Sportscape Education prepares its professional football apprentices for life after football at Villa Park

At Sportscape Education we teach football apprenticeships at Coventry City and Walsall.

We provide teaching for their BTECs and support the delivery of SEP - SEP is their apprenticeship which is delivered alongside the BTEC.

BTEC includes various topics such as nutrition, sports performance, ethics in sport and psychology, so it all links to becoming a professional footballer 

It is important that apprentices are educated to the highest level possible while the attempt to forge a career in the football world.

Sadly, while many footballer make it to the required standard, others don’t and it can be devastating to be let go.

Some of them do find another club, but others are left looking for a new pathway.

One of the main concerns is that having put so much into their football careers, if the apprentices are let go by the club, they need to find something else to do.

Sportscape Education took our apprentices to Villa Park earlier this month to a Life After Professional Sport (LAPs) event.

The event resonated deeply with Sportscape Education, as it directly aligns with the organisation's mission to provide comprehensive support for their trainee footballers who may not secure a new contract and will need to transition into new careers.

At the event there were a lot of employers such as the NHS, universities, the military and sport coaching and leadership organisations.

Guest speakers included Mark O’Brien who played for Derby County, Luton Town, Newport County and Motherwell.

As an academy player at Derby County, doctors discovered a defect in his heart which he had to manage for the rest of his career. Requiring open heart surgery for the second time in 2020 he was forced to retire.

Mark’s new book, Game of Two Hearts, tells his story, and he’s joining us at Villa Park to explain how he defeated the demons of depression and anxiety to rebuild his life. 

Also Toby Wakefield, who is brand manager to ex-Manchester United player Jesse Lingard, who told the attendees about how social media can be used to develop your career on and off the pitch.

Sportscape Education's participation in the LAPs event signifies our ongoing commitment to empowering and equipping trainee footballers with the tools and resources necessary to navigate successful career transitions beyond their footballing endeavors.