After a rigorous training and tight schedule what next? This must be in the mind of any body who is taking coaching or doing a professional course. There are enormous career opportunities for an athlete or a professional runner. There are many sports federations, societies and even universities which provide an excellent career options to sportspersons. Several internship and volunteer programs hone the skills of the professionals and give them opportunity to explore more in their careers.

A runner can carve his career by many ways such as:

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• Careers as Athletics media relationship advisor.
• Careers in Athletics Multimedia.
• Can opt as coach or mentor for the sports.
• Tremendous job opportunities as an athletic sports supervisor.
• Can work in the field of athletics administration and provide educational information to others in this profession.

In the year 2008, about 16500 jobs were there for athletes and sports competitors. It is expected that jobs are going to increase at a fastest rate in this profession by the year 2018. Sports like basketball, hockey and base ball have minor leagues. Consequences to get more jobs become easier in such games.

In fact players are paid a quite handsome salary in these sports. The work of a runner is very demanding. Professional people perform in front of a huge crowd who is willing to pay any amount to enjoy the zeal and thrill of the game. So if somebody wants to sustain as much as long in this field then for him to maintain a good record is necessary. This is the risk for runner even more than that their injuries. Sports and glamour is such a field that nobody gives you another chance. You have to prove your potential at every point just by your growing potential and number of wins which you achieve.

The term running can be well traced from the famous Darwin’s theory of evolution. It is a well known fact that man from the era of nomad age used to walk on two legs. At first he started to walk and then when matter of existence comes he learnt running. Running is a term which means rapid walking. During running a person’s breathing rate becomes higher due to air resistance. On the contrary in walking breathing rate is not that much higher as in running.

A runner is a person who runs a particular distance. He/She could be an athlete, a sports person or anyone who includes running as his/her choral exercise. But when we talk about running as a profession or a professional runner then scenario is quite restricted. A professional runner runs for a purpose. He may be either as an athlete whose main purpose is to cover a certain distance to win a race, marathon or a relay event, or he could be a player of different sport which includes running in it. For example sports like cricket, basketball, hockey, jumping sports etc. include running activity.

Being a runner is a very spontaneous profession. Persons who are runner are considered to be very enthusiastic and physically fit. World famous runner include the names of Usain Bolt, Asaffa Powell, Carmelita Jeter, Torri Edwards, and Floence Griffith Joyner etc. All these prominent sports personalities belong to North and South American descent. An organization called IAAF (International Association Of Athletics Federation) organize world championships in athletics giving opportunity to perform on global platform to different nation’s best runner after every two years.

The last event by IAAF was organized in the year 2009, in Berlin, Germany in which 202 countries had participated. Professional runner can either take track events or can opt for field events as their pursuing careers. Track events of athletics include 100-10000 meters races, marathon, 110-400 meters hurdles etc. while field events include high jump, long jump, pole vault, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, hammer throw etc. On the basis of 2009 performances Usain Bolt, Ryan Brathwaite and Abel Kirui are considered to be kings of male track events and in female Shelly Ann, Bai Xui and Brigitte Hilton top the world rankings. In field events champions array include the names like Yaroslav, Steven Hooker, Dwight Phillips, Blanka Vlasic, Anna Rogowska and Brittney Reese.

Some play for joy and some take it as a serious competition to win the game, match or a tournament; a professional runner will always take running as his prime responsibility. He will do all the practices religiously to acquire the physique of an athlete who can win on world level. As per on scale runner can participate right from the very beginning of school level to college level, can play for a club or can become a team member of a leading playing team later on after delivering their best on grassroots  levels.

Some of the peculiar responsibilities of a runner or a professional athlete includes the following:

• runner strive a strict disciplined life. Every day of their life      starts with their daily workouts which are essential for a sports person.
• runner work under the guidance and supervision of their mentors and physical fitness trainers. Fitness trainers do keep their best to provide a best built up to their wards so that they could perform better.
• runner follow a strict diet chart. It hardly matters whether sportspersons play for seasonal or throughout the whole year, for them to keep them as fit as possible is required.
• Professional runner are blessed with an innate talent with a good coordinating instinct. runner can either perform individually or can be a team member. Selection of a team member is done by hawk eyed insight scout people. They have a unique skill to judge and place the best suited members in the team. So a good player will always take all the games of every level seriously. Whether it’s a community match or a school match or of a reputed club, good players do perform well in each of the stages.

As per the hierarchy in US players in team are selected first on farm team level then on major team league and finally on big league level. Generally sportspersons retire at very young age that’s why it is advisable that if anyone is desperate about making his career in sports then he has to take initiatives from very early of his life. But it is not like that the role of a player is ended when he is out of pitch or left the ground. Even though having a good run on pitch after that he can serve in the field of sports education also.

Many countries are working in this direction of sports. A good player can become a good coach. Universities offer special scholarships for sports education. So in real means there is no end of the role and responsibilities of a true player. A true player will always contribute towards the betterment of the sports whether he may play or quit playing.

Sports are always referred as one of the most alluring professions amongst society of various nations. In fact some nations take sports more seriously as their religion. Although sportspersons are always paid nicely but a minor injury can cut short their market price. For example market price of world’s number one Golf player which is an athletic sport, Tiger Woods certainly came down when news of his minor injuries are out in Sports media. Therefore for runner and sportspersons it becomes very important to be injury free so as to maintain their market price.

Apart from the salaries which runner got from their tournaments, they are more hugely paid off well by advertising companies and corporate. For every commercial runner charge a large sum of money. Their current performance profile is the basis of their market value. Companies from which sports persons acquire additional benefits and incentives include the names like PepsiCo, General Motors, Nike, Adidas, and Motorola etc.

The amount players charge to these market giants is known as brand value of the players. World’s some of the highest paid athletes include the names which are as follows:

• Tiger Woods who made lucrative endorsement deals with the firms like Accenture, Gillette and Nike
• Kobe Bryant who earned his huge salary through endorsement deals with Nike, Upper deck and Vitamin water.
• Michael Jordan, who is a retired player even though is the richest one by heading basketball operations and working as minority owner in Jordan.
• Phil Mickelson who earned $54 million as prize money during his career just after Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.

These sports personalities have a huge fan following on social networking sites such as twitter and face book. These also generate large revenues from per pay view of their appearances in social gatherings. According to latest statistics of annual salary of athletes in Unites states of America, it has been estimated that a $24.3 million is the total average earnings made by them. This annual salary is calculated on the basis of winnings, bonuses, endorsements and appearance charges.

Thus in conclusion it can be said that being a runner or an athlete is not at all bad provided one must have an ultimate zeal to win all the time.

Nobody is born as a perfectionist. One has to acquire the required skills and techniques to master over anything in this world. Same is applicable on those want to pursue their careers in Athletics or in any Sports activity. As far as matter of being a professional runner is considered, it is advisable then one has to be highly disciplined, dedicated and patient in nature.

There is a myth in many people’s mind that only aggressive people can become a sportsperson or can do perform well in any sports. But it is not true. In fact any sportsperson who is considered to be world’s the best sports figures is always a patient and calm person. Only patience and perseverance of a person can make him going through all the turbulent times of his sporting career.

The common skill which every good runner possesses is a strong internal drive to succeed. For a good runner there is nothing more important than his commitment for the game. Healthy mind can acquire more skill and a healthy mind exists in a healthy body. Some of the skills which an aspiring athlete should have are enlisted as follows:

• An optimistic approach for the game.
• As today’s current sports environment is very competitive therefore the person should be self motivating.
• He should always keep his focus on the goal just like Arjuna’s eye on the target.
• Must follow yoga and other concentration enhancing practices to avoid stress or undesirable anxiety.

It is always been said that education forms a base to gather success in any profession and sports is also not far away from that. Anyone who wants to have a fantastic career in sports can opt for sports education as sports industry is one of the fastest growing industries of the world .It costs about $213 billion approximately.

There are many universities in US where one can study and could have degree in sports. American Sports University, St. John’s university, New York university, University of Albama, Central Michigan university, University of Detroit Mery, Defiance college, Kent State university etc. are some of US based colleges where you can get a degree in sports and have a good sports career.