The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), one of the UK’s most important professional bodies for linguists, has launched a new network this week, the ITI Sports Network.
This is a network for professional translators and interpreters who specialise in sports and/or are sports enthusiasts. It gives them an opportunity to exchange ideas, share expertise and knowledge, discuss terminology, and develop a social and professional network.
Network members cover a range of sports from cricket to yoga, gym-based fitness to water sports and other outdoor activities. It brings together translators and interpreters who are already working in different areas of sport translation, giving them an opportunity to share best practice.
Why your gym, sports club, or fitness studio NEEDS the ITI Sports Network
Sports translation covers a whole range of topics - including sport, health and fitness, wellbeing, sporting equipment, clothing, technology, contracts, media, sports psychology and nutrition.
You might be operating in foreign markets, or you might have team members who don't speak your language, but there are numerous reasons why you might need a sports translator or interpreter.
Here are 3 reasons why you NEED to use a professional translator (or interpreter).
1. You need a translator with a detailed knowledge of your sport
It doesn’t matter if you want to translate a post-match interview, a sporting contract, a wellness blog, or an academic journal on the link between ultra-processed foods and obesity, you want a translator that understands the topic inside-out. Someone who will collaborate with you to create the best content imaginable. You can now find them in the ITI Sports Network.
Network members have experience in the field and understand the difference between a tennis grip and an overgrip, or a squat and a deadlift (OK, lots of people do, but just as many don't.) More often than not the translator or interpreter follows or plays the sport or takes part in the activity. They use the equipment or drink the protein shakes you manufacture, and because of that they know what you’re talking about.
2. You need a translator who understands the language and culture of your sport or activity
Most sports use an extremely specific terminology - think of football for example. So much of the terminology relates to the culture and history of the game. To someone (like me) who has a superficial knowledge of that sport, it’s like listening to another language.
But you want a translator who does understand that specific terminology and knows how to convey that knowledge into another language, otherwise your translation won’t hit the back of the net (I’m not completely unaware of the odd football metaphor).
3. You want your business to grow and make a bigger profit
Let’s face it, as much as we love our work, it’s driven by necessity, and that even applies to translators. Yes, we are language geeks, but we still need to pay the bills and our yearly subscription to Men’s Health or FourFourTwo magazine.
If you own a gym, fitness studio, or sports clothing business, you want to hear the burr of busy treadmills, have fully booked yoga classes, and better sales figures for your latest clothing range. Translation helps you do that.
That could mean different things depending on your business: from translating a marketing leaflet into the second most-commonly spoken language in your community to translating your website into multiple languages for your expansion into a foreign market.
Members of the ITI Sports Network can help you do that efficiently and effectively.