Jenna Golden

Putting your body on the line to make a play, going up against the clock when there's no extra time to give. We love to see it. The adrenaline that sports affords is undeniable. But the fact is, it's also a triggered response for athletes. You're pushing your own buttons, pulling levers inside your body and your brain just to get there, into that adrenaline mode in the hopes that it'll take over right when you need it to most. That's on top of all the skills work you do day in and day out, all the fitness training to prepare you. The work is never done. So glad to see Powerade's new initiative, 'The Athletes Code', featured in this Marketing Brew piece by Alyssa Meyers, about the emerging mental fitness era in sports. 'The Athletes Code' offers the brand's athlete partners an option to pause their contractual obligations without losing their sponsorship -- an effort to support athletes in an entirely different way than has been the industry norm. Read on to learn more about this work and the paradigm shift happening in sports culture. (And if you haven't watched the short film we made for 'The Athletes Code', check it out. It'll tug at you.) https://lnkd.in/dJzmnCcG

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Why Not the Player Protection Program? 🤔 As the NIL landscape grows, so do the risks student-athletes face. From unclear contracts to predatory practices, the stakes are high—and many athletes are navigating it all without the proper tools or support. That’s where the Player Protection Program comes in. 💼🏅 We’ve designed a solution that puts education, transparency, and empowerment first. With tailored resources, expert partnerships, and real-world support, we help student-athletes protect their rights and maximize their opportunities. So, we ask: Why not the Player Protection Program? 💡 If you’re a student-athlete, parent, coach, or agency looking for a trusted partner in this space, let’s connect. Together, we can create a safer, smarter NIL future. #NIL #PlayerProtection #StudentAthletes #Empowerment

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#linkedinsports I’m really disappointed in Kendrick Perkins creating the Nilly app. Nilly is offering college athletes upfront payments starting at $25,000. In return, Nilly gets exclusive NIL rights for seven years. Investors? They’ll claim 10-50% of your NIL earnings for the life of the deal. This deal targets economically disadvantaged athletes—a payday loan in disguise. Let’s break it down: • Freshmen basketball players? One-and-done = Nilly owns 7 years. • That includes most of your early NBA career. • You’re locked in. No wiggle room to renegotiate later. • Predatory loan alert—this isn’t NIL empowerment. And here’s the real kicker: Many states don’t allow college NIL deals to carry over into pro careers. It’s illegal for this very reason. My advice: • Know your state’s NIL rules. • Ask: “Does this follow me into the pros?” • If it does, run the other way. I expected better from Perkins on this one. #tipsbytabb: Protect yourself. Short-term bags cost long-term freedom.

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Soccer fandom is evolving at an incredible pace. Understanding the fan or consumer is complex….. There are a million ways to measure fandom so we (@forsoccer) took a crack at creating some of our own fan profiles that better represent modern fandom. Download the United States of Soccer report on Forsoccer.com #soccermedia #sportsmedia #sportsbusiness #soccermarketing #sportsmarketing #grassrootssoccer

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Every year I get dozens of people reaching out to me about how to break into the sports industry. The reality is: it is really hard! Sports is a supply and demand industry. Many more people want jobs in sports than there are jobs available. Really excited to partner with Sports Business Ventures to help people achieve their goals in this industry. From their mentor marketplace (matching job seekers with mentors in their field) to The Playbook (job boards, peer to peer networking, virtual panel discussions, and more), SBV is a tremendous resource for anybody who wants to work in sports. Check out The Playbook today! https://lnkd.in/eTs_Bx4W

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When students of mine hear that I got to be head of comms for a pro sports team, the first question I get is: “How do I get there?” I used to try to give practical advice. Now I share: “By not trying to be me.” Here’s why: When I was first starting out, I was not going to be outworked. I was driven and a sponge (both good things), but the truest thing I knew about myself was that I wanted to be like every former boss of mine because they were successful. My strategy was simple: learn everything I could professionally but also deeply unpack *their* journey as to how *they* got to where they were, as quickly as possible. I’d do this because that would be the validation I needed to know I could hang. I became obsessed with this. It was a great motivator for a while: having ambitious goals of reaching certain roles/titles/accolades. It usually meant I was putting in good work—except when I wasn’t collaborating well. Lessons learned. But the approach was healthy, until it wasn’t. Because I was often thinking: “Okay, but they had already been promoted when they were my age” “They had more unique experiences before 24 – am I behind?” Which led to: -“What if I’m not good enough?” -“Maybe I should have been more like them?” -“XYZ person wouldn’t have handled this like that…” - And then: “Okay, yes I reached this level by this age but if I’m not at Y level by X age, is it possible that I’m destined to plateau?” Here I was, with any goal achieved leaving me with an internal struggle. The ‘what’s next’ was nagging and the reality was that a lot of me wanted to prove myself to former bosses. I felt that any success I had was a hat-tip to them investing in me. It would be a thank you for sticking their neck out for me and teaching me -- but I really wanted to make them proud years later...because then I would know I was 'good.' As if great bosses actually looked at like this. There isn’t some ROI of investing time and caring into someone with the hopes that it would benefit them years later. Nor would they compare your growth years later to what they expected you to be at. Sigh. They don’t; they just care about you. Now: - I work with teams in sports who seek fractional leadership, workshops, mentoring and PR coaching. They want someone who lives the industry life to help. - I also spend much of my week teaching students hard and soft PR skills so they can spare their 20s from the same doubts I had. The best professionals I know in sports are great at two things: 1) Admitting they’re works in progress; they face rejection/failure. 2) Being keenly focused on being themselves. They embrace what worked for old bosses, dismiss what didn’t, and are unapologetically them. Unlocking that thought helped me realize I’d be some people’s cup of tea and not others and that’s okay. When I stumbled across this pic of me, back at the age of most of my students, I want to tap the photo and scream: “Just be you!”

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Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy case appears to be nearing a conclusion after more than 18 months. The regional sports broadcaster recently disclosed plans to shed 11 of the 12 Major League Baseball (MLB) team contracts held this past season as part of its reorg (including four that expired). Those clubs must now renegotiate terms with DSG or find an alternative local distribution solution for 2025 and beyond (note: Diamond remains contractually obligated to five). The latter does not necessarily mean a hard pivot from the established pay TV ecosystem. In fact, baseball, appears to be advising its clubs to remain in the cable bundle. While counter to the media narrative, it has become directionally obvious that guaranteed affiliate fee economics are the surest way to preserve local media revenues–even if the team’s new channel gets tiered and/or commands a lower sub fee than budget for (and after accounting for the macro decline in distribution). MLB would like to see its clubs supplement local cable television distribution with a direct-to-consumer streaming option (and perhaps a small number of OTA games). The league views that combination as the best approach to maximize reach and revenue. Most organizations look to be taking the direction. It was recently announced that MLB will handle production and distribution for the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesota Twins moving forward. The league has managed both for the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, and Colorado Rockies the last two years. In addition to those six clubs, the Chicago White Sox (Chicago Sports Network) and Texas Rangers have partnered on or are considering starting their own RSN projects. cc: Patrick Crakes Ryan Dastrup, PhD Randall Friedman Jacie Brandes JohnWallStreet #media #mediarights #sports #sportsbiz #cable #RSN #strategy https://lnkd.in/eG5crmsN

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As a professional athlete, I know firsthand that physical readiness and cognitive sharpness go hand in hand – one split-second decision can be the game-changer. After seeing sportreact coaches in action, I’ve gathered 17 top reactive agility drills that use unpredictable visual stimuli to push athletes to their peak. Designed to accelerate movement, sharpen focus, and elevate performance, these drills are perfect for coaches looking to take their training to the next level. 🏃‍♂️💥 Check out the full list here: https://lnkd.in/dUGknsu2

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🚨Announcement: Bettinardi Golf, the leader in precision-milled putters, premium golf equipment, and accessories, proudly announces a groundbreaking licensing agreement with the National Football League (NFL). This multi-year collaboration will introduce officially licensed NFL-branded Bettinardi putters and accessories, blending world-class craftsmanship with NFL fandom*. . 📢 Press Release: https://lnkd.in/gR_KgV2x . When Bettinardi and the NFL join forces, they forge an inspiring community where artistry and sportsmanship collide. Together, they empower you to aim higher, dream bigger, and tackle every challenge with unyielding enthusiasm. . . . #NFL, #NFLFootball, #NFLxBettinardi, #BettinardiGolf, #GolfAndGridiron, #TeamPride, #PrecisionCrafted, #BettinardiHive, #MadeInTheUSA

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Counting down 2024’s Top 10 Sports Sponsored Content - Part 1️⃣ 🎤 #10: Pittsburgh Penguins x DICK'S Sporting Goods This post convinced me that with the right execution, in-venue activations can thrive on social media as sponsored content. Results: 2.4M impressions, 113K engagements, 4.7% rate. 😴 #9: Philadelphia Eagles x Sleep Number Corporation In the sleep and fitness categories, many teams settle for a basic post about a player’s workout/recovery routine, the Eagles flipped the script, creating content that held fans’ attention and seamlessly delivered brand messaging. Results: 838K YouTube views Stay tuned and follow along for the rest of the top 10. #sportsbusiness #sportsmarketing #sponsorship

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Sports teams and soft drink companies have forged enduring and profitable partnerships over the years, but I've always believed these deals could be even more beneficial for both parties. Historically, partnership potential has been constrained by limited resources on both sides. Teams typically lack sufficient personnel to develop sustainable channel promotions, while global brands like Coca-Cola often don't invest the time and budget to create unique promotions in each individual club market. I believe team-branded loyalty points could help overcome these constraints by establishing a uniform affinity currency capable of supporting DTC promotions and B2B deals. 1. Channel promotions: if a portion of Coca-Cola's club spending were allocated to Club Points, then Coke could use team points as both an activation and sales tool. Coke could pass through team points to its retail partners, enabling them to reward fans who visit stores and purchase Coca-Cola products. This approach should help Coca-Cola increase case and syrup sales while securing more retail displays. 2. Fan Engagement: Coca-Cola could offer Club Points to fans for participating in sweepstakes, online promotions, or sampling events. This would help Coca-Cola gather valuable fan data and address one of its biggest challenges: knowing its end users. 3. Per cap pending: At ballparks, fans could use accrued Club Points to purchase more Coca-Cola products or earn additional points by buying Coca-Cola during games. Beyond sports, the overlap between team corporate partners and Coca-Cola's retail network is fascinating. As a team sponsorship seller, I'd be excited to use a Club Points program to engage existing partners and pitch new ones, using points as a compelling hook. With points serving as a common currency, clubs can forge partnerships with myriad brands. And club partners could even establish bespoke points-exchange rates to conduct deals directly with each other within the team ecosystem. Branded points can even enhance Coca-Cola's MLB (league) partnership in concert with club-level deals. The possibilities for expanding team/soft drink partnerships are endless, which isn't always advantageous since teams and partners often lack the time to pursue all opportunities. But that's where Minty Sports comes in. We provide the software, services, and strategy needed to bring loyalty commerce programs and partnerships to life. The Minty Sports system could create a currency for MLB that allows each team to have its own distinct, branded points that interchangeable with league points. League / team data could also be shareable. Our cloud-based financial software mints, distributes, and manages points-based transactions, accessible at venues, stores, online, and via cellular networks. cc JohnWallStreet, Matt Gardner Eric Stisser Neil Viserto Mike Morris Hunter Lochmann James Van Stone Anuk Karunaratne Chris Lencheski Bret McCormick

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NBA Draft Day. The NBA Draft process was always a 6 week flurry of making (and copying) Draft Books, prospect pick-ups/dinners, team workouts, intel calls, and being on call all hours of the day. There would be days where I’d call a college head coach for intel, then drive players to the airport, run the shot clock during a workout, before a prospect dinner at night. You never quite knew what to expect other than that something was going to change and you’d have to find a way to fix it… quickly. For more insight into that process and how to maximize your chances of one day working in the NBA, sign up for this course. Use code BISON for 10% off. https://lnkd.in/eVx7w6vT

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The newest SportsLine mock draft in the #FantasyFootball PPR format includes a reminder that you can never fully predict what will happen in the first round - https://lnkd.in/gpzE9p74

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It was a pleasure to chat with Josh Blum on his Trail Eaffect podcast! We covered a lot of ground, including the Pivot Cycles series Underexposed, as well as the idea of legacy, quality over quantity in marketing and storytelling, plans for next year and more. He does such a good job with these conversations, so give this a listen and let me know what you think! #podcast #storytelling #mtb https://lnkd.in/eAmf93MU

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Ask me to write about run pace, form, or time, and trust me, I’m not your person. But ask me to write about run culture, innovation, third spaces, and inclusion, and I’ve got you covered. Last week, we covered how running has blown up recently and where it’s at right now. Please check out the post below!

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As a follow up to my review of the Nike Zoom Maxfly sprint spikes, I discuss the replacement of the original spikes with a brand new pair. We discovered that the original pair was exceptionally more compliant than the new pair, particularly on the left foot. Not surprisingly, my son has had some soft-tissue issues on the left side in the distal hamstring tendon where it intersects with the calf muscles. Because of the significant differences in shoe stiffness, we devised a progressive plan to re-introduce a new pair of the shoes. Since he is training for and competing in the 100m and 200m sprint events, we thought it best to do a gradual re-introduction of the new shoes over a number of workouts, gradually building up total sprint volume in them and prioritizing upright sprint reps over starts and acceleration, at least for a few training sessions. This highlights the need to consider the 'impact' of changes in footwear, particularly for track spikes, football and soccer cleats and other shoes that tend to be on the stiffer side. I have also heeded the same concern when working with shoe drop -- transitioning from a greater drop to a zero drop shoe. The repetitive nature of running can have significant cumulative affects on soft-tissues and joints. It is always better to proceed gradually with footwear changes. #shoes #footwear #maxfly #stiffness #carbon #foam #injury #performance #speed #sprint #spikes #sprintspikes #training #competition https://lnkd.in/gq2Fzsc8

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🌟 It’s the human for the win! 🏆 🏀 It's absolutely brilliant how Nike paired Caitlin Clark’s image with the copy “You break it. You own it." 📰 Josh Lieber recently fed AI with a series of prompts to see if it could generate clever headlines for an ad featuring Iowa basketball player, Caitlin Clark, who broke the record for the most points ever scored by an NCAA woman in basketball. The results were descent but lacked inspiration. 🤖 As communicators, we understand the need to produce the "sh*tty first draft" in the writing process. AI can help us churn out initial ideas at lightning speed, but it's our human touch that transforms those responses into compelling narratives. 🛠️ Let's embrace AI as a tool to draft, refine and iterate, while infusing our own human touch when it comes to producing the versions fit to print with the essence of humanity. #Nike #HumanVsAI #WhoWroteItBetter #Creativity #AIinMarketing #HumanTouch #ContentCreation https://lnkd.in/eVq9kPXc

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Next level event promotion. Create your organization. Schedule events. All of your followers get your events on their calendar. #camps #clinics #games #practice #speakers #influencers #podcasters #eventplanners

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If Andy Warhol were alive today, his quip about us all enjoying 15 minutes of fame might need amending. These days, his metaphorical quarter hour seems like an eternity—five minutes is closer to the standard runtime for viral notoriety before the public’s attention is drawn to the next new thing. Our omnipresent smartphones and speed-of-light algorithms are a great equalizer, allowing anyone, anywhere, and for any reason, to grab hold of the white-hot spotlight of instantaneous and ephemeral fame. A moment of entitlement in an airplane aisle. A physics-defying hoop shot. An argument with an Uber driver. It can all go viral and enter Memeland—and then it’s gone. Poof. And that is contributing to a new attitude toward fame. If it’s so easily attainable, how valuable can it be? As we head into 2025, we’re seeing a shift, with more celebrities and would-be celebrities rethinking what fame is and how they can better manage it. Singer Chappell Roan has been refreshingly candid about the double-edged sword of fame, especially for women. She has spoken (and posted) publicly about what she won’t tolerate for the sake of her art—from media or fans. Musician Doja Cat has made waves by cultivating a love-hate relationship with her fans and standing up for herself against their expectations of her. In Ellen DeGeneres’ latest Netflix special, she talks about being twice “canceled” and how going from the Queen of Nice to being vilified as the Queen of Mean has impacted her. In her latest show, Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby (who rose to fame with their groundbreaking Netflix special “Nanette”) explores what success has done to their everyday life and what it means for the future of their work. In the sports arena, the undeniable GOAT of gymnastics, Simone Biles, has been open about how fame has had its scary moments for her emotional well-being, while tennis star Naomi Osaka has refused to play the publicity game, and basketball phenom Angel Reese has unapologetically clapped back at the sometimes vicious online hate targeting her. For those who want to survive and thrive as a public figure, “slow fame”—carefully managed—now holds more appeal. If the early 2020s were dominated by viral moments (and they were), what we’ll see over the next several years may prove to be the antidote. There’s a newfound recognition that genuine talent and measurable achievement are more valuable than the instant gratification of viral sensation—and an appreciation that the stars that burn brightest are quickest to sputter out. This movement of slow fame is an exercise in safeguarding the long game. For influence to be sustainable, it must be constructed on a firm foundation of authentic connection and impact—in other words, it should be a slow burn, not a flash-in-the-pan. Don’t be surprised to find more public figures carefully calibrating the knobs of fame to keep it at a simmer.

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