On The Front Foot - Issue 19

ON THE FRONT FOOT A P R I L 2 0 22 I S S U E N I N E T E E N

ON THE FRONT FOOT APRIL 2022 ISSUE 19

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E: INSUISD TRY IND MOVERS & SHAKERS

Q&A JOHN TERRY & HARRY MAGUIRE WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH THE NEXT LEVEL

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DANIEL GALLO MCLAREN’S CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER ON DRIVING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE.

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06 MCLAREN RACING 14

SPORTS TRAVEL

16

LIVING GREY

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32 ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT 34 MONEY BALL

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MCLAREN RACING

MCLAREN AIM TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATION OF HIGHPERFORMANCE TALENT Daniel Gallo, Chief People Officer at McLaren Racing shares an insight into the Formula 1 team’s commitment to actively driving a diverse and inclusive workforce as he leads the British motor racing teams’ ambitious and strategic vision.

Daniel Gallo has been involved in diversity and inclusion agendas for more than two decades, from his first internal role with Asda Walmart through to Liverpool FC, before joining McLaren Racing just before the pandemic. The application of diversity and inclusion in sport in general and then specifically in motorsport, presents its own unique challenges.

Unlike other sports, the team behind the team plays significant importance in the ‘on-field’ performance of the athletes. The drivers sit just at the pinnacle of a dedicated team.

Pit stops can make or break a race, and that’s the pit crews doing, not the drivers, and when you look at the performance of the drivers, there is a team of hundreds of people who have been involved in car development and generating revenue to allow the cars to race. McLaren take a holistic approach to human performance and the organisations commitment to

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actively driving a diverse and inclusive workforce to improve business functionalities.

“What can actively be done is very critical. I think it’s quite easy for organisations to ‘diversity wash’ where they tick boxes and just keep the stakeholders happy that they are doing just enough to get by.

“We make it very clear at McLaren that this is not a tick box exercise.

We are absolutely committed to driving long-term, sustainable, positive change, not just within our organisation as a sports team, but also as an employer. We also have to look at how we are proactive supporters of our sport, working with Formula 1 and the FIA.” ➡

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“We are a huge global brand so we have a reach which is significant when we look at our fans, suppliers, and our sponsors, so how we use our brand for good, as well as make sure that we are driving this message and doing everything we can within the communities where we operate, but also the communities in which we race.

“We looked at what our agenda is under three pillars - as an employer, as a sport and as a global brand – to form a shortmid- and long-term strategy that has very specific deliverables and objectives.

“We are really committed to an ambitious roadmap, we haven’t set ourselves easy targets, we have set ourselves ambitious targets around how we can move those forward.”

Last year, McLaren launched a strategic alliance with four expert partners – Women’s Engineering Society (WES), EqualEngineers, The Smallpeice Trust and Creative Access, to drive forward a programme of collaborative initiatives to diversify talent in motorsport.

The alliance, known as McLaren Racing Engage, will advance the team’s diversity, equality and inclusion agenda as part of its broader sustainability programme, including its commitment to Formula 1's WeRaceAsOne platform.

“When you look at a motorsport team or a Formula 1 team, we are a diverse organisation. We are an engineering organisation, a manufacturing

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organisation, a marketing organisation and then you’ve got support functions as well.

“From an engineering perspective, the STEM agenda is a global issue around the pipeline of talent and young people coming into that discipline, let alone the diversity of that pipeline. It’s an acute challenge that any organisation that operates in the engineering space is challenged with.

“We put together four of the leading social enterprise charitable organisations who operate not just in the STEM space, but in the broader diversity and inclusion space, particularly looking at the youth and looking at how we can really drive

long-term change into that agenda using the power of our brand.

“You really have to commit to this for the long haul. We are talking about engaging with kids who are seven, eight, nine-years-old. Even if we can inspire them to become engineers they are not going to be landing into the workplace for a long time.”

In conjunction with The Smallpeice Trust, McLaren will sponsor five students through a scholarship programme.

The racing team will be mentoring the students as well as providing them with work experience and internships as they progress through the latter stages of their education.

“Some of this is putting your money where your mouth is in terms of being willing to invest in these youngsters, and these five students are hugely talented.

Financially, we are giving them a foot up to help them with their studies and to help their schools as well.

“I hope they will come and work for McLaren at the end of it. If not, we have nurtured five wonderful young talents who may go to another Formula 1 team, or they may go and work at an engineering firm.

If that’s the case, we have contributed and made a difference. We intend to ramp those numbers up in the coming years.”

Gallo emphasises the progress that McLaren have made by noting that 47 per

cent of the organisations new starters came from a diverse background – a figure that has benefited from recruiting in different places, marketing the brand to appeal to people with different socioeconomic backgrounds and exploring how they can fund people to be able to gain access to creative opportunities.

“We have been very active in the Formula 1 taskforce which was set up to drive the sustainability agenda. Formula 1 have been superb, and the FIA are part of that as well. There have been some worthwhile conversations and I think there is good progress being made there.

“We actively participated in the Hamilton commission; we have signed up to delivering the recommendations as a team but also Formula 1 have signed up to delivering that as a sport.

“As a global brand we are working with all our partner organisations on how we amplify this in different markets, to engage different age groups across the world so McLaren Racing will be taken into the North American market this year."

After its absense from the scheudle, Formula 1 has returned to the United States with Miami, as well as the introduction of the Austin Grand Prix giving teams the chance to attract new audiences. McLaren's pursuits in North American are supported by the commitment to its IndyCar return after taken a controlling stake in Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar Team. Together,

the team are able to leverage a larger platform to drive their diversity and inclusion agenda.

“Formula 1 now has a Miami GP as well as the Austin Grand Prix, so we’ve got much more of a platform as a team to then start looking at how we start to drive the diversity and inclusion agenda."

“We will be partnering with the Motorsports Culture Club and they are making great introductions for us into historically black colleges, different charities and organisations where we can take our brand, take our passion and go look at how we are going to drive that agenda into North America as well.

“This agenda is bigger than the competition you see on a track, or on a field. This is a societal challenge that affects all walks of life and every country to varied degrees. For me, it's key to not only collaborate with tams within our sport but also people outside of motorsport, where this is common interest and a common platform so we can pull new ideas and resources. Using our brand and platform to fine-tune our outreach is really powerful and I am proud of the initiatives Formula 1 have.

“I think sports and media have a disproportionate role to play because of the impact and the strength of our brand to lend our voice to that and actively pursue it.”

Gallo recognises that financial barriers in the lower and junior categories must➡

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MCLAREN RACING

be reduced in order to let more drivers come through with less resources and is very much of the agenda of the Formula 1 and the FIA taskforce, with McLaren looking to find a route through its esports programme – McLaren Shadow.

“McLaren has got a really strong history around supporting drivers who maybe don’t come from certain backgrounds in order to progress and exploit their talent.

“In order to promote diversity, you’ve got to be accessible and as we know Formula 1 and its associated series, they are expensive to participate in. I think there is a lot of work going on there around how you can get talent at the go-karting series – which as we know is the breeding ground for future Formula 1 champions – and how young drivers can be supported through the series.

“McLaren has a fantastic esports series, and we are very active in the gaming community. We were the first to introduce it from a Formula 1 perspective and in 2020 set up the McLaren Shadow Academy which is looking at how we bring up drivers within that esports arena and crossover into motorsport. I think that line is starting to be blurred and we are seeing some transition which is fantastic because these are huge talents.

“I am really excited about what we are doing in the esports space but also as it continues to grow in popularity and reach, and the good thing is that its accessible in terms of its inclusivity. We will continue to invest in esports and look for future drivers primarily for esports, but rest assured that if we see the opportunity, we are known to be challengers and will give the people that opportunity.”

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“For me, it’s a win-win. We continue to hire some great talents into this organisation – established professionals, young professionals, people in midcareers, people who may not have thought about working for McLaren, in Formula 1, or motorsport.

We have managed to activate them and excite them, and they’ve come and joined us.”

Embracing diversity at work helps create an inclusive culture, which in itself encourages staff loyalty and shows commitment to good business ethics.

For McLaren, the objective isn’t something where targets have been set. This is about creating a systemic culture and procedural changes through education and through being more inclusive about where the team attracts talent from.

As a Surrey-based team, diversifying recruitment processes is of particular importance given that it is an affluent county within the UK to make sure they attract that diversity.

“Engineers tend to either be new entrants or come from other motorsport teams, but not always. The rest of our organisation brings people from all sorts of different industries. So, where are we advertising and what proactive advertisement are we doing to try and target people who may not typically be sat there with a motorsport magazine?

“We have to put all of those strategies in place to make sure that we are casting our net far and wide whether its gender,

ethnicity or those who come from certain areas which may be classified as less privileged than others.

“But let’s be clear, none of this is about compromising standards. We are a highperformance sports team. We will only ever hire the very best people for a role but if you increase the diversity of the people applying, then you increase the likelihood that the very best candidates come from a diverse background and that’s where that traction has come from.

“For me, it’s a win-win. We continue to hire some great talents into this organisation – established professionals, young professionals, people in midcareers, people who may not have thought about working for McLaren, in Formula 1, or motorsport. We have managed to activate them and excite them, and they’ve come and joined us.

“Using our brand, working with our partners, our sponsors, people who we have relationships with, you create a powerhouse of influence who can really take this agenda out to the schools and out to these young kids and open their eyes to a career in STEM.

“You’re not going to win them all over, STEM isn’t for everyone. But if you look at the drop-off rates for kids at 11-yearsold, 75 per cent of those children show an interest in STEM subjects, then you look at how that translates to secondary school, further education and then into graduate jobs. The drop off is huge, but then the diversity within those numbers is not high enough either. We have got to be in this for the long haul and that’s about education, investment, inspiration and deploying all of our resources and our assets to go and get those kids.

“With diversity, there is a clear ethical role and societal responsibility as to why you would want to be diverse as an organisation. If I wear my sports performance hat, diverse organisations perform better than non-diverse organisations because you’ve got richer tapestry of individuals with backgrounds, experiences, and opinions.

“They make decisions in different ways and that’s what drives high performance in an organisation. As well as doing this because it’s the right thing to do and wanting to be a positive force for good in this space, we're also doing this because I believe this is a competitive differentiator.

I think that can also be the case for non-sporting organisations that I have worked in where the richer the diversity, the richer the culture and the richer the performance of that organisation. Being a sports team is no different.”

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to protect the health and safety of candidates, clients and employees.

The pandemic has fundamentally shifted the way businesses operate.

The future of work has arrived earlier than anticipated and caused a seismic shift in how we conduct our work with a large-scale adoption of remote working and challenges in digital approach.

For McLaren, it was no different as Gallo explains how the organisation adapted quickly by giving all of those employees who could work at home the ability to work remotely and be as productive as they were when they were in the office.

In itself, remote working allows for more opportunities to increase diversity within an organisation as it removes potential barriers imposed by location and travel.

“I am fairly pragmatic about this. I think you see some organisations that have gone very far one way and have done ‘don’t come back into the office, just stay at home’ and you’ve seen some organisations go ‘as soon as Covid is over, we want everyone back in the office.”

“The path that we have chosen is a path down the middle which is hybrid working. Where we have roles that can be productive at home then they will be allowed to continue at home because what we have learnt is that with certain types of roles, being in an office can be a distraction. For example, if you have software engineers who just need to sit, code and focus, they are more productive sat at home rather than in a noisy and vibrant office.

“Hybrid working has been highly effective, and people have really appreciated it. We have tracked it

“As a team with a culture, we meet people onsite and collaborate, so we need to protect that, but at the same time we don’t want to be dinosaurs about this and acknowledge that the world is moving on.

That could be good for the employer and good for the employee if you can afford some flexibility around work where work sometimes gets done.” carefully and we have definitely seen no dip in productivity. I think the general view is for some roles and in some circumstances, we have seen higher productivity. So how does that translate into the attractiveness as an employer?

I think in this modern era, post-covid when it does come around, some organisations simply can’t have people working from home and that’s fine.

“But if you have the option to allow people to work from home and gain the benefits of that, and it’s a reciprocal benefit, organisations that don’t embrace that will become less relevant, and they will become less attractive to the workforce as a whole but certainly to the younger generation where work isn’t a place where you go to, work is what you do and people want to be measured on their contribution of their outputs. So, there is a balance.

“As a team with a culture, we meet people onsite and collaborate, so we need to protect that, but at the same time we don’t want to be dinosaurs about this and acknowledge that the world is moving on. That could be good for the employer and good for the employee if you can afford some flexibility around where work sometimes gets done.”

For the 2022 season, McLaren will also have two drivers buckled in the seat of their inaugural Extreme E car as it joins the innovative all-electric off-road series. This motorsport for purpose aims to use racing to promote sustainability by racing in remote terrains to raise climate awareness.

Extreme E also embeds gender equality and diversity, with each team consisting of a male and a female driver who share equal driving duties, with a driver swap in the middle of the race.

Competing for McLaren Extreme E team are drivers Emma Gilmour from New Zealand and American, Tanner Foust. Gilmour was announced as McLaren’s first-ever female racing driver in November of last year, during an engagement at COP26 with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

As McLaren revealed their livery ahead of the 2022 season, Gilmour and Foust were joined by sisters Leena and Teena Gade, who are McLaren’s Extreme E Race Engineer and Performance Engineer respectively.

Their own career trajectory is redolent of the McLaren Racing Engage Alliance, which exists to open-up STEM opportunities to all. ◆

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SPORTS TRAVEL

BUILDING A DUTY OF CARE PROGRAMME FOR SPORTS TRAVEL When athletes are match day ready, the world of sports travel may be rather thrilling, but who looks after the team when they’re not working?

As sports is increasingly global, more time is spent in transit between training and matches. It can, however, be rather complex.

focus is on building a culture of safety and trust by putting thorough processes in place and clearly communicating them so that employees feel safe and empowered when travelling for any reason.

What is duty of care?

So, what is encompassed in an organisation’s duty of care? It is a corporate policy and legal duty that ensures businesses are committed to their employees’ physical and emotional safety and wellbeing. It begins before you plan a trip and continues until they return home safely. The main

Why should the sports industry focus on duty of care?

Duty of care is a vital component of every travel programme. These components become even more critical when booking and managing travel for elite athletes and professional sports teams. They may need to arrive refreshed and ready to perform on the field or there to support.

There may be requirements for maintaining the privacy/security of a VIP sports personnel or entire team who may attract considerable attention while travelling. There’s also a chance that something might go wrong while on the road, such as:

As we enter 2022 and given the ever-changing landscape of travel there are several factors to ensure a seamless process.

When it comes to organising athlete, team, or staff travel; there are lots of additional safety measures and logistics to think about as well as providing a legal duty of care.

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• A change to fixtures • The need to change the schedule • Weather disruptions • Natural disasters • Incidents requiring medical attention • Political risks • Missed flights/connections • Covid Fortunately, advances in travel technology can provide travel managers with robust solutions to evaluate the risks to travel before travellers depart. It can also assist in providing instant support to those in need. In today’s global climate, it is becoming increasingly important to be aware of and plan for, potential risks to safety. We have put together some helpful advice to help you initiate a solid duty of care programme for your next travel journey. ◆

CTM’S TIPS TO IMPLEMENT A SUCCESSFUL DUTY OF CARE PROGRAMME

1. Improve compliance with greater control Travel policy creation: Creating an effective travel policy unique to your sports organisations’ travel is essential in ensuring that duty of care is achieved.

For example, trips to high-risk areas may require individuals to stay in hotels within a certain radius of the city centre, stadiums, or venues. Travel Management Companies (TMC’s) work with customers requiring varying levels of restrictions and develop policies that reflect these concerns but given the complexity of sports travel, it’s important to use a sports specialist TMC as they will have a deeper knowledge of individual, team and event travel and developing policies that reflect those.

Policy settings: While setting a travel policy is a key part of the duty of care requirements, enforcing this policy can be a challenge. CTM’s online booking tool, Lightning, offers complete policy configuration and flexibility down to a traveller level. It’s a better way to drive compliance without impeding usability.

2. Team and athlete safety 24/7 support: Partnering with a Sports specialist TMC that has a global footprint means that you can access local support whenever, wherever. Whether it’s requiring an earlier flight time to avoid a natural disaster or seeking emergency assistance in an isolated location, having the capability to tap into local language support personnel and knowledge can be highly valuable in high-stress situations.

Risk alerts: While TMCs have the expertise to mitigate risky situations, they also have the ability to prevent them. CTM’s Risk Alerts tool sends risk assessments for upcoming travel with alerts of incidents and issues that could affect your team. It’s a simple way to keep your team/athletes safe before travel.

3. Power of duty of care with real-time tracking When disaster strikes, it’s important to know where the team/individuals are to make sure help is provided when necessary. TMCs with tools such as Traveller Tracker pull information from

the flight and hotel itineraries anywhere in the world. Updated in real-time, you can assess country-by-country risk levels and communicate directly with the team that may be in areas that are affected.

4. Approved partners and suppliers TMC’s work across a wide range of wellrecognised global and local suppliers who are required to support with transport options for coach companies, chartered aircraft providers and accommodation options. Undertaking full due diligence on all suppliers regarding safety, security, and financial stability to ensure smooth delivery and having agreed contingencies in case of unplanned interruption or mechanical failures. TMC’s offer an effective way to reduce travel spend to negotiate discounts with preferred airlines and hotel chains while staying within budget constraints of your travel policy. ◆ For more information, visit: www.travelctm.co.uk/ctm-sport

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LIVING GREY

THE BENEFITS OF LIVING GREY: TRAVEL Living grey - Fitting into the environment so that an observer does not see you as anomalous.

Scott Stewart, VP of Intelligence at TorchStone Global and protective intelligence practitioner discusses how athletes can take steps to present themselves and an invulnerable target when traveling in different environments.

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As I stood on the train platform in Rotterdam awaiting the train to Amsterdam, a couple approached me, and the man asked me a question in Dutch. I politely responded to them in English that I didn’t speak Dutch, so he asked me in English if this was the correct platform for the train to Amsterdam, which I affirmed it was. As the couple sat down on the bench to wait for the train, I smiled at them, and then to myself, pleased that they had not pegged me as an American. I had succeeded at my attempts to be “grey.”

The term being grey means fitting into the environment so that an observer does not see you as anomalous. The phrase infers things such as avoiding wearing bright clothing or other items that might draw attention to you, but the concept goes far beyond bright clothing and flashy accessories. It also applies to affecting behaviour and demeanour

that permit you to fit into the ambient flow of the place you are.

Due to my particular phenotype, it is admittedly easier for me to fade into the crowd in Rotterdam than it was when I’ve travelled to places such as Kaabong, Uganda, or Ixcan, Guatemala.

It is, however, important to point out that being grey is not just a matter of ethnicity or race. One does not need to pull a Lawrence of Arabia

trained government agents can do. Anyone can be grey with a little research, thought and effort.

Understanding the Environment Before one can travel grey, you must first develop a solid understanding of the environment you will be traveling to, as it is simply not possible to fade into an environment you do not understand. This includes

"The goal of being grey is to present a neutral façade to outside observers so that you are perceived as neither a valuable, nor a vulnerable target." move and dress in native garb to be grey. Even when you are an ethnic anomaly, you can still take steps to make yourself appear bland, and unappealing for untoward attention.

The goal of being grey is to present a neutral façade to outside observers so that you are perceived as neither a valuable, nor a vulnerable target. Finally, being grey is not something that only

not only knowledge of cultural and societal norms, but also the threats posed by criminals, terrorists and, if applicable, intelligence and security officers. In the Internet age, accessing information about the location you will be traveling to is easier than ever. By reviewing online television and newspaper feeds from the destination, social media channels, travel blogs, etc., ➡

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LIVING GREY

one can, with a little effort, determine what is normal — and what is not — on the street in your destination.

For example, in many places men simply don’t wear shorts on the street. As a result, men who do wear shorts stand out.

In other places, women who do not cover their heads stand out. Knowing these things ahead of time allows you to pack, and behave, accordingly.

I’d like to pause here and point out that this is not an issue of your freedom to do as you please. You are free to stand out if you so choose, but there are consequences to doing so. Sometimes we must voluntarily surrender some of our freedoms if we want to conform to cultural and societal norms in the places we are visiting. Callously offending cultural norms is a highly effective means of drawing attention to oneself, and that attention will often be of the negative variety.

In every city, whether Chicago or Cairo, there are places that are less safe than others. Sometimes the threat in an area can vary depending on the hour. A neighbourhood that is fairly safe at 2:00 p.m. may be highly dangerous at 2:00 a.m. It is important to 18 | OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022

understand where, when, and how criminals operate.

Again, there are a number of great sources available that can provide this type of information for travellers. I generally review the Crime and Safety reports that are published by the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), along with the travel guidance provided by the U.S., U.K., Canadian and Australian governments.

I like to review and compare advice from several countries, not only to see if there are differences in the threat level they assign, but to also look for more granular data. For example, before one trip I noted that the UK FCO advisory for the country mentioned an emerging express kidnapping threat that the U.S. and Canadian advisories did not. In some parts of the world, it is also helpful to review travel advice from the French, German, or other relevant governments.

An understanding of the laws in your destination country is also important. For example, in some countries it is illegal to travel with a satellite phone or GPS device, and doing so may get you arrested, or at the very least your device confiscated. Know the host country’s laws before you travel.

Clothing and Accessories While you can’t change your phenotype, you can change your clothing and accessories

to make you greyer. Because of this, I generally advise travellers to avoid wearing clothing that immediately identifies them as Americans or that contains potentially offensive messages. I must admit that I am often shocked by some of the incredibly offensive things I see Americans wearing while traveling abroad – and Brits and Aussies are often nearly as bad.

As far as colours are concerned, if it is common for

people to wear hot coloured clothing on the street, it may be OK for you to wear such colours, but I attempt to wear neutral-coloured clothing.

Studies have shown that people pay more attention to individuals wearing hot colours than those wearing neutral colours.

I also generally advise that people avoid wearing tactical or military clothing while abroad. Little draws the attention of a cop or soldier more quickly than spotting someone who is dressed like an operator. This can result in you receiving increased attention from host country security and intelligence personnel if they see your tactical clothing and believe you may be some sort of spy or mercenary. I love my 5.11 gear but leave it behind when I travel abroad.

The same goes for camouflage; while it is becoming more common for civilians to wear it abroad in some places, I believe it attracts unwanted attention and avoid it when I travel.

This principle also extends to

As I have long noted, criminals will take far more chances for a Rolex than they will for a Timex.

Flashing cash is also a bad idea. I suggest breaking up your cash into smaller quantities kept in different places, and only pulling out the quantity you need for a specific public transaction.

Demeanour Just as important as what you wear, and carry is how you behave – your demeanour. In my experience, it is generally

environment around you, but it also helps you see potential threats as they are emerging so you can take action to avoid them. Hostile actors such as criminals and terrorists prefer to select targets that are oblivious to what is going on around them. This provides them the element of tactical surprise, making it easier to attack their targets. Thus, criminals and terrorists tend to avoid selecting people who practice good situational awareness. In many instances, if you show a criminal that

American intelligence officers who may be operating under nonofficial cover.

Where you stay during your trip can also have an impact on your degree of greyness.

Thieves will frequently stake out high-profile hotels as they search for targets. Westernbranded hotels have also been hit repeatedly by terrorist attacks. Because of this, I prefer to stay in a lower-profile hotel away from the main tourist zone if I can identify one with appropriate security for the threat environment.

Being grey also applies to recreational activities and exercise. There are some places where local people simply don’t run on the street. In such an environment this may mean running on a treadmill or doing the steps in the hotel stairwell rather than being the only person on the street running. Besides, as one American demonstrated in 2013, choosing to run on the street in a location such as Benghazi could cost you your life.

I hope I’ve made a convincing case here that being grey is indispensable while traveling and is worth the required effort. However, I also strongly believe that being grey is very valuable to the rest of our lives. Because of this, I will be writing two additional segments in this series on living grey. The second instalment will discuss being grey at home, and the third will address being grey on the internet. ◆

“But accessories that identify you as an American are not the only thing that can attract negative attention. Flashy jewellery, watches, cameras, electronics, and other expensive items can also make you a tempting target for thieves.” accessories. Don’t haul that tactical backpack with the MOLLE webbing, your blood type, and a big carabiner on it overseas with you.

But accessories that identify you as an American are not the only thing that can attract negative attention.

Flashy jewellery, watches, cameras, electronics, and other expensive items can also make you a tempting target for thieves. You may not think twice about the gold chain you wear around your neck, but in some parts of the world that chain can be worth a couple months’ average wages. Think about the items you take with you from the point of view of the local inhabitants: Is it really wise for you to wear that expensive Rolex watch in a heavily impoverished country?

easy to spot an American in a crowd, even if they are not wearing American flag garb. The stereotype of the “ugly American” tends to be uncomfortably true, and Americans are inclined to be boisterous and loud—even more so when alcohol is involved. In many instances you can hear Americans before you can even see them, and then when you can see them, they tend to stand out due to their swagger and cultural insensitivity. Such behaviour is the antithesis of grey and should be avoided.

Another important element of demeanour is situational awareness. Situational awareness, being aware of one’s surroundings, not only helps you behave in accordance with the

you have recognised them and then take action to avoid them, they will divert to a less aware target.

However, I caution against such behaviour when you are in a situation in which the person or people shrivelling you are the government.

Confronting them or using some sort of gimmick to ditch government surveillance will only anger them and cause them to redouble their efforts to monitor your activities because they might conclude you are an intelligence officer.

If you are under government surveillance, go about your activities normally. This is especially relevant in countries such as China and Russia, where the host country is carefully monitoring American visitors to identify any

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WARRINGTON WOLVES

WARRINGTON WOLVES LEADS RUGBY LEAGUE INTO THE WORLD OF MONETISING DIGITAL MEDIA Warrington Wolves' Chief Executive Karl Fitzpatrick is pioneering the development of Rugby League into the world of monetising digital assets, following the launch of the clubs first NFT (Non-Fungible Token).

The digital era has changed the ways brands and teams are connecting with their fans and looking to acquire new ones. By leveraging new technologies like NFTs and fan tokens, brands are able to reach new spaces and open new revenue paths that were previously unavailable.

NFTs have become one of the most in-demand technologies across multiple industries, including sport, where they have been greeted with mixed feelings.

Being a big NBA fan, the league’s Top Shot success caught Fitzpatrick’s attention, and prompted him to want to learn more about NFTs and the Metaverse.

“I went to see Barry Hearn last summer and the first question he asked was ‘What is your NFT strategy?’ After that it made me realise that I should start taking this a bit more serious.

“I started doing a lot of research in terms of who has released NFTs, and I spoke to a club in Sydney, Australia, who had announced they were set to

release and NFT. We also spoke to the Head of Strategy at Manchester City to get an understanding in terms of their offering to be the first pioneers in NFTs, and that’s where our ideas stemmed from.”

As with the vast majority of people, Fitzpatrick was left asking what an

NFT was, why or how it could be leveraged.

Fitzpatrick drew his initial inspiration from NBA Top Shots which are packaged highlight clips that operate like trading cards, but he was also acutely aware of the lack of education around purchasing digital assets and the utility the holder gains.

“We have designed our own NFT in the form of a playing card of our halfback, George Williams. We released seven editions of the NFT, and as part of that offering, we have also included a physical item.

“The reason we did that, was to bridge the gap between a digital and a physical asset because there is still that knowledge gap in terms of understanding exactly what it is you are buying when you don’t receive something tangible. By including a signed shirt, we aimed to bridge that gap.

“In terms of where the world is going, I think it is important to get into this space and to understand it. That is the direction of travel, and we need to try and maximise that commercially.” ➡ OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 21

WARRINGTON WOLVES

The launch positions Warrington Wolves as the first rugby league club in the world to enter the space of digital assets. A craze now prominent in North American sport has spread over to Europe, as Warrington join the growing list of European football clubs issuing official NFTs. It cements the club’s willingness to be bold, to explore new markets, and be progressive.

However, there is still a long way to go in educating supporters on exactly what it is.

“The primary objective was that we wanted to be the first in the market and we wanted to enhance our brand equity. It demonstrates to our current and potential partners that we are at the forefront of new media, and innovation.

not to conflict with Warrington’s sustainability aims.

“Being sustainable is very important to our organisation and the research that we did shows that the issue in terms of carbon emissions that comes off the back of organisations that mine thousands of NFTs, that’s one of the reasons why we did a short drop and released just seven digital assets.

“The sustainability aspect is very important to us, that’s why we kept it short. It also brings with it that element of exclusivity.”

The response from the media and fans has been very positive for the club. Warrington Wolves are first to marketplace and no one can take that away from them now.

“The primary objective was that we wanted to be the first in the market and we wanted to enhance our brand equity. It demonstrates to our current and potential partners that we are at the forefront of new media, and innovation.”

“We did a lot of research with our supporter base and there was a big knowledge gap within this space, which is understandable as its not mainstream yet, so it does take a bit of digesting and understanding in terms of exactly what it is.

“Our NFT is available on Opensea. At the time of launch you needed a crypto wallet to buy the NFT in Opensea, now they have introduced a function whereby you can use a debit card to purchase which I think is big positive and will make it more accessible. Not having a crypto wallet was a big barrier as not many people have one, or know what one is.

“I still think that there is a lot of educating that needs to be done. As part of our offering we try to cover all those barriers by doing things like offering a physical item and educating people in terms of what they are going to be receiving, the design.

NFTs have sparked concerns around the environmental impact of the energy-demanding process of regulating and verifying transactions on the blockchain.

Taking the decision to issue a small, limited number of just seven NFTs, Fitzpatrick highlights that one of the aims of the project was

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In a decades time when everyone is looking to own an NFT, they were first in the market. It allows the club to now engage with a potential new marketplace in its infancy – the digital community.

Fitzpatrick insists that he is now looking at other opportunities within the Metaverse.

I think it’s still very new and we are finding our way in terms of how we commercialise it. With the Metaverse, that is something that we are now looking to explore and become pioneers in this space, and there are not many other clubs doing so right now.

“For example, we are looking towards hosting a Q&A in the Metaverse with our head coach as opposed to holding a Q&A on site at the stadium. We are hoping to get to a stage where a user can simply click a link, download the app to the Metaverse that we work with, and engage through attending the Q&A and asking questions right from home. This provides the opportunity to engage with our supporters on a deeper level.

“We are also looking into potential digital fan tokens, there are so many opportunities like ticketing, digital and NFT ticketing, but the next step for us is the Metaverse.

“Like most sports, we want to engage and grow our younger supporter base – our next generation of supporters.

Therefore, we need to be on the platforms speaking a language that they understand. We need to be relevant, and we need to be prevalent in the spaces that they occupy.”

Warrington Wolves operate in a really competitive market. By location, they are situated 30 minutes from Liverpool FC and Everton FC in one direction, and Manchester United and Manchester City 30 minutes the other way. As a town, Warrington has the highest number of amateur football clubs in the country, 54.

Fitzpatrick must position the club differently. They can’t go toe-totoe with the football clubs on sport alone, so they need to provide an offering that’s different to what they already offer.

“We position ourselves more like an American franchise with the game day and match experience. When it comes to Warrington, despite what happens whistle to whistle, you’re going to have that real positive, memorable experience.”

“The big challenges aren’t only football clubs, but there are now so many other alternatives for young people to do – e-sports, cinemas, bowling, and other leisure time activities.

“We must provide that superior experience for people to spend their disposable income and if we can be on those platforms where the new generation are engaged, we can become more relevant to them.

“At the moment we live in a noisy and busy environment where everyone is trying to get your attention, so we have to stand out. We have a marketing strategy called ‘stop the scrolling’ which falls on our digital team putting out content that isn’t bland and boring, but actually makes people stop scrolling to look at and possibly engage.

“One thing I say to the marketing team is ‘stop thinking like a rugby league club and think like we are in the entertainment industry – that’s the content you’ve got to put out.’ We need to offer more than that, it needs to grab attention and if it raises a few eyebrows then so be it.” ◆

OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 23

BUILDING RESILIENCE

THE PRESSURES OF AN ATHLETE: BUILDING RESILIENCE It’s easy to criticise athletes when they crumble under pressure, yet no one really knows what effect that has on their mental health both short term and long term and how much work it takes to surpass it.

A penalty kick. A free throw. Putting for a birdie on the 18th. These are probably some of the most intense moments in sport and we often witness them from the comfort of our living rooms, possibly giving advice having never played the sport professionally and then muttering ‘I could have scored that’ if the player in question does end up missing.

I’m sure we’re all guilty of being an armchair coach at least one time in our lives but how does a professional athlete shake off that miss and not let it affect them for the next game?

How do they block out the negativity both in their heads and online?

Are they able to reframe the negative situation into a positive one? This is all entirely possible and it’s a skill everyone can learn.

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As a kid, do you remember being absolutely fearless?

Nothing could ever stand in our way, and we’d be up for anything but somewhere down the line, we let the world in a little bit at a time and start to second guess ourselves. Every decision we make needs to be thought through and while this process can be beneficial, we can often let those negative voices dictate and override a simple decision. For some of us, this could be a one-off experience, a slight

blip that doesn’t fluster us and we’re able to carry on as normal. But what if for some of us, this becomes a common occurrence and anxiety starts to creep in and starts to affect daily life?

Resilience isn’t just a character trait that you’re born with, it’s something that we can all learn and it’s easily one of the best life skills to acquire. Former England player and manager Terry Venables believed taking a penalty kick in football is

one of the most difficult parts of a player’s job; ‘“Penalties put too much strain on one player. It could ruin his career if he’s not a strong character.”

In all sports at a top level, there is now recognition that all players need to be a strong character, to have the resilience to be an athlete at the highest level. Some top tier teams and clubs across various sports around the world are now employing psychologists or mental health experts to create better environments to help encourage better mental health and in turn, better resilience across all players. Some top athletes are even hiring experts on a more one to one level and factoring it into their wider development plan.

While this is an encouraging step for all of those in sports, not all sports and clubs within those sports are created equally. The hiring of psychologists doesn’t come cheap as you’d expect so it can create

“Most players, coaches and even sports psychologists would agree that to play your best football, you must be in the ‘right frame of mind and physically, feel good’.

Unfortunately getting into this optimal performance state is not easy and takes a great deal of practice.”

an unfair advantage across the playing field, especially at youth level. The pressure to perform at a top level from such a young age is a battle the young athlete and the association/club constantly come up against and it can be hard to find a balance between pushing too hard and encouraging good mental wellbeing. Clubs and sports organisations must start to recognise that prevention, early detection, and selfmanagement must be at the core of encouraging good mental wellbeing rather than letting a problem go too far which in turn makes it harder to fix. One of the best ways to prevent, detect and selfmanage your own mental health is via CBT or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Marnie Merrilees, a counsellor at Thrive: Mental Wellbeing and Sport and Exercise Psychologist says.

Most players, coaches and even sports psychologists would agree that to play your best football, you must be

in the ‘right frame of mind and physically, feel good’.

Unfortunately getting into this optimal performance state is not easy and takes a great deal of practice.

This optimal performance state will differ from individual to individual, which means coaches, cannot treat each player the same and still expect them all to perform brilliantly. On the other hand, in that last hour before kick-off we cannot afford for eleven different players to be going off to do eleven different things to get themselves ‘right for the game’, or our group cohesion or ‘teamness’, will suffer. Hence, we start to recognise that the complexities, of getting all the players and the team into the ‘zone’, are many and varied.’

In its simplest form, the relationship between arousal and performance can be best described as an inverted ‘U’ curve. It suggests that performance will increase as arousal increases up to some optimal level, however, further increases in arousal

will produce a decrease in performance.

Marnie explains ‘One of the first steps to take in controlling arousal levels, is to become more aware of these thoughts, feelings and behaviours during practice and competition. This involves self-monitoring (or getting your players to self-monitor) your feelings and recognising how these are associated with your performance outcomes.

Remember that the most important observation that you can make (or help your players to make) is to understand the relationship between how you feel on the inside and how you perform on the outside. Your ultimate objective is to gain a high degree of control over your feelings.

A second step that we can take as coaches is to become aware of how we can manipulate the preperformance environment – ‘environmental engineering.’

The two variables that may influence many players are

‘uncertainty’ and ‘importance’.

The more uncertain we are or the greater the importance we place upon the match the higher our anxiety levels are likely to become. If coaches feel their players are generally a little complacent (or under aroused) they should increase uncertainty and importance. If the players are very anxious (or overaroused) they should reduce uncertainty and importance.’

The most effective strategy usually involves teaching each individual player arousal control skills that they can integrate into the team preparation situation. ◆ Thrive: Mental Wellbeing the only NHS regulated wellbeing app for employees is designed to empower users to take control of their mental health by early detection, self-management, and education. For more information, visit: www.thrive.uk.com OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 25

JOHN TERRY & HARRY MAGUIRE

JOHN TERRY AND HARRY MAGUIRE: WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH THE NEXT LEVEL Kem Cetinay sat down with WOW HYDRATE ambassadors John Terry, Former England and Chelsea FC Captain, and Harry Maguire, Manchester United and England centre-back, to talk about leadership, handling pressure and how to take performance to the next level.

KC: What do you think it takes to be a captain?

JT: I think the on-field stuff has to take care of itself, so those little bits of turning up on time, doing the right thing every day, doing what the manager says, setting those tones and those tempos every single day are massive for the manager. If he’s got his captain not doing all of those bits, that leaves him in a sticky situation.

Off the field stuff, obviously setting examples, and doing the right stuff at the right times really.

HM: I think John has summed it up well. I think you’ve got to be responsible on the pitch, but also off the pitch as well. You can’t be turning up late, you’ve got to be the first in the training ground. You have got to be seen doing the extra bits, in the gym, and people follow you but yeah I think on the pitch you want consistency, you want availability.

KC: Does it feel like a lot of pressure as a centre back, as you’re the heart and soul of the defence? How do you handle that pressure taking that armband on?

JT: I personally quite enjoyed it. I think why you see a lot of defenders and centre halfs having the arm band is because they pretty much see the whole game so the communication side, you’re seeing everything. You see things develop and evolve in front of you that you can nip in the bud or you can pull people in like I 26 | OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022

used to – pull people in those positions where you don’t get caught one on one or the team don’t get overloaded, those kind of things. If you had a striker [as captain] – strikers are very selfish and how they process things – and midfielders are the engines of any team, I think with centre halfs they have the consistency, that concentration level.

KC: As a centre back have you got to be very disciplined?

HM: Yes for sure, discipline in a lot of areas. Obviously off the pitch but also on the pitch as well you know as a centre

back you have got to be disciplined, you can’t be rash, you can’t be getting silly red cards all the time.

KC: How was it getting to the Euros Harry? It must have been an incredible experience.

HM: We put huge responsibility on ourselves as a group, having come off the back of World Cup semi final we knew that we had to go further and we had to push and try and get that trophy and the lads did everything they could, and obviously a penalthy shoot out stopped us from lifting the trophy which ➡

“I think you’ve got to be responsible on the pitch, but also off the pitch as well.

You can’t be turning up late, you’ve got to be the first in the training ground. You have got to be seen doing the extra bits, in the gym, and people follow you...”

OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 27

JOHN TERRY & HARRY MAGUIRE

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is devastating when I think back now. I still look at it and it hurts me but it was great memories and it was a great time for the country to get together.

KC: Harry, you’re top goal scorer for a defender. Is that something you work on in training or something that comes naturally to you? Or is it something that you’re always trying to improve on as a defender?

HM: I think set plays are so important in the game, I think over my period at England especially we have prioritised set plays so much. We were a huge threat with them in Russia, we could have been better with them at the Euros, if we were we might have ended up lifting the trophy.

I’ve been lucky enough to score a few goals for England. I need more for my club I know that so I still work hard on that in training – I know I can do more.

KC: John Terry, 78 caps for England, how was it watching England in the Euros, get all the way to the final?

JT: I was incredibly proud. A big thank you to the England team for doing it and for making us believe that we can do it!

This group of players, I love everything they do both on the pitch and off the pitch.

Their togetherness really excites me. I truly believe we have got a great chance in the World Cup. KC: I have to ask you – who is the best striker you have ever faced?

JT: Henri is the best for me. I just think in his prime – him and Giggs – have gone

HM: I can remember playing against Alexis Sánchez when he was at Arsenal.

I would have to say he’s the toughest opponent I have played directly against.

Neymar when I played against him for England – he was a threat to everyone!

KC: As a footballer, what it is that makes someone get to that next level?

JT: Being at Chelsea for so long, you look at the academy and a certain player and you go – he’s really good and the academy is expecting big things from this player – it’s actually the ones doing the basics really, really well and I know it sounds cliché, but the ones that are making their tackles, making the box, and all the basic bits you go, okay he’s got something.

It’s those guys that come through and generally have the stronger career. Again I would always flip to that – have the right attitude, do the basics really well every single day.

HM: We talk about ability but you have to pick out the other parts – dedication,

“I’ve been lucky enough to score a few goals for England. I need more for my club I know that so I still work hard on that in training – I know I can do more.” down as the best in the Premier League history. He was the only player I had sleepless nights about, the night before the game. Whether it was his pace, his ability to score with his head, both feet, whatever it was he just had that aura about him like you see on TV he’s got that aura where you just think, I am in for a tough game!

hard work, sacrifice. Mentality is such a big part of the game nowadays – being able to deal with the pressures, the responsibilities, the scrutiny that comes with being a footballer, it changes so much now that you can be on top of the world and then you can be pushed under, so you have got to be able to have that strong mentality. ◆ OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 29

ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT

WHAT IS 'ATHLETIC IDENTITY' AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUNG ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT? The journey as a young athlete is an unpredictable one. Former professional footballer and Elite Athlete Education Officer at Minerva's Virtual Academy, Fabian Spiess, looks into providing flexible, full-time educations to fit around an athletes sporting commitments.

The journey as a young athlete is an unpredictable one. Growing up, we play a sport we love. Out in the streets, we run around and compete with our friends in the hope of one day becoming the athlete we see on matchday or on our TV screen.

As a parent, it can be hard to know what’s best for your child if they have big sporting ambitions. Is this the right future for them? Are they good enough? What happens if they get dropped by their Academy?

What about injuries, contracts, finding a trustworthy agent? And what about… their education?

Being a top student and top athlete isn’t easy. Families often feel they have to choose one or the other. Depending on the sport, a young athlete will have different training commitments. Some sports require very long hours of training at a young age, like swimming, rowing, and gymnastics. Others, like tennis or golf, require a lot of travel. Others take up most evenings of the week, on a very consistent basis, throughout the entire year, such as 30 | OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022

football or rugby. As a child growing up, I would leave school at 4PM, jump on a 1-hour taxi to training and get back home at 9PM at night. I remember thinking: there are not enough hours in the day.

As young athletes grow; their sport becomes increasingly competitive. It can become increasingly hard to stay focused on other elements of life. This is what sports psychologists and academics call ‘Athletic identity’.

I am an athlete.

I am a footballer.

This is who I am.

Athlete Identity is natural. It is how I perceived myself. It’s how thousands of other young footballers just like me perceived themselves. But what happens when this identity is threatened? A bad game or injury can be all it takes to shatter a young player’s sense of self.

By telling themselves that they are ‘an athlete’ and little else, psychological research shows young players are more prone to anxiety, depression, and other

mental health issues.

How do we solve this? With a balanced approach, we should ensure that young players have a well-rounded education, a good degree of self-awareness, a supportive network, and good social life.

I am good at maths.

I have great friends who don’t just see me as a football player.

I won a science competition.

These are identities, too. They are extremely helpful when the main ‘Athletic identity’ is threatened. Doing well at school means a young player can still feel positive after being dropped from the starting squad or taken off at halftime. It can help them recover faster and creates a much stronger psychological framework on which to develop.

Nevertheless, maintaining multiple identities can be a challenge, especially when intense training and travel time between school and the sporting ground is taken into account. This is why so often

compromises are made and education takes a back seat.

Traditional schools have at times struggled to adapt to sporting schedules or day release programs. Some schools are often very accommodating to the needs of the families whilst others have opposed students leaving school, thereby causing a breakdown in the relationship between school and family. For parents, taking a child out of class for a sporting tournament can cause a rift between family and school.

Missing just one or two lessons can be the start of a slippery slope.

So where do we go from here? Online schools are fast becoming the new normal for parents of sporty children. There are immediate advantages. Zero travel time between the sports ground and school.

Young athletes can learn around their training schedule, not the other way around. They can re-watch lessons at a time that suits them, and they can learn anywhere in the world, at any time. Rather than a 8-3PM school day, a child at an online school might train in the morning, have a lesson 9 -10AM, then work on a virtual learning platform, then have a

“Of course, the big question is the social aspect of online education. But if children are efficient in their studies, it can lead to a better social life, healthier days, better structure, more family time, and more time with friends. ” second training session from 1PM-3PM and log back into school until 6 PM. Of course, the big question is the social aspect of online education. But if children are efficient in their studies, it can lead to a better social life, healthier days, better structure, more family time, and more time with friends.

Online schools won’t be for everyone.

But for young athletes, they have fantastic potential. During lockdown, many parents became converted to the power of online

schooling. For some pupils, education without the chaos of the classroom was a revolutionary experience.

At Minerva’s Virtual Academy, we work with an ever-growing number of athletes in the UK and across Europe, helping them to get brilliant GCSE and A Level results without sacrificing time in their sport. Minerva’s programme also includes unique mentoring and extra-curricular learning opportunities for young players to broaden their interests outside of sport.

We understand that an all-round holistic education can really help young prospects develop into successful individuals both on and off the pitch.

The interest in online alternatives is rapidly expanding as we become more accustomed to the world of remote working and learning. There are many benefits to it and when balanced well presents excellent results for all parties involved. At Minerva the number of sports organisations we work with continues to grow as we present a flexible and holistic option for young athletes, families, and academies.

For more information, visit www.minervavirtual.com OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 31

MONEY BALL

Money Ball – Financial management in the sports industry, the vital points to know how to successfully manage your finances With professional sport becoming more and more lucrative it can be easy for industry professionals to spend your earnings in the moment and forget about the long-term. This raises the question of what the best and most efficient way to manage one’s finances is in order to maximise potential to get the best reward during and after their career.

Since the introduction of televised sport and the advertising revenue that followed; professional sport has never been more lucrative and together with an increase in lottery funding, the world of sport has become more specialised than ever before; In the 70’s a professional cricket player would look forward to a cup of tea at lunch, whilst their modern-day equivalent has a tailored meal plan and rehydration drink to ensure maximum performance and competitive edge.

Taking cycling as another example; Team Sky take their own mattresses, duvets, and pillows for their riders on the Tour De France to ensure best night’s sleep during the 3 and half weeks whilst the race is on. Teams ensure that no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of excellence and the success that comes with it. Successful athletes are meticulous in every element of their professional career to ensure they perform to the highest standard in every appearance. Alongside this, the final piece of the puzzle is to ensure financial care is as valued as player care so that players are not only looked after during their careers, but that they are also able to create financial freedom into retirement too – whenever that might be.

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What do David James, John Daly, Boris Becker, and Chris Eubank Snr all have in common?

Despite a combined net worth of over £50million pounds, each of these athletes has been declared bankrupt during their careers. This means that despite staggering career earnings, they ran out of money at some point in their lives.

These sports stars are most definitely not alone, and every single sport has an array of examples of ex high profile professionals that have fallen on hard times through mismanagement of their money. There are a few reasons why this might happen more specifically in sport; take a professional football player as an example, the average football career length is 15 years, whilst the average career length of non-professional athlete is 45 years in the UK which means that there is a much more concentrated time for them to earn well.

Additionally, the average UK wage is £32,000 a year or

£615 a week. For a league two footballer they can expect an average salary £2,000 a week or £104,000 each year during their playing career. For a league one pro, the average weekly salary is £5,000 a week or £260,000 per annum, in the championship this rises to £8,500 a week or £442,000 a year and a premier league player could expect £56,538 a week or £2,940,000 a year.

If a footballer’s career lasts 15 years and they are paid £104,000 as a league two professional for each year they play, they can expect total career earnings of £1,560,000. A non-professional athlete’s

career of 45 years, paid £32,000 a year, would give a career average of £1,440,000 – leaving a difference of “only” £120,000 – a bit closer than you may have first thought?

The main difference in the two careers is the age of retirement – for the nonathlete it might be 67 years old whereas for the professional footballer they might retire at 35. At this point no more money will be coming in and so they must live on their earnings built up during their playing career. £1.5 million might sound like a lot of money (and may buy you a Bugatti Veyron) but if it needs to provide you an income for the next 55 years, it on average would pay you £31,200 a year which equates to 4 months wages as a league two footballer.

This short example hopefully highlights the importance of implementing a robust financial plan during your sporting career. Financial planning should be approached in the same way in which you approach your training and development in your career as an athlete – maximising potential to get the best reward.

Of course, it’s also worth noting that all careers and earnings will be different, and athletes often go on to have successful second or third careers after sport.

So, what can you do differently to make sure you do not join the same club as Messrs James, Daly, Becker, and Eubank?

Have a regular Team Talk • Check in with yourself on a regular basis. Are you on track with your financial goals? Do you need to move the goal post if something unexpected happens?

• Assess your income and outgoings. Do you know where your money goes each month? There are four main groups of outgoings: • Essential Expenditure – Bills, food • Property – Mortgage Repayments, deposit, rent • Lifestyle – Holidays, clothes, entertainment • Save and grow it – Investing your money As athletes’ careers are often shorter and income more variable than other occupations, have you considered your risk that strong earnings might not always be available?

Consider your long-term Goals • You will be used to setting these in your professional environment • Consider what you want your lifestyle to look like in the long term and think about how your career will support this • Are you planning for the long term or spending in the moment? As highlighted above, its easy to get carried away whilst the money is there,

but does this ensure financial security for the future?

Adapt and Change • Think about what your future might look like. How long is your sporting career expected to last? What is the best/worst-case scenario?

• Factoring in unexpected changes like injury, illness, or early retirement • Priorities may change and your financial plan should be robust enough withstand any bumps in the road As with all professional sport there are many factors and influences that impact on performance and outcome.

Your finances are no different and should be approached with the same dedication and professional attitude that you take onto the pitch, court, arena, or stadium.

Its neither too early nor to late to start training your finances. The best tactics you can have early in your professional sporting career is to save some of your money and not spend all that comes into your bank account. This will undoubtedly make the biggest single change to your long-term financial picture. The earlier you start the bigger the positive change will be. ◆ www.flmltd.com OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 33

SKILLS EQUITY

WHY SKILLS ARE THE ‘NEW CURRENCY’ IN 2022 The pandemic has flipped the script on what skills are 'valuable' in the workforce - and encouraged individuals to rethink how to invest in their 'skills equity'.

Traditional notions of what someone needs to know or demonstrate in the workplace are usually rooted in their original job description. These duties are usually specific, siloed within a team or department, and relatively unchanging over time. Training for that role, naturally, follows suit.

But this way of thinking about learning and development is no longer sustainable in a digitally enabled and hybrid working environment. On top of this, a sweeping movement towards the automation of roles and functions, economic volatility, and a truly global marketplace has increased both the intensity of competition and the pace of change.

Individuals are now facing a new seismic shift in understanding what it means to be a part of a rapidly evolving workforce and wondering where their future lies.

Why weren’t skills considered ‘hot currency’ before the pandemic?

You may have heard people talk about a ‘VUCA’ business environment before; Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous.

The pandemic has taken the idea of what we once thought was VUCA and knocked it into fifth gear. Businesses are pivoting left and right to adapt their models and catch up to whatever the world throws at them. Hotels as quarantine facilities, restaurants you can’t eat in, banks that don’t use traditional currencies.

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Trying to match the skill requirements of whatever today’s ‘go to market’ strategy entails, with what incumbent talent can deliver, is an enormous challenge. It leaves massive gaps between what we need people to do and what people are currently capable of doing.

The pandemic has also compounded the urgency with which the workforce has adopted a ‘skills-first’ approach to professional development. Seemingly overnight, it was no longer enough to acknowledge the importance of prioritizing skills development without proactively doing something about it.

The rise of remote work, mass closures, organisational shifts, and phenomena like “the great resignation” or the “shecession,” have further demonstrated just how quickly the working world can change and force our collective hand to change.

But as overwhelming as the change can feel, it’s important to remember that in change lies opportunity. Developing skills that take change head-on will determine who thrives in a new landscape.

Keeping up with the rapid pace of change There are many job markets that are impossibly hot right now. A combination of macro-economic pressure and very high demands for certain skills has created enormous inflationary pressure on the job market. We’re seeing certain roles demand in excess of 30% base salary more than that same role would have

commanded 12 months ago. That’s almost impossible to keep up with for any length of time - especially when hiring new employees at a high cost brings the added pressure to raise pay to fair and equal levels for loyal staff.

Looking instead at building your organisational ability to retrain, upskill and re-position staff through the business, is the next logical step. If there’s an excess of people in one area, and a drought in another, then there’s a clear need to redress that balance. The great thing about reskilling is that you develop a workforce with a strong set of skills that can be deployed in a range of situations - for whenever the world turns again, and you pivot back to where you came from!

Unlocking the ‘value’ of skills/talent Learning and development (L&D) can no longer focus on preparing its workforce purely to fulfil the duties in their job descriptions. The goal now is to unlock the full potential of their people. But in order to do so, we need to move beyond discussing L&D as a cost-centre to harness its unique ability to make the extraordinary happen: a highly skilled workforce with little turnover. New competitive advantages. Exceptional organisational goals achieved.

The best way for L&D to accomplish this new goal is to embrace agility and adaptability. A continued and evolving vision for learning, that’s consistent with the unique goals, objectives, and use ➡

“Data plays a crucial role in understanding where your organisational strengths lie. By understanding the skills of your people and mapping them back against the organisation’s strategy, you can create a powerful skills gap analysis that can guide the executive team in their decision-making processes.”

OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 35

SKILLS EQUITY

cases of the organisation, is critical to charting a viable course. But when that vision evolves, when the next ‘Big Idea’ comes along, L&D must be prepared to evolve along with it.

How can data and analytics help?

Data plays a crucial role in understanding where your organisational strengths lie. By understanding the skills of your people and mapping them back against the organisation’s strategy, you can create a powerful skills gap analysis that can guide the executive team in their decision-making processes.

An AI-infused analytics platform like Sisense helps businesses understand the value that learning/training is providing in the workplace. Analytics models, supercharged with AI, are being leveraged to recommend content to users based on who they are and where they work. The captured data determines how engaged a learner is in a specific topic or how well they understand that topic.

If your organisation is woefully short in a skill area that the go-to-market plan called for, that’s a good reason to rethink the strategy. Equally, a deeper dive into the analytics of learning can uncover which tactics help improve time to competency in a given area the fastest. It’s not enough to just know where you are strong or weak as a company; you need to know the levers you can pull to quickly upskill and retrain the workforce without wasting time and energy on initiatives that don’t close the gaps.

The role of AI and machine learning in unlocking skills ‘equity’ Traditionally, understanding which skills are actually useful ‘on-the-job’ has always been a bit of a dark art. Twenty years ago, organisations spent fortunes on a constant cycle of competency mapping and job descriptions, trying to explicitly capture what made each role tick. But this was always doomed to a never-ending cycle of documentation trying to keep pace with reality; things moved too fast then and they move faster now.

36 | OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022

ABOUT LEARNING POOL Learning Pool empowers workplaces to deliver extraordinary learning outcomes with its comprehensive suite of innovative technologies.

Supporting the evolving ambition of more than 1,200 businesses investing in learning experiences for over 5 million global learners, Learning Pool’s suite provides everything needed to build, manage, and deliver workplace learning.

The company offers an unparalleled customer experience, delivered by more than 300 expert colleagues based in the UK and USA, working to bring each customer’s unique vision for learning and development to life.

In the last year, it has featured on 17 eLearning Industry lists for excellence in its field, received Gold at the 2021 Brandon Hall Excellence Awards, for Best Advance in Learning Technology Implementation and double Gold in the Stevie Awards for Outstanding Customer Service.

Recognised as a Strategic Leader in the Fosway 9-Grid for Digital Learning, wherever you find ambitious workplaces investing in their people, you’ll find Learning Pool.

AI, and specifically machine learning, can help us to map and understand the jobs people really do and the underlying skills ontologies that underpin the work.

By analysing large data sets, companies are becoming increasingly capable of determining the common skills and themes that underpin certain job roles and functions. These sets of skills can adapt and change in real-time; they aren’t a written document like they used to be, but a model that learns and changes as the work evolves.

Infusing analytics in learning platforms When it comes to infusing analytics in learning platforms, simplicity is key.

Collating and analysing complex data is challenging for nontechnical users.

Organisations shouldn’t need to have a team of data specialists simply to make good use of learning data.

They have the skills and knowledge to use the insights from their data — they just need to have the data available in a more accessible, simpler-to-use, and easier-tounderstand way.

This is where leveraging tools like Sisense helps remove any barriers to understanding data.

Learning Pool recently announced it is embedding Sisense to combine the power of its leading AI-driven analytics platform with the LRS Learning Locker.

This partnership has culminated in a valuable new addition to the Learning Pool suite, “Insights,” which serves up granular learning data combined with Sisense’s AI capabilities to bring personalised and automatic intelligence to every user.

Optimising your ‘competitive edge’ The future is complex and uncertain.

But it also presents fresh and exciting opportunities. What we do know is that organisations and individuals alike must remain agile and adaptable if they are to meet tomorrow’s challenges successfully.

The best way to do that is through the development of skills that optimise your ‘competitive edge.’

This is because a highly skilled workforce is more resilient in the face of change and most equipped to seize the moment when an opportunity presents itself. In turn, learning and development that fosters skills acquisition can no longer be limited to job titles. After all, investing in your skill equity is about what you need to do next, not what you’ve already done.◆

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SAM RENOUF APPOINTMENTS

MOVERS & SHAKERS All the recent appointments in one place.

NICK SAKIEWICZ BRANDON SNOW Managing Director Formula One

Chief Business Officer Arizona Coyotes Previously: Commissioner National Lacrosse League (NLL)

Previously: Chief Commercial Officer, Global Head of Esports Activision Blizzard

LIZ MONTANO Chief Operating Officer Arizona Coyotes Previously: Chief Strategy Officer Arizona Coyotes

RICK MCGAGH JESSICA BERMAN Commissioner National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Previously: Deputy Commissioner & EVP of Business National Lacrosse League (NLL)

38 | OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022

Head of Fan Engagement Manchester United FC Previously: Head of Internal Communications & Engagement Ofsted

LORENZO CASINI President Serie A Previously: Civil servant in Italy’s culture ministry

KATIE HAAS Chief Executive Western & Southern Open

SALLY HORROX

Previously: Chief Operating Officer Western & Southern Open

OTMAR SZAFNAUER JOHN KIMBALL

Team Principal Alpine F1 Team

President Real Salt Lake

Previously: Team Principal Aston Martin F1 Team

Previously: Interim President Real Salt Lakew

Director of the Women’s Game World Rugby Previously: Managing Partner Y Sport

DANETTE LEIGHTON Chief Executive Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) Previously: Chief Marketing Officer Pac-12 Conference

DAVID BERNARDBRET Vice President, Marketing Discovery Sports Previously: Senior Director of Campaigns Discovery Sports

JEAN-SÉBASTIEN CHÉNIER PROTEAU Chief Executive Canada SailGP Team Previously: Executive Director Spindrift

SUE STORY Chief Executive Badminton England Previously: Chief Executive Volleyball England

JARED SHAWLEE President San Jose Earthquakes

BEN LATTY Commercial Director Liverpool FC Previously: Group Commercial Director Bristol Sport

TRACY STOCKWELL

Previously: Chief Operating Officer, San Jose Earthquakes

President Swimming Australia Previously: Board Member Swimming Australia OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022 | 39

PSN Directory AIRCRAFT CHARTER

ACC Aviation 18 Priory Drive, Castlefield Road, Reigate, RH2 0AP www.accaviation.com Contact: Mitch Broadstock, Senior Business Development Manager E: mitch.broadstock@accaviation.com T: +44 (0)17 3723 2230 ATHLETE ENGAGEMENT

Teamworks 122 E Parrish Street, Durham, NC 27701, USA www.teamworks.com Contact: Paul Dudley, VP and GM for Enterprise & International Sales E: pdudley@teamworks.com T: +1 (215) 260 5230 DIGITAL ASSETS

GlobalBlock 65 Curzon St, London, W1J 8PE www.globalblock.co.uk Contact: Ben Small, Head of Partnerships E: ben@globalblock.co.uk DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Global Sports Initiatives Tampa, Florida, USA Contact: Kevin Meredith, CEO E: kevin@globalsportsinitiatives.com T: +1 (305) 209 2362 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Kick It Out 20 Market Road, London, N7 9PW www.kickitout.org E: info@kickitout.org T: +44 (0)20 3967 8989 EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

UCFB Education Wembley Stadium, Wembley, HA9 0WS www.ucfb.com E: info@ucfb.com T: +44 (0)33 3060 1456 FITNESS HYDRATUON

WOW HYDRATE 5 Prospect Business Park, Langston Road, Loughton, IG10 3TR www.wowhydrate.com Contact: Jon Hayman, Managing Director E: jon@wowhyrdate.com T: +44 (0)20 8508 9510 FOREIGN EXCHANGE (BUSINESSES)

Western Union Business Solutions 200 Hammersmith Road, London, W6 7DL www.westernunion.com Contact: Dominic Page, Head of Desk E: dominic.page@westernunionbank.com 40 | OTFF ISSUE 19 ★ APRIL 2022

FOREIGN EXCHANGE (INDIVIDUALS)

Argentex Group PLC 24 Argyll Street, Soho, London, W1F 7TU www.argentex.com Contact: Chris Canning E: chris.canning@argentex.com T: +44 (0)20 3772 0318 HOSPITALITY

Snackr Perth, WA, Australia www.snackr.com.au Contact: Matthew Lim, Co-founder & CEO E:mlim@snackr.com.au T: +61 (0)4 0391 1104 MENTAL HEALTH

Thrive: Mental Health Savoy House, Savoy Circus, London, W3 7DA www.theturmeric.co E: info@theturmeric.co NUTRITIONArgentex LLP

24 Argyll Street, Soho, London, W1F 7TU www.argentex.com Contact: Chris Canning E: chris.canning@argentex.com T: +44 (0)20 3772 0318

PR & COMMUNICATIONS

Weber Shandwick 135 Bishopsgate, Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 3AN www.webershandwick.co.uk Contact: Chris Harris, Director of Client Experience E: charris@webershandwick.com T: +44 (0)20 3353 8740 PRIVATE TUITION

Minerva Tutors 79 Eccleston Square, Pimlico, London, SW1V 1PP www.minervatutors.co.uk Contact: Clare Sender, Head of Marketing & Admissions E: clare@minervavirtual.com T: +44 (0)20 3637 6477 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

American Management Association (AMA) 1601 Broadway Suite, 7 New York, NY 10019 United States www.amanet.org / www.mce.eu E: info@mce.eu T: +1 (0)21 2586 8100 / +32 (0)2 543 2100

REAL ESTATE

Knight Frank 56 Baker Street, London, W1U 8AN www.knightfrank.com Contacts: Alex McLean, Head of Sports Desk E: alexander.mclean@knightfrank.com T: +44 (0)20 4502 3143 Kate Doyle, Graduate & Early Careers Manager E: kate.doyle@knightfrank.com T: +44 (0)20 3811 1762 SCOUTING & TRAINING

Ellevate Football 75 Park Lane, Fountain House, W1K 7HG www.ellevate-football.co.uk Contact: Akshay Lugani, CEO E: akshay@e11evate.co.uk T: +44 (0)77 4107 0002 SECURITY & RISK MITIGATION

TorchStone Global 295 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10017 United States www.torchstoneglobal.com Contact: Christopher Sanchez, VP E: csanchez@torchstoneglobal.com T: +1 (540) 424 8755 LEARNING PROVIDER

Learning Pool Clockwise Offices, Riverhouse, 48-60 High Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 2BE www.learningpool.com Contact: Rob Carter, Head of Marketing E: rob.carter@learningpool.com T: +44 (0)11 5822 0475 TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

CTM Sport Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria St, London, EC4V 4AB www.travelctm.com Contact: Shelley Matthews, VP Sales & Partnerships EMEA E: shelley.matthews@travelctm.com T: +44 (0)77 9176 8019 WEALTH MANAGEMENT

FLM Basildon House, 7-11 Moorgate, London, EC2R 6AF www.flmltd.com Contact: Ben Smith, Senior Advisor & Chartered Financial Planner E: ben.smith@sjpp.co.uk T: +44 (0)20 7710 3422 We’re always looking for innovative partners who align with our values in the global sports industry.

To get in touch, please email enquiries@ premiersportsnetwork.com or call +44 (0)20 3983 8562

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