Why is there an income gap after professional athletes retire? Career strategies to become a 'sought-after' individual

When looking ahead to your post-retirement career, how do you think about your own career and what actions are you taking day by day?

For professional athletes, their competitive life is only one part of their entire career.

Also, if you are someone involved in supporting athlete careers, how should you continue to walk alongside them?

Is it a feasible career strategy, or an unfeasible one? Please read on to check your own answers.

Work is not something you 'choose,' but something you are 'chosen' for

While running a company, a new value has sprouted in me: work is not something you 'choose,' but something you are 'chosen' for. This is because, rather than just pursuing what I 'like' or 'want to do,' becoming someone who is sought after by society and others, with them saying 'I want to ask you for this,' was a crucial piece in promoting and expanding the business.

Many athletes must have devoted themselves to their sport since childhood, driven by what they 'like'. As a result, they achieve the dream of becoming a professional, but that career is not eternal.

My impression is that the majority of former athletes hit a career wall because they view their second career as an extension of this idea of turning what they 'like' into a job.

For example, the idea that 'I like basketball, so I will become a basketball coach' is natural, but it lacks the perspective of supply and demand. There are many people who want to be coaches, and those positions are limited, so naturally, if you don't become someone who is 'chosen' among them, it is difficult to establish it as a job, isn't it?

From 'Will-Can-Must' to 'Will-Can-Desired'

In traditional career theory, it is said that the ideal career lies where the three circles of 'Will (what you want to do),' 'Can (what you can do),' and 'Must (what you must do)' overlap.

However, from my management experience, I feel that in forming an athlete's career, it is important to have the perspective of 'Desired (what is required of you)' rather than 'Must (what you must do).'

During their active years, 'Can (overwhelming athletic ability)' is directly linked to 'Want (victory and excitement),' so these three circles naturally overlap, don't they?

However, once they retire, the value of 'Can' changes, and it becomes harder to connect with 'Desired' as it was before. That is precisely why athletes are required to view their own 'Can' from multiple angles starting from their active years and make an effort to connect it with society's 'Desired'.

For example, if you can break down not just the 'Can' of simply being 'good at soccer,' but 'the ability to plan and execute to achieve goals' and 'leadership to unite a team' into portable skills that can be carried into any workplace or environment, the possibility of connecting with the 'Desired' sought in the business world increases dramatically.

First, you must thoroughly polish what you are good at

In the first place, what you are good at is 'something that you are thanked for by those around you, despite the effort you put in.' In other words, things that are natural and easy for you to do are extremely valued by those around you. That is exactly what you are good at, and it also becomes a valuable initial value you can provide in business.

When that happens, 'Should I give up on making what I want to do my job?' I can hear that voice, but the answer is NO.

If you thoroughly continue to do what you are good at, your expertise and skills will naturally continue to be polished, and from a long-term perspective, opportunities to engage in what you want to do will come around.

In my case, I have always been good at taking a bird's-eye view of the whole picture, developing strategies and tactics, and acting as an intermediary between people. I have often found myself standing between conflicting parties to mediate or bringing together disparate opinions, and I have never found this to be a burden.

Currently, in professional athlete management, as projects grow larger, the number of partners, alliance companies, and other colleagues involved has increased.

I prioritize the thoughts and strengths of the athletes I manage, consider how to achieve our goals, and carry out tasks by incorporating everyone's thoughts and opinions. Before I knew it, this had become my own portable skill.

Furthermore, I am grateful that my connections have continued to expand through referrals, and I have had more opportunities to support not only professional athletes but also business owners and those aspiring to start their own businesses.

Then, while providing consultation on startup support, business promotion, and expansion, I began forming project teams with experts and directing them to completion, which ultimately led to a situation where business synergies with professional athlete management were created.

As the scope of what I can do expands, what I want to do is also updated, and I can see the mission I should fulfill next.It is not just about what I want to do or what I am good at, but rathersomething like an ambition to contribute to society in this way.

This is the same for the professional athletes we manage, as they also experience changes in their state of mind and reach turning points.

In conclusion, each athlete mustbecome the manager of their own career, accurately grasp what is 'Desired' by society, and continue to polish their own 'Can'.That is the career strategy and career ownership required for professional athletes to survive in an era of rapid change.

As a way to navigate the 100-year life era, let's steadily polish our strengths over a medium- to long-term span of about 5 to 10 years, rather than a short-term span of 1 or 2 years.

If you would like to delve deeper and think about this yourself, please also take a look at the above.

Also, if you have any questions regarding your career, please feel free to contact me.

You can reach me viathe inquiry form,ora direct message on X (formerly Twitter).

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