Ex-Athletes find career home at Tri Star
Don’t we all grow up hoping to find our dream job - the one that involves doing what we love and being paid for it? David Phillips, Tri Star GM, has found himself in that position and actively works to make Tri Star an environment where people who are passionate about gymnastics can also develop their careers.
“High performance athletes are a unique breed” he explains. “They develop an incredible work ethic and level of resilience through gymnastics, and are able to apply those dispositions in their careers. It makes perfect sense to employ ex-gymnasts when we can”.
Like many gymnastics facilities, the majority of coaches and programme managers are ex-gymnasts. However, Tri Star has taken this a step further with ex-gymnasts filling a number of other key roles. Luke Dobney, was a qualified engineer when he began contemplating a career change. With a love for the sport, Luke was keen to explore opportunities that would allow him to change careers. David was aware of Luke’s interest and created a role which utilised his existing event management and coaching skills, and provided learning opportunities in marketing. The role has provided plenty of scope for Luke to develop and grow his career in a new direction and he couldn’t be happier. “Gymnastics gave me so much as a sport, and now it has given me a platform for a career change. I’ve put my engineering hard hat away, and am loving my new career in sports management and marketing. Not only that, but I get to coach gymnastics and be a big part of the community too.”
Luke’s story is not an isolated example. The finance role was created for a fully qualified accountant/ ex-gymnast, who combines coaching hours and finance duties into his full-time position at the club. Tri Star is also fortunate to have two part-time resident physiotherapists (both ex international gymnasts) who provide a physiotherapy service to club members, contribute to the development of injury prevention programmes, advise the athlete wellbeing group and even step in to cover coaching as needed. Past gymnasts fill board positions, coaching positions, advisory roles, administration roles and more.
David, himself a past Olympian, is very proud of the skill set within the Tri Star team. He feels privileged to be able to offer career progression opportunities to athletes who have so much to give to the sport beyond their competitive careers. “For many gymnasts, their passion for the sport doesn’t end when they stop competing. It’s great to be able to provide a range of pathways for gymnasts to be involved in the sport throughout their lives. Our club is so much stronger for the diversity of people, skills and experiences we bring to our roles”.
If you’re interested in finding out more about a career at Tri Star, don’t hesitate to get in touch with @David Phillips for an informal chat. You might be surprised at how your skill set can be put to work within the club, and the opportunities that exist for future career development.