Your career path may not be a straight line. That can be your greatest advantage.

Many professionals in sports are not where they started. Some left the field and came back. Others shifted from playing to management, from coaching to analytics, or from marketing to scouting. What matters most is how you frame your story.

Focus on What You Learned

If you took time off, highlight the skills you built — leadership, organization, communication, adaptability. Those experiences can add depth to your resume if you show how they shaped your perspective.

Show Growth, Not Gaps

Employers care less about the gap itself and more about what you did with it. If you volunteered, took courses, or pursued professional development during that time, include it.

Pivot with Purpose

If you are changing directions, be clear about why. Sports employers want to know that you are moving toward something, not away from something else.

Career paths in sports are rarely linear. What matters is that you keep learning, stay engaged, and continue moving forward.

— Dr. Lynn Lashbrook President, Sports Management Worldwide