Football skills beyond the pitch
All my colleagues know that I love football – mainly the Premier League men’s game, as this has been widely accessible to me. Having played football as a teenager (many years ago), it was a delight to witness the Lionesses win the Euros in 2025, and as a spectator it was a joy to witness the quality of football being played.
I’ve always encouraged young people to consider the benefits of sport – not just playing the game, but the career opportunities and job roles that surround it. These include:
- Refereeing
- Media
- Business
- Sports science and medicine
- Data analytics
- Retail and hospitality
Each career takes specific skills, qualities and qualifications, but are all linked to sport.
Besides a possible career path, there are so many benefits of sport. The obvious one is the positive mental and physical impact, but there are also soft skills to be learned from taking part in sport. These include leadership, communication, resilience, problem solving, empathy, negotiation and organisational skills. All of these are useful within sport, everyday life and your chosen career. I encourage young people to use these skills they’ve gained on their CVs, applications and personal statements to demonstrate their abilities.
Having recently returned to playing women’s social football, I can certainly say it creates a sense of community. I’ve been able to meet new people, learn new skills and have fun. I’d encourage any girl wanting to play football to search for local teams, as there are several new opportunities popping up.
For more information about careers linked to football and sport in general, check out these websites:
Information on college football programmes combining education and playing can be found here:
Whether you see your future career in sport or not, developing skills within sport now can help you gain the right skills for your future.