Athlete Management - Part 1: On-the-field

The sports industry, on and off the field, has experienced exponential growth in the past two decades, even surpassing the developments in the preceding two centuries. Achieving and sustaining peak performance at the highest level of sport in today’s landscape is comparable to the complexities and challenges faced by an entrepreneur running their respective ventures. An elite athlete must gain several marginal competitive advantages over their competitors, thus requiring a relentless pursuit to stay ahead of the curve. Just like an entrepreneur must build a trustworthy and adaptable team, it is crucial for an athlete to establish a robust support structure around them. As relationships and businesses compound in value over time, an athlete must form strategic partnerships at various stages of their career to ensure long-term career success and to contribute to the advancement of their respective sports.

Given below is an indicative list of the support framework for an athlete in modern sport, collectively referred to as ‘High-Performance Teams’:?

1. Coach - “Success begets success” While not essential, it is preferable that the coach has had prior experience, preferably as a player, at the current competition level of the athlete. It is crucial that coaches not only constantly update themselves with the latest developments in their sport, but also have the requisite basic knowledge and willingness to collaborate with the rest of the experts on the team in order to uphold the best interests of the athlete. The coach must also play an advisory role in organizing the athlete’s calendar and ensuring that the training regimen aligns with it, enabling the athlete to achieve peak performance during key competitions.
2. Physiotherapist - If an athlete could take one other person along with the coach on their tour, it would be the physiotherapist. Injuries are inevitable in the career of a sportsperson, and it is essential to manage them efficiently. The role of a physiotherapist extends beyond injury management, and includes load management and speedy recovery during high-intensity playing seasons.?
3. Strength & Conditioning Coach (S&C Coach) - Working closely with the physiotherapist, the role of the S&C Coach is to assess and manage the workload of an athlete. A S&C coach must design customized programs to enhance athletic and sport-specific performance of the athlete while minimizing the risk of injury.
4. Nutritionist - In order to manage the demands of rigorous training and facilitate speedy recovery, it is important for each athlete to follow a highly personalized nutrition plan. A nutritionist must be well-versed with the doping regulations and appropriate regulated use of supplements. The nutritionist must also seek to integrate elements of the athlete’s food culture and curate a fine balance in order to maximize long-term career benefits as opposed to short-term yields.
5. Mental Conditioning Coach/ Sports Psychologist - What sets apart an all-time great athlete from a good athlete is their ability to maintain composure and deliver under pressure. A mental conditioning coach plays a crucial role in helping an athlete develop their own unique and personalized formula for greatness, enabling them to constantly redefine their boundaries, and maximize their abilities. Through exercises such as journaling, mood diaries, breathing exercises, concentration techniques, and techniques to deal with anxiety, a mental conditioning coach must instill and enhance self-belief, passion, commitment and resilience to empower an athlete to be the best version of themselves.
6. Data Analyst - The integration of data and technology into sports represents the most significant advancement the industry has ever witnessed. There is a critical need for analysts well-versed in athlete management and specific sports intricacies. At the elite level, it is absolutely essential to monitor the biological, physiological and sport-specific markers of an athlete through routine testing (specifically for the biological and physiological markers) and utilization of video technology. The analyst must work closely with each member of the team to ensure relevant information is accessible, thus facilitating data-driven decision making.?

In addition to the high-performance team mentioned above, engaging in activities such as yoga, martial arts, adventure sports, or similar flow-inducing activities suitable to the athlete is likely to lead to holistic development, with specific physical and mental benefits in their sport in the long run. These activities also serve as excellent alternatives in preparation for the pressures of high-performance sports environments.

In nurturing an elite athlete today, success is no longer solely reliant on individual effort but requires a comprehensive team effort. Each team member must coordinate various interventions to effectively fulfil their role. This includes providing coaches with state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment, physiotherapists with tools like massage guns, ice baths and access to massage therapists, and strength and conditioning coaches with specialized equipment to train different muscle groups. To fully utilize analysts, athletes need smart wearables and undergo regular physiological tests, along with infrastructure for recording training sessions and conducting video analysis. Additionally, there may be expenses for orthopedic surgeons in case of injuries, rehabilitation experts, and covering travel and logistics costs for competitions.

As evident from the discussion above, being a modern athlete comes with significant financial demands, particularly within the context of our country. Despite some progress, India still lacks a robust sports culture and sufficient resources to consistently produce world-class athletes. Those who excel on the global stage often have stories of overcoming tremendous odds. Unfortunately, sports are often viewed as a luxury rather than a viable career path, even today. Access to high-quality experts and financial resources is limited. Groups of athletes could pool their resources and form high-performance teams, similar to the support available at professional sports teams or sports academies, although these institutions themselves are scarce in India compared to global standards.?

Within this framework, I'd like to introduce the role of a modern athlete manager. Similar to how a manager in business assesses needs, resources, and formulates plans with different stakeholders, an athlete performance manager becomes a trusted confidante to the athlete.?

Not every athlete requires the entirety of the team mentioned above; instead, they may have inclinations and aptitudes toward certain aspects of high-performance. The team should be tailored to enhance these natural traits while compensating for weaknesses. Understanding each athlete deeply is crucial to forming an appropriate team that aligns with their long-term goals. Ideally, the mental bandwidth of an athlete must be geared to focus fully on training, care for their body and mind, and avoid unnecessary stressors, knowing that their manager is handling other important aspects of running the high-performance team. They should feel comfortable in their own skin and create their own unique brand and style, both on and off the field, and with this self-awareness, assemble a reliable team to maximize their career potential.

In Part 2, I will further explore the growing significance of an athlete performance manager in today’s dynamic sports landscape, with a deeper focus on the off-the-field dimensions of athlete management.