Bill Anderson’s Post

𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀? - 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 - 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 At the heart of every culture lies sport, a universal language spoken through the thrill of competition and camaraderie. From the ancient fields of Olympia where sport was sacred to the modern-day spectacle of the World Cup that unites nations in friendly rivalry, sports are a cultural linchpin. They carry the weight of identity; think of Brazil's samba-infused style of football or New Zealand's haka before a rugby match, where sport is a proud display of heritage and collective spirit. These games are more than just physical contests; they're vehicles for storytelling, tradition, and sometimes, even political expression. This rich cultural heritage teaches us invaluable lessons that transcend the playing field though. The spontaneous collaboration displayed on a soccer pitch, the precise execution performed in basketball, or the united front of a rugby scrum - these elements are integral not just in sports but in business leadership as well. For today, the “Why Sports?” is how the narratives woven into the fabric of sports can provide an incredible playbook for leaders and organizations. Sports give us the blueprint for how a diverse team, united under a shared identity and common goals, can achieve greatness. The qualities that make sports culturally significant - passion, dedication, and a sense of belonging - are the same ones that can forge an outstanding company culture and drive business success. #sportsbusiness #whysports? https://lnkd.in/e_e7--QC

The recent proposal by the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games Organizing Committee to introduce five new sports for the 2028 Games is a significant development that has generated widespread excitement and anticipation. By adding games like Baseball/Softball, Flag Football, Cricket (Twenty20), Lacrosse (Sixes), and Squash to the Olympic roster, the committee aims to embrace the global popularity of these sports. These additions are not merely about expanding the number of events; they represent a strategic move to appeal to diverse audiences around the world. Baseball, a beloved sport in many countries, especially in Japan, South Korea, and Latin America, will attract passionate fans from these regions. American football, a staple in the United States and gaining popularity internationally, will draw in enthusiasts from various backgrounds. Cricket, a sport deeply cherished in countries like India, England, Australia, and South Africa, will bring a new level of excitement to the Olympic stage. Lacrosse, with its rich history and growing global following, will capture the interest of sports enthusiasts worldwide. Table tennis, a fast-paced and dynamic game, will continue to engage fans, particularly in Asian countries where it is immensely popular. By incorporating these sports, the LA28 Games are not only broadening the scope of the Olympic Program but also upholding the core values of the Olympic movement. The inclusivity of these sports aligns perfectly with the Olympic spirit, promoting diversity, unity, and friendly competition on the global stage. This historic move to expand the Olympic Program to 33 disciplines is a nod to the Games' rich history while embracing the ever-changing landscape of sports and entertainment. As the world eagerly anticipates the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, these new sports promise to deliver thrilling moments, inspire athletes and fans alike, and contribute to the legacy of the Olympic Games. 🌍🔥 #LA28 #Olympics2028 #NewSports #Olympics #LA28 #Paralympics #baseball #cricket #squash #lacrosse #flagfootball #Twenty20 #softball #newspot #news #SportsNews #england #australia #india #ironwoodsports #ironwoodsportsmanagement #sportsinstitute #careerinsportsmanagement #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry #sportsbiz #sportbusiness #sportmarketing #sportsmanagement #sportsmanagementschool #sportsbroadcasting #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportseducation

U.S. Sport Policy- important report 👇 This important report was released this week – the Commission on the State of the US Olympics and Paralympics https://www.csusop.org/ Embedded are many important conversations about the quality of the U.S. sport system for all that implications for what many of us do and how in the U.S..

Visually impaired runner Libby Clegg and Paralympic guide Chris Clarke ran wrist to wrist, perfectly synchronized, and won gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter races at the Paralympic Games in 2016, breaking the Paralympic world record! Interestingly, Clarke didn’t make it for England’s national team and couldn’t compete in the 2016 Olympics, but he made a comeback by partnering with a winner in the 2016 Paralympic. He and Clegg trained for only two months together, and he helped Clegg see what she couldn't see. The takeaway? Winners need opportunity. When a winner partners with another winner, the likelihood of success DOUBLES. Are you teaming with winners? Repost this to your winner partners! #Success #Teamwork #Partnership #Cofounders

This is interesting. Overhaul of womens and mens calendars and significant new competition. Higher profile calendars = higher levels of inward investment which is great news. The trick, I guess, will be managing Club, Regional and International calendars to ensure game time, training, pre-hab and rehab are all managed carefully to keep players and teams healthy and safe whilst motivated and hungry to play in such a physically and mentally demanding sport. Great to see innovative thinking. #rugby #sport #innovation #sportscience #sportmarketing

How have you experienced the Women's World Cup? 🏆 However I was a bit disappointed by the marketing around it, I was still very excited for the tournament to start! A bigger tournament than normal - 32 teams instead of 24. Some people were afraid this would mean there would be more games with big differences in results. But wow, even I was surprised by the performances of all teams participating! Women's football has developed so much over the last years and finally people start to see it. 🔥 This World Cup has offered a podium to icons, upcoming stars, debutants and has reached its goal by breaking new records! 👉 Yes there should be more marketing around it. 👉 Yes I expected more support from male players or at least a party somewhere in the city (Barcelona) to celebrate the World Cup win for Spain. 👉 And yes there are still people who still think women's football is not fun to watch (but when you ask them if they watched a game the answer is no). But let's be proud. 💖 Proud of all those beautiful women who worked their asses of, shining and inspiring so many people on this earth. Showing the world that women's football is indeed a beautiful game, exciting to watch and worth investing in. I am convinced this tournament will bring so much more to the game and will help develop it even further! What do you think? #WomensWorldCup #WorldCup #WomensFootball #Football #development #womenrule #growingthegame

When you think of athletes who participate in big sport events, many think of the big names that dominate - Cristiano Ronaldo, Max Verstappen, Novak Djokovic. But the vast majority of athletes who participate in events such as the Olympics or World Cup do not have the same platform, resources, and leverage as the stars, with the majority not considered employees or protected by workers rights. What happens when athletes are subject to unsafe conditions, such as excessive heat or contaminated water? To what extent are athletes free to express themselves on and off the field? What efforts are in place to prevent misconduct and abuse against athletes? These questions are more relevant than ever, particularly in the context of the ongoing #EuroCup and the upcoming #ParisOlympics. I hope the findings of this report contribute to real discussions on how to respect the athletes' rights in and around big sport events. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e2qq-vUD #Sport #EU #Athletes

FIFAWWC 2023 🇪🇸v🇨🇭 RO16 🇯🇵v🇸🇪 Quarterfinal 🇪🇸v🇸🇪 Semifinal How good was this World Cup? I did not initially imagine a sport like football/soccer would capture the hearts and minds of two nations, sometimes it’s great to be proven wrong. I had the privilege of team leading media operations on the pitch for our playoff matches at Eden Park, working with our pitch maintenance staff, our photographers, and occasionally shifting a goal 🥅, spending the downtime with front-row seats, not a bad way to round it off! How amazing were our matches that we got at Eden Park this year? It was my first time ever seeing Sweden and Switzerland on the world stage. Japan, as always, has the best fans, arigatou 🙌🏼🇯🇵! Last but not least, our eventual World Cup winners, the young guns, Spain 🇪🇸. Spain had very gracious and communicative staff and there was a hunger to win this World Cup with every match they played, going into their last four games of the tournaments as perceived underdogs, what a story this World Cup has written! There are obvious key work ons that have arisen from the tournament, fans, media, volunteers, staff (both local and international) have a tendency to sexualise female athletes to justify interest, which is not on. It’s not to say it doesn’t happen with our men’s teams such as the All Blacks, but the scale of the comments was way out of proportion. I hope this is just short-term due to the albeit positive skyrocket in interest in women’s sports, I had hoped the black ferns of 2022 had taught us women’s sports can be more interesting than men’s based on merit alone, the proof in the pudding in this is the two eden park games, All Blacks vs Ireland 🇮🇪 and the Black Ferns semifinal vs France 🇫🇷 to see women’s sport, and the perceived imperfections it has in fact make for a more interesting game. Also we have not seen enough action on our national cricket, rugby, and football bodies to continue growing their respective games. Even after a World Cup in each sport. To grow the grassroots requires more action from the top, and we’re not seeing statistics to justify the national benefit to women’s sport, this is where you’ve got to congratulate the effort of Football Australia, and hope our country follows suits. We can only go up from here, I’m looking forward to the next major tournament (WXV?) on Aotearoa’s shores. Huge effort from everyone involved, the staff, volunteers, media, fans, the players and their management, aroha to you all! 🖤 Huge mana from friends Carlos Wilkie Caren Steenkamp and Ruth Martin for getting back on the tools ⚒️ Up the Football Ferns 🇳🇿🇳🇿

Sports fandom encompasses a universal language transcending continents, time zones, and even sometimes nations. Sports fandom, no matter the sport, has its own language, norms, and rituals (not shaving a beard until the playoffs or wearing the same shirt for a week until the finale?). Fans often refer to "we" when discussing their teams' performances. Surely, this sounds familiar. 1 in 10 Americans watch sports to talk about it with other people and feel part of the wider community. 24% of Americans watch sports because it is seen as a family tradition. And although there is much to discuss in this section, including gen Z not being as much into sports as previous generation (at least according to some articles, I think the story is much deeper than that), this post is really dedicated to two things: 1. Congratulate the winning team re: the rugby world championship 2. And acknowledge the heartbreak for those whose hearts might have been very broken yesterday #allblacks #rugbyworldcup2023 #rugby #fandom