Financial education is key for athletes in their pursuit of daily excellence

CECA presents in MARCA the Financial Education project for Athletes, sponsored by double Olympic medalist Ona Carbonell.

One of the most painful images in the world of sports is seeing idols fall. These professionals who once captivated on the court, ending up utterly lost. It often occurs due to financial difficulties, and cases like that of Delonte West, ruined after being an NBA star, come to the forefront. Therefore, athletes need to educate themselves on the matter. Financial education is mandatory, and thanks to the initiative of CECA, it becomes a reality with a course committed to improving the financial education of athletes.

CECA is the association of banks and savings banks that includes among its members CaixaBank, Kutxabank, Cajasur Banco, Abanca, Unicaja Banco, Ibercaja Banco, Caixa Ontinyent, Colonya Pollença, and Cecabank, and presents the Financial Education project for Athletes.

A vital step within the world of sports, endorsed by various federations and entities, and it has the best possible ambassador: Ona Carbonell. The project was presented in MARCA, “a house always committed to training in sports,” as explained by Juan Ignacio Gallardo, the director of the leading newspaper.

The project arose from the swimmer herself. “I mentioned that there was a deep ignorance regarding financial education. There aren’t even basic concepts. In the end, retirement is very difficult, whether you’re a star or at the other end. Therefore, we need to know and understand,” recounts the double Olympic medalist.

This is CECA’s project: Financial Education for Athletes.

The course was presented in detail by Margarita Castañeda, the Communications and Brand Manager of CECA. It consists of three parts. The first provides basic knowledge that anyone, regardless of being an athlete, should have. The second part is where sport comes into play: Management of Personal Finances for Professional Athletes, covering financial planning, vulnerability, financial decisions, and support tools.

“We will carry out the Financial Education Course for Athletes as a team, learning and discussing it together,” states Ona Carbonell, double Olympic medalist.

Furthermore, it has the significant advantage of being based on the requests of athletes and federations. The syllabus, developed by the Cecabank Banking Training School, complements real-world issues and aspects necessary for athletes.

Finally, the course concludes with the presentation of success and failure cases, emphasizing why it is a fundamental aspect. The course is entirely flexible, lasting 15 hours, and athletes can adapt it to their professional careers over a period of six months.

Ona Carbonell and the Spanish Artistic Swimming Team will do this in the best way: as a team. “I believe it will be something we do as a team. In my team specifically, we do everything together. And I’m sure we will learn together and discuss it at the same time,” she confesses.