Managing your meanings in the media: a lesson from Lions manager Warren Gatland.
Hasn’t Warren Gatland done well? He’s managed to get players from four different teams gelling and performing as a unit. The team’s game plan appears to be working, and this Saturday they go into the ultimate test buoyed by a couple of good results. Warren’s...Why professional athletes should consider learning another language: codeswitching and fan engagement
For professional athletes, the benefits of learning a second (or a third) language are numerous. On the one hand, there are cognitive skills transferrable to the world of sports that can be developed through language learning including enhanced multitasking abilities,...Balancing modesty and authenticity in the sports media – modestly acknowledging your accomplishments – Steven Adams and the Oklahoma Thunder
In media interviews, it is not only negatively-oriented questions (i.e. questions about match-changing mistakes, private life indiscretions or controversies at the club) that can threaten an athlete’s image. The seemingly innocuous, positively-oriented questions after...Brand Honey Badger: being linguistically innovative in the sports media
Nick Cummins, or the Honey Badger as he is also known, has a bit of a cult following in the rugby world. Don’t know who I’m talking about? Watch the following interview. And, as you might have guessed from the above video, much of the fanfare surrounding ‘the...‘Just stay with us’: Strategies football managers use to address public expectation on their team
Chris Coleman and the Wales national men’s football team. When speaking to the media, one of the goals of a manager or coach is to reduce (and/or not increase) pressure on their team. How managers do that will depend a lot on the questions they get asked and the...Questions young players have about speaking to the media
25/08/15 I had a fantastic opportunity on Monday to run workshops for academy rugby players as part of the Rugby Players’ Association’s (RPA) Induction Day at Lilleshall Sports Centre. These induction days aim to provide players embarking on a professional rugby...Communication and relationship management: David De Gea, Louis van Gaal and Manchester United.
Did he say ‘no’ I won’t play, or did he say I’m ‘not eager to play’? The drama of off-field sagas in professional sport! (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read the story here, and a follow up here) In short, we’re talking football. In particular we’re talking about...
Women first, professional athletes second? The FA and the England Women’s Football Team.
I understand what the English Football Association (FA) was trying to do when they sent out this tweet last week. Like any professional sporting association, they wanted to publicly express their pride for one of their teams – in this case their most successful...
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