The Problem with Sports: Us

Today's blog was written by Morgan Smith.  Morgan is a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Today founder and directors Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.  Morgan is a senior marekting major at the University of Notre Dame.

Muhammad Ali. The most notable boxer to ever enter a ring. He is a household name, renowned for his battles outside the ring as much as those fought inside it. So how do you know the most famous boxer in the world? Not the way you should.

photo courtesy of biography.com

Many remember Muhammad Ali as Cassius Clay (his given name), the Olympic gold medalist and heavyweight champion. His unique style of boxing jarred traditionalists. His speed allowed him to simply lean away from his opponent’s punches, rather than duck from them. He did not protect his face, opting instead to keep his hands at his hips. His brazen technique won him three heavyweight titles—the first man in history to do so—and finish 56-5 in his professional career, 37 of wins coming from knockouts.

You may recall his controversial persona. Ali earned a reputation for his cocky attitude, often writing poems detailing his own greatness or belittling his opponents. This, of course, pales in comparison to his shocking public announcement of his conversion to Islam in 1964, the day after winning his first heavyweight title. Cassius Clay joined the Nation of Islam, officially changing his name to Muhammad Ali and refusing to respond to any other name thereafter. Refusal became a pattern for Ali during the Vietnam War draft. Citing his religious beliefs, Ali refused to enter the draft. He was eventually tried and found guilty of draft evasion, after which he was stripped of his heavyweight title and banned from boxing for the next three and a half years. Luckily for Ali, the Supreme Court overturned his guilty ruling on June 28, 1971, acquitting him of draft evasion. Muhammad Ali went on to clinch two more heavyweight titles.

photo courtesy of NBC News

 We know of Ali’s physical struggles long after his boxing career ended. In 1984, “The Greatest,” as he was often called, received a devastating diagnosis: Parkinson’s Disease.  A progressive and degenerative disorder, Parkinson’s causes vital brain and nerve cells to malfunction and die, leaving the affected individual incapable of controlling his or her movements.

I’ll ask the question again: how do you know Ali? Probably not as a humanitarian, right? Yet, that is exactly what he is. Muhammad Ali stands as one of the most charitable athletes in history. He has provided 232 million (yes, you read that correctly) meals to starving persons throughout the world. He has spent months in countries like Indonesia, Mexico, and Morocco, hand-delivering food and medicine to children. In the United States, he has continued his mission of charity by visiting hundreds of soup kitchens and hospitals, participating in Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics. He even founded the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. Ali has received numerous awards and recognition for his philanthropic efforts, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Amnesty International’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

So, why don’t we know Muhammad Ali for his beautiful and charitable spirit? Why do we know him for his controversial involvement and athletic feats? I don’t have an answer for that question; and that is the problem.

Charles Barkley once said the now infamous line: “I am not a role model.” Well, that didn’t go over well. Our society looks to the men and women of sports as role models for ourselves and for our children. We want to be like Mike. We watch in absolute awe of LeBron’s 61-point game or Peyton’s seven touchdowns. But when they slip up, all hell breaks loose. Dwayne Wade’s “lovechild” scandal graced several tabloid covers. Richard Sherman’s infamous interview flooded SportsCenter for weeks. So, where’s the rest of it? Where are the news stories detailing Sherman’s work with underprivileged youth? They’re nowhere. We ask these athletes to be our role models, yet we never acknowledge them for it. We sweep the good stuff under the rug and run a highlighter over the indiscretions.

Muhammad Ali’s legacy leads us to a very stark realization: Maybe the athletes aren’t the problem. Maybe it’s us.

 

Boston Takes It Back

Today's blog post was written by Tim Brazelton.  Tim is a senior accounting and economics major at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching, a course taught by Play Like a Champion Today Founder and Director Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.

Monday was a great day for Boston.  The Red Sox may have lost, the Celtics were far from even reaching the NBA playoffs, but there was still reason to celebrate.  It was Patriots Day, the day of the Boston Marathon.  In this especially important 118^th running of the Boston, there was a wealth of inspiring stories to add to the celebration.

For starters: the race itself.  American Meb Keflezighi emerged as an unlikely winner, beating out a crowd of talented Kenyan runners and finishing the course in 2:08:37, a personal best for Meb.  Meb’s win was so surprising for multiple reasons.  Not only was he facing a very difficult field that included Dennis Kimetto, the course record holder, but he also won the race at age 39, making him at least 10 years older than most of the field’s elite runners.  He separated himself from Wilson Chebet and eventually finished with an 11-second lead.  It is rare for an American to win a major world marathon, let alone one who is nearly 40, so Meb’s victory alone made for a special day in Boston.  However, the remarkable results continued in the female race, as Rita Jeptoo finished in 2:18:57 to grab the women’s course record.  Both races featured amazing runs that helped to create an electric atmosphere for this running of the Boston Marathon.

The Marathon’s 118^th running also marked the end of the heartwarming story of Team Hoyt: the father son duo of Dick and Rick Hoyt.  Rick, who has cerebral palsy, is pushed by his father Dick in a wheelchair every single race, and they have been a staple of the Boston Marathon for years.  Team Hoyt has run over 1,000 races together, including more than 200 triathlons, 6 ironman triathlons, and 50 marathons.  The 2014 Boston Marathon marked their last marathon.  Team Hoyt’s story is possibly the most inspiring story in all of sports, and shows the human potential for endurance, perseverance, and compassion.

However, the biggest story of the 118^th Boston Marathon was the elephant in the room: Boston’s yearlong recovery from the bombings that occurred at last year’s marathon.  The bombings were perhaps the largest disaster to happen at any sporting event, and demoralized the entire city of Boston as the entire finish area became a crime scene.   Truly, the city of Boston was hit at its core that day, and faced the immense hardship of picking up the pieces and recovering from a blow to one of the greatest traditions in sports.  Despite this adversity, Boston clearly took its marathon back on Monday.  It took the painful memories of last year’s race and defiantly reclaimed their tradition, throwing away the hardship in a celebration of what makes the Boston Marathon great.

What can we learn from this year’s Boston Marathon?  Quite possibly the greatest lesson is the ability to soldier on after times of great hardship.  Monday’s marathon showed that is not the hardships that define us, but the way that we react to them and overcome them.  Whether it’s Meb’s amazing run in the face of overwhelming odds, Team Hoyt’s perseverance in the face of cerebral palsy, or Boston’s amazing ability to come back in the face of one of the greatest disasters in the history of sports, the Boston Marathon continues to show the world what strength really means.

Derek Jeter's Farewell Season

Today's blog post was written by James Hodgens, a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion founder and directors Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.  James is a senior marketing major at the University of Notre Dame, and despite his allegiance to the Yankees, the editor of this blog will allow this homage to Derek Jeter. 

For some sports fans March is about college basketball; for baseball enthusiasts such as myself, it’s all about getting prepared for Opening Day.  Every year as the weather gets warmer; it means baseball season is getting closer.  However, this season will be different from every other season I have watched.  This year will be my last opportunity to watch my favorite player – Derek Jeter. 

I was born the same year Jeter was drafted (1992), and was three years old when he made his Major League debut (in 1995).  My earliest sports memories were of the great Yankees teams of the late 1990’s, and Jeter is the last remaining Yankee from those great teams.  Needless to say, I have never known the Yankees without Jeter.  To me, he is more than just a great player on my favorite team; he is a role model in a time where sports, especially baseball, have experienced a digression in the character of athletes.

Derek Jeter
New York Yankees

Jeter has had, without a doubt, one of the most accomplished careers in baseball: he is a thirteen time All-Star, five time World Series champion, and a member of the 3000 hit club.  However, what make him special are the demonstrations of his character and the values that he preaches.  It was not just natural athleticism that enabled Jeter to achieve so much; he possesses an incredible drive.  He once said: “If you’re going to play at all, you’re out to win.  Baseball, board games, playing Jeopardy, I hate to lose.”  When he struggled during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, critics began to question whether or not he was too old to continue to excel.  He responded by rebounding during the 2011 season and having one of his best years in 2012.  Now, after missing almost the entire 2013 season, he is attempting to come back from injury for one last season.

Jeter has maintained his sterling reputation during baseball’s most corrupt years – the steroid era – and in what is considered to be the most difficult city to play in – New York.  Being the star player for the Yankees earns you a lot of support, but also a lot of negative attention from media and opposing fans.  Jeter takes it all in stride, using it all as further motivation.  In addition, his charity, the Turn 2 Foundation, has raised money to help children adopt healthy lifestyles away from drugs and alcohol.  For these reasons, Jeter is respected by teammates and opposing players from around the league.

Baseball will miss Derek Jeter when he retires.  Given his history of avoiding the spotlight, there is a good chance that he will live a quiet life after baseball.  Hopefully he is healthy enough to finish his career with one last great season.  For all that Jeter has done for the game of baseball, he deserves it.

Motivation Is Key

Today's blog post is by Brett Sessetti, a senior marketing major at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion directors Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.

On January 17, 2014, a high school basketball player named Spencer Wilson hit an incredible, game-winning shot to defeat his team’s archrival. The game that pitted Wilson'sVillains against Mount Airy ended in dramatic fashion, with a Mount Airy player at the free throw line with 2.2 seconds left. They were leading as well, 82-81, and so it seemed nearly impossible that the Villains could pull out the victory. With the free throw rolling off the rim, however, Spencer Wilson had the chance to get a shot off after a clutch rebound and assist by his teammate. He heaved a 50-foot shot that bounced off the backboard and into the net, ending the game at 84-82 and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
 

Check out the incredible final 2.2 seconds here:

 

Before the game, Coach Thompson of the Villains told every player to pick someone to whom they would dedicate their performance. The hero in the game, Spencer Wilson, chose someone very important to him, Josh Rominger. Wilson and Rominger were two great friends that both had been diagnosed with cancer. Wilson beat his cancer but, unfortunately, Rominger did not. He passed away nine months prior to the game, but Wilson kept his spirit alive with an unbelievable shot.

Coach Thompson decided to give his team this sense of motivation because the Villains were going up against their archrivals. He hit home with some of the players, one of whom chose his parents as his dedication. Spencer Wilson also chose someone with whom he had a special connection. After the game, Spencer signed Josh Rominger’s name on the game ball to commemorate the special moment.

This story stands out as a great example of a coach connecting with his players and giving them the opportunity to fight for something. By relating sports to athletes’ lives off the court, this particular coach found a great way to motivate his players. Thanks to a great coach, a dedicated friend, and an incredible moment in sports, we all can enjoy this story of a tribute to a lost friend.

A Visit to the NCAA

Today's blog as written by Sam Gans, a senior Political Science major at the University of Notre Dame.  Sam is a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Today director Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan.  This month, Sam participated in a spring break seminar sponsored by the University of Notre Dame Career Center called Sports Industry Career Trek, on which he visited NCAA headquarters, among other tropical locales. 

I spent a day of my spring break this year taking a tour of the NCAA in Indianapolis (basically the exact same thing as being on a tropical beach) as part of a career trek through the Notre Dame Career Center.

When you first walk into the NCAA’s facility, there is a quote on the wall from the late Myles Brand, former president of the organization that describes the NCAA’s goal as one of service first and foremost to the student-athlete. It doesn’t mention money, publicity or even anything resembling a strong athletic product. The quote is about service, an indicator that the goal of the organization should be to make sure the student-athletes gain skills for life in education and within the community.

Often, we forget what’s really important when talking about sports. I watch March Madness on television and see the huge buzz the college football bowls generate and don’t remember that the athletes I see plastered on the television are normal people. I entered the NCAA tour with a slightly negative view of the NCAA as the institution that wanted to prevent fun and inconsistently laid down harsh punishments for schools. That was until meeting with the people who work there made me realize just how much they care about putting the student-athletes into the best possible situations possible, both now and in the future.

My sophomore-year roommate was a member of the Notre Dame football team. I saw every day how much of a toll getting up before 6 a.m. to practice took on him and how difficult it was to manage his academic and athletic responsibilities. He had to work extremely hard to succeed at both. And although athletics were important to him, so was setting himself up well for life after football. He wasn’t a robot produced to perform athletically for the university. He was a human being trying to find his place in the world, with goals and ambitions that didn’t involve playing sports for the future.

It’s important coaches of youth – high school and younger – remember this. If this type of attitude of academics, learning and growth is what’s most important at the college level, where some athletes do have a chance at the professional ranks and which generates hundreds of millions of dollars per year, it should without a doubt be the goal of those below collegiate athletics, as well. The athletes aren’t employees of their schools whose worth is determined by how good they are at throwing a football or dunking a basketball.

High school coaches should act the same way toward their players, focusing on growth and improvement – in the classroom, on the field and in life – rather than just winning and losing.