After speaking to ex-professional footballer and boxer Leon McKenzie, I was pointed towards the fantastic work that Life After Professional Sport does to help sportspeople find employment after their retirement.
The organisation, founded by professional footballer Robbie Simpson, began to take shape after Robbie came into contact with recruitment consultant Rob Steed. With the idea for LAPS now roughly formulated, Nathan Hastings, an experienced IT consultant, was also brought on board - kickstarting LAPS' superb work in helping sportsmen and women unsure about what lies ahead.
I conducted an interview with Rob, who explained what LAPS offers to ex-professionals and why household names such as Leon McKenzie, Adam Lallana and Danny Cipriani are so crucial to the organisation's efforts.
When asked about how LAPS can support sportspeople, Rob emphasised the importance of finding employment after retirement : "The big message is even if you make it as a Premier League footballer and earn millions of pounds over your career, you’re not going to want to get to your mid-thirties and then not do anything. So, even though it might not be a financial thing, you’re still going to want to do something with your life, and maybe the finance gives you the freedom to do something more charitable or what else your passion is."
To find out what else Rob had to say about the issue, check out the completed project in mid-December!