Isaac Higgins' code switch

Isaac Higgins is using the ACA’s placement program and internship opportunities to gain important experience for his future as he transitions off contract from the South Australian Cricket Team.

Recently completing a placement with the SANFL’s West Adelaide Football Club, Isaac was exposed to many different aspects of the semi-professional club and its operations.

“I got to see a few different parts of it, Isaac says. “I was mainly with the under 18’s squad. I started there towards the end of summer, caught the back end of their pre-season. Mainly just having a look at what they do, did a little bit of work with the head of football, little bit of their recruitment stuff, looking at their recruitment list, admin sort of stuff.

“I’d go sit in the box for the 18’s games which was a good experience, take a few notes down, or if they’d want me to look at a particular thing or statistic, I’d just lend a hand.”

Isaac says the most enjoyable parts for him were being around the coaches and those in the office and learning on the job.

“I enjoyed sitting in the box, the communication aspect, how they go about problem-solving or how they talk to the players and how they try to get the best out of them.”

His experience as a professional athlete allowed Isaac to settle in smoothly.

“I learned pretty quickly that a lot of it’s pretty similar… there’s a lot of transferrable skills, I was able to feel relatively comfortable with the sporting side of it,” he says.

Isaac’s love for football played a large role in wanting to learn a bit more about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the sport, as he wanted to be more than a spectator in the sport.

“I wanted to take more of an interest and be a bit more aware if I’m watching the AFL, why is a particular team playing a certain way, or how they recruit their players and develop them.”

After the completion of this placement, Isaac was also successful in gaining a place in the ACA’s Internship Program.

“I see it as a positive in learning new skills, learning different stuff with tech and how to use different platforms, and how to communicate with each other,” he says.

“I think the biggest thing is I’m doing it in Adelaide, and a lot of other people are based in Melbourne or Queensland, so a lot of time on Microsoft Teams and getting used to that.

“Having to be organised is something I’ve had to improve on pretty quickly, setting a calendar and all that sort of stuff, that’s probably the biggest impact on me and I’m slowly starting to get the hang of it I think.”

In only the first couple of weeks, the internship proved a big eye-opener for Isaac.

“The application for the internship came about towards the back end of my time on contract. Working in an office was something pretty foreign to me, so I wanted to experience that, and also seeing behind the scenes of cricket, what goes into putting players like me on the park,” he says.

“I’ve only ever been a player, I’ve never actually seen what goes on, and I’ve only been here a couple of weeks, there’s heaps of different roles and programs that I wasn’t even really aware of that were possible in cricket, which is pretty cool.”

One of the biggest takeaways from Isaac through his experience to date is “you get the hang of it pretty quick.”

“While I was on contract, the thought of working in an office or a job outside of being a professional sportsman was kind of terrifying to me. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do that, or if I was forced into that situation. I didn’t know how I’d deal with it. I’m a couple of weeks into this one which is a bit more like that real job/ real-life situation.

“It’s not as daunting as I thought it would be, it’s certainly not the end of the world not being on contract.”