Participation in any form of exercise comes with a risk of injury. Factors that contribute to the risk of injury include what type of exercise one might participate in. Examples include, playing sports, going to […]
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Tag: Culture in Sports
Cherishing The 4 Years Of Student-Athletes
As a current (time of writing this article) high school athlete, the high school sports experiences is has lots to offer to any athlete. Teens at the end of their 4 years will take away […]
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The Importance of Positive Psychology in Sports
Sports is widely agreed upon as being an essential component of a student’s exercise program. However, many students display fear and avoid any physical activity in particular sports. From this point, coaches may draw upon […]
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Mending Crushed Spirits – How to Approach a Bad Performance
Many athletes have experienced what it’s like to leave the court or field and prepare themselves mentally only to have coaches criticize them for a subpar performance. Players just need some time to think things […]
Read MoreHearsay From the Sidelines – Season 1 Prologue
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This brief prologue explains a bit about who I am as host and creator of Season 1 of Hearsay from the Sidelines. You can learn more about me as a professional via my Seton Hall […]
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Hearsay From the Sidelines – A New Show Coming Soon
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Listen to our new show: “Hearsay From the Sidelines”, a place where law, sports and culture intersect and is brought to you by Culture in Sports and Seton Hall Law School’s Gaming, Hospitality, Entertainment and […]
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Video: The Normalized Culture of Women & Girls in Sports
Coaches Do Make Mistakes
Coaches do make mistakes. Are these “mistakes” intentional or actual mistakes that a human being can make? Are coaches and other sports leaders willing to self reflect, identify toxic and abusive behavior, and take corrective […]
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The Brutality of Burnout in Competitive Sport
The last few articles I’ve written here have been primarily focused on different Mental Skills and helping athletes reach their full potential and become the best athletes and people they can be. But we also […]
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The One Lap That Meant Everything
If I were to ask, “who won, the men’s 400-meter dash at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics?” It would most likely illicit a puzzled look, especially if you aren’t a Track & Field aficionado. Asking who […]
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Leadership Can Look Different to Each and Every One of Us
When I say the word ‘Leader’, we all probably think of someone different. Some of us may see a former coach, a player on our team, or someone entirely unrelated to sports. Leaders are everywhere, […]
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Another Look at the Sarver Investigation & Sanction
The shocking results of the NBA’s external investigation of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, and his actions and the workplace culture of his franchise were revealed last week, and Sarver was suspended for a year […]
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Recognizing & Celebrating Resilience: The Key to Making this Season Matter
Back in the Summer of 2021, a time no one really remembers because time in this pandemic has truly been a flat circle, without much context within it, only recollections from before and some sense […]
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The Ability to Focus Can Become Your Secret Weapon
I’ll be the first person to admit that I struggle to focus pretty often. I have a real ‘wanderer’ of a mind and that can make things difficult for me. Whether it’s trying to get […]
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The NFL’s Problems with Women: Why They Matter
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell boldly declared back in 2010 that the league, which had earned a bit more than $8 billion in annual revenue the prior year, would generate $25 billion annually by 2027. The […]
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Resilient Athletes Aren’t Born, They’re Built
No matter how long you’ve been involved in sports, there has undoubtedly been a time where things didn’t go your way, right? This is one of the most interesting aspects of competitive sport to me. […]
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Trouble in West Bengal?
What is going on in Bengal cricket? That’s what I want to know… For the second time in a span of two years, I have had to see a veteran cricketer leave the team I […]
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What is Winning?
A conventional definition of winning is gaining, resulting in, or relating to a victory in a contest or competition. But have you ever questioned it beyond this definition? In the context of sport, what is […]
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The Start of the Confidence Rabbit Hole
Confidence… It’s something we hear about all the time both inside and outside competitive sports. It’s such a subjective topic that means something different to every person who talks about it, so I want to […]
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Something to Look Into: Real Madrid Femenino
Recently, a soon-to-be-former Real Madrid women’s team player and Swedish international, Kosovare Asllani, talked about the “unhealthy and dangerous environment” at the club. This kind of story could be very damaging for a club of […]
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A Shift in Sports Media Coverage
More than 140 days have gone by. A lot can happen in 140 days. Novak Djokovic won the men’s Wimbledon tennis tournament, the Colorado Avalanche won the NHL Stanley Cup, and the WNBA had their […]
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There’s More Where That Came From
When a player is removed from a squad through a cut (whether they are released or waived) or trade, it is typical for them to bring up dirty laundry in talks about their former club, […]
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Alan Pardew: Setting a Good Example
Recently, an incident involving a Bulgarian soccer team showed us what it means to have good leadership, as well as displaying the sad state of affairs in soccer for a country as a whole. Alan […]
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Athleticism And Humility At Its Finest, Justin “Jolly” Rogers; True Sportsmanship Leads To A New State Record
Readers, Justin “Jolly” Rogers is a remarkable athlete and person who recently broke the Pennsylvania State Meet AAA record with a vault of 17 feet 3 inches … utterly remarkable. Not only is he talented, […]
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Video: Life in the World of Soccer
This episode provides a glimpse into the world of soccer with Samantha Johnson. She discusses how she sought mentorship at different points in her life. We’ll also hear how important team bonding is and so […]
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Life in the World of Soccer
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This episode provides a glimpse into the world of soccer with Samantha Johnson. She discusses how she sought mentorship at different points in her life. We’ll also hear how important team bonding is, and so […]
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Video: Coaching from Dad
In this episode with Jacoby and Jaylen Jackson we get to listen to experiences with having a parent heavily involved in your sport. Jay speaks on having his dad on and off the court practicing, […]
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Coaching from Dad
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In this episode with jacoby and jaylen jackson we get to listen to experiences with having a parent heavily involved in your sport. Jay speaks on having his dad on and off the court practicing, […]
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Lori Okimura: Volleyball Visionary
In the third episode of the second season of the Culture in Sports podcasts, Wes and Mike talk to World ParaVolley Sports Director Lori Okimura. Born and raised in Hawaii, Okimura grew up loving sports […]
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Video: What you don’t see
What You Don’t See
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On this episode we discuss with Lori Okimura how important the behind the scenes support is for all athletes. From the Olympics volunteering, to breaking down the importance of behind the scenes and what that […]
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Making Kyle Thomas: Mentoring Part Two
Kyle Thomas is the guest of the part two episode of the Culture in Sports podcast on mentorship. Champion Illinois footballer, Thomas is a great advocate for the benefits of mentorship for the young athlete, […]
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Video: Life with a little help from sports – Part 2
This is a two part episode, this second part with Kyle Thomas, discussing the importance of mentors throughout his sports career. The values and standards they taught him are helping him become the best version […]
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Life with a little help from sports – Part 2
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This is a two part episode, this second part with Kyle Thomas, discussing the importance of mentors throughout his sports career. The values and standards they taught him are helping him become the best version […]
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Life with a little help from sports
This is a two part episode, this first part with Saber Youman, discussing how leadership and mentorship in sports can play a role in your life and career. The values, discipline and guidance can help […]
Read More Is Bad Behavior in Sports on the Rise?
Last week, Owen Woodward of the Weatherford College baseball team decided to run at full speed and tackle a base runner after his home run hit. While baseball is not known for hits, fights, punches, […]
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Life with a little help from sports
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This is a two part episode, this first part with Saber Youman, discussing how leadership and mentorship in sports can play a role in your life and career. The values, discipline and guidance can help […]
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How Arsene Wenger Changed English Football Forever
Football is such a popular and traditional sport in English culture and has one of the most viewed exciting leagues in the world with the Premier league which has embedded a way of culture how […]
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Repairing Culture Through Transparency: Rugby Canada’s Courageous Example
Amateur sports organizations everywhere are making headlines for the wrong reasons. Whether it is human rights abuses casting a shadow over the Winter Olympics, less than desired performances in a long-delayed Summer Olympics, or calls […]
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Negative Criticism in the Sports World
Steelers’ quarterback Dwayne Haskins was recently involved in a tragic fatal accident on April 9, 2022. As his family, fans, and the sport mourned his loss, sportswriter and analyst Adam Schefter came out with an […]
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This is Just the Beginning: U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Gets Equal Pay
Men in today’s sports are some of the highest paid people in the world. They get thousands and millions of dollars over the course of maybe 5-6 years depending on their contracts. Women in sports […]
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Maintaining Healthy Dynamics
Too often have we seen (and not seen) how player-coach dynamics fall through, inevitably causing mental or physical suffering to one or both parties. The end result is seen time and time again. Players are […]
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Disappearing Pastimes or Resurrection of Old-fashioned Ingenuity?
In this golden age of plenty, we are surprisingly lacking the essentials more profoundly that ever before. I read an article which bemoans the increasing lack of sporting facilities in modern urban Australian cities. Obviously […]
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The Getting of Wisdom
I’ll return to my roots as a librarian for this entry. A book came to my notice the other day; “Coaching Wisdom: Champion Coaches and Their Players Share Successful Leadership Principles: How Tony Dungy, Lou […]
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A Mirror to the World: Why Sports Can’t Hope to Hide From the World
There is a common refrain that suggests sports should be separate from events or politics. It is one we often hear. Certainly sports do provide a distraction at times. But to paraphrase the late comedian […]
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Culture in Sports: We Focus on Athletic Success
Athletic success – what does that mean to you? The truth is that it likely means many different things to many different people. Think about it … if you were an athlete (or still are) […]
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Winning in the Moment: Sometimes You Need to Be Something You’re Not
Be something you’re not … so easy, right? (Hopefully obvious sarcasm) Any serious athlete has experienced this; you step up to a challenge, evolve as a competitor, overcome a personal barrier, or just (let’s be […]
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True Coaches: Creating A Happy Sunset For Someone Else
A true Coach is not really in it for themselves, he/she is in it for the athlete and the people they care about. They’re creating a future for the family they’ve chosen, i.e, a happy […]
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Shane Warne: the King of Spin
Few people can claim the title of ‘legend’ in their own lifetime, but Shane Warne was such a robust mix of cricketing knowledge and skill, and Aussie larrikin, as to be able to quite easily […]
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Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
This past NFL season was more entertaining than ever. A couple of weeks ago, the Rams beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XLI. It was a good game, at the end of a historic postseason […]
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Toxicity and Receding Mental Health in the 2022 Winter Olympics
Since the beginning of sport, international competitions such as the Olympic Games have represented so much more than the athletes competing. A handful of contestants bear the weight of a country on their shoulders during […]
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The Cruelest Devil: Lessons from the Tragic Fall of Matt Harvey
If you’ve followed the news of late, the once heralded baseball phenom Matt Harvey, had to testify in a Texas courtroom last week about his own history of drug use and his sharing of prescription […]
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Early Greatness: Is It Bad For Mental Health?
Greatness, no matter how long, sticks with a man. (Yes, I used the Gene Hackman reference from The Replacements again) But what is seldom thought about is, “What about greatness at an athlete’s early age?” […]
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Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together?
The Beijing Olympics are underway, and I have settled into my usual Olympic stance. I ask myself questions. Do I care? Should I boycott? What is the Russian Olympic Committee? I’m curious, so I watch. […]
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Owning Your Role: How To Build A Team And Accept Help
Toughness and camaraderie in Sport Team Culture comes down to whether one is either “The Leader,” “The Soldier,” or “The Supporter.” Everyone plays a role. Leaders, soldiers, and supporters – they all create “The Team.” […]
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Recovery After an Extremely Toxic and Abusive Culture
Is your organization at rock bottom? There is no trust, little communication, people are scared and confused, employees are bracing for the worst, employees and athletes trust nobody, and athletes are looking elsewhere because of […]
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Toxic Leadership In Work Settings
As our culture in sports starts to refine itself we gradually begin to fade away from traditional standards and start introducing new and fresh ideas. When a coach comes in a new setting and isn’t […]
Read More Clouds around the Olympic Rings: The Opening of the Beijing Winter Games
The Olympic Winter Games opened in Beijing in the midst of gathering clouds. Whether these clouds are a prelude to coming storms or will merely block the metaphoric sunshine of global peace, understanding, and transformative […]
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Retiring from Perfection
This week is a celebration. The Greatest of All Time, the GOAT, has decided to retire from professional football. After winning 243 NFL games, including seven Super Bowls, and passing for 84,520 yards and 624 […]
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Leading Change
Combining my studies, my job, this crazy condition we find ourselves in globally, and the topics I explore for Culture in Sports, I have found that the most prevalent unifying issue is the constancy of […]
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Empathy and Greatness: The Altruistic Lifestyle of a Great Coach
“Greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man.” (A quote from the great actor Gene Hackman at the end of the superb Sport drama The Replacements, yeah I am indeed “fanboying” that performance) But […]
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Not a Circus Show
The San Francisco 49ers are on a roll. They are piling up wins with the greatest of ease, just like the man on the flying Trapeze. This month, they have been traveling from town to […]
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Making Your Mark: PA Best In History, Justin “Jolly” Rogers
Yeah guys and gals, you read the headline accurately, we actually call him “Jolly.” (Jolly Rogers … get it? Credit to Mr. Mark Morris for a hilarious nickname) Jolly is a 17-year-old Senior from Hershey, […]
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Cleaning the Rivers
Last week, Georgia beat Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff championship game. It was a rematch of a game played a month ago, featuring teams from bordering states in the corner of the country […]
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All Madden: Life and Coaching Advice from the Life of John Madden
The life of John Madden, who died on December 28, 2021, is a compelling story of a quintessential teacher and coach. It leaves us some clear lessons though to be drawn from his long, good, […]
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Happy Birthday Bob: a True Mentor in Ethical Sport Culture
Hey guys and gals, today is quite special to a lot of us, and we at #CultureInSports would be remiss if we didn’t recognize our dear friend and mentor, Robert Aflred Boland … Bob … […]
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The Not-So-Great Resignation
Something strange and unique happened while I was watching NFL Red Zone last Sunday. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was because it wasn’t clear. Something was going down, and everybody needed to stop and […]
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When in Rome…
It would be fantastic for professional tennis and for its promotion in Australia if Novak Djokovic plays in the Australian Open this year … but at what point should the very talented among us be […]
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Sport Anxiety and Mental Health: An Olympian’s Perspective
Let’s face it, Sport Culture doesn’t shine if the athlete doesn’t shine internally. I always have believed that when one has conquered their own mind, then and only then will achieve true athletic brilliance. Unfortunately […]
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A Culture of Support
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 […]
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Fragile Athletes and Coaches
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 […]
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TKR and the Road to the Perfect Season
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. […]
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Sporting Ethics in the New Paradigm
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 […]
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Taking on NFL Ownership
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 […]
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Medical Ethics in Sports
We discuss the importance of youth sports, surgeries, covid, vaccinations, and more with Art Caplan
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When Coaches Are Unwilling to Adapt or Change
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 […]
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Culture and Inclusiveness in Sports
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 […]
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Locked Out
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 […]
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Collaboration, Compliance, and Cohesion
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 […]
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Video: For the Love of Sports
We get to take a brief glimpse into Regis Becker’s life from how his life outside of sports helped play a role with what brought him back into helping create a better culture in the […]
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Traditions In Sport Culture: Call it “Brotherly Love”
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 […]
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Trying A New Lens
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 […]
Read MoreFor the Love of Sports
November 30, 2021
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We get to take a brief glimpse into Regis Becker’s life from how his life outside of sports helped play a role with what brought him back into helping create a better culture in the […]
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A True Life Coach: How to Light a Fire in Yourself
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, […]
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Cultivating an Ethical Culture
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 […]
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Liars and Cheaters
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 […]
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Driving Change in Artistic Swimming Culture
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 […]
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Risk and Camaraderie: How to Support Your Competitors
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 […]
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Culture & Climate in a Learning Environment
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 […]
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Falling Off the Hedonic Treadmill
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. […]
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Responsibility On and Off the Field
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 […]
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Row the Boat
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 […]
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Older Siblings: The Best Kind of Coaches In The Business
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. […]
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Watching, Fast and Slow
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 […]
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Sports Culture: It’s An Education, Not Only Entertainment
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 […]
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Wrestling and Pole Vaulting: Different Sports, Similar Cultures
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 […]
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Breaking up the Club
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 […]
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Pole Vaulting: A Culture of True Sportsmanship
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 […]
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Competence: It’s more than just doing the job
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 […]
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