Hi. I'd like to answer your question. There is a distinct difference between the two. A sports professional is someone who is working in the general field of professional sports. Some of these jobs include a sports writer, a sports agent, a sports announcer, a team manager, a team coach, a sports trainer. A professional athlete is someone who is actually playing or doing a professional sport. Some professional athletes are the basketball player Lebron James, the football player David Beckam, or the tennis player Roger Federer. Do you understand now?