Trinifold Sports Management has just partnered with Centrum Solutions. This gave me the idea to interview James Byers (CEO, Trinifold Sports Management) and Leon Lloyd (Co-Founder & Director, Centrum Solutions).
Where did the concept of Trinifold Sports Management (TSM) as a business originate from?
Jimmy Byers: As a company, the concept of TSM originates from the not-for-profit organization, Golfing4Life, and the successes that it had on and off the golf course. Golfing4Life was designed to help youngsters with the talent to achieve their full potential.
The fact that many of these youngsters were financially challenged in a sport that can be expensive just added to the satisfaction we felt when seeing their progress. Now with the inception of a fully-fledged management company, we have the responsibility of young golfer’s futures in our hands.
What we instill in them is that there is no problem with failing if you give 100% to everything, because how can you celebrate success if you have never tasted failure on that journey to achievement?
What are the biggest challenges facing professional golfers after they retire or leave their sport?
Leon Lloyd: Very rarely does a professional golfer or any elite athlete get to leave their sport on their own terms. Finding something meaningful that fills the void of professional golf can be very challenging.
They also often sacrifice many other areas of their education to reach the top so if they don’t quite fulfill their potential then they can be quite far behind their non-sporting peers.
How attractive are ex-sportsmen and professional golfers to employers and/or sponsors?
Leon Lloyd: Ex-athletes (both male and female) have worked hard to develop a set of transferable traits that they can carry into other careers.
These are often parts of their normal day-to-day life as an athlete but are highly sought after for potential employers. These range from
- resilience,
- communication,
- problem-solving,
- teamwork,
- agile thinkers and leadership to name only a few.
What are the different methods you both employ to manage professional golfers during and after their professional playing careers?
Leon Lloyd: From our experience and what research highlights, the better prepared you are for your sporting retirement then the smoother the transition is likely to be.
Whilst thinking about what comes next might be initially daunting, rather than approaching that preparation as your Plan B, we position it as an extension to a player’s Plan A.
There is so much research and live examples to show that more rounded individuals help to create higher-performing athletes.
If we can help reduce any stress or anxiety around what may be next for each of them, whilst they are competing, then they will have more focus and enjoyment as professional golfers as a result.
Jimmy Byers: TSM’s ethos and focus is to create a platform for young people and give them an opportunity to achieve.
There is nothing more satisfying in any sport than to watch and help youngsters develop and succeed, regardless of their playing category or background.
Reducing the stresses and anxieties of playing elite sports for our athletes is imperative. TSM maintains that focus.
What collaborations will the partnership between Trinifold Sports Management and Centrum Solutions involve?
Leon Lloyd: We are looking forward to continuing the relationship with Jimmy, Bill, and the existing Trinifold team and players whilst building new relationships with their new players as they join.
Through our extensive network of clients who are looking to employ high-achieving individuals, we will look to provide guidance and support through work experience, mentoring, and when the time is right, career opportunities.
