I have a unique situation. I am a retired American Professional Baseball Player and recently graduated with a degree in Sports Management. I have interest in traveling and working internationally so I was put in touch with some of the European Professional Baseball Leagues. I spoke with a great guy from the Cologne Cardinals Baseball Club today and it went really well. There is interest with this club, and others in France and Italy, to have me on as a coach or a player/coach.
Only problem is that baseball is still a fledgling sport in Europe so it does not pay much money. If it were just myself, that would be fine. I have a wife and two beautiful little boys so I need to make some money. Like I said, I have a 4 year degree and I'm currently pursuing my MBA and can choose any focus I would like. I have 3 years of professional experience in managerial positions but no clear cut expertise. Somewhat a jack of all trades. I am a very intelligent, well spoken (English and some Spanish), hard working and resourceful. I have experience in office settings, team environments, and creative capacities as well. So it looks like I will need to find a primary job and use the baseball piece as a secondary job and something that can eventually grow as the sport continues to grow.
My long term goal would be to develop young players into solid high school and college players with opportunities to play at the college level in America or even get signed with MLB clubs. I would also like to see the sport grow to the point where leagues start at young ages and teams spring up around the country for competitive tournament play, similar to the amateur baseball scene in the U.S. My initial plan was to start my own baseball training and development company with a facility and teams, but I was told that there is such a small number of active baseball players in the country that it would not make sense financially.
Long story short, any suggestions for how to, or where to find work with a degree, pursuing an MBA, and zero spoken German would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Steve
Looking to move to Cologne but need help...
Baseball is indeed not very popular (or, should I say, almost unknown) in Europe. In addition, there is no college sports scene - education and hobbies are usually kept separate and sports takes place in sports clubs only.
MBA types are in demand, but you need to have some specialty that sets you apart from EU citizens (who need to be preferentially hired). Maybe sports management is an option (though not in Baseball, unfortunately).
Your biggest problem will be lack of language skills - sportsmen tend to be not the most educated and thus cannot be expected to speak English, but you also need the language to get ahead in other areas of life, like shopping, transport, renting an apartment or finding friends.
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