#Sportsider Magazine. July Issue.

The Global Local Sports Club

EYE ON THE BALL The highly engaging Will John on how he went from football star to YouTube sensation

Influential partners We catch up with the Sportside influencers who have been keeping sport alive during the lockdown

MANUFACTURERS The best profiles on the latest equipment manufacturers

400+ Youth Sports Leaders join forces to form

THE PLAY SPORTS COALITION July 2020

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Contents Editors Note...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5 Sport Tech NEWS.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Will John.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13 Women in Sport ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................16 Iron Tiger. Fight And Fitness ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Yoga 15 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22 What are some of the changes to sport we may see?........................................................................................................................26 Athletes are employees too. Right?.............................................................................................................................................................................28 This month’s top Sportside influencers.................................................................................................................................................................33 Sport Tech NEWS..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................40 Geezer Boxing Bags......................................................................................................................................................................................................................41 The Gymshark Formula...........................................................................................................................................................................................................42 Choosing the perfect sport wheelchair.................................................................................................................................................................45 Ahead of the curve. The evolution of hockey sticks ............................................................................................................................ 48 LAPS. Is there Life after Professional Sports?..................................................................................................................................................52 Stadium Management and Safety with ESSMA...........................................................................................................................................54

To feature in our next great issue of sportsider email us

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Editors Note Humans have played sport for as long as history has taken the time to record us. Organised games are a quintessential element of being human and Lockdown hasn’t changed that. We thrive on friendly competition, we seek heroes in those who perform, we believe in the power of sport and its ability to smooth relations and foster peace. At the moment there are a lot of things that we can get angry about. Having been forced to stay at home and isolate ourselves and being bombarded by all the negative news of the world it has made things a bit bleak. Now that Lockdown is hopefully ended and, if we’re lucky, we should avoid a second spike, we are at last seeing a return to sporting events upon the horizon. This will have a huge effect not only on the multitude of industries that directly depend on sporting events but also the mental health of fans of sport. The return to a state of normality, for many, will be determined by the return to playing and watching our favourite sports. In our third issue we’ve highlighted a number of important factors to the return to normality. We’ve spoken with the newest ambassadors of the Sportside App. We’ve highlighted a selection of businesses working within the sporting realm and have done our best to do our part in keeping sport alive during these quiet periods. As always, we are very busy on social media as well, and if you’d like to connect with us there please feel free to.

Otherwise, stay say, wash your hands, call your friends and family and remember, we’re all a team. THE SPORTSIDE TEAM At its core, Sportside is aimed at bringing people together to enjoy sport. The idea was originated while I was travelling for work in a foreign country and wanted to find someone to play tennis with. This simple idea uncovered a big question that many people who enjoy playing sports have asked: ‘Why isn’t there an easy way to find someone to play socially with?’ The vision of a convenient, selection based app for social sports people was born, and we named it Sportside. My first entrepreneurial dive into the tech world the idea was officially launched in 2016 and has since grown to incorporate a dozen of the most talented and inspired people who have a handson influence on the development and growth of the Sportside App. Our cutting edge, digital publication #Sportsider is part of that growth and offers a platform for professional and amateur sports people alike to find new venues, new equipment suppliers, the latest information and new heroes.

Love sport, love to connect. Love life and enjoy!

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Sport Tech NEWS Sports & Entertainment Celebrities Team Up With National Baptist Convention to Fight COVID-19 New partnership to provide resources to help 20 million Americans impacted by the pandemic The National Capital Baptist Convention (N.C.B.C.), led by Reverend Charles McNeill, Jr., is taking immediate action to assess, test, track, treat, and potentially contain individuals compromised by the pandemic. A private, diverse, conglomerate of both small and large businesses are partnering to tackle the impact of COVID-19 in the African American community. With the utilization of health pods to provide mobile testing options, this initiative will bring together both public and private sectors to deliver communitybased access to getting tested for COVID-19 and potential treatment. Led by N.B.C.’s Chief Strategist, Melvin Forbes of Forbes Consulting stated, “The history of all solutions and progress made by African Americans has always started in our churches, from civil rights to human rights, voting rights, and economic rights.” With the combination of this faith-based business collaborative, we intend to reduce the underlying healthcare disparity gaps in the African American communities that have been highlighted during this pandemic. The unique community-based approach we have in place for COVID-19 is called PIElazation (Portable, Integratable, Expandable), providing mobile resources and implementing Eco-Tech Pro-IV Health Solution Pods locally to help make testing resources more accessible while providing education to reduce the disproportionality of this virus in our community. Testing and treatment are vital to bringing both short and long-term solutions directly to the African American communities that need them most at this critical time.

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According to the CDC, while the effects of COVID-19 on the health of racial and ethnic minority groups are still emerging, current data suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups. CNN has reported new evidence that more African Americans may be dying from the coronavirus in the United States than whites or other ethnic groups, according to a new study. Black Americans represent 13.4% of the American population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Still, counties with higher Black populations account for more than half of all COVID-19 cases and almost 60% of deaths, the study found. The U.S. has reportedly spent $3 trillion on the COVID-19 crisis. To date, no substantive testing or resources have been allocated or disbursed in underserved communities that have large Black populations. “One of the first charges I accepted and wholehearted embraced was the expansion of the Special Olympics of North America into the Faith and African American community. In this unprecedented time, God has answered our prayers; we are honored to join, and, more importantly, take action in all communities in collaboration with the National Baptist Convention. The country has lost millions of jobs, and upon hearing of the job strategy, which could employ not only caregivers but volunteers, parents, and loved ones, affected by COVID-19, I was blown away at the prospects of our athletes being trained in Bethune Academic Curriculum Kit (B.A.C.K.), specialized workforce development curriculum under

development,” says Tony Wyllie, President of Special Olympics of North America. Recognizing the current disparities that exist within African American communities, N.B.C. has also teamed up with celebrity entertainers and athletes to address this critical issue further. “Regrettably, we have food and health deserts in Prince George’s County. The tragic murder of George Floyd has also compounded things, as there are trust issues in our communities. The work we will do, in partnership with the National Baptist Convention, is what we should all rally around,” states All-Pro Defensive Back, DeAngelo Hall. “We are encouraged that DeAngelo and his friends will engage directly into the community, like Prince George’s County, along with Brett

Favre, Ray Lewis, and athletes from all sports. Sports are a part of the fabric of our community. We are excited to have an impact in the world of sports with our partnerships with former Patriot, Richard Myles, the founder, and Owner of the Minor Football League, as their players will also be tested,” states Reverend McNeill. In-home assessment (mental health), testing (COVID-19), and utilization of Eco-Tech Pro-IV Health Pods, which will be on all church sites, are vital to bringing short and long term solutions directly to the communities that need them most at this critical time. “Testing and treatment has to be a grassroots level effort to be effective, and the Pods are designed to be that solution,” said College Football Hall of Famer and San Francisco 49er’s legend, Randy Cross.

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Other collaborators joining this initiative include The Naismith International Basketball Foundation. Harlem Globetrotters Legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Bobby “Zorro” Hunter, current NBA and retired players like Dale Davis and wrestling icon Bill Goldberg are among the scores of sports legends who have joined the movement. Reverend McNeill continues, “COVID-19 has brought to light the systematic challenges that exist in the African American community as it relates to having access to healthcare. Recognizing these disparities, we partnered with the private coalition and entertainment and sports celebrities to help make testing resources available and provide education to reduce the disproportionate number of infections and morbidity rates in our community. The church has always been the beacon of light on a hill, and through this effort, we will continue to be devoted to doing God’s work.” With more than 9.8 million tithing members and 33,000 plus churches, the National Baptist Convention (N.B.C.) has dedicated itself to fulfilling the high commission of Jesus Christ through teaching, preaching, and during this critical moment in history, healing. N.B.C. is committed to creating jobs and developing faith-driven

strategies to improve the quality of life for its members and the communities they serve. The health pods allow for the ability to provide essential healthcare services and create jobs, which is vitally important to the communities in which they serve. With the rollout, there is the anticipation of new employment opportunities across the country. The pods will aide in the speed of the reopening of our nation through this initiative. We are creating jobs for the critical frontline workers and helping to ensure communities and businesses have access to testing to maintain a safe and COVID-19 free workforce.

“There’s nobody angrier and more heartbroken than me over the murder of Brother Floyd, but we have another devil to fight, and his name is Corona. Thousands of our people are still dying daily, and I’m asking, pleading, that every disenfranchised brother and sister of all races would join our movement and help validate the process to test in all communities, beginning with the National Baptist Convention (N.B.C.). I’M IN.” -Ray Lewis, Citizen The first pilot health pod will be positioned in the Metropolitan Washington Area (DMV).

New Zealand hails Covid-free days with record rugby crowd Though competitive sport has resumed in different parts of the world without spectators and with stringent regulations — the English, German and Spanish football leagues, for instance — it was back to pre-Covid days in Auckland, and Dunedin the day before. FOR THE first time in 90-odd days, Eden Park saw packed stands, hugs and handshakes, huddle and high-fives, as the Super Rugby League resumed. A 15-year record crowd poured in to watch the encounter between the Blues and Hurricanes. Though competitive domestic sport has resumed in different parts of the world without spectators and with stringent regulations — the German and Spanish football leagues, for instance — it was back to pre-Covid days in Auckland, and Dunedin

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the day before. It looks like this weekend will be no different, either, as New Zealand celebrates its Covid-free status without a single case for close to three weeks, and the rugby moves to Hamilton and Wellington Celebrate they did last weekend — tickets were discounted, free public transport was arranged, children were admitted free and fans allowed to enter the field after the game. The stands were packed much before the match began, and fans forgot rivalries and shook hands with anyone they saw. “The match was competitive but it had a friendly vibe to it. It was like it didn’t matter who won or lost. Some of the players were rusty, too. But it just felt good to be out there at a rugby game again.

We were all just thrilled, watching a match in the stadium for the first time,” says Ronald Jones, a member of the Blues’ fan group, as his team prevailed over Hurricanes 30-20.

“All around the stadium, there was a celebratory mood, sort of life-affirming, like someone shaking me awake in the middle of a nightmare. It’s a great story to tell your mates that you were at the first rugby game after New Zealanders won the fight against Covid-19,” he says. After the match, much of the crowd flooded into the turf, clicking selfies and signing autographs from the players, and chatting with some of them. “There were no bouncers smacking our faces when we tried to jump the fence. We were picking autographs from everyone,” says Jones.

But all the standard hygiene measures were in place. Around 50 hand-sanitiser stations were installed. Every five minutes, frequently used surfaces like door handles, lift buttons and handrails were cleaned. Fans were encouraged to purchase tickets online to prevent delays at the box office, and even instructed to sneeze on their elbows. Similarly, staff and contractors had to complete Covid-screening 48 hours prior to the game, and again upon entry to the venue. New Zealand had been preparing to resume the league with a capped crowd of 5,000, before the country moved to alert level 1, meaning restrictions and mass gatherings were lifted.

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400+ Youth Sports Leaders join forces to form The PLAY Sports Coalition Diverse set of stakeholders set to rollout initiatives to immediately help local community organizations and working families survive and thrive through sport Nearly 20 years have passed yet those iconic words from Nelson Mandela stand tall and today are the foundation PLAY Sports, a unique collaborative coalition among more than 400 community and national sports organizations and leaders, has been built on. PLAY Sports, which stands for Promoting Local and Youth Sports, represents a united front to support young athletes, working families, coaches and volunteers across all 50 states, particularly those in underserved areas, through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The fragmented and grassroots nature of youth sports necessitated an industry Coalition to work cooperatively, and with the federal, state and local governments and agencies, to advocate for a collective survival and impactful return. Without a cooperative approach, youth sports families and organizations will struggle, and a return to play would at least be delayed, if not fail. According to recent poll results shared by the Aspen Institute Project Play Initiative, nearly 60% of local sports leaders said their organizations will project to lose at least 50% of their revenue over the next year due to COVID-19. They have experienced, or are facing, layoffs, furloughs, bankruptcies and facility foreclosures. This includes direct impacts to millions of grassroots coaches who provide invaluable time and leadership to their young athletes and sports. PLAY Sports’ mission is to ensure that the institutions connected to youth and local sports survive and thrive coming out of this pandemic. Sports provides significant benefits to young people including physical, social, emotional and cognitive benefits. Sports also provide youth with opportunities for building character, leadership and resiliency. The youth sports experience can help society return to a sense of normalcy post COVID-19 by creating community, connectivity

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and joy. Luke Zaientz, CEO of Reigning Champs: “Millions of America’s children embrace sports as a path to a better life, and for some a scholarship to college. Many of the youth sports organizations that are chartered to help our children, are now at risk themselves. PLAY Sports is trying to make sure that when it is safe again for kids to come out and play, there are fields and teams for them to play on.” The immediate and time-sensitive first initiative of the Coalition will be calling on Congress to assist community organizations not helped by the CARES Act survive until it is safe to return to play. The youth sports industry, comprised almost entirely of volunteers, nonprofits and small businesses, risks a complete collapse. This is about saving volunteer-driven organizations, youth sports infrastructure, jobs, and ensuring that young people have access to sports in a safe environment and receive the physical, social, emotional and cognitive benefits organized sports provides. Letters backed by each of the more than 400 Coalition members, which included the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), Laureus Sport for Good USA, YMCA of the USA and multiple U.S. sports federations, were delivered on Monday to Senator Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, and Senator Charles Schumer, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Among the asks of Congress for support were an $8.5 billion economic stabilization fund for youth sports providers and the formation of a youth sports COVID-19 Task Force. The economic losses suffered by this forced pause, while not unique to youth sports, applies to the program providers, particularly sportsbased youth development programs serving at-risk youth from under-resourced communities, as well as event facility hosts and large numbers

(PRNewsfoto/PLAY Sports Coalition)

of employees and contractors who make sports possible. Priority consideration in the disbursement of these funds will be given to these programs supporting under-served communities including girls and youth with disabilities.

structured team sports environment. For many of them, playing Pop Warner football or cheering in Pop Warner is one of the few times they will have that opportunity. We would hate for them to lose that chance.�

This designated fund also would include reimbursement for lost expenses, including camps and clinics, funding for employee and contractualrelated expenses needed to continue operations beyond the allowable period of the CARES Act and competition and event cancellations that are non-refundable or insurable due to the National Emergency nature of the cancellations.

The coalition strategy includes: supporting families playing and coaching again, recognizing the economic and psychological devastation of COVID-19 will impact how families invest time and resources in participation in sports; and a playbook for return to play, ensuring there are clear guidelines, protocols, training and professional development to support the return of youth sports that ensures safe and positive sports experiences.

Beyond immediate relief, PLAY Sports will also engage a diverse set of stakeholders to advocate for the comeback of youth and local sports, centered around values of placing athletes first, inclusivity, accessibility, accountability, and innovation. Jon Butler, Executive Director, Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.: “Many of our local Pop Warner programs will be severely challenged to field teams this year due to the economic crisis with the pandemic. Thousands of our young athletes may lose the chance to participate in a healthy,

PLAY Sports Coalition is being led by a volunteer steering committee consisting of representatives across the youth sports industry, including Wayne B. Moss (National Council on Youth Sports), Benita Fitzgerald Mosley (Laureus Sport for Good USA), Jon Butler (Pop Warner), Jeremy Goldberg (LeagueApps), Keri King (Triple Crown Sports), and Luke Zaientz (Reigning Champs). Active Policy Solutions, led by Terri Lakowski, is serving as a special advisor to the Coalition and its Steering Committee.

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iron tiger gym advert

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Will John

Living by your Passions While there is no doubt that Will John would have been successful irrespective of what field he found himself in, or on, it was the Beautiful Game of football where he has made a name for himself. A remarkable man, with a remarkable business, Will is an example of the possibilities available to everyone willing to give it a go. The founder of Golumeri, a Youtube Channel providing coaching videos for footballers of all ages as well as the head contributor to a number of associated podcasts, Will’s content and videos are now seen by over 630k subscribers with over 55 million views! Combining entertainment with education the videos revolve around Will’s naturally outgoing and sporting energy and personality and are in every way a reflection of himself. As he explains the evolution of the channel itself has been an interesting journey. One that started long before he ever first signed up for his own Youtube account. His late mother was an actress and model and Will had the opportunity to become comfortable with being in front of a camera. He admits that while he was so focussed on his sport, he never really considered being a performer but would often find himself running through skits in his mind involving teammates and opposing players.

from the ages of thirteen upwards. He relates that while he was in college studying biology he felt that the classes were slowing down his progression for being so repetitive and boring. Simply put, he realised that a person cannot retain information if they are not interested in it. As lifecoach Tony Robbins, who has coached dozens of the top athletes in the world says, “The best way to educate is to entertain.” PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND YOUTUBING Will is an American professional football player who moved to Europe in 2008 and literally played his way through the continent. Enjoying time in a number of European football leagues from the Danish Superliga, Serbian Superliga and Moroccan Superliga. His professional trade is football, which is a game that he has played from a young age. Like many sporty lads, soccer was only one of the sports that he demonstrated a skill for.

“What started just as a mental game became skits that I would film while I was out with my two best friends,” he explains, “When we went out or were together we would make these funny videos and then just share amongst ourselves. The content of the videos has changed but I think that energy has continued. The videos are as entertaining as instructional.” During our conversation with Will, he reveals that he is a big believer in making education entertaining. This could be a reason why many football coaches are using his videos in their training for their teams and that his viewers range

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“My father played for a Nigerian football team,” he explains, “So that definitely had some influence and during school like many I played the seasonal sports including basketball, American football and soccer and then when I hit highschool I was playing for the USA’s first Under 14 national team.” In college he stayed for 18 months before playing with the Chicago Fire, then MLS for three years before coming to the Denmark Randers. Then a few different clubs. After fifteen years of playing it is very much a life thing and it’s his main profession. However, this being said, it is his role as an online influencer which has arguably had the biggest impact. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Looking back over the four years since he first started his Youtubing, he says that he can clearly spot the turning points when his channel went from an interesting hobby to a respected brand.

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He says that the four years are a legacy to organic growth and a consistent commitment to quality. “At first we were making a video a month on what was basically my own Youtube account,” he says, “Sharing it with friends, family and across social media to the fans of football who came to watch the games.” Today, his Youtube channel Golumeri, offers several high quality videos produced each week, The length of time taken to produce the videos has dropped significantly with an increase of efficiency and the use of better equipment. When he started however they had no budget and him and his best friends, who are both named Scott served as the before channel inspiration. One of them still appears in videos. However, Brandon Milburn who is a player that Will has coached since he was roughly twelve, was the first member to join up and help film some of the first videos

“If you have a smart phone you’ve got everything you need to create and edit your videos at the start,” he explains, “Even editing is a simple process as long as you have an idea of what you want to achieve.” There was also the availability of time that he had to deal with early on. Basically playing professional football six days a week and then filming on his days off, it didn’t take long for the videos to gain momentum and it was the responses and commentary and support of the people who saw the videos that helped keep him going. “It’s the same as having people watching your games,” he explains, “We’re all human and we always work better with encouragement from our peers and supporters.” Combining these videos, his reputation in the football circles as well as some skills he taught himself on how to market videos it didn’t take long before his channel was earning several hundred subscribers each day. While he was quite satisfied with this, because up until that point it was really just a rewarding way of giving back to the sport he loved, it was when they set up the 21 Day Challenge that he witnessed the impressive jump from a couple of hundred subscribers a day to several thousand.

“We pledged to create a different video every day for twenty-one days,” he says, “And it was a campaign that really got people interested in what we were doing. Our video on the fifth day has over ten million views now!”

always looking at ways to strengthen these relationships and reward their unwavering support.” He doesn’t sell merch on his channel and this has meant that he is free to discuss the important topics that are affecting not just the world of sport but the world at large. While during our interview he never once referred to himself as an ‘influencer” he certainly has an audience and has never been afraid to speak openly about a number of topics. Although staying away from political discussions, he has spoken on his channel and his podcasts about topics ranging from cigarettes and health, Lockdown, safety during Covid 19 and the horrific events surrounding George Floyd. Complacency and silence are two things that have caused so much damage already, it is up to those who have an audience to speak openly about these things. FUTURE Will and his team had made videos with Manchester United which were filmed prior to Covid 19, and Will reveals that these will be out before the end of June. The channels GoluremiGolaso and GoluremiGirls are up and running and GoluremiEspañol (where Will makes use of his skills with languages, he speaks eight) is set to launch before the end of June 2020.

“Content, quality and progress,” he says, “Just like good football.”

GOLUREMI While football is still Will’s main profession and will always be until he retires, Golumeri has become a full fledged business producing instructive videos for his thousands of followers and associated podcasts. Not all the content produced revolves around football and he is also involved in diet, general fitness and current topics. His commitment to quality and transparency has in turn attracted the support of a league of Patreon backers supporting the channel and the business.

“We have great relationships with our Patreon backers,” Will says, “And we are

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Women in Sport

An Interview with CEO Stephanie Hilborne OBE The very spirit of sport demands fairness and equality. It promises a world where athletes are measured by their skill, their dedication and their passion for their chosen game. Unfortunately, we are not in that world yet, and until we are, we can show support to the people who are fighting for it day and night. #Sportsider caught up with the CEO of Women in Sport Stephanie Hilborne OBE. Sportsider: When was WiS founded and what was the main motivation? Stephanie: Women in Sport was founded in 1984 by Prof. Celia Brackenridge (then England lacrosse captain) and Dr Anita White (then England hockey captain) alongside other leading lights in sport including Baroness Sue Campbell. They were not just great sportswomen of their time, but scholars and activists.

Our organisation was rooted in taking an evidence-based approach to tackling sexism in sport, promoting women’s interests and raising awareness of the contribution sport could make to the lives of women. Our current vision is that no-one should be excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport. Dr Anita White was instrumental in founding the first international conference on Women in Sport in Brighton in 1994, which has shaped the trajectory of women’s sport beyond the UK. We have published major reports that seek to understand and address the roots of gender inequality in sport at all levels. We were delighted to lead the campaign that led to the 2016 governance code that all publicly funded sports governing bodies must be made up of at least 30% women. We have led partnerships that found ways to engage more girls from disadvantaged backgrounds through our Project 51 campaign and built an unmatched body of insights.

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Sportsider: What was your background previous to WiS? Stephanie: I’ve been the CEO of Women in Sport since October 2019. I lived for sport at school and played netball, badminton and lacrosse. After school I went on to advocate for nature and during my 27 year long career as an environmentalist, I drew from the skills that I learnt on the court or field of play. I was CEO of The Wildlife Trusts movement for 15 years before taking on my current role with Women in Sport. There I led calls for people to transform how children were raised so future generations were more in touch with nature and were active outside. The 46 Wildlife Trusts have 850,000 members between them and an unmatched presence in communities on the ground, manages over 100,000 ha of land and has over 100 education and visitor centres. My national role focused a great deal on achieving improvements to legislation and policy whilst leading a federation and I realised how much I’d drawn on my team sport for my resilience and leadership capability. I also recognised how privileged I’d been to have that experience of sport and that most girls don’t have it. Sportsider: How far do we still have to go to find equality in sport? And how is this going to be best achieved? Stephanie: We still have a long way to go in most areas of sport, and it’s already been a long haul. There has continued to be a big gender divide in activity levels. At its worst, two million more men were active than women in England. This has improved over the years, but today we still see 700,000 fewer women engaging in physical activity than men. And there are bigger gaps in participation in team sports with around a 20-25% gap between girls and boys and men and women in this area. Given the undoubted exceptional benefits of team sport to personal development this is simply not right.

The culture is however changing and 2018 and 2019 saw the first real strides forward in visibility for women’s sport through netball, cricket and football. Last year’s Summer of Sport gained millions of fans and viewers. But gender equality in sport remains a long way off. The only way we’re going to change this is to deeply understand the needs and aspirations of women and girls and the issues affecting them, and then influence every point where we can make a change.

Our understanding is that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding girls and women back in life and sport; and many women and girls are still denied equal access to sport. This doesn’t affect every girl and woman in the same way, as other factors such as economic inequality, disability and cultural and ethnic issues can also have a significant impact.

We believe that inclusive sport can help tackle some of the particular challenges women and girls face whether this be around body image or self-harm, or exclusion from the work force during the perimenopause. Sport can help address social and economic inequalities and should be designed to reflect the distinct attributes of women and girls.

Our purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part in sport and inspire her to do so. To do this we aim to raise the profile of gender inequality in sport and the impact on women; develop policy positions and identify solutions; and campaign and influence to inspire change. We understand the challenges around the invisibility of women’s competitive sport in the media as we emerge from lockdown and are currently talking to National Governing Bodies to ensure we understand the unique barriers they face to sustaining engagement from women and girls or in some cases continuing a long overdue

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transformation of their sport. We want them to make their community programmes for women and girls as well as their elite women’s game central to their crisis recovery plans. We need more people to understand that women face different barriers to sport at different life stages. Deeply entrenched gender stereotypes are affecting girls as young as 5, 6, or 7 and this significantly shapes their engagement with sport in later life. At the other end of the spectrum, we have found that 84% of women going through menopause want to be more active, but do not feel confident in doing so. This has been exposed even more so by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many women have been forced to deprioritise their own activity due to the pressures of juggling home schooling, working and housework. Sportsider: How would you describe the services and duties of WiS? Stephanie: We are the leading charity dedicated to researching women’s and girls’ relationships with sport and physical activity. We use our insight to drive equality through campaigns, programme delivery and partnerships, with the aim of ensuring that women and girls stay engaged with sport and physical activity at times when they are at risk of losing interest. We have a strong track record of insight work with women from different life-stages and a bank of highly valued reports. We use this as the basis for innovative programmes with sports bodies and others to help those active on the ground to identify solutions to barriers they face. We also work hard to secure a high profile of these issues in the print and broadcast media, social media and amongst those working in sport. Some examples of our work include: •

Ground-breaking research into the lives of teenage girls and how we can make sports more relevant to them as just 40% meet the recommended daily activity levels.

•

Delivering our Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered programme across 6 locations. This is an 11-week programme which aims to

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increase physical activity levels, sports skills and social-emotional wellbeing of primaryschool aged girls by challenging stereotypes and playing sport and physical activity. •

Launching our new menopause research, addressing the barriers and challenges women face in being active at this time in their lives.

Sportsider: How is WiS funded? Stephanie: As a charity we are reliant on the fantastic support of those who share our beliefs. Our largest supporter is Sport England and their annual grant over many years has been fundamental to our success. Complementing this we seek grants from other bodies and have been delighted to win the support of Comic Relief for a few of our programmes, most recently for our work to change the culture of sport so it is more gender equal and for our research into women in lockdown. The National Lottery has funded our Daughters and Dads programme, and Players of People’s Postcode Lottery are supporting our menopause insights work. Vitally we have some generous corporate and individual supporters. There are many ways we look to get partners involved, from sponsoring a piece of research and insight or event, to funding the delivery of a programme of work or campaign, to individually raising money for our work through challenge events. We are indebted to our supporters and with more to be done, we are seeking to ensure our income base is resilient in the coming years. Sportsider: What are the plans for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021? Stephanie: We will be launching a revised strategic framework in the autumn. Key issues such as supporting women in later life to stay active and healthy, continuing to improve sport for teenage girls in schools, communities and families, and improving the representation of women across the sporting workforce will stay critical to our plans.

We will stay agile to respond to the unique circumstances facing society, seeking to understand the particular impact on how women in all their diversity are interfacing with sport and exercise in a new normal. We want more people who champion equality and fight social injustice to understand how sport can change the lives of girls and women. We want girls and women to feel empowered by sport. We will continue to drive hard the importance of sport and physical activity in transforming women’s and girls’ lives. They simply cannot miss out. We will also be seeking to work with some of our youngest audiences, since we know as early as 5, 6, or 7 years of age, girls start to miss out on sport

and physical activity. When gender stereotypes are so deeply entrenched in our society as young as this, it causes inspiration and aspirations to fall away, this simply is unacceptable. We will work with National Governing Bodies and wider stakeholders including the media to continue to maintain momentum of the women’s sporting game and to ensure we are well placed as a nation to keep moving and keep celebrating the joy of sport.

We are also looking to build on our current base of key allies in this drive for change and to collaborate with a wide set of partners. We must find ways to build physical activity and sport into the everyday lives of as many women as possible.

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Iron Tiger. Fight And Fitness Get a kick ass workout by learning how to kick ass Cape Town South Africa. Interview with Kerry Hugill.

Iron Tiger is a great place to get a kick-ass workout while learning how to really kick ass. A project turned all-out passion; this gym represents all the aspects of the martial arts that Kerry Hugill has shaped much of her life around. Discipline, determination, patience and consistency. The gym offers group classes and private training in a variety of martial arts fighting and fitness styles and is a place that values hard work and beatingthe-ever-living-daylights out of challenges and hurdles. “It is a place for those who love to push themselves and test their abilities, get fit, look good, and everything in between,” Kerry says, “This includes training for both professional and competitive athletes, as well as amateurs and those wishing for an alternative to regular fitness programmes.” TRAINING Based in the heart of Cape Town South Africa, the training programmes available include boxing, Muay Thai, functional fitness and HIIT training.

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Kerry explains that she was training at the same gym under the former owner until she learnt that he was planning on leaving the country. At which point she saw an opportunity to keep things going. So, they rebranded and relaunched with something fresh while still offering what clients were looking for. “You form a special bond with the place you train in,” she explains, “By keeping this going we were able to continue to provide a place for current clients to train while offering newcomers something fresh and uniquely ours.” Kerry began studying martial arts when she was around ten years old, beginning with karate of which she dedicatedly focussed on for many years. This wasn’t like the karate training that is available today which has become very corporate and “belt orientated”, rather for Kerry to earn her second degree blackbelt she had to fight for it. This included three hour long grading sessions focussed around kumite and gruelling training sessions to develop the key skills of combat. By her own admission, she loved every minute of it.

“After karate I later transitioned to boxing because I like to hit things,” she says jubilantly, “My boxing coach saw that I was flexible and could kick well, so suggested I move to Muay Thai instead. This is the perfect blend of kicking and punching and I haven’t looked back since!”

a sophisticated creativity and an extraordinary ability to bring things to life on paper, she has honed these skills with as much applied perseverance and dedication as is ever seen on the gym floor. Reminiscent of the martial artists of old who saw an intrinsic connection between the fighting arts and the creative.

MARCH 2020 Intended to open in March 2020, Covid-19 meant that they couldn’t officially open. While this has meant that there have been no clients coming to the gym to train it has given Kerry the opportunity to offer fitness programmes, technique and combo demonstrations via social media. “We’ve encouraged home fitness and training and provided guidelines and support,” she explains, “And at the same time we’ve needed this inspiration ourselves to keep training.” As they are new, one of the challenges that they’ve had to face was some housekeeping to make sure members knew that they could still get the same level of travel despite a change of name. Then there is of course Coronavirus. In both cases, they’ve worked very hard to build positive momentum and show people how serious they are about creating a great space, with skilled coaches and a welcoming atmosphere. MOTIVATING While not a vlogger or a blogger, Kerry has made very good use of social media to promote her new business. Her business partner is a boxer himself and a photographer and he’s responsible for the incredible shots of her. These professional images have immortalised the spirit behind the brand and the gym; capturing the elemental aspects of hard work, fierceness, determination and violent grace.

2020/2021 The plans post Lockdown are to continue to grow the gym and the Iron Tiger community. Kerry reveals that their goal is to create a space where athletes and members of all levels of interest and fitness can train together and express their passion for the sport, health and fitness. As such, they encourage members to participate, support each other, and grow their skills in a welcoming environment. “We also wish to expand this to include other gyms, so that while there might be healthy competition, there is also a sense of community within the industry in general,” she says. FIGHTERS At the same time, Kerry wants to produce boxers, Muay Thai fighters, and kickboxers who are highly skilled and competitive who will take part and win a multitude of events. “In short, we wish to create a home for fighters, fitness aficionados and enthusiasts alike,” she says. FB: https://www.facebook.com/irontigerct/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/irontigerct/ Email: train@irontiger.co.za Website: www.irontiger.co.za

It’s hardly surprising that the imagery used to capture the attention of potential gym members is of such a high standard. Given that there was so much creativity available. While it may seem to fly in stark contrast to the high octane, bag smashing ferocity found on the floor, Kerry is also an excellent artist and is a trained graphic designer by profession. Having demonstrated an early talent with illustration,

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Yoga 15

Using technology to reach your audience

Abi Carver launched Yoga 15 in 2015. The site currently gives members access to 130 videos and that number is continually growing. She also writes weekly articles on the subject of Yoga For Athletes that are a free resource for those wanting to learn the benefits of this activity.

THE VIDEOS

YOGA 15

“One aspect that sets Yoga 15 apart is that it is highly detailed with each breath and alignment cue being pre-planned and recorded so that ideally, the student doesn’t even need to look at the screen,” she explains.

Explaining that Yoga 15 is her profession and to a certain extent, her life Abi teaches almost exclusively through video which allows her to reach a wider audience and to focus on specific topics at a time. This gives her viewers the opportunity to rewind and watch a move as many times as needed until they get it just right. With tens of thousands of students across her website, YouTube and her courses on Daily OM, Udemy and Vimeo she also reaches them via her other vocation of writing. Her words have graced a number of publications and she is quite sought after.

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With subscribers having doubled since March, her format is a little different to others. She doesn’t live stream her classes as she uses highly-detailed transcripts for each piece of content that she creates.

PIECE OF MIND While the imposed home arrest that the globe has been under seems to be opening up, people are still having to wait before they can visit their favourite sites of training. While gyms, studios and sport fields are still closed, yoga does have the benefit of being perfect for training at home and requiring very little space, but she believes it has played another important role of the last few months to help relieve stress and anxiety.

“Harvard Medical School actually recommended daily yoga sessions during the COVID-19 Lockdown and recognised the great support that it can offer people for their health,” she says, “It gives you a focal point to relax, breathe and calm your bodies.” UNEXPECTED HURDLES Even with the best intentions, the majority of people would have slipped up on their training regimes during Lockdown. Those who are used to visiting gyms and having access to specialised equipment, or even just heavy weights, may have found the need to train at home simply boring. Additionally, many would have spent the Lockdown taking a break from training with the intention of returning to training with vengeance when the gyms open. However, whatever way you look at it, after a long period of no exercise, everyone needs a period of re-introduction to get back into training.

“Yoga can offer a solid foundation for any other training,” Abi explains, “Ask anyone who tries it for the first time, it is really hard work and stars from the core muscles first- whereas callisthenics tend to focus on the skeletal muscles predominantly. Training in yoga gives you the chance to find your level of fitness and prepare your body while you’re at home and waiting for the gyms to open.” PERSONAL HEALTH Abi’s personal health ethos is all about balance. She understands the benefits of incorporating practices for cardio, strength, endurance, mobility, mental stability and fun play into her daily life. AUDIENCE Her audience are pretty well-motivated. Some because they experience pain and stiffness without yoga and others notice dramatic improvements in their athletic passions as a result of a consistent practice—whether that is cycling,

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running, swimming, rowing, surfing, golfing, motocross, mountain biking or whatever their chosen sport. PRODUCING CONTENT Content, especially the kind where you’re guiding viewers of different levels and strengths, has to be done to the highest possible standard so that it can meet scrutiny. Therefore, Abi’s content is very time-consuming to produce.

“The videos take months to research, design, shoot and edit,” she explains, “And each article takes around a week. I write longform content so it’s not something that I can turnaround quickly.” TRAINING Abi works out every day. Running five kilometres followed by resistance training. She also practises yoga every day for an hour, split into shorter sessions and she likes to go for long walks. An avid traveller, the filmed pieces change according to her location and access to equipment.

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“At-home training is just getting bigger and bigger,” she says, “Apps, membership sites and live streaming. For me personally, the challenge is going to be creating content that is so detailed that it is audio only. All you need is your wireless earphones.” POST LOCKDOWN TRAINING To keep training as varied and effective as possible Abi suggest mixing things up. Taking gymnastics classes or martial arts or order some kettlebells and an online program. Break up your day with 3 or 4 short sessions. See how you can come out of this crisis fitter, stronger and more resilient than you were before.

“That is the challenge for all of us,” she says, “How can you transform this dead time into alive time?”

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What are some of the changes to sport we may see? A lot of people have been talking about the “big changes” that are coming in sport thanks to Covid 19. With phrases like “the end of the sporting handshake”; the death of contact sports and how locker rooms are going to become decontamination rooms to keep things clean. As someone who grew up playing rugby in South Africa during the 90s when HIV was at its highest, and for someone who played rugby through bird flu and swine flu let me say… things won’t change that much. Covid 19 is without a doubt one of the worst viruses to hit the world. To deny that would be ridiculous if for no other reason than I am writing this on a Tuesday afternoon, sat in my pyjamas after three months of being locked inside and not seeing anyone. And there are going to be changes that will be put in place to protect athletes and spectators. But these changes are going to be in the background, effective and subtle. Anything else, will not last long. Because what happens when “restrictions” get in the way of sport fanatics having fun? They’re just conveniently forgotten. Instead, what we will see are precautionary measures to keep people safe that will for the most part go unnoticed by the spectators. None of the Sportsider editorial team are specialists in either medicine or epidemiology and neither are we really qualified to give predictions. Rather, these are merely our thoughts on what may happen. TESTING AND ISOLATION MAY BECOME A THING FOR ATHLETES If we look at rugby for example. If we took away the bleeding faces, muddied shirts, ripped ears, sweat and bone crushing impacts from the game,

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what would we be left with? That’s right. Football. And no rugby fan is going to allow that. So, to guarantee that athletes who are on the field are not carrying any viruses perhaps isolation and quarantines may become part of their training regime. For example, the strict training regimes of the players could be amended to allow a two week isolation period prior to the final stretch of their pre-game training followed by team quarantine prior to the game. So that when they hit the field not only are they totally clean but hopefully feral, foaming at the mouth and running on all fours!! STADIUMS COULD BE MISTIFIED? We may as well accept that instead of the stale beer and old hotdog smell of stadiums that we’ve all come to love, from now on they’ll probably have a new scent ranging from lemon fresh to sheep dip. Professional cleaning of stadiums is going to become very, very big business but how do you keep potential transmission of viruses to a minimum? Social distancing in stadiums is tricky, and sure people can be asked to wear masks but considering that occasionally people get crushed to death in stadiums, you can’t expect them to care that much when they get excited. However, some stadiums may erect misting sprays in the rafters that drops a mist of disinfectant upon the actual crowds. This mist can also be scented and used during music festivals to not only sanitise but deodorize everyone. SYNCHRONISED APPS One of the most 1984esque suggestions from our editorial team was that the various tracking apps that will spring into existence following the

NHS app, will eventually synchronise with the likes of Facebook and with booking applications for public functions like sports. If you’ve crossed paths with someone who’s been affected and are expected to self-isolate, you may find that when you try to book your ticket for your football match that you’re not allowed to.

Big Brother is watching. MANDATORY TESTING AND TRACING FOR PUBLIC EVENTS Maybe not as technically savvy as the previous one. But it stands to reason that people will need to provide some sort of testing proof to be able to go to public events like sporting or music events. On booking websites this could be included in the T&Cs that none of us have ever really taken the time to read and could say that as far as we know we’ve been testing negative. From a legal standpoint our response and conduct

to protecting ourselves and everyone else will become paramount. NINJA MASKS WILL COME INTO FASHION This idea is pretty cool. Face masks needn’t be terrifying and surgical and for fighting games like boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and wrestling, we could expect a range of very cool heavy duty face masks that cover the nose and mouth to come into play. Allowing fighters to do what they do best without hindrance and being able to look like Mortal Kombat fighters at the same time. Of course, once we get a treatment for the virus, or if we all do what we’re meant to and the virus is eradicated by itself, the above may just be the ramblings of a number of remote ewriters dreaming of sporting days.

But I do hope the ninja thing happens. Get over here!!

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Athletes are employees too. Right? It seemed that Covid-19 had managed to twist the knife even further when sport events around the world were postponed and then cancelled. Well, almost. In Premier League football, clubs voted to return to small-group training from the 19th May and then to contact training around a week later. It is now expected that the Premier League will resume from the 17th June 2020. While this was met with some consternation regarding double standards by those who are not football fans, and elation for those who are. It is what it is. The Government has issued updated guidance for elite sports organisations, these came out on the 25th May and set about to recommend minimum standards of health and safety for the return of elite sports: this was aptly named the Elite Sport Return to Training Guidance. Stage One. Stage two, which falls in line with where we are now at the time of writing, allows social clustering and much closer contact including the sharing of equipment and tackling in contact sports. Such as rugby, football, hurling and martial arts. It is important to point out that this guidance doesn’t replace the existing health and safety legislation, which still applies in the same way it did prior to the Coronavirus lockdown. However, with this new legislation it is worthwhile to highlight the sorts of issues that professional and elite athletes will face now that they return to training and conditioning and the duties of their employers . ATHLETES ARE STILL EMPLOYEES Health and safety in the workplace is not new, the legislation put in place to ensure that staff have access to a safe work environment and the support to do their job was in place long before Covid-19 appeared. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) is the principal legislation in England and Wales governing health and safety in an employment context. This in turn is supported

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by no less than six main pieces of secondary legislation including the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR). So, when in the case of any employee returning to a place of employment, there is no excuse for employees not taking the correct measures. As an example, the HSWA requires that employers take reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others affected by their actions in the workplace, as well as minimising all possible risks to both groups. This statutory duty is mirrored by a contractual duty of care owed to employees by their employer under their contracts of employment to provide a reasonably safe place of work. Risk assessment is the primary tool available to an employer in complying with this responsibility. A risk assessment not only aims to identify risks but also to put in place preventive or protective measures that can be taken to control them. Employers are required to undertake such risk assessments under the MHSWR. The new risks presented by the emergence of the coronavirus require thorough and detailed assessment followed by the systematic implementation of control measures before a return to work and training can be considered. There is no template or one-size-fits-all approach, it is down to individual employers to put their place of work through the assessments of the particular risks in their organisation. Considering the jarring impact that Covid-19 has had on the majority of the world, all employers must be aware of the precariousness of their legal standing should they fail in this task. For those who employ elite professional athletes, they are in a delicate position, their athletes need to be suitably ready to play, but at the same time will be able to claim should measures fail to keep them safe. Not only are reputations at risk, but if an athlete’s ability to perform at a high level due to Covid-19 (not to mention damage to salary and

endorsement related payments) the claims that could be raised are significant and certainly would not happen in a vacuum. While there is an argument that some governing bodies supporting elite athletes are so powerful that such legislation would not have enough of an impact, for those employers in the UK that don’t meet the duties required under the HSWA, criminal sanctions including both fines and imprisonment can be the result. If an employee, in this case an elite athlete, gets ill and dies as a result of the way an incorporated sports club has managed this period of return, then that is corporate manslaughter. Fines of up to £20 million and potential imprisonment of directors and senior managers are all on the table. With Covid-19 activities such as the Lockdown and the return to work are all connected to governments vying to manage fears of a populace and retain their reputations- there will be a lot of influence to have want someone to answer for the crime and face the full swinging arm of justice. The return to sport is set to become the world’s most political advertising banner.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF PLAYERS REFUSE TO RETURN? As you can imagine, a number of professional athletes have refused to return to training citing concerns over health and safety. This is not surprising seeing as their cardiovascular health is not only their chief asset but also the thing that is affected the most by this virus. A senior official at the Premier League club has been reported in saying that he believes that players should not receive their wages if they refuse to return to training. There is actually a certain justification for this as all employment contracts imply a duty of service from the employee to be ready and willing to work if they are able to do so. In other words, staff aren’t allowed to refuse to work but still expect to get paid. Further to this, as you the reader will no doubt recall, EPL and EFL football contracts are all written in the EPL Form 20 standard form and at clause 3.1.1.3, requires players to “attend at any reasonable place for the purposes of and to participate in training and match preparation”.

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Of course, this makes it clear that it is a two way street. If their place of work is unsafe- be it due to hygiene reasons, lack of social distancing or the inadequate supply of PPE, then the workplace may not be a reasonable place for the above clause to take effect. However, if reasonable and prescribed steps have been taken to keep things safe then players are not in the position to cross their arms and refuse to attend training because under clause 3.1.3, they are all required to “maintain a high standard of physical fitness at all times”. Which, even if they are training at home, will not be of the required standard that their team requires. The Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA), also affords protection to employees including athletes and staff, to ensure that they cannot be fired for not attending work if they had a reasonable cause to believe their work environment was dangerous (This is section 44 and section 100 of ERA). Simply put, any athlete can refuse to train if they have reason to believe that doing so might result in them contracting Covid-19. This in turn puts the responsibility of proving that a place is safe to work onto the employers shoulders. Of course, especially when it comes to the sporting elite, any return to the field, court, ring or pool is going to come with an almost excessive media coverage. It just makes sense that wherever possible,

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employers will be taking equally excessive steps to deep clean and instigate the most stringent of social distancing rules to ensure that their most valuable assets are looked after. While it is safe to assume that any professional athlete who has made it to the elite levels of their sport didn’t get there because they enjoy sitting at home and not playing their sport. It is unlikely that these athletes are planning to take advantage of the current situation and are more interested in protecting themselves reasonably. Without a great deal of data on what the long term effects of this virus can be, on the average set of lungs, let alone those of the professional sports person, there is a justification to be wary of an early return. And employees should not be penalized unfairly for this and the law, while fair, does tend to look at the scenario from the employee’s side of the line. CONSIDERATION AND COMMUNICATION While the law may appear straightforward on paper, these are unprecedented times. It makes sense that athletes and other employees should be wary about putting themselves in danger of contracting a virus that has killed nearly half a million people in six months. Concurrently, employers are responsible for ensuring that their businesses and industries are still alive to offer employment.

The best approach would be to circumnavigate this situation entirely by concerned employees making formal statements of their concerns or employers pro-actively creating an environment where concerns can be openly voiced. This is the time for cooperation between the two sides and not for division. Covid-19 has put everyone into an awkward position and if both sides are exclusively concerned about their own interests, everyone gets hurt. Across the board, returning to work should be discussed, with concerns being voices, solutions being made plain and expectations outlined. A return to work policy is a strong suggestion as well as sharing risk assessments that have been taken under the MHSWR with employees and staff. Disciplinary action for refusal to participate, should be the very last resort and undertaken only after deep consideration guided by legal advice. SPORT EVENT CONSIDERATIONS. RESPONSIBILITY TO SPECTATORS AND FANS. We can’t forget about the responsibilities that institutions and companies have to the agency workers, sub-contractors and visiting fans. Under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 (OLA), there is a common duty to take such care as is reasonable to see that a visitor will be reasonably safe in using the premises for the purposes for which they are invited or permitted by the occupier to be there. Furthermore, employers owe a common law duty of care in performing their actions (or failures to act) to those whom it is reasonably foreseeable could be affected by those actions or inactions. In the same way that shops are responsible for the health and safety of their customers, sporting venues and those businesses using them, are responsible for the people visiting to support that sport. Over and above any existing measures in place to ensure the safety of those attending matches, employers have to ensure that during a sporting event all persons, including visitors and agency staff, who are on their premises will be reasonably safe being within the venue and using facilities. It is incredibly unlikely that until new Covid-19 cases are at such a low level as not to be a daily

concern that stadiums and venues are going to open. Social distancing is simply too difficult to manage in a crowded venue. Instead, games, matches, bouts and events will be handled in a much more controlled environment. Behind closed doors and relying on telemedia to reach the fans. Given the funding that has been and will be made available for further technology developments in this field it is likely that for a while this will become the main way, we watch sports for the foreseeable future at least. For the most part, 99% of the world watches their favourite sport on television in any case so everything needed to have this made into a reality is already in place. Until Covid-19’s overall risk factor is low enough that cinemas, gyms and bars and clubs are opened up again, stadiums just cannot run the risk of opening up. And even then, they will do so after the strictest of risk assessments are taken. Stadiums rely on crowds of people shouting and yelling which increases the chances of transmission far greater than theatres, cinemas, schools and even bars. Simply put, there is too much to lose for them to take a risk. WHAT GUIDANCE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN GIVEN? Beyond the already established laws, what sort of guidance has been set for organisations and for high-echelon athletes working within those groups? There are in place a set of recommended minimum standards for the first stage of the return to training, to ensure safe return and social distancing rules. A minimum practise for “elite athletes” has been set in place which is quite widely defined to include anyone who derives a living from competing in a sport. In the guidance, it is recommended that the sports organisation should name an existing member of staff as a Covid-19 Officer. They will be responsible for oversight of the related risk assessments and ensuring necessary mitigations are in place. In addition to this, a Covid-19 medical officer should be appointed who is familiar with the emerging evidence related to post-Covid-19

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pathology. Their responsibility will be to ensure any suspected or confirmed cases are dealt with in accordance with protocols and current Government guidance, and also to have oversight of the return to training of all athletes. The Covid-19 officer and medical officer should work together where possible and be on the same page. It will be important that they are reading from the same fact page because there will be a lot of questions and concerns. As mentioned previously, risk assessments and mitigation plans need to be established for each venue and the guidance has set the below as minimum requirements: •

thletes and staff must be made aware of the A risks and all mitigating steps being taken.

•

layers and staff should travel to and from P training alone and access facilities alone.

•

raining staffing levels should be maintained T but minimised and equipment cleaned thoroughly.

•

creening requirements should be in place for S all players and staff every day before training.

•

here should be protocols for any individuals T who display symptoms of Covid-19.

•

eople who need to be in close contact P must have the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).

•

ach organisation or venue should have E their own policies to comply with the nonmandatory guidance. If the guidance is not followed and it is discovered that there are shortcomings in a club’s process of returning to training, this could potentially hinder the return of live sport and lead to risks for organisations, athletes and those organising training.

WHAT SHOULD CLUBS DO? Clubs, and any employer, need to prepare thorough and easy to understand risk assessments for each stage of the return to sport/work and ensure a fair amount of time and resources for these measures to be put in place. Assessments like this cannot also eliminate risk,

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but they have to keep employees at least as reasonably safe as they were prior to Lockdown. It is advised that employers consult with athletes, staff and the relevant governing bodies to ascertain how best to comply with the guidance and legal requirements whilst retaining the integrity of their competition. What is important is that all concerns are taken seriously and that these as well as responses are documented and filed. Evidence and reasoning must also be made available to demonstrate that any decisions taken are done so thanks to scientific research and not hearsay. If ever, now is the time for facts and evidence and decisive thinking. Employees, athletes and other staff, need to work closely with their bosses and organisations to ensure that they understand and are able to meet the risk mitigation steps put in place. Any underlying medical concerns should be brought to the attention of the employer in writing as soon as possible and documented. Finally, due to a prolonged period of non-training and isolation, athletes especially should not be rushed back into competitive sport the moment they are allowed to. Expectations need to be managed and training time must be allowed for athletes to recover their former levels of fitness, mental focus and preparation. Otherwise, beyond Covid-19 there will be a slew of injuries that will need to be dealt with- some of which could be career ending. With this in mind, the emerging science and data needs to be monitored and taken to heart. Complacency cannot be allowed to put us into this position again and employers should make regular assessments on how they are handling the situation and the state of things. And, any new information should be made openly available to those who it could affect, and any decisions should be made after consultation with those same people.

Never before has it been more important for everyone to work together as a team.

This month’s top Sportside influencers It is said that you’re only as good as the company you keep. With this in mind #Sportsider is proud to acknowledge the amazing influencers that are making sports and health accessible to everyone. These are the champions.

“I love the interaction with my followers and fans,” he says, “Without them I would have stopped playing a long time ago. I have this extraordinary feeling that I might be able to change the badminton world with my philosophy: That badminton is for everyone, no matter where you live and the circumstances you come from. Everyone should have the chances to dream and to fulfil and reach their dreams!” 2020/2021 Planning to continue on all parameters Mads has plenty of content planned for his YouTube Channel. This time the content will be much more interacting with his followers. He explains he has just learned a cache of new editing skills and is waiting to announce a few online courses and a website where he will share his experiences with a lot of digital material available to download.

Mads Selmernielson Fulltime school teacher at the Royal Ballet School in Odense, Mads Selmernielson says that he does a lot of coaching in badminton for players participating at an international level. Other than that, he also helps badminton clubs get more members and raise the quality of badminton training. Additionally, he educates coaches on coaching badminton and running badminton clubs.

NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL: Michael Jordan! Email: SelmerDGI@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mads. selmernielsen YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCXYpDcoYJk8CTGLUscj2Tgg

What he loves the most about his work is being able to spread inspiration and attention to a broader audience. Making learning free and accessible while still bringing out some key elements for everyone to improve.

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Bao Tran Learn how to dance Teaching people how to dance via online dance tutorials, specialising in iconic dance moves as well as full, formalised dances Bao Tran has saved the dignity of thousands of people venturing onto the dancefloor. “Dancing is fun and liberating, and that’s of course something I love sharing with other people,” he says, “But the most satisfying part about my job is when my viewers tell me that they just mastered a dance they thought was impossible. I’ve always been a big believer of “you can achieve anything you put your mind to”, and I’m helping people realise that little by little, dance move by dance move. This is something I’m super proud of and is what keeps me motivated to do what I do.” Including tutorials on popular dance moves like the Moonwalk, the Charleston (Wiggle Walk) and the Running Man, Bao also covers full dances that are popular. This includes all trending dance challenges e.g. the TikTok Renegade dance, the Fortnite Orange Justice dance, the Howard the Alien dance and more.

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2020/2021 Bao is currently working on a dance course “Pop Dance Bootcamp” that will be released mid-July, and he plans to do more of those because he believes he can provide much more value in these courses. According to him, in a YouTube tutorial he can’t really go in depth in the same way because it’s a different type of audience. This will not affect the tutorials that his YouTube Channel has become famous for. NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL As far as role models are concerned, Bao gets his inspiration from a man well known for his dancing ability. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “He’s the living proof that you can achieve anything you put your mind to,” he explains, “His work ethic is incredible, and his achievements are amazing. He’s an accomplished bodybuilder champion, iconic actor, a senator and family man.” Website: www.learn-how-to-dance.com Email: mail@learn-howt-to-dance.com

within their practice, both on and off the mat. She believes that real transformation happens when we begin to practise yoga in all dimensions of our being and its beautiful to see this transformation amongst my students. WHAT KIND OF YOGA DOES NADINE TEACH?

Nadine Graves For Nadine, yoga isn’t really a job but her biggest passion. Enjoying the opportunity to spent time on the mat and moving her body to reconnected herself to her breathing and getting out of her own mind. She reveals that it is a chance to really present in the moment, spend time with oneself and connect on a deeper level. “I feel that yoga can really heal the body, the mind and the whole being through simple breath work, meditation and yoga postures, called asanas,” she says, “It’s a beautiful journey I find of selfexploration and growth.” Nadine goes on to explain that yoga helped her in many ways and because of this, her mission is to guide and help her students evolve in their practice on the mat and use what they learnt on the mat in their everyday life. By this, she means, understanding and integrating the ethical, moral and societal guidelines or “Yamas” (A part of the first limb of yoga from “the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”) for yogis such as the Yama “Ahimsa”, or “non-violence” into daily activities.

Nadine teaches hatha, vinyasa and prenatal yoga to beginners and to advanced students. It’s not about touching ones toes but having fun on the mat and moving your body with your breath in harmony. She always tries to motivate her students and make them feel amazing in their bodies and in their minds. Her goal is that each time they are on the mat they let go of their day, their worries and hope to give them a boost to reset and recharge their batteries and make better decisions with a clearer and more positive mindset and perspective. 2020/2021 “My goal is to develop online and reach a larger international clientele,” she says, “I also want to build up a successful YouTube channel and offer classes to follow for each level.” NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL In yoga, she often watches BohoBeautiful on YouTube who she finds very inspirational. She is very professional and motivating even for beginners. Nadine likes the fact that it’s also spiritual and fun. In her personal life, Nadine finds great inspiration from her family her are her rock in all times and a source of endless motivation. Instagram: www.instagram.com/ nadinegravesyoga

For example, practising self-love towards yourself such as changing patterns of negative thought and/or learning to create a peaceful acceptance and reconciliation with one’s true nature. “The Eight Limbs of Yoga” gives practitioners guidelines

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Jordan Burgess Taking the confusion out of fitness and nutrition, Jordan Burgess educates people by giving them the tools and knowledge on how to lose fat, build muscle and gain more confidence in themselves. “I love helping people,” he says, “And the satisfaction I feel when I know someone has grown as a person physically and mentally from my help and guidance is amazing. Giving people the ability to feel more confidence in themselves and live a better lifestyle.” 2020/2021 For the remainder of this year and going into next year, Jordan plans to grow his Personal Training Business locally and more so online. Creating a platform where he can reach out and help people from around the world. NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL In business and fitness Jordan’s number one role model is Christian Guzman. For what he has done in the industry and how he scaled his businesses from a small garage gym to a multi-million dollar brand.

Emma Bourgeois Promoting a healthy and balanced life, posting recipes, workouts and honest chats about mental health Emma Bourgeois loves the connection that she can make with people. Loving the chance to communicate and interact over health in every possible way. Making an impact by having truthful conversations and being completely “unfiltered” 2020/2021 Emma is currently finishing her thesis in Competition Law (which is related to public health) at the University of Amsterdam. Her future plans involve more content, more work and to travel extensively as soon it’s possible to so again. again. NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL

FACEBOOK: JAAB Fitness and Nutrition

The series of books by Tony Robbin’s have truly inspired Emma to be a stronger person. His knowledge about the human brain and the mechanisms needed to improve one’s approach to achieving goals have proved to be essential to her career.

EMAIL: jburgess.fitness@gmail.com

EMAIL: emma.bourgeois@hotmail.com

MOBILE: 07491139736

TELEPHONE: 0032470193516

INSTAGRAM: @jaab_fitness

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is that he never knows or would believe what he is going to do next! 2020/2021 C-19 has put the spanner in the works for most of his planned adventures but this has left a nice gap to try and tackle a whole host of other adventures that have been on the back burner.

Jamie Is Running After spending 12 years following a career that he had no personal interest in, and did purely for the money, Jamie Ramsay was left feeling deflated, unfulfilled and unhappy. Now he loves his work, he does it on his terms and he gets to travel to the most incredible places. No two days are the same and the challenges, while sometimes painful, always leave him fulfilled. He is also fortunate enough to work with some amazing brands including Cotswold Outdoor, Gore Wear, SunGod and Powertraveller. The people behind these brands all have adventure in their DNA and are a great source of inspiration and support. Defining himself as a Solo Multisport Endurance Adventure Athlete, Jamie explains that this basically involves him trying to push himself as hard and far as he can go. Either running, cycling, or trekking he finds himself in harsh but spectacular places with efficiency as a main driver. So far, he has managed to rack up an incredible 31,000km of human powered adventuring in 28 different countries. He has been to the highest place in the southern hemisphere, been the closest to space that a person can get on earth, cycled across Australia, run across numerous countries and led camels through the Mongolian winter. The wonderful thing about what he does,

“In the past,” he says, “I used to travel to the corners of the world to do my adventures, now I have the opportunity to explore a few of the places that are on my doorstep.” His next trip will be a 2000km cycle into the Alps and he also has his eyes on some cycling and trekking adventures in the Pyrenees. He will of course continue to monitor what they are allowed to do and will adapt accordingly and once permitted he will be off. NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL Jamie says that he doesn’t really have a single role model and prefers to recognise certain aspects of various adventurous people to see how he can bring those qualities into his life. This being said, if he had to choose one person whose life has been the most inspiring it would be Ben Fogle. Fogle is a man after all who gets to do amazing adventures, meet extraordinary people and is constantly in situations that are incredibly enviable! WEBSITE: www.jamieramsay.net INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/jamieisrunning

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so they can be done anywhere and at any time, similarly the snacks are simple and quick to prepare. Nadine explains that the simpler you keep these factors the more time people have to work on the 1 as this is often the hardest part. Believing you can do it and staying focused. This needs the most work and is actually one of the core aspects that she spends most of the time on as a personal trainer. 2020/2021

Nadia De Marco More than just helping people make positive physical changes in their life, Nadia De Marco believes that the best thing about what she does is helping them build their self-belief. This subsequently has a positive impact on every area of their lives, not just their health and wellbeing. To her, being a part of that process is incredibly rewarding. Nadia provides a programme that keeps training and nutrition incredibly simple. The 4321 Method:

4 workouts a week 3 healthy meals a day 2 healthy snacks a day be your number 1 This is a simple but effective framework that gives her followers all the tools to be able to control their exercise and diet. The 4 workouts are just 30 minutes long and are body weight focussed

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Having just had her second baby, Nadia has taken a little time off recently, therefore the second half of the year she is looking to get back to full fitness and then spending some more time expanding the product. Recently they introduced a yoga series to The 4321 Method so when she gets back to training, she may look to add other complementary workouts as well as adding more family friendly recipes. “I am also really excited to work on the second series of my podcast,” she explains, ‘I completed the first series before I went on maternity and have a lot of good ideas for series two.” NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL Serena Williams. According to Nadine, she is one of the greatest female athletes of all time, is completely fearless, dedicated and constantly pushing boundaries. WEBSITE: www.the4321method.com EMAIL: nadia@the4321method.com

2020/2021 After five years of studying, Malika has just graduated with a Master of Science at the University of Bath in chemistry and physics. She had planned to travel at the end of 2020, but plans have changed due to the current Global Pandemic. Instead she plans to take the time this year to decide what career path she wants to follow and start looking for jobs. She’s very excited to get out there and see where life takes her whether that be in fitness or science. NUMBER ONE ROLE MODEL Malika looks up to influencers such as Krissy Cela and Meggan Grubb because they have worked so hard to achieve their fitness goals but also share a passion for spreading positivity and the mental benefits from exercising! WEBSITE: https://www.instagram.com/mali. lifts/?hl=en EMAIL: mali.lifts@outlook.com

Malika Ranshaw Malika believes strongly in the online community’s potential to help others realise their self-worth. It takes a lot of strength to stay motivated and focussed on your goals and its very admirable when people achieve this. She believes that there is always more to be done to showcase these remarkable stories. She explains that she started her Instagram page to track and share her fitness journey and progress whilst at university, which eventually changed to a personal blog page to share these elements while raising mental health awareness. It still remains a hobby as she loves sharing her passion for fitness and the advantages it can have on your life as a whole.

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Sport Tech NEWS New Balance joins COVID-19 fight by manufacturing face masks New Balance has developed and is currently scaling production of a general-use face mask as urgent demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) continues to intensify. Developed in consultation with local medical and R&D institutions, New Balance produced its first face mask prototype less than a week ago. By mid-April, their goal is to make up to 100,000 units weekly at their Lawrence, MA and Norridgewock, ME factories combined. They are simultaneously advancing their current face mask design and materials specifications to ideally meet FDA requirements and achieve a product that can be confidently used by frontline medical staff who require those criteria. Chris Davis, vice president global marketing at New Balance, said: “New Balance is a purpose driven company known for quality, fit and comfort. Knowing the shortage of PPE and after consultation with local medical experts, we embraced the challenge of shifting our production to make facial masks leveraging the same approach that we take with footwear. “We are fortunate to be able to tap into our dedicated factory associates and partner relationships to create general-use face masks while iterating the design and materials specifications to achieve a product that can be confidently used by frontline medical staff.” New Balance is approaching distribution through a combination of direct medical facility coordination and communication at the Massachusetts and Maine state levels, where their factories are located, to help them best understand where their current face mask design

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fits their supply and demand needs This is not a commercial opportunity. New Balance is pursuing break-even pricing and/or donations for the face mask. This initiative has kept many of their associates proudly engaged during this economic and public health crisis while their traditional retail customers are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In parallel, New Balance is also quickly responding to calls for other PPE, including gowns and foot coverings, among other items, with their R&D teams. This includes working toward prototypes and exploring collaborative opportunities that optimize their US-based 3D printing capabilities. New Balance are proud to combine the industrial R&D expertise and innovative thinking of their associates with their domestic manufacturing resources to work to solve new and extraordinary product challenges, reflecting the brand’s purpose-driven culture and leveraging their skilled American workers in their New England factories.

Geezer Boxing Bags

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The right sort of equipment is essential for developing your body to the absolute finest levels. Equipment provides the opportunity to allow combatants the chance to hit and kick as hard as they can without causing injury on the delivery or receiving end of the strike. When it comes to purchasing equipment you need to consider the purpose of that equipment and the quality. There is a science behind it.

boxing and having run their own gym they understand the commitment of coaches and boxers alike. When you ask a member of their team the question “is this item any good?” You will get an honest and educated answer, as they will have tested the product in their gym through sparring and training exercises, to gain extensive knowledge and identify all of their equipment’s strengths and weaknesses.

As the UK’s leading online boxing equipment retailer, Geezer pride themselves in offering their customers the best service and range of equipment possible. Offering a variety of sort of equipment to not only suit the purpose but also the preference of those using them. Twenty years spent on both sides of the ropes has equipped the team behind Geezer with the sort of experience that can really help sharpen the edge of the blade.

Taking all this into account we have put together an extensive range of the best quality boxing equipment from all over the world at the best prices, which we would use ourselves for schools, amateur boxing, pro boxing and the leisure industry. They also offer great deals for clubs and gyms that cannot be beaten elsewhere and a price promise to all of their customers where they will beat anyone’s price on any item they sell.

Having had 20 years of experience in sports retail they have been on both sides of the ropes and laced the gloves. Strong backgrounds in

0844 8000 655 or 0148 5572 688.

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EMAIL: info@geezersboxing.co.uk

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The Gymshark Formula

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Gymshark offers a range of training apparel and attire for men and women visiting the gym. The products are of great quality, but their quality alone cannot account for their monumental success, rather it is the brand’s ability to tap into the self-taking modern Snapchat and Instagram crowd who are willing to dedicate as much time taking a perfect selfie for Instagram and Snapchat as they are hitting out those reps. And interestingly, this cycle has also resulted in Gymshark brand wearers seeing significant progress in their training. GYMSHARK

A sportswear empire valued at almost £400M, their revenue was $50 million in 2017 and $128 million the same time the following year. Gymshark is a success story that flies almost completely under the radar of anyone not plugged into the sporting world. But they are more than just a good business idea, they are an example of powerful modern marketing methods can be. If you search for Gymshark on Google Trends, you can see people have continually been crazy about the Gymshark brand. Growing almost exclusively via social media and influencer marketing, their formula can work for any business that offers a moveable product.

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Founder Ben Francis based his business basically on what he wanted to wear. It was a simple process. It is true that he had an entrepreneurial fire which had led him before the age of nineteen to create an online store selling car license plates and had developed two iPhone fitness tracking apps which made him around £8000- no small amount of money for any teenager. But he wasn’t a man who considered himself destined for anything. He worked in Pizza hut and was a full time student in 2012 when the idea for Gymshark was born. At first, he focused on health supplements which he started with zero funding, so he had to dropship the products from other retailers. It didn’t take long however for him to realise that the profit margins of this business were too low to have much potential for the future and so he switched to clothing. With no real grand business plan, and following the simple principle of, “I really want to wear this

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so I made it,” he created his brand from scratch, funding himself and pricing it purely on how much he would be willing to pay for something. This meant that he was often under-pricing his brand. Clearly, a turning point had to happen for the business to shift into the empire which now is worth almost half a billion.

an unsatisfied customer the company takes responsibility for their product and restoring that relationship.

According to Ben, this came about at BodyPower Expo, one of the premier fitness trade shows. At the end of 2012, only months after starting his business, he emptied his bank account to get space on the trade show floor and he and his friends worked their fingers to the bone to develop their iconic Luxe fitted tracksuit and build the brand name.

AMBASSADOR NETWORKS

BRING YOUR PRODUCT TO INTERESTED PEOPLE This product, the responses that he got from the expo and the strength of social media spiked Gymshark’s growth with such a high order rate that they almost couldn’t keep up. After getting back from the trade show, they put products online, and things just exploded. Within half an hour, they had more traffic and more sales than ever at roughly $42,000 in a single day, compared to their modest $400/day in the past.

After all, it’s how businesses handle things when things go wrong that really determines their value as a business.

Creating a network of brand ambassadors is nothing new. But there are few businesses success stories that have captured the sheer strength of the online brand ambassador network as GYMSHARK or as completely successfully. This is how they sell their items, entirely via online orders to their websites generated by getting professional athletes to wear their brand and to post pictures online about it. Ambassadors apply to partake, earn commissions off every sale and it’s not only about their own personal audience but also on the amount of engagement they have with their audience. Engagement is one of the best ways to determine

OWNING YOUR BRAND Instead of going the easy route and immediately subcontracting their manufacturing, Ben and his team invested the company’s money back into their manufacturing and warehousing. They sell and ship their products themselves, owning the entire supply chain from creation to customer. This has worked very well with their marketing strategy which makes use of brand ambassadors on social media. Because, with an audience of some 65 million people their product launches benefit from almost immediate sell outs and the websites have crashed multiple times due to the popularity of their products. But if there is ever

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if an Ambassador’s audience is a legitimate following. HOW DID THEY FIND THEIR AMBASSADORS? Now athletes with millions of followers are lining up to become ambassadors for GYMSHARK but when they began, they first had to seek out the sort of people they wanted to represent their brand and ask and beg them to be their brand ambassadors. When your product is of a high quality and your business approach is simple and straight forward, people are generally very happy to help. At the start and even now, it involves sitting in front of a computer talking to people and getting them to support your brand.

BEING AN AMBASSADOR You don’t need to be super fit or a model to be an ambassador either. In fact, what is most important is that you have the same mindset and approach to honest business and goal achievement. Obviously, an interest in sport, physical fitness, and the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle is important, but Gymshark are not in the business or turning away potential champions of their brands simply because they don’t “look the part”. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS The complete and total coverage of platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube has been vital. It’s not really okay to be good in just a couple of areas, to maximise website traffic and sales they had to dominate on all the major social media platforms, and this required as much investment as did their manufacturing premises and warehousing. One of the things you’ll notice of this business is that they are equally present on all the platforms, treating every site as an opportunity to build an entirely new audience. This is how a product grows. THERE IS NO REASON TO NOT TRY IT. Ben Francis is an example of how simple strategies can work. In the same way that the simplest strategies are the best in the gym or in sports. A good product with an inspiring idea, getting the right people to support the idea and network it for you, making it very easy to purchase and receive the product.

Easy hey?

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Choosing the perfect sport wheelchair If you’re looking to start playing a wheelchair sport, it’s important to know what to look for in your chair. Due to a lack of frequent television advertisements or major film depictions, the realm of wheelchair sports is often overlooked. These games however are immensely popular and hugely challenging. Disabled and able bodied athletes alike use streamlined sport wheelchairs that have been designed for speed and agility in games such as wheelchair rugby, basketball, tennis and racing. Far removed from their everyday cousins, sport wheelchairs tend to be very specific for their games but all of them to share certain traits. Usually, they are non-folding which helps increase solidity, with a pronounced angle for the wheels which can improves stability when handling a sharp turn. The chairs are also made out of composite, lightweight materials and aren’t really suitable for everyday use. As is the case with any high-tech piece of sporting equipment, they are very purpose built. THE RIGHT CHAIR FOR THE RIGHT SPORT Wheelchair sports are not only for a those needing wheelchairs. Abled bodied persons are more than welcome to join in for a game, and usually will find themselves up against a challenge. These games are gruelling, fast paced and relentless and many athletes are attracted to the sport purely for the opportunity to train new regions of their bodies and develop muscles they weren’t really aware of previously. There is the connotation that because a game is played in a wheelchair that it is a sport solely for those who need them. But this isn’t the case. Wheelchair Rugby or Wheelchair Basketball are not substitutions but their own stand-alone sports. The Wheelchairs are not mobility devices

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but specific sporting equipment, as sophisticated as skis, or motorcycle gear and the athletes that use them become accustomed to their own equipment. WHAT SHOULD I BE LOOKING FOR? Generally, the wheelchair sport you’re involved in will have a specific type of wheelchair associated with it. These wheelchairs will have been specifically developed to suit the different aspects of the sports they’re used for, such as: balance, weight, speed, strength or safety. There are a few things that should always be considered. CHOOSING A SEAT HEIGHT Just as when you select an everyday wheelchair, seat height is important. Not only will it have an effect on your sporting performance (centre of gravity, balance and comfort) but it could also prevent injury (tipping over, impact injuries and pressure sores, etc). Seat height is the measurement from floor to seat. If the wheelchair seat is too low the user’s feet may drag. If the seat is too high, the user may have a difficult time exiting the wheelchair. To measure proper seat to floor height, the user should sit upright and have the length from the heel to the bend of the knee measured. Add 1” or 2” for clearance and subtract the thickness of the seat cushion. Seat cushions are strongly recommended, especially for users who are likely to spend any significant amount of time in their wheelchair. SPEAK TO COACH Your coach will probably know your style of play better than anyone else (even you). They’ll be able to recommend you look out for certain wheelchair features that will suit or even improve your game. Listen to them. Consider taking them along when you look at or buy a sports wheelchair.

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CLUBS If your club is affiliated to a specific league or association, you may be able to obtain a discount on equipment. Various wheelchair sports use specifically designed wheelchairs. Others utilise ‘all-sport’ wheelchairs that are designed to be handy in a number of different sports. TENNIS Tennis wheelchairs are designed to be quick and manoeuvrable. To this end they have steep ‘cambered’ (angled) wheels for stability in the turn. The frames are usually made of aluminium and will be at least partly adjustable. Tennis wheelchairs will usually have two large drive wheels and either one or two specialist castors at the front. Back-rest and axle positions will determine centre of gravity and are usually adjustable, as are footrests. Wheelchair tennis players usually choose to be strapped into their chairs at the ankles and waist. RUGBY Wheelchair rugby is an intense and physical game. This explains the front fenders that protect legs and feet in the clashes, of which there are plenty. Some rugby wheelchairs have designs that are intended to hold other wheelchairs in the ‘tackle’

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whilst others have wings positioned in front of the main wheels to prevent this and spoke guards to avoid buckled wheels. (Some of these features can be custom built and fitted.) They very commonly have anti tip rear castors. Some manufacturers will have their frames post-weld heat treated to remove weak areas around the welds (heat affected zones) these wheelchairs may cost more, but the durability pays off through longevity such is the ferocity of the sport. FOOTBALL Wheelchair football is played from powerchairs with curved fenders that are designed to knock the ball around in order to pass, dribble and shoot (known as ‘bumper kit’). The Wheelchair Football Association (WFA) has worked specifically with manufacturers in developing two types of powerchair that are designed and built to play the sport. (These chairs come with a WFA sanctioned playing attachments as standard and are available from Invacare.) Wheelchair football does not have the overly physical element of wheelchair rugby or even basketball and hence is played with powerchairs. These are built with very similar features that will include: manual tilt in space, tension adjustable upholster, angle settable recliner and anti-tippers. This is all driven by an advanced control system.

RACING

ALL-ROUNDER

Racing wheelchairs tend to be very lightweight and equipped with pneumatic tyres, never solids. The dimensions and features on the wheelchairs are strictly specified in the IPC Athletics rules. The rules include points on everything from wheel diameters, rims and construction to gears, steering mechanisms and height from the ground. The best way to get into wheelchair racing is to start with a basic racing wheelchair that is built to abide by the regulations and then change things you are unhappy about later whilst referring to the IPC rules.

All-sport wheelchairs are just as you’d expect: wheelchairs of lightweight but robust design suitable for various sports (including fencing, badminton, tennis, boccia, basketball and tabletop games like cricket among other). They are particularly liked by clubs who may need spares or have members without their own. They tend to be fully adjustable because of this swapping and changing of users.

Usually, the racing wheelchair will have two large wheels at the rear and one small one at the front connected by a long thin shaft. There are of course, variations within this set-up to allow for seated or kneeling riders. This is a key choice usually dictated by your physiology or racing style. The frame is generally made of aluminium or a light composite and the wheels will camber between 11 and 13 degrees. There are also several different brake levers available and mud guard choices so you don’t always have to stick to the ones that are pre-attached to your new purchase. BASKETBALL Basketball wheelchairs are very similar to tennis wheelchairs since they are designed to do largely the same thing. They are perhaps a little more robust due to the contact nature of the sport. There are companies that produce tennis and basketball wheelchairs with little variation between them. Just as with tennis wheelchairs they have steep ‘cambered’ (angled) wheels for stability in the turn. The frames are usually made of aluminium and will be at least partly adjustable. Basketball wheelchairs will usually have two large drive wheels and either one or two specialist castors with an additional anti-tip castor at the rear. Back-rest and axle positions will determine centre of gravity and are usually adjustable, as are

WHAT QUESTIONS DO I NEED TO ASK? Is the wheelchair really suitable for the sport you have in mind? (Is it fast, light, manoeuvrable and so on?) Is it the right size? (Seat height, seat depth, width etc.) Is it comfortable? (This will ultimately affect performance.) Make sure you also select a seat cushion that will not induce too much sweat and that can be wiped clean. Is it adjustable? (If you’re still growing, will it be too small, too soon?) Can I upgrade it with better castors, wheels or other kit? Does the Wheelchair conform to the regulations governing the sport I’ll be participating in? (It should if it is a sport-specific wheelchair.) What are the push-rims like? (It’s really important that they feel good since moving the wheelchair is an essential characteristic of wheelchair sport.)

footrests. Wheelchair basketball players usually choose to be strapped into their chairs at the ankles and waist.

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Ahead of the curve. The evolution of hockey sticks

As all good sports equipment should, hockey sticks have evolved over the years. Online there is an abundance of field hockey sticks to choose from, all boasting exciting features to enhance a player’s performance. Sticks for every position, style of play and much, much more. Sticks for men and women and junior hockey sticks. However, this wasn’t always the case. Indeed, field hockey sticks have always been ahead of the curve in their development.

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There is evidence that this sport, in whatever form, originated in prehistory during the ancient Egyptian times and could be even older, Thanks to this, there is an argument that the field hockey stick could be one of the oldest pieces of sports equipment. Since these days, hockey is a game that has come to be enjoyed in many cultures all over the globe, although the rules have changed significantly, and some nations play differently from others. For a sport that could have

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potentially been the parent of so many sports, there is a lot of history here that should not be ignored. Originally, hockey sticks were made from bamboo. However, English hockey players soon changed this material, as they utilised wood sources that were local to them, with the most common being willow bark. A high number of hockey sticks were also made from mulberry wood or hickory, and they were very expensive, and the head of the sticks were hand carved. There are two parts of a field hockey stick – this is the head and the handle. The head is used to hit the ball, it is the curved section of the stick, and the handle is where the person holds it. In the early days, the head and the handle were two separate parts that were then joined. This is not the case nowadays, as manufacturers create the hockey stick using one single piece of wood. There have been many alterations and adaptions over the years. The first major change occurred in 1860 when the playing side of the stick became flat. The playing side is where the toe of the head of the sick is facing away from the player. During the 1960s and 1970s, manufacturers were permitted to start using composite materials, which were used in hockey sticks to generate more power. The size of the head become smaller in 1980 and then in 1990 metal handles were used when manufacturing field hockey sticks, however, several hockey federations in a number of countries prohibited the use of them. The hook is a style of hockey head that we are all familiar with now. However, it first came on the scene when Toon Coolen, a Dutch inventor, patented a design with this name in 1982. A year later, Grays, the famous hockey stick manufacturers, took up the design. However, ten years later it was ruled that the patent only protected hook shapes within twenty degrees of the vaguely written nearly 180, which refers to the upturn degree of the toe in relation to the stick’s shaft. This led to other designs of a similar appearance, i.e. with the J-shaped stick heads, entering the market. The modern hook we are familiar with today was re-launched in the mid90s by Thomas Kille, who was a former German U21 international player. Nowadays, you will find

that there is a choice of angle of hook upturn, ranging from 45 degrees to 75 degrees. You can also choose from a vast assortment of colours, designs and graphics, as manufacturers began to realise that fashion and branding were of paramount importance. So, we have taken a look at some of the key developments over the years; so, you can get a good understanding of how field hockey sticks have changed. But, for further clarity, let’s go through the actual timeline. The first changes came about in the 1860s when stick heads were made from mulberry timber and the heads were made shorter. This coincided with hockey being taken to India. In the 1960s and 70s, reinforcements with carbon, glass fibres, fibreglass and aramid. A decade later, and there was the introduction of the hook head, upturned toe and ‘J’ shaped designs. In fact, there were many significant introductions in the 1980s, including the setback stick head, kinked shaft stick, and a greater assortment of hockey stick lengths to choose from. After this, specialist goalkeeper’s sticks were introduced, with ZigZag save being the very first ones. And, after two years of experiment, composite NHL sticks were fully accepted, although metal handles were banned. Once we hit the millennium, more modern changes came about, including the introduction of low bow sticks, the increase of the bow of the face of the handle in order to facilitate drag flicking, as well as the refinement of head shapes. This is also a period that saw wooden hockey sticks decline in favour of the newer composite field hockey sticks. What are the top three brands selling field hockey equipment today? When playing any type of sport, the importance of purchasing the best equipment cannot be underestimated. This is especially the case when it comes to the likes of field hockey. After all, poor quality equipment can be extremely detrimental to your game. It can affect your overall performance and make it more difficult for you to perform to your full ability. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover the top three brands to purchase field hockey equipment from…

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Mazon This is an Australian company that is has a reputation as an innovator in the world of field hockey. After all, they are constantly releasing new products onto the market. All of their equipment is designed with maximum efficiency in mind. They want to minimise the effort of the user as much as possible and this is something they have certainly managed to achieve.

Dita Next we have Dita, a sports company that originates in America. Dita was established in 1891 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. When it comes to field hockey, they have generated a lot of attention for their excellent turf shoes and hockey sticks. This is definitely a reliable brand to purchase from when in need of field hockey equipment.

Grays Last but not least, this post simply would not be complete without mentioning Grays. The official name for this brand is actually ‘Grays International’, however most people drop the last word. The company was founded in 1855 and sells a huge selection of hockey equipment. Their range of hockey sticks is worthy of further elaboration. They have a vast number of designs to choose from and they are generally believed to sell some of the most stylish hockey sticks as well. All in all, it is clear to see that there have been many adaptions when it comes to hockey sticks over the years. And, it is likely that there will be even more in the future. Today, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to sticks, so it makes sense to always choose the best one.

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LAPS. Is there Life after Professional Sports? What happens when professional sports men and women decide that their careers have peaked and it’s now time to find something else to do? Considering the amount of stress that a career in sports can put the body and mind through, it is a very short lived and intense career. What comes after? Not all professional athletes are destined to be good coaches, especially when those are two very different industries. This is the realm of post-sport recruitment, ruled by the likes of LAPS. Life After Professional Sports Offering the ultimate careers resource platform, where sporting professionals, from all ages and levels, can find advice, networking and job opportunities for future, current and former elite athletes. LAPS can help an athlete decide what career will suit them best after sport. They also provide support and advice in preparing a CV and suggestions/training on interview technique. Even go so far as putting sports people directly in touch with employers specifically looking to recruit former sports professionals just like you. A lot goes into making a professional sports person and these same fundamentals make former professionals valuable to the work force. This is the case in many an environment and LAPS have been instrumental in helping hundreds of sports people make the most of life after professional sport A SERENDIPITOUS MEETING LAPS was created with the meeting of two Robs. Robbie was a professional footballer. Having played with several clubs (Huddersfield, Leyton Orient, Coventry, Cambridge United and, MK Dons) Robbie had crossed paths with many

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sportspeople in his time, and over time he took away from these meetings two important things. Firstly, a sports career cannot last forever. Through age, injury or just bad luck, most sportspeople’s careers won’t last all that long and are fleeting in the grand scheme of things. Secondly, although there are thousands of sportspeople out there with wonderful, employable qualities, there were no recruitment platforms dedicated solely to helping them find meaningful, fulfilling careers after sport. It was largely down to themselves. Rob was a recruitment consultant with a reputation for getting client businesses exactly the right people for the job. And he noticed that more and more often, clients were asking him about recruiting ex-sports professionals. He also noticed that those fortunate few sports professionals usually outperformed their colleagues, almost out of an ingrained natural competitiveness, and went on to have really quite impressive careers. ROBBIE MET ROB AND LAPS WAS BORN Everyone at LAPS believes fully in the impressive qualities sportspeople have to offer in a huge range of careers after sport. They know what employers want and know that sportspeople are often uniquely suited to excel in business. Their task is to connect the dots and provide as much advice, support and technical wizardry along the way as possible. CHANGING TIMES AND CHANGING APPROACHES In what is an all-too familiar scenario, Rob reveals that March was meant to be a big month for LAPS. “We had our Ahead of the Game event series set up and ready to go,” he explains, “Scheduled

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to be held at three iconic sports stadiums across the country. Villa Park, London Stadium and Hillsborough.”

from the right perspective can be seen as an opportunity. And the best thing they can do now is serve their members online.

Then, well, you probably know exactly what happened. Fortunately, however, Rob explains that they have always been a modern business, light of their feet and capable of pivoting to suit the situation. A remote and distributed team these events were a chance to get the team together and also to meet their members and show them the different ways of preparing for life after professional sport. The events gather employers and educational establishments in one place, enabling athletes to meet people who can offer them a way forward, look them in the eye and hear what they’re all about.

INTRODUCING OUR WEBINAR SERIES

“So, following the advice at the time, our Villa Park event went ahead, but as the world of football began to react to COVID-19, several teams decided the day before Ahead of the Game that they weren’t going to come. Another pulled out on the morning,” he says, “There was no suggestion that this was the wrong thing to do – it just left us and our speakers and businesses who were attending scrambling a little as the event was somewhat sparsely attended later on. The rest of the event series was cancelled and suddenly, March was looking a little barren and the future uncertain.” However, uncertainty is part of an athlete’s career. You never know when it might end, when someone better might take your place or when injury might strike. And as we know, sport is a microcosm of life played out in hyper speed. Sport is more immediately dramatic than real life, it heightens our emotions and feelings, it draws us in, gets us on our feet celebrating, and sometimes it smacks us in the face.

As such, they have been running a series of online webinars with a mix of speakers. Some are athletes talking about their transitions into work. Some will be employers relating on what opportunities they have for professional athletes to explore; some will be educational institutions, and some will be more practical sessions with specific skills and takeaways that can be actioned immediately. In some ways these sessions are reactive, a response to circumstances. But they have been planning this sort of initiative for some time. It’s hard for to get around and serve all of their members – from Cornwall to Scotland. On their platform, they can help them all at once. So that’s what they have decided to do. “So, for now, while you’re at home, doing right by everyone else, do right by yourself and make the best of the situation,” Rob says, “Start thinking about what the future might look like. Jump on one of our sessions, listen to the speakers and ask them questions. Tell us what you want to learn about, and we’ll do our best to make it happen.” https://www.laps.careers/companies/

Winners are winners, irrespective of which field they play in.

Rob explains that the sporting world and the sporting recruitment industry is, at the moment, collectively reeling from one of those smacks in the face. However, it is during times like this that real winners are born and anything

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Stadium Management and Safety with ESSMA The European Stadium & Safety Management Association (ESSMA) was founded in 1996 by former PSG President Lionel Dreksler. Since 2008, John Beattie (Stadium and Facilities Director at Arsenal FC) has been President of the Association. In 2011, ESSMA created its new Executive Committee and Advisory Committee with respected members from various European top clubs and federations. ESSMA offers a platform to stadium professionals where they can share, learn and discuss topics related to ESSMA’s areas of expertise: Development & Construction, Operations & Ticketing, Sustainability & SMART, Safety & Security, Fan Experience & Hospitality and Pitch Management. In 2021, they will celebrate their 25th anniversary and hopefully kick-off the festivities during the annual ESSMA Summit, which should take place next January at Allianz Stadium. We recently caught up with ESSMA Managing Director, Cyril De Greve, to find out more about what they do. ESSMA work closely with over 350 European clubs, stadiums, leagues and federation on the further development of the industry. With this strong European network, they discuss industryrelated topics, reach common insights and organise networking events to share knowledge and best practices. Several European rugby organisations including IRFU and LNR (Ligue Nationale de Rugby – France) and its members (Aviva Stadium, Stade Toulousain, Connacht Rugby, etc.) are part of the ESSMA Community. Furthermore, FC Barcelona, Arsenal FC, PSG, AFC Ajax, FC Bayern München and other top clubs are long-standing ESSMA Members.

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THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 The (temporary) lockdown across all Europe competitions has disrupted the industry. Even though, most competitions are gradually

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restarting again, the long-term consequences cannot be underestimated. According to ESSMA research the short-term challenges linked to matchday operations are focussed on selection of personnel that can attend, testing procedures & protection for staff and modified safety protocols. Clubs should also take a look into improving the circulation/crowd management, sharing information towards their supporters and perhaps even thinking about decreasing the overall stadium capacity. From ESSMA’s perspective, the most significant impact has been the cancellation of their annual

Safety & Security Workshop in Marseille, as well as monthly visits to members across Europe. To overcome this period without physical knowledge sharing opportunities, they launched a webinar series mid-March to stay connected with members. Later this month, they also plan to launch their fifth ESSMA Webinar where Borussia Mönchengladbach will share their experiences on organising matches behind closed doors. Topics of the previous webinars include: •

Tackling COVID-19 at Juventus

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Building the best fan zone with insights from SL Benfica and Brøndby IF

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•

Turning your matchday staff into club ambassadors at Milwaukee Bucks

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The impact of hospitality segmentation on the development projects of Everton FC and Liverpool FC

THE CHANGING INDUSTRY It’s a challenging time for sports venues worldwide. Research amongst ESSMA members shows that 57% believe the stadium capacity will be reduced while 35% believe the stadium capacity will become more flexible. Furthermore, out of the participating clubs, 92% of them believe that the willingness of fans to attend matches will decrease. “To run a stadium in an profitable way, a vaccine seems indispensable. Even when social distancing is reduced to one meter, it will be below the lower limit to efficiently run a business,” said Declan O’Brien, Operations & Events Manager at the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and long-standing ESSMA Executive Committee Member – However, research conducted by ESSMA also showed that there will be a faster breakthrough of several technologies such as thermal CCTV, high-pressure cleaning, contactless access and self-testing kits. In Europe several competitions are re-starting their season behind closed doors. As fans are not allowed yet, clubs are looking for creative solutions to get in touch with their fans and to still get them involved during matches. For example, Aarhus GF developed a virtual grandstand so fans can join the game via a livestream. While Borussia Mönchengladbach installed doppelgangers of its fans across the stadium. At ESSMA, they are trying to gathering insights across Europe and are trying to support their members on how to deal with the current COVID-19 crisis. Recently, ESSMA launched a preliminary report on the impact of COVID-19 on sponsorship alternatives and enhancing the (virtual) matchday experience. THE THREE MAIN CHALLENGES Even though every stadium has its own unique challenges and taking the cultural differences between countries into account, according to ESSMA’s research there are three main challenges.

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First of all, expanding the stay of fans inside the stadium is a key challenge. Not only from a commercial point of view, where having people longer inside the stadium will make them spend more, but also to decrease the waiting lines at entry points and concession stands. And of course, stadium design plays a major role in this. ESSMA recognises that when stadiums offer a convenient space with entertainment, people come earlier. At the old White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur FC had the worst score in terms of fan arrivals, in the newly-built stadium, opened just over a year ago, they are topping the list. Secondly, the importance of experiences cannot be underestimated. Giving people a qualitative offer, both towards hospitality guests and the general public. Apart from the quality, the range of offers seems to increase as well. An interesting evolution is that the price range is expanding as well, as the cheapest ticket options became cheaper and the premium products became even more expensive. This all helps to provide a more segmented and personalised offer. Lastly, with the terror threat, the priority of safety and

security is understandable and stadiums should look for ways to close the gap between safety and matchday experience. Looking at research on people who never attended stadium events before, their primary reason not to attend is the fear of violence. It is ESSMA’s mission to entice these people into stadiums by organising safety and security below the surface, while also providing them with a fantastic experience they will never forget. EVOLVING THE FAN EXPERIENCE Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, the stadium industry is experiencing new and difficult challenges linked to social distancing and playing matches behind closed doors, or with a limited capacity.

In terms of the evolution of the matchday experience, Cyril believes technology will become an increasingly important aspect in the upcoming years. In particular reference to 5G technology, which is bringing a new approach towards the matchday experience. In the USA, 5G is already quitespread in the NFL competitions, while in Europe, there are only a few clubs including FC Bayern MĂźnchen, VfL Wolfsburg and FC Barcelona who have already implemented the technology. www.essma.eu

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