The SportsGrad Podcast: The Ultimate Guide to Make it in the Sports Industry

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Meet Ryan Patterson, product manager at Premier Data, a fast-growing sports technology startup that's closing the gap between elite-level analytics and grassroots sport.Ryan's path into sport is anything but linear. From scanning groceries at Woolworths at age 15, to progressively building his university qualifications across three degrees, a Bachelor of Business that evolved into Sport Management, and then a double degree adding Sport Science once he realised data analytics was where his future lay, Ryan has consistently leaned into what excited him rather than following a predetermined plan. Alongside his studies, he represented Deakin University on study tours in India and Chicago, always looking to make the most out of every opportunity in front of him.Over six years, he's worked his way through four distinct roles at Premier Data from casual coder to Product Manager, while simultaneously spending seven Australian Opens in the Ball Kids Ops team at Tennis Australia. Ryan has sat courtside for Grand Slam finals, worked inside Collingwood's coaches’ box, been featured in a Netflix documentary at the AO, and helped build a startup from 20 games to 250 games a week.But his real superpower? Saying yes before he knew the answer, starting small, and staying long enough to grow into something bigger than he imagined.Tune in to this week's episode to hear exactly how he did it!We cover:(3:18) - Interview starts(5:18) - Quick-fire questions(11:02) - How the study trip to India and Chicago added to Ryan's university experience(15:13) - Ryan's internship with Collingwood FC(18:22) - How Ryan landed his role in the Ball Kid Operations team at the Australian Open(26:31) - Coolest moments from Ryan's time at the Australian Open(28:59) - How Ryan manages his roles across the AO and Premier Data(30:14) - What is Premier Data(37:18) - How Ryan progressed to his current role as Product Manager(41:47) - What does Ryan's look like on a day-to-day basis(45:41) - How Premier Data builds partnerships with new sports(48:50) - Challenges Ryan faced breaking into sport(51:14) - Advice Ryan would give his younger self(52:50) - Impact of mentors on Ryan's journey(56:20) - How to land a job as a Sport Product Manager in the next 30 days(59:06) - Biggest 'Pinch Me' moment in Ryan's career(01:00:00) - What would Ryan's life look like if he didn't work in sport(01:00:42) - What's something we might lose from sport in the next 10 years(01:02:21) - Ryan's question for the next guestIf you liked this ep, give these a go next:#227: How to be a Performance Analyst for Pro Tennis Players with Shane Linayage#257: How the AFL analyse their data with Dat Visualisation Lead, Penny Privett#288: How to be a champion data competitions coordinator with Ashleigh Newton-SpenceWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love!

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Meet Sarah Dyce, Public Affairs and Marketing Manager at the Victorian Institute of Sport.Sarah has a wealth of experience in sports communications, working behind the scenes of the moments that matter most. After graduating with a Bachelor of Marketing and Public Relations from the University of Notre Dame in Perth, Sarah made a bold move to Melbourne in 2018.But here's the part most people don't know. Sarah never set out to work in sport. She arrived in Melbourne in 2018 with a marketing degree, no contacts, and a determination to avoid a nine-to-five in Perth's mining and oil and gas sector. She found a listing on a website better known for arts and theatre jobs, applied for an unpaid internship at Swimming Australia, and quietly outworked everyone around her until the industry had no choice but to take notice.What followed was years of contract roles spanning Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games as part of the Australian Olympic Committee's Main Press Centre team, worked the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, the World University Games in Berlin, the Australian Open, A-League Finals Series, and helped orchastrate one of the most viral moments of the 2025 Australian Open - the now-famous Carlos Alcaraz and young fan John's encounter that captured the world's attention.In this episode, Sarah takes us through the mindset shift that made contract life work for her, the networking habits she built that kept the opportunities coming, and the deliberate decisions she made along the way that led her to the role she has today. If you've ever talked yourself out of applying for a sport role because you didn't feel "sport enough," Sarah's story is the one you need to hear!We cover:(03:07) - Interview starts(09:23) - Quick Fire Questions(16:32) - Why Sarah moved from Western Australia to Melbourne?(20:11) - What her time at Swimming Australia taught Sarah(24:08) - Why Sarah left a full-time role to pick up contract work(28:48) - Sarah's takeaways from contract work(31:54) - How Sarah managed to stack contracts(36:42) - What a day in the AOC Main Press Centre team looks like(43:14) - Differences and similarities of working at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics(51:53) - The viral AO moment Sarah helped make happen(57:27) - How Sarah landed a role at the World University Games in Berlin(01:02:46) - How Sarah's current role at the VIS came about(01:07:20) - How do you measure success across the various roles Sarah has held(01:09:28) - Biggest challenges in sports media and PR(01:11:16) - How you can stand out in a saturated sports media landscape(01:13:22) - How to handle difficult situations as a sports comms professional(01:16:19) - How to build trust and relationships with variou stakeholders in sport(01:19:00) - Impact of mentors on Sarah's journey(01:24:07) - How to land a job in sport media and PR in the next 30 days(01:25:49) - Biggest "Pinch Me" moment working in sport(01:29:39) - What is a takeaway from a family member that influenced your career in sport?(01:31:22) - Sarah's question for next guestIf you liked this ep, give these a go:#281: Journey to Head of Media Rights at Cricket Australia with Abhi Arunachalam#312: How Vimal Kumar Became a Cricket Writer, Built 600k+ on YouTube & Travelled the World#335: How to land a job at the VIS with Director of People & Community, Daniel SimonsWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love!

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Meet Rachael Lynch OAM OLY, former Gold Medalist Hockeyroo, now Nurse/Carer Lead and Wellbeing & Engagement Advisor at Wheelchair Rugby Australia.Rachael is one of Australia's most decorated hockey goalkeepers. She represented Australia in over 230 international matches and is a dual Olympian (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2020), dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist, and International Hockey Federation Goalkeeper of the Year (2019). Beyond the pitch, Rachel is a registered nurse with 15+ years of hospital experience, an AOC Athlete Commission member, recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to hockey, a COVID-19 recognition award recipient, corporate speaker, R U OK? Day ambassador, and founder of Stomp Goalkeeping, an online goalkeeping coaching business she built while still competing at the elite level.Rachael's career didn't follow a straight line, she transitioned from elite athlete to wellbeing administrator by blending nursing credentials, lived experience, and a deliberate year of networking before landing her role at the Victorian Institute of Sport and later Wheelchair Rugby Australia.We tend to agree with Rachael that life is too short to do jobs we don't love. So, if you're sitting in a career you're good at but don't love, and sport keeps pulling you back, this week's episode with Rachael is exactly what you need to hear!We cover:(03:12) - Interview starts(05:37) - Quick Fire Questions(12:50) - Where Rachael's passion for nursing and athlete wellbeing stems from(15:21) - How Rachael's first role at the VIS came about(18:18) - What a week in Rachael's role at VIS looked like(20:49) - Rachael's experience working with athletes at Paris 2024(23:19) - How Rachael got her current role at Wheelchair Rugby Australia(30:26) - Balancing high-performance demands and long-term athlete wellbeing(33:10) - How athletes deal with the pressures of high expectations(36:07) - Common mental health challenges athletes face(37:38) - How Rachael measures the success of her roles(38:50) - Why Rachael serves as an R U OK? ambassador(42:00) - Rachael's playing career(44:28) - Potential barriers to becoming a professional athlete(49:38) - Rachael's time with the AOC Athlete Commission(52:19) - How the Order of Australia Award came about(56:37) - Rachael's induction into 'Olympians for Life'(01:00:47) - Rachael's on receiving the Covid-19 Honour Roll Award(01:05:43) - How Rachael decided what career path she wanted to take(01:06:41) - What helped Rachael stand out in each of his roles(01:09:32) - Impact of mentors on Rachael's journey(01:13:38) - How Rachael became a mentor in the SportsGrad Method Program(01:15:30) - How to land a job in athlete wellbeing in the next 30 days(01:16:39) - Biggest "Pinch Me" moment working in sport(01:18:35) - What Rachael's life would look like if she didn't land a job in sport administration post playing career(01:19:22) - How would you spotlight a female in sport?(01:20:41) - Question for next guestIf you liked this ep, give these a go:#294: Journey to Australian Olympic Committee Project Manager with Lyndall MacInnes #302: Paris 2024, Content Creator | Stella Barry#306: Dandenong Stingrays FC, Strength and Conditioning Lead | Billie LewisWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love!

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben

Meet Steph di Julio. Steph is the HR and Recruitment Executive at Melbourne Football Club - one of the AFL's most storied clubs.Steph is one of the few people who built a career in sport entirely from the ground up. After graduating with a Sports Management degree, having originally enrolled in PE teaching before pivoting in her final year, she cut her teeth in retail management before finding her way into sport through a volunteer role at Football Victoria. She was even rejected three times before landing her first paid role in the industry. What followed was seven years and four progressively senior roles from Summer Sevens Coordinator to MiniRoos Development Officer to Administrative Coordinator, all while completing her HR Management qualifications on the side.When she finally made the leap to the AFL level, both Melbourne Football Club and Carlton came calling in the same week. She chose the Dees and hasn't looked back since.Now she sits at the centre of Melbourne FC's people and culture operation, responsible for recruitment, onboarding, training and development, policy, performance reviews, and keeping the club's engagement scores where an AFL club's need to be.If you want to hear straight from the source on how to break into sport, handle rejection, and build a career from scratch, tune into this week's episode with Steph!We Cover:(03:04) - Interview starts(16:01) - What Steph learnt from working in retail(23:23) - How the HR role at Melbourne FC came about(26:23) - What does a typical day/week look like in Steph's role(29:18) - How HR performance is measured and what initiatives MFC take to improve workplace culture(35:06) - What the recruitment timeline in sport looks like (39:56) - How many people land jobs through references(42:46) - DOs and DON'Ts of applying for a role(45:48) - How Steph tackled the challenges of being a female in a male-dominated industry(48:59) - What challenges Steph faced in landing a job in sport(51:15) - How Steph decided what career path to take when she was lost for career direction(53:31) - What helped Steph stand out in each of her roles(54:24) - Why you need your own 'Board'(57:05) - Why Steph enjoys 'giving back' to people(58:34) - How to land a job in sport in the next 30 days(59:23) - Biggest 'pinch me' moment in Steph's career(01:01:41) - What Steph would have done if not a career in sport(01:02:17) - What a perfect day at work looks like (01:03:34) - Steph's question for next guestIf you liked this ep, give these a go:#286: Inside the GWS Giants Social Media strategy with Jacob Gaynor#284: Journey to Football Operations Manager at the Sydney Swans with Steph Maiolo #193: How to be a psychologist in the AFL with Suzie Rhydderch Want a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love!

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programSo you want to work in sport.You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.How I can help you:1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/programReuben