Athletes Go Pro is a staffing firm that is dedicated to introducing well-rounded athletes to desirable employers across a wide range of industries. From our screening process to final interview prep, our team strives to find ideal employment matches for our candidates in their career search and clients seeking talent.

For any family that exists outside of the top 20% financial bracket, finding additional spending money for non-essential items is challenging. Brendan Candon, a former Division I athlete and defensemen at the College of the Holy Cross identified this need and decided to take action.

In a recent Forbes article, Candon’s success is making families’ lives easier in a very practical way in the form of the website and internet platform, SidelineSwap.  In the first portion of the article, the growing need for an online marketplace is discussed and the reason for Candon’s marketplace is identified.  Brendan Candon grew up playing lacrosse, a sport in which equipment at the intermediate and expert level can cost hundreds of dollars. Luckily Candon’s family could afford the equipment, but he believes that it is unfair for children to not have the ability to play a sport or have quality gear due to the high price tags of new factory equipment. His passion to help athletes in all financial backgrounds sparked his desire to do something about the problem.

The second portion, titled “Keeping Up with the Times” talks about how Brendan Candon was able to relay his message and goal of the platform to Generation Z.  Condon realized that brick and mortar stores were becoming arbitrary due to the growth of internet commerce in our lives.Being a recent college graduate and growing up with the exposure to the internet and social media, he ran with the idea.  With over 80% of customers being under the age of 22, Candon’s platform facilitates relationships to be built between the buyers and sellers. It also allows an environment for young athletes to buy equipment used by other athletes that are reliable and have recognition by their peers.  The platform has a social media aspect to it as well, giving its over 100,000 users the option to create their own virtual locker and show their gear to others.

Identifying the target audience and implementing a solid platform to benefit young athletes and families budget has allowed SidelineSwap to generate profit. Brendan Candon also believes in giving back and helping deserving athletes out.  The hashtag, #GiveForAYear, is used by athletes to enter to have the chance to become handpicked by Candon to receive a $500 gift card to use on the website to buy equipment and apparel from buyers.

Brendan Candon’s business and its success is a reminder to everyone that when you have an idea and truly believe,  success will come if it is based on a solid foundation.  On a deeper level, Candon’s story and business success is a testament to the drive and knowledge he gained while being an athlete.  What he learned transcended the playing field and into his career.  While being a lacrosse player at Holy Cross, each week he studied film and scouts in order to beat attackmen and come out successful in the matchup. SidelineSwap and the flourishing of the business is Brendan Candon doing the same exact thing in the form of discount athletic stores.  He studied his competitors and figured out how they were losing business and identified the need for his platform just as he watched film and studied a scouting report in college. This provided the real-life experience he needed to implement the platform and marketplace successfully.

If Brendan Candon had not been an athlete, he may have never realized the need for an online marketplace to help athletes be able to buy and sell quality equipment at a lower cost.  He may have never started his business or had the credibility he needed to in order to launch his business. He may have never been able to help others achieve their goals in business and on the field.  It may not be realistic for every athlete to make money off of the sport they play, but it is very possible and highly likely for athletes to become successful in many facets of their life many of the lessons they learned while participating in their sports.

Athletes Go Pro posts deal with articles relating to athletes and the professional workplace. If you are actively or passively looking for new job opportunities, please visit our site and join our network.

Original Article Can Be Found Here