How to Go from Unknown to Pro: 7 Steps to Chase Your Athletic Dreams
Maybe you weren’t the most developed athlete in high school or didn’t get to play at a big time D1 college but you still have a dream to play professionally, is it even possible? Time and time again there are stories about late bloomers, people who were misjudged, and athletes whose burning desire to become great helped them make it to the big leagues despite the odds. Some examples of this are Jamie Vardy who was playing in the 7th tier of English football when he was 25 and ended up winning a Premier League title, Adam Thielen who was D2 wide receiver that paid his way to an open combine and is now one of the best wide outs in the NFL, and Scottie Pippen who was a scrawny basketball player at a NAIA college in Central Arkansas and ended up winning 3 NBA championships.
I’m sure you’re wondering, “how did they do it?” I don’t know the exact journey these athletes took, but from my experience being a D3 soccer player who was completely unknown and then spending 4 years traveling around the world and finally getting a chance to play at the professional level (you can read more about my story here) I was able to gain a ton of knowledge about what it takes to do this.
Below are 7 things you must do to have a chance to make it pro as an unknown player. This is strictly through my experience in soccer, so if you have anything you would like to add that might bring value to athletes in other sports please feel free to share in the comments!
#1 Create a CV and Highlight Video
No one knows who you are, and if you can’t show a coach/agent something about your experience and ability level, there’s slim chance they will take a chance on you. Here is the essential information you must have on your CV:
Personal info
Name, birthdate, position, height, weight, nationality (passport), and a photo
Playing experience
Each team name, level/division, when you played with them, accomplishments (team and individual), and highlight video
References
Coach’s name, relationship to them, phone number, and email address
Contact info
Email, phone number, and home address
#2 Develop a Professional Training Routine
Your training and ability to improve is hands down the most important thing for you to have a chance to make it pro. If you do everything else here, but aren’t good enough when your time comes, you have 0 chance.
HOW DO I DO THIS?
Look up how pros in your sport train (frequency, duration, modalities, intensity, etc.) and create a plan to mimic that by yourself or with other pro/aspiring pro players in your area. If you are a soccer player in the Chicagoland area, I suggest you look into Bridges FC.
#3 Develop an "Always Ready" Mentality
You never know when you will get an opportunity to be seen, and chances are you won’t get many. You need to act like its tryout every single time you play/train. By doing this:
You will make the right impression on all of the people you play with, which builds relationships that might lead to an opportunity.
You will improve way faster than you would training normally.
It will make big tryouts less stressful because you are acclimated to playing with that level of focus and intensity.
** I was noticed on 3 occasions training by myself at a park, which all led to professional opportunities.
#4 Play as Much as Possible
Join any amateur/semi-pro teams that you can, and work your ass off to be the best on those teams. The benefits of this are:
More connections/chances to get noticed
More game experience and film to put on your CV
Continue developing as a player
#5 Have a Strong Character
At the professional level respect isn’t given, it’s earned. You must make it a habit to be willing to do anything you can to prove that you are an asset to the team. What this entails is different depending on the person/team, but here are some suggestions:
Put in extra work improving areas of your game that you are weak and that are important for the team’s success
Don’t talk too much – show you’re serious through actions not words
Help clean up equipment after training
#6 Network Online
If you do the things talked about so far, there's a good chance you will develop strong personal relationships with past coaches or teammates that can help you land a pro opportunity, but you can’t leave it all to serendipity. Use the internet to find coaches contact information and reach out to them. A couple tips for this:
If you can’t find their email or phone number, try reaching out to them on social media
Keep the message short, professional, and include your CV/film
Do NOT spam them. If they don’t respond, it’s okay to follow up once or twice after a couple weeks, but if you still don’t hear back, they likely aren’t interested and you shouldn’t waste your time.
#7 Truly Love the Process
The journey is NOT going to be easy. Are you willing to sacrifice years of free time, partying, Netflix, time with friends and family just to train? Are you willing to be broke, sleep on floors, and live in uncertainty just to have a chance to possibly land a tryout with a pro team? This is what it takes, but if you truly love the process you will cherish this once in a lifetime experience and be grateful for the amazing opportunity you have to chase your dream. I can tell you personally that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
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