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About The Second Half Programme

Retirement for professional athletes can often be daunting as they consider new careers off the pitch.

The Second Half career development programme was developed by Visa in collaboration with Karen Carney OBE (former England international) and Kim Little MBE (Club Captain and former Scotland international). The aim of the programme is to help female footballers prepare for a smooth transition out of professional football, when the time comes.

Through The Second Half, Visa helps players recognise the skills they have developed as a professional footballer and see new opportunities and career pathways with support tailored to their individual goals – all with a focus outside of traditional media and coaching roles.

Career development programme specifically for female players in the Barclays WSL

Provides the skills and support needed to prepare for a career outside of professional football

Helps players recognise transferable skills that can be used in other industries

Increases awareness of opportunities in addition to ‘traditional’ coaching/media careers

What the programme includes

The programme is free of cost to the players and all elements will be delivered virtually.

Apply to join the Second Half programme

Training and Guest speakers

Training and Guest speaker sessions are delivered by Visa and key Visa partners including the following topics: personal branding; partnerships; networking; social media; communications; leadership; career planning; managing finances and CV writing.

Networking

As one of the world’s largest brands, Visa has a huge network of partners within industries from technology, retail and media, through to rights-holders like UEFA. Our network means that participants have the opportunity to build connections in a variety of different sectors or industries, as well as with other players on the programme.

Mentorship

All participants in the programme are offered the opportunity to have a mentor from a senior stakeholder at Visa or one of our partners. Our aim is to partner players with a mentor from an area of the business that aligns with the player's interests or long-term career goals.

Work experience / internship opportunities

The programme offers participants who have completed the programme the opportunity to apply for work experience. Players are also offered the opportunity to apply for paid internship positions at Visa over the course of the summer break.


Meet The Second Half Team

Karen Carney OBE

“I am really excited to have helped develop this programme with Visa and to create something that I know current and retired players will really benefit from. Football is an amazing sport and I hope players understand that the skills they have gained as a professional are highly desirable and with the right support players could work in any field or industry they wanted.

For me personally it has been an amazing journey, learning so much about the business but also challenging myself to do things I would never have done if this opportunity hadn’t come about. I am so glad I stepped out my comfort zone and I hope we have created something very special which will help lots of people.”

Kim Little MBE

“I feel very grateful to have been part of the team building The Second Half programme. It has already provided me with experiences and opportunities that I know will help me post-football. I have no doubt in my mind that The Second Half will empower other female footballers like myself and will provide them with the guidance to utilise and build on the skills they have gained throughout their playing career, across to another line of work.”


Karen Carney’s top 5 tips

We asked Karen Carney to share her ‘top tips’ on how to best transition from professional athlete into a second career – including her advice for moving into a role in the corporate world.

Download the full PDF article

Register to join The Second Half

Whether you retire today, tomorrow, or in 10 years from now — the goal of The Second Half is to ensure that you have the skills in your locker to prepare for a smooth transition into a new career. Why not apply to join the new intake?

Register for The Second Half programme