“Ninety percent of this game is half mental” – Yogi Berra
It’s been said that sports are 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. But most athletes spend nearly 100 percent of their time refining physical skills, and little to no time working to enhance their mental game. [click to continue…]
Chris McKinney is the president of SPORTS LAUNCH™, a career services firm dedicated to helping college students and career-changers launch sports careers. Chris' new book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps can be found on www.SportsLaunch.net.
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On November 1, 2010 the San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas Rangers and were subsequently crowned “World Champs” by the media and the online world. On June 17, 2010 the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated a game seven victory over the Boston Celtics, adding another “World Champions” banner to the Staples Center rafters. On February 6, 2011, along with being the most watched TV program in his
history, the NFL celebrated new Superbowl Champions: The Green Bay Packers. I immediately drove to Green Bay to find the headline of the Green Bay Gazette display: “World Champs”. However, following their win over the Philadelphia Flyers on June 9, 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks raised a banner that read: “2010 Stanley Cup Champions”.
I’ve lived in three different countries, visited 13 in total and have attended many professional sports games – Which got me wondering – when should your favorite team call themselves World Champs and when should they simply enjoy being named the Champs of their perspective league?
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Reuven is a fourth year student at Marquette University, earning degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. He hopes to create sports marketing initiatives that drive value while focusing on charitable causes. Reuven lived in three countries and visited 13 total. He prides himself on being fluent in Hebrew, Russian, and English. People and idea lover. Connect with Reuven on Twitter @ReuvenFridmar
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When Mark Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks, they went from NBA laughing stock to perennial winners literally overnight. (Check the win-loss record for the year Cuban bought the team. It will blow your mind.)
One of the many things Cuban brought to the organization that helped turn it around was a “No Excuses” policy. What made this powerfully effective is that he applied this policy to himself as the owner. [click to continue…]
Chris McKinney is the president of SPORTS LAUNCH™, a career services firm dedicated to helping college students and career-changers launch sports careers. Chris' new book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps can be found on www.SportsLaunch.net.
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You often hear how digital and new media impacts top-level professional sports to generate new revenue streams and reach its growth potential. Over the last few years there has been growth in the monetization of digital media and the likes of the NFL, NBA and MLB are beginning to cash in.
Here in Australia, an innovative company called SportingPulse, headquartered in East Melbourne Victoria, is doing things differently. SportingPulse adds value to grass roots sports, making it easier for organizations to operate and providing them with new sources of much needed revenue. [click to continue…]
Chris is a strategic programs analyst at the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) focusing on, amongst other things, sponsorship research, analytics and acquisition. He holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Business (AGSM). Chris took part in the school’s exchange program by completing a semester at Stern business school, NYU where he studied sports marketing and sports economics. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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With all of the hype surrounding around Ian Thorpe’s comeback, you might have missed the latest announcement of another former Australian ‘super-fish’ Michael Klim returning to the Aussie swim team for London.
At 33, he is a three-time Olympian who started his own range of skincare products after announcing his retirement in 2007 (when he was still the World Champion.)
Although Klim’s medal count isn’t as impressive as Thorpe’s, he is significantly older than Thorpe and there are many questions surrounding his comeback. A devout family man who is expecting his third child this year,Klim will be running/ promoting a business and balancing family life all the while training full time and competing overseas in his bid for a fourth Olympics.
Is it money, boredom, success or just the desire to be recognized again that drives so many ‘retired’ professional athletes back to the arena? What’s the real motivation? [click to continue…]
Claire Kelly is a freelance writer, communications consultant and Australian beach volleyball player based on the Gold Coast, Australia.
Experienced in social media marketing, conducting interviews, ghostwriting, editing, generating publicity and photography, Claire is passionate about about helping athletes and businesses grow through the power of the media and the internet. Follow Claire on Twitter @clairelkelly
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The very first NBA All-Star Game ever was staged in 1951. This year the game will be celebrating its diamond anniversary, which is why the uniforms feature an integrated diamond pattern.
Sunday’s game will go straight into the rich history of the NBA. As players and fans are making their way to the Staples Center, let’s take a look at the All-Time Best from All-Star’s Past.
Here’s my picks:
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Thomas studied Communications in Amsterdam and has been working in international sports for over 15 years. He started his professional career at the Amsterdam Admirals in the NFL Europe and moved to Dutch professional soccer champions PSV Eindhoven in 1997. In 2001 he moved to Southern Germany to join Adidas. He's filled a variety of roles with the sporting goods brand, including 'Head of Global PR'. In 2011 he moved into the role of Global Brand Director.
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Today, every sports organization has a digital team that’s in charge of the upkeep and management of the teams digital assets. From the articles that go up on the website daily, to the Tweets and Facebook updates that are shared with fans, a teams digital presence has grown from just banner ads and email blasts to fan interactions and real-time content. Still, although every sports organization has a digital team in place, not all are making an impact with their efforts.
5 Questions To Ask
So how do you know if you are doing a good job? While it would be convenient if there were some sort of grading scale where A’s and B’s were easy to distinguish, instead we have to develop our own scale of what is considered ‘passing’ and what is ‘failing.
Here are 5 questions that every digital team should ask themselves in no particular order: [click to continue…]
Joseph is the Social Media & Marketing Solutions Manger at GAGA Sports & Entertainment where he works with professional sports teams, including the Lakers, Clippers, and San Francisco 49ers, where he develops engaging content as well as social media and digital strategies to help teams better understand and engage their fans.
Read more from Joseph and follow him on Twitter.
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On Saturday, social media newbie Howard Stern created quite a stir when he decided to offer impromptu running commentary on his Twitter account during an HBO airing of his autobiographical film ‘Private Parts’.
His tweets provided behind-the-scenes insight, his thoughts regarding scenes and personalities, as well as banter with his fans. The King of All Media proved once again that he “gets it” when using a broadcast medium, while innovating social media a little bit along the way.
The following day, he did the same thing by providing real-time commentary during the Grammy Awards and communicating directly with fans. His interaction and witty banter on both days was a hit and drew widespread praise. And there is no reason this can’t be a lesson for the sports world.
Imagine if a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals, ideally Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, were live on Twitter during their recent airing of HBO’s 24/7 leading up to their Winter Classic matchup. Or if one of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Green Bay Packers players or executives did the same during a replay airing of Super Bowl XLV on the NFL Network?
While these are examples of missed opportunities, there are a number of chances for a sports franchise to take advantage of. [click to continue…]
Ron Matejko is the President of Phoenix, Arizona-based MVP Media, an award winning digital publishing company. Visit the MVP website at www.mvptoday.com. Contact Ron by email at [email protected] Let’s connect on LinkedIn or on Twitter @mvp_media.
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On February 15th, the UEFA Champions League will finally recommence. 16 of Europe’s best soccer teams are still competing for the title. Who will end up lifting the trophy? Nobody will be able to predict the future, well … except me of course.
Below you will find 6 bold predictions concerning the world’s most successful annual sports competition: the UEFA Champions League. [click to continue…]
Thomas studied Communications in Amsterdam and has been working in international sports for over 15 years. He started his professional career at the Amsterdam Admirals in the NFL Europe and moved to Dutch professional soccer champions PSV Eindhoven in 1997. In 2001 he moved to Southern Germany to join Adidas. He's filled a variety of roles with the sporting goods brand, including 'Head of Global PR'. In 2011 he moved into the role of Global Brand Director.
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A savvy athlete can today command huge endorsement and sponsorship deals.
A recent article on the BBC spoke of the endorsement riches awaiting British tennis star Andy Murray, despite his recent loss in the Australian Grand Slam final – his third unsuccessful attempt to win a major. In the Sports Illustrated feature on the 50 highest earning American athletes of 2010, it was revealed that golfer Phil Mickelson pocketed $52million in endorsements. Tiger Woods earned more, but I’ll come to him later.
Sports athletes and celebrities draw huge attention from corporate sponsors and media as they appeal to many demographics. An athlete endorsing a product can transform a brand (of course, it can also backfire and create an undesired outcome).
Initially the endorsement creates exposure for the brand. From that starting point, it can then achieve an array of positive brand impact factors – from association to recognition, consideration, favorability, loyalty and ultimately to increased sales of a product. It is thought that consumers purchase athlete endorsed products based on a bundle of perceived benefits and these can include knowledge of the sport, entertainment, nostalgia, affiliation and other benefits personal to the buyer.
So, if that is the logic of endorsements, who would you choose to endorse your product? What attributes do brands look for in an athlete? [click to continue…]
Chris is a strategic programs analyst at the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) focusing on, amongst other things, sponsorship research, analytics and acquisition. He holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Business (AGSM). Chris took part in the school’s exchange program by completing a semester at Stern business school, NYU where he studied sports marketing and sports economics. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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