Playing the Game (FB)

It is the last three days of my college lacrosse career.  It has creeped up on me so quickly I haven't even had time to really process the fact I just completed my last practice, last warm up, last drills, and last cheers on the beautiful green grass at Paradiso Sport Complex.  It is a bitter sweet moment in my life.  Bitter in the fact these last two games are all I have left as a DII athlete.  But sweet, because I am ready to start the next chapter of my life.  This moment in time makes me wonder if I have fulfilled my purpose to the team and if I have given it my all these past three years here as a Dragon.  Did I reach my fullest potential?  That is a question I believe no one can truly answer when evaluating themselves.  I made mistakes, like most do, I had my off days where I didn't want to "show up" and play.  Though in the end id like to say I gave it my all and these next two games I am going out with a bang.  


Though my body is physically ready to be done haha,  mentally I will always be ready to play some LAX.  This game has defined who I am as a person.  It has helped shape my life and brought me to be the young woman I am today.  Without lacrosse I wouldn't have been given the opportunity to attend a university out of state, along with meeting some of the most amazing ladies I have had the honor of playing with.  I will miss my teammates, especially my fellow graduate class of 2013.  We have been through thick and thin together and my heart aches at the idea of not being able to play along side these talented ladies again.  Though distance may separate us, we will forever remain as a team and bonded together through our trials.  I am proud to be a Lady Dragon despite our record, because in the end it always boiled down to one thing, and that was playing the game with my heart.  


So long Tiffin University & FSU!                 

  

The Rock Prevailed (FB)

It was a hard fought battle against the Rock.  The dragons started out strong with a goal right out of the gate, but Slipper Rock answered back with 3.  Though the hard work and consistent effort by the Dragons fell short and they were trumped 17-10.  Katie Clarke, freshmen mid fielder, dominated the draw controls with fifteen, but it wasn’t enough to keep the ball on the attacking end. 

The game boiled down to caused turn over’s.  The Dragons fell back into their own ways with a total of 27 turnovers to their 13 that really hurt the team.  Freshmen goalie Jessica Bombard had an outstanding game with 20 saves to add to her total current career of 206 saves, making her one of the top 10 goal keepers in DII for this 2012 season.

With two games left Lady TU LAX really wants to end strong, especially the seniors who will not be returning next year.  Heather Denaro, Anna Tong, Elyse Braun, & Kelley Miller will not be returning next season, all of whom are starters. 

“It’s my last year playing lacrosse at this level.  Its bitter sweet in the sense my body is ready to call it quits, but mentally I am ready to go and don’t want it to be over haha.  I will miss my teammates and wish them the best of luck in the future and I’ll be cheering them on from the stands.”  Senior Anna Tong stated on the bus ride back home from PA.      

Advertising: How Much is to Much?

We have all been to sporting events, paid for our tickets, sat our tooshies in the seats and panned our eyeballs over every square inch of the enormous stadium.  Sometimes it seems that on every beam, concrete wall, and nook & cranny there is some sort of sign, sticker or electronic banner advertising for something.  Now personally when I go to a sporting event my focus is on the game itself, but sometimes I get caught up in those bright electronic signs flashing food images and I am just like gahhh!  I could really go for a McDonald's french fry or Taco Bell bean and cheese burrito.  That is the point right, for advertising within the stadium to captivate our attention just long enough to embed images in our minds, hoping that after the game fans will go and invest in those products.  So it poses this question, how much advertising signage is to much in a stadium to where it effects the fan experience?

Commercialization is the act of exploiting or making know for 
a financial gain.  It is seen very commonly in sporing arenas.  In my opinion, as soon as the advertisements distract me (the fan) form the game being held, that is when it effects my experience.  As soon as I, for some reason, crave that bean burrito, my attention and focus is not about the game it is about leaving the game to get food.  Now, if the stadium conveniently has a Taco Bell then my purchase would remain profitable for the sporting venue.  However, at what point do our brains stop absorbing the advertising we see and in turn just zone it out making it not as effective to the marketers? 


Studies show, that on average we see 3,000 ads per day.  Though it is not exactly determined how much of those advertisements really influence our buying power, they affect us in another way.  The most powerful effect of advertising is just to create a good feeling about a product by surrounding it with other things that we like.  This is called affective conditioning and it is proven most effective when we don't realize that it is happening. Why would advertisers want us to be happy and not more in tune with what they are trying to sell?  The feelings we have are often a good marker of what is safe to do and what is likely to turn out well. If we have to make a choice, and one of the options just feels good to us, then we are likely to go with the one that feels good, aka purchase.  


**More info at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ulterior-motives/201008/what-does-advertising-do

Losing Streak Finally Over! (FB)

Sophomore Elyse Braun in a action shot with the ball 

After ten consecutive loses the dragons finally pull out a win against Alma.  TU wasted little time turning up the offense, enjoying a 27-8 shot advantage in the first half and scoring 12 straight unanswered goals to close out the first half. Overall TU held a 41-15 shot total and a 52-31 advantage in ground balls. They also forced 24 Alma turnovers, including 16 in the first half.   Nine different athletes scored goals making it a 21-3 victory over the Scotts.  

The Dragons look to bring the heat this coming Tuesday against the competitive Slippery Rock of Pennsylvania.  Last year’s match was a cold one and consisted to two lighting delays that made the match last an extra 45min.  Unfortunately, TU Lady LAX got beat by the Rock 18 to 7.  This year however, the Dragons are coming off a solid win and are looking to keep the streak going and stick it to the Rock.  

What I have Learned

There is no doubting the importance of having superior writing abilities in the sporting industry.  Whether it is posting Blogs, writing a press release, designing a marketing piece or simply just Tweeting, it is crucial that every aspect of ones writing is done with precision.   This is probably the most important thing I have taken from the class Sport Writing for Marketing and Promotion.  Though I will admit I am not the fondest of writing, in fact I loathe it, but being able to Blog about something that I thoroughly enjoy makes it a little easier than trying to whip out a 15 page research paper on statistics.   


One of my more favorable aspects of the class was getting to create and design my own sponsorship proposal.  Though most individual projects are usually stressful and time consuming, I actually took my time in making sure I created every aspect of the project that was needed, and even three weeks before it was due!  I learned a lot about this class through the textbooks that were used.  The materials really simplified the language and gave examples that helped me to understand the content.  


All in all, this class was rather enjoyable despite the overwhelming amounts of work needed to be done outside of the classroom, but then again that is a hybrid class for you.  I loved how everything was hands on and not as much of a lecture.  There were always discussion being held in class and the assignments really forced you to get your hands dirty in the field of Sports MKT & Writing.  LETS JUST HOPE I CAN PULL OUT A  =) 

Stadium Naming Rights

Despite the original naming rights of Fenway Park in 1912, it is more widely believed that naming major sporting arenas begun in 1926 when William Wrigley, the chewing gum entrepreneur and owner of the Chicago Cubs, named his team's stadium "Wrigley Field."  Naming rights are a financial transaction where a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time.  The duration of these purchases can last anywhere from three to twenty years depending upon the contract. 

University of PHX Stadium
Home of AZ Cardinals

Being a native of Arizona I remember all too well the bidding war that took place in 2006 when the multipurpose football stadium in Glendale (home of the Cardinal NFL team) had officially been built.  The University of Phoenix acquired the naming rights in September 2006, shortly after the stadium had opened under the name Cardinals Stadium.  The naming rights contract totals $154.5 million over the course of 20 years.  Over those twenty years the stadium played/will play host to Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl 2015,  WrestleMania XXVI and the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.  Each event can draw crowds up to 63,000+ people who all will see University of Phoenix logo as the premier sponsor for that stadium.

Notre Dame Football Stadium

With what seems like a win win for both the stadium operators and sponsoring company, why is it not all large stadiums such as Michigan and Notre Dame participate in naming right contracts and cash in on the dough?  Sports Business Daily states Notre Dame could gain $6M per year from corporate stadium naming rights, while Michigan and Ohio State could command more than $2M per year.  So what’s stopping these institutions from cashing in?  Sports Business Daily reports, “Notre Dame Senior Associate AD John Heisler said unless there is a “radical change in philosophy” among the university’s administration, the uncluttered look at Notre Dame Stadium will endure. “It’s not a conversation anyone spends a lot of time thinking about,” he said. “In many respects our stadium is a non-commercial zone.”  Univ. of Michigan Associate AD for Media Relations Bruce Madej said the estimates for Michigan Stadium naming rights did not surprise him, but he added the brand equity in the stadium is more important to the school. “The Michigan name and the branding of the University of Michigan is of utmost importance and we want that name to be recognized as the leader in athletics and academics,” he said. “We want to stay as collegiate as possible.””

Essentially it boils down to tradition and brand recognition.  Though lots of money is generated and lost through these multimillion dollar contracts, is it really worth it in the end?  I think yes.  If the two parties can come to a collaboration where both end up happy, then why not.   

**More INFO @ http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com 

It’s All About the Right State of Mind (FB)

With five consecutive games on the road, it certainly has shown on the drained lady dragons.  Long drives and late nights mixed with a nine game losing streak, is sure to take not only a physical toll, but mental strain on any athlete.  Stepping off of a bus after 4 hours on the road and being expected to play hard for 60min is challenging for any away team.  There is no doubt that a large cheering section, custom warm up music and the familiarity of one’s own field gets a team pumped for their game.  But what about the traveling team?  How do they get amped for games?  The Dragons are spicing up their routine to help get them mentally into game mode as soon as they step off that bus.

"Remember the Titans" sports film

First and for most within an hour of arrival time, the players have to wake up and are not allowed to lie down.  I personally applaud anyone who can even fall asleep on the dragon bus, but this ensures that that each athlete is wide awake and not groggy when they arrive.  Secondly, if they play a movie on the way to the game, it can only be motivational films (mostly sports related).  Movies that have violence, lots of swearing and derogatory content tend to put people in a weird state of mind, make them upset or uneasy.  By playing only motivational films, it puts the team in a positive mood before game time.  Thirdly, before exiting the bus our coach always gives a motivational speech to help get us in the right state of mind. 

It is pivotal that everyone is on the same page and focused prior to exiting the bus.  If there is a teammate who is semi awake or upset, it can throw off the whole momentum and pre game warm-up of the team, which could result in a poor first half to a game.  The lady Dragons are hoping with these new implementations it will better ensure the readiness of the team to come out of the gate strong.    

Phelps Scandal

Phelps wearing his Olympic medals

We all remember the, well most of us remember, 2008 Olympics in Beijing.  The U.S kicked royal booty in aquatics.  Super stud Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals and now currently holds the record for most Olympic medals in history with 16.  This one of a kind all star athlete can do no wrong, or can he? Phelps was caught smoking  marijuana at a college party.  After his poor actions not even months after the hype of the Olympics, his endorser Kellogg dropped him from their contract, however Speedo decided to keep them as their representative. 


According to Kellogg Phelps had broken the morals clause they had held him to.  A morals clause is a provision in a contract or official document that prohibits certain behavior in a person's private life. They deal with behavior such as sexual acts and drug use. They were commonly used in the contract between actors/actresses and film studios to uphold the public image sought to be portrayed by the studio. Morals clauses are included today in certain contracts of public figures, such as athletes, actors/actresses, and others.  In other words Kellogg saw pot smoking as bad publicity for their comany and did't want to be affiliated with Phelps.  Why is it however Speedo remained faithful to their beloved star?    

Phelps Speedo advertisement

My assumption is Speedo is a premier swimming brand.  Phelps is an outstanding swimmer.  Kelloggs target market is usually associate with kids.  They make childrens cereals and other snack like products and having a pot smoker as a representative would reflect badly on their company, not to mention the message it would send to kids.  Speedo doesn't just cater to youth, they make products for adults as well.  I believe this is why they held onto Phelps.  They wanted to still be perceived as the best in the swimsuit market and at the time Phelps was the best swimmer.  There was no one else people would recognize other than his face so Speedo took the risk.  I am sure Speedo didnt just brush off the incident, they had probably fined Phelps heavily for breaching contract or didn't pay him in the full he was originally awarded.  

8 Losses and Counting (FB)

What may be the longest losing streak this team has ever seen, the Lady Dragons are still keeping their heads up.  “It’s not the fact that we don’t have the skills, because we have the skills and talent we need to win, we are just lacking that want and power within us to want to win.  We aren’t confidant,” Coach Colleen Dixon stated after the 8^th loss at Edinboro.  Being a senior on this team and practicing with my girl’s every day, I know what we are missing and it is confidence.  We have so many talented players and we will be up at half thinking that we have the big W, then one person makes a simple mistake and our momentum is shot and we crawl into a hole that is too deep to get out of.  We have shifted gears and with eight more games left and a week to recoup after this long streak of disaster, we are expecting to bounce back.  The captains have helped changed the tone of practices by helping to boost the confidence of the freshmen and underclassmen who have become discouraged, along with coach Dixon is spending ample amounts of time on the areas we need the most improvement.  The team is finally coming together as one and we are all on the same page and hungry for a win.  We will see the fire unleashed from the Dragons this Wednesday April 4^th away at Indiana Tec.      

Is Mike Veeck Crazy or Genius?

Mike Veeck

Minor league owner and consultant to a number of professional baseball teams, Mike Veeck is considered a legend in his promotional tactics of getting fans to the ball park.  He hired a dog & pig to deliver baseballs to the umpire, a Roman Catholic nun to give massages, and locked fans out of the stadium to set an all-time attendance record for fewest people at a game.  Hands down one of my favorite ideas that came out of Veeck’s brain was hiring mimes to reenact the instant replays.  This didn’t go over well at all with the baseball fans.  They were so heated at the lack of instant replays on the big screen, they began to throw hot dogs at the mimes.  Though this “promotion” drove fans nuts and even cause so agitation, the ball park sold out of hot dogs.  So it poses this question, is Mike Veeck crazy or a genius?  Not all of his schemes have been successful, but I find that his creativeness is brilliant.  Veeck is trying to sell the fan experience by thinking out side of the box.  He is purposefully trying to get under the fans skin, get them out of their comfort zone.  Though some may not react to this in a positive manner (throwing hot dogs), I bet everyone who was at that game will remember it for the rest of their lives and that is what sells tickets.  Creating memories that people can attach on to and that will get them back in those seats for more “bizarre” moments/entertainment.