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Sports players

effectivelying represent, exhibiting inclusive, fair, ethical and respectful behaviours in sporting disciplines and following nutrition plans to maintain physical fitness. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: effectivelying represent is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

What shifts is developing training programmes to improve athletic performance: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Professional sportsmen and women train and compete, either individually or as part of a team, in their chosen sport for financial gain. The job title says “sports players”. The real job is the part underneath: effectivelying represent. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But sports players is not one task. It is 33 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is effectivelying represent, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI
6%
changing shape
9%
staying human
85%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 12 out of 100 (10–17 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 33 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for sports players is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

Shifting to AI

2 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

  • Developing training programmes to improve athletic performance

    This is reading one thing and writing another: programmes in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Develop training programmes to improve athletic performance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Training programmes follow well-documented principles and can be drafted from an athlete's data.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Using data/statistics to assist in improving performance and to aid in setting development goals

    This is reading one thing and writing another: data/statistics in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Use data/statistics to assist in improving performance and to aid in setting development goals.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (60–68 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: This is straightforward number work, and performance data is exactly the kind of material software handles well.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

3 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

  • Monitoring and evaluating personal performance to enhance athletic skills

    The software now makes the first pass at personal performance, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Monitor and evaluate personal performance to enhance athletic skills.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Tracking numbers and spotting trends is screen work, though wearing the kit and sensing effort still involves the athlete.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Assessing performance following athletic competition to identify strengths and weaknesses

    The software now makes the first pass at performance following athletic competition, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Assess performance following athletic competition to identify strengths and weaknesses.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Video and match data give software plenty to work with, though the player’s own feel for what went wrong still counts.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Reviewing own and team performance to address strengths and weaknesses to improve future outcomes in a football context

    The software now makes the first pass at own, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 75 · 3431/00
    Source: “Review own and team performance to address strengths and weaknesses to improve future outcomes in a football context.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 48 out of 100 (41–55 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.

    The rating behind it: Match footage and statistics make this largely analysis, though the squad review itself happens in a room together.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

28 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

  • Effectivelying represent

    This work happens in the physical world: represent, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 90 · 3431/00
    Source: “Effectively represent, commit and perform to the best of ability in chosen sporting discipline at a local, regional, national or international level.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Competing in your sport is the whole job, and only the athlete can do it.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Following a daily training routine with a multi-disciplinary team to develop and maintain skills for professional performance

    This work happens in the physical world: this work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 90 · 3431/00
    Source: “Follow a daily training routine with a multi-disciplinary team to develop and maintain skills for professional performance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Training is the athlete's own physical work, so nothing about it can be handed to software.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Fulfiling daily, weekly and seasonal sporting and training commitments

    This work happens in the physical world: daily, weekly and seasonal sporting and training commitments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 90 · 3431/00
    Source: “Fulfil daily, weekly, and seasonal sporting and training commitments.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Turning up and doing the training is physical work nobody can do on your behalf.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Participating in athletic events or competitive sports

    This work happens in the physical world: athletic events, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 90 · 3431/00
    Source: “Participate in athletic events or competitive sports, according to established rules and regulations.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Taking part in a competition means the athlete is physically there doing it.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Participating in professional matches and competitions to represent the team or organisation

    This work happens in the physical world: professional matches, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 90 · 3431/00
    Source: “Participate in professional matches and competitions to represent the team or organisation.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Playing the match is the athlete performing in person.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 23 tasks

  • Optimising diet and lifestyle for peak performance

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: diet, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Optimise diet and lifestyle for peak performance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Meal and routine plans are easy to generate from good data, but actually living by them is personal.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Collaborating with doctors to develop exercise and fitness programmes for health improvement

    staying human

    The rules require a named, qualified person to answer for doctors, and that person cannot be a piece of software.

    importance 60 · 3431/00
    Source: “Collaborate with doctors to develop exercise and fitness programmes for health improvement.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 27 out of 100 (20–34 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Training plans can be drafted from documented sports science, but the medical side of the plan has to come from a registered doctor.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Analysing own

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: own, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 3431/00
    Source: “Analyse own, teammates and opposition skills to make strategic decisions to optimise team performance in a rugby union environment.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 21 out of 100 (14–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Opposition analysis can be prepared in advance, but making the calls during a rugby match happens on the pitch.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Identifying specific performance improvement areas during coaching sessions

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: specific performance improvement areas during coaching sessions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Identify specific performance improvement areas during coaching sessions.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 20 out of 100 (13–27 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Some analysis can be prepared in advance, but spotting things live in a session needs both people there.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Maintaining a satisfactory and safe environment for training and coaching

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: a satisfactory, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Maintain a satisfactory and safe environment for training and coaching.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Risk paperwork can be drafted, but checking and sorting the actual pitch or gym means being there.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Discussing performance with coaches or sports staff after events

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: performance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Discuss performance with coaches or sports staff after events.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: This is a face-to-face conversation where the coach’s read of the player matters more than the notes.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Meeting with media members on behalf of teams or professional sports clubs

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: media members, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 3431/00
    Source: “Meet with media members on behalf of teams or professional sports clubs.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (0–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Talking points can be written for you, but the interview itself needs the player in the room.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Serving as captain to guide team strategies and ensure cohesive team play

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: captain, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Serve as captain to guide team strategies and ensure cohesive team play.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 4 out of 100 (0–11 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Tactics can be suggested, but leading teammates in the moment depends on being on the field with them.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Practising regularly to enhance skills and performance

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: enhance skills, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 90 · 3431/00
    Source: “Practise regularly to enhance skills and performance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Practice builds physical skill in the player and cannot be done for them.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Training regularly to maintain physical fitness for optimal performance

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: maintain physical fitness, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 90 · 3431/00
    Source: “Train regularly to maintain physical fitness for optimal performance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Keeping your own body fit is something only the instructor can do.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Exhibiting inclusive, fair, ethical and respectful behaviours in sporting disciplines

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: inclusive, fair, ethical and respectful behaviours, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Exhibit inclusive, fair, ethical, and respectful behaviours in sporting disciplines.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: How you conduct yourself on the pitch and in the changing room is something only a person present can do.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Following nutrition plans to maintain physical fitness

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: nutrition plans, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Follow nutrition plans to maintain physical fitness.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Software can write the plan, but eating it is down to the athlete.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Participating in competitive races

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: competitive races, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Participate in competitive races.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Racing is the athlete running, riding or swimming in person.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Participating in training drills to enhance performance

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: training drills, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Participate in training drills to enhance performance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Drills are physical repetition done by the player.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Performing a range of prehab and rehabilitation procedures

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: a range of prehab, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Perform a range of prehab and rehabilitation procedures, including recovery protocols to maintain high levels of repeated physical performance daily, and throughout the year.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.

    The rating behind it: Recovery and rehabilitation work is done to and by the athlete’s own body.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Practicing under the direction of professional coaches to develop skills and prepare for competitions

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: the direction of professional coaches, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Practice under the direction of professional coaches to develop skills and prepare for competitions.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Practising a skill means the player physically repeating it with a coach watching.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Undertaking safe and effective sporting activities as instructed with due regard

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: safe, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 3431/00
    Source: “Undertake safe and effective sporting activities as instructed with due regard to self, support team and other participants.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Taking part safely alongside others is a physical activity carried out in person.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Demonstrating professional and personal integrity representing yourself and the business

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: professional, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Demonstrate professional and personal integrity representing yourself and the business.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Behaving with integrity in front of teammates, sponsors and the public is something a person does.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Participating in trials for sports teams

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: trials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Participate in trials for sports teams.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: A trial is the player showing what they can do in person.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Performing specific running drills to improve speed and endurance

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: specific running drills, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 3431/00
    Source: “Perform specific running drills to improve speed and endurance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Sprint and endurance drills are the athlete’s own legs.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Travelling to athletics events, including overseas for international championships

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: athletics events, including overseas, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 75 · 3431/00
    Source: “Travel to athletics events, including overseas for international championships.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Getting to the competition means physically travelling there.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Participating in charity events on behalf of teams or professional sports clubs

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: charity events, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 3431/00
    Source: “Participate in charity events on behalf of teams or professional sports clubs.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Appearing at a charity event on a club's behalf means turning up in person.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Performing a range of rugby union technical and tactical skills in training and competition to optimise team performance

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: a range of rugby union technical and tactical, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 3431/00
    Source: “Perform a range of rugby union technical and tactical skills in training and competition to optimise team performance.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Executing rugby skills is the player’s own body in training and matches.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay
No median pay figure is published for this exact group, so there is none here. We would rather show you the gap than a number borrowed from somewhere else.The ONS doesn't publish a reliable pay figure for this exact job (too few people in its survey sample), so none is shown here.
People doing this job
13,300in the UK, 2026.nomis-aps · Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period)This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: personal performance in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: developing training programmes to improve athletic performance and using data/statistics to assist in improving performance and to aid in setting development goals. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where represent gets done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: effectivelying represent is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 6% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 9% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 85% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 33 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Developing training programmes to improve athletic performance is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to personal performance, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding
a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes
ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether represent is in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no licence needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near monitoring and evaluating personal performance to enhance athletic skills. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, spend an hour with National Careers Service. It is free and government-funded, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest UK occupations to sports players (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was natural and social science professionals n.e.c.: only about 10% of its durable work is work you already do. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 12/100 here, with only 6% of the task list in the top band, and “effectively represent, commit and perform to the best of ability in chosen…” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 412 UK occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

  • Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “collaborate with doctors to develop exercise and fitness programmes for health improvement”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 10% of the work in that job the software is not taking.

    Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 10% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. This release publishes no median pay for that job, so I cannot show you what the move costs or pays. I do not recommend a move I cannot price.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Data analysts

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already identify specific performance improvement areas during coaching sessions, and their equivalent is to identify areas for operational or process improvement. Across both published task lists that is about 3% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 3% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. I will not move you off one melting floe onto another: 74% of its own task list already scores in the top exposure band (71/100 in this release), so the same software is eating it. This release publishes no median pay for that job, so I cannot show you what the move costs or pays. I do not recommend a move I cannot price.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Driving instructors

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already identify specific performance improvement areas during coaching sessions, and their equivalent is to plan and run coaching sessions to improve cycling skills. Across both published task lists that is about 3% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 3% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. This release publishes no median pay for that job, so I cannot show you what the move costs or pays. I do not recommend a move I cannot price.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

  • The headline number you read somewhere

    The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 6% of its task weight, across 33 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.

  • The headlines about your trade disappearing

    They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like effectivelying represent arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.

  • Retraining out of a job that is holding up

    On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.

  • The “obvious” next job everyone suggests

    I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United Kingdom figures

The United States splits this work across more than one official group, of which Athletes and Sports Competitors is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United States page →partial match

In US official statistics this job is counted as Athletes and Sports Competitors. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for sports players, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 6% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for sports players. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for sports players launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for sports players yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for sports players existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for sports players launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Sports players?
Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 33 official task statements scored for Sports players (United Kingdom, SOC 3431), 6% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 12 out of 100 (range 10–17, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Sports players” can AI already do?
The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Develop training programmes to improve athletic performance” (64/100, high); “Use data/statistics to assist in improving performance and to aid in setting development goals” (64/100, high); “Monitor and evaluate personal performance to enhance athletic skills” (56/100, partial). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Sports players” stay human?
About 85% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Perform a range of rugby union technical and tactical skills in training and competition to optimise team performance” (0/100, minimal); “Participate in charity events on behalf of teams or professional sports clubs” (0/100, minimal); “Travel to athletics events, including overseas for international championships” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Sports players” do about AI?
Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 6% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 85% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Sports players calculated?
Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 33 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

About the data on this page

  • The ONS doesn't publish a reliable pay figure for this exact job (too few people in its survey sample), so none is shown here.
  • This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
  • The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
  • 5 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
  • ASHE suppresses or does not publish a median for this unit group. We leave it empty rather than interpolating one from sibling groups, which would be a fabricated number.
  • Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Task statements
gaisi-indexProcessing: catalogue-bridge → ssc-relatedness-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights
gaisi-index (relatedness)
Scores
Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment
no pay figure published for this groupnomis-aps (Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

How we score a jobDownload this releaseLook up another job

Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.