Many of us associate the Olympic Games with the “nobility of sport.” A place where the world’s political and social strife is put aside to compete on the playing field, instead of a battlefield. So, would it surprise you that people are having trouble finding acts of nobility at the Games?
This week’s Wall Street Journal noted that the International Fair Play Committee, a partner of the International Olympic Committee, is having a tough time finding acts of high honor at the Beijing Olympic Games. Apparently, there’s a dearth of nominations of athletes behaving selflessly or with remarkable good sportsmanship.
At U/S Sports Advisors, we help athletes define their “brands.” Brands are behavior. It’s who you are and what you stand for.
When it comes time to promote one’s professional sports career, we encourage our athletes to communicate what’s unique and remarkable about their brands. For example, did you overcome a tremendous obstacle in your life to enjoy success on the playing field? In a cluttered commercial marketplace, you must find way’s to stand out.
I suppose that in this day and age of selfishness, simply engaging in acts of fair play makes you pretty unique….at least at this year’s Olympic Games it does!
Go figure.
Posted by Ken Ungar, Sports Business Consultant.
