Yesterday, we were joined by Erin Sharoni, Co-host of Jim Rome on SHOWTIME.

Who Is Erin Sharoni?

Erin Sharoni appears on “Jim Rome on SHOWTIME” as the host of “Romeing The World”, airing Wednesdays at 10:00pm on Showtime. Erin made her debut in the sports broadcasting world in 2010 as the St. John’s basketball sideline reporter and a co-host on “Red Storm Report” on SportsNet New York.

Erin was a 2012 model and Brand Ambassador for FILA athletic apparel, and was a winner of the brand’s 2010-11 national model search for the FILA Body Toning Collection.

Born and raised in New York City, Erin’s passion for sports runs deep as an outspoken fan and an avid athlete. Erin is a former U.S. Junior Olympic-certified swim coach, personal trainer, dancer and fitness competitor, and is an AANC Certified Nutritional Consultant. She practices the Japanese healing art of Reiki, and is Reiki level 2 certified.

A trained visual artist who has been drawing, painting and sculpting since she first discovered the magic of a Crayola box at age 2, Erin’s artistic endeavors eventually grew to encompass many genres, including: Dance, writing, music, acting, computer media and the life sciences.

Erin’s artwork and writing have received multiple Gold and Silver Keys from Scholastic. Her artwork has been showcased at Sotheby’s in NYC, as well as the National Arts Club.

SEA Members Learn and Network with Sports Business Professionals

During the LIVE Q&A with Erin we discussed:

• How she transitioned from Corporate America into the sports industry.
• How persistence has paid off throughout her career.
• The highs and lows of her career and her sports job search.
• How social media has positively impacted her professionally.

Erin Sharoni Discusses What It Takes To Make It In Sports

The video below includes a short clip (3 mins) from the LIVE Q&A. In the clip, Erin addresses what skills people should acquire who are interested in doing her job.

Visit http://sportsexec.net/live to learn how to access the full SEA LIVE Q&A recording and how to join our next SEA LIVE Q&A!

What do you think of Erin’s advice?  Have you implemented any of these tactics in your own Sports Job search?

The post How To Land Your Dream Job In Sports with Erin Sharoni, Jim Rome On SHOWTIME – Co-Host appeared first on Sports Networker.

After suffering a first-round defeat for the second consecutive season, Vancouver Canucks’ general manager Mike Gillis announced on Wednesday that he had fired head coach Alain Vigneault and two of his assistants, Rick Bowness and Newell Brown. Vigneault was hired on as the team’s head coach in 2006, and when Gillis stepped in for former general manager Dave Nonis in 2008, he opted to keep Vigneault on as head coach. 

Vigneault led the Canucks to six Northwest division titles, two Presidents Trophies, and an appearance in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in which the Canucks fell to the Boston Bruins in seven games. Vigneault posted a 313-170-57 while in Vancouver, making him the winningest coach in franchise history.

However, despite his regular season success, Vigneault’s track record in the playoffs was mediocre at best with a 33-32 record. Last season, the Canucks took the best record in the league into the playoffs, but were stunned by Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings who made quick works of the Canucks in just five games. This year, the Canucks were swept by the San Jose Sharks in the opening round of the playoffs. It was the first time in 12 years the Canucks were swept in the playoffs.

After last year’s playoff disappointment against the Kings, Gillis said that Vigneault’s job was safe, and he was expecting more of the players he had given Vigneault to work with. This year however, Gillis’ message was different.

“We’re in a results-oriented business and if you look at the last two playoffs we’ve been in, we were the higher-seeded team that lost the first two games at home,” Gillis said. “We’ve lost consecutive games in the last two playoff years and there comes a point in time where the message has to change and we have to be better. We didn’t get the results we expected and, in this business, you have to get results.”

The post Vancouver Canucks Fire Alain Vigneault After Another Early Playoff Exit appeared first on Sports Networker.

Main agent(s): Tom Condon, Ben Dogra, Jimmy Sexton

Many consider CAA to not only be the best NFL sports agency, but the best agency regardless of sport. Similar to how many NCAA conferences are joining together to form super-conferences, CAA is essentially a “super-agency.” Tom Condon may in fact be considered the uncontested favorite for top NFL Agent in the business. Condon is best known for his representation of the Manning Brothers, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford just to name a few. His contract agreements for Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tony Romo in the last two years alone combined to produce an astonishing, guaranteed $173.5 million. Ben Dogra is no slouch either representing 49 first-round draft picks, more than any other agent (courtesy of the Sports Business Journal). To add on to the agency accolades, CAA was responsible for 8 of the last 11 NFL MVP awards and 6 of the last 9 overall # 1 draft picks. This agency is certainly a force to be reckoned with now, and in the future in the world of NFL agencies.

Notable current/past clients:

• Peyton Manning
• Eli Manning
• Drew Brees
• Tony Romo
• Matthew Stafford
• Matt Ryan
• Robert Griffin III
• Adrian Peterson
• Tony Gonzlez
• Nnamdi Asomugha
• Luke Joeckel (#2 overall pick in 2013 draft)

Rosenhaus Sports Representation

Main agent(s): Drew Rosenhaus, Jason Rosenhaus

Drew Rosenhaus established his agency at the mere age of 22 years old while still attending Duke Law School. He is arguably one of the most recognizable agents in the business, and surely does not shy away from the public eye. Author of two books, Drew is also the only sports agent to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His recent deal for Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski was the largest extension (in terms of total value) ever given to a TE at $54 million. The Rosenhaus brothers have not represented a first round pick since the 2011 NFL draft (CB Jimmy Smith), but many still consider this agency a perennial powerhouse. Drew Rosenhaus’s tenacity and negotiation skills have been compared by many to the great Marvin Demoff.

Notable current/past clients:

• LeSean McCoy
• DeSean Jackson
• Dez Bryant
• Plaxico Burress
• Rob Gronkowski
• Chad Johnson (“Ochocinco”)
• Terrell Owens
• Frank Gore
• Santana Moss
• Edgerrin James

Relativity Sports

Main agent(s): Happy Walters (CEO), Eugene Parker, Roosevelt Barnes

Relativity Sports was created from the combination of different entities, and most notably, Eugene Parker’s Maximum Sports Management. Parker’s client list is fairly impressive representing some of the top receivers in the game. Parker’s deal for client, Larry Fitzgerald, gave Fitzgerald the second highest contract for a wide receive in terms of Total Value ($113 million), average per year ($16,142,857), and guaranteed money ($27 million). Furthermore, it was Parker who negotiated Ndamukong Suh’s $40 million in guarantees just a few years ago. Parker is also one of only four sports agents to ever introduce a player into the National Football Hall of Fame when he introduced client Deion Sanders. Relativity Sports also represents Chance Warmack, the #10 overall pick from the 2013 draft. Jason Fitzgerald, founder of overthecap.com, estimates that Warmack will receive a total contract value just north of $12 million with a signing bonus of $7.23 million.

Notable current/past clients:

• Larry Fitzgerald
• Greg Jennings
• Michael Crabtree
• Devin Hester
• Steven Jackson
• Ndamukong Suh
• Chance Warmack (#10 overall pick in 2013 draft)
• Curtis Martin
• Emmit Smith
• Deion Sanders

Lagardère Unlimited

Main agent(s): Joel Segal

Many people think “Michael Vick” when Segal’s name is mentioned as he was Vick’s agent of record during his dogfighting scandal a few years back. Vick has certainly put those days behind him, and Segal has guided him every step of the way. Segal negotiated both of Michael Vick’s mega-contracts making him the first NFL player with two contracts potentially surpassing the $100 million accolade. Business Insider did a fantastic piece on Joel Segal and Lagardère Unlimited two years ago after the new CBA was passed and free agency was in a frenzy. According to the piece, Segal was able to complete contracts for 20 clients in a total of eight days with a total compensation of $150 million. That is simply an amazing feat. Segal also negotiated running back Chris Johnson’s extension back in 2011 containing $30 million in guaranteed money (second only to Adrian Peterson for RBs). This year’s NFL draft was quite a successful one for Segal and his enterprise as they represented 2 of the top-10 overall picks in Eric Fisher (#1 overall) and Tavon Austin (#8 overall). The two contracts combined are expected to produce roughly $35 million in total value according to Over The Cap.

Notable current/past clients:

• Michael Vick
• Reggie Bush
• Chris Johnson
• Percy Harvin
• Santonio Holmes
• Marques Colston
• DeAngelo Hall
• Randy Moss
• Eric Fisher (#1 overall pick in 2013 draft)
• Tavon Austin (#8 overall pick in 2013 draft)

Athletes First

Main agent(s): David Dunn

David Dunn is no stranger to the business, and has asserted his dominance in the industry for the past three decades. Some may remember Dunn for being the former partner of long-time agent Leigh Steinberg. After their separation, and eventual lawsuit (in which Dunn was mandated to pay a hefty sum of money), many forecasted that Dunn would slowly depart from the business. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and Dunn continues to prove he is still one of the best out there. He recently inked his top-QB client, Aaron Rodgers, to the largest contract for a quarterback in terms of average salary ($22 million per year) and three-year compensation ($62.5 million). Furthermore, Dunn secured Rodgers a whopping $54 million in guaranteed money. In the 2013 draft, Athletes First had a total of 18 players taken with 3 of them going in the first round. Their client, Kenny Vaccaro, was the first player to sign his contract of all the first round draft selections.

Notable current/past clients:

• Aaron Rodgers
• Reggie Wayne
• Wes Welker
• Von Miller
• Clay Matthews
• Ed Reed
• Ray Lewis
• Drew Bledsoe

Bus Cook Sports

Main agent(s): James “Bus” Cook

James “Bus” Cook has been in the agency business for the past two decades, and his list of clients never seems to disappoint. He was Brett Favre’s long-time agent and friend and negotiated the first ever $1 million deal in NFL history for him. Furthermore, Favre earned nearly $100 million in total compensation from Green Bay alone. In 2001, Cook negotiated the largest contract for a non-QB when Randy Moss was signed for 8 years/$75 million. Sticking with the wide receiver theme, Cook is the agent of record for Calvin Johnson who just last year broke numerous milestones with his new contract. Cook secured “Megatron” $53.25 million in fully guaranteed money while the overall extension averaged over $16.2 million according to Joel Corry.

Notable current/past clients:

• Calvin Johnson
• Cam Newton
• Russell Wilson
• Mike Wallace
• Jay Cutler
• Morris Clairborne
• Randy Moss (switched to Joel Segal)
• Brett Favre

References: 

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The post Top NFL Sports Agencies (Post-2013 NFL Draft) appeared first on Sports Networker.

GM Danny Ferry and the Hawks are targeting coaches with NBA experience such as Stan Van Gundy and Nate McMillan, but they may go outside of the box and make NBA history in doing so.

Rumours are speculating in the basketball world that the Hawks are interested in Ettore Messina, the Italian-born coach of CSKA Moscow.

If the Hawks were to ink Messina to a deal, he would become the first European-born head coach in NBA history.

The ultimate sports job for any basketball coach is to work for an NBA franchise and Messina is no different. He could be defined in the record books as a trail blazer for international coaching and leave his stamp on the game of basketball if the decision is made.

Messina may be a bit of a longshot – with Van Gundy being the Hawks top choice to take the position – but the idea along really brings some excitement into a coaching decision that might be considered rather dull if Messina’s name wasn’t included.

Even though Messina is a longshot, the Hawks are still serious in considering him for the position. Ferry recently scouted CSKA Moscow in London at the Euroleague Final Four and Messina isn’t exactly green to how the NBA operates. He spent the 2011-12 season as a part of Mike Brown’s coaching staff with the Los Angeles Lakers. Messina left the NBA to take a $1 million-plus a year job with CSKA Moscow after Brown’s job was in jeopardy.

It could be an exciting move for basketball if Messina is hired, but it could be a risky one for Atlanta. Let’see what the Hawks decide. Will they go with an NBA coaching vet such as Van Gundy? Or will they ink themselves into the history books and hire Messina?

Photo courtesy of: Ticket2Final

The post Atlanta Hawks Could Make Sports History appeared first on Sports Networker.

Sucking up isn’t the only way

Contrary to popular demand there are many alternatives to sucking up that will put you ahead of the game and help you gain traction within your company and with your managers.

In fact with the way people see through each other more and more nowadays unless your boss is one who eats that type of behavior up I would say it’s altogether a terrible strategy for “climbing the ladder.”

Today I offer you tips of the trade that have helped me rise in my career and what I have seen from others in related industries.  These tricks of the trade can carry over from a small business of three to a Fortune 500 company.  It also doesn’t matter if you are in accounting, video production, sales, or broadcasting… there is a certain way you can go about your trade regardless of your department that will help you become a more and more valuable employee every single day!

1. Yes, it is your job

Don’t ever utter the words “That’s not my job” ever again.  If you are working for a company and they ask you about something it is your job.  Those that believe that’s not my job are essentially telling their management that they are fine to work 9 to 5, punching the clock, getting a 1% raise every two to three years, and working until the day they have to move into a retirement home.

It is your job to help find a solution if you want to prove yourself worthy.  You may not have a clue about the question or it may not be your department but you don’t answer with “not my problem.”  If it is a simple task that you know you can accomplish correctly then just take care of it and do it.  If it’s a more complicated quest then you have a few options: you can politely let them know your area of expertise and how you could certainly work on it but may need some guidance, or you can find someone who will handle that request for you, or you can find a partial solution.

There’s no one way to handle it other than not saying “That’s not my job.”

2. It’s a race to the top not to the bottom: Prove your value

Seth Godin, aka the smartest marketer alive, has often said that if you want to race to the bottom then try to compete and sell on lowest price but if you want to race to the top then compete on value.

Just the same with your upper management…prove your value each and every day.  There are certain tasks that a blind cat could do for your company.  Don’t get yourself lumped in as someone who can only accomplish those tasks.  Make it a goal every single day to do some incredibly tough and thought provoking work for your company.  Show that you are there to go to the top and not get dragged down to the bottom.

Examples of this may include:

1. Innovative solutions to current problems
2. More efficient ways to get difficult tasks accomplished
3. New programs that will create employee excitement
4. Out of office ideas to built team rapport and loyalty, etc.

The more value you create the further you will go in life.  If you continue to create value and it’s not appreciated don’t get frustrated.  You are gaining plenty of experience for when you decide to fire the company you work for and go to one that will truly acknowledge and recognize the valuable work you are putting forth each and every day.

3. Stand Out

Hot Dog Stand Marketing is my creation of how I believe we need to treat customers, clients, and people in the coming decades.  One thing we need to do is stand out completely from all competition if we want to succeed.

What are you doing to stand out??

Have you offered to lead a meeting?  Are you writing a weekly newsletter or blog with industry related ideas?  Have you brought a new way of thinking to attract more business or new customers? Brought the negativity and gossip to a head and turned it into positive engaging conversation?  Refused to engage in inner office gossip?  Joined a club to help you get better out of your own time?

Think about your current situation and what you are doing.  If nothing comes to mind it’s time to think about some of the above ideas and what you can do.

And you are right.  These are hard and time consuming projects.  But if we want to stay ahead of the game, gain traction, and be valuable then that is what you need to do.  The days of getting ahead just by showing up to work on time are long gone!

4. Volunteer

Volunteer your time, your thoughts, your ideas, and yourself as much as possible.  When something needs help…you are the one to help it.  It will set you leaps and bounds apart from those that cower their heads in their desk every time something that needs doing gets asked to be done.

5. Be Yourself

People recognize fake and lack of authenticity.  The most important thing you can do every day is simply be yourself.  Don’t fall for the anecdote that “this is who they want me to be so I’ll do it.”

You are special, you are excellent at what you do, and you should be confident in that.  You are bringing a different perspective to the table every single day you set foot in that office.  Just because you don’t like the same music, spend your evenings differently, or don’t care to engage in the same activities as your upper management doesn’t mean you should conform.  They’ll respect your value that you bring to the gig, and if they don’t as I said before, you’ll be able to gain lots of experience before letting them know they’ve been released of their duties as being your employer.

The #1 most important action that I have taken every day that has me ready to enter my 12th year of 100% commission sales this June is to be myself.  If I am anything else I am doing myself and all those around me a disservice and my work won’t be as great as it could be.

The employee of the year award is nice, but it’s not necessary.  Your goal is to get ahead of the game and stay ahead of the game.  To gain traction by doing difficult and valuable work that no one else in your company does and that your upper management can’t do without.

You want to be known as being trusted, dedicated, innovative, intelligent, positive, and a true go getter.

You can do the difficult work and climb to the top or you can do the easy work that makes an employee easily replaceable and go for a race to the bottom.

The answer to me is easy.  I’m sure you agree with me, but know that it won’t be the most popular or easy way.

But in the end you, whatever you represent, and the world at large will be the winner because of what you accomplished.  And that should make any person sleep good at night!

Thanks for reading everyone!  Want more tips in putting action steps to these or have any to add?? Hit me up on my facebook page HERE or tweet us at SportsNetworker or leave your comments below.

Have a great day all, Carpe Diem!

The post How to Stay Ahead of the Game and Gain Traction With Your Company appeared first on Sports Networker.

Being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader can lead to fame and fortune for those who wear the silver and blue.

Erica Kiehl Jenkins – singer and member of The Pussycat Dolls – was a member of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders from 2007-2009.

Micaela Johnson – also known as Miss Nebraska USA 2008 – sported the silver and blue attire from 2003-2005 and Melissa Rycroft – who appeared on Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor waved the pom poms for Dallas from 2006-2008.

The cheerleading squad has even had films and a reality television show made about them. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders aired in 1979 and starred Bert Convy and Jane Seymour and a sequel – The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II – was made and aired in 1980, while the reality series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team has been going strong since 2006.

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are not just a bunch of pretty faces dancing on the sidelines, they are a marketable brand that has become famous and they’re looking for the next big thing to jump aboard their gravy train of popularity.

The team is holding a vote on their website and giving the fans an opportunity to be the judge of the next Dallas Cowboys cheerleader finalist.

You can select from an abundance of worthy contestants who have bios and dance videos to view. The candidate with the most votes will receive an automatic invitation to the 2013 training camp, where they have an opportunity to become the next Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, which could catapult them into stardom.

“Fans will get to vote on their favorite rookie and the rookie receiving the most votes will get a guaranteed invitation to training camp,” said Kelli Finglass, director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

“We’ve really embraced social media over the last couple of years, each day we interact with our fans on Twitter and Facebook, which reminds me that we are truly in the fan business.”

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

The post Vote for the next Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader appeared first on Sports Networker.

Yesterday, we were joined by Jim Riley, Marketing Manager with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Who Is Jim Riley?

Jim is a graduate of Ohio Northern University with a bachelor’s degree in business management , and has spent the last 15-plus years working in sports marketing.

Following graduation, Jim worked for the Huntsville Stars, a minor league baseball team of the Southern League,  as the Director of Promotions and Public Relations.

In 2001, Jim transitioned to the Manhoning Valley Scrappers as their Marketing Director before moving into his current role with the Columbus Blue Jackets. For the last six years, Jim has been the Blue Jackets’ Marketing Manager.

SEA Members Learn and Network with Sports Business Professionals

During the LIVE Q&A with Jim we discussed:

• How and why he decided to pursue a career in Sports Marketing
• What he does on a daily basis in his role as Marketing Manager with an NHL team
• The marketing approach that the Blue Jackets take competing in an Ohio State football dominated market
• How important social media has become to his own personal sports career

Jim Riley Discusses What It Takes To Make It In Sports

One of the questions we ask all of our LIVE Q&A guests is to provide one piece of advice to our members that will help them land their dream job in sports.

The video below includes a short clip (3 mins) from the LIVE Q&A where Jim address this question.

Visit http://sportsexec.net/live to learn how to access the full SEA LIVE Q&A recording and how to join our next SEA LIVE Q&A!

What do you think of Jim’s advice?  Have you implemented any of these tactics in your own Sports Job search?

The post How To Land Your Dream Job In Sports with Jim Riley, Columbus BlueJackets – Marketing Manager appeared first on Sports Networker.

There are many areas within the sports industry to focus one’s efforts and talents. From promotions to recreation to coaching, every college student has a dream. If you polled students, many would say they want to become the General Manager of a professional team someday. I don’t think they always know what all that entails exactly, but they had better work hard, or the dream will quickly evaporate. The competition is fierce, so they must pursue the goal of General Manager with vigor, and this is especially true for women!

The Battle

It seems that the prejudices and stereotypes of females working in sports diminish more with every year that passes. Females are now openly accepted working in every facet of a professional sports team’s Front Office except Coaching, Scouting, and Player Personnel. Women are viewed as less knowledgeable in these areas for some reason. But just because she didn’t play the game, does that mean she is not qualified? Who is to stop a female from being intricately involved in the operations of her high school football team, serving as a Football Operations assistant and Football Manager in college, earning multiple sports internships in Front Offices, and volunteering her free time with other local sports teams? These opportunities would set up any college student nicely for a job in Coaching, Scouting, or Player Personnel, whether male or female!

Creating opportunities to learn and applying practical experience is the number one component to earning a future position. In sports, the more experience, the better the chances of working in the more exclusive parts of a Front Office. Specifically, coaches have to be good teachers, and they have to be able to relate to the players that are their ‘students.’ Scouts have to understand the game, and they must be able to assess the talents of players individually, especially how a player would fit certain schemes. Front Office executives and Player Personnel staff need to understand the dynamics of building a roster, negotiating, and salary cap management.

If a female has the right experience, she should be an equal candidate. The fact that she isn’t allowed near the locker room shower should not be a factor. Saying that women are more kind-hearted and would be “bigger pushovers” is nothing more than a stereotype. Arguing that she has never played the game at a competitive level is a blatant excuse: I have seen many athletic and tough female hockey, basketball, softball, lacrosse, and soccer players, at both the collegiate and professional levels! Even if they haven’t played at the college level, I have interacted with females at the executive level in the NFL whose skills and demeanors were convincingly impressive. I believe it is time to finally give them their due.

Ready to Lead

There are countless females working as executives in the Front Office of sports teams across the different professional leagues. They have earned their way into these positions, and in many cases they have had to fight harder because they are female. There are a few working on the football side of an NFL franchise, but they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. I recently read a credible blog post suggesting that it appears it is about time for a female to earn a chance at a General Manager’s position. The woman named was Dawn Aponte of the Miami Dolphins, and having worked with Ms. Aponte previously, I would heartily agree with that assessment. She has the mindset and professional approach necessary to run a team. She understands the dynamics of a Front Office. She has the experience. Now all she needs is the chance.

Sadly, it may be a few years before Ms. Aponte or any other woman is given an interview to lead as a General Manager, and it may be a few more years before that woman actually earns a chance at the position. But it should happen, and it could happen soon. All it takes is one:

• One owner smart enough to realize what she offers…
• One Head Coach that realizes she has worked hard her entire career to earn the position, and that her work ethic will only increase now that she has it…
• One fan base that embraces the unique opportunities…
• One football team that sees that she appreciates their work and will treat them with mutual respect.

A woman is just as qualified as a man to be a General Manager in today’s business-oriented professional sports world. This is especially true considering that women have exactly the same background experience opportunities as men. Gender doesn’t matter for this position anymore, and anyone who thinks otherwise is living in the past! IT IS TIME.

Deserved Recognition

My prayers and sympathies go out to all who were impacted by the Boston Marathon tragedy this past week. It is important that we pull together as one big community. Let us hold on tight to this compassion for one another, and embrace it in our daily lives.

I want to take the opportunity to commend three such individuals in the professional football world who recently made that special effort to love others and give back selflessly:

1. New England Patriots receiver Danny Amendola

After signing a fresh 4-year contract with the Patriots just one month ago, Amendola has graciously pledged to donate to the Boston Marathon victims. He will give $100 for every pass he catches next season.

As a special personal incentive, he will double the donation to $200 for every dropped pass.

2. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft

To support the Boston Marathon victims, the generous football owner has promised to match all donations made on the Patriots website, up to $100,000.

3. Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Matt Hasselbeck and Chandler Harnish

After Hasselbeck signed with the Colts last month, he was told that his preferred number 8 was already assigned to back-up quarterback Harnish. Typically if a player wants the number of another player, he offers to take him out to dinner or give him a cash stipend. (This dollar amount can sometimes reach 6 figures!) But in the case of Hasselbeck and Harnish, they agreed that Hasselbeck would give Harnish $8,000 for the number ONLY IF Harnish could hit a half-court basketball shot. Harnish made it on the first try, and he donated the full $8,000 to the Dollars for Scholars charity.

I personally extend my gratitude to these generous and thoughtful men! Thank you.

Comment below on topics you’d like to see Joe cover next! You can also leave a comment on our Facebook page or send us a tweet @SportsNetworker

The post Females Leading the Front Office? It Is TIME! appeared first on Sports Networker.

This is such a great quote because it is so true and I believe that many, if not all of us, can relate. We all want to find a place that allows us to work using our passion to help others. For me, that passion is action sports.

At a young age we are all told to follow our dreams and that we can be anything that we want. But there comes a time that we realize that maybe we won’t be the next superstar or greatest athlete ever. What do we do from there? For many of us this reflection leads us to go to college and get a degree in business or another open-ended field. At least this was the way my life was heading.

The time from college to full time career seemed way too short and after several years of working at my “career,” I still felt that inner desire that was so strong as a child. After much soul searching I reached a decision to resign from my position and follow my passion for action sports. I hoped that doing this would allow me to become successful, controlling my own destiny along with the ability to love my career.

Let’s rewind about 14 years to when I started racing. All that mattered to me was racing dirt bikes, snowboarding, and biking. Motocross was my main passion and I was able to make my way through the novice and amateur classes placing me in the expert or A class. Here I was able have some luck and do well in the Western New York series.

When it came time to get a job and start moving forward I left motocross behind. Not because I wanted to, but with increased working hours and other priorities, riding seemed to become harder and harder to do. After an extended period of time not on the bike I began to forget the pure joy and happiness that motocross can bring someone.

I left my career to follow my dreams and the passion that I have for the action sports. At first I didn’t know what I wanted to do. All I knew is that I want to be able to help others who shared the same love for the sports and activities that I did, but how? When I finally realized that I wanted to offer eyewear there was so much more to it than just selling a product. Surrounding any sport there is a web of people that come together week in and week out to help each other and enjoy that weekend’s events. Whether it is motocross, skiing, snowboarding, skating, or any other sporting activity the people at these events can become like family.

Starting a sport that you are unfamiliar with can often be challenging. Unless you have someone who is familiar with the equipment and the sport overall the only way to learn is by going to events and talking with people first hand. I like to refer to this as learning the hard way because it takes time, often a lot of time to perfect.

When deciding to go out on my own it was not with the focus of selling a product. My focus is connecting with people, sharing my experiences to help others progress further and faster, and to love what I do. I can honestly say that everyday I am able to wake up and look forward to working, although work is such as derogatory term for something that I love to do.

I believe that sports are such a great way for people of all ages to come together with others who share their same passions. Sports help unite people and create lifetime friendships that no other activities or events can do.

If your life is filled with joy and passion, those emotions tend to radiate outward and will positively affect others.

I challenge everyone to live by Tommy Lasorda’s quote: “If you love your job, you haven’t worked a day in your life.” Listening to my inner self and starting my own action sports eyewear business was one of the best things I have do thus far in my life. It allows me the opportunity to work with people who posses the same passion as I do along with help younger athletes gain a competitive edge in their sport.

Are you fulfilled with your current environment? What would be your dream job?

If you answer these questions with positions and jobs that you are currently not doing, get out there and do what you love. The first step is always the hardest.

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In hockey, the NHL stands for Not Here Long, especially when it comes to goaltenders, the league’s head coaches and social media mavens.

Yes, the employees who get paid to Tweet, Pin, use Facebook, filter photos through Instagram and shoot YouTube videos for your favorite team. The job that you’d gladly accept and do for free. The one that sports business expert Darren Rovell called the career of the future for somebody looking to break into the industry.

For a coach, Not Here Long means ‘you’re fired,’ it means a hefty raise, better hours and fewer ticket requests for social managers who wind up leaving their posts.

When clubs create a position specific to social media, it’s usually at the entry level where hundreds of resumes flood HR for a job that pays just above the poverty line. It doesn’t take into account that most of the league’s social minds have been ambitious 20 and 30-somethings who have the opportunity to broadcast to a mass audience on a daily basis. These individuals are also subject-matter experts in a cross-departmental function and help set, if not define strategy for marketing campaigns, ticket sales, sponsorship activation and fan / community relations.

Talk about a resume booster.

Poverty line living is an accepted part of many entry-level sports jobs, especially those in ticket sales and marketing. The public nature of managing a team’s social community isn’t like that. The reality is that PR agencies, commercial brands and recruiters dangle mid-to-senior level salaries at you just because somebody happens to be a fan.

How much a Community Manager pulls in is usually dependent on the brand. For those with the audience size on par with an NHL club (500,000), this is upwards of $60-70,000 in the non-sports, private sector. At the University of Michigan, the Social Media Director is a six-figure position.

The league’s pending social problem isn’t about dollars and cents. It’s about staying competitive in the evolving marketplace and offering continuation to fans and corporate clients. It’s about building locker room relationships to the point where the General Manager occasionally lets you fly on the team charter. It’s about sitting in a meeting with major sponsors and brainstorming new ways to leverage emerging platforms and strengthen the partnership. It’s about understanding a developing trend like second-screen activation and how it could possibly create new revenue streams.

This role has developed at the team level faster than any owner or HR person expected it to. Three clubs, the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Kings and San Francisco Giants are viewed as head-over-heels above the rest, having slotted the position at the Director level, letting the individuals who oversee the feeds (@Celtics, @LAKings and @SFGiants) conduct year-round speaking engagements as an extension of the brand.

We’re not irreplaceable by any stretch of the imagination, but a team’s social media strategy isn’t as interchangeable as the team beat reporter, a videographer, or even a marketing manager. There were 80,000 journalism degrees handed out at U.S. colleges and universities in 2012. This, as the business model for print media continues to evaporate and companies spend millions of dollars trying to incorporate themselves into the social / news conversation.

Those 80,000 graduates I speak of are bright and talented, especially when it comes to showing you clips of their work. When it comes to showing you a revenue stream from what they do, you’ll be lucky if eight have a legitimate answer.

Storytelling isn’t an easy craft, but those working on the social side do so on a daily basis. They also have, at the NHL level, the intelligence and integrated knowledge to work with the many tentacles that social media provides. They understand how to weave content and sponsorship seamlessly, then describe what works using demographics, CPM’s,impressions, even TV ratings. They’re starting to tell the advertising people to allocate money for Facebook and to spend less on newspaper advertising. They aren’t just pulling off Tweet Your Seat giveaways, but selling it to a corporate partner who wants exclusivity in the space.

We’ve moved far beyond the notion that a Social Media Manager is someone who simply ‘Tweets all day.’ Teams need to adjust their hiring practices to meet the integrated business nature of the position in 2013.

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