The Growing Pains Of A Student-Athlete
By Cheval John
University of Georgia’s tailback Todd Gurley was suspended indefinitely by UGA’s athletic department.
Gurley is currently being investigated by the NCAA for an undisclosed rules violation.
One could suspect that it was for accepting improper benefits, which is an NCAA violation.
“I’m obviously very disappointed,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said in a statement. “The important thing for our team is to turn all our attention toward preparation for Missouri.”
If it’s true, then Gurley made a huge mistake on his part.
However, we have to look at the bigger picture at what is going on in college athletics.
The NCAA is making billions of dollars a year, mostly from football and basketball.
Though college athletes receives a stipend in the form of scholarships, they do not receive a share of the revenue.
We have heard from many prominent figures that mentioned that the NCAA is taking advantage of the student-athletes.
They might go even further as saying that the NCAA is run like a business despite being a non-profit organization.
If that was the case, then the non-revenue sports would not be there and it will devoid those, particular women athletes, the opportunity to gain an education.
On the other hand, the NCAA has so many byzantine rules that it is difficult for athletic administrators to really see if they are following the rules.
I could go even further to say that most of the rules are so petty and ridiculous that it seems that they want the student-athletes to remain poor while they are in school.
Though I am not condoning the alleged improper benefits violation of Gurley, a person can understand why he did it.
If the NCAA can ease up on some of their rules like allowing a family friend to pay for meals they can’t afford, then I think that we would not see so many violations of improper benefits.
That is something that they can think about.
Lessons Every PR Professional Should Learn From Josh Shaw
By Cheval John
On Monday, the University of Southern California (USC) released to the public about how Josh Shaw broke his ankle trying to save his 7 year old nephew.
Everyone was hailing Mr. Shaw as a hero because of his bravery and the feel good narrative of a player risking his life to save another.
Immediately, there were contradicting reports about how Mr. Shaw broke his ankle.
Many were hoping that those reports were false and that Mr. Shaw was telling the truth.
Unfortunately, everyone hopes were dashed away as Mr. Shaw said to the athletic department at USC that he lied about the whole thing.
Now, Mr. Shaw is suspended indefinitely from the team and it’s likely that he will not be able to play football again.
What’s worse is that Mr. Shaw has sullied the reputation of the football program and the school.
Here are three lessons public relations professionals can take away from this debacle:
1. You Must Do Your Research
The spokesperson/s for USC did not do their due diligence in investigating Mr. Shaw’s story of how he broke his ankle.
Instead, they took his word for it and released Mr. Shaw’s accounts to the public.
If you are going to release a story that will bring attention to your client/s, you better be sure that it is accurate.
2. Always Follow Your Instincts
USC’s first-year head football coach Steve Sarkisian said to reporters, “They was no reason to doubt his story because he was a model citizen.” Quote Paraphrased.
It is probably safe to assume that they got the information about Mr. Shaw from the coach himself.
If your instinct is telling you that something is fishy, you should always listen to it because 9 times out of 10, your instinct is always correct.
3. You Must Go Into Journalism Mode
The spokesperson/s of USC did not put on their journalism hat and interviewed others who were there at the scene to find out if Mr. Shaw’s story of saving his nephew was true.
Because of that massive failure, they are now in damage control to try to repair the image of their school.
In this day and age, the lines are blurred between public relations and journalism.
If a person works in public relations, they must switch to journalism mode when the situation calls for it because if someone comes to them with a feel good story and they do not go into journalism mode, the reputation of their clients and even their own will be ruined for a long time.
#SHSU Sets The Bar To A Championship Level
By Cheval John
When Bobby Williams took over as the athletic director 17 years ago at Sam Houston State, his vision was to make the department a first class organization that wins championships and excel in the classroom.
Those goals came to fruition and then some.
SHSU has won a combined 23 Southland Conference (SLC) titles, 17 NCAA playoff appearances that includes the school’s first ever national title at the Division I level (SHSU Bowling 2014) and two consecutive Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Finalist (Football 2011, 2012) and four Southland Commissioner’s Cups (2005, 2006, 2007, 2013).
In addition, the combined GPA for entire athletic department for the 2013-14 school is 3.04.
The department have extended a new tradition for the “student-athletes” called, “The Night of Champions,” an event that is as close to the ESPY’s that highlights the teams that have either won a SLC title or in the case of the bowling team, a national championship; spotlight Bearkats who have made it the national spotlight; and the achievements in the classroom.
Even SLC commissioner Tom Burnett was there to present former Bearkat running back and future NFL draftee Timothy Flanders with the award of becoming the first Southland player to rush for over 5,000 career yards in the FCS and setting the career rushing mark in the conference.
Of course, they deserve the recognition because they have brought the city of Huntsville a first-class athletic events that is as close to a major professional sport franchise.
What I mean is that cities (with the exclusion of Green Bay) that want to be the home of a professional sports organization, must have a strong tax base in order to build a stadium; Have a significant amount of people (300,000 and over) in order to support the giant salaries and have a strong media presence.
That poses a strong problem for small cities/towns like Huntsville because they don’t have those elements.
That’s where college sports comes into play because all of the amenities like maintenence of facilities, etc. are the responsibilities of the athletic departments of universities that sponsors collegiate athletics.
With universities being tax exempt, it makes it easier for these smaller cities to focus on other matters.
In the case of Huntsville, Texas, they have gotten more recognition over the last three years because of the SHSU’s football team making consecutive runs at the FCS playoffs (2011, 2012, 2013) and the bowling team national title win against University of Nebraska.’
Members of the SHSU Bowling Team with former Bearkat running back Timothy Flanders.
Those runs gave SHSU and the city of Huntsville, national exposure when they were featured on the ESPN family of networks that brought great name recognition like the major schools that always get the national spotlight during the regular season.
Mr. Williams can say that his vision came to fruition.
They are all champions because of the way they carried themselves in the midst of the pressures of being a full-time student and a full-time athlete.
A Little Preparation Goes A Long Way
By Cheval John
Sam Houston State’s first NCAA Division I National Championship in the Athletic Department’s office
If someone sees the success of a person, organization and/or sports teams, one of the first things that come out of their mouths is that they were lucky.
What they don’t see is the years of blood, sweat and tears that the person, organization, and/or sport team went through in order to put themselves in position to succeed.
Here are two examples of how a little preparation went a long way for these guys and how you can apply the same mindset to your life:
Sam Houston State Bowling Team
The Sam Houston State (SHSU) Bowling Team won the NCAA Division I National Championship in the Cleveland suburb of Wickliffe, Ohio about two weeks ago after defeating defending champion, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 4-2 in the best of seven baker format.
The championship was the first ever for SHSU since moving up to the Division I level in 1986.
What is more impressive is that the bowling program is in it’s fourth year of existence and the team have made two previous appearances in the NCAA Championships prior to winning it all this year.
The team contributed their success to a second half surge in the 2013-14 season that allowed them to make their third trip to the championships.
However, I honestly believe that it was what head coach Brad Hagen did before the season even began: Held a pre-season exhibition with Texas Southern and Prarie View A&M at the Huntsville Lanes Center in Huntsville, Texas.
Even though, his team didn’t do well in the exhibition, it allowed them to see their weaknesses and correct the mistakes before the season began.
That little preparation by coach Hagen is what made the difference in helping the team secure the school’s first NCAA Division I National Title.
“Jane Doe”
Diane Gottsman, owner of the Protocol School of Texas, right.
Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas, shared a story at the Etiquette Dinner recently held at SHSU about a young college student, who she didn’t identify, so that is why I call her Jane Doe.
Mrs. Gottsman said that Jane Doe came up to her after one of her dinners and wowed her after Ms. Doe explained to her in detail about her background, what she said in her blog, www.dianegottsman.com her appearances on television, you name it.
Mrs. Gottsman added that even though “Ms. Doe” will be graduating from college two years from now, she is willing to wait for her because of the “extra preparation” that she did before the dinner.
In effect, Ms. Doe don’t have to worry about finding a career after graduating because she has already secured her first with a nationally recognized etiquette expert in Mrs. Gottsman.
Conclusion:
So you see the two examples of how a little preparation has led to the success of the SHSU Bowling Team and “Jane Doe.”
You really don’t have an excuse anymore on why you can’t succeed in life.
If you go out, work hard and smart, and even put out the “extra preparation,” then you will achieve the success that you dream of.
Introduction To Podcasting
By Cheval John
As promised in my last post, “The Process of Writing A Book,” I will be sharing each chapter of the book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
This will be my way of letting the readers of this site get to see my writing process in creating a book and also I want to be as real and transparent as possible.
I want the readers to be a part of the book writing process and share their feedback with me on whether this book will be beneficial for those who are looking to create their own podcast.
So without further ado, here is the “Introduction” to the book.
Podcasting has made a resurgence in the last 10 years.
It was a once forgotten medium because the technology was only available on computers.
After Apple created the iPod in 2005, many flocked back to podcasting because they believed that they could reach a wider audience.
They are signs that podcasting will continue to grow in the near future.
The reason is because Apple has led the way in innovation again with their new product, the Apple Carplay.
Carplay allows anyone to connect their iPhone to their cars.
It was released this year on selected car models like Ferrari, Honda, and Hyundia and will be available on all newer models with the rest of the big name brands in 2015.
One might think this is all great, but what all this have to do with podcasting?
The answer is everything because the iPhone has given people the capability to download their favorite podcasts and listen to it anywhere.
That means that if you are small business owner, freelance writer, a college student who are trying to showcase their expertise in order to land their dream job, etc, starting a podcast will allow you to reach your target audience and establish your credibility.
And it gets even better with Carplay because podcasters are able to reach people who have to commute to work on a weekly basis.
So you might still wonder why I should journey into podcasting when the medium is the 11th social media platform used by 6% of marketers according to the 2014 industry report by Social Media Examiner?
The reason is because that same report has indicated that 21% of marketers are going to create their own podcasts this year and 24% are thinking of the possibility of having a podcast.
So if you are convinced and are ready to have your very own podcast, I salute you.
As you are thinking about what platform will best fit your podcasting needs, the third chapter, “Start A Podcast” in my first book, “8 Things You Need To Do Before Quitting Your Job” explains what platform will work for the newbie podcaster.
When you come to the decision on which platform you feel comfortable with in creating your podcast,
more questions will enter your mind like how do I secure my first guest?
Should I reach out to that A-Lister or should I start local with the people I know?
This book, “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn” will be the step-by-step guide to grow your podcast the right way.
It is based on the lessons I learned the hard way while hosting my very own online radio show/podcast, “What’s The Word?” on BlogTalkRadio.
My hope is that you will avoid the same mistakes as a podcaster and that you will grow your personal brand and establish yourself as a thought leader whether you are a business owner, freelance writer, college student or even an employee.
Let the lessons begin.
Video courtesy of Cliff Ravenscraft
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