Alex Hamilton’s Post

As I reflect on my journey with Tennis Canada, I am filled with a blend of pride, gratitude, and excitement as I share my promotion to Vice President, Marketing Strategy and Customer Experience. Joining the organization in January 2022, I embarked on an incredible journey of growth, supported by a team dedicated to innovation and change. We accomplished tremendous strides in our Digital Transformation roadmap. Growing our digital maturity towards amazing commercial successes. Special thanks to my former Senior Leaders — michael downey and Anne Belliveau, to my new leader, Gavin Ziv, for their unwavering trust and confidence. Their belief in my potential has been the cornerstone of my past achievements and those yet to come, illuminating our path toward future growth. Reflecting on my two-year anniversary, I recall the personal OKRs I set, aiming to blend my professional and personal passions while leading with empathy and vulnerability. Tennis Canada has become my professional sanctuary, where these aspirations are not just met but exceeded. As we move forward, I'm invigorated to further our collective mission, transforming tennis in Canada into not only a sport but a thriving community and a catalyst for well-being. The brilliance and camaraderie of my colleagues and teammates have immeasurably enriched this journey. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my story. Together, we stand at the threshold of an exciting chapter. The best is indeed yet to come. Engage with me on the future of tennis in Canada. Join the #TennisNation. https://lnkd.in/eQ7BQP5w   #TennisCanada #MarketingStrategy #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #Gratitude #AnniversaryReflections #Teamwork #FutureGrowth 

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games Introducing, Be Challenged's MINI OLYMPICS! Just in time for the Paris Olympic Games this July/August! Your teams could compete and take part in your very own, inter-office, trail-blazing, courageous and competitive but also highly inclusive, Olympic dream. Just ask us how! In the Be Challenged MINI OLYMPICS, participants will be split into ‘countries’ that will compete over a series of events. The MINI OLYMPICS is all-inclusive as we modify our events and team sizes to promote inclusion and enjoyment for all participants. At the conclusion of the event, the all-important results are tallied and our medal ceremony is held. As the winners are revealed, everyone will realise that you don’t need years of training to win the gold but rather you just need to compete as a team and believe in each other along the way. https://lnkd.in/gkFp_7-f #teambuilding #olympics #paris2024 #miniolympics #oneteamonedream #leadership #communication #teamwork #strategy #fun #inclusive #australia #corporate #officegames #relationships

So I get this question asked to me a lot "Charlotte, why Rugby" As an elite athlete myself and still competing on the international stage, I understand the importance of being happy away from the sport. If performance is not going the way you hoped 9 times out of 10 it's what is happening away from the sporting environment. I have competed at 1 Olympic Games, 2 Commonwealth Games, World and European Championships, I know what it feels like to be at the top in your sport but also have many setbacks on the way. Within my previous roles, Rugby players hold so many skills which are transferable but also have the TV coverage to make themselves more commercially aware and that is what companies love investing into. Rugby has been a passion of mine, wanting to provide the players with their needs and wants to give them the best playing opportunities. As a Player Commercial Manager I am able to use my own experience to build relationships with brands and sponsors for our players to utilise and to take all the opportunities thrown at them. So why Rugby? Being a female in a male dominant environment is challenging but I am someone who can bring in new ideas, implement change but have also represented my country on multiple occasions. Rugby gives me a whole new perspective; a shared environment, you win or lose as a team and there are more bad days than good days. #rugbywelfare #playercommercial #agency #dualcareer #experience #rugbyworld

Sitting on top of the world. In 2021 the IASF introduced Level 5 divisions at the World Cheerleading Championships that take place in Orlando, Florida. It was an opportunity to increase competition, provide opportunities to developing countries and to award more World Champion titles to teams from outside the USA. The level 5 divisions are among a select set of divisions at the world championships where American teams are not allowed to participate. Is this fair? Definitely not. Does it diminish the result? Most certainly. If you want to be the best you must compete against the best- or at the very least the best must be afforded the opportunity to participate. Let’s consider the context and impact of these changes and how it will influence the global cheerleading community for years to come. First some history… In 2022 - the world championships took place with three level five divisions introduced. The following year in 2023 the number of divisions expanded to five. The impact of this is undeniable. In two short years Canada has added 15 world medalists to their country total, the UK 6, Australia 2 and New Zealand 1. From these results there are also 8 new world champions from outside the USA from 2022-2023. If the goal of this initiative was to increase opportunities for athletes outside of the country of origin (USA) it is clear that this goal has been accomplished. In 2023 there were 14 international medalists in the Level 6 and Level 7 categories. To compare - “international teams” hailing from outside the USA won 100% of medals in Level 5 categories where American teams are not permitted to participate. In stark contrast to the other 28 divisions that hold 74 medal opportunities the international programs earned only 19% of the medals! This is not limited to Level 5 alone. There are other divisional opportunities that have been created in the last few years. The USASF created “club” divisions that mimicked existing international divisions with a stronger emphasis on tumbling and different age grid. Many believe these divisions were also created in part to cater to American programs who were upset that only the top 3 from each country could advance to finals. Given the strength of the American cheerleading community many programs were frustrated that teams with lower scores could advance based on geographic representation rather than competitive merit. The Open Club division solved that problem and made room for 6 more American medalists and from there 2 more American based world champions. The introduction of the global division which incorporates a cheer and the non tumbling divisions were designed to increase participation from countries where the style is very ICU based or where tumbling is not as competitive or still developing. While these divisions did increase the number of opportunities for athletes they also significantly reduced competition.

more money going into a bottomless pit #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

It’s a tale as old as time... An epic win for italian tennis star Yannik Sinner and suddenly everyone is a fan Today’s example… There isn’t one Italian who isn’t a tennis fan after Sinner’s epic win at Australian Open 🎾 Sinner, who is from a village close to where I grew up in Italy, is all over the media today. And rightly so. He is the first Italian EVER to win the Australian title. But looking at my feeds… you would think every Italian person and their dog played a part in his success. Comments like… 🏆 The victory of real sport 🏆 The victory of normal kids 🏆 A new era for Italian sport 🏆 The victory of modern Italy 🏆 The victory of tenacious Italy 🏆 The victory of hard-working Italy 🏆 The victory against Italian stereotypes 🏆 The victory of Italy that works in silence The list goes on… And it happens in every sport.  Whether we are die hard fans, or just patriotic supporters. I have lived in England for 10 years, there are old ladies who still think it’s coming home every time the three lions compete in the Euros to the World Cup 😉 So why do we do it? Get ready for some science…and to learn some new words. 🥳 Every time we bask in the glory of our favourite (or favourite of the moment) sports team, we are ‘BIRGing’. When you find yourself over the moon as your favourite F1 driver won a racey...you are associating with his win, claiming some of his glory. 😡 On the flip side, when you distance yourself from your team after a defeat, you are ‘CORFing’. Protecting your identity and distancing yourself. As humans we relish the victories and disown the defeats.  It is in our nature. The same is true of brands. If you align your brand to a team, you are aligning your brand (and your customers) to the successes and failures of that team. So…you need to choose wisely when you are deciding on which team your brand is going to support. You have to be ready for your brand to bask in victories and share in defeats. Ponder on this before jumping on the sponsorship bandwagon. Don't just throw your cash around. → Victory is not an asset. → Victory is not guaranteed. → Victory is not a mktg benefit. ✅ Victory is a cherry on top of a cake. To build an efficient and effective sport sponsorship you should always: - Plan.  - Anticipate.  - Prepare your response. Investing in a sport sponsorship is more than a financial decision. It's an emotional one, too 🖤 Are you ready for all that comes with sponsoring an athlete or a team? Ever found yourself birging or corfing? (I know you did...😉) --------------------------------------------- P.S. ♻ Feel free to Repost- It'll help your network ♻

So the latest #SPOTY short list is announced on the BBC website. Yet again it is dominated by sports that the #BBC covers heavily. As much as we all appreciate watching free to access sport, there is a tremendous amount of talent that is being given no chance to receive the recognition it deserves. Winter sports have won World Cup events, podiums have been achieved by all the sports covered by #GBSnowsport and #BritishBobsleighandSkeleton yet all the nominations go to sports covered by the BBC. Maybe the demise of #SkiSunday is the root cause of this lack of nominations as the selection panel do not know of the success achieved by winter sports athletes? Yes it is their event and they can define the rules as to who they want to applaud but the achievements of British sport is greater than just what cricket, horse racing, football, golf, athletics and wheel chair tennis have done. I admit all six have done fantastically well but I do have a grump over team participants vs individuals (yes the split is 2 team participants v 4 individuals this year). It would be great for a wider range of sports to be nominated rather than just the favoured TV covered sports. Just imagine the exposure the smaller sports would benefit from? What do they have to do for the powers that be to include them in the final selection? What difference is there in the level of competition at World Cup level, you cannot go any higher in a non Olympic or World Championship year.... Any one have any solutions to this please feel free to comment.....! #wintersport #levelplayingfield #supportforall #nominations #SPOTY #sportspromotion #money #TVRights

don't mess with Da Bronx #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

Last Sunday I spent my morning watching the Australian Open final between Sinner and Medvedev. 🇮🇹 🇷🇺 Every time I watch a tennis match at this level, what truly surprises me is not the players' athletic condition, which is just incredible; but what really captures my interest is their extraordinary mental strength. I also remembered a manager I had in one of my previous experiences, a genuine tennis enthusiast, used to emphasise that top-tier tennis players all possess a similar level of athletic condition and technical skills. What ultimately sets them apart is their mentality. He also used frequent tennis analogies to coach us in honing our professional abilities. ✍ So today I would like to try, as an exercise, to write down a list of skills that a tennis champion like Sinner can pass down to us, and for us to adopt in the context of international sales: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Tennis players accurately study and plan strategies before a match. In the same way, in international sales, strategic thinking is needed to formulate effective market entries and expansion plans. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: "Either I win or I learn". This sentence sum up the Sinner mentality. Being able and open to learn from your mistakes and failures plays a crucial role, both in sport and in business. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Sinner was loosing 2-0 sets during the final but was able to repress the negative emotions and to turn over the match. In sales, resilience is vital to overcome challenges and multiple rejections.  𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴: If things are going against you, you can react in one of two ways: either give up or try to find a solution to the issue you’re facing. It's important to be aware that obstacles are just a part of the game and help you develop a strong attitude to problem solving. 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲: Every great player developed their own style of playing tennis. The same is true for every business and organisation. In the same way, while it's important to learn from others and it's more than ok to use others' expertise, we should develop and follow our unique style and approach. This will allow us to be more unique and recognisable. #InternationalSales #GlobalSuccess #HumanSkills #ProblemSolving #ThinkingSkills

We are driving to Asheville this morning, our fourth stop on this road trip. Dropped our youngest at Case Western in Cleveland. Checked on the in-laws and family in Crown Point, IN. Made a quick pit stop in Louisville (halfway) on the Bourbon trail and had to visit Angel's Envy. I am okay with being on the road since my husband drives and I can work. The only thing is that I miss is moving, riding my bike, or working at my stand-up desk. I caught Spain vs Netherlands game last night; 9 pm is more manageable than 4 am. Spain looked super strong. And the final 2-1 proved it. Disappointed that the USA didn’t earn the right to continue, but there are many other teams to admire. I'm also keeping tabs on the Columbia team! There's more to sports than the score...it's healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. Maybe I'm feeling more mortal, having just celebrated our big 60th birthday with family before we started our road trip. Still, between FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ and all our fun activities, we feel pretty good these days. As a lifelong athlete, it tickled my fancy when I tripped over this story about the Humana National Senior Games and this multi-generational family that competes in them. Being fit isn't just a lifestyle choice. It's a healthy choice for the mind and body. You all know how I feel about soccer/futbol, and as a leader or coach, I'd pick someone who's competed in sports to be on my team/committee/colleague any day of the week. If this story doesn't motivate you to get out there and try pickleball or some sport, I don't know what will! Could you make sure to stretch and wear good court shoes?! Meet the Smith family from Baton Rouge, LA. https://lnkd.in/gidiwBWU #perserverance #fifawomensworldcup2023 #workplace #competition