Why we Created Future Ready…

Future Ready was created because the pathway from university into the sports industry is rarely straightforward.

For a few years now, young practitioners step into roles that were underpaid, undervalued, or unsustainable, simply because they felt they had no other option. Many believed that “getting your foot in the door” meant sacrificing financial stability or accepting environments that didn’t support their growth. They were told this was normal. That this was “just how sport works.”

But the truth is: employability isn’t just about getting a job in sport - it’s about having the skills, awareness, and confidence to shape a career that is right for you.

And that career doesn’t always have to start, or stay, inside a traditional sports role. The competencies young practitioners develop in sport science, coaching, communication, leadership, data analysis, problem-solving, and collaboration are highly transferable across health, performance, education, private sector, tech, and beyond.

Yet most graduates or early career practitioners don’t realise this.

They are left thinking their options are limited.
They perceive that choosing a different path means they’ve “failed.”
They see looking outside of sport as giving up.

Future Ready was built to challenge that narrative.

We saw a widening gap between university education and the real, applied demands of working in sport - and an even larger gap in support, guidance, and industry understanding for young people trying to navigate their early years in those formative years after education.

Universities teach knowledge. And they do a great job of it. But they rarely support employability beyond graduation. Those important factors like purpose, communication, interview readiness, career strategy, or how to survive in a competitive industry. Business skills, financial literacy, negotiation and challenging boundaries and ethics. These skills, if mastered, can open doors far beyond a training pitch.

So Future Ready was created to bridge that gap and to increase the chances of success for every young coach, practitioner, and graduate who deserves more than uncertainty.

Future Ready helps people move from:
Academic knowledge → Applied impact
Sport-only identity → Multi-pathway career awareness
Underpaid opportunities → Empowered decision-making
“I hope I’m good enough” → “I know what I bring to the table”

This programme exists to prepare practitioners for the industry and for every opportunity their skillset can unlock.

And the stories that follow show how transformational that journey can be.

The Race to Become Employable

In sport, performance metrics are easy to measure. Speed, strength, and GPS outputs. But for emerging practitioners, the biggest challenge is invisible: learning how to position themselves in a crowded, competitive space.

A degree gets you started. Employability gets you chosen. Transferable skills keep you adaptable.

Future Ready was created to help practitioners develop clarity, confidence, and direction - whether they choose to stay in sport or apply their skills elsewhere.

Below are four journeys from practitioners who began with uncertainty and emerged with purpose.

1. Lizzie Ruxton: Finding Clarity and Purpose

A recent graduation for Lizzie kickstarted her thoughts of “what next?”

When Lizzie completed her Master’s degree, she felt the same pressure many young graduates face and the expectation to know exactly what comes next. Instead, she felt stuck.

“I felt unsure about what direction to take next in my career.”

Lizzie joined Future Ready looking for guidance, but what she found was much deeper: a clearer understanding of her identity, values, and long-term aspirations. The sessions helped her uncover not just what she wanted to do, but why.

“The most valuable part was gaining a clearer understanding of my purpose, personal values, and career goals.”

Hearing from peers slightly further ahead in their journey gave her both reassurance and perspective. She came to see employability as something personal and evolving and not a rigid checklist or fixed finish line.

“Employability should fit around your life, not the other way around.”

By the end, Lizzie had transformed uncertainty into direction. She began setting goals that aligned with who she is, and not who she thought she needed to be.

2. Dan Perkins: Turning Reflection into Confidence

Dan entered the programme knowing he had a gap: interviews. He struggled to express himself confidently in professional settings and was unsure how to bridge the transition from university to real-world performance environments.

Future Ready helped him break down those barriers through our group based learning environments, providing discussion, feedback, and active reflection. The live sessions became his testing ground and we had a lot of fun getting things wrong in the early stages. But with a safe place to learn, question, and grow, we got their in the end.

“I realised I had very bad interview skills and lots of uncertainty about my career trajectory. The interaction with mentors and others in similar situations meant I could get different perspectives on issues I was facing and practice new found skills to take to future interviews.”

3. Marik Boutell: Redefining What It Means to Be Ready

Marik and Dan met recently at the Sportsmith Conference to bring to life the networking skills taught on the mentorship!

Before the programme, Marik felt stuck at the crossroads many practitioners know too well: he didn’t know how to express his strengths, and he didn’t know how his experiences translated into applied value.

“I wasn’t sure how to grab attention through my CV or communicate my value in a way that felt authentic.

Future Ready gave him the language, structure, and confidence to communicate who he is as a coach and not just what he had done on paper. Hearing others’ stories helped him rethink his own.

“Hearing from other mentees was powerful. Their perspectives gave me confidence and helped me see challenges from new angles.”

This reflection turned into self-awareness. And that self-awareness turned into direction.

“I now think more strategically — analysing whether I fit an environment rather than trying to force myself into it.”

Marik discovered that readiness isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, honesty, adaptability, and the mindset to contribute meaningfully — wherever he chooses to apply his skills.

4. Joanna Seto: Building Confidence Through Connection

Fresh out of university, Joanna has looked for connection, support, and real-world clarity. She wanted to learn from others and understand how to make informed decisions about her future. She is currently on a brilliant coach development program with Ivi Casagrande and combined those learnings and experiences alongside our 12 week employability mentorship.

At first, she hesitated to ask questions in our group sessions, but then realised how critical those skills were to any team in any working environment. She worried about how she would sound. But she soon realised she was holding herself back.

“It was challenging at the beginning because I wanted to ask questions but didn’t always know how.”

Once she gave herself permission to speak up, everything changed. She asked boldly, listened intently, and absorbed as much as she could.

“I started asking everything I wanted to. The outcome was great.”

Joanna learned to evaluate opportunities with intention, not pressure. She became clearer about what she wanted — and equally clear that her goals may evolve over time, and that’s okay.

“It’s helped me create steps to reach my ultimate goal and understand that my goal might change often throughout a career. I thought that my next destination had to be elite sport because thats what we talk about at university. The employability support has helped so much to reframe what a career is. So, if you get a chance, join the program! There will definitely be something valuable you take from it.”

A Shared Message: Growth Through Reflection

Across all four stories, the message is unmistakable:

Employability isn’t about a job - it’s about purpose, awareness, and knowing what you want from a career.
It’s about transferable skills, not narrow pathways.
It’s about creating opportunities, not waiting for them.

Future Ready is here to help. We aim to just prepare the practitioners of tomorrow, with the skills they need now to shape careers they want, where communication, reflection, leadership, and problem-solving matter.

Are You Ready to Become Future Ready?

If you’re a young practitioner looking for clarity, confidence, and a pathway that aligns with your values, whether that is inside sport or elsewhere we built this Future Ready Mentorship for you,

The best bit? IT can be FREE - thanks to TeamBuildr who are sponsoring our next cohort starting in January. Simply apply HERE to be considered!

If yo have any questions, reach out to us on info@collaboratesports.com

Three Journeys, One Message: How Future Ready Is Shaping the Next Wave of Practitioners