Football as a Catalyst for Entrepreneurship: Evaluating the Impact of Female Athletes’ Sporting Experiences on Entrepreneurial Pursuits
A summary of research:
This research looked at how playing football helps female athletes become entrepreneurs after their playing careers end. Even though women's football is growing, many players don't earn enough from the sport alone and need other ways to make money. This study suggests that entrepreneurship is a good option because football helps players develop important qualities and abilities that are very useful in starting and running a business. The study interviewed nine women who played professional or semi-professional football and are now entrepreneurs to understand what skills they learned from the sport and how those skills helped them succeed in business.
The main finding is that playing football indeed acts like a training ground for entrepreneurship, helping these women develop key traits and skills. These include things like being mentally tough to handle challenges, being good at making decisions and taking calculated risks, knowing how to work with others and communicate well, bouncing back from failures, constantly wanting to improve, understanding themselves, and having strong self-drive. The study found that these skills, developed on the field, were very helpful in overcoming challenges faced in the business world, especially because female entrepreneurs often face unfair practices and biases.
Based on the results of this study, here are three practical and actionable takeaways for coaches and administrators in women's soccer:
Highlight and connect football skills to future careers: The study clearly shows that playing football builds specific valuable skills like teamwork, communication, goal-setting, resilience, and self-discipline. Coaches should actively point out to players how these skills developed in training and games are directly transferable and valuable for many careers, including entrepreneurship. Making this connection explicit helps players recognize their potential beyond the sport.
Develop career transition support programs: The research highlighted that female athletes can face significant barriers when moving from football to other careers, including entrepreneurship. Administrators can help by creating or promoting programs that offer mentorship from former players who became entrepreneurs, provide access to basic business training, or help players build professional networks. This support can help players navigate challenges like working alone or dealing with industry biases.
Champion players as future entrepreneurs and leaders: The study aims to increase awareness of the entrepreneurial potential of female footballers. Coaches and administrators should publicly recognize and celebrate players' leadership qualities and achievements both on and off the field. By speaking positively about entrepreneurship as a viable and fitting path for female athletes, they can inspire players and challenge stereotypes, showing that the traits honed in football are a strong foundation for success in business.
Author: Jennika Appelberg
You can read the entire master’s thesis here.
