The Reciprocal Effect of Sports: Developing Through Sport and the Potential for Real Impact

By Matt Amerlan

Director of Workforce Development, Positive Athlete

We’ve previously discussed how the sports landscape has evolved over the years, the intended and unintended consequences of this, the pros and cons of this, and the overall societal impact that sports undoubtedly has. Further, the impact on our overall economy, the impact the growth of elite and pro sports has had on how youth and high school sports has evolved. More specialization, more travel, less affordability, etc. The fact that youth sports is now a multi-billion dollar industry, fueling a “more is more” culture and fanning a desire and pressure to be a part of it for all stakeholders involved.

Every single athlete that participates in the sports world, whether it is the Olympian standing on the podium; the aspiring Olympian that just misses making the Olympic team by a tenth of a second; the pro athlete with a multi-million dollar contract; the pro athlete that is always on the fringe of making the roster, or the millions of youth and roughly 10 million high school age athletes that aspire to be the 3% - 5% (depending on the sources you look at) that go on to compete at a high level after high school; every single one of these athletes puts a significant amount of time and commitment into their sport. While everyone has a different “ceiling”, every athlete trying to reach their ceiling (wherever that is) puts so much into their athlete journey.

In this culture and landscape we run the risk of athletes having identity struggles, not understanding that there are other things they are capable of, that they can experience other pursuits that fulfill purpose and meaning, and that their athlete journey, wherever that ends serves a dual purpose for success for their “next team” in career and in life. It is important that we empower our athletes at all levels to understand this. Not just for their career prospects post athletics, but to also impact mental wellbeing, reinforce that while athletes have put a lot into their athletic pursuits, this doesn’t “pigeon hole them” but can equip them with skills that they can transfer for success in finding other purposes and passions and can help them find success in any career field that they choose.

We need to help our athletes understand this concept while competing, no matter what level they are at (sports as a dual purpose at all levels). That athletes aren’t just athletes but that they are whole people in and out of sport and that they have capabilities that transcend sport that they in fact have developed and polished as part of their athlete journey. While we have a long way to go, I have noticed that the sports ecosystem is starting to do a better job of highlighting this. A better job of empowering athletes at all levels, and reinforcing athletes as a holistic person, being a champion for who they are in and out of sport. We see examples with outlets like Front Office Sports highlighting that, “Young Athletes Have Entered Their LinkedIn Era”, and the recent instagram example of Team USA highlighting skills that transfer (link to post). This not only prepares athletes for post sport, but just might help them perform more freely while participating in their sport.

In addition to the need of empowering athletes in this way at the Pro and Olympic level this is core to our mission at Positive Athlete and needs to be done with athletes at all levels. Our program is available to the roughly 10 million high school age student athletes that participate in any sport. We recognize, empower, and connect Positive Athletes for the impact that they make in their communities that transcend sport, for overcoming and making a positive overall impact on everything and everyone around them. We empower them to understand that they have highly sought after soft/durable skills that transfer, that these skills are learned and honed through their athlete journey. When athletes can identify, realize, and communicate this it opens up a world of life long possibilities that impacts them and society as a whole. What if we can reach all 10 million high school age student athletes in that way?

One of the biggest challenges in our society is having a workforce ready population. This is something that we need to invest in. At the Federal and State level it is essential that we fund workforce initiatives that ensure that we have a workforce pipeline that is ready and that is positioned to strengthen economies, and ensure competitive industries. In addition to empowering our athletes, to celebrating them as not just athletes, what if we leaned into a strategy as a workforce solution? The youth and H.S. Sports population is one of the largest and most engaged communities we have. What if we invested in creating formal youth and High School sports educational outcome standards that teach the dual purpose of sports? Standards that connect the dots for millions of young athletes to understand that their sports journey is teaching highly sought after career skills. This just might result in a larger, stronger, workforce ready pipeline that impacts the economies we live in, while at the same time empowering millions of athletes to understand that they have skills to make an impact on their next team in life. This also will help these millions of athletes realize that they have a skillset that transfers for success and can be applied to other purposes in life. There it is again, that dual purpose concept!