October 22, 2023
| Welcome to week four hundred and twenty-five of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. This week’s 10 stories include: 1. Nate Ebner talks NFL and rugby careers, blood-flow restriction technology, MLR ownership (SportsBusiness Journal) 2. For these sports and outdoor brands, making a difference is part of their game plan (Fast Company) 3. Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng’s journey to the postseason (ESPN) 4. Athletes.org: Jim Cavale & Brandon Copeland’s Venture to Empower Student-athletes (Boardroom) 5. Taylor Swift helped boost NFL ratings, but her power extends far beyond the league (Yahoo) 6. Investing in Utah’s young athletes could encourage a future of economic growth (Favorito/Utah Business) 7. Ladies of the Kraken’ group helps broaden team’s appeal beyond traditional audience (Favorito/Seattle Times) 8. Solomon Thomas Q&A: The Jets’ Defensive End on ‘Fighting for Life’ (SI) 9. Dad and daughter raise €26,000 for good cause with largest GPS drawing by bicycle (Guinness World Records) 10. Caitlin Clark’s Amazing Iowa Journey Continues (SI) 10+ American kids are facing an epidemic of loneliness. Overhauling youth sports could help fix that. (Business Insider)https://www.businessinsider.com/loneliness-decline-in-kids-sports-new-model-cheaper-easier-2023-8 Game-changing alliance: sportanddev and ISCA join forces (Sport and Dev) https://www.sportanddev.org/latest/news/game-changing-alliance-sportanddev-and-isca-join-forces The sports movement spreading positivity in war-torn Yemen (Positive News) https://www.positive.news/society/yemen-best-team-sports-club/ Head in the Game (Beyond Sport) https://beyondsport.org/articles/head-in-the-game/ World, Olympic and Asian Champion Neeraj Chopra Appointed Laureus Ambassador (Laureus) https://www.laureus.com/news/world-olympic-and-asian-champion-neeraj-chopra-appointed-laureus-ambassador We present our “Featured Video” offering(s). With the explosion of video content out there highlighting the good in sport, we want to showcase such content for your enjoyment and learning. This will be an ongoing effort. And now we add podcasts! Runner Sets Marathon World Record With Time Your Mind Won’t Be Able To Comprehend (brobible)https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/runner-sets-marathon-world-record-with-time-your-mind-won-t-be-able-to-comprehend/ar-AA1hTrJG 336: John Lashway on the Growth of Basketball in Canada (CUSP)https://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecuspshow/2023/09/28/336-john-lashway-on-the-growth-of-basketball-in-canada Gotham FC President Mary Wittenberg has global plans for her NWSL team (Favorito/WBGO)https://www.wbgo.org/podcast/sportsjam/2023-09-29/nj-ny-gotham-fc-president-mary-wittenberg-has-global-plans-for-her-nwsl-team |
| www.loveequals.net Introduction: The “American Dream,” the “Land of Opportunity.” We have all heard these phrases. And to varying degrees, all of us have lived it. I have featured numerous stories over the years in Sports Doing Good that speak to individuals who have come from very difficult circumstances to find safety and that dream/opportunity in the United States. Their determination and courage, along with important strategic assistance along their path, helped them on the road to fulfilling their potential. Inherent with opportunity is accessibility. For what is opportunity when individuals are inadvertently or purposefully excluded from the resources, people, places, and things that are essential in taking advantage of those opportunities? We have identified an area where accessibility is constricting, to the point that many of those who could benefit the most, do not have any truly realized accessibility, and that is youth sports. The lack of accessibility in sports is certainly NOT “sports doing good.” However, I included two stories this week – “American kids are facing an epidemic of loneliness. Overhauling youth sports could help fix that,” and “Investing in Utah’s young athletes could encourage a future of economic growth” – that speak to the importance of sports for young people’s intellectual, social and physical development, as well as the economic upside of creating a better system in and around sports. The goal of youth sports should not be to produce only 1 elite player. It should be to produce 100 great players. And 5,000 good players. And 25,000 kids who just like playing the sport. Democratization, not consolidation, of resources and efforts is what is needed. I hope to see all who can affect change to do that in ways that others recognize and are then inspired to do their part as well. For sure, some work is being done to better understand and address this predicament we are in, led by folks like the Aspen Institute and its Project Play initiative, along with non-profits like Up2Us Sports (increasing access to qualified coaches), Good Sports (increasing access to good equipment) and love.futbol (increasing access to places to play.) But I would like to make a call to the professional leagues to do more, and here is why. Companies across some of our biggest industries spend a fair percentage of their revenues on research and development. Pharmaceutical companies are known to spend anywhere from 15% to 25% of their multibillion-dollar revenue on R&D. Apple Computer and other top technology and software companies? Upwards of 20% of total revenue. Of course, every industry is different but even taking a conservative estimate of 5%, the NFL, which brought in about $18 billion in revenue in 2022, should spend $900 million on R&D. I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong, but I don’t think the NFL spends anywhere near $900 million annually on its “research and development.” NFL Play 60 is the League’s national youth health and wellness campaign to encourage kids to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. According to the League, since 2007, the NFL has committed $352 million to the program, which is amazing. However, an average of $23 million per year is not $900 million per year, even taking into account the extra money spent by each NFL team on its community efforts. What about the NBA? About $10 billion in revenue, so we are talking about $500 million in R&D. These are admittedly “back of the envelope” estimates and the nature of businesses like software, pharma, and pro team sports differ greatly, but it is safe to say that leagues can do more to help fix what ails youth sports in this country. It is worth asking and challenging the powers that be to think more strategically about the value chain that leads to the existence of their leagues. The development we see in pro sports is in essence captured by youth, high school and college sports programs. They are covering those costs, not the pro leagues. While we do see some sharing in professional baseball with team funding of minor league operations, and in MLS with the creation of academies for young players, major direct funding of youth sports programs does not seem to be widespread. Again, I want to be wrong and invite those in that world to prove me wrong. I understand that government involvement in problem areas is not everyone’s first thought on how to address large-scale problems. But it should not be dismissed outright, either. Many of the greatest advances we have seen in the aforementioned technology and pharmaceutical sector were spurred by government funding and assistance. Does the U.S. need a Department of Sports somewhere in the government? Maybe. Several countries around the world do have such a role (usually a Minister of Sport). If not that, I would like to see a coming together of the major professional leagues to develop a comprehensive strategy to make sports more accessible in every way. As the article above about loneliness and sport discussed, we are at a critical time when it comes to mental health, and sports can be a major tool in our fight to have healthy kids and a healthy society. Please continue to send along your stories. You’re both our audience and best source of stories. Our Twitter handle is @sportsdoinggood, and you can find us at www.facebook.com/sportsdoinggood and on Instagram. Finally, if you think others would like to receive the newsletter, please feel free to forward it on or have them contact us directly at sab@sportsdoinggood.com. (If you do not want to receive the newsletter anymore you can use the Unsubscribe button at the end of the email) So enjoy. And have a good week. |
Top Stories of the Week Nate Ebner talks NFL and rugby careers, blood-flow restriction technology, MLR ownership (SportsBusiness Journal)For full story, please click here. For these sports and outdoor brands, making a difference is part of their game plan (Fast Company)For full story, please click here. Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng’s journey to the postseason (ESPN)For full story, please click here. Athletes.org: Jim Cavale & Brandon Copeland’s Venture to Empower Student-athletes (Boardroom)For full story, please click here. Taylor Swift helped boost NFL ratings, but her power extends far beyond the league (Yahoo)For full story, please click here. Investing in Utah’s young athletes could encourage a future of economic growth (Favorito/Utah Business)For full story, please click here. Ladies of the Kraken’ group helps broaden team’s appeal beyond traditional audience (Favorito/Seattle Times)For full story, please click here. Solomon Thomas Q&A: The Jets’ Defensive End on ‘Fighting for Life’ (SI)For full story, please click here. Dad and daughter raise €26,000 for good cause with largest GPS drawing by bicycle (Guinness World Records)For full story, please click here. Caitlin Clark’s Amazing Iowa Journey Continues (SI)For full story, please click here.? |
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| Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sarbjit “Sab” Singh sab@sportsdoinggood.com 516-287-7141 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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