Benefactor Group’s Post

Developmental teams can't be competitive? At Stars and Stripes Sports, we embrace committed players who value the journey of proper technique, physical development, and personal growth. We prioritize team cohesion and individual progress to build players up, not replace them for mistakes. We focus on challenging players to exceed their own expectations. Are you making the right decisions for your child's development? Demand quantifiable proof of progress and hold coaches accountable. Stars and Stripes Sports ensures player development can be measured and demonstrated. Stay tuned for our College Prep Program and VIP Interactive Dinners, connecting athletes with top professionals shaping the industry. There is nothing more rewarding than beating other teams with the people they cut! https://lnkd.in/gt93P3VT

If you're a Minnesota Vikings fan or have a professional connection to sports (such as working in the sports industry or having a personal interest in team culture and community), posting about the Vikings' win could be a great way to show enthusiasm and engage with your network. However, to make it more relevant to LinkedIn, try to add a professional angle, like: Leadership and Teamwork: Highlight key moments from the game that showcased great leadership, perseverance, or teamwork, connecting it to skills that are important in the workplace. Community Pride: Talk about how the Vikings' success brings the Minnesota community together, creating a sense of pride that resonates with you as a Minnesotan. Motivation: Use the win as a metaphor for overcoming challenges, setting goals, and achieving success—concepts that are easily relatable in a professional context. It’s all about making the connection between sports and professional values.

The Olympics bring tremendous sports achievement and inspiration! But did you know... there's an extensive network of sports industries that support all types of athletes, teams and leagues, everyday? Many of today's sports executives hail from Gettysburg College. And networking, through the Gettysburg Network, is all about teamwork—on their "Path to the Pros." Check out my first feature article for Gettysburg College magazine, in their new summer issue: https://lnkd.in/eYYYGQuR

The concept this week. You don’t need luck; you need to do your best. As a football fan, I always look forward to the upset victories. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals have made it increasingly difficult for smaller colleges to compete with the traditional powerhouses in the current college football landscape. Insert Northern Illinois’ upset victory over #5 Notre Dame. Notre Dame paid NIU almost 1.5 Million dollars to play them in South Bend, under the pretense that they would win big. As the number 5 ranked college football program in the country, Notre Dame was favored to win by four touchdowns against NIU. Last week, Notre Dame beat nationally ranked Texas A&M in College Station, and everyone believed that the Fighting Irish were on their way to the College Football Playoffs. Not so fast, my friends (Lee Corso Voice). NIU’s starters were primarily juniors and seniors who had been in the program for a long time. They know exactly what’s required; they have 10k+ hours in the program. After NIU beat ND, the post-game reporter asked the NIU head coach, Thomas Hammond, what he shared with the team to inspire them to win. Hammond responded, “I told my team we didn’t need luck; we just needed our best.” Don’t bet on luck this week if you don’t have to. Trust and believe in your best. Believing and obsessing about improving your best helps you avoid being outcome-oriented, keeps you present, and helps you progress towards that ‘big opportunity’. Look at this post-game interview! I love College Football for this reason. #MusaMonday #MondayMotivation

Timelines...one of the most enjoyable parts of a Strategic Plan is capturing a Timeline of the business. It can be a lot of fun looking back at the accomplishments and recording them in a way that others (newer employees) can see and understand. It is fantastic just to see how far you have come! This video is from The MNP Community Sports Centre here in Calgary. 40 years this facility has been serving the good folks of Calgary. When I first saw it I was amazed at the effort put into this project...forty years is a long time and it's worth celebrating. How's your business timeline or how about your career timeline... Take the time to celebrate! #strategicplanning #strategicplanprogram #strategicleadership #strategicforesight

I'm deeply saddened to hear about the recent arrest of former Arsenal player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas for importing cannabis. As a young black footballer, it’s clear he didn't have the right support and guidance around him, which is something I’ve seen far too often in the world of sports. Whether you're a professional, semi-professional, or grassroots player, being an athlete can consume your entire identity. Sports is all you know, and it can feel like it's all you’re going to do for the rest of your life. I know this firsthand—it took me two years after retirement to find my purpose. And for some, that’s too long. Without the right mentorship and preparation for life after sports, many young athletes are left struggling. We need to start early, mentoring and upskilling our athletes—professionals, semi-pros, grassroots, and anyone involved in sports—to help them transition into day-to-day life and find new opportunities beyond the game. There is life after football, and it's crucial to have people around you who can help navigate those next career ventures. #AthleteSupport #LifeAfterSports #MentalHealthInSports #PlayerWellbeing #SportsMentorship #TransitionOutOfSports #FootballCommunity #YouthDevelopment #AthleteUpskilling #FootballCareers #SportsEducation #MentorshipMatters #SportsLifeBalance #AthleteGuidance #GrassrootsFootball #SemiProFootball #ExProSupport #AthleteMentalHealth #SportsOrganizations #AthletePartnerships

This is encouraging, if long overdue, news from across the pond. I had the pleasure of visiting a number of Boy Scouts of America troops eleven years ago on a backpacking/couchsurfing trip (jesus that makes me feel old). At that time they'd just moved to allow openly gay members into the organisation, and having come from UK Scouting, where such things had been far more acceptable for far longer, it all felt behind the times and a bit bonkers. This new feels much the same - good, though why on earth has it taken this long? Though, if you do some digging, there have been branches of Scouting America that have been open to boys and girls (and coed) for years. Plus, the comments thread on this post has some very agitated exchanges of view lurking in it (well worth a read if you're got a spare moment in your lunch and want to be mildly concerned about some members of society). So, what are we to think of it? I suppose, thinking with my writing/messaging/communicating ideas hat on, this post leaves me with the following thoughts: ⚜️You can celebrate progress while still pushing for more progress. You don't have to do one or the other. There's still work to be done, in BSA and everywhere, on inclusion for non-binary and transgender youth. But moves like this are stepping stones to that world and are good things. ⚜️While it's not as much fun, researching your own standpoint is always a good idea if you don't want to look silly. For instance, there are lots of people in the comments asking why Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts can't be merged in the US. The answer is that, despite their similar names, they are both members of different worldwide organisations and so subject to different policies, rules, and goals. A little bit of Googling would have saved quite a few arguments in the comments thread. ⚜️ Critical thinking will often make your argument better, too. For instance, I saw a few reactions to this news mourning the loss of a boys-only space where men can teach boys how to be good men. There's a tribal part of my brain that agrees with that, but it only takes a moment's reflection to realise a few things: Human beings have always existed in a co-ed environment called The World, where they learned how to be men from men and from women, and everyone in between. A lot of Teaching Men How To Be Men involves discussions of how to treat people with other gender identities. The notion that this education of how to interact with the world should happen in a space where a significant portion of that world is not allowed, is logically bonkers. If your boys are truly desperate for a boys-only space, then they can hang out with their boy friends in their own time. Nobody is against that, and nobody wants to police that. There's just no need for a formal organisation like scouts (or school or Scouting) to enforce that separation, at least not for boys. What do you think? #TheGrumpyCopywriter #Scouting #gender

Check out this article from Neumann University summarizing my experience in Las Vegas with Living Sport!

Dive into the intertwining worlds of resilience in sports and personal growth, inspired by LeBron James' illustrious career and a memorable childhood lesson from "Silk City." This blog unveils the essence of staying in the game, embracing losses as stepping stones, and recognizing the power of teamwork and preparation. LeBron's journey from facing harsh critiques to redefining success in the NBA mirrors life's battles, teaching us that true greatness comes from within and is polished through challenges. Like the unforgettable fight with April, life's setbacks are not to mark our failures but to forge our path to excellence. Whether in the basketball court of life or the relentless arenas of our personal endeavors, the mantra remains the same: resilience, learning, and teamwork lead to unmatched success. Embrace the journey, for every loss is a lesson, and every game tape a guide to becoming your GOAT. #ResilienceInSportsAndLife #TheBetheaLLC

High Above and Far Away There is a habit, for some people, to look at other people's lives from high above and far away and pass judgement on the decisions and actions of people they have never met. In fact, many times they pass judgement, and create and share false stories, based on a fraction-of-a-second in time caught in a photograph or in a comment. Rarely, if ever, do these people get close enough to a person's life to really see and feel and discover the facts. It kind of reminds me of those, who have never played professional sports, who criticize professional athletes. They have no clue about the years of struggle to reach the highest level in their sport. They have no idea about their daily schedule to stay in shape for the sake of their teams. They have no idea about how much they give back to their communities. They just have no idea. So, if you find yourself tempted to pass judgement on people who have never met and/or have no idea about the details in their lives, consider that they might be doing the very best they can do at that moment in time. John W. Carver, LUTCF john@johnwcarver.com