Oh! The lessons we can learn from sports! In 5 Minutes or Less

Key Words: #Sports #Athletics #Entertainment #Athlete #Coach

October 24, 2021

By: Dr. Lisa M. Coffey

In North America, the amateur and professional sports market is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and the future projections exceed a net value of 388.3 billion in 2020 (Global Sports Marketing Report). People's lives intertwine with sports daily (Douvis, 2008; Giuliano, Turner, Lundquist, & Knight, 2007). Fans cite sports as a way to relieve stress, stimulate their minds, and sports add a sense of pleasure and satisfaction to their lives (Douvis, 2008).

The American culture relies on sports entertainment as a medium to evoke pleasure through television and radio. Today, many sports networks, professional and amateur, exist, such as the NFL Network, the NBA network, the Tennis Network, and the Big Ten Network, among others. Video games, fantasy leagues, athletic apparel, sports marketing, and athletic apparel all contribute to the sports saturation in our economy. However, the impact of sports is not always positive. There are negative implications associated with sports, including gambling, theft, vandalism, prostitution, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, fighting, and assaults (Douvis, 2008). Nevertheless, the positive impact of sports outweighs the negative consequences.

Have you ever stopped to think about how your life intertwines with athletics and sports? If you are a parent, do/did your kid(s) play sports? How many team jerseys, t-shirts, or hoodies(professional or your kids) hang in your closet? Do you follow any athletic media streams on social media? Do you watch or attend athletic events? If so, how often? Do you coach or aspire to be a coach? What about sports video gaming or betting? Do you indulge? I can quickly answer these questions and many others to conclude that sports impacts my life daily!

I am a former athlete. Softball, basketball, roller derby, track, and cheerleading were my sports of choice, and I excelled at each sport. I have been a cheer coach for the past 30 years. On top of my athletic endeavors, I raised three sons and was a team mom, organization board member, insane and screaming parent for years. So it is safe to say that I've had a love affair with athletics since I can remember, and I have learned a lot along the way. Join me for a twelve-week series of blog posts that will include lessons learned from sports. Are you ready for this series? Topics will include:

• Please don't get mad at me. Parents, it is NOT your turn. Your time has passed.

• What can we learn from Ray Lewis?

• Transferrable Skills 101

• Sportsmanship and Etiquette

• Plan B, because everyone can't be a PRO.

• Move on, let it go, the pain of sports retirement!

• Like it or not, if you coach, you ARE a role model.

• Moral Disengagement & Decision Making; Please don't fall into the trap!

• The athlete's perception of entitlement

• The coaching leader

• Why are you coaching from the sidelines?

• Fortune, Fame, and the Fall

My graduate studies had a concentration on athletic studies. I am excited to share parts of my research through these blogs and new material as well. Be sure to subscribe so you will know when the content posts.

References

Douvis, I. (2008, November 2). Perceived impact of sports. Sports Management International Journal, 4(2), 21-35.

Giuliano, T. A., Turner, K. L., Lundquist, J. C., & Knight, J. L. (2007). Gender and selection of public athletic role models. Journal of Sport Behavior, 30(2), 161-199.

Global Sports Market Report (2021 to 2030) - COVID-19 Impact and Recovery. (2021, March 18). Retrieved from Global News Wire: https://www.globenewswire.com/fr/news-release/2021/03/18/2195540/28124/en/Global-Sports-Market-Report-2021-to-2030-COVID-19-Impact-and-Recovery.html