Using tentpole moments to break into or grow within the sports industry

The GIST: The cyclical nature of sports means there’s always something big on the horizon. These tentpole moments — from the Super Bowl and Grey Cup to FIFA World Cups and playoff pushes — represent the best of competition and golden opportunities to accelerate your career.

• Organizations are thinking years in advance for how they can make the next big moment their best one, and you should too, whether you’re an artist, trainer, content creator, nutritionist, or facility manager.

Take the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup (WC), for example. The buildup focused on roster selections and player fitness, but the scale of pre-tournament prep meant tens of thousands of people across the globe working to get the teams to North America and to create a system that enabled them to compete at the highest level.

England’s senior men’s team manager Ruth Corry recalled two years of site visits and another year of logistical planning, including coordinating seven freight containers of equipment across the Atlantic Ocean. This also meant building England’s tournament HQ and ensuring a seamless process for the team during every game, meal, training, and appearance.

• But Corry didn’t start at this level: Her career journey began as a teenager working part-time as a soccer coach, to a PE teacher, then into operations for a youth academy before joining a pro club, and ultimately getting called up to the national team.

• Her playbook didn’t follow a traditional executive track, yet she built the operational muscle she needed for the biggest stage at every point during her career.

It’s a myth that big moments start at kickoff and people like Ruth Corry perfectly debunk it. The women who are growing in this industry aren’t checking boxes — they’re using their lived experiences to fill operational gaps and create space for themselves.

And the countdowns are already on: The PWHL All-Star Game is 145 days away, the FIFA Women’s World Cup is 253 days out, the 2028 Summer Olympics start in 640 days. Tentpole moments are valuable because more eyes means extra investment and when women are involved in planning, the final product changes.

• Don’t wait for the clock to expire on your dream. Take the first step, and even if it’s ugly, at least you’re moving.