PCA PRESS RELEASE
Online resource to support past and present players throughout your career.
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Welcome to issue 3 of the PCA’s online learning resource, ‘Finding The Gaps’, to build on the success of the Social Isolation Guide which was introduced throughout the initial stages of the Coronavirus crisis.
The resource forms part of the PCA’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme that is in place to support all current and former players. The programme aims to enable individuals to excel and develop sustainable performances within and outside of cricket.
The guide will focus on the four pillars of the programme through engaging content including videos, Q&As, activities and podcasts. Every two weeks there will be updated suggestions, tips and advice to support members based on the four key areas: Career Development, Welfare & Wellbeing, Change & Transition and Professional Behaviours.
Throughout the year, themes will be based around the climate at the time with the aim to find gaps in knowledge or to build upon existing awareness on topics to help PCA members in their career and personal life.
Scroll to read suggestions from issue 3 of the Finding The Gaps and click below to view the catalogue.
Career Development
The Forever Fallacy
A working career looks very different now than it did for previous generations, with more role changes and career shifting. For an athlete, this is even more relative as they can’t do their dream job forever. This article explores some strategies and ideas to help people adapt their mindset away from a ‘forever career’ into a flexible one that adapts to personal changes and environments.
Welfare & Wellbeing
How to declutter your mind
In this post, Ryder Carroll (product designer and creator of the Bullet Journal ) offers practical steps for decluttering your brain when it feels overrun by an endless stream of to dos. Also includes his TED talk video.
Change & Transition
1. Interview three non-players from your county. Ask them to describe what they do, how they got into the role and ask them about their highlights and challenges. You’ll deepen your understanding of the sport as well as the potential careers within it.
2. Have three conversations with different sponsors about their roles. Find out their back stories and why they are involved in the sport and explore ways you can potentially help them. You’ll strengthen your network and potentially open up opportunities for the future.
3. Connect with three cricketers who have left the sport and ask them about their transition. See if you can find players who left the sport successfully as well as those who found the transition difficult. Learn from what they tell you about their own experience and see how you can apply these lessons for yourself.
Give it a try and let me know how you get on!
Professional Behaviours
Two-Step Authentication
Protecting yourself online has never been more important and with a few easy steps you can improve your security by adding two-step authentication. As a current or former professional sportsperson you are in the public eye and at threat of targeting from hackers and scammers so adding a layer of protection to your email and social media accounts is one way to lock out opportunists and organised online crime.
You will be able to add this feature in your settings and security on all platforms. For more information, including an example of one player who suffered due to a lack of protection click below.
