UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / June 08, 2020 / Liam Plunkett & The Training Room launch the Player Resettlement Programme

England cricket star, Liam Plunkett, has joined forces with The Training Room, the UK’s leading health and fitness education provider, to launch the Player Resettlement Programme (PRP). This new, forward-thinking initiative has been created to 'upskill' professional sports players to give them alternative revenue possibilities and potential new careers post-professional athlete status. 

Plunkett said: “The PRP specifically aims to answer the ‘what’s next?’ question after a career in professional sport. In a nutshell, the PRP is a fast-track career resettlement programme, designed specifically for sports professionals by sports and career experts. We all know how difficult it can be for players when their careers come to an end, for whatever that reason may be, so I’m proud that we’re helping to ease that transition by providing these fantastic training opportunities.”

The PRP aids retiring sportspeople at the end of their careers, sportspeople struggling through injury or early retirement, and sportspeople at academy level to ensure a career ‘safety net.’ Courses currently available through the PRP are Personal Training, IT & Development, Teaching Assistant, and Events Management, with the view to growing this over time. 

Chris Peel, CEO for The Training Room, spoke of his delight at launching this scheme: “At The Training Room, we aim to help as many people as possible to find fulfilling careers while continuing to support their development, so we’re delighted to be in a position to provide this specific initiative to the professional sports world. We know that those who have played sports at the highest level have so many top-quality, transferable skills that can be used in other professions, and we’re excited to be the launchpad to help these current and retired athletes move onto the next chapter of their careers.” 

With many professional sports leagues suspended until further notice, the PRP has significantly lowered its pricing to encourage and enable as many athletes as possible to enrol while they have some additional time available. 

Former Wasp’s rugby captain, John Hart, is one of the PRP’s latest recruits and will begin his Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training with The Training Room in June. Following his retirement from rugby, Hart has worked as a secondary school P.E teacher and now as an events manager for the family business but misses the bright lights of professional sport. He hopes this qualification will be the catalyst for his return, albeit in a new role.  

“When my playing career came to an end, I struggled to come to terms with the change,” John began. “Although I’ve enjoyed my other roles since then, sport has always been my passion, so having the opportunity to train as a PT through the PRP could enable me to eventually get back into the sporting environment. If it leads to me training elite sportspeople that would be amazing, but I’m open-minded. Whether a person simply wants to get fitter and healthier or has an invested interest in sport, I’m looking forward to supporting those people to achieve their goals and improve their lives.”

Talking of his decision to join The Training Room’s PRP, Hart commented: “There were many reasons why I specifically chose The Training Room’s PRP. I was impressed by the experience and the friendly, professional attitude of the tutor and training team. The digital learning platform is great and gives me the flexibility to fit my training around my current work and my family life. I am excited about what the future holds!”

To learn more about the Player Resettlement Programme, contact Sig Watkins on 07595 984476 or email: sig@fitmg.co.uk