Performing as an elite athlete is not an opportunity to be taken by everyone. Only the very best elite athletes of the Netherlands may refer to themselves as TeamNL athlete. Elite sport means developing yourself every day. Stronger, faster. Pushing your boundaries. Fulfilling your dreams. We love to win. But not at the expense of everything.
As TeamNL, we advocate a responsible development and honorable performance. We do so from the perspective of our team values: excellence, respect and together. And we do so with and on behalf of everyone who is part of TeamNL: elite athletes, coaches and staff. Ordinary people who accomplish outstanding performances. We focus on the career of An elite athlete in this e-zine. A number of elite athletes, in the section on the profession of the elite athlete, share how they carry out this wonderful profession, what their experiences are and how they further develop themselves as individuals.
Since the beginning in 2017, more than 150 (former) elite athletes have made use of the wide range of support offered by TeamNL@work on a yearly basis. It always starts with a confidential intake. The need for support is defined in this conversation with the (former) elite athlete. Together, we determine which support program fits best. This can range from an advice to an individual tailor-made program, and from assistance in the career transition to a group program. The elite athlete is responsible in the end for his or her support program.
For instance, the need for assistance to an active elite athlete may be in the field of the dual career. Over the past years, together with the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the TeamNL centers and the educational institutes, TeamNL has devoted much attention to reaching national agreements. For instance, as regards exams that are taken in various exam periods, flexible program schedules with the availability for trainings and competitions, assistance by high-performance coordinators at the educational institutes or (a (partial) exemption) for certain courses. In the section on TeamNL@work | elite sport and education, we read the stories of elite athletes who combine their elite sport career as athletes with education. How do they manage this? Won’t they fall behind fast because of trainings and competitions?
Active elite athletes can also combine their elite sport career with gaining relevant working experience. Contacts with the business community are important. Contacts with the business community that supports elite sport are even more important. This is why we have the list of companies, i.e. the ‘TeamNL@work-bedrijvenpool’. This list consists of around fifty professional organizations that devote time and attention to assist elite athletes. For instance, in having conversations to explore the societal career or in offering internships or traineeships. Isn’t working on top of elite sport detrimental to the athlete’s performances? Can you combine it well? In the section on TeamNL@work | elite sport and working experience, elite athletes will take you along in their experiences.
TeamNL@work also devotes attention to competence development and networking. This is why eight different group programs have been developed in the past years: from sport marketing and media to entrepreneurship, and from personal branding to international management. These programs are particularly unique because the participants come from different sport disciplines. Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic. They start working together to gather more knowledge about a specific topic, to do some networking or to gain some practical experience with one of our partners.
Elite athletes can also gain working experience, use their competences and (further) develop themselves. For instance, by being active in society as a speaker, by giving a clinic, or by committing themselves as an ambassador for a charity organization. Elite athletes color the country of the Netherlands in orange with their performances, but they are an inspiration to many Dutch people at the same time. Elite athletes share this in the section on the Societal engagement by TeamNL why they are involved in society and how they express this in addition to their elite sport career.
But, as said before, there will be a moment, whether scheduled or unforeseen, when the elite athletes will make the transition to a next career step. This can be truly difficult at times, since the world beyond the elite sport is often unknown. A TeamNL expert in transition counseling is available at TeamNL@work to offer guidance to elite athletes. We also offer career counseling, introduction to the labor market, application training, assistance in drafting a resume, assistance in finding the right traineeship/job and, if needed, coaching on the job. Together with our cooperation partners and the list of companies, i.e. the ‘TeamNL@work-bedrijvenpool’, we try and enable that the transition to the next career step will be as smooth as possible for the elite athlete. On their way to new dreams and goals. Various elite athletes share how they experienced their transition and what was useful for them in the section on TeamNL@work | the next career step.
This is how TeamNL@work offers support to elite athletes so as to develop themselves in addition to and after their elite sport career. (Former) elite athletes appreciate this support and refer their fellow elite athletes to the program. To this end, TeamNL@work contributes to a responsible development and honorable performance by TeamNL.
introduction
Performing as an elite athlete is not an opportunity to be taken by everyone. Only the very best elite athletes of the Netherlands may refer to themselves as TeamNL athlete. Elite sport means developing yourself every day. Stronger, faster. Pushing your boundaries. Fulfilling your dreams. We love to win. But not at the expense of everything.
As TeamNL, we advocate a responsible development and honorable performance. We do so from the perspective of our team values: excellence, respect and together. And we do so with and on behalf of everyone who is part of TeamNL: elite athletes, coaches and staff. Ordinary people who accomplish outstanding performances. We focus on the career of An elite athlete in this e-zine. A number of elite athletes, in the section on the profession of the elite athlete, share how they carry out this wonderful profession, what their experiences are and how they further develop themselves as individuals.
Since the beginning in 2017, more than 150 (former) elite athletes have made use of the wide range of support offered by TeamNL@work on a yearly basis. It always starts with a confidential intake. The need for support is defined in this conversation with the (former) elite athlete. Together, we determine which support program fits best. This can range from an advice to an individual tailor-made program, and from assistance in the career transition to a group program. The elite athlete is responsible in the end for his or her support program.
For instance, the need for assistance to an active elite athlete may be in the field of the dual career. Over the past years, together with the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the TeamNL centers and the educational institutes, TeamNL has devoted much attention to reaching national agreements. For instance, as regards exams that are taken in various exam periods, flexible program schedules with the availability for trainings and competitions, assistance by high-performance coordinators at the educational institutes or (a (partial) exemption) for certain courses. In the section on TeamNL@work | elite sport and education, we read the stories of elite athletes who combine their elite sport career as athletes with education. How do they manage this? Won’t they fall behind fast because of trainings and competitions?
Active elite athletes can also combine their elite sport career with gaining relevant working experience. Contacts with the business community are important. Contacts with the business community that supports elite sport are even more important. This is why we have the list of companies, i.e. the ‘TeamNL@work-bedrijvenpool’. This list consists of around fifty professional organizations that devote time and attention to assist elite athletes. For instance, in having conversations to explore the societal career or in offering internships or traineeships. Isn’t working on top of elite sport detrimental to the athlete’s performances? Can you combine it well? In the section on TeamNL@work | elite sport and working experience, elite athletes will take you along in their experiences.
TeamNL@work also devotes attention to competence development and networking. This is why eight different group programs have been developed in the past years: from sport marketing and media to entrepreneurship, and from personal branding to international management. These programs are particularly unique because the participants come from different sport disciplines. Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic. They start working together to gather more knowledge about a specific topic, to do some networking or to gain some practical experience with one of our partners.
Elite athletes can also gain working experience, use their competences and (further) develop themselves. For instance, by being active in society as a speaker, by giving a clinic, or by committing themselves as an ambassador for a charity organization. Elite athletes color the country of the Netherlands in orange with their performances, but they are an inspiration to many Dutch people at the same time. Elite athletes share this in the section on the Societal engagement by TeamNL why they are involved in society and how they express this in addition to their elite sport career.
But, as said before, there will be a moment, whether scheduled or unforeseen, when the elite athletes will make the transition to a next career step. This can be truly difficult at times, since the world beyond the elite sport is often unknown. A TeamNL expert in transition counseling is available at TeamNL@work to offer guidance to elite athletes. We also offer career counseling, introduction to the labor market, application training, assistance in drafting a resume, assistance in finding the right traineeship/job and, if needed, coaching on the job. Together with our cooperation partners and the list of companies, i.e. the ‘TeamNL@work-bedrijvenpool’, we try and enable that the transition to the next career step will be as smooth as possible for the elite athlete. On their way to new dreams and goals. Various elite athletes share how they experienced their transition and what was useful for them in the section on TeamNL@work | the next career step.
This is how TeamNL@work offers support to elite athletes so as to develop themselves in addition to and after their elite sport career. (Former) elite athletes appreciate this support and refer their fellow elite athletes to the program. To this end, TeamNL@work contributes to a responsible development and honorable performance by TeamNL.
introduction
