Last week’s blog, Professional Sports vs. Olympic Sports, examined a variety of topics surrounding sports and generated some great comments. I’d like to take it a step further this week. Let’s examine some of the same questions as before but from a slightly different angle…how does society embrace or reject the values of sports in BUSINESS?

Last week I compared professional sports with Olympic sports and commented, “In today’s world, with free-agents and the reality of ‘sports as a business’ there can be something lacking in terms of player and fan loyalty…the Olympics seem to have a sense of innocence or purity that doesn’t exist in professional sports…we could all use a little of those qualities in our everyday life, regardless of the profession in which we work.”

While most people are painfully aware of the need to work in order to pay the bills it seems as if many businesses have forgotten about the high cost associated with compromising a company’s integrity and reputation. We all know that we should be thankful to have a job during tough economic times. However, many business leaders and administrators seem to have forgotten that not everyone is willing to sell their soul in exchange for their paycheck. In fact, some people are even willing to get paid less money if it means they can be happier in their work environment!

Maybe Bryan Heasley is correct in noting, “…players play with more pride and joy when they are playing for their countries…players know that the Olympics are only a couple weeks and you can be eliminated with one loss.” Over time, people tend to slack off, not work as hard or simply change their focus from achieving new goals to maintaining the status quo.

As Matt Altemose posted, “Although professional athletes grow up wanting to play in the big leagues…once they reach that level…they tend not to play for the team or are just all about themselves.” Even Tiger Woods’ recent actions seem to indicate a greater concern for individual wants/needs then a commitment to the ideals and standards which brought him into the limelight in the first place.

It is not much different in the field of business. There is an old saying that you have to “pay your dues” and “work up the ladder” until you have earned the right to receive certain benefits. Many professions have periods of apprenticeship or training where the newly hired must do more than a fair share of the “grunt work” before earning the privilege to delegate undesirable tasks to others.

But does this make such behaviors right? Isn’t it our professional obligation to teach the “young ones the ropes?” Don’t we WANT people within our own organizations to be successful and contribute to the overall well-being of the company? Why are some people so absorbed with their own careers that they can’t see the big picture, the idea that the entire TEAM wins when individuals are able to achieve? Isn’t Matt’s other statement also true in that, “professional sports players understand that it requires…the me-first attitude…take a backseat?”

What do you think? In what ways do we apply the lessons of sports to the real world? Is it possible to use professional sports in America as a vehicle to inspire others towards attaining excellence in ways other than competition, prestige and profits? How can we take some of the focus away from a company’s bottom line and put the emphasis on recognizing the value of an individual’s contribution to the total organization? Again, maybe I’m wrong and nothing needs to change. However, it seems to me that if a company expects the employees to “do the right thing” and “work in the organization’s best interests” then it is inevitable that employees must be given a reasonable amount of responsibility and freedom. As Grace Hooper Murray is credited for saying, “leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up, and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors; care for one’s crew.” I think it is morally wrong to demand loyalty from your employees if the organization itself is not providing employees with respect…what do you think?

This week’s post is courtesy of a very special guest blogger – Jennifer Pinsky-Newman
It is almost the end of January and for the first time I can remember, I am happy with my New Year’s Resolutions. I’m guessing it has something to do with the fact that I decided NOT to make any. Usually, by the time December hits, I have a list of things I’ll “work on” and “change” after the holidays. By the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, I’ve selected one or two items from my list and I enthusiastically declare them as my resolutions! Shortly after that, my husband laughs as he asks me long how I think it will last (especially since the resolutions don’t seem to change much from year to year). I’m sure this sounds familiar to many of you reading this right now!
I’m not exactly sure when or why I decided to do things differently this year. It isn’t just my way of avoiding being disappointed. It can’t simply be attributed to my procrastination. I’m positive that it isn’t me being lazy either. In reality, it is more connected to reflecting on my life (I turned 40 in December) and to a shift in the way in which I think. Of course, I have no way of knowing how this year of “non-resolution” will evolve but I’m up for the challenge!
Where do you stand at this point in the year…have you already given up on your resolutions…are you proud of your accomplishments so far…did you forget to set goals for the year…are you surviving one day at a time…?
Consider this week’s blog as an invitation to examine your life from a different perspective; the good news is that each one of us is responsible for everything in our life…the good and the bad while the bad news is that each one of us is responsible for everything in our life…the good and the bad. This means there is no one else to blame when something goes wrong AND there is no one else to get the credit when something goes right. Understanding the concept that each one of us is in charge of our own life is a gift—and—a responsibility. While most people have the best of intentions, those intentions often do not get translated into making the best choices or doing the right things. What makes one person successful when someone else is not? What enables one person to persevere when others quit? You get the idea.
Keep all of that in mind as you take a look at this riddle by Sean Covey, found at the beginning of his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens:

I am your constant companion. I am
your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down
to failure. I am completely at your command.
Half the things I do you might as well
turn over to me and I will be able to do
them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed – you must merely
be firm with me. Show me exactly how you
want something done and after a few
lessons I will do it automatically. I am the
servant of all great individuals and, alas, of
all failures as well. Those who are great, I
have made great. Those who are failures,
I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work
with all the precision of a machine plus
the intelligence of a human. You may run
me for profit or run me for ruin – it
makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me,
and I will place the world at your feet. Be
easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I?
Ponder that one awhile. I had my high school students try and guess this and it lead to some very thought-provoking discussions.
Eventually I told them the answer:
I am habit.
If you read through the riddle a few more times while keeping the answer in mind I’m sure you will come up with some insights about yourself and your life. The question is what will you do with them? I’d love to read your response…join the conversation by posting your thoughts and comments…it really does lead to an interesting conversation and hopefully will contribute to a good year for all.

Preparation is one of the key elements for success in any endeavor. I firmly believe this and encourage all of my students to plan and explore as many opportunities as possible as they move from one stage in their life to the next. I also believe that some of the best teachers, coaches and leaders in virtually any field come from the experiences of those who have forged ahead of us. As a result, I find myself seeking out advice from my mentors and successful individuals in a variety of fields. In turn, I often am used as a sounding board for my current students as they prepare for their future and even have the privilege of talking with my former students as they advance in their careers as well.

Along those lines, this week’s blog consists of a small portion of a panel discussion at York College of Pennsylvania. The attached video clip focuses on what each panel member feels is important to keep in mind when preparing for success after graduation. It applies to nearly everyone, regardless of their age, major or career aspirations. I hope it will provide you with useful information and points to consider. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions…the panel participants included (as seen on the video from left to right):

• Mr. Bill Nuttall -- Owner & President Golden Viking Sports, LLC (formerly Diadora America)
• Ms. Megan Smith (’04) -- Guest Services & Logistics Coordinator Lowe’s Motor Speedway
• Mr. Matt Guercio -- Coordinator of Game Day Operations & Special Events C.W. Post Campus (Athletic Department), Long Island University
• Mr. Joseph (JW) Cannon -- Sponsorship Manager Brand Marketing ING U.S. Financial Services

Over the last few days I have had numerous conversations with former students about their future. These students have all been working in the industry for at least two years.  Some are even working at their “dream job.” Topics such as opportunities for advancement, continuing education and leaving the sport industry always generate questions from the graduates.

Some questions are easy to answer such as how do you know when it is time to move on? It is time to move on when you have reached a level where there is no opportunity for advancement or you are bored with/lost the passion for what you are currently doing. This leads to the next question, “Where do I go from here?” or “I have already had my dream job, now what?”

I cannot answer that question for anyone but I try and point them in the right direction by asking them the following questions:

The process is the same for someone trying to find an internship, a new job or even change careers.  From my perspective, the only issue I am concerned with is that people are happy with their chosen career and passionate about what they are doing…the rest will come naturally.

This week’s post is courtesy of Matt Blaszka (’07).  He has some interesting insight on why it is so important to get involved in the Sport Management Student Association.
The Sport Management Student Association might be one of the more important things to do while you are at York College. The SMSA provides opportunity to go out in the field, meet people, learn professionals, and most importantly being a part of the SMSA Golf Tournament.

During the 2005-06, I was the president of the SMSA. We were operating in the red but through small fundraisers during the fall and spring we were able to get ourselves in the black. During the spring of 2006 we wanted to do something big that would help the SMSA for years to come and provide opportunities to attend conferences and bring in professionals for cheaper cost. The SMSA at this point was 12-15 students and was trying to find a way to get involved. Enter the SMSA Golf Tournament. The committee of Dan Stahl, Scott Fitzgerald, Megan Eckenrode, Chris White and I began to explore and conquer putting on a golf tournament. Needless to say we struggled to put it together but we pulled it off with 10 foursomes, a professor who got sick the day of the tournament, and a building block for the SMSA for years to come. Now entering the fourth edition of SMSA Golf Tournament it is arguably the biggest event of the SMSA year and provides students with great experience.

I tell you this story not because of the struggles we went through but the experience of putting on a major event provides your resume with that little extra. When I did my work experience at Lehigh University, they saw that I put on a golf tournament and asked me to put together one for the alumni in the program. Again, it was 2ndgolf tournament that I was part of starting and now it sells out routinely.

The SMSA provides you the opportunity to get to know people that are in your classes. The Sport Management program provides you with students who are typically in all your classes. The classes provide a forum to meet people but the SMSA takes that to the next level. Joining SMSA puts you in touch with all the people in the program from seniors to freshman. For freshman it is crucial to get involved because you will not have the opportunity to have seniors in your classes and this is a way to network for yourself. Remember that networking is not limited to just professionals, it is fellow students and professors. SMSA provides these opportunities.

I am currently enrolled to get my Masters in Sport Administration at Georgia State. Students in my class have a ton of experience and volunteer work because they did the little things through their school. Those opportunities give your resume that boost when you do go for a job interview. Interviewers will see that you did a lot of work and were a part of a club at school. Whether it’s helping on game day with the Ravens as a greeter or having events with the York Revolution it all can help you further yourself in the field of Sport Management.

Here are my suggestions