Tag: #competition

AGE APPROPRIATE: WHEN SHOULD YOU PUT YOUR CHILD IN SPORTS?

Toddler Playing Soccer

“Best time to start.”

when it’s time

As a parent, you can hardly wait for the time to come when you are able to put your small child in sports. Especially if you were active yourself when you were young. Seeing them suit up in that uniform for the very first time is so precious. I was 11 years old the first time I actively started to compete in sports. I went to try out for football and my mother wondered where I managed to know so much about sports given I grew up with her and my two sisters. I stood out quite well that day for tryouts. And managed to play on a team and continued to do so all through high school.

group think

We all in society have this thing where we know what the other person is going to do when they are going to do it because it is so typical. We know there is this appropriate time to do something or say something. It’s like when you have to talk to your child about where babies come from, there really is no time you want to talk to your kid. But we all know that around a certain age we have to have that talk. The same exist for sports; there are ages where people say when, but we all have come to this agreement about when. Once they start school initially, we allow them to go to school, make some friends, and then we place them into sports. This way they have some type of social skills outside of the sport.

always easy when you have an example

Whenever your child has a sibling, or better a cousin that is in sports, then you can observe from up close. You are able to see an example of around the age you can start to place your child in sports. And you can start to see when your child will become interested in sports. So the culmination of options makes the decision easier. Otherwise you will be lost. And then there are the parents who never had a sibling, parent, cousin, aunt, or uncle interested in sports. That is when the choices are really limited. You are lost, don’t know what to buy or bow to go about buying anything. But in today’s society, there are so many resources that will aid you in your decision making process.

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FUTURE ANCIENT RELICS: WHAT WILL BE THE VISITED SPORTS SITES 1,000 YEARS FROM NOW

Colosseum, Italy

“They will eventually come to visit and not watch.”

the new colosseum

The Colosseum was a stadium where numerous sporting events took place during the hay day of the Romans. Built by the Flavian Dynasty in 72 AD, it could only be described as their soccer, baseball, and football stadiums. Only difference between that time period and today, is that people fought to the death at that time. The more civil we became as a society, the more civil the sport became. And that is what brings us to today. But in the next 1,000 years, will we look back and be able to visit some of these relics that we have today? Or will they be demolished and only shown in photographic and video form? Because anytime a stadium is no longer used we tear it down.

the olympics

If you ever get the chance, look up the photos of abandoned Olympic stadiums and other venues. There are some venues that have been abandoned for decades, even longer. The ones in America don’t stand long before they are demolished and replaced with something else. But the stadiums in other foreign countries stand for a very long period of time. Some look older than what they are because of over-growth. Yet there is something so interesting about looking back over time at a structure that would have been occupied by tens of thousands of people. Now it has long gone to decay.

 disbelief of how they competed

It’s hard to believe man once had entertainment where people fought to the death. Tens of thousands of fans would cheer at the sight of someone losing their life. Now we kneel around the person if they get a gruesome injury. And that only means that in life we as a civilization get softer and the more time progress. So that could mean our entertainment would change as well from a hard hitting football, to something safer. Could we be watching a sport like hockey and football headed for extension in the future? Because the rules change to make it safer, but more and more people lose interest with every rule change. Never say never because the always remember the Colosseum.

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COMPETITION ON THE BLOCK: HOW TO OPERATE WHILE OTHERS THRIVE AROUND YOU

 

Three Vehicles Parked Beside Concrete Building

“Their presence might help you.”

you are not alone

What do you do when you are opening a business where other competitors will be operating? That means you have to figure out a way to exist on the block with them. But how do you do this if the other businesses are more know? But the traffic from these businesses could actually aid in your business performing well. That is if you know what you are doing. If you are able to position yourself appropriately, then you are going to do very well. If not, then you will not last long in business.

they’ve been there longer

Don’t think you’re going to just come right in and move aside the people who have been doing it longer. Yes, you will see some business initially because you’re the new spot. But what about  months in, 1 year in, how about 5 years in? So for most businesses in the area, they could care less if you jump into the groove of things. As a matter of fact, new people who come to your spot can drop in on their spot after you shut down. So, unlike in the movies, where someone breaks into your business to keep you from earning, it’s unreal. For the most part, people figure out a way to compete because they are used to new business coming in, taking business, then going out of business.

the countdown

People around you see you come in, they know. You have your tail wagging and your eye lashes batting. And little do you know there is a silent bet going around of long will you stay in business. So when it happens, there is no surprise. Someone will win the pot, and you don’t know who. It’s just what comes with opening up a business. And just like that you got swallowed up as they smile and wait for the next suspecting victim.

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LITTLE GUY IN BIG SPACE: HOW TO COMPETE WITH SO MANY BIG BRANDS

Man Holding Mug in Front of Laptop

“Working hard against the big boys.”

trying to exist

In a world where big business is finding more and more ways to control how does a small business stay in business? How do you exist where the brands that we all have come to know and love are the ones right next door to you? I see companies like Walmart come into my small town where I am from and completely remove small business out of the way. And who can blame people for going to Walmart with their always low prices. When you have so many families struggling to make ends meet, there is a need to spend less money.

the threat of dying

When you see companies on the internet offering what you are doing at such low prices, it scares some people into reconsidering staying in business. That has to scare you because they have such unlimited resources that you don’t have. I also see this with small businesses like diners that have been in communities for decades, but have to close their doors. And it is due to big businesses and condos being built in the vicinity. Now the price to stay open is tougher than before. So you have to keep in mind what is going on around and stay up with the trends that are changing.

you offer something special

I gave an example prior about how the diners have closed in certain areas where I live. But then again, what taste better a diner or Subway. A lot of people would tell you Subway. The diner or McDonald’s, and most would say the diner. But for some reason the people have chosen the fast food chain. so now the diner has to figure out a way to exist because their food taste a lot better than the chains. And that’s when you realize as a business owner that you have to create something that is going to sit you apart form the brands. And you can create something that will help you survive. It’s all about how you are going to market yourself and take advantage of opportunities as they come along.

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A DYING SPORT: WHY NASCAR CAN’T COMPETE WITH OTHER SPORTS

Image result for nascar

“An aging fan base with no real replacements.”

NASCAR is a family owned sporting events organization that governs over auto-car racing series. It has been in existence for 70 years and popularity has held on strong all these years. But with an aging generation, what is to come of NASCAR. Also in combination with the social climate and lack of global competitiveness, NASCAR is a dying sport. Now you might ask yourselves, what do you mean by the social climate, aging fan base, and the lack of competition. From the looks of the audience attendance, socially it looks fine. People are having a good time and getting along just great. And the competition could never be greater. So what am I eluding to that is why the sport could possibly be dying out.

For starters, the social climate of NASCAR that is unlike any other sport. For years, the “image” of NASCAR has been the good ole boys. Whether true or not, Confederate Flags, racial sentiment, and hardcore right wing conservatism has been the face. NASCAR for years have fought against these claims Related imagestating they are in no way shape or form associated with such degradation. Yet, when the CEO Brian France decided to make the move and endorse Donald Trump for president, more questions started to arise. So now, NASCAR has that image, an image no other sport has attached to it. Me, myself, I have never been to an event, nor have I ever seen a NASCAR event, but you just know that image exist. An image which turns you off at a young age.

Well, well, is that the only reason that NASCAR could be dying out. No, another reason is that there is an aging generation associated with NASCAR. The real lovers of NASCAR are so much older, and younger generations are turning to sports like football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball. Who is to keep NASCAR going with so many older fans, and young fans fleeing for something else. Certain well known names synonymous with NASCAR have made the sport popular. But even they are nowhere near the popularity of other sports athletes. This sport makes you feel old when you watch because of the fan base. Everyone seems like my grandfather’s era who loves the sport. Yet, there is still another reason why NASCAR is falling in popularity.

And here is my biggest concern with NASCAR, the lack of global competitiveness. For example, Danica Patrick is great, but is she better than a race car driver in Russia, China, or Italy. Lebron James is great because he not only competes in the NBA, but have competed in the Olympics against the greatest in the world. So when you watch the NBA, you know you’re Image result for global sportswatching the greatest on Earth. And that’s what NASCAR need to do; open up the competitions to a global base. Find the best who do what you do elsewhere, bring them into the loop and then win. Now when people show up, they are given the pleasure of watching the greatest in the world. Right now, you know they’re good, but I know someone elsewhere who can beat you. So what is your greatness really?

And in the end, it all comes down to competition. You would think maybe it’s age, but the fan base who patronize the games of a lot of pro sports is middle age. You might say, what about diversity, but tennis, golf, and hockey are not as diverse, yet more popular than NASCAR. It all comes down to the competition. NASCAR is very isolated from the rest of sports on Earth. The globe competes in everything else: MLB has been known to have global games, Track and Field, NBA, NHL, Wimbledon, PGA, Soccer, even the NFL has Canadian, European leagues, and now, regular season games overseas. Yet NASCAR is left out because they have created an organization of isolation. And the problem with isolation is that it’s dangerous because you kill your ability to grow.

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AMERISTRUCT: ARE WE WITNESSING A CONSTRUCT COLLAPSE

White House

“It’s only a matter of time before the great reveal.”

Growing up in the United States, the social landscape has always involved conversations surrounding race. And I don’t mean the human species when using race, but how it’s socially utilized. In America, the term race, racial, racism, and racist has been used in the context of one groups superiority over another. But it’s the superiority over another group of people mentally. Yet now we are witnessing that social construct that has kept in this country Black and White people bickering among each other unravel. You might ask, how so; how is the racial construct that kept this country so segregated now unraveling? And all fingers point to White men and women in America.

And when I say all fingers point to White men and women, I am saying this in context of hardships and whose to blame. Coming from the Midwest, more than anytime prior, White men and women are being shutout. The same can be said for the southern regions of America. You see, in the past, the United States kept this one group propped up by White men and women higher up in power. And this worked because there were no other kids on the block. Yet as more global competition started to come into play, you can’t keep a nation going with just one group working.

Meaning, with countries like China and India positioning themselves as global competitors, you need more than just White men and women working. Now here comes other groups, African Americans, Hispanics, East Asian groups, and other minorities. But as time went on, more and more jobs were shipped overseas so companies could save on goods and services. Now, here we are today, and that American dream for so many is going down the toilet. People are losing all sense of security. But, not just any group of people, White men and women. The Black community still for the most part struggles economically as well as the Hispanic community. So now, there is feeling of lose from a lot of the White community. But lose to who?

If so many other minority groups are struggling as well, then where is the wealth going? Redistributed back into the hands of wealthy elite; small group of White males and females. Yet it still leaves the White community saying, we’re losing. But like I said, to who? And this is why that construct that worked for so many years is now unraveling. This country was constructed to make a group feel this land was for them, and it never was for the group. I am a firm believer that had another group took over America after slavery, then most likely by now, we would be past this Black and White issue. But sense the majority of the people in power were White it is this social issue. When in reality, the problem is more human than ethnic.

We have these people in power who have been irresponsible for quite some time. But now the main group that has benefited all this time is hurting and they’re looking for a reason as to why. Yet, who do you blame when the group that has not benefited is still struggling as well as the group who is supposed to have all the jobs. Like I said earlier, they’re all being shipped overseas. And now more than ever, race is being set aside and we’re slowly putting faces to the problem. Because I am a firm believer that racism will be over once the predominantly White community see how deep in trouble they are with us.

See, in the end, that construct that has kept one group comfortable is now falling apart. But it’s a construct that never meant anything in the first place. So much of America has been designed for conflict, and now that conflict is causing emotions to flare, who is to blame? What will come of it? Only time will tell.

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The Rio Most Will Never See

“What they won’t show.”

As the Olympics games are in full swing in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, there is something most people  don’t know or won’t ever see; favelas. For those of you who are uneducated in what this word means let me explain to you what it is. The favelas is the name of the slums where the poorest of people in Brazil dwell. When the games opened just over a week ago, there was a sight that people living in the slums witnessed that was a lot different than the spectators in the crowd or us at home.

The photo to the right shows the view of how most Brazilians saw the opening ceremonies. If you notice, the young people are observing the fireworks from slums. Their clothes are caked with grim and graffiti are sprayed on concrete blocks. From this view, the Olympic games seems like a world away. As a citizen of the United States, I have a better view of the Rio Games from my flat screen television than citizens in Brazil.

So that leaves the question, who is to blame? Why, in a country where such poverty and crime exist would a nation spend hundreds of millions of dollars just to prepare for sporting events. Events which will only last a little less than a month with athletes who most likely are never stepping foot in Rio again. Well, it’s not about the athletes, or the games, or even the citizens. It’s about the money generated.

The Rio Olympics are expecting to generate billions of dollars through a variety of corporate sponsorships and multinational television network deals. What you don’t see is the negative impact it has on its citizens. Well what do I mean by negative impact, I mean the money spent to keep the various facilities going after the games. It is estimated that millions of dollars will be spent just for maintenance alone on facilities once the games are over.

Now I ask the question, who built these facilities? Were the citizens in Rio offered an opportunity to work and build these facilities. This way income is generated for poor families who will then in turn contribute to their nation’s economy. My guess is very little if any opportunity was allotted to families living in areas like the favelas. Private contractors and private investment pumped money into these games and even dubbed the games, “The Green Games for a Blue Planet.” How dare they, how dare they promote green initiatives. All the while you walk a few miles up into the hills where children frolic in raw sewage. Drug cartels and municipal police face off in the streets and protestors take over the streets.

As for the athletes with a platform, why don’t more of them step up. Is it that they are aware and don’t want to lose their corporate dollars. Or is it because they don’t know at all. Whatever the case may be, we will have to add Rio to the list of many countries vying for an Olympics in 2024 and beyond consisting of poor citizens that will never benefit from the Olympic games. Nations where they come up with money for Olympic games, but not enough to feed and employ its own citizens.