For 99.9% of athletes in the world, becoming a professional athlete just might not work out the way we planned.

And that is OK.

Without diving too deep off the beaten path, life isn’t about having a bunch of money. It’s about loving what you do, regardless of how much you get paid.

And this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t expect not to play pro sports. You should. If you want to be a professional athlete, start training like one before it’s too late. It’s your only shot.

If it doesn’t work out the way you planned, come back and check out this article.

What should I do if my sports career doesn’t work?

This article isn’t about comparing the pros versus cons of being a professional athlete or not.

Rather, we’d like to inspire one or two kids out there to pursue something they’re passionate about outside of sports. That could mean starting a business. Learning to code. Choosing a school. Job shadowing a professional. Starting to invest your money.

1- Get an education (online)

Think you have to attend college just to get a job? Think again.

There are thousands upon thousands of places to learn online, at no cost to you. Sure, there are plenty of places where you’ll have to pay to learn a skill, but equally as many (if not more) where you can learn for free.

Try places like Lynda.com, Udemy, Code Academy and Skillshare to learn something new.

Now, beyond paying to learn a new skill online. Where can we learn something that will help jumpstart a professional career, for free?

Do you binge-watch videos? Like listening to Music? YouTube and Spotify are two excellent places to learn things that can help you professionally. Spotify? Yup. Spotify is quickly making a name for it’s “Podcasts” section of the app. Follow big name business brains like Tim Ferriss, Gary Vaynerchuk and more.

2- Start A Business

This is my favorite part of the entire article, because you do not have to be a professional athlete to start a sports related business. Or any business for that matter.

In fact, all you need is a drive to learn and a service or product to sell. It’s that simple. Of course, there will be naysayers (just like there are naysayers in sports), but the truth is if you can sell your product or service.. you’re going to win at business.

Thinking about starting a goalie coaching business? Jump to our next point.

As far as businesses you could start, think about your passions. What is it you like to do? What makes you the happiest? Think about these things honestly, if you need help ask a friend.

You will quickly realize things aren’t about who can make the most money. More importantly, if you’re doing something you love you’ll never work a day in your life (hmm, never heard that one before).

You can start a service based business (like, mowing lawns). Or a product based business, like buying things from overseas and selling them on eBay or Amazon (see, drop shipping or Amazon FBA). You can sell your services (like, building a website).

There are hundreds of different verticals that you can choose to start a business in. All it takes is an understanding of your passions and a desire to learn / achieve.

If you’re looking for a great motivator, listen to the GaryVee podcast.

3-  Start A Goalie Coaching Business