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Timetables - When to Start

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:41:39 MST

How Early Should an Athlete Begin a Sport? This question is something relatively new in the history of sports. It used to be that kids played games and participated in sports as soon as they learned them from each other. Sports were activities one did with friends. There were no long-term goals. Most kids didn't grow up dreaming of sports careers. But nowadays, some parents begin planning their children's sports careers at birth. For example, tennis player Andre Agassi, gymnast Dominique Moceanu, and golfer Tiger Woods all have fathers who began training their children in infancy.

Planning for the Future

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:35:11 MST

It is possible to make sports a career and this newsletter is going to give you ideas on how to do it. But too many athletes focus too much on their competitive lives and not enough on lifetime careers. No one stays in top competitive condition forever. Therefore, it takes planning to map out a way to make a living for 30, 40, or 50 years. Donnie Shell, a former defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and now a career counselor, said, "I tell athletes a sports career is a stepping stone to do something else. It's like a part-time job."

Can't Personal Goals Take Away from Your Competitive Focus

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:27:50 MST

Because successful athletes talk so much about hard work and discipline, it's easy to assume that they don't do much with their lives except sports. And it's true that top athletes do take training seriously. But balance is important, too. Research done by Richard Ferguson, a sport psychologist at Averett College in Danville, Virginia, indicates that athletes who are compulsive about their training do not perform as well as those have the proper perspective. "It seems the elite understand how to draw the line between hard training and overwork."

Personal Goals - What Do You Want Out of Life

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:21:57 MST

If you can answer this, planning your life will be much easier. But even if you can't, you probably have some idea about what you want. Maybe what you care about most is love. Or maybe it's respect. Or security. Or freedom. Or excitement. Or a sense of control over your life. It's more important to think about the total quality of your life than just about specific career or competitive goals because when you do, you'll focus on what's really important to you.

The Price of Success

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:12:19 MST

Even though most athletes want success, many are unprepared for it: Golfer John Daly has had a particularly rocky career since unexpectedly winning the PGA Championships in 1991. "I won the PGA when I was 25. To make some decisions I had to make so fast, I don't think I was quite prepared for that, but I think I did the best I could. The hardest thing was getting used to making decisions on where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do."

Training Environments

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:49:17 MST

Next to finding the right coach, finding the right place to train is one of the most important considerations for an athlete. Without the right facilities and/or the right atmosphere, an athlete's career can come to a standstill or at least not progress as fast as it should. Part of the problem is mental: if athletes don't feel comfortable where they live and train, they're not going to perform at their best.There are a number of factors to consider when picking a training location.

Sports as Entertainment

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:27:36 MST

Most successful sports promoters have learned one very important lesson: sports equals entertainment. Sports events, concerts, CDs, ski trips, cable television, and movies all compete for the same entertainment dollars. You've got to give your fans a good time to capture their money. "Selling sports solely on the win-loss column is very risky. More teams are destined to lose than win. My philosophy has been to sell a night of entertainment.

Sports Promotion

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:25:03 MST

One of the easiest ways to break into the sports business is to become a promoter. The concept is fairly simple: 1. Come up with an idea that you think fans will pay to watch. 2. Find athletes willing to participate in the event. 3. Find a place to stage the event. 4. Publicize the event. 5. Sell tickets and put the event on.
6. If you make money, do it again next year or in a different place or with different athletes.

What Is Sponsorship

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:22:09 MST

Sponsorship is money given to an athlete to underwrite training and living expenses. Being sponsored is the way many full-time athletes survive in sports that don't pay salaries or offer serious prize money. The term sponsorship is a broad one which covers a range of financial arrangements: 1. Private sponsors.
Sometimes when athletes say they have sponsors, they mean wealthy fans who provide some or all of their financial support. There is usually no business arrangement between them. Most sponsors become involved because they want to help out promising athletes, not because they expect a tangible return.

Commitment and Handling Pressure in Sports

no@spam.com (Suzanne Lainson) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:17:58 MST

A sports career will require that you give it time and resources. To be successful, you will have to make choices and compromises. You may miss social activities with family and friends; you might have to postpone certain educational and career plans; you may have leave home to train and compete. The results of a survey of athletes representing the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics gives a good portrait of life at the top level of sports: