When coaches treat their athletes with trust and respect, it contributes to a positive culture and climate. Coaches should not wait for certain athletes to respect and trust, rather they should trust and respect all […]
Read MoreTag: Leadership
Coaching Is Truly About Helping Others Succeed
I read Jacob Hensh’s article True Coaches: Creating A Happy Sunset For Someone Else for Culture in Sports yesterday and recalled a conversation I had with him recently of why people decide to coach. We […]
Read MoreTrue 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 […]
Read MoreThe Soul of Sports: Optimistic Coaching
In the course of reviewing titles for my school library, I have come across a book written by Darrin Donnelly called “Relentless Optimism” This little gem tells the tale of Bobby Kane and his encounter […]
Read MoreValues
Values in any sports organization are extremely important. Values of the organization show coaches, staff, and athletes what is important for the organization. CEO, presidents, GMs, and coaches’ values show what they believe, what they […]
Read MoreHas Ethical Responsibility Been Left Out in the Cold?
The principles of ethical leadership include honesty, justice, respect, community and integrity, these are of foremost importance in any environment and are perhaps even more important than having knowledge of the sport in which an individual […]
Read MoreOwning 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.” […]
Read MoreMean Girls
I was reading a social media post about bad behavior in relationships and I was astounded by the statement “boys will be boys”. Is this perhaps a sterling example of poor or toxic behavior being […]
Read MoreRecovery 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 […]
Read MoreLeading 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 […]
Read MoreEmpathy 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 […]
Read MoreSometimes It Is Just Not a Good Fit
Sometimes it is not just a good fit and that is okay. Russell Westbrook was recently benched by the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and all reports point to Mr. Westbrook’s poor play. While […]
Read MoreAll 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, […]
Read MoreTKR 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. […]
Read MoreSporting 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 […]
Read MoreMedical Ethics in Sports
We discuss the importance of youth sports, surgeries, covid, vaccinations, and more with Art Caplan
Read MoreWhen 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 […]
Read MoreA Tale of Two Coaches: Obligation and Responsibility vs. Growth and Love
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 […]
Read MoreCulture 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 […]
Read MoreCollaboration, 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 […]
Read MoreVideo: 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 […]
Read MoreCultivating 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 […]
Read MoreVideo: Administrative Leadership and Guidance for Athletes
In this video version of our podcast, Bob Boland speaks about his love for guiding and helping athletes become great leaders in their sports, or even just in life.
Read MoreFocus! Engaging in mental warm-ups increases intentionality
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 […]
Read MoreAdministrative Leadership and Guidance for Athletes
Bob Boland speaks about his love for guiding and helping athletes become great leaders in their sports, or even just in life.
Read MoreDriving 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 […]
Read MoreCulture & 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 […]
Read MoreVideo: Defining Good Culture in Sports
Do you want to watch the video version of our podcast? Here it is! Spend time getting to know what positive culture in sports is. How it’s created from coaches, admin, athletes and more. Jeremy […]
Read MoreDefining Good Culture in Sports
Spend time getting to know what positive culture in sports is. How it’s created from coaches, admin, athletes and more. Jeremy Piasecki will dive into his role in how he created a positive culture.
Read MoreAre Enforcers Making a Comeback?
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 […]
Read MoreCompassion Fatigue: The silent challenge of resiliency in leadership
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 […]
Read MoreCoaches Learning from Their Actions
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 […]
Read MorePole 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 […]
Read MoreA Learning Organization
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 […]
Read MoreFeedback: How to optimize learning and confidence
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 […]
Read MoreIt’s Part of Taking Care of Your Athletes
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 […]
Read MoreThe Power of Perception: The Impact on Culture
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 […]
Read MoreWhat Started as a Small Lie
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 […]
Read MoreThumbs Up or Down?
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 […]
Read MoreDelegating Tasks
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 […]
Read MoreJessica Long: The Athlete Any Coach Would Love to Have on Their Team
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 […]
Read MoreFans Behaving Badly
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 […]
Read MoreCoach With an Expectation That You Will Not Receive Anything in Return
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 […]
Read MoreWhy Have Several High-Level Personnel Left the Las Vegas Raiders’ Front Office?
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 […]
Read MoreThe Color of Success
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 […]
Read MoreA 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 […]
Read MoreCould it Just Have Been a Poor Match Between an Organization and a Coach?
I received a call from a coaching colleague this week, we will call her Tracy. Tracy and another coach were hired a few months ago to lead different teams in a world-renowned organization. Tracy was […]
Read MoreNot All Beer & Skittles at the Top!
Steve Smith lost his position as Captain of the Australian Cricket team in 2018 following the infamous ball-tampering scandal. The former captain says he was not involved in planning to tamper with the ball during […]
Read MoreWhen it Comes to Vaccines, is There a Change Coming in Professional Sports?
CF Montréal, a team within Major League Soccer announced that they traded a player, Erik Hurtado, to the Columbus Crew SC. Trades happen every day in all professional sports leagues across the world, with most […]
Read MoreDear 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, […]
Read MoreThe Sports Coach as a Leader: Aligning Personal and Organizational Cultures
American swimming coach Megan Oesting has been sacked after being in post with SwimMAC Carolina for only 9 months. Differences in her management style and cultural stance have been cited as the main reasons. According […]
Read MoreThe Woke Coach
An emotionally intelligent organizational culture remains positive even through changes and challenges. Far from just being a corporate buzzword, it is an important skill needed by leaders, mentors, and coaches to elicit the best from […]
Read MoreWhere is the Leadership on Racism?
It is time for leaders in all organisations to move away from the sound bites and token gestures and take some serious action. Three recent and shameful episodes in English football highlight the fact that […]
Read MoreOvertraining
When I was a young coach, I used to push athletes to their limits and beyond during practices thinking that it was the best way to physically prepare them for competition. It was a learned […]
Read MoreTheories of Motivation: The 3 Big Myths
If the sardonic artist Harland Miller was to design a book cover to highlight an uncomfortable truth about motivation it would state something like: ‘Motivation Ain’t All It’s Hyped Up To Be.’ Most publications you […]
Read MoreFive Mistakes Coaches Will Make This Summer and How To Avoid Making Them
Picking up where we left off last week in “Five Harmful Trends to Watch As Sports Restart Post-Covid,” and building off Culture in Sports colleague’s Paul Robbins “The 5 Essentials for Becoming a Professional Sports […]
Read MorePatience 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, […]
Read MoreSpring into Fall Ball: The Importance of Spring Football in Player Development
FBS spring football is in full effect with Powerhouse Clemson hosting its spring game this past Saturday. After a yearlong hiatus due to COVID, it is exciting to see traditional spring football back. The games […]
Read MoreAre 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 […]
Read MoreCan Sport Salvage Our Troubled Youth?
The teenaged years are so difficult, there is much to learn to become an independent adult and if there is no one there to help them to understand that mistakes do happen, and to help […]
Read MoreDehumanizing 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 […]
Read MoreThe NCAA and the Winds of Change
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is in full swing, and teams are jockeying for this year’s championship trophy. The tournament is both a cultural staple, with millions of Americans filling out brackets each year, and […]
Read MoreToday Is a New Day
As a leader and coach, I have always gone to bed always thinking about what I could do better for the athletes, team, or the people that I lead. I always try think of ways […]
Read MoreThe Standards and Ethics of Leaders in Sport
The Telegraph Sports Book of the Year 2019 – Sevens Heaven by Ben Ryan – chronicles the ups and downs of a coach who moved his life to the other side of the world to […]
Read MoreSailing into a Synchronous Culture
Have you ever noticed the incredible synchronicity of a yachting race team in action? They are perhaps only comparable to the astounding coordination of a pit crew during a formula one race. The finely choreographed […]
Read MoreFear is Never an Efficient Motivator
This week Sara Davis, in her article What Are You Afraid of? Your Fear May Be Keeping You From Your Destiny, we were reminded to not let fear limit our possibilities. When there are unchecked […]
Read MoreMy 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 […]
Read MoreWhat 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. […]
Read MoreThe 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 […]
Read MoreBlack 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 […]
Read MoreJalen 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 […]
Read MoreAndy 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 […]
Read MoreDiversity in Hiring, Limitations of the Rooney Rule
One of my favorite authors is Michael Lombardi. Lombardi has been a senior player personnel executive with several NFL teams, including a stint as GM of the Cleveland Browns. He has three Super Bowl rings […]
Read MoreThrowing Chairs
Yes, the photo you are looking at is of a chair. I had many chairs thrown at me as an athlete. All of them were thrown by a coach. Normally, coaches were throwing chairs to […]
Read MoreThere Are Actually No Winners in a Press Conference – Changing Results Means Changing Culture
This is NFL hiring season, an annual ritual in which somewhere between 25% and 33% percent of the league’s 32 franchises fire and hire new head coaches every year. Can you imagine the chaos that […]
Read MoreTreating Teammates Horribly
The National Basketball Association (NBA) season has officially started, and James Harden is in the news again, even before the Houston Rockets played their first game. Shams Charania, of the The Athletic, reported on an incident during practice on Monday where […]
Read MoreWhatever James Wants: A Toxic Culture Surrounding One Player
Russell Westbrook, who was recently traded to the Washington Wizards, recently spoke about the #organizationalculture of the Houston Rockets. Tim MacMahon of ESPN wrote an in-depth piece of the extremely #toxicculture at the Houston Rockets where he shared the extents of the #toxicity. #Toxic organizations can be extremely successful, […]
Read MoreThere Needs to Be a Better Way To Protect Athletes
A little over a month ago, I wrote about how an athlete’s innocence was taken away from her at 13 years old and how US Figure Skating Association‘s Hall of Fame member John Zimmerman and Silvia […]
Read MoreCaring for Someone Should Never Translate Into Mental, Physical, or Emotional Abuse
Juliet Macur of the #newyorktimes wrote a great article about a decision that USA Gymnastics made earlier this year: They suspended a coach for eight years for repeatedly putting her #athletes‘ #mentalhealth, #emotionalhealth, and #physicalhealth in jeopardy. This decision by USA Gymnastics shows they are aware of […]
Read MoreInappropriate Relationships With Athletes
Last week, British Cycling dismissed one of its top coaches after finding him guilty of gross misconduct, to include inappropriate relationships with athletes. Kevin Stewart, who was the head men’s sprint coach, was given repeated warnings about #inappropriaterelationships and […]
Read MoreTaking Innocence Away From a Child
I saw this article (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2020/09/29/sexual-abuse-olympic-skater-morgan-cipres-under-investigation-retires/3573251001/) a few weeks ago and then heard nothing else about it. Morgan Cipres, the French Olympic skater who sent two lewd photos of his genitalia to a 13-year-old American female […]
Read MoreCoaches and Trainers, Please Stop Holding Practices
Coaches and trainers need to do the right thing and stop holding practices. If coaches still choose to hold practices, then maybe article could be used to persuade them. An athlete’s mental, physical, and emotional health and safety should never be compromised for training or competition.
Thank you Dr Jon Rudd and Christian Klaue for your contributions to this article.
Read MoreA Contagious Culture
I watched a local high school soccer game in Orange County, CA last week and saw some pretty disturbing things. One of the coaches was laying on his side and was on the phone during the […]
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