After the Job Ends
I share my raw experiences and hard-won lessons on identity, resilience, and why your job can’t define you.
Let me tell you something that no course or certificate ever prepares you for:
One day, your job ends. No fanfare. No thanks. Just a quiet phone call or a contract that doesn't get renewed.
"Your contract's up. We need to make a change."
That was it. After decades in elite sport, working at some of the top clubs in Australia, that was how my tenure ended. And mate, I didn't see it coming.
In the latest episode of Two Coaches and a Coffee, Darren Burgess and I had a raw conversation about something that every high performance coach will experience sooner or later—job loss and what it does to your identity.
The Unspoken Truth About Identity in Elite Sport
When you spend 10, 15, even 20 years in the same club, something happens. You start to wear your title like a second skin.
You don’t verbalise it, but it does connect. You start to say to yourself, 'I’m Jason Weber, High Performance Manager at Fremantle Football Club.' And when it’s suddenly gone... it’s problematic. That hit me harder than I expected.
I wasn’t ready for the emotional fallout. I didn’t realise how much of my identity I’d wrapped into a polo shirt, a lanyard, and a badge. The scary part? I thought I was too experienced to fall into that trap. Turns out, none of us are immune.
We talk a lot about mental health in athletes, but not enough about the staff. The practitioners. The coaches. The ones holding the line behind the scenes.
High Performance Is High Risk
Elite sport is ruthless. You can be let go because of injury rates, team performance, or just because a new head coach wants their own people.
It's not necessarily through bad performance. It could be bad luck. But when the contract's up, that's it. And for young coaches just breaking in—this is the fine print. The part that doesn’t get talked about at university or in the locker room. If you're coming into this gig, even if you're in a job for a fair while, remember: the longer you're in it, the closer you are to the end. You can't stop the industry from being brutal. But you can be prepared.
How I Handled It (And What I Wish I Did Differently)
Pros don’t quit. They adapt.
I wish I could tell you I handled it like a pro. I didn't. I kept busy. I kept coaching. I started SpeedSig. But inside, I was still trying to figure out who I was without the badge. I didn’t have a mental health problem, but I didn’t handle that really well personally. And it’s because I didn’t realise how connected I was emotionally to the job.
What helped me through?
1. Talking to people. I leaned on Darren. On mates. On my network.
2. Reflecting honestly. I asked myself the hard questions: Was there more I could’ve done? What did I learn?
3. Focusing on the skill, not the status. I reminded myself, "You’re still a good coach. Maybe even better now."
Because the truth is: Pros still remain pros. The gear you're wearing is just a badge. The badge comes and goes.
Advice for Anyone on the Edge
Whether you're facing contract uncertainty, just got off a tough call, or quietly dreading the next season review—this part's for you.
1. Check your emotional investment.
Be proud of your work. But don't make your job title your identity. That’s a setup for pain.
2. Build a support crew.
Use your network. Not just when stuff hits the fan, but all the time. Keep in touch. Give back. It’ll pay off.
3. Stay sharp.
Your CV should speak to what you’ve done, not where you’ve been. Focus on the skillsets you bring, not the club you wore. Being a great coach isn’t about status. It’s about how you show up for everyone—even the rehab kid or the developing athlete.
4. Practice the hard stuff.
If you’re going for a job interview or pitching yourself to a club, practice out loud. Like really speak it. Get your reps in. It helps. Practice, practice, practice. Stand in a room and answer questions out loud. The feedback loop matters.
I Built SpeedSig for Coaches Like Us
One of the reasons I built SpeedSig was to keep growing, even when the title changed. I wanted something that focused on the work — not the brand behind the coach.
With SpeedSig, you can:
Get deeper biomechanical insights, right from the field
Show your value beyond GPS load numbers
Keep coaching at a high level, no matter what gear you wear
— Jason Weber
