The Power of Sports for Racial Equity Recent headlines in sports news are about far more than wins and losses. As the nation reeled under police violence this summer, athletes took a stance. Their social media pages called for justice and racial reconciliation. Their stadiums became voting centers, and their fans listened and voted. A quick look at sports news …
Spring Sports or Not, the Common Good Should Be Our Priority
Many athletic conferences put on a good face this fall when they took a bullet to their budgets and canceled fall competitions. The NCAA resentfully followed suit, first canceling Division III, and then finally calling off money-making sports when grim COVID-19 data presented no other alternatives. Now, however, despite COVID cases surging nationwide, colleges, the public, and the athletes themselves …
Setting Goals
“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” -Yogi Berra, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Sarah bent over with her hands on her knees, gasping. “STAND UP or it doesn’t count,” yelled Coach Lang. Three punishment sprints down, two to go. She overslept and was late to practice. But that was only because …
Tips from Mother-Son Duo Sandra and Jalen Brunson
How to succeed in the college decision and transition process Jalen Brunson and his mom Sandra know a thing or two about success. Jalen was National Player of the Year at Villanova, where he won two NCAA championships, earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in three years, and was named Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Jalen now plays for …
5 TIPS FOR SUCCESS FROM DIRK NOWITZKI
Lessons to help you be legendary, like Dirk Dirk Nowitzki is a true icon. As an athlete, he was a 14-time NBA All Star and was named NBA MVP in 2006-07; Dirk led the Dallas Mavericks to 15 playoff appearances, including the NBA Finals championship in 2011, where he also won Finals MVP. ESPN ranks him the #19 greatest basketball …
Expectations vs. Reality
Julian looked down at his shoes and struggled to compose his face. This was unbelievable. Twenty days on campus and he was already injured. He arrived feeling strong and prepared to compete at the collegiate level. He attacked every strength and conditioning session, eager to solidify his place as a leader among the other freshmen. But then his shin splints …
The Silver Lining of COVID-19 Cancellations
Student-athletes were already confused about their identity. Then coronavirus cancellations hit. The Big 10. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Ivy League. In the weeks leading up to the fall semester, college athletic conferences announced canceled seasons like gongs of a death toll. The Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Northeast-10 Conference. The New England Small College Athletic Conference. Division I, II, and …
Cultivating a Resilient Mindset
Joel walked into his dorm room and threw his backpack on the bed. It had been a frustrating day. It started with a 5:15 AM alarm. After forcing down a piece of toast and shuffling to the gym, Joel completed his first conditioning workout of the day. It was late July, and preseason workouts have been really difficult. In high …
Student-athlete activists deserve our empathy
Something strange played out in American college athletics this summer. While our nation rallied in the wake of police brutality, organizing and demonstrating with a renewed focus on eradicating systemic racism, student-athletes took to the front lines. Players with massive social media followings provided real-time feedback to virtual stadiums of fans and observers, attentive to their every word. And when …
Your sport is NOT your identity
Gymnastics was my life. For as long as I can remember, it was my passion, my joy, my motivation, my purpose. It was the thing that made me special. It was empirical evidence that not only was I enough – I was the best. Like most highly competitive athletes in all season sports, it was my only sport. I spent …
