In the world of sports, there is always something happening. With so many sports to choose from, fans certainly have a variety of events to watch each week.  For example, just look at the overlap in terms of some of America’s major sports leagues: Major League Baseball (today is Opening Day www.mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule), National Hockey League (the 2010 regular season ends on April 11th www.nhl.com/schedules/20092010) and the Professional Golf Association’s Masters Tournament begins April 8th (www.pgatour.com/r/schedule). Even in terms of the sports not currently in-season, the media keeps fans up-to-date on breaking news and events such as the National Football League’s 2010 Draft (which takes place in one month www.NFL.com/Draft). Of course one cannot overlook other sports, such as basketball, especially since games are taking place at both the professional and collegiate level (March Madness is certainly in full swing www.ncaa.com/champ/m-baskbl-d1-champ.html). 

With so many sports opportunities available it is no wonder that the sport industry must constantly strive to attract AND maintain fans, particularly in difficult economic times. Given all of this, I surprised myself when I realized how much I actually missed watching the 2010 Winter Olympics. I can’t believe the Olympic Games ended almost a month ago. No matter how you look at it, there is something different about watching the United States Hockey team as opposed to watching the same players on their regular NHL teams. 

For me, a large part of it boils down to the pride and importance athletes take in playing their sport for their country. 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. However, the pride of playing for a medal for a country transcends all of the other stuff. In a sense, the Olympics seem to have a sense of innocence or purity that doesn’t exist in professional sports or even college sports when athletes have an eye for turning professional down the road.

I know I can be a bit idealistic but I can’t help wondering if there is a way to bring some of the pride, dedication, sacrifice, work-ethic and honor that accompanies successful, individual, Olympic athletes to our young athletes in recreational sports to collegiate sports and eventually to professional sports as well. In fact, we could all use a little of those qualities in our everyday life, regardless of the profession in which we work.

 What do you think? How can society use professional sports in America as a vehicle to inspire others towards attaining excellence in ways OTHER than looking at the paychecks of professional athletes? How can we take some of the business out of sports and put the emphasis on the game? How about the character of the player? Or, maybe I’m just wrong and nothing should change. What do you think about professional sports versus Olympic sports?

Over the last week an interesting topic surfaced amongst some of my colleagues in Sport Management. The basic tenor of the topic surrounded the following two questions: “Are there too many sport management degree programs?” and “Are the programs teaching students the most beneficial material for them to be successful in the sport industry?” 

 My colleagues made some valid points regarding the content of curricula across the country.  I found two in particular that were very good and think they should be considered in more detail.  The first is that the market is being oversaturated with students graduating with a degree in Sport Management. Unfortunately, many graduates come from the programs that are not teaching students what they need to know in order to be successful in the field. Throwing a marketing course into a curriculum does not make a quality sport management program.  The second point, which I think is right on the money, is that the sport industry is much bigger than just professional sport.  As a result, it is not surprising that, like all businesses, sport-related businesses must be run by qualified individuals who know how to manage the unique attributes of sport businesses.

 While there are some very good programs, there are also programs that are not good at all. There is a big difference between what makes a quality program at the undergraduate, master and doctoral levels.  At the undergraduate level (I will just stick to that here) we have to prepare the students for a wide range of careers in the sport industry as well as prepare them to be successful in graduate school if they so choose to go that route. I have covered what makes a quality sport management program before.  I routinely talk with industry professionals about what they look for in hiring entry level employees.  Consistently, we hear employers are looking for someone who can do a number of different things as well as be able to sell.  This is true from the professional sport franchises, to college and high school athletic departments, to non-profit and community based sport organizations, etc. There is one caveat though that most sport professionals point out…regardless of the content of the program, if an individual does not have any desire or passion to work in the sport industry they will not be successful.

 Let’s face it; education is a business just as the sport industry is a business.  If educational institutions are not meeting the wants and needs of its consumers they will lose customers just like any other business. As a result, it is incumbent upon sport management programs to meet those wants and needs, help the students become successful and be willing to alter the programs as the industry evolves. We must all look at ourselves and our programs with a keen eye towards constantly developing and honing our skills as professionals in order to teach our students and model the behaviors necessary for us all to be successful in the future. What do you think?

I am home from my trip to Kuala Lumpur and it was an amazing trip.  I was teaching for the United States Sports Academy’s ICSC (International Certification in Sport Coaching) program. I met some amazing people and it was clear that some of the qualities that make people successful in the United States are the same qualities that make people successful in other countries (as you can see in this video).  I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Ramlan, the Director General of the National Sports Institute of Malaysia.  We talked about his vision for the Institute, as well as what he looks for when he hires people.  It was very interesting and I am glad I had this wonderful opportunity.

I have traveled overseas to teach in the past. Each time, I learn something new and am reminded of the lessons learned from previous trips. In that respect, this experience overseas is no different. To begin with, eating is always an adventure. As usual, I have been advised not to consume fresh vegetables or fruit and to only drink bottled water. Considering the fact that I really like salad and have at least one daily, I am naturally craving one right now!
During last night’s dinner I was also reminded about how difficult it can be to communicate basic, yet important information. For example, although I am not really sure what I ate (it was pretty good) it took a while for the waiter to understand that I wanted a bottle of water. After several attempts, I finally succeeded in getting a diet coke instead. However, when the waiter brought me the soda and poured it in a glass with ice I was back to square one. Again, with communication an issue, I somehow convinced the waiter that I couldn’t drink this particular soda and he brought me a new one. During the entire incident, I was being serenaded with “modern American music” such as Bon Jovi, Boys to Men and Abba. Needless to say, I found the entire situation pretty funny. Breakfast this morning was just as adventurous. The cuisine was beef bacon, cheese omelet and spicy fried rice…and I mean SPICY fried rice! Would you believe I had the same conversation about bottled water during this meal as well? Despite the difficulties in communication, the people here have been very nice and I am enjoying my experience so far.
This morning I had yet another laugh though. Since I am very much a creature of habit, I woke up and as part of my regular morning routine, I put on ESPN while getting dressed. Naturally, I was not not surprised when I did not hear the usual Mike & Mike Show. However, I was expecting to see a version of SportsCenter. Imagine my surprise when I instead saw a replay of the final round of the Carsta SI Italian Ladies Open (won by Marianne Skarpnord) and sand soccer! In any event, I am off to teach for the first day. As always, I am really excited to see what the next adventure will bring and the role communication has in the day’s adventure!

One of the unique aspects of sports is the degree of publicity athletes generate in the mass media. Unfortunately, many star athletes have gained notoriety based upon negative attention in the news. I am happy to report that many individuals, sports leagues and organizations are using their names, reputations and status as role models to support Breast Care Awareness Month this October. One could not watch a NFL football game this weekend without noticing the pink cleats, pink gloves and repeated mention of the efforts throughout the league to promote awareness.

I am also happy to report that campaigns to raise awareness are not limited to public sports figures…there are other ways in which sport can be used to bring attention to important causes. In the case of David F. Salter, a “self-admitted chauvinist-in-rehabilitation” from York, Pennsylvania used his work with eight women’s elite basketball coaches to create a unique licensing agreement with the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. As a result, a portion of the proceeds from his new book, Final Four Leadership, will be donated to the Yow Fund which issues grants to researchers specifically searching for cures for women’s cancers.

Having known Mr. Salter for the past nine years, I am not surprised to learn that he has found a way to help others, yet again. His sense of humor, insightful comments and unique perspective enable him to write about his findings in a straight-forward and understandable manner. As Salter says, “it takes a different skill set to lead a group of men as opposed to leading a group of women. That’s not a bad thing nor a good thing, it just is what it is.” 

I’ve had many conversations with Dave as we have watched our girls participate in both youth sports and high school athletics, I respect his first-hand knowledge as a coach, a father, a sports fan and an athlete and admire the way in which he writes about these topics in his books.  While this book profiles successful female leaders and the many strategies that help them relate to and motivate the individuals under their guidance it also includes a sense of simple reality of a down-to-earth person looking out for what’s best for individuals, what motivates people and the best advice from an expert in the field. His ability to cut through the complexities associated with a man using his perspective to view effective practices from a women’s point of view with humor, humility and kindness is exceptional. As a result, this book, provides the reader with a great deal of information, thoroughly researched and conveyed in an entertaining manner.   

I highly recommend the Final Four Leadership to anyone aspiring to reach positions of leadership, anyone that just wants to improve upon the way in which they manage others or even someone looking for an interesting read about human nature and how to cope with the differences between men and women in and out of the sports arena. It is rare to find an author with the ability to honestly portray things as “he sees them” while maintaining the standards of academics and professionals in the field.

For more information about David Salter, his books and his services check out his website www.davidfsalter.com.