The Real Athlete blog

Rampant Infidelity Amongst Pro Athletes Is No Surprise

by Dr. Timothy Thompson 12-07-2010 12:49 AM Trusted Athlete Educator | Human Relations

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I want to begin this commentary with a big shout-out to Elizabeth Merrill and Amy K. Nelson, the authors of a (yet another) great piece about the trials and tribulations of being married to a professional athlete. Now that all kinds of people’s “dirty laundry” is airing out in this new age of transparency, it looks like we’re going to be hearing a lot more about these kinds of personal issues in the athletic world from now on.

What I find so fascinating about the subject of athletes’ infidelities is that people continue to seem surprised by the seemingly endless stories about this admittedly juicy subject. Yes, of course I fully understand that we tend to love a good soap opera and all. But what fascinates me most of all is that so many of the women who get romantically involved with high-profile athletes actually appear to believe that it’s realistic to expect their widely adored and sought-after spouses to shun everyone else’s sexual advances under all circumstances. After all, it’s one thing to remain optimistically hopeful that we’ll experience true romantic love at least once in our lives. However, it’s another matter entirely to project that hope onto an athlete without having seriously observed his capacity to resist the steady flow of temptations that come with his job.

Banged Up

by Alan Stein 12-06-2010 11:53 PM Training | Coaching | Injury & Rehabilitation

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With two full weeks of practice under our belts, we (DeMatha) are off to a great start. Our players are starting to jell into a cohesive unit. We are still miles away from where we need to be, but we are moving in the right direction. We have several scrimmages lined up, to help us fine tune things, prior to our season opener on December 1^st. Our players are looking forward to competing against someone other than themselves!

Despite the great start, we are physically banged up right now. Our guys compete so hard in practice… there is no shortage of bumps, bruises, and sore muscles. Regardless of how thorough our pre-season strength & conditioning program was… the intensity, volume, and contact has been turned up ten-fold since practice began. It’s normal for players to be a bit banged up in the first few weeks. Their bodies (and minds) are getting acclimated to the rigors of full contact practices. It doesn’t mean our pre-season training was deficient (believe me, it wasn’t). This is just another step up the “intensity ladder.” Our guys were sore the first couple of weeks of our pre-season training… but they adjusted. The same will happen now that practice has begun.

As Clarke W. Griswold said in Christmas Vacation, “it’s all a part of the experience!”

Athlete Weekly Rundown: Cam Newton is free and clear, Keyon Dooling is quite the businessman & pro athletes and infidelity

by Matthew Allinson 12-03-2010 10:42 PM Athlete Weekly Rundown

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I decided to bring back the Athlete Weekly Rundown column, but this time around, it will be structured a little bit differently. Each week, we will bring you three categories of stories: (1) Athletic Development (2) Business and (3) Human Relations.

What a wild week it has been with Cam Newton being declared eligible and LeBron James returning to Cleveland last night. I'm looking forward to the heated AFC North match-up between the Ravens and Steelers on Sunday Night Football. If you have an article that would be beneficial to athletes, please send it my way (matt at accessathletes dot com).

Athletic Development

Cam Newton is free and clear after a Reggie Bush witch hunt ends with no evidence, at least for the time being. This case is a powerful reminder that you better choose your inner circle carefully, which unfortunately can sometimes mean being leery of even your own parents and their motives. [Take your pick: NCAA Press Release; NCAA rules Auburn's Cam Newton is eligible to compete; NCAA decision on Newton opens Pandora’s box;

The Passing of a Legend: Mack Lewis

by Matthew Allinson 12-02-2010 11:48 PM Athlete Career Development | Coaching | Human Relations | News

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From the Editor's Father, Arthur Allinson.

It would be right with the many other testimonials bestowed on the beloved and greatly respected Mack Lewis that I comment on the legendary boxing trainer and manager's recent passing. Mr. Lewis, who died at the age of 92 on November 12, spent his lifetime mentoring and tutoring at-risk youth in East Baltimore at The Mack Lewis Gym. He guided them successfully in their teenage years and through adulthood as they encountered the many temptations and challenges presented by inner-city life. Through boxing, he offered an alternative life that brought success to hundreds of deserving young men. Mr. Mack would often say "I don't care if you become a world champion, as long as you become a productive member of society."

Make Time

by Alan Stein 12-01-2010 11:52 PM Training | Athlete Career Development

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As a basketball player or coach, you may start to feel overwhelmed now that the season has begun. It can be tough to balance school, practice, games, and quality time with your family and friends. It may seem difficult to fit everything in and live a balanced life.

Know this - you will never find time for anything during the hectic season. You have to make time for the things that are important to you. If you truly love something, you will make the time for it. Time is never the problem… after all… each of us gets 24 hours in a day. Lack of passion and focus is the real problem!

World Champs and Questions

by Steven Yellin 12-01-2010 01:36 AM Training | Coaching

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Every year after the playoffs and World Series, two things happen:

A team is crowned world champion.

One or more stars are asked why they had such a lousy post-season.

This year was no different.

It was refreshing to see a team not usually in the mix win it all. Hats off to the Giants. They played great and deserved the crown.

Youth Training

by Alan Stein 11-27-2010 04:47 PM Training | Athlete Career Development | Coaching

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Will lifting weights stunt your growth? At what age should you start lifting weights?

Let me put an end to this lingering myth once and for all…

Proper strength training does not stunt growth! In fact, you can actually begin a safe, age appropriate training program as young as 8 or 9 years old.

For all of the 13 and 14 year olds who email me or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook asking when they should start strength training… my answer is… today!

Tony Gonzalez is on a mission to spread his all-natural lifestyle

by Matthew Allinson 11-13-2010 06:17 PM Athlete Interviews | Life After Sports | Nutrition | Education | Sports Business

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Tony Gonzalez never read when he was a kid. It wasn’t until he was going into his third year in the NFL that the All-Pro tight end for the Atlanta Falcons really started cracking open books, and he says it’s the best thing that ever happened to him.

“You have so much free time on your hands and you got to make use of it,” said Gonzalez, who admitted to squandering his spare time during his first two years in the League. “You can look at it and go stale in the brain, which a lot of guys do, or you can do like a couple of the guys do, and make the most of your time here. You never know how long it’s going to last.”

Lamar Odom to battle the IRS all by his lonesome

by Noah Matheu Sheer 11-13-2010 06:16 PM Finance | Sports Business

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As if it wasn't bad enough that Lamar Odom gets exorbitant fines for committing a flagrant foul and then fined again for voicing his opinion to the referee. He'll now fight an uphill battle challenging the IRS for back-taxes over...semantics?

Lessons for Athletes: Derek Jeter, Brett Favre, and Charlie Villanueva

by Zak Romanoff 11-10-2010 01:54 AM Lessons for Athletes

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(1) Derek Jeter — Hal Steinbrenner on upcoming negotiations with Derek Jeter

"You just never know with these things... Both parties need to be happy with the deal—that's absolutely going to happen—and that may make things more complicated, I don't know. There's always the possibility that things could get messy. I've got to try to do my job on behalf of the partnership and our partners and everybody else involved with the organization, and Hank and I need to keep a level head and realize... that we're running a business here."

Source: [New York Yankees: Starting Early Pre-Free Agency Drama]