Discovering Your Fit in the Sports Industry – Work in Sports Podcast - a podcast by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

This is the struggle! "I love sports, what should I do for my career?" Well, good news, we have a plan to help you with that. Hey It’s Brian --Want to know a growing field in sports -- mental health. The sports industry increasingly utilizes mental health professionals to help athletes achieve their maximum potential.Are you ready to Take the Lead and help the athletes you work with become the best they can be? If so, an advanced degree in sport and performance psychology from University of Western States may be for you.Learn how to teach the process of setting and attaining high-level achievements, creating and leading a highly effective team, and positive motivation and effective communication skills. UWS offers affordable master’s and doctoral degrees that can be completed online and on your own time. Take the Lead in helping athletes and teams bring home their next championship.  A degree in Sports and Performance Psychology is the next step in your athletic leadership career.  Visit www.uws.edu/takethelead for more information.Now let’s start the countdown...Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast -- Big thanks to the University of Florida and Grand Canyon University for having me speak to their classes last week. I’ll tell you it is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. I learn as much as, I hope, the students do, because I get to know what is on their mind. I do about a 30-40 minute set, and then open it up for questions...and thankfully these groups have had a lot to ask. It keeps me on my toes, not knowing what is coming, and just having to react and answer from my experience and knowledge. It really keeps me sharp. It also gives me a window into what students are gravitating toward for careers, what fears they have, what lingering questions or unsure decisions they have to make. I love it. If you’re a professor listening, feel free to invite me into your classroom - I’d be honored. So let’s get into one of these common themes that always emerges. From no one in particular but honestly just about everyone --“Hi Brian, you are awesome, I love sports, can you help me figure out what career in sports I should pursue”I added the “Brian you are awesome part” but suffice it to say, this is a question I get 20 times a week through LinkedIn, through our private facebook group, through email, through sessions like these in classrooms.This is the question.I’ll be honest - it used to make me mad. Well, not mad, but kind of frustrated. I can’t answer this question for someone, I can’t tell you what to do for your career and I can’t spend an hour looking at your resume and trying to figure out where you fit. That also happens. I used to have this quick response I’d provide, where I’d say something like “while I fully appreciate the struggle to figure out your life’s goals, I’m not armed with enough info to help you determine your career direction - I don’t know enough about you and what makes you tick!’To which people would respond with their resume, or 10 paragraphs about themselves and say here you go -- now you know me, so what should I do for my career. I want to help, but come on, not to sound callous but I have a full-time job and a family, I shouldn’t be spending my free moments in life doing a free deep dive on your and creating your life plan.I’m not that nice.   In truth, I was avoiding this conversation about “fit in the sports industry” because I knew it was reckless to answer this for someone. I try really hard not to peddle bad advice -- and while that may not sound like a  groundbreaking approach - you’d be surprised...

Further episodes of The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Further podcasts by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Website of Brian Clapp - Work in Sports