The Real Athlete Blog

Introducing The KR Group Monthly Broadcast for Professional Athletes with Access Athletes

92645 Views

One of our goals for 2011 was to begin creating educational products for athletes. We set out to build on top of the strong foundation that we already have in place here at AccessAthletes.com by delving into other mediums, in an effort to give our athlete readers more options when it comes to being informed and maximizing their potential.

I'm very happy to announce the launch The KR Group Monthly Podcast for Professional Athletes with Access Athletes. Each month, both Dr. Tim Thompson, our VP of Educational Programs and human relations expert, and yours truly, will be recording a podcast in Philadelphia together with Scott Kaminsky and Matt Ramer of the KR Group at Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS). It is produced by Digilog Sound & Image of Philadelphia.

Before I get to the podcast's format and what's in store for you for you all this month, I wanted to give a little background about Scott and Matt and what led to us to collaborate with them on this project.

Scott Kaminsky and Matt Ramer are Vice Presidents of the KR Group in Morgan Stanley's Philadelphia office. Scott is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) who received his B.S. in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1989, where he also played on the baseball team. His partner Matt, an Estate and Retirement Planning Specialist, received his Bachelor's Degree in Economics and American Studies from Brandeis University. Matt is an Auxiliary Captain in the U.S. Air Force, as well as an Angel Flight Pilot. They were both named to Philadelphia Magazine’s 2010 FIVE STAR: Best in Client Satisfaction Wealth Manager listing in 2009 and 2010.

What impressed me the most about Scott and Matt is their commitment to educating athletes and helping them make informed financial decisions. In early November, Scott Kaminsky traveled down from Philadelphia to share a study, which both he and Matt commissioned, called the 5 Biggest Challenges Facing Professional Athletes. This well-researched study, produced by the Empire Research Group, provides a great deal of solid information and statistics in an easy-to-understand format.

The study is broken down into 5 challenges: (1) Overindulgence, (2) Debt Control, (3) Misplaced Trust, (4) Family Issues, and (5) Wealth Preservation. Not only does it dissect the root causes behind many of the financial issues experienced by many professional athletes, it also lays out 5 action steps for success. These include (1) Build the Proper Team, (2) Advisor Trust Guide, (3) Tax Planning, (4) Protect Your Assets, and (5) Create a Financial Plan. At the end, it instructs athletes that the choice is theirs - whether they want to "live large for a few years" or "live comfortably forever."

Athlete Education on the Rise: Get into the Game

by Dr. Timothy Thompson 05-19-2011 11:59 PM Finance | Athlete Career Development | Education | Human Relations

15510 Views

In a May 10, 2011 Yahoo! Sports website article entitled Fighter summit educates about finances, author Kevin Iole showed his readers that athlete education about a variety of subject areas that are closely related to the athlete's professional status is on the rise. Iole's article explained how the recent third annual Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fighter Summit focused much of its attention on teaching the pro fighters how to apply their training discipline to the management of their money, as well as to other important life decisions.

I regard this as a highly encouraging sign that there's a real growing market among some athletes for learning how to be smart about leveraging their influential social roles to achieve lasting benefits for themselves, their families, and their communities. And the more this market of life-long learners grows, the bigger the part pro athletes will be poised to play in inspiring young people to develop the kinds of multi-dimensional decision-making skills that will help our country's future leaders to respond effectively to the new and different challenges that we're all facing.

Whenever I read stories about guys like all-pro tight end Tony Gonzalez or former all-pro linebacker Lavar Arrington, among others, making the most of their life opportunities beyond pro football, I get an increasingly hopeful feeling that the stage is being set for pro athletes to show others how to get and stay in "the zone" off the field as well as on it. After all, the holistic thinking, precise mental focus, and painstakingly consistent ritualistic performance preparation behaviors that all highly tuned athletes must sustain can easily translate to any type of human activity. Therefore, all a pro athlete really needs in order to taste similar success outside of his or her sport is a strong desire to make it happen and effectively conveyed guiding information that emphasizes practical how-to tools and techniques.

Athletes: Everything You Say Matters

by Joe Jackman 05-18-2011 11:58 PM Life After Sports | Athlete Career Development | Image Branding | Marketing

12574 Views

Pittsburgh Steelers Rashard Mendenhall's recent tweets have resulted in athletic apparel maker Champion, terminating the NFL running back's endorsement contract that was to run through 2015.

Mendenhall made controversial comments about Osama bin Laden's death using the popular social media tool. He questioned why people would celebrate his death, and also seemed to question whether he was even involved in the September 11th attacks.

Brand Before You Speak, Tweet, Act

Some think this was an overreaction by Champion, others agree with the company. Regardless of where you stand, this is not the first time an elite athlete has paid a price for 'off the cuff comments.'

What you say and how you communicate with fans, media, executives, and the business and sporting communities can make a huge difference in how people respond to you and your brand. What you say can help you/your brand stand apart from others, or as we observed by these unprepared and spontaneous comments, it can haunt you and your brand reputation.

Owning Your Failure: How Former Star Athlete Tony Mandarich Conquered Failure

by Cory Dobbs, Ed.D. 05-16-2011 11:56 PM Athlete Career Development | Coaching | Human Relations | Motivation

42809 Views

Former NFL Player Tony Mandarich, 44, never lived up to his billing during his six-year NFL career.

We live in a time of immense institutional failure, a murky world of corporate accountability, and an era of an ever-fading sense of personal responsibility. If you want proof of how important leadership is review the excuses put forth daily by our political, business, educational, and sports leaders. Watch how they gloss over mistakes, find a scapegoat, spin the truth, or simply lie.

Good leadership is a matter of character. Effective leadership hinges on trust and is cultivated in the words and deeds of leaders. Dishonesty and artificiality are incompatible with honorable leadership.

In a complex world with an endless array of problems, leadership matters.

Thoughtful leaders, those that can transform people, communities, and organizations take ownership of their role and responsibilities. Success and failure are always part and parcel of any team endeavor. What separates the great leaders from the average is how they respond to and handle adversity and failure.

Exemplary leaders own their failures. Admitting ownership of one’s problems and failures brings with it the opportunity to teach others how to do better.

Insightful Player: Inspired Dad Pioneers a Worldwide Campaign

by Chrissy Carew 05-07-2011 12:12 AM Athlete Career Development | Coaching | Education | Human Relations | Insightful Player

62253 Views

Growing up in Southern California, John Ballantine’s active, high energy childhood consisted of playing neighborhood pickup sports all day with his friends. “Sometimes you’d come in for lunch and sometimes you didn’t come home until dinner,” he says. “It was typical to play three or four different sports in one day – football, basketball, baseball, swimming. The important thing was to be outside running around having fun with your friends,” he says.

John went on to compete in baseball, football, wrestling, and golf through high school, and the experience left him with more than a sense of physical fitness. “I really attribute much of my success, self-confidence, and tenacity to the experiences that I had related to youth sports.”

One aspect of youth sports that he valued was the unqualified support of his parents. “They gave us a lot of flexibility to go out and try things, whether it was a new sport, swimming, going to the beach or biking.” Money didn’t play a role in playing sports, so as a parent himself now, he’s alarmed to see financial concerns preventing many children from playing sports in today’s world. “Our schools have historically provided kids from all walks of life with opportunities to stay active. But we’re seeing funding shortages and cuts to extracurricular athletic programs at an unprecedented scale, which means today’s kids are forced to pursue sports outside the public schools in a “pay to play” environment, which is cost-prohibitive for many families.”

John stated that the research supporting kids in sports is overwhelming. “Kids involved in after-school sports programs have better social skills, better academic performance, and higher levels of physical activity later in life. Athletics also has the potential to reverse alarming trends in teenage pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, and underage drug use. The last academic year (2009-2010) saw over $2 billion eliminated from after-school sports programs in public schools around this country.”

Athlete Chat: Garrison Sanborn

by Anna Stefano 04-22-2011 10:56 PM Athlete Interviews | Athlete Career Development

102059 Views

Garrison Sanborn is entering his third season as the long snapper for the Buffalo Bills. He was signed by the Bills as a free agent in May of 2009.

Long snapper is perhaps the most specialized position in football. It is a tedious and often thankless job that can make or break field position, and a team’s chance of winning the game. When I got the opportunity to chat with Buffalo Bills long snapper Garrison Sanborn, I was eager to learn about how he became a long snapper, his transition into the NFL, and his relationship with his Bills teammates—but what I got was much more.

Talking to Garrison Sanborn is like chatting with an old friend. He slips into a smooth vernacular reminiscent of his friendly attitude, and tells stories with the ease of a man who is truly content with his life. Sanborn is an old soul: grateful, humble, and charitable. He loves football, and from an early age, it seemed he was destined to become a professional long snapper. It has not been easy, but Sanborn has managed to do it with hard-work, perseverance, and a good support system.

Athletes, the Time to Understand Superbugs is Now!

by Matthew Allinson 04-20-2011 02:04 AM Athlete Career Development | Education | Injury & Rehabilitation | Motivation

32917 Views

This is a guest post from Steve Brandon, Vice President of the IV7 Doctors Group

Athletes are some of the most fit people in our society. They train hard, pay attention to nutrition and seem to be less susceptible to illness. So, it stands to reason, they should be less concerned than say, children, the elderly or people in hospitals about becoming ill, right? Not so fast.

While that may have been the case in the past, a new category of pathogens called “Superbugs” have arrived and they do not discriminate. In other words, it’s time for athletes to understand what is happening. They need to do all they can to keep from becoming infected at the least, or worst case, a casualty.

What Do I Want Beyond My Athletic Career?

by Michael Cooper 04-19-2011 06:09 PM Athlete Career Development | Coaching | Human Relations | Motivation

9891 Views

This is the most powerful, and meaningful question you can ask yourself. You’ve been playing and/or coaching your sport for several years now. You've been living and playing through numerous experiences that ultimately have developed you into the athlete you are today. Are you happy and satisfied with who you have become? Are you happy and satisfied with the direction you are headed? Are you experiencing your game at the exact level desired?

Many athletes go through life experiencing chaos, suffering, and pain. Why? Because they fail to recognize the importance of having a clear purpose, vision, and goals statement written out. This is crucial for the purpose of directing their thoughts, feelings, and actions into the desired results they wish to achieve. They fail to answer the powerful and meaningful question: ”What do I want?”

Sure you may have some physical things in your life... Nice car, Big home, some Money. However, most of your relationships are suffering. Your finances are slowly slipping away. Your mental and emotional health is weak. This is what I mean by chaos, suffering, and pain.

The Miami Heat: Playing with Heart or Ego—which should be used when looking for a job or internship?

by Eileen Wisnewski 04-18-2011 12:29 AM Life After Sports | Athlete Career Development

16001 Views

I must admit, being a New England fan, I don't necessarily follow the Miami Heat (except when they are playing the Celtics). However, the media does. Every win gets media attention and every loss gets even more. When the early March losing streak unfolded, the media response reminded me of many initial reactions when the news broke about James, Wade and Bosh all playing on one team. Some speculated that this would be the team to beat and they would walk away with the championship. Others wondered if these three superstar players would be able to leave their egos at the door and play together unselfishly as a team.

While the Heat and the "Big Three" were able to survive their first post-season test over the weekend, the question still remains whether they have been able to find the necessary chemistry for success and if they will ultimately silence the critics.

As I look to this topic for inspiration, it does speak to me about the difference between playing with your heart versus your ego. Let’s talk about how this concept can be translated into the job or internship search with three situations that commonly occur.

Fab Five Documentary Brings Up Questions Regarding NCAA "Preexisting Relationship" Exception

by Justin Sievert 03-19-2011 03:31 PM Amateurism | Athlete Career Development | Education | Legal

41122 Views

Following this year's "Selection Sunday" we were treated to a trip back down memory lane with ESPN's documentary on the "Fab Five." The "Fab Five" was the moniker given to the University of Michigan's 1991 recruiting class which consisted of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwon Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. This group led Michigan to two consecutive NCAA Division I Men's National Championship Basketball games during the group's freshman and sophomore seasons (1992 and 1993) and also had a dramatic impact on American pop culture through their baggy shorts, trash-talking, shaved heads, and black socks. While the majority of the documentary focused on the legacy left by the group both on and off the basketball court, the end of the documentary focused on the circumstances surrounding the sanctions that were handed down on the University of Michigan by the NCAA in 2003.

One of the major issues that arose during the final segment was Jalen Rose's admission that he accepted extra-benefits from Ed Martin. Martin, who had formed relationships with many youth athletes from the Detroit area dating back to the early 1980s, had provided Rose with benefits both before and during Rose's time at Michigan. These benefits would generally be a violation of NCAA rules, as boosters are prohibited from providing any type of preferential treatment, benefit, or service to a current or prospective student-athlete because of the student-athlete's athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a professional athlete. However, the one exception to this rule is if there is a clear preexisting relationship between the booster and the student-athlete. In the documentary, Rose claimed that his relationship with Martin fell under this exception. The question that results is what exactly is a "preexisting relationship" under this exception?