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 […]
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Tag: Culture in Sports
Building a Better World
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 […]
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The Olympics & Culture in Sports
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 […]
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The New Land Rush
The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners sent shock waves to the landscape of college football this week by sending signals that they are seeking to leave the Big 12 conference and join the SEC. They […]
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It’s Time to Talk…Are You Ready?
There has been a recent culture shift, where athletes are now using their platform and resources to create spaces for open and honest conversations beyond their sport. HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted is a show starring Lebron […]
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A Celebration of Hope
“The Olympics have the power to bring the world together, to inspire, to show what’s possible,” said World Health Organization boss Tedros Adhanom. He added, “May the rays of hope from this land illuminate a […]
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Is This a Bad Dream?
Basketball is in the spotlight right now, but it is having a rough go of it. The USA Olympic team is far from a “Dream Team,” the long-awaited Space Jam 2 is getting terrible reviews, […]
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Heroes and Villains
This week, baseball has taken its annual midseason break to celebrate its heroes at the All-Star Game. In a season unlike any other, one hero has stood out by accomplishing feats never done before in […]
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Dear England
Winning an international soccer competition is brutal. Changing a culture is more challenging. Somehow, an unlikely leader has managed to accomplish the latter with a new vision based on clear values and patriotic identity. Today, […]
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The Rules are The Rules
Unfortunately, we will not see Sha’Carri Richardson compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics later this month. Richardson is the fastest female athlete in the United States and quite possibly the world. But she broke the […]
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Another Swing and Miss
Well, it was about time Major League Baseball took a stand! Clear and decisive action is required when players behave poorly. Without it, we risk anarchy. It’s essential to send a message to let the […]
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Grateful for the Dog Days
It happens every year around this time, but typically a little later and a tad bit less intense. The sun aligns with the star system Sirius and brings heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad […]
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Pay to Play?
Have youth sports become a pay to play business model? Are resources equally available to youth of all economic backgrounds? I would argue not. many club teams have scholarship opportunities, but is that enough, when […]
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It’s About Time!
The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously last Monday not to allow the NCAA to prohibit its student-athletes from receiving benefits related to their education. This decision opens the way to ending the current practice […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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We are Witnessing Greatness
This summer, Simone Biles is putting on a show for the ages. Already, she has dazzled us with a Yurchenko Double Pike at the U.S. Classic competition and a stunning floor exercise at the U.S. […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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50 Is The New 50
Phil Mickelson shocked the world and thrilled a large gallery last week by becoming the oldest major champion in golf history. He held off a charge by a much younger Brooks Koepka to win the […]
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The Least Interesting Thing About You
Your body is the least interesting thing about you. I stole this from one of my favorite podcasters, Madi Murphy of The Bad Broadcast. Unfortunately, female athletes are still critiqued and judged on their bodies. […]
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Sting Like a Bee
This past Thursday was World Bee Day, honoring the birthday of the world’s first beekeeper. Its purpose is to acknowledge bees and other pollinators in the ecosystem. It’s a good reminder for us to be […]
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Eat ‘Em Up, Kats!
Congratulations to the Sam Houston State Bearkats for winning the NCAA Football FCS Division championship last week. It was a strange game that ended a peculiar football season, and, in many ways, it may have […]
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The Power of One
We know there is no I in team, but there can be one (or sometimes a few) player that heavily influences the team. I recently read about Miami Heat veteran player, Udonis Haslem, and his […]
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Testing is Failing
The Tokyo Olympics are in trouble. The immediate issue is COVID-19. Case rates in Japan are rising while vaccination rates are low. It will take a logistical miracle to figure out protocols and rules on […]
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Winning the Week
Last week did not get off to a good start for my home team Houston Astros. Their tour of shame entered the Bronx on Tuesday for a three-game set, and the Yankees fans did not […]
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Is Nepotism a Necessary Evil?
I recently heard a podcast from two former NFL players discussing Tim Tebow’s return to the NFL, nearly a decade later. Their comments summarized were that Tebow only got the job because 1. Who he […]
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Sport Driving the Culture of Society
We are all aware of the need to establish a winning culture in sport to achieve optimal performance, but it should also be considered that sport can affect the culture in a society. This is […]
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Searching for Fat Tails
Big-time data analytics has arrived in college football. FCS Division school Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina has hired Kevin Kelley to coach the Blue Hose next year in the Pioneer League. Kelley has been […]
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Patience and Discipline
Getting drafted in the first round of the NFL draft is an incredible accomplishment. Not only do you have to be a great player who has demonstrated the ability to play at the highest level, […]
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Can We Handle the Truth?
More so than other sports, Major League Baseball is woven tightly into the culture of our society. The two evolve together. Last weekend, the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed the second […]
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Should Athletic Talents Build the Foundations of Education?
Many parents often start their kids in school a year later than they are actually eligible. There are often many reasons for this: size, social development, signs of delayed learning, etc. A common one, is […]
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The Facilitators of Abusive Cultures in Sport
For abusive cultures to survive and even prosper, the abusers need to be supported, they need facilitators. The facilitators are usually management or a funding agency with the role of facilitator varying dependent upon the […]
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Find Your Flow
What has gotten you through the past year? Have you taken up baking sourdough bread or nurturing a small jungle of houseplants? According to psychologist Adam Grant, many of us have been in a state […]
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Not So Glad All Over
Sunday night’s announcement that twelve of the largest European soccer teams were pulling out of UEFA Champions League competition to form the new European Super League rocked the football world. The reaction was loud and […]
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The Mindful Athlete
There are plenty of quotes and cliches about the mental aspect of sports. Mountaineer Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Mount Everest, once said: “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Muhammad Ali […]
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The Culture Behind Competition in Sport
For many in sport, striving to be their best and comparing their efforts against their competition is what pushes the boundaries of performance. Double Olympic Heptathlon Champion Daley Thompson once said he would train twice […]
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Hope is Dope!
“Dude, You’re On ESPN!” That’s what Dom Valdespino told his girlfriend, Hope Trautwein, after she completed the impossible last weekend, a perfect perfect game. That’s right, two perfects. Twenty-one batters came up, and twenty-one batters […]
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Golf is Not a Game of Perfect
Golf is the antidote to our anxious western culture. To be successful at golf, you have to unlearn many habits that have been drilled into us in school and later as we worked our way […]
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PIVOT!! PIVOT!!
When we hear the word “pivot” I’d be willing to bet many of us first think of Ross Geller’s famous “PIVOT!! PIVOT!!” Growing up a dancer, when I hear the word pivot, I think of […]
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Are All of Your Organization’s Actions in the Best Interests of the Athletes and Team?
Yesterday, Culture in Sports participated in our first webinar. It was with Drexel University’s School of Education’s Sport Coaching Leadership Program. It was a great opportunity for us to share what we are currently working […]
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The Coaching Relationship; Avoiding Toxicity
A few hours after this article drops, Culture in Sports will be presenting its first webinar in conjunction with Drexel University’s School of Education’s Sport Coaching Leadership Program. The title and subject matter of this […]
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The Lessons of a Value Based Culture in Performance Sport
How do we instil the values into the athletes in our shared sports culture? How are these values created and subsequently evolve? Are they set in stone for any member of the sports culture to […]
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You Can’t Hoot with the Owls at Night and Fly with the Eagles in the Morning
Have you seen Ted Lasso yet? If not, you should. It’s not really about what you expect it to be. Sure, the show chronicles a folksy American football coach from Kansas going to England to […]
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Hey, You’ve Got Politics in My Sports
I love both chocolate and peanut butter. Put the two together, and you have magic. This simple but genius idea behind Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has made Halloween and Easter better holidays. It also created […]
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“Sport has the Power to Change the World”
Nelson Mandela is famously quoted as saying “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. […]
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Are We Burning Kids Out?
Youth sports are a staple of American culture, often viewed as the surest track to developing talented athletes. It makes sense — more practice time and more gameplay lead to better skill and fitness. For […]
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The Power of Positive Thinking
Have you ever been to a yoga class? If not, you should try it sometime. You learn a lot about yourself, mostly about how inflexible you are. It is a place without judgment. At least […]
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Zuzu’s Petals
“You died on a Saturday morning” No matter how many times I watch Forrest Gump, that line always gets to me. Why did Jenny have to die? She had worked so hard to overcome her […]
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Dehumanizing Athletes: “I Have Feelings Too”
The nature of sports tends to obscure athletes’ human qualities. We often view them as a source of entertainment, as a distraction from the concerns of the real world. When they step out of their […]
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The Black and White of Ethics
Sport has had a long a varied history with ethics and ethical behaviour from the systematic abuse of gymnasts to the systematic doping in the peloton. Recently there seems to have been a split into […]
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The Wide World of Sports
We are all from somewhere, and this is important because it is the beginning of our story. We don’t know how our story ends but we know where it started. Everybody has a story. Each […]
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Straw, Sticks, or Bricks?
You can tell a lot about an organization’s culture or an individual’s character by how they handle setbacks. There are two paths to go down, acceptance or denial. Setbacks are inevitable. We know this. Lately, […]
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Out With the Old, In With the New?
If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get the results you’ve always got. Sometimes, that’s great, when your past results are winning. How long should leaders stay in their position of power? Some very […]
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Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to Judge Cowboys
If you are of a certain age and enjoy country music at all, you immediately recognize the lyrics to Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys. Ed and Patsy Bruce wrote this […]
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It’s Time to Level Up
Athletes understand the importance of challenging themselves to reach the next level. Yet, the organizations that support them are stuck in complacency. As a sports fan, I continue to be amazed by the athletes in […]
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What is Your Why?
In January of 2021 Ryan Smith, the new owner of the Utah Jazz announced that for every Jazz win, they would award a 4-year full ride scholarship to a Utah high school senior to attend […]
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Are We Rooting For Laundry?
“The sea was angry that day, my friends.” Suppose you are, like me, a Seinfeld fan. In that case, you immediately recall this line and remember George Costanza’s speech at the diner explaining how he […]
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The Power of Inclusivity
In the summer of 2015, I had the opportunity to be involved with the Special Olympics World Games based in Los Angeles, California. I spent the whole week working the volleyball portion of the whole […]
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The GOAT and the Golden Eggs
I wish Tiger Woods well in his recovery. The news of his accident was shocking. Coming just a little over a year after Kobe Bryant’s tragic death, we all wondered if we had lost another […]
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Endure, Learn, and Move On
I apologize in advance to all of you haters out there. I am an Astros fan. Still am. Let me explain. I live in The Woodlands, Texas. It is a suburban utopia just north of […]
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Do We Still Need A League Of Their Own?
With the month of March being celebrated as Women’s History Month in the United States, what could be a more appropriate topic of discussion than the disparity in professional sports between male and female pro […]
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Lost in Others’ Whys
When we are young our days are explorations of anything new. We do stuff because we think it looks like fun; our older brother/ sister does it; dad/ mum says it would be go for […]
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
In week 17 of the 2020 NFL season the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers, in fact they had already clinched the win in their final possession of the game. Most quarterbacks would take […]
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The ‘Business’ of Team Sports
Every team has a culture, the question is what does this culture say about the team? A culture is a set of observable behaviors that are promoted and widely accepted by the organization. Teams whose […]
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The Olympics, China and the Possibility of Boycott
It seems difficult in 2021 to separate sports from politics. Calls now are rising on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border and across the Western nations to organize a boycott of or put […]
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The Highs and Lows in Sports Help Bring People Together
On Tuesday, February 23rd golf legend Tiger Woods experienced a terrifying car accident. His car tumbled down a hill and he was pulled out of the SUV by the jaws of life. After the accident, […]
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Life in the Fast Lane: ‘Bad’ Boys on Bikes
Marco Lucchinelli is an Italian former professional, and legendary, Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who in 1981 won the FIM 500cc World Championship with Suzuki. He is known for being fast … very fast, and he […]
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Competition Is a Great Time for Reflection and Discussion
There are many coaches who say that they remember their losses the most. After the losses, many coaches begin a period of reflection as to why the loss happened, whether the athletes or coaches could […]
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My Game of the Century
In Nebraska, where I grew up, everyone knows about the 1972 Nebraska-Oklahoma game. It is known as the “Game of the Century.” Lyle Bremser’s call of the classic Johnny Rodgers punt return is legendary. Still […]
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Rings of Loyalty
Okay, full disclosure here, even though this is only my second article, I may ruffle some feathers with these next few statements. I am a native New Englander, which means I have a passion for […]
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Forever Changing Goalposts
On Monday 22 February the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnston, unveiled the UK’s latest road map to lead the UK out of lockdown into the new ‘normal’ of existing with Covid. 12 April being the […]
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Louder Cheers and Less Boos
What role do we have as spectators and fans when it comes to sports culture? We know how toxic it is to have rude parents in the stands of youth games, but why does that […]
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What Can I Do to Make the Culture at My Sports Team Better?
There are so many great ideas on how to influence positive change in an organization that are spoken about in academia, leadership circles, and in the news. Everyone has an idea. Everyone is an expert. […]
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The Problem With Professional Franchises
There are two hallmarks that make North American (U.S. & Canadian, specifically) professional sports different than their global peers. The first of these is that North American pro leagues, going back to the turn of […]
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‘Trivialized, Infantilized, and Sexualized’
His name was Eddie… he was my first unfortunate experience of sexism in sport, before that I always felt safe on the swimming team and playing netball and softball with my classmates at my girls-only […]
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Flopping
Last week, LeBron James earned a warning from the NBA for his acting. While his acting was not good enough to win at the Oscars or Golden Globes, it did fool the officials on the […]
Read More Black Sox and Whistleblowing
Anyone familiar with sports, and baseball in particular, is sure to have heard of the infamous 1919 scandal involving the Chicago White Sox and the allegations that they “threw” (no pun intended) the World Series […]
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Stitched Up: Racism in Australian Football
The Australian Football League (AFL) has a long unfortunate history of systemic racism. Although the AFL was the first major sporting code in Australia to adopt a no-tolerance stance over racial-sledging on-field, the sport is […]
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Why We Need More Parents in the Stands
Bruce Arians already won points in my book when he added two females to his coaching staff. He recently won a few more when I read that he told his staff if they missed their […]
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Jalen Johnson, Journalism, and Business Decisions
“It takes courage not only to make decisions, but to live with those decisions afterward.” – Coach K Who is Jalen Johnson? He’s a top prospect with the Duke Blue Devils who was going to […]
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Why Doing the Right Thing Seems So Hard
In trying to define the focus of Culture in Sports, and what we should be writing about on this site, the Led Zeppelin song title, What Is and What Should Never Be, comes to mind. […]
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Fuel-injected Leadership: Motivational or Menacing
Recently, Australian Supercar Erebus Motorsport team boss Barry Ryan has come under fire for his arrogant and insensitive style of leadership. Ryan suggests that he is the victim of clever editing to make him appear […]
Read More The President of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee Is Really a Reflection of Sports Around the World
Over a week ago, Yoshiro Mori, the president of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee suggested that women talk too much in meetings. I was shocked to hear what Mr. Mori said, especially for the Japanese […]
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Doing the Right Thing Is Still Only Reactional
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a short lived hire this week, with Chris Doyle lasting a little more than a day before resigning. Their new and now director of sports performance came with a checkered past, […]
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Nightmare for the ‘Dream Team’
It’s a fine line between confidence and egotism, a lack of self-confidence can be terribly disabling in terms of reaching one’s potential in all aspects of life and certainly in sport. But at what point […]
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Old School Behaviors
What do you do when a leader in your organization makes backwards and derogatory comments about a group of people you identify with? Do you quit? What if you are passionate about the organization’s mission? […]
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More Cases of Sexual Misconduct in Cheerleading
Another week, another story about another sexual misconduct issue within cheerleading in the United States. Last week, a 25 year old coach was arrested for indecent liberties with a child and a 23 year old […]
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Are Sports Fertile Ground for Abusive Treatment and Abusers?
Are sports more susceptible to giving abusers and harassers space to operate, and if so, are sports particularly poorly structured to expose these abuses, and protect athletes and those victimized because of their love of the game?
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The Sum of All Its Parts – There Is an ‘I’ in ‘Team’
The often-employed mantra “There’s no I in team” is obviously a reference to the concept that the combined skills and endeavours of the team outweigh the desires and abilities of the individual. But can a […]
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Andy Reid’s Leadership and Positive Team Culture Lead to This Day
The big game in the United States of America is going to start in a few hours. Two great teams are going to battle it out. Millions of fans are going to watch and many […]
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What Happens When Your Favorite Team is Part of the Problem
Former New York Mets Manager Mickey Callaway has been accused by five different women of “incessant, inappropriate sexual advances toward women in sports media.” These women needed to interact with Callaway to do their jobs. […]
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Celebrating Women in Sports
As I write this, today we celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day in the United States. Women have come a long way in the sports world, and quite frankly still have a long […]
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The Culture Is More Than the Team
In Australia, sport has always been a reflection of egalitarian attitudes; mateship; and sense of a ‘fair-go’. Modern social changes have commercialised sport adding new pressures to the structures of the clubs. This has unfortunately […]
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