Passion counts twice

Ken Coleman has a popular podcast about loving what you do and doing what you love.  I find the idea of the sweet spot fascinating.  He defines it as the crossroads between your talents (what you do best) and your passion (what you love to do most).  I strive to help my students find their sweet spot early and then identify a path to reach it.  One quick starting points is the 16-personalities quiz. We start there and then it takes countless hours of thinking, reflecting, discussing, and soul searching; and that's only half the battle.  The half I can somewhat help with. 

The other half is all you.  You are the only one that can walk the road set before you, determine if it is worth it.  Deep down you know if you want it bad enough.  You may not have what it takes yet, and that is ok.  If your sweet spot is worth it to you, you will find a way.  Your education will fine tune your talents, you have the passion. For putting in the hard work of not giving up on your dream check out this TED talk on grit. There is a book to go along with it, and our library has it. Check it out!



Author and speaker Angela Duckworth defines grit as passion + perseverance. Put another way, caring about something enough to keep trying long enough to make it happen.  So let me say it again, you may not have what it takes right now, and that is ok. If your sweet spot is worth it to you, you will find a way. Keep trying, and if that doesn't work, dig deep and try again (and again...).  Keep equipping yourself with what you need to get to your sweet spot and do what you love for the rest of your life.  Keep plowing. There is no stopping on the road to greatness.  There is resting, but not stopping.  If you want to know your grit score, check out this handy online quiz and let's talk about it at our next meeting, or leave your comments for discussion below.  Get after it! <><

Advising

[ As of Spring 2022 I am only taking in new advisees from the B.S. Sport Management Online program. If you are a current advisee or in the online program read on. If you are in the B. S. Sport Management traditional program you can contact Dr. Ternes (nternes@astate.edu) or Dr. Yu (hyu@aste.edu) for advising. M. S. Sport Adminstration traditional students are advised by Dr. Church (bchurch@astate.edu) , and M. S. Sport Administration Online students are advised By Dr. LaVetter (lavetter@astate.edu). ]

One of the privileges of my faculty and undergraduate coordinator position is that I get to advise students.  I relish the time I spend talking to you about you.  This is the time we talk about your hopes and dreams, I help you plan for your future (I get giddy about this. It's my bread and butter!), and I make the time I wish I could dedicate to you each class and each day during the whole semester.  During this time we plan a course-path to best reach those hopes and dreams.

There are, however, important things I want you to keep in mind about advising.   Advising is by its very nature a recommendation.  In this case, a professor (me) making a recommendation of possible courses you can take in an upcoming term based on the information at hand.  This recommendation is not the only option.  I have your best interest at heart and will advise what I think best, but I am not even remotely close to perfect.  It is up to you to decide what is best for you, because you know you best. You can find course offerings here.

Second, my advice does not transfer the responsibility for your degree or the fulfillment of your degree requirements onto me.  You must be familiar with your degree requirements.  At Arkansas State, these are listed in the bulletin of the year you are enrolled in.  Typically this is the school-year when you first enrolled.  There is a repository of bulletins on the A-State website.  Familiarize yourself with yours and take charge.  You can get a snapshot of what courses you still need to take in your degree works.  The Registrar's website has information on how to access it. You can also find how to access it in the video below. 

Email me a list of courses you want to take with a PDF of your degree works tracker. Once I evaluate the courses based on your degree tracker I will remove your hold. You may also make an advising appointment on PackSupport after you send me the degree tracker and course list email. 

Best wishes in the upcoming term!!

Debt free education

    Some of you know from my courses I am a big advocate of staying out of debt.  I try to sneak in a lesson, or at least bonus points activities about going through school debt free whenever I can.  It should come as no surprise that this is one of my favorite podcasts.  I recommend this to all my students: Undergraduates, graduates, advisees, in the cafeteria, randomly.  

    I do this because I love you, because I do not want you to be in bondage, because I want you to own your future, and I want you to experience the real freedom that comes with an education without strings.  I have seen so many of you through my years at A-State, and so many before you wish they had heard this earlier.  So let me say it loud and clear.  You pay attention now, apply yourself.  Listen to this podcast and use what you learn.  Come see me if you don't understand, I will give you a hand grasping ideas and brainstorming options.  The Financial Aid and Scholarships office is also there to help you, just remember loans, grants, and scholarships are three different things.  

    Keep your ear to the ground and do not miss out on program, department, and college scholarships.  It is a shame when those go unused and you are going around borrowing money. Make it easier for future you! What other scholarship opportunities are out there? Share links in the comments so other students can see them. Share the wealth!

Sport Management presentation

 

   I wanted to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended my Sport Management talk on the inaugural day of the 1st International Virtual Congress of Physical Culture and Sport.  The Congress was hosted by the Meritorious Autonomous University of Aguascalientes.  Congratulations on a wonderful first Virtual Congress, and specially for the enthusiasm and ambition of the students and attendees.  It was my pleasure and honor to close your sport management speakers sessions. 

    The conference was a great success.  The Sport Management Session has been viewed over 2700 times on youtube last I checked.  The attendees represented Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Perú, United States, and Venezuela. I am including the links to the inside A-State note of the event, the YouTube video session.  The session is only available in Spanish... for now. My presentation starts at about 2:24:00. 

Athlete activism

Unacceptable humans! Do better!! https://t.co/iMb7EnIffC
— Claudia Benavides (@thebambs2011) June 22, 2020
 

    Athlete activism may come at a high cost for athletes that support controversial issues.  They face public scrutiny and possible financial backlash as they lose endorsement deals, contracts, their jobs, and even public humiliation.  Still, some athletes are risking it all and supporting Black Lives Matter in light of the recent social developments and injustices the Black community in America faces.  

    Recent research by Schmidt et al. (2018) studied the effect of the type and effort exerted by the athlete in their activism on an endorsed product's brand image and purchase intention.  They surveyed 305 people. Most of them were men and most of them were White.

    They found brand image and purchase intentions were not impacted by athletes activist effort. Namely, it made no difference if the athletes just posted on social media occasionally or were as invested as creating local chapters for the organization they support. Brand image and product purchase intentions remained intact.  On the other hand, more controversial issues, what they called risky activism (i.e. social equality), impacted brand image and purchase intentions differently than safe activism, such as childhood obesity (Schmidt et al., 2018).  

    

    However, even though there were statistically significant differences between safe and risky activism, the brand image perceptions and purchase intentions under risky activism conditions were still positive, and possibly better than not having an endorser.  This is important for marketing departments to keep in mind. As for athletes, how much effort they put into their activism did not make a difference, what makes mattered was controversial causes, such as racial equity (Schmidt et al., 2018). 

"It is bigger than the game. I'm just sad we still have to explain that to people." https://t.co/6PnjwLR06q

— Claudia Benavides (@thebambs2011) June 14, 2020

    So, athletes currently trying to support Black Lives Matter with the occasional twitter post will have similar effects on endorsed brands than athletes leading protests, opening local chapters, and making physical displays of support.  More importantly, those out in the streets may send a stronger message to their fan base and the movement as a whole, making the best use of their influence and platform to advance social reform (Matt 25:28). 

    The authors pose important questions in their discussion.  First, what is the impact that organizations' goodwill has on their brand image perceptions and purchase intentions? They present the NBA and Adidas not penalizing players wearing "I can't breathe" shirts during warm ups instead of their official Adidas issued warm up gear.  This is a wonderful Sport Marketing research question to address.  They also present the question of society's views and behaviors towards athletes using their platform for political protests.  This is a great Sport Sociology research question (Schmidt et al., 2018). 

    I challenge you to think above and beyond what they have proposed and come up with your own questions.  For example, from a Sports Communications perspective,  we could research the ways athletes are using their influence for political protests on and off the field, and what types of causes athletes are most vocal about.  Now, a high order thinking question for my students.  Do you see a practical scenario where a good endorsement fit and a great marketing team can leverage an endorsement deal into a win-win-win? This win-win-win scenario will be one where the social movement is advanced, the athlete gains contracts and visibility, and the brand image and purchase intention increase. Leave your research or scenarios ideas in the comments. 

 

Athlete activism rocks <3
Walking the walk https://t.co/p4dNfNa2Y2

— Claudia Benavides (@thebambs2011) June 20, 2020

Schmidt, S. H., Shreffler, M. B., Hambrick, M. E., & Gordon, B. S. (2018). An experimental examination of activist type and effort on brand image and purchase intentions. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 27(1), 31-43.

Sexual Harassment of Gender and Sexual Minority Athletes

 

    Sexual harassment can present in many forms.  Sometimes it constitutes intentional actions, some ties they are unintentional. It can also be verbal, not-verbal, or physical. A recent study explore the consequences of verbal and non-verbal gender-harassment by coaches in Finland.  The author specifically studies psychological ill-being amongst gender and sexual minority sport participants.  Additionally, the author analyzed differences in harassment according to sex and sexual orientation. 

    It is important to distinguish a couple of key concepts to appropriately contextualize this research.   First, sex is defined as physiological structures and processes, such as chromosomal configurations, hormonal disposition, internal and external reproductive organs, etc.  On the other hand, gender is defined as a non-binary social construction, and gender identity is the degree to which a person considers themselves male, female, or androgynous.  In this context, gender and sexual minorities are those individuals whose gender identity, expression, or reproductive development differs from the norm. 

    Also important to recognize is the difference between verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment. Verbal sexual harassment includes comments such as derogatory sexual remarks, sexual jokes, requests for intercourse, rumor spreading, or other statements undermining performance or self-respect.  Non-verbal sexual harassment includes sexually suggestive facial or body signals, such as leering, winking, howling, or kissing sounds. 

    The results indicate both non-verbal and verbal harassment affect gender and sexual minority males ill-being indicators disproportionately.  In a nutshell, the more frequent the harassment, the more stress, psychosomatic symptoms, and depressive symptoms.  This was not the case for women, possibly because the heteronormativity of male sports promotes a heterosexual masculine culture.  This same culture may be more tolerant of lesbian athletes. 

    This article has important implications for coaches education.  Additionally, for opening spaces where coaches can safely and educationally discuss and explore their values, prejudices and fears about gender and sexuality. The authors also suggest proper training may include role playing, communication skills, recognizing harassment behaviors, and intervention strategies.  Author also mentions it is important to train coaches to encourage athletes to disclose their sexual orientation and harassment incidents.  I would just caution that this has to be done in a way that does not become a harassing event on its own.  Finally, there are implications for policy and sport psychologists also discussed. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kokkonen, M. (2019). Associations between sexual and gender-based harassment by a coach and psychological ill-being amongst gender and sexual minority sport participants in Finland. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 13(2), 259-273.

Comps success strategies

    Comprehensive exams, or comps, as we lovingly refer to them, have a way to make some students feel anxious and inadequate.  I keep getting frantic phone calls as comps gets near. The questions go something like this: What are professors looking for? What are the expectations from our answers? What should we expect? As with every one of my posts, this does not apply across the board.  Other professors and other programs have different expectations, but here are a few things you can do to make sure you have done your absolute best when you show up on comps day. 

1) Check your policies

    First and foremost you need to know what comps are and if they are required for your degree. Here is a hint for M. S, Sport Administration students, unless you are doing a thesis, comps are required.  The graduate bulletin will give you general guidelines, but each program will have specific requirements. 

    After checking your undergraduate bulletin, get in touch with your program coordinator and/or advisor about the procedure to sign up or register for comps.  Some require up to 2-3 months notice to allow you to register, so plan ahead and follow their steps thoroughly to ensure registration.  Ask nicely for written documentation of your registration in case you require proof or clarification at a later time.  One of the issues I have seen students face over the years is being unaware all together that they had to take comps to complete their degrees, trying to register too late, or missing them all together on the semester they plan to graduate because they were unaware of the protocol. 

2) Read your study guide thoroughly 

    It does not hurt to ask for a study guide. Some professors may provide one, some may not, but you can always ask.  The earlier you do this in anticipation of your exam, the better.  Think a month or two in advance, not years, as questions are likely to change between semesters.  Here is a study guide I have given out in the past.  Still reach out before comps as this may not be the my most updated copy, but it will give you an idea of what my study guides look like. 

    Once you have obtained a study guide from a professor, read it thoroughly.  You may have to read it more than once for it to truly sink in.  At this stage you are not studying yet (because you still have a couple of months before comps, remember?). You are just making sure you understand what the guide says.  This is your roadmap to answering those common questions I mentioned earlier by yourself.  It tells you what is expected of you, and exactly what the professor is looking for.  Take the time between the first time you read your study guide and subsequent readings to reflect about your courses content and how you may answer questions. 

    I really mean read it thoroughly.  One of the most common mistakes I see students making time and time again is answering the question incompletely.  This happens when you do not read the study guide thoroughly.  Many times, we present you with a question that has multiple layers, and you must answer all of them thoroughly and accurately.  What happens sometimes is a student will start answering a question, get half the way through, and move on to the next question because they do not thoroughly read the question. 

3) Ask clarifying questions

    While you are thoroughly reading your study guide the first time make notes on questions, or sections of questions, you do not entirely understand.  These may become clearer on subsequent readings of your study guide, or as you are reflecting on your course content.  They may even become clearer as you let the questions and possible ways to answer them marinate in your head a few days.  If they do not, shoot your professor an email or give them a call and ask them those specific clarifying questions.  The more specific the question the more help and direction you are likely to get. The broader the question the more likely you will be redirected to the study guide.   In my many years as teachers I have seen a couple of students answer the wrong question.  This could be avoided completely if you ask clarifying questions at the appropriate time. 

4) Join a study group

    A lot of my students have found success joining a study group for support, clarification, and accountability.  Some of them meet in person if they are able, and some of them meet online using WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, zoom or google hangouts.  I have even joined some of them when they have those clarifying questions I just wrote about.  I join professor groups myself when I have big, intimidating projects that need support, bouncing ideas off, and accountability. I highly recommend them.  

    This is not a substitute for picking up your notes and making time to study by yourself, I am recommending it as a supplement.  However, it can help you stay motivated and engaged.  It can also be helpful if you are missing some notes, need quick clarification, or need to commiserate about how your professors are trying to make your life miserable even when you are done with all your courses ;P 

5) Relax

    I cannot overstate this.  If you have done all the steps above, there really is not much more you can do.  Stressing about it the day of the exam or the days or weeks leading up to it is not going to work in your favor.  Find a healthy way to relax that works for you.  Some people like yoga, meditation, or nature walks.  I personally like CrossFit.  I do not endorse nor support the racist and inappropriate statements and behavior made by their founder and CEO lately, but throwing heavy weights around and screaming to loud music during workouts works like magic at reducing my anxiety.  Go ahead quiet lifters, roll your eyes. 

    I hope this post stripped away some layers of anxiety for you.  I will be expecting your specific questions when you are preparing for your own comps if you are in my program.  If you have any other useful suggestions I would love if you add them to the comments below.  Good luck. Go get'em!