Nine that Shine: World Cup Headlines

by Michael Fitzsimmons | June 24th, 2010 | View Comments

There is a lot of drama on and off the pitch at this year’s World Cup, and the following nine stories are some that have managed to make the headlines so far.

France’s Saga

How do you go from last World Cup’s runner-up to failing to win a game in this one? Ask France, who decided to focus on playing out a soap opera off the field instead of focusing on Uruguay, Mexico, and South Africa. There are several interwoven conflicts that make this situation complicated and so severe that French striker Thierry Henry will meet with France’s president this week to discuss the collapse in South Africa. The saga in a nutshell: France’s coach Raymond Domenech expels Nicolas Anelka from the team after a verbal altercation at halftime of game, players defend Anelka by refusing to train in preparation for their game against South Africa (which is like not taking batting practice before Game 7 of the World Series), cue comments from former French star Zenedine Zidane and cap the episode with a deflating loss to South Africa and you have a legitimate “téléroman”.

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Social Media Adds to Fan Experience

by Ash Read | June 17th, 2010 | View Comments

One topic I’ve noticed coming up a lot over the past few weeks, especially over here in the UK as our football teams are preparing for the new season, is how social media can add to fan experience and encourage more fans down to stadiums.

We’ve all read posts about how social media will benefit sports teams, and the benefits of constantly engaging with and having a dialogue with fans, so I don’t want to cover that in this post, I’d like to look into a few of emerging tools and explore ways in which they could improve fan experience and encourage fans down to the stadium.

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John Wooden: Remembering a Great Coach

by Michelle Hill | June 7th, 2010 | View Comments

“Be prepared and be honest.”

We are gifted with a multitude of inspirational quotes by a man of indescribable strength and character. Raised on a small farm in Indiana, John Wooden’s parents instilled lessons into him that would not only last a lifetime but transform the lives of all he came in contact with.

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

John Wooden is famous for leading the UCLA basketball team to 10 national championships in 12 years. He’s infamous for his character, his values (family, faith, and friends), and his wisdom. Wooden taught his young players at UCLA about personal excellence on and off the court. He taught them discipline, dedication, focus, organization, and leadership. These are not just basketball skills, they are life skills and Wooden’s goal was not to just win championships but to build winning lives.

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Sports Executives Association Event – NYC

by Lewis Howes | May 28th, 2010 | View Comments

The Sports Executives Association (SEA) is excited to host its first live networking event June 24th in New York City. This inaugural, members only, event will be hosted by PlayBeautiful, an interactive, community-driven pop-up venue is celebrating the 2010 FIFA World Cup for 30 days in NYC.

They will be featuring match viewing parties, player appearances, demonstrations and private events including our SEA networking meet-up. PlayBeautiful’s main location at Openhouse Gallery will feature an indoor mini-stadium modeled after Soccer City in Johnannesberg, South Africa.

Be there, Thursday, June 24^thfrom 6-9 p.m. for the chance to network with other SEA members in person. There will be appetizers, cash bar and exciting opportunities to connect in this unique World Cup venue.

If you are not yet a member of the SEA but would like to attend, just sign up here and gain free access. Please RSVP on LinkedIn to let us know if we’ll see you there. You must be a paid member of the SEA or will not be admitted at the door. We hope you’ll join us for this exclusive event.

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Top 10 Resources for Sports Management Students

by Paul Thompson | May 17th, 2010 | View Comments

You are a Sports Management student. You picked out the best school and you have been studying hard to work toward your graduation day. But when the day comes when you are thrust in the real world, will you have the tools you need to make it in the sports industry? How well do you know the industry? Who do you know in the industry? Who knows you? What type of experience do you have? The following is a list of the top 10 resources that every sports management student should utilize to help answer these important questions and launch a career in sports.

1. Sports Business Journal
Largely considered “the Bible of sports business,” Sports Business Journal is a must read for anyone in the sports industry, and anyone looking to break into the sports industry. The Sports Business Journal covers all areas of sports, from Marketing and Sponsorship to Media, from Labor and Agents to Facilities. Regardless of your area of interest, you’ll have all the latest industry information at your fingertips. While this is not a free resource, Sports Business Journal does offer generous student discounts.

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How Technology is Affecting Sports

by Lewis Howes | May 12th, 2010 | View Comments

(This is a guest article by Michael Coco)

We all know that technology plays a major role in sports. If it weren’t for new inventions and innovative ideas half the sports we know of wouldn’t exists. If it weren’t for technology we wouldn’t have the instant replay, the headset for coaches to throw, or even the wireless microphone for our referees to mix up their words on. However, technology has come a long way since those early discoveries.

There is no longer a need for instant replay with the new RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification Technology) that European Rugby teams are experimenting with. This micro location technology can transmit the exact coordinates of the ball and players at an astounding 2000 times per second. It can also be used to calculate movement, speed, accuracy, and even force of impact. If this technology was implemented in the US it could do away with any type of bad call in relation to ball location and it would essentially eliminate the guess work from officiating. Not only that, but the type of data we could receive before, during, and after every play would be nothing shy of amazing.

The European Rugby League is not the only organization that sees the value in technology; The NHL recently held its first broadcast in 3D and from the sound of things it was a huge success. There are other leagues exploring this technology, in fact there are enough of them out there for ESPN to launch the first ever 3 dimensional network. Certain European Hockey Teams are already implementing 3D dashboard signage. Once the craze catches on the opportunities to monopolize on this type of technology will be endless.

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Join The Sports Executives Association

by Lewis Howes | May 4th, 2010 | View Comments

The highly anticipated Sports Executives Association is live. Join in on the excitement today at www.SportsExec.net.

I started to receive an a lot of emails from people who wanted introductions to other executives in my network. They also were asking for tips, advanced training on various sports industry topics, and wanted to find partners to help during their career and in their sports business.

These weekly email requests were becoming overwhelming, and that’s when the idea of the SEA came to me. I realized there was a huge void in the online world for helping sports professionals receive ongoing education, connect with other top executives, and find a way to generate more opportunities.

S portsNetworker has assembled a platform, with the key sports executives involved that we are very excited about.

Make sure you read through all of the content, networking, and bonuses you will get access to right when you sign up.

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Sports Networker Event in London

by Lewis Howes | April 28th, 2010 | View Comments

Sports Networker returns to the international stage when it teams up with the UK Sports Network for an exciting sports professionals networking event at the Sports Bar & Grill in London.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m on May 17, 2010, and sports professionals will have the opportunity to network in what will be one of London’s premier sports restaurants to watch the 2010 World Cup this summer.

The UK Sports Network is a group founded by Daniel McClaren that strives to share its expertise on sports social media and the industry’s latest trends with sports professionals. Since its inception, in November 2009, nearly 1,000 sports professionals now seek the insight and creativity that the UK Sports Network offers.

All sports professionals are welcome to attend this event and learn from the experts on social media and the latest developments in the sports industry. Admission is £10 GBP if you sign up now, and £15 GBP at the door. Stay posted for updates about the event by registering for it on LinkedIn here.

To receive early bird pricing and ensure your spot at this event (as there is limited spacing) register below and we look forward to seeing you at the event!

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Top 6 Life Lessons from Great Sports Films

by Michelle Hill | April 16th, 2010 | View Comments

The greatest sports films ever to grace the big screen are not purely for entertainments sake. Whether based on true events or fiction, each movie imparts to us some valuable life lessons. Let’s look at six of my all-time favorites:

6. Rocky III (1982) The public loved this movie for its heroism and Rocky Balboa reeks of heroism. Basking in the limelight of fame, Rocky becomes complacent and depressed. He eventually regains the “eye of the tiger” and wins the big match with fervor and a ton of hard work. We are forced to root for Rocky as he boxes his way into our hearts forever.

Life lessons: Overcoming defeat and depression in favor of determination, hard work, and the “eye of the tiger” in whatever our life mission is.

5. The Pride of the Yankees (1942) It is possible to be humble and a sports icon, as Lou Gehrig exemplified in his life and death. At the peak of his baseball career, he was struck down by Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He was valiant in life, considering himself ‘the luckiest man on the face of the earth.’

Life Lessons: Remain humble in our greatness, we can overcome physical tragedy to live a life of honor. Our attitude determines our altitude.

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Athletes Step Up to Help Haiti Earthquake Victims

by Gail Sideman | January 20th, 2010 | View Comments

IFRC So many conversations of the last year, and certainly beyond, have focused on huge dollar figures that go along with professional sports and their high-paid, spoiled athletes.

During this past week, players from across the professional sports spectrum who are often portrayed as being little more than indulgent have shown quite the opposite personas. They have let their checkbooks act as their PR agents but most importantly, have proven that humanity comes first. The devastation of the 7.0 Earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12 was on the world’s minds and many who could afford to help, have done so.

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