The Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast

Why Athletes Make Great Coaches with Author Matt Rogers

In this episode of The Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast, Greg Glynn interviewed Matt Rogers, author of "The Recipe for Being a Great Coach," to discuss his sports background, coaching career, and the inspiration behind writing the book. Matt shared his experiences playing college sports at Bowdoin College and his journey into coaching, emphasizing the importance of building positive team cultures and teaching life lessons through sports. Matt explained that the book, which contains 22 chapters focused on skills and life lessons, aims to help coaches and athletes become their best version of themselves and inspire others.
Journey to Success in Coaching
Matt shared his journey from a multi-sport athlete in Maine to becoming a successful coach, author, and hitting coach at Bowdoin College. He discussed his early experiences playing sports with his siblings and emphasized the values of faith, family, education, and sports instilled by his parents. Matt reflected on his college career at Bowdoin, where he initially struggled with the team's performance and culture but chose to stay, eventually leading the team to its best record in school history by his senior year. He highlighted the importance of perseverance and personal growth over winning records, and his recent book, "The Recipe for Being a Great Coach," explores these themes further.
Matt's Coaching Journey and Philosophy
Matt discussed his coaching career, which began in high school and continued through various roles, including assistant coaching at Deering High School and coaching basketball and baseball at different levels. He expressed a preference for coaching baseball and basketball, highlighting the psychological aspects of baseball and the ability to make in-game adjustments in basketball. Matt emphasized the importance of coaching as a way to instill work ethic, team spirit, and life lessons, regardless of age. Greg inquired about Matt's decision to write the book "The Recipe for Being a Great Coach," but Matt did not provide a specific answer in this segment.
Sports Beyond Records and Titles
Matt discussed his journey of writing a book which focuses on the essential aspects of sports beyond records and titles, emphasizing shared experiences, friendships, and life lessons. Inspired by a friend, Dave Eid, Matt decided to transform his ideas into a book, which was surprisingly accepted by a publisher. He explained that the book is applicable to anyone seeking personal growth and leadership, highlighting the importance of being selfless and positive. Matt expressed his hope that the book would help others improve themselves and, in turn, assist others. Greg agreed, emphasizing the book's relevance for coaches and athletes and its potential to inspire higher standards in coaching and leadership.
Episode Resources:
Buy the book
Contact Matt at M22rogers@aol.com or call 207-318-6056
Bowdoin College
Dave Eid
Cash McClure Basketball Camp and Training
Greg Glynn
Pliable Marketing
 

The Science Behind Female Athletes with Christine Yu

To celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Month, host Greg Glynn, founder & CEO of Pliable interviewed Christine Yu, an award-winning journalist and author of "Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes." They discussed Christine's background in journalism and her passion for women's sports, which led her to write the book to address the gender gap in sports science research.
 
Christine shared insights on the myths and misconceptions about women's athletic capabilities, the importance of proper nutrition and strength training for young female athletes, and the high rate of ACL injuries among female athletes. They also touched on the historical and societal factors that have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in sports science studies. Greg and Christine discussed actionable tips for young girls and parents to support bone health and prevent injuries. The episode concluded with information on where listeners can find Christine's book.
Journey to Sports Science Advocacy
Christine discussed her journey from a nonprofit background to becoming an award-winning journalist, highlighting her passion for writing and storytelling. She explained how her interest in sports evolved from personal experience and her realization of the gender data gap in sports science research, which inspired her to write a book on the topic. Christine shared surprising findings, such as historical women scientists' efforts to debunk myths about women's physical capabilities being dismissed, and emphasized the importance of addressing these misconceptions to support girls and women in sports.
Nutrition for Female Adolescent Athletes
Christine discussed the historical and ongoing gender-based limitations in sports, particularly for women, and emphasized the importance of proper nutrition for adolescent athletes to support bone health and overall development. She highlighted the need for regular meals and snacks, especially before and after practices, and recommended consulting a sports dietitian for personalized advice. Christine also stressed the significance of maintaining a healthy menstrual cycle as an indicator of hormonal balance and its long-term implications for bone health.
Women's Sports Injury Prevention Strategies
Christine and Greg discussed women's sports, focusing on injury prevention and body type considerations. Christine emphasized the importance of strength training and neuromuscular training for reducing ACL injury risk in female athletes, particularly during adolescence. She highlighted that while biological factors like pelvic width are often cited as risk factors, environmental and societal factors, such as lack of access to strength training, also play a significant role. Greg and Christine agreed on the need to empower young female athletes to take control of their injury prevention through accessible training programs.
 
Resources
Buy the bookhttps://www.christinemyu.com/
Christine's social mediahttps://www.instagram.com/cyu888/
Pliable Marketing website
https://pliablemarketing.com/
Mission E50 initiative to increase the popularity of women's sports
https://pliablemarketing.com/e50
 
 
 

How NIL opportunities are created with FanSpark

This episode of The Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast featured Barrett Garese and Greg Glynn discussing Barrett's career journey from film school to his current role with FanSpark, a subscription content platform for athletes that enables monetization through exclusive fan-powered content.
Barrett explained how FanSpark operates as a safe and simple platform with an 80-20 revenue split favoring athletes, and discussed its features including discovery tools and safety measures designed to foster authentic athlete-fan relationships.
Social Media Producer's Career Evolution
Barrett shared his career journey, starting in film school where he realized he preferred producing over directing, leading to roles at Thunder Road and UTA. He became an expert in social media during his time at UTA, helping agents advise clients on digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook. After leaving UTA, he founded a consulting company focused on social media strategy for actors, which expanded to working with TV shows, production companies, and studios on emerging technologies and streaming platforms.
Athlete-Focused Content Monetization Platform
Barrett explained that FanSpark is a subscription content platform for athletes that allows them to monetize their fanbase through exclusive content, similar to Patreon but with a 80-20% revenue split in favor of athletes. He emphasized that the platform is free to use, does not have DMs, tipping, ads, or AI content, and is designed to be safe and simple for both athletes and fans. Barrett also highlighted that FanSpark is a PG-13 or lower platform, aiming to be inclusive for the whole family, and mentioned that while Ilona Maher's was an inspiration for the platform, she is not currently on FanSpark.
Athlete-Fan Relationship Platform Discussion
Barrett and Greg discussed the importance of creating a platform that fosters authentic relationships between athletes and fans, emphasizing the need for content that reflects genuine athlete personalities without compromising safety. They highlighted the platform's features, such as blocking and muting tools, to ensure athlete safety and comfort, particularly for college athletes. Barrett explained their focus on discovery features, like the Sparkboard, which prioritizes engagement over popularity, encouraging users to explore new athletes and sports. Both agreed on the potential for such a platform to enhance fan engagement and athlete influence, drawing parallels to how social media could have transformed athlete-fan interactions in the past.
FanSpark's Discovery Pathways for Sports
Barrett explained that FanSpark's discovery pathways aim to introduce users to new sports by leveraging the popularity of existing ones, similar to ESPN's approach of featuring top 10 clips during SportsCenter. He shared his personal experience of discovering women's rugby through Ilona Maher's social media content during the 2024 Olympics, which led him to become a fan of the sport. Greg agreed that the platform is well-suited for growing women's sports and discussed the opportunities for athletes to monetize their content through brand deals and storytelling.
FanSpark Athlete Engagement Strategy
Barrett explained how athletes can use FanSpark.pro to create authentic content and engage with fans, recommending twice-weekly posts. Barrett announced a new campaign called "First to 500," offering a $500 bonus and a custom championship ring to the first athlete to reach 500 subscribers on the platform.
Episode resources
Websitewww.fanspark.proSocial media accounts https://www.instagram.com/fansparkprohttps://www.tiktok.com/@fansparkproEmailinfo@fanspark.pro
 

NIL Contracts, Negotiations and Networking with Johnnie Perkins

In this episode of the Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast, Greg Glynn, founder & CEO of Pliable Marketing interviewed Johnnie Perkins, an NIL Compliance & Athlete Services Strategist about NIL contracts, negotiating, and networking.
Johnnie shared his extensive background in strategic operations, compliance, and contract negotiations, emphasizing his passion for college sports and his commitment to supporting student-athletes through NIL opportunities. They discussed the importance of building trust, maintaining relationships, and educating athletes about the financial implications of NIL deals. 
Johnnie highlighted his daily routine of reading NIL-related resources and his goal of becoming a Manager of Athlete Relations. The episode also touched on the role of organizations like Athletes.org in collective bargaining and the positive impact of athletes using their NIL platforms for charitable causes. 
NIL Compliance and Athlete Relations
Johnnie shared his daily routine of reading NIL-related content and his extensive network of contacts in the sports world. Johnnie shared his extensive background in sports management, contract negotiations, and regulatory compliance, highlighting his experience in both public and private sectors. He emphasized the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with student-athletes and their families, as well as understanding the varying NIL rules across different levels of sports and states.
Johnnie also discussed the realities of NIL opportunities, noting that the median earnings for student-athletes are much lower than often reported, and stressed the need for clear communication and support to retain athletes.
Building Trust in NIL Negotiations
Greg and Johnnie discussed the importance of trust in athlete-school relationships and NIL negotiations. Johnnie shared personal experiences about building trust through follow-through and negotiation, emphasizing the value of keeping promises. They also talked about the challenges student-athletes face in the NIL world, including misleading opportunities and the need for personal advocacy. 
Johnnie highlighted his extensive LinkedIn network in NIL and the importance of staying informed through various resources to support student-athletes.
Athletes.org Transparency and Negotiations
The discussion focused on Athletes.org's efforts to increase transparency in athlete endorsements and their work on a collective bargaining agreement for college athletes. Johnnie praised Athletes.org's collective bargaining document and shared his experience in contract negotiations, emphasizing that every challenge can be overcome with determination and proper negotiation strategies. He highlighted the complexity of labor laws across different states and the importance of building relationships and understanding collective bargaining to protect both student-athletes and institutions. 
NIL Opportunities for Student-Athletes
Johnnie and Greg discussed the positive impact of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) on student-athletes, emphasizing its potential to support athletes beyond their playing days. They highlighted inspiring examples of athletes using NIL for charitable causes and the importance of educating student-athletes about contracts and tax implications. Johnnie expressed his interest in a career focused on supporting student-athletes. 
Episode Related Resources
Contact Johnnie Perkins
Website: JohnniePerkins.com
Phone: 619-385-0474
Email: jperk0307@gmail.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnie-perkins/
YouTube Resume videowww.youtube.com/@johnnieperkinsreferee
Sports Management World Wide NIL Course
https://www.sportsmanagementworldwide.com/courses/name-image-likeness
Use promo code PLIABLE100 to save $100 on your class!
The Business of College Sports
https://businessofcollegesports.com/
Athletes.org
https://www.athletes.org/agents/
On3.com
https://www.on3.com/nil/news/
Information for International Athletes
https://businessofcollegesports.com/nil-for-international-athletes/
NIL Wire Newsletter
https://www.nil-wire.com/subscribe?ref=OsTkKFt3Xb
NIL Newsstand & Newsletter
https://www.nilnewsstand.com/
Darren Heitner Newsletter
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/newsletter-image-likeness-6995176238755545088/
Braley Keller NIL Blitz
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/nil-blitz-7096874403442884608/
Mit Winter on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mit-winter-75340912/
Rev U Newsletter
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/nil-sideline-report-7397722696282931201/
Athlete Playbook by Kristi Dosh
https://theathletesnilplaybook.com/