Changing Sports Recruiting Through Innovation w/James Sackville (Athletes in Recruitment)

The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the WorkInSports podcast...

I’m going to share one of my favorite sayings with you today.

“If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry: Worry never fixes anything.”

-Ernest Hemingway

This doesn’t apply to everything, my daughter started high school this week, I will worry. There is no problem to fix, I know she has to go to school and I can’t help but worry.

But in general, this concept, fixing problems versus worrying is the guiding light in my world.

I think that is why I am so drawn to entrepreneurs. They see a problem that either affects them or countless others and say to themselves “I can fix that, I have an idea”

But it doesn’t stop there, an idea isn’t viable unless you can execute it. Successful entrepreneurs have an idea, put together plans, generate interest and funding, establish teams, lead people and in the end create something that changes us.

All that is to say -- entrepreneurs have something special about them and I want to bottle it. Today’s guest is a shining example – James Sackville. James moved from Melbourne, Australia to the U.S, in 2016 and became SMU's starting punter for the next four seasons.

While in school James became dismayed by the recruiting experience he and his teammates lived through, so he set out to fix it, make recruiting more equitable fair market experience.

In May, he launched Athletes in Recruiting (AIR) a three-sided platform that's a cross between LinkedIn and a dating app--but for recruiting. Athletes can promote themselves to coaches, compare themselves to their peers and swipe right on colleges they have interest in. Coaches can also sort, filter and swipe on a prospective athlete based on recruiting needs.

But enough of me yapping – lets get to James.