Life of a professional sportsman

by Yess_18 Fri 09 Mar 2012, 9:24 am

Last summer my daughter brought home Steven Gerrard's autobiography, abridged version, to read. I am a Liverpool supporter but I don't particularly like autobiographies so I must admit that I only read parts of it. Later in the year, before the Rugby World Cup, I read an article about the Welsh lock Bradley Davies. Both are successful professional sportsmen and have something in common. They get homesick when on tour, and find it very hard to be away from their families and their home. Most of us, at least those interested in sports, tend to think that being a professional sportsman or woman must be one of the best jobs around. However, after reading what these two sportsmen said, I started to appreciate that as with most things there are advantages and disadvantages.

A friend of mine could put me in contact with one of our local professional rugby players, Ian Gough from the Ospreys, to chat about life as a professional sportsman. Is he living the dream?

Ian started his professional career for Newport 15 years ago and has recently signed a 2 year contract with the Ospreys which takes his playing career at least to the summer 2014. He has also played for Pontypridd, Newport Gwent Dragons and has no less than 64 caps for Wales, including two Six Nations Grand Slams.

He started his professional career just before he turned 20. It wasn't really something he had been aiming for and says that in many ways he was lucky. At the time there were players leaving the game and with 8 teams in Wales rather than the 4 regions we have now, a bit easier to get the chance. The game was just turning professional and there were only 8-9 players who had full time pro contracts at his club for the first few years. He thinks it is harder to get a pro contract now.

Many things have changed since he started out and according to Ian they are still changing. This naturally means that the approach to his job keeps changing as well. For example, it has become more scientific, more strict regarding diets and how injuries are managed. There are more rules what they can do and not do outside the actual rugby environment as well.

Being outdoors a lot, keeping fit and living healthily are definitely on the plus side of the job. Ian also likes the travelling and the fact that his job has given him the opportunity to see so many different parts of the world. Running out in front of a huge crowd to perform on the rugby pitch is something that he feels is a huge privilege and pleasure to do.

However, there are also parts that aren't that good. Though he likes the travelling, living out of a hotel room isn't that much fun and he tries to get out from the hotel as much as possible. Holidays are something that can't be planned ahead and can be interfered with on very short notice. Ian mentions that you can be called up to the Welsh squad any time during what should be your summer break. A few years ago one of the Welsh players had a phone call in the middle of the night while on holiday and had to leave his girlfriend on location and fly out to the Welsh camp.

If you carry an injury, rehab work continues over what would have been your holiday. As a professional sportsman you have very little control over your own time, someone else makes those decisions for you. For players with families and small children this can be especially hard as for example the Christmas period is very busy with many big games. Those in the Welsh squad have to spend many days and weeks away from their family and for some this is very hard to cope with. Ian doesn't mind being away himself but knows that there are players who don't even like going away over the weekend for a Pro12 match.

Personally, Ian isn't that keen on the media bit that comes with the job. Having a camera put in front of him or getting up on a stage in front of what seems like hundreds of kids at a presentation night doesn't come naturally for him. However, it is something that he has had to get used to. As a contrast, it doesn't bother him to play rugby in front of thousands though. Today, players, mainly the young ones, get a bit of media training, so again that is something that is changing with the job description. According to Ian the team banter can also be something that teaches the players what is acceptable professional behaviour in a more informal way.

There have been periods when the Welsh press has been a bit too much, he concedes. Ian says that the big swings between being overly positive which at times quickly change to very negative can be hard to deal with.

What he personally dislikes the most is being injured. Not only because it obviously stops him from playing. Injuries tend to segregate the injured player from the rest of the team environment and it can be a very lonely experience. You still have to come in and do your rehab work but that is when the fully fit players aren't there. Sometimes there can be a season with little niggles throughout and most of the time is spent away from the rest of the team. Being injured can also cause a bit of stress especially if a new contract is coming up and the uncertainty that an injury can bring can influence the contract discussions.

He knows that some other players find the food restrictions and diet pressure hard to cope with at times but for him that has never been a problem. Staying motivated during the whole season can be hard especially when playing for Wales as well. The season can become a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. The difference between playing for Wales in the RWC or in front of a full Millennium Stadium compared to a wet and windy night in Galway can be hard to adjust to.

After a season, Ian definitely feels the need to get away from the rugby environment for some time. He has a multitude of outside interests, like surfing, flying and motorcycling. He doesn't feel that his work as a professional sportsman has stopped him from doing other things that he likes. Though his work brings an awareness that, at times, some things should be avoided.

Ian is living his dream but as with all jobs there are positives as well as negatives. However, for Ian the good parts definitely outweigh the bad parts.

For the rest of us, I think the life of a professional sportsman will continue to be a like a dream come true. However, for some, doing what they love comes with a price.