Elite athletes and sports persons often relocate for various reasons, such as joining a new team, accessing better training facilities, or for prestigious competitions such as the Olympics.

The process can be complex and involves adapting to new environments, cultures and sometimes languages. Relocating can be a significant step in an athlete’s career, and while it comes with challenges, it often provides new opportunities for growth and success in their respective sports.

Relocating as an athlete can be a significant step for their career, and it’s important to approach it with careful planning. Here are some tips to help make the transition smoother:

• Take time to adjust: Understand that it takes time to adapt to new environments both emotionally and physically.
• Orientate yourself with your surroundings: Familiarise yourself with the new area. Knowing where key facilities such as gyms, grocery stores, transport links, etc can help them settle into their new home.
• Embrace the new challenges: Moving to a new place brings new opportunities. Embrace them and try to enjoy what you are doing.
• Consider their family: If relocating with family, think about their needs too. This includes schooling for children, employment for your spouse, and ensuring they have everything needed to settle into their new home.
• Language and cultural integration: If moving to a country with a different language, consider taking language classes and learning about the local culture to integrate more easily – we’re sure your coach and teammates will appreciate the effort.
• Legal and documentation: Ensure all your legal paperwork, such as visas and work permits, are in order if moving internationally. This can be different to the normal visa process!
• Networking: Connect with other teammates and locals, if applicable or possible, to build a support system in your new location.

Professional sports people are expected to arrive in their new host destination and ‘perform’ very quickly via a rigorous schedule – often trying to meet high expectations of managers, teammates and club fans.

To ensure a smooth, stress-free relocation for professional sports people, it’s important to understand the key stressors impacting them during the process. Research shows athletes who are relocating internationally face four key stressors when relocating for their sport:

• Understanding (language and integration)
• Control (reinforcement of language and integration)
• Belonging (cultural background and cultural appreciation from teammates)
• Trust (team reputation, others who have relocated to their roles)

(Source: Hsieh & Shannon, Fiske)

On the ground, support can be critical to elite sports people and their family. Having access to local expertise in sourcing accommodation and providing area information will offer valuable reassurance to the sports person and their family. The sports person often requires a unique service solution given their training and competing commitments and, in many instances, their public profile. Another key factor is time. Many of these relocations must occur within defined timescales given the sports person’s club or competing commitments, availability and the importance for their home and family commitments to be concluded as soon as possible so they can concentrate on the job in hand.

At BTR, we appreciate the importance of excellent athlete liaison. Communication is key. This should be straightforward and transparent. Each sports person’s circumstances are also unique and so should be the support they receive. Focus should be on getting the time, services required and the availability of quality on-the-ground support right, so their transition is quick and stress free.

We are very aware of the additional pressures faced by professional sportspeople when they relocate internationally to represent a new team. The BTR team has a great deal of experience in supporting athletes and their families during international relocations.

Talk to the friendly team at BTR without obligation. Speak to Barrie Gilmour for expert advice specific to the world of sports.

+44 (0) 07437 192119 or email at barrie.gilmour@btrinternational.com.