BUILD A DREAM TEAM FOR SUCCESS BEYOND SPORT - By: - Annette Huygens-Tholen -

Athletes are used to having all kinds of people with various skills supporting them to become the best they can be, to fulfill the dream. It is no different in life beyond sport—retired athletes don’t have to do it all on their own. They can benefit from creating their own dream team to help get a new business off the ground, gain ground in an unfamiliar industry, manage projects within a corporation or to enjoy the lifestyle they desire. Here are the type of people I want on my team to create the same level of success enjoyed in sport…or greater:

#1: Coach
A personal or professional coach can teach new skills, train to optimize talents and keep one accountable. Have you ever tried to stay in the same shape or do drills on your own at the same level you did with a coach? It’s hard! Behind every high-achiever there is always someone on the sidelines guiding and supporting them with their wisdom and experience.
Imagine how things might be if you still had someone in your career, and in your relationships, to give you a game plan and help you prepare to play! What if you had someone you respected by your side every step of the way to point you in the right direction and tell you exactly what you need to do in order to achieve your personal dreams? There are many styles of coaches away from the sports field, including life coaches, business coaches, strategy coaches, relationship coaches and mindset coaches.
A coach will keep you moving forward from one step to the next in the right direction until you get where you want to go. A coach will ensure you learn everything you need to from your mistakes and setbacks so they don’t repeat themselves. That one person is always there to keep you focused on solutions and improving your weaknesses.

#2: Mentor(s)
Having a mentor is usually a less formal arrangement than having a coach. Many successful people are happy and willing to share their knowledge and experience with another keen to get into the same business or profession. As an Olympian I have mentored many an upcoming athlete by sharing my experiences, from life on the world tour to training practices.
Getting a mentor that has succeeded in an area of business that you wish to emulate gives you a perfect opportunity to model that success. To get a mentor all you have to do is ask! Many people are flattered to be asked. As long as it fits in with their schedule, they will very likely agree to mentor you to some degree. And if you persist, and use your team synergy skills you just learned, you may even have yourself a life-long mentor.

#3: Support Crew/Network
Who supports your dream? As athletes, most of us are lucky enough to have a kind of “extended team” of people who follow our progress and even get caught up in our dreams and ambitions, helping us get there in any way they can. These are not just cheerleaders. In the world of business, this is your network.
Surround yourself with people that are willing to stand behind what you do because they believe in you. Go to events, conferences and clubs where you can rub shoulders with like-minded professionals, especially those with similar goals or life paths with whom you can go the distance together. This becomes a mutual support team, a formal or informal group of people, whom you admire, respect, and learn from. Why hang around people that want to pull you down? Ideally, your time is spent with people “on the same wave-length” who hold you up to a high standard of achievement. Even better, they have surpassed your level of success and inspire you to shoot beyond what you thought possible.
As you grow and transition, developing a new career, you may start to mix in different circles, drifting away from some of your friends. That is a natural cycle. Now that you have left your sporting career behind, you will need to consider the balance between maintaining contact with that lifestyle and creating a new one to continue to develop a network that supports you, and possibly even your new identity. It’s not something you need to do dramatically and cut ties with life-long friends, as I’ve seen some people do. You may, however, need to make tough decisions if a person is constantly draining your energy or is holding you back. Be with the people who energize you and help lift your game.

# 4: Specialized Support
In sport, there are always doctors, chiropractors, physical therapy specialists, sponsors, media, even concessions staff on the sidelines making sure you get the proper nourishment and replenishment. Who do you need to help you achieve your dream in life beyond sport? They probably won’t just be there waiting for you in the wings when you get started. You have to go out and find the right professionals with the skills you need to launch your new career or reach your life goals. Find those with specialized knowledge that you don’t have. If you are going into business for yourself, think about what kind of specialized support you will need. Do you need partners? Investors? Do you need to have referral partners in another organization to refer business to each other? Do you need financial support staff, an accountant, a financial planner or advisor? As you put together your dream team, you may find that staff or advisors that specialize in accounting, marketing, administration, internet and website development are critical to your career’s growth.
Start working out who you need on your own dream team to drive you toward success.

About the Author

Annette Huygens Tholen is a former international beach volleyball player and participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She experienced the difficulties of transition from sport and is now a Master Results Coach and International speaker using her learnings and experience to empower athletes to reproduce emotional and financial success in their life after sport. Annette also teaches seminars for the world's biggest NLP Coaching and Training Organisation -The Christopher Howard Companies. For more information on how to successfully transition after sport, please visit http://www.annetteffect.com and sign up for the free mini-Ecourse.

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