-
The Impact of Increasing Women’s Sports Visibility
The 30th season of the WNBA tips off next Friday, May 8th and a record 216 games will be nationally televised. This increase in visibility isn’t just a win for the league or its fans. It is a win for women as a whole. This is the first season under the league’s new collective bargaining…
-
An Abundance of Missed Opportunity
Here in the United States, we are all pretending we are back to normal now. It’s liberating and refreshing. And for the fully vaccinated, well-deserved. But, unfortunately, the party-crashers are threatening to spoil the fun for the guests. Sporting events have shaped the public’s perception of the COVID-19 pandemic. We knew things were getting serious…
-
Treat Others How You Wanted to be Treated
Major League Baseball seems to have been in the news a lot lately, mostly for their crackdown on pitchers and illegal substances. Awhile back the White Sox Player Yermin Mercedes broke an “unwritten” rule of baseball by swinging at a 3-0 pitch that resulted in a home run, and the White Sox were already winning…
-
The Art of War
I think it’s fair to assume that a healthy culture includes respect for ourselves and for each other. The sporting world should operate under much the same premise. When fighters ‘talk smack’ to and about each other, is that part of the show? Is it a concerted effort to distract or ‘put-off’ the competition? Or…
-
The Weight of a New World on Her Shoulders
Transgender weightlifter, Laurel Hubbard transitioned eight years ago at the age of 35. Since then, she has successfully met all of the requirements of the International Olympic Committee’s regulations for trans athletes and fair competition. The IOC policy specifies conditions under which those who transition from male to female can be eligible to compete in…
-
Trust the Coach That You Just Hired
I recently had a colleague reach out to me about a coaching issue that she was having. She was hired as a head coach of a youth sports organization during the pandemic and was waiting for the government to allow sports participation. Once the government gave permission for practices and competitions to resume, everyone was…
-
All the Colors of the Rainbow
June is officially Pride month, a perfect time to embrace individuality and inclusivity, tolerance in all avenues of our lives; our work, our social lives, our sporting pursuits. The perfect time to develop a culture that makes room for everyone. Andy Brennan, who came out in May 2019 as Australia’s first openly gay footballer, has…
-
Playing on the Edge!
AFL Brisbane Lions Captain Dayne Zorko has promised not to dull his fire despite his recent suspension for the charge of intentional conduct, with low impact and high contact. The same charge was levelled at fellow AFL dynamo, Giants Toby Greene, who managed to narrowly avoid suspension but will have to wear a $2000 fine…
-
Competitive Sport: A Window on National Cultures
Australia’s modern day suffragette, Madeline Groves, withdrew from the nation’s Olympic Swimming Trials in protest against misogynistic behaviours exhibited by some members of her National Governing Body (NGB). This must have been an extremely difficult decision for her to make as it has negated all the investment she has made in preparation for the event.…
-
Player Safety Rears its Ugly Head Again
The Adelaide Crow’s David Mackay fronted a tribunal hearing over a rough conduct charge, and the fallout threatens to polarize the football community. In a game that is designed to have players contesting the ball and players committed to gaining possession, there must inherently be a certain amount of contact. The Australian Football League insists,…
-
We’d Give You a “10,” But the Best We Can Do is a “6.6”
I would guess that a majority of people out there are familiar with a relatively popular pawn shop show that airs on cable television where customers come into the show thinking they are going to get a certain amount of money for an item and the person behind the counter responds with, “The best I…
-
Not Just an Entrée
Following unrest over the line up for the tennis at the Australian Open this year, there persisted a sour taste in the mouths of some of the female tennis players. The management at World Athletics, however, have got it right and have drawn praise for it. Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalist, Sally Pearson has commended…
-
Swipe Right Delete
There exists in any swim club a small fraction of swim mums and dads who will have coaches running for the nearest rock under which to hide. None more so that those with swimmers aged 10yrs who cannot understand that the same principle of dropping of swimmer X at their violin lesson also applies to…
-
The Best Ability is Availability
Getting through a professional sports season is a grind. Packed schedules, travel, and competing at a high level against the best athletes in the world take their toll on the human body. As a result, injuries are piling up at a record clip this year so far in the Major League Baseball season, and it…
-
The Power of Play
All over the world children are joining clubs and teams, urged on by parents eager to do the best for their child’s enjoyment and development. There are those children though who don’t have the same access to opportunity as the others. Chief among these are the children of families from a lower socio-economic background. A…
-
One More For Radical Sportsmanship- Meeting the Moment
In trying to define both what small “c” and small “s,” culture in sports is and means, and what the platform “Culture in Sports” stands for, several common priorities and goals emerge: Prioritizing the safety and well-being of young athletes in and around sports Eliminating abuse in all its forms from sports and sports organizations…
-
‘Pics or it Didn’t Happen’
Following her initial complaints of misogyny within Swimming Australia, Maddie Groves has further alleged that the culture of Swimming Australia is so bad that people who wish to thrive in the sport are forced to ignore entrenched negative behaviors. Groves, a two-time Olympic silver medalist announced via Instagram on June 9 her decision to withdraw from…
-
Trust is a Two-Way Street
As an athlete, I had many coaches who just expected athletes to trust them because they were the coach. I also had coaches who showed that they deserved trust. The coaches that showed or proved their trustworthiness were also the ones who started off the coach and athlete relationship by wholly trusting the athlete. Even…
-
Lose Graciously, Win Humbly
UFC 263 was an incredible pay-per-view, showcasing great strength, determination, and perseverance. What was most surprising, however, was what happened after the first title fight of the night. Deiveson Figueiredo, the defending Flyweight Champion had a rematch with the same man he fought in December, 2020, Brandon Moreno. Their last fight was a constant flurry…
-
Empathy, Comradery, Humanity
Sunday morning, I saw a CNN breaking news post on Twitter that Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field during the Euro 2020 match against Finland in Copenhagen. He was given medical attention on the field as his teammates protectively encircled him to protect his privacy during his moment of vulnerability. He is now…
-
Athlete Alliances and Corrupt Governance in Sport
For too long now governments and some of sport’s international governing bodies have been using elite athletes for their own purposes rather than supporting, protecting, and paying them their dues. I imagine, therefore, Pierre de Coubertin will be smiling down on aquatics after hearing that the world’s best swimmers are establishing an independent swimmer’s alliance.…
-
Make Up Your Mind, Please!
Major League Baseball does a great job of getting themselves in sticky situations. Unfortunately, the latest one is really sticky. Literally. Until a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of Spider Tack. I’m guessing neither did you. You can buy a tub of the stuff on Amazon for about forty bucks. Developed by…
