I was in a debate with someone about the ‘power’ in an organization. The gentleman in question was adamant that the power came from the team and that they are responsible for the culture of the work environment. I’m of the belief that the captain steers the ship and guides […]
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Last weekend was the Argentinian Grand Prix in MotoGP and history was made as the Aprillia team won their first race as did one of their riders Aleix Espargaro. At the Termas de Rio Honda Circuit Aleix Espargaro took pole position in qualifying and came through on the Sunday to […]
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Coaches and teams are always looking for a competitive edge. This edge comes in many forms, to include better technique, newer and higher tech equipment, uniforms and other clothing that has less drag or resistance, and ways to make athletes faster, stronger, and more agile. Getting athletes to practice and […]
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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 Holtz, Andrea Hudy, Don Shula, John Wooden, and Other Top Coaches Inspired Their Teams to […]
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Tonight, Australia gathered or tuned in to farewell cricketer and sporting icon, Shane Warne. The Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG), where Warney was most celebrated, hosted the momentous event which featured politicians and celebrities and was broadcast live across Australia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and the UK – all places where […]
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Every athlete influences their team. If an athlete is excited about being at practice or training, their excitement positively influences those around them. If a teammate is injured and is out for a while, the other athletes on the team are concerned for their teammate and maybe a little worried […]
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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) you understand that Athletic Success goes way beyond solely Athletic Performance. We at Culture in […]
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The saga of Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars continues, even four months after he was fired. This is now my third article at Culture in Sports where I specifically discuss Urban Meyer’s toxic and abusive behavior, his unwillingness to change, and why he still believes that his downfall was […]
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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 frank) kick your opponent’s butt. (I wanted to use a different word for “butt”) Athletes […]
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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 athletes, and personnel for that matter, from their first day on the team. If a […]
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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 discussed coaches who wanted to win, have power, influence over others, live the life they […]
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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 life for them. (Just imagine sitting on a beach at sunset with your feet in […]
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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 with the legendary and inspirational coach Wally Hogan. As an Australian, I’m not very familiar […]
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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 have learned, and who they are. With all of these different values, from so many […]
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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 is leader. The ability to navigate complex situations and be guided by well-honed perceptions of […]
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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.” No-one can truly thrive without the other executing their job. These roles stem from the […]
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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 normalized in society? Thomas Roulet, a professor of organisational theory at the University of Cambridge […]
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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 the toxic culture that you have identified and are now trying to change. If your […]
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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 change and how we manage it. The culture of an organisation can be made or […]
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“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 what is greatness? Is it a Division-1 athlete who excels and wins a National title? […]
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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 it may be frustrating for Westbrook, fellow players, coaches, and the fans that his performance […]
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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, and unique life. Madden was of course an NFL Hall of Fame coach and 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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We discuss the importance of youth sports, surgeries, covid, vaccinations, and more with Art Caplan
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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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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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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 sports world.
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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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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.
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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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Bob Boland speaks about his love for guiding and helping athletes become great leaders in their sports, or even just in life.
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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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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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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 Piasecki will dive into his role in how he created a positive culture.
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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.
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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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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 […]
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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“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 new dawn for a healthy, safer, and fairer world.” Yet, the opening ceremony for the […]
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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 extremely excited to begin, especially since sports were in full swing again in the United […]
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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 the Cape Town test against South Africa but as the leader, he took responsibility for […]
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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 trades receiving little fanfare. However, this trade solely happened because the athlete was not vaccinated […]
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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, he leads England against Italy in the final of Euro 2020. Winning the match will […]
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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 to Madeleine Lepesant of Swim Swam it seems that a new approach to the coaching, […]
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An emotionally intelligent organizational culture remains positive even through changes and challenges. Far from just being a corporate buzzword, it is an important skill needed by leaders, mentors, and coaches to elicit the best from their people on a performance level as well as on a personal level. Coaching in […]
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It is time for leaders in all organisations to move away from the sound bites and token gestures and take some serious action. Three recent and shameful episodes in English football highlight the fact that racism in the UK is still alive and kicking. The first, and most concerning, was […]
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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 behavior from coaches when I was an athlete and as an assistant coach. Sure, my […]
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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 on the subject tend to refer to two types of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. […]
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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 Coach,” this week, we want to speak directly to coaches. Hopefully, athletes and parents will […]
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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, but you also have to convince teams that you can make the transition to the […]
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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 are a chance for fans to get excited about their teams and get a good […]
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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 on at Culture in Sports. In addition to writing every day about all topics within […]
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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 them learn to cope with the rollercoaster of emotions, that journey becomes overwhelming and fraught. […]
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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 roles as performers, it’s taboo. Athletes using their voices to advocate a cause — a […]
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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 a massive revenue source for the NCAA, top universities, and bettors. In 2019, March Madness […]
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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 that I can help others on our team, help shed problems that a member of […]
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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 coach some of the most gifted athletes, the Fiji Men’s 7’s team. Without doubt some […]
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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 movements of the crew are vital to sailing success. But there’s more to this ‘dance’ […]
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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 egos and bullying and aggressive behavior prevail, there is a negative impact on performance. Far […]
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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 today, it is considered the best game in the history of college football. Unfortunately, it […]
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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. Everyone wants to give you their idea, but at a cost. The cost normally starts […]
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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 the 20th Century, have been have been aligned toward maximizing the value of their individual […]
Read More 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 against the Cincinnati Reds that year. The background, for those unfamiliar, is that members of […]
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“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 be a “one and done” player from the very start. Great! He’s a 19 year […]
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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 NFL players are going to watch as well, hoping for their own chance at a […]
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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 from his time with Bill Walsh and the 49ers and Bill Belichick and the Patriots. […]
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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 try and motivate the athlete, or maybe it was out of frustration. In my career […]
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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 would follow if one third of Fortune 500 companies changed CEOs or COOs annually? But […]
Read MoreThe 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 there were Harden was involved in multiple verbal confrontations and that he threw a ball […]
Read MoreRussell 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, which the Houston Rockets have proven to be over the years. The organization seems to revolve around […]
Read MoreA 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 Fontana, a multi Olympian from Italy, shamed and threatened the girl to not report the […]
Read MoreJuliet 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 how coaches can adversely impact #athletes both short and long term. However, Maggie Haney, the coach that […]
Read MoreLast 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 his overall behavior. Obviously, these repeated warnings did not stop his actions. He created an […]
Read MoreI 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 figure skater in 2017 is finally under investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and the police. […]
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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.
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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 entire game. Another coach was sitting on a bag of balls and was occasionally on his […]
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