Rafa Nadal Sports School at Alfonso X Wise University organized the first Sports and Health Business Day this Thursday, highlighting the professional paths the sector can offer and the need for athletes to plan for life after sports.
As explained by the Rafa Nadal Sports School, after witnessing moments of national sporting glory, such as Spain’s football win in 2010 and other major events like the Europa League finals and Paralympic competitions, many wonder what happens to elite athletes when they retire. The concern mirrors the transition many college students face when finishing their studies.
To address these questions and bridge the gap to the labor market, the event connected education with market needs and opened a dialogue about employability and ongoing education.
Students of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences (CAFYD), Nutrition, and Physiotherapy from UAX attended the conference, which featured experiences shared by UAX Rafa Nadal Sports School administrators and testimonies from renowned sports figures such as World Champion David Villa, former footballer Mario Suárez, tennis player Keyboard Duck, Olympic athletes Sara Alvarez and Lola Fernandez-Ochoa, and Paralympic athlete Adi Iglesias. The interactions with leading firms in sports, nutrition, and physiotherapy helped clarify career opportunities and specializations within the postgraduate offerings of the Rafa Nadal Sports School at Alfonso X el Sabio University.
Alfonso X el Sabio University offers a Masters in Sports Performance, an Online Master in Sports Nutrition, a Sports Performance Psychology specialization, and an MBA in Sports Management, along with a Masters in Sports Communication and Platforms. This distinctive educational portfolio reflects an experiential model designed to meet the specific needs of the sports industry, aiming to develop specialized talent in health, sports, and business.
Raúl Notario, the Sports Director, spoke about how this approach helps students understand what companies in the sports sector seek and how to establish real industry connections. The program also provides access to job opportunities across participating companies. He emphasized that the methodology relies on continuous collaboration with industry players, a point that was evident during the day.
Among the participating organizations were NDL, Indya Nutrition, Quirónsalud, and Cantabria Labs’ sports supplement brand, along with sports venues such as Go Fit, Be One, Funziona Fit, and Metropolitan. The day showcased how sports degrees intersect with physiotherapy centers like Urbanfisio, Obelión, El Hospital de los Madroños, Clínicas Rozalén, and Quirónsalud. It also highlighted collaborations with global partners like Rafa Nadal Academy, Impulsyn, LinkedIn, La Nave Madrid, and programs in the United States that share their expertise with students. This collaboration exemplifies Alfonso X el Sabio University’s close ties with the business community to support academic excellence and future studies for its students.
Notable professionals offered guidance, including Israel Gonzalez, head of physiotherapy and director of the Master’s in Sports Physiotherapy at the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation, Gemma Bes, director of Nutrition and Master of Sports Nutrition and Training at the Rafa Nadal Academy, and Ana Merayo, former head of Psychology and Tutoring at FC Barcelona, who now leads the Sports Psychology division within the Catalan Sports Council and serves as University Director of High Performance Sports Psychology.
workers future
The event featured a roundtable with World Champion David Villa, former footballer Mario Suárez, legendary tennis player Pato Clavet, Paralympic athlete Adi Iglesias, Sara Alvarez, and skier Lola Fernandez-Ochoa. They shared insights on life after elite sport and stressed the value of training and professional opportunities for a smooth transition into new careers.
David Villa commented on the importance of ongoing training alongside an athletic career to enable a future in other professions, noting his own ability to stay connected with sports whether on the slopes, on football fields, or in other work environments. He also reflected on how the transition can be seamless with the right preparation and people around in the late stages of a professional career.
Mario Suárez echoed the sentiment, describing his parallel training during his career as essential to adapting to life beyond sports. Sara Alvarez spoke about sport preparation as a combination of effort, focus, and personal skills that extend into daily life and work. Skier Lola Fernández-Ochoa highlighted the vulnerability athletes can face at retirement and underscored the necessity of mental health and well-being as part of overall preparation.
Pato Clavet added that retirement can feel like a disadvantage if education lags behind. Paralympic athlete Adi Iglesias stressed that ongoing training remains important even when an athlete is active, and that career planning is deeply personal.
During the Sports and Health Business Day, students also learned about the role of social networks in job searching, with insights from La Nave, Madrid’s Innovation Center, and LinkedIn Talent Solutions, led by Azucena Elbaile. The event also featured perspectives from the Mamifit influencer Rachel Lopez, highlighting how professional associations in Physiotherapy, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences in Madrid shape modern careers for graduates and active professionals.