By Heidi Taylor

Introduction to Sports Marketing by Aaron Smith offers insight and know how in a well established arena of expertise.

Whether you are a professional marketing guru who just wants to review a full synopsis of the technique or a brand new student of the field, this book is packed with concise, easily accessible information relating to this unique business.

Written in an easy to understand language that attempts to avoid confusing the reader with industry specific lingo, Introduction to Sports Marketing is an invaluable resource for anyone considering a future in the industry.  Aaron Smith has taken the essence of sports marketing and boiled it down to an easy to understand model, and he starts at the beginning so that anyone can follow along.

Focusing on teaching the student who is completely fresh to the industry, the book explains principles and practices relating to strategic marketing.  Many texts on the market focus on areas of expertise that can confound beginners; unlike those, Smith’s book attempts to walk the reader through the sometimes confusing realm of applying theories to the reality of a sports marketing environment.

In addition to an introduction to the field, Smith covers many areas in the industry.  Here are a few that are examined in detail:

-    How to conduct analysis of a sports organization to develop strategies for marketing their brand.

-    How to take your objectives and successfully incorporate a strategy with a focus on team marketing.

-    How to determine a viable direction in regards to a marketing framework that takes into account segmentation and marketing mix variables.

In addition to walking you through the basics of the industry the book is filled with case studies that will help the student relate the information he/she is learning to a real world environment.  The author offers exercises and questions to test the student’s knowledge as he learns different principles specific to the industry.

Set up more like a course than a typical book, Introduction to Sports Marketing also offers online resources to help the student continue their learning and expand their knowledge of how the material applies to a real marketplace.  For anyone interested in a future in the ever developing field of marketing with an emphasis on sports this book would be a great place to start.

By Heidi Taylor

In case you missed this year’s two day CSRI conference at Chapel Hill here is a run down of the events and topics that were covered.

Day One

The first day of the conference that took place at UNC Chapel Hill consisted of three one-and-a-half hour panel discussions followed by an address from keynote speaker Jeremy Bloom.  The three panels were as follows:

1.    Panel one was titled, Special Admit Limbo: How Long Can You Go?  The focus of this panel was a topic largely regarded by most as something that has not changed and continues to be debated in the arena and probably will for some time, namely the commercialization of sports and players’ eligibility.  The discussion centered on students’ rights to play in regards to outside commercialization and influence.

2.    Panel two was called, the ESPNification of College Sports.  This panel focused on the commercialization of sport and its relation to actual college play.

3.    College-Sports Arms Race: Is there an End in Sight?  Panel number three focused on college spending in regards to sports and the increasing amount colleges are required to spend in order to stay at a competitive level.

The end of day three wrapped up with a keynote address by Jeremy Bloom, three-time world champion and two-time Olympian competition skier.  The focus of the speech was on the questions that colleges need to be asking in terms whether college athletics are a business or simply amateur sport.

Day Two

Day two focused on presentation of academic research in the field of sports and sport business in relation to colligate athletes.  The forum centered around two keynote speeches.

The presentations were vast and diverse in terms of their content and a complete summary would be lengthy.   But one noteworthy presentation reported research on a college athlete’s efforts expended in class vs. practicing for sports.  The study concluded that practice for sport greatly outweighed any other scholastic undertaking that a college athlete faced.

The two keynote speakers were Dr. John Gerdy of Ohio University, who spoke on the way intercollegiate athletics had begun to model professional sports, and Dr. Bernie Mullin of The Aspire Group, who lectured on the difference between the NBA and college basketball.

Injuring your shoulder can be one of the most painful things a person can go through. With proper treatment, including physical therapy and The Rotater, many shoulder injuries will heal without the need for surgery. More and more commonly, people are experiencing shoulder pain from seemingly innocuous activities.

Sitting at a Desk

It is a necessary evil in many jobs to have to sit at a desk for most of your workdays. The importance of posture should not be underestimated. Posture, especially when sitting at a desk for extended periods of time, is one of the main contributing factors to shoulder pain. Poor posture can adversely affect your overall health and cause other debilitating pain over time if you don’t take care of your body and position it correctly. The height of a desk may also have to do with posture and the way you position your body when working as well.

Using a Keyboard and Mouse

Computers are wonderful machines. They help us to achieve so much more than we ever thought possible, yet the use of computers for hours on end has many adverse effects. Improper positioning of hands, arms, wrists, and fingers can ultimately contributing to muscle pain and shoulder injury. Use an ergonomic keyboard and cushion your wrists when typing for long periods of time. The position you use when operating a mouse also can affect your shoulder health.

Video Games

Although it’s been on the market for over two years, Nintendo’s Wii game console has many different games and positions that cause shoulder pain as well. Games that involve the throwing motion or punching motion cause damage to the shoulder because force is needed to active the game console. The velocity of a punch or throw is measured, so players have to physically throw and punch harder, with little or no resistance.

Many players complain of muscle pain and minor injuries, but repeated use of these games could ultimately end up causing lasting damage. Self-massage and the use of these kinds of games in moderation are some solutions for players who complain of shoulder pain after using the system.

Like so many other careers, a career in massage therapy is dependent upon the individual and their particular situation. For many who choose to go into the field of massage therapy, the work can be a challenging yet fulfilling career. For others, the physical and emotional demands of the work can stop a career dead in its tracks. As in most other lines of work, balance is the key to achieving a good quality of life.

Statistics on the longevity of a career in massage therapy are scarce, even in the archives of the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is not uncommon to find therapists who have been practicing their craft for fifteen or more years, but many full time massage therapists currently working have five to ten years of experience to their credit.

According to statistics, massage therapy is a career path filled with opportunity, as the profession is forecasted to experience 64% growth between the years of 2006 and 2016. Most states now regulate the profession and require licensing that involves detailed testing that requires much study and hands-on experience before the license can be awarded.

Due to physical and emotional demands of massage therapy, full-time work generally consists of a work week of twenty-five to thirty-two hours. Therapy generally costs somewhere between $80-$120 per hour in major metropolitan areas, and about half of that amount in areas with less concentrated populations. Clearly, if a massage therapist is in business for him- or herself, this is a lucrative wage indeed. However, building a client base is essential to success for full-time therapists.

Many massage therapists work part-time, during nights and weekends in order to meet the demands of their clientele, as many people are not willing to take time off from their work day in order to receive treatment. Additionally, part-time therapists and some full-time therapists opt to work for a massage therapy center, spa, or other venue as opposed to striking out on their own.

People who make massage therapy a long-term career generally do so because they enjoy helping people feel better and achieve a better quality of life. The peaceful setting and rapport that comes with regularly dealing with people has to be something that a career therapist is enthusiastic about. Honing the skills as a therapist is of paramount importance to building and maintaining a good client base.

Many long-lived therapists have had to learn how to deal with a variety of issues, from communicating effectively to dealing with many different body types. It is a profession that is not for the judgmental person. Successful massage therapists are comfortable with themselves and people in general and always have the best interest of the client in mind. This helps the client as well as the therapist, since many referrals come from word-of-mouth more than anything else.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!