tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55214446545621025632024-03-13T16:11:48.498-07:00S.O.S. Sloetry On SportViews and interviews on the world of sport, and how it interacts with life, by Rob "Sloetry" CovellSloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5521444654562102563.post-20398256935729258992015-01-25T05:44:00.001-08:002015-01-25T05:45:54.333-08:00Becky Hammon<p dir="ltr">A great article from the Washington Post on Becky Hammon's journey to the NBA</p>
<p dir="ltr">http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2015/01/22/becky-hammons-path-to-the-nba/?tid=sm_fb</p>
Sloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5521444654562102563.post-73339671018730856262014-12-18T10:30:00.003-08:002014-12-18T10:31:26.455-08:00Lauren Hill. A True Basketball Great<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I hope by now, many ballers, sports fans, and generally everybody, has heard of the incredible achievements of College basketball star Lauren Hill. Click on the links for her story.<br />
Heartfelt prayers for Lauren and her family.<br />
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<a href="http://m.espn.go.com/ncw/story?storyId=12045775&src=desktop&rand=ref%7E%7B%22ref%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Flm.facebook.com%2Flsr.php%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fes.pn%252F1AKx5R9%26ext%3D1418915738%26hash%3DAclSRjDfBzpTO5qJExvg9RA5_FwslBcZ44DCVygF_r_fbQ%26_rdr%22%7D&wjb" style="background-color: lime;" target="_blank">Click Here</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2876210/My-body-shutting-s-Girl-19-reveals-daily-battle-terminal-cancer-achieving-dream-play-college-basketball.html" style="background-color: lime;" target="_blank">2nd article, Click Here</a></div>
Sloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5521444654562102563.post-55410026661194816102014-12-15T09:49:00.001-08:002014-12-15T15:23:53.462-08:00The Science of Sports Analytics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown talks about how sports analytics shows him how the worst team in the NBA gets better. What is fascinating is I could never imagine football going this deep (do they even regularly keep stats on assists?) Here Coach Brown can tell his offense is working even though they lose the majority of their games.</div><div dir="ltr">Something quite obvious too from the video is that the Sixers, while at the bottom, are creating a system of play, and part of their rebuild will be to have team ball where the output is greater than the sum of the parts.... think San Antonio Spurs and you'd be right, remembering that Brett Brown was an Assistant Coach to Gregg Popovich prior to taking the Head Coaching role at Philly. The Sixers are already signing international players too in an echo of the Spurs masterplan.</div><div dir="ltr"><br>
"Good to great." An expression many of us could use in taking things we do from good enough, to spectacular.</div>
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check the vid<span style="color: white;">:</span><span style="color: lime;"> <a href="http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=truehoop&id=71518" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">ESPN Truehoop talks to Brett Brown</span></a></span></div>
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Sloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5521444654562102563.post-41706412404238571312014-12-14T03:08:00.002-08:002014-12-14T03:11:26.856-08:00Props to the lady ballers at Notre Dame<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Further to my last post, I was pleased to see the whole diversity of the Notre Dame ladies college team made a statement, and the coaching staff and college supported them.<br />
A lesson to the NBA...<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> <span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">If you're white and playing in a league which is 80 percent players from the African diaspora, you have a moral obligation to learn from your team mates' experiences, and then educate your own people.</span></span></span><br />
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Sloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5521444654562102563.post-68809284444732698262014-12-09T14:38:00.001-08:002014-12-10T14:50:49.860-08:00Breathe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'll make this short. I'm in no place to write about the experiences of peoples of the African Diaspora anywhere in the world. The events in America brought about by police brutality, which many should be reminded are also not uncommon on this side of the Atlantic, and the lack of justice thereafter, has caused several African American athletes to show their support.<br />
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As someone who fights for true equality and recognises "white privilege" exists, it would be too easy to hope that more sportsmen and women would take up the cause. The problem is the world's expectation that it should be black athletes who should do the fighting. What those of the African Diaspora should or shouldn't choose to do as individuals, or collectively, I cannot speak for. What I can speak for is my absolute disgust that athletes of my pale complexion do not carry the same fight.<br />
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Are white sports men and women really so separated from their team mates, colleagues, and their "black friends" that they can only isolate issues of race as a black struggle. Oppression is not white sufferance, but its instigation is a flaw in white society that should be countered and objected to.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." </span><br />
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This same struggle is seen on European football pitches whenever a racist crowd incident occurs... it's always on the black players to stand up for themselves. When do their white team mates actually make a stand for them? Imagine if a David Beckham actually had some golden balls and said ENOUGH, and led their team off the pitch when one of their team mates has been racially abused.<br />
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Racism's hiding place is among the white liberals who claim they don't see colour, but then do nothing to take ownership of fighting evil in their society. And this makes them complicit.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Martin Luther King Jr</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">2 Corinthians 6:17</span></div>
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Sloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5521444654562102563.post-15626217195091866352014-12-09T14:38:00.000-08:002014-12-09T15:05:37.881-08:00Interview with Tamika Catchings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in 2011, I interviewed Tamika Catchings for Phenomenal Healthstyle, who I was writing for at the time. Since then, Tamika won Gold at the 2012 London Olympics, became WNBA Most Valuable Player, and won a WNBA Championship with the Indiana Fever.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Excusive Interview with Tamika Catchings<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This week on
Phenomenal Healthstyle, I have been blessed with the opportunity to interview
one of the world’s top female athletes. Slam Magazine listed Tamika Catchings
as one of the top 3 women basketball players in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a two time Olympic Gold Medallist with
Team USA, 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year, 4 time WNBA Defensive Player of the
Year, 7 time WNBA All Star and All Team WNBA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">When my daughter was
10 and early in her basketball journey, the world was full of male basketball
icons and such posters adorned her bedroom walls. I really wanted female role
models that she could relate to. I stumbled across an article on a young woman
who had just won Rookie of The Year in the Women’s National Basketball Association
(WNBA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The article described how Tamika
Catchings had overcome many challenges in her life, not least through having
severe loss of hearing, and how through basketball and sports her confidence
and self-esteem grew. From becoming one of the greats on the basketball court,
off it she began her foundation Catch The Stars to help disadvantaged youth and
has received numerous accolades for her work with young people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Her story as a woman
and as a ball player touched my daughter and me, so I did something I don’t
tend to do…. I sent an email care of her pro-team the Indiana Fever, just to
say what it meant to have such a positive role model in a sport that my
daughter could relate to, not least because my daughter has a sibling with
autism, which meant she too grew up knowing “difference”. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">To my surprise I got a
warm response from Tamika, and we have maintained email contact ever since. In
2004, I took my daughter to Spain, where the Women’s Team USA were in a
pre-Olympic tournament. There we met Tamika and had a chance to chat basketball
and watch the team train (hard!). The experience left an indelible image on us
both of the humbleness and strength of women whose passion is not only
basketball, but in knowing that they are trail blazing a path for girls and
women to follow them in a man’s world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You will know from my
previous articles that passion means a lot to me. In basketball, I’ve never
seen passion more than in women who play for the love of the game on a fraction
of what men earn. And I’ve never seen it more on the court than in Tamika
Catchings.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Tamika, a warm welcome to Phenomenal Healthstyle. I have to know, can
I claim this to be the first UK interview you’ve done, and have you ever been
to the UK? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Thanks so much! I’m really excited to be doing this interview with
you. I have been to the UK before, but this is my first UK interview<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>: )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: We’re looking forward to seeing you at the London Olympics next year,
unless of course you end up playing against Team GB!! This will be your third
visit to Olympic competition, each time with a very different mix of players
around you, and you will really be an established veteran presence. What
excites you about the talent and youth of Team USA and how that will appear on
the world stage? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Lord willing I will have the opportunity to join Team USA in the
London Olympics next year. The thing that excites me the most about this team
is the weapons that each player has. The players on this team are young and so
it will be awesome to watch them grow up, like we have, on this level and
establish a name for the next group of Olympians. I love how the torch is
carried from generation to generation and we all kind of intertwine together to
mix the young with the old but keep the tradition alive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: The WNBA now has women joining the league that have grown up with the
league as an aspiration from when they were very young. Girls now have access
to female basketball stars on TV, and they can emulate their play and grow. As
they enter the league, there seems a continuous improvement in the standard of
women’s basketball. For veteran players like yourself, who are still regarded
as the very best in the league, how have you managed to constantly elevate your
game to remain at the top? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: For me, the desire to be the best “Tamika Catchings” that I can be is
how I have elevated my game. It’s cool to see the ladies coming in being so
inspired by a league that started 15 years ago. They have had role models to
come up behind and they are coming in full force. I love the ones that work
hard and are like sponges open to listening and learning everything they
possibly can to elevate their own games for the team’s sake. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: How important is nutrition and a healthy diet to fitness and sport? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Nutrition and a healthy diet are really important to fitness and
sport. I’m not going to say that I am the most nutritious person, but the night
before games and especially game days are really important to me as far as what
I eat. One analogy that was given to me about the food we put into our bodies
is the gas that we put in a luxury vehicle. If we put the cheapest gas in a
luxury vehicle over time it may ruin the engine. It’s the same thing with our
bodies. If we put a lot of junk food, candy and stuff with high fat in our
bodies, over time our bodies will change and obesity may be the result of our
earlier actions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Many people reading this won’t appreciate what the formation of the
WNBA 15 years ago meant to women basketball players. I read several biographies
of players who prior to this had to play overseas or leave the game all
together as there was little opportunity to make money at home. You and many
players still travel abroad to play outside of the WNBA season. It sounds like
it used to be a very nomadic experience. Do you think that is still the case
and how do you cope with the pressures of being away from family and loved ones
for so much of the year? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: I’m definitely a homebody and enjoy being with my family. So, going
overseas tends to be hard for me because I feel like I’m missing out on my
nephews and niece’s lives. However, playing overseas is an opportunity I feel
like players should experience at some point in their lives. It is an opportunity
to travel the world and experience different cultures that you used to read
about in history class. Plus, you get paid to travel and see the world while
you’re at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: As someone who has been encouraged to play sports in their youth and follow
your passion, what advice would you give parents of young girls, or boys for
that matter, who are concerned that playing sports to realise their passions
and potential, may have a detrimental effect on their academic studies? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: I believe that playing sports teaches us so much about life overall.
The combination of sports and academics allows us another tool to work on
prioritizing our lives and learning how to give the best effort in both. I am
so thankful that my parents put me in sports when I was younger because it
definitely has helped with my self-confidence and my presentation for who I am.
I don’t know what type of person I would be if I had not opted to continue to
play sports throughout my childhood years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: What are your ambitions for your Catch The Stars Foundation once you
retire from basketball and do you have ambitions to extend that overseas? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: My ambition for CTSF is for it to still be standing strong even beyond
my playing years. I am really passionate about helping kids and providing
opportunities for others so I hope to keep my vision alive. I definitely would
like to expand my foundation overseas. We have hosted 2 basketball clinics in
South Korea and 1 in Poland while I played there a few years back. My goal is
to continue growing and go wherever I am welcomed : )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: How do you see sport as a positive influence for children and young
adults, and particularly for girls, and how can we increase girls participation
in sports?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Sports is a positive influence for children and young adults because
of the outlet it provides for them to be focused on fitness and maintaining
their bodies. When we look at girls in particular, the pregnancy rate amongst
girls who play sports over those who do not is significantly lower. A young
girl participating in sports tends to have higher self-esteem, learns how to
work with other people and can be more goals oriented as they have a goal to
focus on. I believe that with all of the positive aspects that come from playing
sports, we can show girls how much fun sports can be and that can be a way to
reel them in. When you have fun participating in something you enjoy, it tends
to become something that you would like to continue doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: As a father of two daughters, I get very puzzled by how femininity is
portrayed in the media, certainly in the UK at least. Strength and fitness or
the aspects of beauty represented by female athleticism seem very overlooked
here, and without a dominant female presence in UK sports there seems little to
counter balance the publicity afforded to, shall we say “low weight”
celebrities in the media. Do you think the WNBA has a role to play in
redefining what is perceived as feminine or even feminine beauty, and do you
think it has made a difference to how young girls might see themselves?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: I believe that there are quite a few WNBA players who can, have and
are redefining feminine beauty and that will play a role in how young girls see
themselves. I think that so much can be perceived from a woman that is able to
excel at a certain level and maintains her beauty along with strength and
fitness. I know for me I used to be real self-conscious when it came to my arms
and how cut they are. But, after receiving so many compliments on how strong I
look while still maintaining my beauty, it has become a “special” part of me. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: We both share a love of good poetry, and I hope you get the
opportunity to sample the strong London spoken word scene next year or in
future visits to the UK. Writing poetry is often an outlet for people.
Basketball seems to have been that outlet for you. Does poetry have a
therapeutic influence in your life and is that as a writer, reader or both?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Great question!! Poetry is a therapeutic influence both as a writer
and reader for me. While I haven’t written as often as I would have liked, it
still is an outlet that I revert too when I have a lot going on and just need
to unload my mind. From the reader aspect, sometimes it’s so cool how we can
read the poems and it can take your mind to so many different places. I love
the fact that there’s a connection from the words and our lives no matter who
we are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Assuming much of your travel is basketball related, are there places
you would like to visit when you retire from the sport?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Right now on my bucket list is Africa. I have heard so many wonderful
things about the continent and would love to experience it myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: For those who don’t follow women’s basketball in the UK, what message
would you give them for the 2012 Olympics and why watching women’s basketball
will be a good thing for them to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: I believe that the 2012 Olympics are going to be amazing and that
overall you are going to see some great competition through all of the sports.
I would say that coming to a women’s basketball game would be a great thing for
people to experience because it truly is the women’s game at the highest level.
You have so many people that would love to represent their country on this platform
so it is the best of the best players from each respective country and it is a
celebration that expands through all cultural barriers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Tamika, many thanks for taking time out of your busy season schedule
to share your thoughts with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tamika</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: Thank you. I wish that one day I could meet each one of you. But,
since that’s a little unrealistic, I hope that you will come and support
women’s basketball next year in the 2012 Olympics. It is going to be a great
time and we are grateful for the opportunity to be the stage that the whole
world will be watching. If you would like to learn more about me you can go to
my website catchin24.com and/or my Catch the Stars Foundation website at <a href="http://www.catchthestars.org/">www.catchthestars.org</a>. I look forward
to hearing from you. Best wishes and God Bless!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Sloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5521444654562102563.post-504742256467517082014-12-09T13:27:00.000-08:002014-12-09T15:03:41.286-08:00Interview with Tom McNab<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Just after the London Olympics, I interviewed Tom McNab, Olympic coach, novelist and playwright. The interview was for Phenomenal Healthstyle, and captured a pivotal point in the transition back from Olympic euphoria, to business as usual.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaBn4Bz0VWP-45z9rBaWJ_LcoAOuexIO8N42BILal8Vf3m58NWr5hndRGaPQrP3NWGBnU44Vr4m54IPTWbnsyQLvltZMW2sH3VhZ2IWKWh-H7O7zYSzDwX9yGmvFc5sAHP78QddD_-gQ/s1600/Tom+McNab.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaBn4Bz0VWP-45z9rBaWJ_LcoAOuexIO8N42BILal8Vf3m58NWr5hndRGaPQrP3NWGBnU44Vr4m54IPTWbnsyQLvltZMW2sH3VhZ2IWKWh-H7O7zYSzDwX9yGmvFc5sAHP78QddD_-gQ/s1600/Tom+McNab.JPG" height="290" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: With the London Olympics in
mind, what does the word “legacy” mean to you?</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: I hate the word. It’s used by politicians as a buzz word, but it’s never
really defined. It’s what we call in Scotland “blethers” (editors note - an
internet guided translation: foolish talk/nonsense!!) I was on a regional bid
committee and I brought up with Seb Coe 2 years before the bid, how could we
differentiate ourselves from the French bid. Like us, they could put on a good
games, build a fantastic stadium and regenerate perhaps a part of Paris. While
I’m not saying I was the first to ever mention it, I suggested to Seb Coe that
we could increase sports participation. It’s never been done before in the
Olympics, and that could be a key difference in our bid. That concept was picked
up by Seb and was expanded upon. That may or may not have been a deciding
factor, but we did win the bid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Legacy means…leaving something behind. That’s all it means. But legacy
could be good, bad or indifferent. It could be anything. Legacy can work in
different tiers: What’s the legacy in top level sport. What’s the legacy for
the East end of London, it’s regeneration. What’s a better way for people who
are already participating in sport (not at elite level) to have a better
experience. What is the impact on the way the world sees London and the UK and
tourism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Barcelona Olympics in 1992 was seen as successful, and the Spanish
were successful in competition which carried over to Atlanta ’96 but petered
out after that, and are probably down to their pre-1980’s levels now, so no
long term legacy there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Atlanta
games had very little legacy and are not widely viewed as successful. The 2000
Sydney games was great for Australia but the stadium was in receivership a year
later and there was no increase in tourism for Australia (partially due to 9/11
a year later). Athens 2004 simply added to Greek debt. So there are various
levels of legacy or otherwise, but not a great track record for those holding
the games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I think we’ve done better in London than any other games has done and
possibly could do in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As for increasing participation…that won’t happen. We perhaps promised
something that we couldn’t deliver. Seeing elite athletes at the Olympics won’t
make an inactive youngster like sport. The reason they’re inactive is because
they don’t/didn’t like sport at school and the way it’s presented to them.
Studies show up to the age of 12, children are pretty enthusiastic about sport.
At Secondary School that changes. They may not like how they look, they may not
make the teams or there’s a bigger guy playing. They feel inferior. The PE
teacher is probably good at sport and doesn’t have a lot of time for them too
and focuses on those who are good at sport and doesn’t know how to include
everyone. In fact Physical Education has been a failure in terms of including
those who don’t like sport or exercise. It’s great at dealing with those who
are already gifted.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: The Olympics has been and
gone. The media is back to the X Factor and Premier League football. Is
there a demand for an Olympic Legacy?</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: There’s no demand for it anymore. It’s forgotten and politicians briefly
used it in party conferences and moved on. People have moved on. It’s a very
short term society with short attention spans. Everyone is onto the next thing.
Not a blame thing, but that’s the nature of modern society.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: How much should the legacy
be about Team GB’s success, and how much is about social change in terms
of participation and fitness?</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: It will make a big impact for Team GB and we’ll retain the funding for
high level sport and it will keep us going for Rio and beyond. I think we’ll
not tail off like other countries do after hosting. We’ve probably got the best
performance programme in the world through UK Sport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Social change and participation not so much.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: How important is funding in
achieving a legacy? How far can we go on a limited budget with volunteers
in sports?</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: Funding is critical. Without the lottery, UK Sport could not have done
what it did. But how the funding is applied is key. At top level it’s been
excellent through UK Sport ensuring excellence has been funded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Where we have problems is that Local Authorities are not required to
fund sports. The Government could have made sport a statutory requirement at
Local Authority level, but instead it’s at the bottom of the agenda,
particularly at a time like now with pressure on funding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And there are different levels of participation here. We have Physical
Activity, but the government confuses this with sport. Me deciding to go for a
jog is not sport. If I choose to be a 5k runner, that is. On one hand there’s
health related fitness activity... it’s not organised, you just go out and do
it. Other may pay to go to health clubs but it’s personal fitness and lifestyle
decisions, not sport. Then there’s joining a club at casual levels and higher
still at competitive levels (once a week social sport or dedicated athletes).
The government lump all these levels together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Once the Local Authority funding contracts in size we are dependent on
volunteers. The voluntary sports sector tends to feed into the elite sports,
but it can be chaotic. A club may not have enough knowledge or resources to
deal with sudden demand…. some will, some won’t, but it’s hit and miss. A club
is only as good as the coaches within it. Just because someone volunteers,
doesn’t mean they have the right knowledge to impart. For example, where is
anyone going to find local knowledge and facilities for sports like handball or
volleyball. With athletics, some of the field sports are very specialised and
need specialist coaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Funding the voluntary sector won’t change things in itself. It will
simply make it easier for them to do what they already do. The question is if
you fund it, how do you make it better quality. Not that there aren’t good and
knowledgeable volunteers around, there are. But it’s just not the experience
everywhere. You’re dependent on what’s near to you and how good it is.
Governing bodies aren’t really able to change this. They can look after the
elite but not get really in depth at local club level.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: If we need further
government funding, what’s the return for the country?</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: It’s hard to estimate. But we can’t measure this in sports
participation. If we’re talking of a return in health, then we’re talking about
diet and fitness not simply sport. Diet is more critical than sport in dealing
with say obesity. Health clubs have been a huge success story in encouraging
people to be fit. But they’re fine for middle income earners and above. What I
would like to see is the private sector tasked by the government to improve
health and fitness levels for lower income groups. Get them to present plans to
the government for lower income groups to engage in activity. Then there would
be a benefit in return for health.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: Do you think certain sports
are over saturated in the media at the expense of others?</span></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: Public interest is reflected in the coverage. I think the public overall
leads the media and not the other way round, so we’re seeing what the majority
of the public want to see. There are of course channels on the fringes that
cater for more specialist sports.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: How can women/girls be
encouraged into sports and do we need better coverage of female sports as
part of this process?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: Seeing someone like Jess Ennis will mainly motivate other female
athletes. The girls who take up sport are already gifted. Female drop off in
sport is staggering in the teens, so it comes back to Physical Education having
to be better for those who are not gifted. I would love to see a fitness suite
in every school in Britain. Not a gym will wall bars etc. A fitness base
approach with music and TV’s to get kids in. It could pay for itself if the
public could use it afterwards, but it would still require something like
lottery funding to help administer it.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: What generic skills
translate across different sports.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: The biggest thing is passion. That translates across all sports. You
generate your interest in sports coaching through curiosity and passion.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: As someone who is involved
in the arts and sports, which skills cross over both disciplines. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: Passion and a relentless desire to improve. A writer constantly redrafts
their work. You have to have a relentless dissatisfaction with what you are
doing and seek to improve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plays are
a big team thing with actors, directors, technicians and people putting on the
show. If I could start over, I would come back into arts and not sports. Sport
would be for fun.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sloetry: Sport is often referred to
as the great equaliser, in terms of breaking down barriers. In the real
world, is it superficial and simply on the playing field, or can it reach
into society and make real change at a social level.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tom</b>: In one sense Jessie Owen didn’t change anything. He returned to the USA
with a ticker tape reception but that night had to go back into his hotel
through the kitchen entrance. Sport is a great piece of social glue. It brings
people together but it’s what happens in society that matters. Where Mandela
was clever, he used rugby as a social change agent by realising it was a way
into white South African hearts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">However, on a social level, I do think the Paralympics has seen a change
in terms of peoples attitudes to disability… yet at the same time the
government is cutting benefits, so how much social change has there really
been?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What the Paralympics can do is inspire on a personal level - make people
look at themselves and realise what they can achieve. It put things into
perspective. Most of what I’ve written has never been published. Of every 10
articles I write, 2 might be published. But that’s fine. The muscle of your
writing is developed by your continued writing. You’re not failing because you
haven’t made it, you’re failing because you haven’t tried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Olympics transferred sport into a spiritual experience for many
people not just by what happened on the field, but by what’s happened around
it… the way people treated each other and talked on the tube, the volunteers
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People came out of their cocoon.
Even if they go back into it, it’s good that people came out for a while. The
British public came out of themselves as happens from time to time, and their
capacity surprised themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Sloetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05182929170273645929noreply@blogger.com0