life post elite level sport

bimble

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I suspect a lot of it depends on whether you were a full-time athlete, or one that either had to train around a job or got into the elite level later in life. Alison Williamson has gone back into teaching & from her posts on twitter has taken up football. A lot of the more senior members of GBR had jobs (Alan Wills was a carpenter, Simon Terry was a HGV driver (I think)), before and during their archery careers.

Though this might be a more pertinent question for the younger elite archers coming up, who might very well be effectively "full time" archers from their late teens/early 20's, without the consideration of what will happen after.
 

Munsterman

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I remember one of the squad coaches commenting not so long ago that their perfect archery was dumb as a brick but could commit to working towards the perfect shot execution with great zeal. Someone that goes all in when chasing an Olympic medal. This is probably not somebody with a solid job.
 

Marcus37

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I think that in comparison archery is quite a poor sport compared to football/rugby/athletes/cycling as these athletes always seam to be raking it in either from wages and/or endorsements of brands etc and most retire millionaires.
Ware as archery is normally archery brand sponsorship with performance payments and lots of equipment gifts that are no nowhere other sports.

Unless the archer start a brand, or becomes a High level coach I don't most will just fade away.

In today's world unless you are lucky becoming just a pro archer with no side job will be very difficult, unless you take up coaching or something to pay the bills (for adults at least)

A joke I saw online kinda sums it up.
What do you call a pro archer without a boyfriend or girlfriend...
Homeless.
 

bimble

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I remember one of the squad coaches commenting not so long ago that their perfect archery was dumb as a brick but could commit to working towards the perfect shot execution with great zeal.
they do say the trickiest 6" of archery is that between your ears... ;)
 

DarkMuppet

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And there was me thinking that most of the "full time" archers has a career in selling stuff that they got through sponsorship or discount on ebay or the various Facebook groups..... ;)
 

dvd8n

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At the risk of getting flamed, I'm struggling to feel much sympathy for her. She was paid for years for playing a game and now she's surprised that there was no career path at the end of it.

I remember forty years ago being told that a professional athlete needs real qualifications, a 'second string to their bow', as most don't make it and those that do don't often get a lifelong career out of it.

Ok, downvote me and flame me to death............
 

Munsterman

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And there was me thinking that most of the "full time" archers has a career in selling stuff that they got through sponsorship or discount on ebay or the various Facebook groups..... ;)
Yes, it seems a bit cheeky and ungrateful to me but clearly a good income to be had.
 

Marcus37

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At the risk of getting flamed, I'm struggling to feel much sympathy for her. She was paid for years for playing a game and now she's surprised that there was no career path at the end of it.

I remember forty years ago being told that a professional athlete needs real qualifications, a 'second string to their bow', as most don't make it and those that do don't often get a lifelong career out of it.

Ok, downvote me and flame me to death............
You have a point, for every one person that makes it 9 won't, so yes having a fall back is a good thing.

If I knew when I was 16 what I knew now I may have tried to "go pro" but I would have still got my qualifications along the way.
 

geoffretired

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I think that top level sportspeople who make a good living after they become too old to compete at that height are usually the ones who made a good living out of their chosen sport while they were at the top. Highly paid sports and "professional" archery are two different things.
Top archers are not famous in the same way as top footballers, for example. Look at TV adverts to see whose names sell products.
 

chrisgas

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If I was a retired top pro archer and was stuck for work and I still wanted to travel the world, maybe I would try and take archery onto cruise ships?

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If I was a top pro archer and was stuck for work and I still wanted to travel the world, maybe I would try and take archery onto cruise ships?
 

Witty_Banter

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To be honest, EVERYONE should look to have a 'second string to their bow', regardless of whether they are a pro sportsperson (equal ops etc!) or otherwise. I've got a 'professional career', but I've also got professional qualifications in several other possible career streams, just in case something goes wrong or I inevitably fancy a change. Admittedly, not all of those are high-paying career streams, but it's nice to have a Plan B / C / D etc!

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To be honest, EVERYONE should look to have a 'second string to their bow', regardless of whether they are a pro sportsperson (equal ops etc!) or otherwise. I've got a 'professional career', but I've also got professional qualifications in several other possible career streams, just in case something goes wrong or I inevitably fancy a change. Admittedly, not all of those are high-paying career streams, but it's nice to have a Plan B / C / D etc!
 

Marcus37

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In NFAS they take up crossbow.
If my club had not outlawed crossbows in its constitution (like most clubs) I would be shooting a crossbow for sure.
That was my original plan until I found I could not find a club in order to safely do so, so I went compound which is a good second best for me.
 

AndyW

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In that case - welcome. Fun aren't they? Try NFAS next, no pretend bunny is safe and you get to play with Xbows. There's a vicious rumour that a compound Xbow class is a possible for the future so all is good.
 

Marcus37

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In that case - welcome. Fun aren't they? Try NFAS next, no pretend bunny is safe and you get to play with Xbows. There's a vicious rumour that a compound Xbow class is a possible for the future so all is good.
Oh yes a lot of fun, i had a go on my uncles in the US. It was a compound crossbow with a reverse draw ( I don't know the proper name for it) I enjoyed that more than his 308 rifle. And that's why I started in archery as I got hooked on shooting arrows.
The only issue and why I do not own a crossbow (yet) is that I have nowhere to shoot safely, as a garden would be risky with that kinda power much like my compound bow.
I did consider starting a club but that seems more of a dream than possible reality.
 

Andy!

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I have mentioned on more than a few occasions that the last thing that I'd want any of my kids to be is a professional sportsman and particularly an Olympic athlete
The investigations into the leading performers with the traditional Olympic sports indicates that the competition is so high, training should start no later than three. That's not saying it's the best age. It's reporting that the current champions were started in their sport BEFORE they were three years old.
The report also indicated that as more sports were entering worldwide competition, they were being dominated by athletes who had started training earlier.
Imagine growing up with your life revolving around one central activity. It's not so much of an issue if you have a dominant priority from the start.

K Anders -Ericcson's studies of expertise indicated that the top sportspeople all had the key factors of starting very young, having opportunities to develop and had a lot of parental support.
The absolute best sportspeople in sports that don't have any potential to provide an income end up becoming specialists at not being employable to do anything else. They become specialists at a very early age.
I had a friend who was a Lotus Notes God and when his work finally got jack of paying IBM, they transitioned away from Notes and within six months, his major skillset made him the least useful member of the IT department.

At least the Australian Institute of Sport gives athletes courses on how to manage money.

I wouldn't wish or encourage a lifetime commitment for limited earning potential on anyone I cared about.
 

Munsterman

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I wonder how many of our current crop of "elite" archers have anything to fall back on? I know some like Nicky Hunt have qualifications like physioterrorist but I suspect most have will have nothing but their memories. I doubt many are still BAE engineers these days. Some seem to be able to generate profiles in excess of their achievements but how long will that last for in a cut throat game?
 

chrisgas

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Four or five career changes in any persons working lifetime I would think is not unusual these days. Why would an Olympic grade athlete be any different? If they have not looked to their future before their career in sport should finish then they are naive and a bit thoughtless.

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