A passion for sports
I just came back from an awesome 2-hour (road-)bike ride. Near-perfect spring conditions, dry roads, not too much traffic. Road biking (like running) mostly leaves your mind free to think – and I’m currently thinking quite a bit about sports (I have a triathlon and a marathon coming up in a few months), sports management (how I can contribute to make it better), and about this blog. So I did think during the bike ride. The result: this short post about what can be seen as 2 contradictory aspects of sports – the passion that it invariably generates, and sports as a business.
On the one hand, sports is clearly, undeniably, about passion, emotions. Joy. Tears. We’ve all been there – practicing it or simply as fans. It’s rewarding at times, frustrating or even painful at other times. I don’t know about you, but video footage of triumphing athletes often brings me to tears, literally. And you often want to share those emotions – you want other like-minded people to know about how you feel (and reinforce the community spirit).
On the other hand, sports is a business. Even when you simply exercise, when you want to feel or become better at what you do, you needs a system, a methodology, a vision, a plan. And you need money. So sports is also something that you manage, as efficiently and effectively as possible.
In my view, there is an enabler that (when used properly) bridges the gap between these two dimensions of sports: technology. Take the road bike I use (a Kuota Kharma, so light, smooth and responsive, I love it!). It is the result of ongoing technological innovation, which has had to be initiated and managed by the company which designs & produces it; the company has to be managed properly (leveraging leading-edge technological tools) for its great products to continue to be available for its customers; and it allows me to feel even more passionate about road cycling. Or take this blog. It is only a technological tool, a medium – through which I want to express my passion for sports, and for how well it can be managed.
If you’re passionate about sports, subscribe to this blog – I hope that through the upcoming posts (which I promise will be more regular than they have been so far), I’ll convince you that you can also become passionate about the technology you can leverage to manage sports properly.
As Lewis Howes, one of the most respected authorities in sports networking (don’t miss a post of his Sports Networker blog), likes to say at the end of his newsletters: stay passionate !
Go ahead – share your passion in the comments.
Hi Gabriel,
I completely agree with your post. I’ve started several futsal leagues here in the US and it’s difficult balancing the love of the sport with having to run a successful business, especially when dealing with youth where $$ is at a premium nowadays.
I just got into triathlon training myself (running a half ironman in August and full in 2011). How long have you been training?
Looking forward to reading more posts!
Best,
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
I’ll only do an Olympic-distance triathlon (in August), no Ironman insight for me now! Congratulations to you for setting such an ambitious goal!
I think that every passionate sportsperson finds him-/herself having to deal with this difficult balancing act. And the more I think of it, the more I’m convinced that, again, used properly, technology is a wonderful enabler to foster passion and help treat sports as a business.
I haven’t really been running much – ran my first 1/2 marathon last October, enjoyed it and decided to run a full one this year! I happen to be more of a SpeedSkater (inline), so I’m lucky to have decent endurance, which I can build on to run more efficiently. I bike quite often as well, so that takes care of 2 out of 3 triathlon disciplines – I am brushing up on my swimming, so I don’t start with drowning…
Looking forward to sharing more -hopefully- interesting posts on this blog, keep reading & commenting!
Best,
Gabriel
Lewis Howes is the record holder for the most receiving yards in a single football.
Thanks for the info., I just knew Lewis had been in American football before becoming a succesful sports networker/entrepreneur. Now I know he was a star even in his sporting days!
Just wanted to let you know that your page is not showing up correctly on the BlackBerry Browser. Anyway, I’m now on the RSS feed on my laptop, so it shows!
Thanks for the info. – I’m afraid I can’t really control how the blog’s theme is displayed on the BB’s browser. It shows really well on my iPhone, in particular since I have a dedicated plugin installed (which converts the theme into a mobile-friendly theme)!
Glad that you could see the post/blog on your laptop then.
And thanks for subscribing – keep an eye out for upcooming posts!