I know it's long but please give an opinion.

So basically,this is my situation.I had worked like a fucking hound for the last 2 and a half years towards my ultimate goal of being a professional rugby player.I was pretty much on the right path,and was looking like I was lined up for a sub academy spot this year.However,I chose to go to University in Dublin,and therefore was not offered the sub academy spot with Munster.What annoyed me about this was that the person I started ahead of for the u20 team got offered a sub academy spot as he was staying in University in Munster.

The people at Munster knew that I was trying to transfer Universities desperately.Despite this,they showed no sign that they were interested in offering me a sub academy spot.Had I been aware that they were,I would have gladly taken a year out of college to pursue my goal.

So I chose to do Economics and Russian in college.This was essentially to be a decent degree just to have,in the hope I would make a career out of rugby.Now that my original goal is not very attainable due to my circumstance,it feels like I made a MASSIVE mistake in picking the course I'm doing.I want a career in sport,and would love to get into the field of strength and conditioning(I'm a gym addict as it is),rather than end up in some shitty office job that I hate passionately.

So do people reckon I should drop out of Uni-which looks bad and will result in me having to pay fees every year for my other course-to do sport and exercise management in a different,much less respected University?This would see me do a degree which guarantees no employment after I complete it,rather than sticking with my current one which will almost guarantee me a successful,high earning career?

Any opinions appreciated.

Thanks.

In the end, you gotta do what you like. Never do something just because it pays well.

Does the University of Dublin have a shitty strength training program or do they not let you change majors or what? Why don't you change programs?

no one can choose for you. But if I was in your position no way in hell I would study economics. Every retarded guy who don't know what to do in life ends up doing either economics or marketing or administration in hope of getting rich and living the consommation lifestyle they are conditionned to want. There is so much people going in that I cant believe it

Most likely a degree in anything will help you get where you want to be, finish school then go for training or more education in the field you want. Get the degree and options will open up for you in all areas of employment. You won't be stuck in the field of study your in unless you stop trying to gain knowledge and better yourself. Lots of people get a degree in one thing and end up a professional in another thing.

Imagine yourself, as a buff rugby-built Irish liason in Moscow, working in some kind of financial capicity.

I say, stick with the Russian, and specialize in something applicable in Economics, and try to get into international business thug life in Moscow. Being a corporate gangster is a lot cooler than being a meathead.

Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life!!!!

Not sure the exact quote but you get the message. Don't worry about the "prestige" associated with other univerities or careers. You only live once.

Get a degree in what you see fit. Although i think it depends on how much longer you have in school. My first fitness manager had a degree in history.....

Couple things, take my advice and it will save you a lot of pain down the road if you want to work in the strength and conditioning field:

First off, the biggest barrier to getting into Strength and Conditioning is getting your first job in strength and conditioning. The easiest way to gain entry is to actually play a college sport. That way if you bust your ass in the weight room and get strong, the strength coaches should recognize this and would be glad to write a recommendation for you. The fact that you are now not playing a college sport by default makes it a lot more challenging for you to get into the S&C field.

Secondly, know that an undergrad degree in sports and exercise management is not worth the paper its written on. Re-read that, let it sink in. No one cares if you have an undergrad degree in sports and exercise management, especially from a college that has a bad reputation. That major is usually reserved for morons and any idiot can get that degree.

Just remember, every college athlete that doesn't turn pro and gets a degree in some field related to exercise science would love to work in a college weight room with the teams. If you change degrees, know that you are going to be competing against all those people, except you did not play a college sport and you don't have a letter in hand from your strength coach saying that it was a pleasure to work with you over the past 4 years.


There are a couple of options:


Step 1. Stay Economics. If you have any electives, take basic science courses (bio 100, anatomy 1 and 2, chemistry 1 and 2, physics 1 and 2) as your electives. Its going to make your schedule a lot tougher since these classes are all pretty meaty.

Alternatively, switch to biology.

The idea here is that an undergrad in exercise management are a dime a dozen. Many colleges (at least here in the US) want their head S&C coaches to have master's degrees or TONS of experience (preferably both). As the fields get more competitive in the UK, I can only assume they will follow suit.


In the mean time, get some sort of training certification and find a way to work with athletes. You will probably have to volunteer. Ask the strength coach of your university if they need volunteers/interns. Tell him you'll do whatever crap work he wants. You need a mentor and friend to get inside. If he says no, volunteer at a local high school. You need to work with athletes in order to make it to step #2.


Step 2: Scout around for a school with a good rugby team that offers exercise physiology as a master's degree. Quality of degree is not important, rather quality of the school's sports teams you are applying to. Better schools have better S&C departments. Over here, there are high schools in Texas that have better S&C programs than some colleges.


Step 3: Start contacting strength coaches, e-mail them a nice, short cover letter and a copy of your resume. Ask them if they need "Graduate Assistants" for 2011 or whenever you graduate. Their e-mail should be found on the staff directory page for their university.


Step 4: Go to graduate school, probably get a stipend from being a graduate assistant for a strength coach. Work with that school's team for 2-3 years while you get your masters degree. Do a good job, show up on time, work hard, be an all around useful person, graduate and you will be in a good spot to have a career in S&C.


But, things don't always work out ideally like that. You might end up graduating, not being able to get a graduate assistant anywhere (or end up being a volunteer) and might need to work to support yourself, in which case your economics degree might come in handy.


Just know a few things, keep them with you:

1. An undergrad in exercise management is worthless - you'll learn nothing practical and it won't be respected. It might as well say "Underwater Basket Weaving."

2. If you want to get into college strength and conditioning, you need to work with athletes at some point since you did not play a college sport. You might end up simply volunteering at a high school for a year or doing an internship in someone else's gym before you get a paid position anywhere.

3. College strength and conditioning coaches do not make a lot of money, unless your head honcho, and that usually takes quite a bit of time in that field. Try not to graduate with a ton of debt.

Chase after what you are passionate about and never stop.

Do not be the person who one day realized they settled for less.

you can still play rugby and do a degree. forget who it is but old mate in the wallabies is a doctor and a player. damn cant think of the name

Hey man where is that sports and exercise management course?waterford?
just in case you were thinking about it,the sports and exercise science course in limerick a few of my mates dropped out of it when they realised there was no jobs in it!

All I can say is I have a business management degree (which in theory was supposed to guarantee me a well paying job) and I chose to become a firefighter instead because I didnt want to ride a desk. Degrees dont determine what you do, they just give you a strength in a certain area. Ive found no matter what degree you have that all of them open doors that arent attainable without a degree, or in the very least are very hard to attain. Things in Ireland may be different, I dont know, but here in the US any kind of degree could help you get a job at a gym. Once you have a job you go out and get certs or extra college to get an Exercise Science degree or something. Just remember youre not stuck, you just took a small detour just like almost everyone else.

Thanks for the opinions lads.

Challer,couple of things to point out,

It's not like I've stopped playing rugby,I'm playing on one of the best 21s teams in the country now,it's just I'm not involved with the setup of a professional club.Club teams in Ireland are always more successful than college teams.

Thanks for the advice about the path to a career in S&C,I was hoping someone would point it out in that way.

Then you should be pretty well off in that respect - if your team doesn't have a strength coach, try to volunteer with a local one and you will be in a good spot when you graduate.

Just make sure it's something that you actually want to do.. talk with some coaches, find out what it's really like, what they're responsibilities are, how it is working with the sports coaches and that sort of thing.

IMO, stick with the degree. You've come this far, and an econ degree (with an international element, no less) will be a decent safety net.
From there (and heck, while you're at it), figure out where you need to go to get where you want to be. Did you make any contacts on u20 or development teams along the way? The S+C guys there might be a good place to start.

I HOPE u aren't just giving up on ur goal of playing pro rugby? its never over til exhausted all avenues. have u tried other developement teams? i dont know ur whole situation, but it sounds like u didntget a spot, so ur done trying...that to me is giving up way too easy....like i said i don't know the whole situation but dont quit on ur dream especially if have the goods to play at that level.

I'd like to congratulate you on your drive to go pro and we are all here to support each other. I would like to offer you some things to think about. I'm asian background but my entire family is a rugby and judo family. We would all prefer playing rugby and wrestle all day. (We're kinda built sorta stocky.)

Some things to think about:

1. I just returned from a business trip from Ukraine & Russia to the Canada, I was over there for the past 3 months dealing with business. I'm over there fairly regularly. So first statistic: 50% of a girls I know in both countries (and that's a big number) have an English/Economics combo because they want to get out of the country. So having Russian / Economics is not a good combo for job prospects unless you want to go Postgrad. e.g. MBA or Law.

2. Your passion and drive to learn is obviously based on athletics & performance. I would have figured kinesiology would have been your first choice. You should consider bringing your passion, education and work together on a common thread.

3. Do not drop out of UNI or change this year. Keep a good GPA and transfer or change majors. If you decide to write off this year, it will hurt you in the long run. If you become disenchanted by this choice do not spite your face by cutting off your nose. Keep interested and get good grades or else you will be closing a lot doors on yourself. Your only young for 25 years and an adult for 50.

4. Talk to bushidoboy (hopefully that is his name, someone please correct me if it isn't). He is also in the UK and knows quite abit about the education system in UK. He is studying to be a chiropractor and when he becomes one, I will be the first fly to UK to be registered as a patient.

5. Forget all the peripheral things. Focus, there are only two things that are important in the here and now. Playing Rugby and getting a degree. Forget additional certifications, etc. They will only drain your pocket book and there will be new flavors of the month when it is time to get them. There are other jobs & career paths, don't limit yourself. You could be doing international sales for a big supplement or health food or pharmaceutical company. You could be doing promotions and PR. You can be doing field management. The experience you get playing rugby and the piece of paper of your degree is what you should be focusing on.

6. Remember you are still young, don't try to prove yourself too fast. Chances are your bones haven't fully fused yet and you are no where near your potential for power, speed and durability. Being to anxious gets you hurt and crushes your dreams.

7. Stop being overzealous. It's not about getting what you want. It's about knowing what people want, when you want something from them. Your skill and determination does not stop you from achieving your dreams...other people get in the way of your dreams. You need to talk to as many coaches as possible and show them why you would be a great fit on their teams. You need the coaches to like you and to show that you can gel well with the team on personality level. The last thing coaches want is a wonder kid, rambo, wanna be superstar. They like team players who they think will work well as a team and that coach likes. To him it is a job and they have seen hundreds of ego wannabes. They just don't like dealing with the aggravation. If they have to go out of their way for a player...they have to really really like the player or think the player is really really special. You can't prove what you have if you don't get a chance to show it. You also need the grades to transfer Universities and/or change majors at the same time. If you can't transfer it is, "so sorry kid, can't do anything for you." So don't screw up the year. As I said talk to bushidoboy since I do not know eligibility rules for Irish / UK Varsity sports.

In the US, kids who are American Football / basketball prospects who want to go to a champion NCAA school go to the ends of the earth. They have video productions done for their own youtube channel highlights, statistics and cover letters to sell themselves to the coaches and recruiting at American Universities that have a chance to go to the big dance.

8. Don't be worried about the educational prestige of your University. Unless you go to Oxford or Cambridge it doesn't matter. A degree is a degree. The only thing that matters when you go to Oxford or Cambridge or Harvard (any Ivy League) [don't know what they call prestige universities in UK] is who you meet. Your peers because they are the people you will be doing business with when you leave University. If you go to a normal University it doesn't matter. The reason everyone wants to go to Harvard is because of the contacts you make at University are people that will be Executive Management in the future and it's about who you know. I am an executive director, this I do know. Many of the most important people that you need for your future you are actually meeting in places like this forum. People who are like minded and share the same passions.

We are all here to support you and are cheering you onto your dream of going pro.

Wigsa, you know that more and more people are becoming fitness freaks right? It's amazing. There is this attitude that we have to get a job doing what we love, but the market place shits on that idea--we can't have everyone being actors/personal trainers/musicians/pro athletes.

So I say, work is for the attainment of leisure, the job you can get that frees you up financially also enables you to free your time--allowing you to do the thins you love(start personal training on the side maybe? With the money from your good career you should be able to pour money into marketing and all that, or open up facilities whatever--the guy's an expert marketer/copy writer who applied his skill to fitness and built the BEST fitness website the web has ever seen)

Why do you think your degree is a mistake? I know learning Russian is supposed to be extremely difficult--here in the US Russian is not even offered at the majority of colleges, you actually have to go to some very specific, high brow schools to even study it(univ. of Chicago, princeton etc). But if you learn Russian + get an economics degree, man, you are going to be in the center of some extremely interesting issues in world politics.

A lot of the political analysts are remarking that there is an east/west divide happening that is going to only get bigger as the years go on, and in the center of all this is going to be Russia, a country that currently has massively under-exploited natural resources and that can increase it's labor force any time it wants by instituting unrestricted immigration. Getting a Russian+economics degree seems like a great opportunity.

Remember, scarcity = value, so a poster above mentioned how a lot of Russian speaking students are learning English and so the value of the degree may go down, if that's true then that's definitely a factor. Just remember, the higher the barrier of entry--the more scarce a degree is going to be. Russian + economics is a pretty high barrier of entry, so I think you were right in seeing this as a lucrative career.


Good luck! You had some very high quality responses, got to love tnation.

btw what position are you? I mean if you want to play prop/lock then you've got years before you'll be looking at the first team squad anyway so 3 years of week in week out matches against a variety of opponents is probably better then sitting around a club house hitting the gym and downing protein shakes....