The Real Athlete blog

Coaching Wisdom

by Alan Stein 10-11-2010 07:57 PM Athlete Career Development | Coaching | Sports Psychology

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This past weekend I had an opportunity to meet (and listen to) two brilliant basketball minds: Jeff Van Gundy and Brad Stevens. I was overwhelmingly impressed, as they both offered invaluable insight into what it takes to be successful on and off the court. Here are the highlights:

Randy Moss Proves You Can Go Home Again

by Wesley Mallette 10-11-2010 05:39 PM Public Relations | Athlete Relocation | Image Branding

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Contrary to what many fans believe, professional sports is not just about “the game.” It is a multi-billion dollar business where athletes are high-priced commodities who can be traded and released all in the name of what’s best for the bottom-line. And for many of today’s celebrated athletes, salary demands, winning, losing and their performance both on and off the field are key factors in their ability to remain part of the teams that have selected them to be part of their organizations.

There are no guarantees and getting released or traded is all part of the business. But what happens when you’re traded back to the team where it all started? A team where you achieved some level of success or lack thereof? Can you really go home again?

LeBron James – “Bringing his talent to South Beach” and other job search issues

by Eileen Wisnewski 10-11-2010 05:17 PM Athlete Career Development

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With fall sports upon us – Hooray! – I have decided to throw my commentary hat into the LeBron James discussion ring. Drama aside, I see an opportunity here to touch upon a few important points for college athletes embarking upon their senior year and their first official job search.

I highly doubt that many of us will be able to schedule a 60 minute television event to announce what job offer we will be accepting, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend this approach to notify employers of your decisions. My thought on the LeBron situation is that he demonstrated a professional immaturity and lack of respect to the teams (aka “employers”) that had expressed interest in hiring him.

First-time job seekers have been known to struggle while navigating the employment waters. With that in mind, here are three common errors that graduating seniors have made and some recommendations to avoid those mistakes.

Safeguarding Money Management

by Marc Silverman 10-04-2010 11:47 PM Finance

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Sports business is big business. Owners are prospering and athletes’ salaries are at an all-time high. With such escalation in salaries over the past five years, effective money management for professional athletes is even more crucial. In order to prosper long after the cheering ends, an athlete must avoid both poor and improper money management. There is a very large difference between the two. Due to their differences, there are diverse ways to combat them.

How To Keep That Burning Desire Alive

by Gregg Swanson 10-04-2010 11:26 PM Training | Sports Psychology

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Autumn is underway and winter is on the horizon. And with this change of season brings cooler and colder temperatures, inclement weather, and darkness. If you’re like most people, you probably work out in the early morning or late afternoon. This is tough enough now, and then when you throw old, dark, and damp weather on top of it, these conditions can challenge even the most highly motivated athlete.

Motivation—you understand what that implies, correct? Athletes frequently use phrases such as “drive,” “desire,” or even “going after something with intensity” to explain or even define motivation, as well as motivated behavior. Basically, we frequently believe that motivation happens completely from within the person (intrinsic). It is essential to understand that motivation is really a function of both the person (an individual) and the circumstance(s) (extrinsic). Which means that to improve your motivation, you'll want to address both the "you" part of the process (i.e., what motivates you?; why do you exercise/compete/train?; and what else could you perform differently?) and examine the situational elements as well (i.e. your coach, training partner or even the facility where you train).

Interview with a Sports Professional: Richard "Big Daddy" Salgado

by Kelly Davies 09-28-2010 08:54 PM Interview with a Sports Professional | Insurance

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“All I want to do is make pizza.”

Rich "Big Daddy" Salgado at Superdome from season opener for Saints and Vikings.

Not the phrase you’d expect to hear out of the mouth of a respected life insurance provider to some of America’s best athletes.

“You know I joke around and say that I’m the owner of a pizza shop and all I want to do is make pizza. I don’t want to be a player as a financial advisor. I don’t want to be their accountant. I don’t want to be their concierge. I don’t want to do those things. I want to do my job and I ask everyone else to do theirs and I’ll do mine.”

Richard “Big Daddy” Salgado is onto something. He is where he is because he’s been in and around the NFL for fifteen years. Currently, as the president of Coastal Advisors LLC, an insurance consulting firm for high net worth individuals, professionals, and athletes, “Big Daddy” is a well-known name on the sidelines and in the locker room.

Book Review: Marc Isenberg’s Money Players

by Zak Kurtz 09-26-2010 09:46 PM Trusted Athlete Educator | Book Reviews

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If you are an elite athlete or have any interest in professional sports and have been wondering what you can do to learn more about the ins-and-outs of the sports industry, you should pick up Marc Isenberg’s book Money Players: A Guide to Success in Sports, Business & Life for Current and Future Pro Athletes.

Money Players breaks down the experiences of a professional athlete in a logical and easy to understand manner. The book opens its readers' eyes to the real situations that athletes face in the sports business. The book is a must read for all serious athletes who have dreams of playing professionally at any level and should be handed out by Athletic Directors at universities across the nation.

Money Players is broken down into twenty-three quick chapters that explain the business of sports from many different perspectives. The chapters are further broken down into seven distinct parts designed to guide an athlete throughout their playing career and even in retirement. The seven parts to the book are: the fundamentals, journey to the promised land, the business of your life, money matters, body and mind matters, today’s big-dollar era of professional sports, and beyond the field.

Athletes in Trouble: PRepare for Crisis Before it Happens

by Wesley Mallette 09-26-2010 05:07 PM Public Relations | Crisis Management | Image Branding

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Once again, the sports headlines of the past week have been filled with high profile athletes finding themselves embroiled in controversy.

New York Jets' wide receiver, Braylon Edwards, was arrested earlier this week for driving while intoxicated. Following a semi-tumultuous exit from his former team, the Cleveland Browns, Edwards reportedly got into a physical altercation with a member of former Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James' entourage.

Little Things

by Alan Stein 09-26-2010 04:31 PM Training

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I have been ensconced in elite level basketball for the past 10 years. I know firsthand what it takes for a program to be successful. While talent is obviously a key factor, it is actually the little things that make an average team a good team, a good team a great team, and a great team a championship team. Don’t wait for the season to start until you “sweat the small stuff.”

If you are a coach, you need to ask yourself the following 10 questions. If you are a player, you need to share these questions with your coach!

Professional Athletes and the Media: What Randy Moss Did Right and Where He Can Improve

by Wesley Mallette 09-26-2010 12:17 PM Public Relations | Crisis Management

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Throughout the years, we have witnessed numerous high profile athletes, coaches and spokespersons inevitably stick their foot in “it” by making the decision to “tell it like it is,” “speak their mind,” or “get it off their chest,” in front of the media.

Given one of the cornerstones of our business is media training, we obviously do not advise our clients to just “let it rip” while the cameras are rolling. And as we mentioned in Melinda Travis’ post on the subject (Media Training Defined – What It Is and What It Isn’t), comprehensive media training is far more than learning just the do’s and don’ts of the interview process. It is understanding the role the athlete/coach/spokesperson plays in the process and their ability to influence how their brand is perceived. One of the important ways to influence that perception is to effectively manage the message.