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Transitioning From College to Professional Sports
In this episode of the Culture in Sports Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Jeremy Piasecki and Sydney Moore discuss her journey of transitioning from a collegiate athlete to a professional volleyball player in Germany’s Bundesliga. She discusses the challenges of finding an agent, negotiating contracts, and the importance of cultural adjustments, including language barriers. Sydney reflects on…
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No Rest for the Weary
Recently an interview with Stephen Schoch, pitcher for the University of Virginia baseball caught my attention; not just because it was hilarious but because his comments struck a chord. When asked what makes him nervous, he jokingly said caves, but quickly retorted with “this is just a game, there are going to be way harder…
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The Mean Streets: Survival of the Fittest
Some sports are inherently more dangerous than others, but even though mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor Fau Vake faced danger each time he competed, it was outside the ring that he met his fate. Vake was allegedly attacked on a street in Auckland, New Zealand by four men and later died at Auckland City Hospital on…
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Little Champions
We can surely all agree that enabling children to participate in organized sports is a winning move all round. They don’t need to excel, they don’t even need to be particularly good, but their participation and their awareness of a healthful culture is priceless. Stacey Hockin, health and human development teacher and sports coordinator at…
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Told You So: The McKinley High Crisis
Being right is not always a comfortable place to be. It can positively stink to be correct at times, especially when being right means avoidable harm has come to a young athlete. Way back on May 20, 2021, in describing five mistakes coaches would make this summer, right here in this very space, I laid…
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It’s Okay to Let Your Athletes Take Safe and Reasonable Risks
Athletes need opportunities to learn and be creative. A strict coach that does not want athletes to deviate from extremely focused technique or practice plans does not allow athletes to be creative and learn. If an athlete does not have an opportunity to try new things, or take risks, how will the athlete or team…
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The Woke Coach
An emotionally intelligent organizational culture remains positive even through changes and challenges. Far from just being a corporate buzzword, it is an important skill needed by leaders, mentors, and coaches to elicit the best from their people on a performance level as well as on a personal level. Coaching in a sporting organization isn’t just…
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Where is the Leadership on Racism?
It is time for leaders in all organisations to move away from the sound bites and token gestures and take some serious action. Three recent and shameful episodes in English football highlight the fact that racism in the UK is still alive and kicking. The first, and most concerning, was the deluge of racial abuse…
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What a Mess!
It’s been three months now, and nobody seems to know what to do about the Deshaun Watson situation. What’s becoming clear is that the culture of the National Football League does not align with its core values. At least when it concerns incidents of sexual or domestic violence. Values are a culture’s standard for what…
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Catcher’s Mitts
Years ago, and we are talking almost three decades now, I was traveling from Boston, Massachusetts to Stillwater, Oklahoma with my mom and stepfather. It was the summer before my senior year of high school, and I was looking at colleges to attend after graduation. My plan had been to go into the fire protection…
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Bulldog Tenacity is the Real Culture
Such a fractured culture was believed to exist late last year in the AFLs Western Bulldogs that star midfielder Josh Dunkley wanted to break his contract. Dunkley was supposedly frustrated with the club’s leadership and culture which he believed needed to be more professional. “He’s part of the leadership group and he’s pulling the club…
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Game Called on Account of …
No longer a scary prospect of a far-off future, there is an increasing prevalence of extreme weather conditions worldwide and these are impacting on sporting events and the health and welfare of the athletes. The world of sport is a fast-paced one, training, traveling, competing, when the natural world interrupts proceedings it is keenly noticed.…
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Naomi Osaka Delivers a Message
I’m a big fan of Naomi Osaka. She has guts. Not only is she one of the top tennis players in the world, but she is also one of the most effective communicators in professional sports. Once again, Osaka has brought attention to an important issue and started a public discussion without speaking one word. …
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Here We Go Again
Several months back I wrote about how we as fans contribute to the culture of the game, and yet we find ourselves here again. It seems a few people did not listen. This first week and half of the NBA playoffs have seen a number of fans banned from NBA games. I personally thought that…
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The Fishbowl
Media exposure has heightened societal awareness of sports, players, and their organizations. The prevalence of scandal is as much a matter of conflict or negligence as it is about societal expectations. It’s not really as outlandish as it sounds when you consider the eagerly anticipated news of the latest scandal. How it is hungered for…
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If You Do Not Get Caught, Is It Really Cheating?
A former Pittsburgh Steelers coach made a comment during a recent interview with Ed Bouchette of The Athletic: “It’s only cheating if you get caught”. This coach, Bill Cowher, was discussing taking competitive advantages into the grey area, or worse into illegal territory. It is an interesting topic to think about as a coach, athlete,…
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“Not Again, Not Again!”
“Not again, not again, you don’t have to go that high, do you?” … “Oh no, this can’t be. This is unbelievable, this is unbelievable.” … “I don’t know what to say. I’m without speech.” – Andrew Voss (Fox League commentator) Strife-ridden NRL Canterbury Bulldogs forward, Jack Hetherington, freshly back from a five-week suspension for…
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High Anxiety
Athletes are reported to be significantly more likely to report ‘high to very high’ psychological distress (at 17.15%) compared to that generally found elsewhere in the community (9.5%). The published findings indicate that despite exposure to intense stressors during the recognized peak age of mental ill-health, there is an absence of empirical data available and therefore…
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So, What Have We Learned?
In the final chapter of the sexual assault case referred to in two previous articles; “Where There’s Smoke? Or … Unwitting Target?” and “… And as the Smoke Clears, the Vision Becomes Clear?“, Crown prosecutor Craig Everson officially withdrew five sexual assault charges against the NRL forward Jack de Belin and his friend and fellow…
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Glimpses of a Cultural Nirvana in Sport
Leicester City Football Club’s season ended in a second fairy-tale when they lifted the FA Cup on May 15th this year. The first fairy-tale was achieved in the 2015-2016 season when they were crowned Premier League champions. On both occasions glimpses of what might be called a cultural nirvana appeared through the blue mist of…
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The Power of a Nemesis
The semi-vaccinated public is returning to large gatherings. For over a year, we have either been alone or with close friends and family members. Consequently, now have to face our nemeses once again and learn how to play nicely with them. They didn’t go away, but they are no longer behind a mask and six…
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Popcorn, Heat, and Fans, Not Always The Best Combination
Typically, when one thinks of popcorn, they know that there is heat involved, and fans as well, if getting popcorn from a large popper. However, when it comes to sports, popcorn, heat, and fans, are not always within the same category. For example, the recent incident where a fan dumped popcorn on Washington Wizards Point…
