The Frisco Chamber of Commerce will host the Business Beyond Sports luncheon and panel discussion on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, in the Hall of Fame Club at the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Frisco was once named “The Best Place to Raise an Athlete” and also has a reputation for being Sports City USA. With seven professional sports teams, state-of-the-art sports venues, medical rehabilitation, and sports research facilities, the sporting industry continues to be a huge economic driver for Frisco. Over the past few years, the Frisco Chamber has held panel discussions looking at various perspectives on sports in Frisco including the teams themselves, the venues, and now we will look at former athletes and challenges/opportunities they face.
The panel of former professional athletes will speak to starting a business and navigating the business world after sports. Panelists include: former NFL athlete with the Dallas Cowboys, Tyler Clutts; Hall of Famer, 2x Olympian, BIG3 Champion and Coach of the Year, Nancy Lieberman; Co-owner of the Texas Legends and President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks, Donnie Nelson; and Former Dallas Stars Goalie, Marty Turco. The discussion will be moderated by Dana Larson of Fox Sports Southwest.
The presenting sponsor for this event is Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center at The Star. “We are proud to support the Frisco Chamber of Commerce as the presenting sponsor of this event. Our goal at the SPC is to positively impact the health and performance of athletes at any age and level by combining our first class athletic coaches and trainers with the most innovative sports technology and research,” shared Kevin Coats, General Manager of Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center at The Star. “Our partnership on this event is a natural fit. Our hope is that this can help educate what it’s like for former athletes so that, as a community, we can provide support and tools to help them be successful.”
“More and more athletes are choosing to call Frisco home and we need to find ways to take advantage of the talent of these former athletes,” shared 
Tony Felker, President and CEO of the Frisco Chamber of Commerce. “One of the questions we are asking the former athletes who are now in the business community is what could they have used to better navigate the business world after leaving the world of sports.”
Many professional athletes have skills used in sports that transfer well into the world of business such as passion, determination, teamwork, and problem-solving. “In many cases, the athletes need the help of individuals, mentors if you will, in the business community to help them successfully transfer those skills which is something the Frisco Chamber of Commerce is hoping to assist in this area,” said Felker.
Photography credit: Suad Bejtovic Photography
