Welcome to Issue 2 of the NetWorks "Changing the Game" Newsletter. This week we share the stories of two former Division I athletes who have leveraged their playing careers in different ways.  First, reporter Tracey Savell Reavis catches up with FOX Sports & NFL Network analyst Charles Davis in the NetWorks Spotlight Interview.  Then the Honorable Monica Wiley tells us "In Their Own Words" how she went from dishing out assists as the point guard for the University of California, Berkeley to dishing out verdicts as a Judge for the San Francisco Superior Court.

This week, I was reminded me of one of my favorite quotes:

"If you have no critics you'll likely have no success." ~ Malcolm X  

But we don't have to be a celebrity to have critics.  All of us have those in our lives who have questioned our abilities or challenged our dreams.  When people express their skepticism about our abilities, we can choose either to believe them & derail our journey or we can refuse to let it detract from what we know we can accomplish and instead use it as motivation to prove a point.  Many of you remember how Michael Jordan recounted ALL (and I mean all) of the people who served as motivators for him along every step of his journey during his much talked about Hall of Fame speech from August 2009.

My objective is that as you read the NetWorks Newsletter, you will be inspired through these stories and will continue to find your own motivation to achieve your goals!

Thanks to many of you for your positive feedback & support after reading Issue 1.  The response has been fantastic & inspires us to continue sharing stories about our heroes & sheroes who are placing their imprint on all aspects of the sports industry in dynamic and definitive ways.

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for the bi-weekly newsletter.  Also, don't forget to share the newsletter with your co-works, peers, friends, and family.   

Help us make a difference in someone's life by inspiring them to pursue their dreams!

All the best,

Angela Taylor

Charles Davis

Sports Analyst, FOX and NFL Networks

Written by Tracey Savell Reavis 

 

Charles Davis on the NFL Network set

The voice you hear when Charles Davis calls football games on TV sounds equally energetic when you speak with him one-on-one. The 13-year veteran announcer has covered college football, basketball and baseball, the NFL, NBA, PGA, Arena Football and has worked on bothradio and TV.  And he's just been partnered with Gus Johnson, as the two become the lead team for Fox Sports College Football games this coming season.  

Charles grew up in the small town of New Paltz, New York, but his roots are anchored in Tennessee. Partly because he was born there, and partly because it's where both of his parents are from, he'd always wanted to return to college in the Volunteer State. Back when he was eight-years old he saw Condredge Holloway, the first African American quarterback to start at an SEC school, playing in a University of Tennessee game, and knew from that moment exactly where he wanted to play football. After four years as defensive back for the Vols, Charles left Knoxville armed with an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a Masters in History.

Since football season hasn't started yet, you can't tune in to hear the sportscaster's voice. But you can read the story of how he achieved success, in his own words.  It will have to do for now, while we all wait for the first Saturday in September.

 

 

More NetWorks Spotlight Interview with Charles... 

 
As fans wait to find out the outcome of the NFL labor disputes that are taking place in the courtrooms, we caught up with a former point guard on the UC Berkeley Women's Basketball Team who spends the majority of her days in her own courtroom. The Honorable Monica Wiley, the Judge of the Superior Court in San Francisco, tells us how her days as a student-athlete have impacted her life in the judicial system.

I am currently a Judge for the Superior Court for the San Francisco Superior Court, a role that I have been in for 19 months.

As we await training camps in the NFL to get underway after a labor deal is finalized and hope that the NBA labor talks can meet a similar conclusion resulting in no games being lost, a hot topic on the sports scene has been the state of social media and sports.

Shaq announced his retirement on Twitter, Deron Williams confirmed his commitment to playing in Turkey by tweeting his signed contract page, and Abby Wambach became a sports hero as the Twitter community erupted during her incredible late game heroics during the 2011 Women's World Cup.

Shaq capitalized on being one of the first athletes to take to Twitter years ago & is one of the most powerful influencers on Twitter with nearly 2 million followers.  On the eve of the World Cup Final, Wambach joined the Twitterverse and captured over 11,000 followers in just over 3 hours.  Certainly a smart move that could pay immediate dividends for her brand in the near future.

Many have been "late adopters" of social media, but the fact is that social media is here to stay.  Whether you're an individual trying to build your brand or an organization trying to promote products/services, the various applications on web 2.0 offer you the ability to control your own message while contacting with consumers (and fans) on a global basis.

Here is a pretty dynamic YouTube video about the role social media is playing around the globe from Socialnomics (www.socialnomics.com). Watch video here...

"Vence is someone who has a great understanding of what it takes to be successful in the sports industry.  He possesses strong leadership & communication skills and demonstrates a willingness to take on a plethora of responsibilities to help the organization be successful.  At this stage in his career, he has significant work experience that will be beneficial to any company interested in succeeding." 

--Angela Taylor, President - NetWorks Sports Consulting 

If you have a strong interest in working in the sports industry or being promoted through the ranks, informational interviews are fantastic vehicles to utilize.  

Identify someone in the position, department, or company you have a strong interest in and contact them by asking to meet with them for 30 minutes or grab coffee one morning before work.  The key to informational interviews is making sure that you don't disrupt their workday.  We all need quick "study" breaks, so executives at all levels are typically amenable to someone who approaches them in a professional manner simply inquires about finding more out about their job and their career path.

Again, we all like to share our stories, so don't be surprised when someone accepts your request.  

During the meeting, make sure that you are dressed appropriately, are on time, and have plenty of questions.  Don't take too much of their time.  

After the meeting send a follow-up email (or better yet, a hand-written note) thanking them for taking the time out of their busy schedule.

If handled correctly, you'll now have a champion who is in your corner & a reference for that elusive job that you have your eye on.  If you present yourself well, you may also have a mentor who will provide more career guidance then you could have asked for.

NetWorks Sports Consulting's mission is to provide customized and comprehensive strategic consulting & marketing services that will assist every client to effectively position themselves in their respective markets with the optimal goal of helping them to accomplish their stated short-term or long-term objectives while incorporating a social component to the project.

The Changing the Game Newsletter profiles minorities at various levels throughout the sports industry (high school, collegiate, professional, and international) who have impacted the sports industry through their leadership and those who have leveraged their experience as student-athletes to impact their careers & their communities.  Changing the Game is published twice every month.

This week's favorite video is Abby Wambach goal versus Brazil

Click on YouTube Image

Book - A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)

Movie - To Kill a Mockingbird

TV Show - The Wire

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." ~ Malcolm X

(November 9-10, 2011) 

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