Hull's volleyball Olympian Ben Pipes tells reporter Harry Slavin why he's eager to inspire the next generation.
ASK a professional athlete what a P60 is and you'll probably be met with a blank stare.
Most sport-stars can work out in milliseconds the perfect angle to hit a shot or the right amount of force to strike a ball with.
But trying to put that skill-set to use in the working world can prove difficult, and former Great Britain Olympic volleyball player Ben Pipes is learning the hard way.
"I've been looking for a proper job and to get back in to the real world," explains Pipes, who is back in Hull after a seven-year career which saw him play across Europe.
"The giggles that come from Human Resources when I don't know how to sort my pay or council tax makes you realise you were wrapped up in cotton wool as an athlete.
"It's not easy, it's probably one of the most difficult things I've done."
It's quite a statement from a man who captained his national side during a home Olympics, lifting his team time and again after defeats in all five of their matches in front of a packed-out crowd.
But having walked away from the professional side of the game following Great Britain's exit from the European Championships in September 2012, Pipes admits London was still a career highlight – even if he and his team-mates had everything made for them.
"We were spoilt, but it was phenomenal," says the 28-year-old.
"You have everything done for you; you have the best facilities, the best kit and the best opponents. We were really well looked after.
"You imagine the high of coming out in front of 15,000 people for the first time to the lows of realising you haven't won enough matches, sets, points. Every emotion was magnified."
It was the perfect end to a career that had built to a crescendo – his last professional appearance for Dutch side Landstede Zwolle landed him his first cup success on the continent at the fifth attempt.
But an urge to return home was compounded by a desire to set himself up in a more suitable line of employment, as well as news that the national set-up was folding.
"Coming back to the UK was retirement," said Pipes.
"I'd achieved all of what I wanted to do. I think it was more to do with the fact I wanted to be back here.
"When there was no more GB team it was another sign to come back."
The announcement that UK Sport would be slashing funding for national volleyball teams was met with a furore from those who had seen it blossom since 2006.
But Pipes wasn't one of them, instead accepting the decision and taking the burden of any legacy to carry on his own shoulders.
"There's always an opinion that it was a waste, but we weren't of the standard to keep that funding," concedes Pipes.
"But to me it was quite clear that any legacy would be up to the people involved, which is why I'm getting involved in coaching and passing on the game to younger people.
"But there has still been a massive impact. I'm amazed now when I'm going into places to see how many have picked up the sport."
One school in particular is flying the flag for volleyball. Pipes is director of sport at the Learning and Achievement Foundation (LeAF) in North Bournemouth, a specialist school with courts as well as indoor and outdoor beach facilities.
It's a place close to his heart and now back in Hull, he wants to pass on his love for the sport to kids and students from across the region.
"Coaching is the one thing I have the most passion for," says Pipes.
"There is no one method that's going to work for everyone. You've got to twist the rubix cube.
"Legacy is down to the athletes. It's my job to fill that gap.
"Raising awareness is something I want to do.
"But I also want to raise ambition in the area – whether they want to be a volleyball player or an astronaut or even the next television superstar."
Pipes is currently working on a contract basis for Youth Sport Trust, a job he'd dearly love to make permanent.
It's a goal that shows his own ambitions are far from receding.
