We’re Hiring a Community Manager!

by Lewis Howes | July 7th, 2010 | View Comments

UPDATE: We are no longer accepting new applications for this position.

Sports Networker and the Sports Executives Association (SEA) are seeking a dedicated community manager to start immediately for this part time position. You should definitely be active online, passionate about people and willing to learn quickly in this challenging role.

Job Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to):

SportsNetworker.com

• Working with site authors to publish articles and create the editorial calendar
• Responding to press inquires and setting up interviews
• Recruiting new writers and working with guest authors
• Handle ad requests and see new advertisers that would be a good fit for the site
• Promote and share articles via social networks and manage those accounts
• Look for new ways to grow the SpotsNetworker brand
• Manage the internship database and respond to student/employer requests
• Write articles related to spots business, social media and marketing

Sports Executives Association (SEA)

• Handle all support requests from members
• Help create, edit and upload new content on a monthly basis
• Communicate updates and changes to members
• Manage and direct forum activity
• Learn or have experience working in WordPress, aMember, vBulletin and EZS3
Other responsibilities include
• Help promote and publicize live networking events
• Working with graphic designer and web developer to complete projects

The successful candidate will have experience using online social networks or past community manger experience. The role requires 20 hours a week with the opportunity to increase those hours in the future. Pay is hourly and negotiable based on experience. Please fill out the following form and we will contact you if you’re the right fit for this role.

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Unusual Sports the Media Doesn’t Cover

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

Most of us are used to watching mainstream sports on TV. After all, the media gives full coverage to football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer. The Olympics, of course, are a big deal and we are privileged to increase our knowledge about lesser broadcast sports as we’re dazed and amazed by the athletic prowess of young athletes.

However, there are a few not-so-common sports around the world that rarely, if ever, grab our attention and really cause us to invite the gang over and order out for pizza. Here are just a few:

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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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Top 10 NBA Players You Should Follow on Twitter

by Reuven Fridmar | June 7th, 2010 | View Comments

The Twitter infatuation has quickly spread to the world of professional sports, and the number of athletes using the service is growing daily. Through tweeting, athletes can connect and engage fans, build up their personal brand, grow and nurture their fan base, and even ask for help! Fans who grew up idolizing their favorite stars now have a chance to interact with them, and offer them advice and support. I complied a list of the top 10 NBA ballers (in no particular order) you should all be following on Twitter, because they are what makes the NBA “Where Twitter Happens.”

1) Shaquille O’Neal – @THE_REAL_SHAQ

Shaq (A.K.A Shaqtus, The Diesel, The Big Aristotle…) is one of the NBA’s most popular all time players. Following 585 accounts, his 2,911,684 followers make him the most popular baller on Twitter. Though he doesn’t tweet every day, he is known to interact with his followers, and even uses the live broadcasting service Ustream. After all, how can you not follow someone with a bio that reads “Very quotatious. I perform random acts of Shaqness“.

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Sportsmanship Reborn for MLB

by Gail Sideman | June 4th, 2010 | View Comments

Sportsmanship was reborn on June 2 and it wasn’t without a lot of labor pains.

In one of the most debated and discussed baseball games in years, Major League Baseball umpire Jim Joyce incorrectly called a Cleveland Indians’ ground ball to first base with two outs in the ninth inning, safe. A video replay showed otherwise. That one call cost Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga a coveted perfect game.

Fans booed in the stadium and online. That led to not a riot (although if I read correctly, one wasn’t far off), but a most classy and likely unexpected move by Galarraga who met with the highly respected Joyce soon after the game. He said they hugged and Joyce expressed his regret for the call.

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Trail Running: Racing Towards the Top in Popularity

by Lewis Howes | May 18th, 2010 | View Comments

(This is a guest article by Richard Burgunder)

Over the past couple of years, competitive trail running in the USA has gone from an underground community of extreme athletes to an immensely popular extreme sports venue. Currently, trail running and off-road triathlon are considered the sixth most popular extreme sports in the USA, only behind skating, skateboarding, paintball, climbing, and snowboarding. As of 2006, there are over 6.7 million regular trail runners in the United States and this number is growing quickly. At the current pace, trail running will soon become the most popular extreme sport in the U.S. Moreover, there are a slew of new race series developing nationwide that will surely increase trail running’s popularity and participation. Trail and cross country running originated as a competitive sport in primary schools and private universities of early 19th-century England. Since then, the sport has taken off, especially through the Pacific Northwest and New England states.

While many endurance athletes participated in trail running in select regions of the USA throughout the last couple decades, the sport has only experienced sudden popularity over the past five years or so. With road running becoming an incredibly popular venue for runners, many athletes have started to seek out new adventures due to the mundane nature of road racing. Thanks to event management and apparel companies that specialize in extreme sports, such as XTERRA, La Sportiva, The North Face, TCC Adventures, USA Track and Field (USATF) Mountain, Ultra, and Trail Council, and many more, athletes can now find themselves competing in an exhilarating, competitive trail race anywhere in the world.

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Are the Baltimore Orioles Relevant Again?

by Lewis Howes | May 5th, 2010 | View Comments

(This is a guest article by Stephen Lombardo)

A question like this has not been asked for more than a decade. They have had plenty of talent come in and out of their organization over the past few seasons. Now that we have entered a new decade, I believe that it is time to look at this team again as if they are ready to compete in the very near future. The Baltimore Orioles are starting to right the ship. They have signed a couple of veteran pitchers to help out in the bullpen and the rotation (Millwood, and Gonzalez), and they have brought back another veteran to help bring along all the young talent they have in the lineup (Tejada). From top to bottom the rotation is littered with prospects, and they arguably have the best offensive lineup that no one know about.

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The Frenzy of Fan Dynamics

by Lewis Howes | January 27th, 2010 | View Comments

Scrunchleface (This is a guest article by Michelle Hill)

Football fans everywhere enjoy a special camaraderie; we join forces in unwavering support and devotion for our team, despite geographic location or economic status, we’re all on an even playing field (no pun intended) when it comes to rooting for our favorite team.

There are three important fan traits that explain the frenzy of fan dynamics:

1. Fans tend to immortalize coaches and players. I’ve witnessed football fans standing for hours at training camps and hotels, nervously clutching hats, jerseys, posters, and footballs, anticipating players and coaches to amble by, in hopes of grabbing an autograph or even just a close-up look. Sometimes though, it seems as if we believe coaches and players are Demigods – half human and half god. We hold them up on an unachievable pedestal mounted with unrealistic expectations.

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#ClicheWednesday: Reaching New Goals

by Tyler Johnson | January 19th, 2010 | View Comments

It may sound cliché, but I think everyone in the New Year should set out to try a few new things. Hopefully people haven’t already derailed their 2010 plans! One of my former colleagues sent me a tweet last week wanting to promote #ClicheWednesday on twitter that day. It was random, but knowing his use of social media in his job, it was new to me and I thought, hey good for Brian (@GrouponBrianSA).

New Year resolutions are about as common as New Year ’s Day hangovers and football. However, the essence of the motive is a great idea. Typically it is the execution and follow through that turns these resolutions into clichés.

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RIP Chris Henry

by Sam Taggart | December 18th, 2009 | View Comments

Chris_Henry

“I kind of felt I dug myself out of the hole and started doing the right things.” -Chris Henry

Early yesterday morning, Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver, Chris Henry, passed away after falling out of the bed of a pickup truck. On Wednesday, Henry was involved in a domestic dispute with his fiancée at their home, when she got in a pickup truck and began to drive away. According to police, Henry hopped into the bed of the truck, beating on the back window. About a half-mile from his home, Henry fell out, suffering what turned out to be fatal injuries.

For most people, Henry is best known for his troubles off the field. His problems began in December 2005, when he was pulled over for speeding. During the stop, police found that Henry was driving without a license or valid insurance, and was in possession of marijuana. His problems continued in ’06 (suspended for two games), ’07 (suspended for eight games), and early ’08. At one point in late 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Henry that any future issues could result in the end of his career in the league.

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