Craig La Grappe’s Post

I am a team owner and head football coach of the Ann Arbor Jaguars, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Former NCAA female athletes and non NCAA current college students are invited to our COMBINE in March 2025. We will pick the best athletes. Tests at the Combine- 1. 40 Yard Dash 2. 20 Yard Backward Run 3. Push-Ups - How many can be done in one minute 4. Jump Rope Skips- How many can be done in one minute. 5. Crunches- How many can be done in one minute. 6. Side-to-side Hop- How many can be done in one minute. The best 40 women who scored the highest will be chosen as players for the Ann Arbor Jaguars.

You have to be pretty rich to own a sports team. But how rich? Steve Ballmer, owner of the LA Clippers, has a net worth of $123 billion. That makes him richest American sports team owner. To put this in perspective, his net worth is 4x higher than Daniel Gilbert (owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers) and 6x higher than David Tepper (owner of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC). The chart below was created by Sportico based on data from Forbes. #sportsbiz

WHAT DO KLIFF KINGSBURY AND GROUNDHOGS HAVE IN COMMON ? When Kliff Kingsbury joined the Commanders as their offensive coordinator, he never imagined that one day his offense might be called the Kingsbury Groundhog Offense. Kingsbury’s scheme, executed brilliantly by Jayden Daniels and his teammates, deserves its own brand name, because it’s much more ingenious than a generic Run Pass Option. It features a seriously good running attack that establishes the passing game and four pass options that make it incredibly hard to defend. Similarly, when Groundhogs construct their dens, they have one main entrance and four additional exits, so they are also hard to contain. In fact, Groundhogs is a championship name for the team. It honors the legacy of the Hogs who led the Redskins to three Super Bowl Championships. And it embodies the Kingsbury offensive scheme with a powerful Ground Game anchored by an O-Line just like the Hogs and an explosive Passing Attack. I like the name Groundhogs so much that I registered it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. So it’s ready to go, when Josh Harris and company give it the paws up. Hail to the Groundhogs! Hail Victory! Run or pass and score we want a lot more! Fight for old D.C. ! #WASHINGTONCOMMANDERS #NFL #JOSHHARRIS #KLIFFKINGSBURY #JAYDENDANIELS  

The 2025 Coachella Valley Invitational (CVI) will bring together a record 20 professional men’s and women’s teams for the largest-ever preseason event in North American professional soccer history it was announced by event developers and operators AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. With the support of MLS and NWSL, the CVI will host players, coaches and management from each of the clubs who will participate in preseason matches, training sessions and organizational meetings at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA. Passes for all exhibition matches are already on sale to the public at https://lnkd.in/e44eWMT3 . The initial schedule of all 26 mens and womens matches (listed below) is highlighted by appearances from 2024 MLS Cup Finalists LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, the first open to the public match played by the MLS’ newest team San Diego FC and the CVI debut of NWSL clubs Houston Dash and Seattle Reign FC. In addition to providing each of the participating MLS and NWSL teams the opportunity to prepare for their upcoming 2025 seasons in optimum weather at world class facilities, CVI will also give fans unprecedented access to watch some of MLS’s and NWSL’s most decorated and popular players and teams in an intimate setting, along with unique fan experiences. Read more here:

Remembering and honoring Jerry West, he was a friend to Innovative Partnerships Group. We have fond memories doing innovative partnerships with him over the years. Read more about his enduring impact on the sports industry: https://lnkd.in/eW-Fjm2N Sports Business Journal

2-3 Zone: 5 Ways To Exploit Your Opponent’s Weaknesses & Take Away Their Strengths In this video, legendary coach Al Marshall takes you through 5 personnel specific adjustments to his 2-3 Zone Defense that helped him win 738 games and 40 championships throughout his career. Coach Marshall details ways to adjust the zone to shut down your opponent’s strengths, whether they are on the perimeter or in the post. In doing so, your team has a solution for whatever situation your opponents present. The 5 adjustment show you how to tweak the 2-3 zone to account for: 1 - Your Athletic Guards 2 - Your Desire To Press & Play 2-3 3 - Their Star Player 4 - Their Good Shooters 5 - Their Talented Post Player

🥇 🏉 Communication is KEY 🏉 🥇 There's a lot of lessons corporate and tactical teams can take from watching sports! One of these lessons is about the important of effective (verbal/nonverbal) communication. The clip below is from the 2015 Ruby Final match between the New Zealand All Blacks vs. the Australia Wallabies. A couple of key points I want to point out from this clip: 1. Richie McCaw’s Leadership: As captain, Richie McCaw was constantly communicating with his teammates, directing them in both attack and defense. His leadership and clear communication set up the play leading to Barrett's try. 2. The Setup Play: Before Barrett scored, the All Blacks executed a series of well-coordinated passes and offloads, showing excellent communication among the players to maintain the flow of the game and break through the Australian defense. 3. Beauden Barrett’s Anticipation: Barrett’s awareness and communication with his teammates allowed him to identify the gap and sprint down the field to score the try. His ability to read the game and communicate his intentions resulted in one of the most memorable moments of the final. Now, applying that to your team, we see that effective communication comes from the TOP. Leadership is responsible for setting the expectation and overseeing the execution of effective communication and mission success. Let me show you some skills that you can put in to practice that will help you take your team to the next level and get you communicating for success. #communication #performance #rugby #sportpsychology #coaching #teamwork #leadership #professionaldevelopment #keynote #publicspeaking #teambuilding #sports #corporate #tactical #effective #execute #goals #success https://lnkd.in/ghwNHCHf

As the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes gear up for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, it's not just about football—it's about the power of intellectual property on and off the field. From trademarked logos to strategic plays, this showdown is a masterclass in branding and innovation. Check out my latest article on SNS Patent Drafting to explore the intersection of sports and IP! #PatentDesignDrawings #PatentUtilityDrawings #Trademarks #Copyrights #PatentsUSA

⭐ 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘: 𝗗𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 🗣️ "It’s not about anyone winning leagues or cups: that’s a bonus. What you must do is accelerate the players and challenge them quicker." David L. has gained a unique perspective on player development, having been an Academy Director in Scotland, England, and North America. In this interview, he shares his experience of working with MLS clubs and discusses his thoughts on paving a better pathway to the top for young footballers in Scotland. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gxekGuhn

Notre Dame's Quest for the Next Star Quarterback Explore the dynamic quarterback strategy of Notre Dame as we analyze current and potential players in college football. Dive into thrilling evaluations and gain insights into the team's evolution and competitive spirit. Don't miss this engaging breakdown of Notre Dame's aspirations and challenges! #NotreDame #CollegeFootball #QuarterbackStrategy #FootballAnalysis #GridironGreats #MarcusFreeman #TeamEvaluation #CollegeAthletics #SportsInsights #WinningMomentum