The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. A few years back I was watching a pretty lame movie with Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana called The Words. It was predictable, kind of boring, not as interesting as they thought it would be on paper… but there was one moment in it that stuck out to me. You see, I’m that kind of guy that tries to find one piece of value in every moment. One thing you can learn, one...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… A couple of quick housekeeping notes before we get into it today - sorry I missed last week’s episode, it was President’s day, which is technically a day off, but I would still usually create a podcast episode. Truth is, I didn’t have any fan questions that were really jiving with me, and it was snowing...so I had an epic snowball fight with my kids instead. Call me...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. Look, I hate to do the old…”I remember when I was kid…” start to a story, I hated it when others around me did this when I actually was a kid, and I hate doing it now. But, with all that qualification out of the way...I’m about to do it, so forgive me. Thanks. I think we all have moments where we graduate from being solely sports participants and fans to having a...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… When I say cornhole, flag football, spikeball and breakdancing -- it probably sounds like the planning stage for an epic fourth of July party, right? Add in some axe throwing, a little karate combat and the party starts to get a little intense. The reality is, these competitive activities that are well-suited for a decked out summer affair, are taking the sports...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…First Super Bowl Monday in a long time that I’m not hungover, so thanks to that. Quick take before we get into the stat line, and today’s fan question. So far 42 emails, texts, and DM’s all asking me how I feel about Brady and Gronk winning a Super Bowl as non-Patriots. For those of you not in the know, I’m from Boston, a big Patriots fan, and a lover of all things...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… For the last year you’ve heard me talk about the decline in sales jobs in sports. This is not breaking news, rather an obvious reality based on all of us being in the grips of a global pandemic that restricts public gatherings. No tickets to sell, no suites to sell, no group packages, fewer sponsorships, less in-stadium marketing activations -- this result is clear....

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Welcome to February - it is snowing like mad here in Pennsylvania right now -- about 8 inches so far and another 10 expected today, so as you listen to this, picture me pushing a snowblower and shoveling, since that’s what I’ll likely be doing as you listen. I’ll likely be listening to someone else’s podcast as I do that because it would be weird if I listened to...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… One of my favorite parts of my work week is writing the intro to our Work In Sports podcast guest interviews. Gives me a chance to dig into the coming topic, set the stage, throw out some thoughts and opinions -- it’s awesome. Well, this week, I’m going to shut up and hand over the reins to our guest, Kali Franklin VP of Human Resources for NYCFC -- this interview is...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… It’s almost the end of January, one of my favorite months of the podcast season… why, you ask? Well, January is when our download numbers and traffic to our site, WorkInSports.com are always highest. We get a lot of new highly motivated listeners, and subscribers to our job board, so it’s on me to impress the hell out of them with our content. Well, this month so far...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Do you ever say a word over and over again so that it becomes common in your mind, but if you take a moment to really think about it, it’s arbitrary and weird. Take the word spoon for example. Yes, I know this is a strange start to a podcast intro but you should be used to that about me by now, so stick with me. We all know what a spoon is, but when you say it a...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… So quick update before we get into the stat line and this week’s fan question. Like so many of you I made a resolution this year. A kick off the new year with a new attitude resolution. Well, I’m here to report, I’ve already broken it. That’s the problem with resolutions, it’s usually something you are very drawn to and therefore difficult to cut cold turkey. Mine,...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and engaged Learning at Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. I’m no psychiatrist, I barely understand why I do what I do, but I can tell you that fear is a pretty insane driving force. Chased by a bear, you’ll run faster than ever before. Have a big test tomorrow that determines the status of your scholarship - you’ll study harder than ever. Fear is a strong motivator. Well, scratch that, fear makes us uncomfortable, and we...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Well, I could surely get used to back to back NFL triple headers - I kept trying to get out of my house and doing other things, but the games just kept drawing me back in. And then it’s 8:15 on Saturday night and I’ve got Brady and Gronk to watch? And then it’s 8:15 on Sunday night and I’ve got Steelers Brown to watch? I mean the good news is, I could turn off the...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… There is a theme already clearly presenting itself in 2021 - get back to work. I didn’t have to spend a lot of time workshopping that theme, there wasn’t a lot of debate or struggle -- it’s clear as day. 2020 wrecked a lot of people. Careers were put on hold, bills became hard to pay,health was in question, it became hard to see a bright future --- everyone, in some...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Let’s see if I remember how to do this… it feels like I haven’t pushed out a new episode in a while, yes, I took a break, a little vacation, my first and only one of 2020. That means, I totally 100% disconnected...which means, there is a ton of work to do today. You ever notice that? Vacation is awesome, but the work just piles up, and then when you get back… it’s...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast -- where we are celebrating our best sports industry interviews of 2020. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about perspective. We all grow up in different conditions, different families, different stresses, and challenges...and it is this foundational time of our lives, our youth, that gives us our first dose of perspective. Growing up in, I guess I would...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Before we get into the stat line -- I want to whet your appetite for January podcasts. December continues to be the Best of 2020 -- this Wednesday, Tim Duncan Athletic Director for the University of New Orleans… a great guy and a great interview. For January, I’ve lined up multiple talent acquisition executives, a co-founder of one of the biggest sports tech companies...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning with WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Let’s talk about retention. In the business world -- retention is a big deal as it relates to customers and employees. Let’s take our business for a second, WorkinSports.com. We provide a premium service, we have over 17,000 active sports jobs and internships all in one place, we match your skills to job openings, we connect you with sports employers, we have career...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Before we get into the stat line and today’s question -- I have something I want to put into your brains that I’ve been thinking a lot about. A few months back, I had on Josh Walker President of Sports Innovation Lab, and he discussed the fluid fan concept - that essentially sports has to go where the fans are and change the entire experience. It’s not just a buy...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… There is a bit of an unfortunate truth in the sports industry… sometimes job titles can mean very different things to different people in different organizations. Take the term marketing for one. People tell me all the time, I want to work in sports marketing! And I say...OK, what specifically in marketing, because that is a very broad term. Marketing could be...