Athlete apprenticeships - where to start
You can get into this career through:
a university coursean apprenticeshipa sports development programme
University
You can apply to do a course at university in the usual way through UCAS and join your university’s athletics development programme, if one is available.
You may be able to apply to a university for a sports scholarship, if you’ve competed at club, regional or national level and have shown the potential to go further.
You'll usually need 1 or 2 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma. You'll need 2 to 3 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a degree.
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships relevant to this role include:
- Level 3 Community activator coach
- Level 3 Community sport and health officer
These Apprenticeships may give you opportunities to use your sports skills outside of a professional sporting career. To get onto an apprenticeship, you'll find it useful to have 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths.
Other Routes
You may be able to study for a qualification at college or university as part of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.
You must be 16 or over, be performing at a high level, and be nominated by your sport's national governing body, UK Athletics.
You can apply to join the Paralympic Development Academy, if you have the potential to perform at national and international paralympic level.
If you're already competing at a high level, you may be offered an opportunity to join the British Athletics Futures Academy Programme. This aims to help exceptionally talented athletes compete at World Championships, and Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Contact your nearest athletics club for information about how to get involved and for details of their athlete development programmes. Many athletes combine their career in track and field with study or a second job.
Athlete apprenticeships - what it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- physical fitness and endurance
- persistence and determination
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- ambition and a desire to succeed
- the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
- physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Athlete apprenticeships - what you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties will depend on your event. You may:
- take part in indoor and outdoor training sessions and exercise routines
- practise running, throwing or jumping drills
- work with fitness coaches in the gym to build up strength and conditioning
- have treatment with physiotherapists for any injuries
- identify areas for improvement with your coach
- take part in trials and competitive races
- travel to athletics events, including overseas for international championships
- take part in promotional and media activities for your club
- mentor younger athletes
Working environment
You could work on a sports field or at a sports arena.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers, physically and emotionally demanding and you may spend nights away from home.
You may need to wear a sports kit.
Career path and progression - Athlete apprenticeships
You could move into coaching with clubs, colleges and universities. Your experience would also be useful for jobs in community sports development or sports management.
You might also take further training to become a sports physiotherapist, nutritionist or sports scientist.