, academy or amateur organisation, such as an athletics club, where you can train, get coaching and compete individually or in a team.
Most sports professionals are spotted early on by coaches and talent scouts at this stage.
In some sports you may be able to get financial and other help to develop your career, whilst continuing with your education. For example, through the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme .
Your sport's National Governing Body (NGB) is the best place to get details of clubs in your local area, and information on schemes that can help you to get ahead in your chosen sport.
Restrictions and requirements
Each sport will have its own specific restrictions, for instance:
- horse racing sets height and weight limits for jockeys
- boxers compete in different weight classes
- divers compete at different platform heights based on age up to 18 years old
Career path and progression
Many sports professionals retire from competition during their 30s.
After your competitive career ends, you could stay involved in sport by moving into roles like:
- coaching
- refereeing
- team management
- sports physiotherapy
- sports journalism and broadcasting
- community sports development
Career tips
Salaries vary widely and depend on a number of factors, including:
- type of contract
- sponsorship
- performance bonuses
- competition results
- the sport's prominence and coverage
Professional sports careers can be relatively short, so it's useful to plan ahead for what you'll do when you retire from competing professionally.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleSports coach
- Job roleSports development officer
- Job rolePerformance sports scientist
- Job roleSports commentator
- Job rolePhysiotherapist
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0