US Pro—Julian Illingworth

In January, Julian Illingworth made his fifth consecutive appearance in the main draw of the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions.
In January, Julian Illingworth made his fifth consecutive appearance in the main draw of the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions.

What am I going to do after squash?

I have been asked this question constantly since I graduated college and started playing squash professionally in 2006. After playing for five years and making the top 30 in the world, I have passed the “giving it a shot for a few years” stage, into fully committing to play the tour as a career choice until I am around 30 years old. While delaying, and perhaps forever altering the trajectory of my life “after squash,” I feel even at 30 that I have time to pursue any career I wish.

With that said, being a professional athlete has certainly shaped and changed the way I think about work. Independent thinking, creating my own schedule to get things done, and taking responsibility for myself has become ingrained in me. This leads me to believe working in a small business or start-up might be ideal.

I also can’t deny that staying in squash in some capacity is very alluring. It is tough to walk away from a situation where I could make six figures right off the bat. It would also be a shame to waste my experience and knowledge of the game by not passing it on in some capacity.

In an ideal world, I could coach part time (maybe a college team or juniors at a club), while satisfying my entrepreneurial energies by managing or working at a small business the rest of the time. I’ve been warned about it before… but maybe I should try to open my own squash club?!?