Is It Too Late To Become A Footballer?

A lot of people realize their dreams when it is too late. They debate taking up a hobby and trying to turn it into a career, but they never take the plunge. 

You often hear a lot of men say that they wish they had taken football more seriously as a child. But, is it too late for you to become a footballer?

Well, of course, we do not know how old you are, but it is never too late to enjoy football to a certain level. If you are in your 30’s, you will find it hard to secure a place at a Premier League team like Brighton & Hove Albion or Manchester City. However, you may be able to play football at a lower level.

There are many different ways to become involved in football as well. For example, you could coach younger children or you could play in a local league. You may need to tweak your dreams a bit, but you certainly do not need to abort them altogether.

There are some things you will need to do if you are serious about football, though. This includes the following. 

Lead a healthy lifestyle and give up smoking

One of the main reasons why people struggle to give up smoking is because they overcomplicate it. Instead of using easy-to-follow methods, they look for complex products and elaborate procedures. There are then those who simply make life far too difficult for themselves. They say “right, from tomorrow I will never smoke a cigarette again.” If only it was this easy. Instead, this article presents five simple yet highly effective ways to give up smoking. This is labeled as START. Let’s find out more… 

• S = Set the date you are going to quit – Don’t make the mistake mentioned in the introduction by giving yourself too big of a challenge. Instead set yourself a quit date. You will then gradually decrease the number of cigarettes you smoke until you reach this date whereby you will of course give up. Thus, let’s say your quit date is 1st December and you currently smoke 20 cigarettes a day. Reduce this to 10 cigarettes on October 1st, then five cigarettes on November 1st, then on December 1st no cigarettes at all. This gradual reduction will make this a lot easier. 

• T = Talk to an expert or a doctor – If you are someone who heavily relies on smoking then this is a highly recommended option to take. Doctors or health consultants will help you to cope with withdrawals. You may need medication. Of course, people prefer to give up via natural routes – this is always advised. However, in some instances, medication may be needed. If not then professionals can recommend the best nicotine patches and alike. 

• A = Acknowledge the challenge ahead – Don’t be naïve. Nobody ever said that giving up smoking was easy. You need to understand that there are going to be difficult times and you must embrace these moments. Find a solid strategy for handling cravings. Pick an activity you can enjoy instead of smoking for example. You could go for a walk, ring your friend, or play a video game. The list is endless but make sure it is something you will thoroughly enjoy. 

• R – Remove all cigarettes – A lot of people keep cigarettes around the house ‘just encase’. If you do this then you are simply asking to cheat. You need to remove all temptation. Get rid of the cigarettes. Throw out your lighter. If someone else in the household smokes then you should ask them to make sure their stash is well hidden. Also, it is advisable to request that they do not smoke in front of you either. This will only make it a million times more difficult for you. 

• T – Tell those you are close to – Last but not least, it is imperative to tell your family and friends that you are going to quit. Don’t try and do this alone. You are going to need all the moral support you can get. Your friends and family can play a crucial role in ensuring you meet your goals and don’t fall off track. Their encouragement will be priceless. 

Take any opportunity that comes your way

If an opportunity comes your way to get involved in football, you should grab it with both hands. Opportunities in this sport do not come around all of the time, and so you should seize the moment rather than waiting around and hoping that another opportunity will come your way.

You never know what doors could open once you walk through the first one, and football is a sport that is enjoyed all over the world. You could end up playing in America, Asia, or any other country. And as mentioned, it is not only about opportunities to play the sport, you may be able to get involved at the coaching level or from the media standpoint. 

As this is an extremely difficult and challenging industry, it pays to be open-minded and to go for positions even if you are not 100 percent certain they are right for you. You never know what could come of this and where you may end up, and so it certainly makes sense to give anything a shot and to believe in yourself. 

There are some great forums online for those who are working in football or dream of doing so, and so you can connect with like-minded people and get some great tips that can help you should you wish to pursue this any further. It certainly helps to ask questions and get a feel from those who are in the same position as you.

Take out football insurance

Footballers’ careers are extremely different compared to the norm. They retire at a much younger age than others. Not only does this differ, but the risk of an injury always looms, as a serious injury could cut short a person’s career. Because of the uniqueness associated with being a footballer at any level, the need for proper insurance is highlighted even further. 

You need to make sure you are protected should anything go wrong. After all, if someone was to tackle you and you ended up side-lined, you may miss out on a substantial amount of income. Therefore you need to ensure you are compensated for this so that you don’t end up in a sticky financial situation.

The key to finding the best football insurance lies in finding a top insurance provider. This article aims to give you a helping hand with this by revealing some telling signs you should be looking out for.

What does the insurance policy cover?

Whether you are looking for health insurance, travel insurance, or indeed football insurance, the main thing you always need to consider is what the policy covers. In general, when it comes to insurance policies you tend to weigh up your decision based on coverage and cost intertwined. A lot of people calculate what is unlikely to occur and they remove this from their policy in order to lower the repayments. However, when it comes to your career you can’t afford to take a chance, especially in a career as varying as football. There is a huge scope of different possibilities available when it comes to coverage. Nonetheless, the most imperative point has to be career-ending cover. It is of the utmost importance you find a company offering this. At the end of the day if your career was to be cut short you can find yourself in serious trouble if you are not insured.

What have previous clients had to say?

Try and find as many reviews from previous clients as possible. After all, through reading these you will be able to get a good insight as to whether the company and the football insurance policy are good or not. Remember; one bad review does not mean that the company is bad. You need to view everything from a general perspective. 

Is the company a major industry player?

You don’t want to go for an insurance company that has only just started up. Not only this, but you don’t want to use an insurance business that is unknown and has not been used by any of your fellow professionals or anybody else for that matter. When it comes to something as important as insurance it is not about trying to find little hidden gems. You need to go for the leading businesses; those that have a fantastic experience in the world of football insurance.

What is their client retention rate?

And last but not least, ask the company for their client retention rate (this information may be readily available on their website). If people stopped using the company and let the policy expire then there must be a reason why. Alternatively, a client retention rate of over 90 percent should fill you with confidence.