It happened last week, 52-years ago, Christmas week of 1969, when two of the most consequential letters in the history of North American sports were exchanged. So much of what has followed in the history of sport, in the ongoing struggle for athletes to have a say in their career, […]
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In Australia on Boxing Day, there are two main sporting events that stir the nation’s interest, these are the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and the Boxing Day Cricket Test. My English friends like to give me a hard time over the cricket, and there is a long-standing friendly rivalry […]
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The week between Christmas and New Years Day is a time of quiet reflection on the past year. It’s a time where the world seems to slow down after the buildup to the holiday and takes a few days off before starting all over again in January. As I reviewed […]
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I recently wrote an article about When Coaches Are Unwilling to Adapt or Change. In that article I discussed that “Coaching strategies that may have worked at one level may not work at another” and used the recent example of Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since then, much has […]
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I read Greg Steiner’s December 6th contribution to Culture in Sports “Locked Out”, expecting to be critical of it. Instead, I loved it and it very accurately reflects how fans feel about the zero-sum game of collective bargaining and the bargaining process. Why would I be critical of an earnest […]
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At this point, large companies becoming the title sponsors of large sporting arenas and stadiums have become commonplace in today’s sporting world. In the highly commercialized and capitalistic economy of the United States, the American consumer has become accustomed to seeing companies names and logos in a stadium built for […]
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A common perception and statistic is that only 1% of high school athletes become collegiate athletes, well, maybe that’s true. However, they achieve such success because of a support system – usually their Mother. If my audience wants to look at Sport’s Culture, think about the nurturing care of a […]
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The Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) ended up having a perfect season in 2020, winning all 10 of their regular-season games as well as two playoff games, including the final. It was just a sensational performance in a season held behind closed doors due to […]
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In the latest Culture in Sports podcast, Mike and Wes discuss all things sporting ethics with Bioethics expert and author Art Caplan. Having suffered from Polio as a young person, Art became interested in the field of medical science and physiotherapy before his sporting experiences had developed. As a young […]
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As the NFL season winds down, its league-wide social responsibility initiative “Inspire Change” will be on display in stadiums around the country. Yet it’s easy to imagine a familiar scene on Super Bowl Sunday, a day described former commissioner Paul Tagliabue as “Winter’s Fourth of July.” As confetti swirls around […]
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Over time, there have been many athletes that could not adapt to higher level competition for a variety of mental, physical, or emotional reasons. Sometimes athletes choose to pursue other directions in their lives or cannot compete at the higher level. There are so many reasons why athletes cannot make […]
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There is a quote from Hall of Fame college football coach Lou Holtz making the rounds on the internet that goes… “Today’s athletes talk about rights and privileges. And the players 50 years ago talked about obligations and responsibilities. And to me that describes society today.” It is not that […]
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The Culture in Sports podcast recently had Sam Marchiano on as a guest. Sam Marchiano is an award-winning content creator, equality advocate, adjunct assistant professor at NYU’s Tisch Institute of Global Sport, and is recognized for the crucial role allyship played in facing gender issues as female sports reporter. She […]
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“Making Progress” These two words along with a simple 3 second video of a man hitting a golf ball were powerful enough to send ripples across the world of Twitter. Simply because the man hitting this golf ball was Tiger Woods, and this was the first time he’s been seen […]
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In keeping the same theme with my last article about my Brother, I have something truly beautiful for everyone, an interview with Equestrian Cynthia Kowalsky, my Mother. Cindy is a University of Pittsburgh Graduate and certified Pharmacist, who gives a very unique perspective on Sports Culture. She is an incredibly […]
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There are a lot of problems in the world today. We are wrapping up the second year of a global pandemic with no apparent end in sight due to a new variant named after a Greek letter no one has heard of and can’t pronounce. Gas prices are out of […]
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Penn State’s first Director of Ethics and Compliance, Chief Ethics Compliance Officer, former FBI Special Agent, and long-standing member of the Board of Directors for the US Center for Safe Sport, Regis Becker joins Wes and Mike this week in the latest Culture in Sports podcast to discuss ethical aspects […]
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Sports Culture isn’t always demonstrated in the flesh; occasionally, there are traditions that exemplify how sports can bring people together otherwise … for example … a game of Madden Football every Thanksgiving Morning for 16 years in a row. (This article is about my brother and I, and to be […]
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As a coach, team organizer, or administrative representative you are constantly looking for ways to improve, be more efficient, and spend less time and energy on things you don’t have to. In this mindset you are really only looking out for the bad, the inefficient. We tend to do this […]
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What is Sports Culture? Well, as my good friend, Coach of 33 years, and accomplished distance runner Bob Costello puts it, “When you really start to understand it, you understand that it’s about the team, not just you.” Bob embodies that mentality to every extent, and after what he and […]
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In the latest Culture in Sports podcast Mike and Wes interview Sports Attorney, Penn State Law Professor, Athletic Integrity Officer, and President of Culture in Sports Bob Boland. Bob discusses his views of the establishment of his broader sporting relationships and the guidance of athletes. The cultural connection established and […]
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You see it numerous times every year at every high school, college, or university around the country. Senior night. Athletes on rosters across the country are playing their last (home) game at their respective level. Usually announced before the game and celebrated with flowers, a replica jersey, and/or a handshake […]
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When we think about the beginning a sport season, enthusiasm is high. Athletes and coaches are so excited to get things going. Effort is off the charts and everyone is supportive. Fast forward a couple months and it’s only natural to go on autopilot during practices. Individual drills become a […]
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Carlos Correa is in the news a lot these days. He had an excellent year for the Astros, leading them to the American League pennant. He won the Gold Glove award as the best defensive American League shortstop and the Platinum Glove as the best overall defender in the American […]
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The latest podcast from Culture in Sports features Californian coach, mentor, and elite athlete Ali Williams. Ali discusses her views on toxic culture within her sport of synchronized swimming, now known as artistic swimming, with Wes Livingston and Mike Scaramella. The problems within the culture began to become apparent to […]
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Sports Culture is often unique as you move from sport to sport. I know, this is news to everybody. (Sarcasm) But sometimes you come across certain individuals that express Sport Culture so uniquely that it makes you take a step back and rethink it yourself, for me that person is […]
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If you tune into any collegiate football or basketball game at some point the camera man will pan over to the cheerleading team on the sideline and show a cheerleader. You have seen it a million times, and are probably now mentally picturing a woman smiling with pom poms, probably […]
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When I teach about character development with coaches and teachers, the first thing we do is to dispel myths. Myths such as the 10,000 hour rule and how participating in sports helps build character. THIS IS FICTION. We know that there are far more factors than just literal hours spent […]
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I recently had the pleasure of listening to a podcast for Culture in Sports. Jeremy Piasecki discusses with Wes and Mike the origins of the organization and the influences that shaped his perceptions on sport and culture as a whole. The interview resonated with me and dovetailed well with my […]
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November 3rd had all the makings of a terrible day for me. The skies were gloomy as a cold front approached. I was hobbling around on a painful knee I had injured the week before. And, worst of all, I woke up to awful memories of the night before. The […]
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A couple days ago some shocking news was delivered to us by the NFL. Las Vegas wide receiver Henry Ruggs III had been traveling 156 mph near a residential area where he hit and killed Tina Tintor and her dog. The Raiders were quick to drop Ruggs, but Tina’s life […]
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At this point, SMART goals are everywhere. SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, etc. It was originally designed to help individuals and groups focus on processes. The challenge – it doesn’t because we have lost perspective on what actually needs to be developed: The Skill. Goal-setting can be a fantastic structural tool when pointed […]
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Two months ago, I wrote about the efforts of my hometown NFL team and my college alma mater to rebuild their teams by changing their cultures. Now we are halfway through the football season, and let’s check-in and see how it is going. The answer is not well at all. […]
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This past weekend, Kevin Durant was ejected from a game for shoving an opposing player three times, the last time elbowing and shoving him in the neck. This came a game after where the Brooklyn Nets player should have been ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, where he was later fined by […]
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Older siblings can be tough, especially when it comes to athletics. The younger sibling is usually called too short … or too slow … or too weak; okay fine, that was him talking to me. My older brother, Nathaniel “San” Hensh, tragically died on July 21, 2020, and today, November […]
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Leaders who are invested in their teams carry an additional burden that seldom gets discussed. The stressors of those they lead. How do we know this? It’s called “emotional contagion”. We often can carry the emotions of others – it’s contagious. This is easy to recognize when we are dealing […]
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Baseball and football are different in many ways. They represent different cultures, different lifestyles, customs, and traditions. The mere presence of a timeclock, or lack thereof, defines separate ways of life. Football is fast, and baseball is slow. Baseball fans and football fans also are different. A while back, a […]
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I am a coach. I have been coaching for a very long time, since I was a young teenager. It is something that I love to do. I love being on the field, pitch, deck, court, and almost anywhere else a coach can be. I get excited about helping athletes […]
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Sometimes, culture and sportsmanship don’t manifest themselves in competition, they are embodied more so in practice and helping the athletes. Zack McBride, the Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track and Field Coach at Limestone University weighed in on the topic. “My best moment as an athlete isn’t just one […]
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Over the past few years we have seen a drastic change in the fabric of college football. This is partially in thanks to the addition of the NCAA Transfer Portal, which was instituted on October 15th, 2018. Since the Transfer Portal took effect we have seen a massive increase in […]
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We need to cultivate a culture that judges (evaluates) process, not people. The Reality Whether in a corporate or athletic setting, we do not explicitly discuss what we should or want to judge. We also do not explicitly discuss what we need to be compassionate about. So many of my […]
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I am obsessed with baseball, and this is my favorite time of the year. In the middle of the MLB postseason, my favorite team is in the thick of things. All of the series have been exciting, with several stars taking center stage. One of those stars has taken the […]
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The contact heavy aspect of football has attracted many fans over the years due to the nature of the game; hit hard, hit fast. With movies like Concussion, directed by Peter Landesman, an emphasis is placed on all of the effects of this “Hit Hard Hit Fast,” gameplay. What do […]
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To many people, culture means different things. For a lucky few athletes, we experience multiple sport cultures. Irwin Brambley, a beloved friend of mine and a decorated All-American wrestler, is one of those athletes. I was fortunate enough to get a brief interview with him. “What is sportsmanship? we learn […]
Read More The Los Angeles Rams were trying to offload their quarterback, Jared Goff, earlier this year. And when the opportunity arose, they made a trade. The trade looked like a great opportunity for both organizations and both teams seemed to be good fits for the newly traded quarterbacks. Even Matthew Stafford, […]
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Recently, I read an article from the Harvard Business Review on why disagreements were so vital for a thriving culture. It really made me stop and think about my experience working with teams. At what point do we actually ever discuss disagreeing in a positive manner? I’ve seen plenty of […]
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As a coach, I always had about 100 tasks, ideas, things that I needed to work on, or discussions that I wanted to have every day. I wanted each practice to be the best for our athletes and team. I wanted each assistant coach to learn something and become better […]
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Two off-the-field stories have dominated the headlines in the NFL this week. Both involve grossly inappropriate conduct by head coaches, although neither is surprising except that we heard about them. The “clubby culture” in the NFL may be beginning to break down. Finally. First, a short cell phone video of […]
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When one thinks of Culture In Sports, Track & Field (specifically the Pole Vault) embodies the mentality that any athlete should aspire to be a leader and to work hard. When I was eleven years old, I made the decision to be a diverse athlete. Well, that did not work; […]
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“If we go along with you and lie our asses off, the world of truth and ideals is, er, protected.” That’s a line from an old (if you think the 1970s is old) movie about NASA faking a Mars landing in order to avoid embarrassment and maintain its meaningful work […]
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As our cultural shift has led sports teams from a centralized leadership role to one that expects each player to have those capabilities, the ongoing need for athletes to be more self-sustaining has dramatically increased. There will always be some sort of authoritative figure within the team, only now their […]
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In a recent article by the Harvard Business Review (2020), 40% of recent graduates did not feel “job ready” and potential applicants would not even consider applying for entry level positions. They cited a lack of skills as one of the top reasons. It got me thinking about we cultivate […]
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Here we go again. Again. Last week, detailed sexual harassment allegations spanning over the past decade against women’s professional soccer coach Paul Riley surfaced in The Athletic. Two former players who claimed to be harassed by Riley, Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim, and US Women’s National Team star Alex Morgan […]
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Do you remember when you first realized the former name of the Washington Football Team was racist? Maybe it was a gradual shift in thinking or perhaps it hit like a thunder bolt. Either way, once you saw it, you couldn’t unsee it. Such a realization was the result of […]
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Culture in Sports is a learning organization. Our goal is to learn everything possible, whether it is about culture, leadership, or anything else that can help athletes, coaches, support staff, teams, and organizations. Being a learning organization is the cornerstone of anything that we are trying to do. Is your […]
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Carol Dweck is acclaimed for her work on Growth Mindset. It has provided material for educators and coaches for years. However, there is one area of research that I want to bring back into focus today, that has a direct impact on effort, focus, and confidence for athletes. How we […]
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A year ago, talk show host Skip Bayliss criticized Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after admitting he was suffering from anxiety and depression after his brother’s suicide. His admission was called a sign of weakness, and it would impact his ability to lead. Bayliss apologized, but his reaction reflects what […]
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Athletes, regardless of age and level, are not always mentally prepared or focused for practice or competition. This lack of focus can lead to poor technique, not giving 100 percent, having a bad practice, teammates’ or a coach’s frustration, and even injury. Sometimes something is not going well at home […]
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Devoting my second weekly column to Ken Burns’ Muhammad Ali documentary, that aired in four parts- Four Rounds- last week on PBS, has me running the risk of repeating myself. But in “Round Four,” which followed Ali from highest high, his victory over George Foreman in Zaire in 1974, through […]
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The Culture Shift in Major League Baseball If you’ve watched much Major League Baseball at all over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed a pretty big shift in the culture of the game. Not only has the game itself changed (guys are throwing harder, hitting more home runs, and […]
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Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is something almost every single athlete, amateur or pro, has experienced in their lifetime. It starts off with an intense exercise followed by a day of feeling fine, then followed by aches, sores, and pains. This is caused by introducing new stress to the muscles, […]
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What motivates you? What motivates the ones you lead? These questions are common. Especially, when we think about how to inspire others (in particular Gen-Z). Understanding a person’s drivers can be beneficial for increasing motivation in difficulty. For example, if an athlete values competition, or playing time, and they are […]
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Last week the women of USA Gymnastics testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee about their stores of abuse, assault, and being ignored. One of the highest elements of government heard their stories, and made these women again relive their experience, even though they have done it so many times to […]
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When many of us think of Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, we think of how he completely dominated the NFL for 14 seasons. But now, the 2x Super Bowl Champ has found a different way to impact the great sport of football. Deion Sanders is in his first year as head […]
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Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, has thirty plus year legacy of making thought-provoking documentaries for PBS. His current subject is Muhammad Ali. Burns’ four-part look at Ali’s life and times premiered on Sunday and continues over the next three days. There is probably no athlete, perhaps at any time in history, […]
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As a coach, athletic director, trainer, general manager, or a host of other positions in an organization that focus on athlete safety, health, and performance, an athlete should be ready for competition. That is what all of the practices are for. That is what coordinating transportation or lodging is for. […]
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This can be a tough pill to swallow, but the reality is this: The people we lead know us better than we know them. Why does this occur? Especially for so many well-meaning leaders out there? Every society on earth has people in power and people who are in more […]
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For people like me, this is a beautiful time of the year. I’m a sports fan, and the overlapping of the end of the baseball season and the beginning of football creates excitement. I’m also a history buff. And I am excited about a PBS documentary that premiers next week […]
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In Cooperstown, NY last Wednesday afternoon, four new members of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class were enshrined in the Hall- a year later than planned due to the Covid pandemic- but since no one was picked for the class of 2021 this “better late, than never” class is […]
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A team’s success encompasses many aspects involving the managerial staff, players, coaches, and fans. Compromise one of these aspects and a lack of success follows throughout the entire organization. During COVID we saw how teams lost their “home” field advantage due to fans not being allowed in stadiums, and how […]
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College student-athletes recently got a boon after the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) allowed them to sell the rights to their names, images, and likenesses from July 1st, 2021 and onward, so now players can be making money without having to go pro. This will be very helpful for athletes […]
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Soon after the Twin Towers fell on September 11th, 2001, I received a phone call from Los Angeles. The voice of the Fox Sport Net assignment desk editor was hurried and bit tentative. “It is all hands on deck. Fox News is asking all our reporters in New York to […]
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You often hear people say that culture eats strategy for breakfast or lunch. I assume someone thinks it eats it for dinner, too. Everyone seems to be talking about culture these days, or at least they are watching Ted Lasso and learning about the importance of building a strong culture […]
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Yesterday, the Taliban’s head of the cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, reportedly said women would not play cricket, or any other sport, under the new regime in Afghanistan. While it was not a surprising announcement, it is still heartbreaking. The tragedy that will be unfolding in Afghanistan will be this: Women […]
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A few months ago, I wrote an article about Bill Cowher, a former coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, saying that “It’s only cheating if you get caught” and discussed taking competitive advantages into the grey area, or worse into illegal territory. It was recently revealed that the Denver Broncos cheated […]
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Imagine being out of a sport for almost three years due to an injury. Now imagine returning to the same sport after the injury. And now imagine getting the opportunity to compete again. McKenzie Milton lived the horror and heartbreak, through the injury, and then the inspiring journey of his […]
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No, I am not talking about players flopping on the field here. There was a World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Brazil on Sunday. The match lasted a little more than seven minutes. The officials called the match and FIFA later stated that the match is suspended until further […]
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I didn’t realize I’d been away for a month, at least from writing here, in my favorite space at Culture in Sports. Having predicted the return of sports since the beginning of this Summer, it appears despite Covid-related concerns in many states, sports are returning in full force. In fact, […]
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August was a bad month for the New York Mets. They started the month on a high note. They were the first-place team in the NL East and had made a blockbuster deal with the Cubs to acquire star shortstop Javier Baez. Injured pitchers Jacob DeGrom and Noah Syndergaard were […]
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By the title of this article, you may just want to skip to something else, but please take the time to read how there are plenty of coaches, general managers, athletic directors, and front office staff out there that are holding onto tasks for far too long, which normally results […]
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Last week a video surfaced of a high school coach screaming and shoving one of his players on the sideline during the game. It was a horrible coaching moment that luckily did not get worse as the kid kept on trying to walk away. This coach made multiple terrible decisions: […]
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As the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games continue, an amazing feat happened: Jessica Long, a Team USA swimmer and most decorated active Paralympian, won her 25th Paralympic Games medal. Long has competed in the Paralympic Games since 2004, when she was 12 years old. And she has won gold in the […]
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The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games have officially started. This is a very exciting time during the summer Olympic season where over 4,400 athletes, in six different disability groups, compete in 22 sports. These athletes have been training for many years and must perform at their peak levels to compete for […]
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Major League Baseball did something pretty cool earlier this month. They held a regular-season game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees in Dyersville, Iowa, at the site of the movie set of Field of Dreams. The game seemed like a stunt to draw interest to an […]
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A recent football match in France was stopped midgame due to fans throwing objects at athletes, storming the field, fighting with athletes, and because of their overall behavior. It was extremely sad to watch and unfortunately poor fan behavior has become a frequent occurrence. Is this behavior going to continue […]
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Coaching is not easy at any level. When someone is coaching a recreational youth team, there are athletes who are dependent on your role, their parents who want the best for their child, others who need administrative support for the league or team, and the outside requirements of family, paying […]
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I can only imagine that running a professional sports team is not easy, especially one with historic success, at times, and tumultuous periods. During the good times, everyone wants to be involved, but during the tough times, most people want to keep their distance from the organization. The ebb and […]
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After five years of investigating, the NCAA levied sanctions against Baylor University for mishandling multiple sexual violence cases this week. However, the penalties were not severe. Several key players in the scandal escaped punishment. Why not? Between 2010 and 2015, there were several instances of sexual assault emerged. A pattern […]
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The last few weeks have been extremely interesting in the sports world: The Olympic Games recently wrapped up with the Paralympic Games kicking off in a few weeks, Simone Biles brought athlete mental and emotional health back to the forefront, Olympian and Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was fearful to return […]
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With the 2021 Olympics finally at an end, taking a look at some of the results and outcomes of these events seems rather pertinent when it comes to the frame of mind of the athletes, and particularly the spectators. As we all are aware, this year’s events were originally scheduled […]
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After a year of delay, the 2020 Olympics Games have wrapped up and have shown us great examples of true athleticism, courage, and bravery. If you’re still in the Olympic spirit and want to watch more high-caliber athletes from around the world compete on the largest stage, then you’re in […]
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While the Tokyo Olympic Games consisted of many exciting moments and thrilling athletic accomplishments, its legacy is problematic because Covid-19 protocols created a made for media only spectacle. In laying bare how money rules the sports industry, Tokyo also highlights one of the most insidious, systemic sexist practices in sport: […]
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The past two weeks have not been as I expected. Two events I have waited for with anticipation, along with some trepidation, happened on July 23rd, the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and the beginning of the second season of Ted Lasso. Surprisingly, the storyline for both has […]
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The 1972 Munich Olympic Games are the first Olympic Games I can remember. I was 8 years old on that late August Saturday when they began. Old enough to know that I loved sports and for those Games to be a spark in my lifelong love affair with sports. I […]
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It has been quite an exciting off-season for the NBA, and it just started. The NBA draft just recently occurred, major players are being traded, and contracts are being negotiated. But one of the most surprising and groundbreaking developments deal with coaching. Out of the eight open head coaching positions this off-season, […]
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We are nearly a week into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It has already proven to be an Olympics like none other in the past. The best surprise is the lessons the greatest athletes in the world are teaching us. It’s OK to make yourself vulnerable. Winning isn’t everything. According […]
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When one thinks of what culture in sports means or what is captured in this phrase, there is an excellent chance it is the Olympic Games that they think about. The Games are the largest regularly occurring cultural festival in the world, the greatest coming together of people from different […]
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I took some time for myself and my family recently, and we got to do some traveling. Something we have not done in over a year due to the pandemic and all the fun that brought to our world. Before going on our trip, I did some looking around online […]
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It was quite exciting for Australian swim fans when Brendon Smith came from nowhere to proclaim himself a real threat in the men’s 400m individual medley. His excellent performance in the heats saw him finish fastest but the actual event was more challenging. After sitting in seventh position for most […]
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