Twenty-first century entrepreneurs require global vision, a vision where dominance only the bottom line and fully realizing the potential of your brand requires imagination and agility, crossing borders and extending market domains.
Few brands achieve a winning global formula, one that comprises of flexibility and brand identity; old-school promoters perceive market expansion as offering more risk than reward, or brand dilution rather than domination. However, entrepreneurial success in 21st century global markets demands Olympian agility and fitness. A case study in global excellence, Mansion Group, an online gambling company based in Gibraltar, is a success story worthy of examination.
]]> Founded in 2003 by private investors, Mansion quickly made a notable presence in the online gambling community, establishing MansionCasino.com. Soon after placing their bets in this domain, Mansion Group crossed borders into traditional media, joining forces with Fox's Poker Domain Challenge, gaining international media exposure and street cred through targeted television programming. Today, the company offers five online casinos in its brand portfolio, including, Cansino, Club777, LesACasino, MansionCasion and SlotsHeaven.Mansion Group has pushed online gaming into a number of visible arenas, including music, television and sports. Recently, Mansion Group signed a sponsorship deal with two premier league clubs, Crystal Palace F.C. and AFC Bournemouth; a sponsorship that moves their online gaming brand into the gladiator field of the football arena.
Thrilled to have Mansion's sponsorship and exposure, Rob Mitchell, AFC Bournemouth's commercial director noted, "Today, Mansion Group has become one of the biggest names in the online gaming industry with a history of sporting partnerships." Both partners benefit through Mansion's sponsorship and gain visibility by bringing the online gamers out of virtual reality to the raw field of the premier league clubs and directing football fans online to Mansion's virtual premier casinos. This is the kind of agility one expects from the player on the field, and this kind of entrepreneurial agility, to make unexpected moves, in the form of sponsorships, expands the company's global presence and recruits new players.
Fittingly, Mansion.com's slogan is "Where the world plays"; and where the world plays, you will find Mansion Group dominating the game and demonstrating entrepreneurial excellence.
Survival is a thin line, too thin, and barely perceptible when reaching for entrepreneurial success. Only the weakest companies perceive this as a measure of success. The danger in doing so is that failure becomes your bedtime companion, the monster in your dreams. Before you begin to create your brand, consider looking toward models of success. Mansion Group shows the way toward entrepreneurial ingenuity.
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Photo credit: Concacaf.com
CONCACAF is the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football. It organizes and administrates various clubs, national level tournaments and events, and promotes soccer accross the continent. The CONCACAF Champions League is a club-level tournament for the best qualified teams of various countries. The qualification process differs by country and there are two ways to qualify: Win the the qualification tournament set-up by the national association (which the Impact won last year) or win the national league that your team plays in. The number of teams per country also differs by size and previous results of the teams from that league. Twenty-four teams take part in this league. Beucase the US and Mexico have a larger number of teams they can enter four teams each and Canada can enter one. Central America can enter twelve and the Carrabean league can enter three.
How did the Impact get there?
Photo credit: Reddit.com
To get to the Champions League (CL) the Impact participated in the 2014 Canadian Championship which included Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver. The Impact lost its first match in the 4-team knockout tournament against Edmonton, a 2 - 1 defeat, but won the return match in Montreal 4 - 2, winning the 2-match series 5 - 4 on goals total. In the finals, they faced off with Montreal's general rival Toronto FC. The first match in Toronto ended 1 - 1 and a last-minute goal by the Impact in the 2nd match home game gave them a 1 - 0 win and 2 - 1 total series win. This gave them access to the Champions League.
The CL's format has changed over the years. During the 2014 - 2015 league, the 24 teams will be split up into 8 groups of 3 teams who'll play each other twice, at home and away. Each group winner will go into the quarter finals, then the semi finals, and the finals. Montreal was placed into group 3 with CD FAS of El Salvador and the New York Red Bulls. They won their first two matches against CD FAS 1 - 0 in Montreal and 3 - 2 in San Salvador. They also beat the Red Bulls 1 - 0 in Montreal and tied 1 - 1 in New York. Finishing first in their group, the earned qualification to the quarter finals against the Mexican team Pachuca. They played the first match in Pachuca, ending it in a 2 - 2 draw. The return match in Montreal ended 1 - 1 with the Impact scoring in the 90th minute of the game to steal the match and win the series; it ended 3 - 3 on goal totals but because Montreal scored two away goals (which is used for a tie breaker) they were declared the winners. In the semi-finals they were drawn against Costa Rican side Alajulense. The first match ended in a 2 - 0 win for Montreal and the return match, in a hostile Costa Rican stadium, ended in a 4 - 2 loss for the Impact. Just like the quarter-finals, the Impact won the series on a 4 - 4 tie, with two away goals scored in the loss. This meant they had achieved the feat of making it to the finals.
Why is it so important for Montreal and to Montrealers?
Photo credit: Thestar.com
As we now know, the Impact were honorable loosers in the finals, but this isn't the be all end all for our team. We must remember that no one in the world thought the Impact would make it to the finals, or that they could even score a goal against Club America. Since they were little most, if not every, players have dreamed of making it to a club or country final, so getting there meant they acheived a personal goal. Even though they didn't raise the trophy high for us to see they made it to the finals! This is a feat in itself and cannot be forgotten. For a hockey-dominated city like Montreal, the Impact's run in the tournament shows the Canadiens they're not the only championship-worthy team around. The Impact might know all about the Habs history, but this will build their own and for a young team there's nothing more important. Having the tournament broadcast internationally is helping Montreal stay visible on the global sports scene and attract more events, like the FIFA Women's World Cup this summer. As for its impact on Québec many young players have been targeting the Impact's youth teams and soccer schools which is key for the development of players in the province. Moreover the Impact represented Canada, a great honour which carries with it the hope of the nation and, in turn, the image of our country as a whole. In many ways this win has been a huge achievement for the fans of football in Montreal, Quebec, and Canada and the team has benefited both in experience and visibility. They may not have won the finals, but we all know that in the beautiful game of football anything and everything can happen.
]]>I must confess I'm no wrestling aficionado. I must also confess that my first International Wrestling Syndicate match at the Plaza Theater in Montreal on November 15th was spectacular. One more confession, it was my first ever wrestling match in my life; and heck, it was professional.
While the matches most likely are fixed and fake, the brutality, courage and athleticism are real. The performances are reminiscent of classic comedy acts such as The Three Stooges, brilliant and simplistic slapstick, accompanied by adrenaline, exuberance, and self-mocking rowdy fun that goes hand-in-hand with a physical performance that is breathtaking and rather insane.
]]> These guys are bad boys.
It's beefcake in gold spandex bikini wear. It's tattooed glory. It's self-mutilating crazy. It's heavy-metal porn material. Blood and bruises with a soundtrack.
Every match has a kind of backstory. I did say self-mocking, or mockery per say is in play, and it's not just the sport that is mocked. I watched the beefy Black Diamond, introduced by the ever so cool Soul Man, and his crew consisting of a white guy wearing an afro wig and his coke-addled coach chant "RACISTS!" at two self-described blinged out "latino" dudes before beating them to a pulp.
Despite the fact, and it is a fact boys, that the action is contrived, the players provide a truly talented theatrical performance, one that leaves you on the edge of wonderment as body fluids, blood, sweat, spittle and snot fly freely. My souvenir for the evening, Black Diamond's mouth guard. Yep, it flew through the air landing at my feet; and, yep, I picked it up and pocketed it in my purse.
And the beer? Yep, it's all good.
Don't miss the January 24th exhibition when they return to the Plaza Theater for IWS Blood Sweat and Beers 2015.
IWS Blood Sweat and Beers 2015
Plaza Theater, 6505 Saint Hubert, near the Beaubien Metro
Images by Milton Matheou miltonmatheou@gmail.com
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With the recent announcement of 2014 NFL draft prospect Michael Sam's homosexuality, discussions have overwhelmed social media platforms and sports broadcasting regarding the acceptance and role of the gay athlete in the sport of American football. Although the discussions have revolved around football at a professional level, it has real-time affects on both the collegial and high school level of play. The coming-out of a gay football player gnaws at the culture of the sport, the reaction of the community and peers, and especially sports media highlighting an athlete's sexual orientation overshadowing the game.
Football has always been portrayed as the manliest of all sports. The very nature of football surrounds the values of strength and masculinity. From raw on-field antics to the off-field comaderie with teammates; a majority of football players regard their team and coaching staff as a brotherhood. Matching the culture of the sport to the characteristics of today's stereotypical gay man (i.e. flamboyant, effeminate and emotionally weak), you can see what a gay athlete is up against when weighing the idea of announcing his sexuality to his team and the community in which he plays.
When reflecting on the backlash a gay football player may receive when announcing his sexuality, you need to take into account a broad range of demographics. Although we, as the public, may assume that every gay athlete's story is riddled with bullying and verbal/physical abuse, in reality, sometimes the topic barely skims the locker-room. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Marc-André Laparé who played one season with the Concordia Stingers as a long snapper and fullback. His teammates approached him with curiousity and impartial questions when they found out of his homosexuality from his relationship status on Facebook. During his time with the team, he never felt isolated due to his sexuality, recalling:
"For sure first I'm a shy guy and playing in an english team when your first language is french sometimes makes you feel isolated but I didn't feel that way because of my sexuality."
When asked about his experience pertaining to the locker room atmosphere, Marc-André Laparé did say that sometimes some players made jokes but it was all fun and games and none of it was in malicious-intent. Laparé's experiences as a gay football player were far from negative however he does consider himself lucky. He wishes that all gay athletes had a support system and felt comfortable enough to announce their sexuality to their coaching staff and teammates but he know's it's still a far-cry from reality:
"It's a battle, that humans needs to take care of. It's not only about football, it's bigger than that; gay players are the same quality of athletes."
The spolight media placed on Michael Sam's announcement derailed from the coverage of the player's skills and his performance in the 2014 NFL Combine. Many fans of the game used social media platforms, such as Twitter, to vent their frustration on the media's decision to highlight Sam's sexual orientation rather than focus on his actual athletic ability and skills, which most believed should be the topic of conversation during the weekend of the NFL Combine. Avid Twitter user, local Montrealer and football fanatic, Alex (@basicsmtl) replied to a tweet regarding the focus of sports media on Michael Sam's sexuality prior to the combine stating:
"@T_Elyse which is so sad in our day n age...he led the D1 in sacks, 6'3 260 pounds, his college teammates didn't care...NFL is being wack."
Most football fans are aggravated that the announcement of his sexual orientation is taking away from his skills as a top NCAA football player. Twitter user and Sports Journalist, Manny Randhawa (@MannyRsports) tweeted:
"Does anyone care about #MichaelSam 's #NFL potential? My story on media's focus on his sexual orientation http://bit.ly/1cCeltH #NFLCombine"
The media's focus on Sam's sexual orientation overshadows his athletic ability completely at the NFL Scouting Combine regardless of his performance. People will be talking about his gay "agenda" and not his quickness or arm and hand strength as most defensive end prospects are being scrutinized on. Due to the media's interest, my bet is that the NFL scouts and coaches could tally up Michael Sam's gay historic timeline with more ease than the stats of the competing defensive-ends class. And this is just the beginning, the approaching NFL Draft (May 8-10, 2014) will boil-up the topic again and over seven million anticipated viewers will be dicussing, on multiple social media platforms and among themselves, the media's gay agenda regarding football leaving no room for Michael Sam's on-field ranking.
For decades, the potential consequences of a professional athlete in a major American team sport announcing his homosexuality have been debated and agonized over in detail. Although the sport of football seems to have taken a step in the right direction regarding the public acceptance of a gay player at the national level, it is still yards behind being deemed as "normal" due the sport's deep-rooted culture in masculinity and the sports media's obsession in broadcasting the love story of a player rather than their athletic ability.
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Home of the Habs, Alouettes and Impact, Montreal is high with sports fever. Although the city has experienced their share of fallouts, including their publicized divorce with the former Montreal Expos; the population doesn't shy away from their sports-affiliated culture.
However, with a local professional team to root for each season of the year, attending a live game will dent your pockets. Even if you score a cheap ticket, the transportation costs along with food and beverage is considered a luxurious splurge. So what is a Montreal sports fan to do...
We will take you through 5 of Montreal's best sports bars that will ensure you catch your favorite game without having to sacrifice your hunger, your financial stability, or your comfort.
Chez Serge
5301 St. Laurent, corner of Maguire
At first I was impressed with the management's choice in installing a TV on the ceiling of the men's bathroom (don't ask how I know about it) however, as a female, it left me feeling neglected. Not all females only watch sports to appease their male partners, but I was quick to learn that Chez Serge has created a sports bar atmosphere that does just that; catering to their male sports fans! The servers are all female and willing... to keep you entertained by dancing on the bar between periods.
Located on the popular night-life street of St-Laurent Boulevard, hockey is their broadcast of choice and Chez Serge strictly airs only Montreal Canadiens games. Meaning, if you are looking to watch any other team but the Habs, look elsewhere because this place is loyal to the Canadien's game! The large disco ball flashing red, white, and blue across the bar will remind you that we are in a city that bleeds hockey, Canadien's hockey, before all else.
One thing is certain, you'll see the game no matter where you are sitting. The spot is equipped with one giant 110-inch TV screen, four "smaller" 58-inch plasma screens, and additional screens in the booths.
With an extensive drink menu, tall boy beers and funnels, the best thing about this place might just be their mechanical bull that you can ride for free, all night long! The place is guaranteed to be packed so don't even think about just dropping in before the puck drops.
La Station des Sports
2051 St-Catherine Ouest, corner Du Fort
At the edge of Downtown Montreal on the coverted St-Catherine Ouest lies the Sports Station. The size of this place may daunt you however the amount of television screens guarantees that any seat in the house has a prime view of the game. The outside terrace matches in size covering the entire length of the bar's "three-store-sized" front.
As a customer, you have the option of sitting at one of the bar's self-serve beer tables equipped with their own taps. And you might want to opt-in for one when the place is extremely busy on nights hosting the UFC fights because a server, understandably, gets much more difficult to signal down.
At any mention of the Sports Station, you'll get the same reaction across the board, exclaiming they sell huge pitchers of beer for cheap! And as cheap as the beer comes, hard liquour doesn't fall too far behind so you have decisions to make on how you'd like to get tipsy rather than what your budget forces you to drink.
Peel Pub
1196 Rue Peel, corner of René-Lévesque
Possibly known best for their 99 cent shooters special every Thursday night, Peel Pub offers up inexpensive classic sports bar food and beer/drinks regularly! Along with their pleasently priced menu, their two floors have giant tv screens mounted in all directions and tuned into different sporting events (except when the Canadians play of course).
Some people might enjoy attending Peel Pub during their off-hours, because if you catch them on a busy night, you are looking at waiting in an indefinitely long line to get in and rowdy crowds rooting for their team. You can't deny the exciting atmosphere once you are seated though! The staff is quick to take your order and will do so with a smile on their face which is refreshing in this type of service industry where friendliness is much harder to come by these days.
It is worth noting that due to their location being in the center of downtown Montreal, Peel Pub tends to be filled with tourists although it is a popular classic with locals as well!
PJ's Pub
6910 Rue Saint-Jacques
When you first walk into PJ's, you're jaw will drop at how large the space is. With 100 flat screens and six projectors, PJ's Pub offers all sporting events and will be more than willing to change one of the channels if you wish to watch something that strays away from the popularity of "Hockey Night in Canada". Sidenote, when it's not packed, it can feel quite lonely so make sure to attend with a group of friends.
The location has over eight bars and includes all Pay-Per-View events free of charge. From finger food to full course meals, prices are more than welcoming and if you look closely, the menu mirrors that of the Sports Station mentioned earlier which hints to shared owners.
To sum it all up, their budget-friendly large breakfasts are great with a side of NFL Football Sunday or any early weekday soccer matches. And everyone is too busy watching the screens to judge the fact that you are hiding behind oversized sunglasses and are harvesting a bottle of Advil to treat your nasty morning-after headache. PJ's is your sports-watching safehaven.
Sharx
1606 St-Catherine Ouest, corner Guy-Concordia
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We aren't getting any younger now ladies so if you want to snatch yourself up a rich, handsome, and chiseled professional athlete, let's jump to it...
1. Pursue a Related Career
Again, the key here is proximity, proximity and proximity. Like in any workforce, the chances of an "office" romance to blossom is high. Athletes find it comforting to know that they are with a woman that can understand their everyday hustle and grind, that is how much time and energy it takes to be successful in this field. A professional athlete also finds it extremely attractive to be with a woman that understands the sport they play and can uphold an intellectual conversation.
2. Scour the Internet
Tools Needed: A smartphone, tablet or laptop
Simply start off by googling the name of your prospects. You'll be able to grasp a pretty good understanding of what or who you are up against (for example, baby mama drama, side flings, or actual wives/serious girlfriends).
Naturally, you cannot believe everything you see or read on the world wide web however at least you will be privy to some background information.
But doing your research online is really just a preliminary step to snagging the professional athlete of your dreams. You're really going to need to do a little more leg work and log hours if you want this to work.
Furthermore, create every social media account you can think of including the following must haves: Instagram and Twitter. You can instantly follow your prospect's profiles. This creates an avenue to keep on top of his whereabouts, and his who-abouts. Did he break up with his girlfriend last week? Is he planning on going to Club Dream tonight? Does he have an interest in country music? All these type of questions can be answered if you create yourself an appealing social media presence and in turn keep tabs on your hubby-to-be.
WARNING: Fight the temptation to compliment and confess your dying love to him by commenting on his social media profiles. This comes off as needy and desparate which will scare him away with no chance in redeeming youself.
3. Splurge on Court Side Seats
Tools Needed: Credit Card
This step will require you to spend some cash but I would definetly look at it as an investment towards your future. You need to make yourself visible to your athletic prospect and you can do so by purchasing sideline tickets to one of his games.
Placing yourself in his line of vision is a good start and if you want to take my advice, I recommend an away-game. The likelihood of local distractions such as family members or fellow competition won't be around and it sure does get lonely on the road (if you catch my drift).
4. Dress to Impress
All athletes want a woman whom he can compare to a trophy. He wants to be able to flaunt you to the public, his friends, and most importantly his fellow teammates. Therefore you need to be ready to wow 'em! This requires regular grooming of the nails, hair and skin. Plus one of the reasons you want to date an athlete to begin with is because of his droolworthy fit body therefore you need to keep your physique up to par. Hire a trainer and start getting comfortable with the idea of not accepting leftovers and early morning workout sessions.
5. Map out the Watering Hole
Tools Needed: Map of your city and neighbouring cities
You want to make sure that you know exactly where your dream athlete spends his down time. Whether it be in a particular club, bar, or movie theatre, you'll want to find yourself conveniently at the same place at the same time. Remember the more opportunities you have to place yourself in his line of vision, the more chances you have in sparking a conversation. How are you going to snatch the professional athlete of your dreams if he doesn't know you exist? By venturing to the same hot spots that your prospect does, this will also portray that you are into the same interests as he is.
]]>When former Concordia Stinger defensive backs coach Mike White decided not to return for the 2013 season, one fifth year player was approached to replace him, Nathan Taylor. Back then, Nathan Taylor passionately endorsed Mike White, labelling him as "one of the best coaches" he has ever had. Now with Nathan Taylor as the head of the backfield, he possesses the ability to get first-year CIS players to believe in themselves and their opportunity to build a defensive that is known to shut down any opposing offense they face. He doesn't do it with embellishment. He's not a sugar coater. He does it by being relatable and caring of his players' well being on and off the field. With the Vanier Cup highlighting the end of the 2013 football season, I had a chance to sit down with coach Taylor to speak all things football and what his perspective is launching into the off-season with the Concordia Stingers that finished 0-9.
TH: What is your football philosophy?
NT: You have got to be able to play without fear and with reckless abandon. At the same time, you also need to be under control. A lot of people try to play to recklessly and without reason.You have to play kind of like a skud missile, you are ready to do damage and ready to make a play but at the same time you are controlled. All your focus and your tenacity and your intensity is pointed in one direction and you are very focused in that one goal.
]]> TH: Can you explain in detail what your typical Tuesday practice will be like?NT: We have pre-practice which is the DB stretch because stretching is very important so we don't pull any muscles and they are ready to go. So we will do a 15 minute stretch period where they just do a lot of stretching and walk-throughs. It usually takes about 10 minutes for us to stretch and then we'll have those 5 minutes to do some ball drills. They actually call me Jugs because I throw the ball so hard. A Jugs machine is a ball throwing machine (used in football practices). Walk-through is basically putting in the game plan so what we have prepared for that particular team and particular week.
TH: How do you handle criticism from fans?
NT: You've got to take it with a grain of salt. It is to be expected, if you don't do well then you can't really be upset with a fan or a spectator saying negative things regarding the team. People have every right to be upset with our performance because as representatives of the school, when we don't perform that reflects poorly on the university. We need to take the criticism in stride and use it as motivation.
How can you change the football status from that of a losing program to a winning program?.m4a
What experiences do you have with student-athletes?.m4a
TH: What steps will you take to improve the overall grades of your players?
NT: Every Friday we do mandatory study-hall for all at-risk (so players that didn't do well enough academically given our standards) and first-year players. We want to take them out of distracting environments and help them focus. We take all of their syllabus' and we go through them and verify when they have certain exams and try to keep a check on that. All of our athletes are given the opportunity to receive free tutoring from fellow students. We'll sought out our athletes that are in a particularly difficult classes and I will message all our dbs and ask them how they are doing in school, what classes they are in, how their grades are going, and make sure they don't forget about the services available to them. We need to keep them eligible to play and as long as we take care of our end, being proactive with the tutoring and making sure that they are in study hall, we are fulfilling our role as coaches.
It's a two-fold process. We have to be on top of our players and they have to take pride in their work, whether it be academically or athletically. If they can take the pride they have in their on-field performance and put it into their academics, they can be equally successful.
TH: What are your three most important recruitment strategies this off-season?
NT: Our main strategy is academics. We want to offer players the best opportunity to be academically successful. For example, if there is a player that wants to be a lawyer, we will pursue him but only to a certain extent because we realize we don't offer law school or pre-law therefore we don't want to hinder that player's opportunity to be successful in life. We'll pursue a player like that but as soon as they show us that they are more career-oriented, and we can't offer him the best academic opportunity, we'll take a step back.
By the same token we want to go and get players that want to be engineers and that want to be businessman because of the programs that we offer. This allows them to be equally successful in their academics and in football.
Secondly, we focus on in-province recruitment. We try to be very family-oriented here at Concordia. One of our major selling points is driving the want to stay home and play in front of families and friends. Say you want to play CIS football, this may be the last 4 or 5 years of football that you will ever play.
Thirdly, we've sent many players to the pros. We sent Corey Greenwood to the NFL, Cory Watson to the CFL, Liam Mahoney to the CFL for a bit, Rene Paredes is the best kicker in the CFL ever (percentage wise), and the list goes on. This has all happened in the last few years, so it's relevant.
Those are our three selling points: academics, family, and the opportunity to go to the pros.
TH: What is your off-season conditioning program like?
NT: For the first couple of months, we will try to work on hypotrophy which essentially means getting bigger, getting our players as big as possible. They lose a lot of weight in season unfortunately do to the breakers of the football season and it is hard to get enough calories to compensate for that. After that we would work on strength, which is just being as strong as possible and increasing their squats, benches, chin-ups, and cleans. The third-phase we would work on power which is being explosive. We want to focus on pushing that weight faster which we call the speed of the bar. We want to make that bar move as fast as possible with the specific weight you are pushing. We cycle through those three phases during the entire off-season.
TH: What is your opinion of multi-sport athletes at the university level?
NT: I am not entirely opposed to it however I do think it is very difficult to reach your full potential in one particular sport if you are playing two sports and doing a full course load. Unless you are very academically and athletically gifted, I would try to sway a player away from playing two sports but if you can prove to the team and to the coaching staff, and show that they are committed and can handle the load. I would more-or-less try to push them to choose one over the other in order to reach their full potential.
TH: What is your opinion of youth football?
NT: I think youth sports in general are very important for the overall health of the society. In regards to football, it makes you mentally tough. Your job on the football field is to hit somebody else or eventually be hit by somebody else. That teaches kids to be tough, it's also great for cardiovascular health of course, great teamwork, skills, and gives them a lot of confidence. They'll gain confidence that they will carry with them for the rest of their life. And finally the friendships! I am still friends with the guys I used to play midget with when I was 16 years old.
TH: How will you generate community interest for the program?
NT: The easiest way to do that is by winning games. Our jobs of coaches, we are not the public relations team, we are not marketing, our jobs, and our players job is to win football games. That is all we can control. We want to make our promotions team's job easier by winning football games. I do believe we need to be good citizens within our community and engage with small business owners, neighbouring organizations, and the student body to build awareness.
What is the most prominent mistake you have made in your coaching career?.m4a
TH: If a player openly badmouths your coaching decisions, how will you handle the situation?
NT: They wouldn't. My players have too much respect for me to do that.
]]>On a gray and rainy day, the Concordia Stingers fell to Sherbrooke's Vert et Or 28-21 wrapping up their 2013 winless season and a final confirmation that the team will not be present in the post-season championship run. It had been a long and hard season for the entire Concordia Stingers community, but defensive backs coach Nathan Taylor made sure to congratulate his line on fighting until the very end, holding Sherbooke to only 228 passing yards. For his players, this day marked the beginning of an off-season lined with uncertainty. For coach Taylor, this day presented opportunity for growth and the beginning of the recruitment process.
Nathan Taylor struggled as a bench warmer for the local Lasalle Warriors during his early years of playing football to winning Most Valuable Player for the Concordia Stingers during his final year of playing CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport). Signed as a free agent to the Montreal Alouettes, he was released during preseason. To keep his head in the game, he accepted Concordia's offer to enlist him as the defensive backs coach of the Stingers. At the age of 25, he wants to share as much as he can with the younger generation of athletes, which is why he is focusing in on recruiting the school's next defensive talent.
"I have never ignored or dismissed an inbox or conversation from a young football player. I have to give back any way possible, no point in learning all of this and not passing even a bit of it on to the next generation."
]]> His signature shoulder-length dreads and beard makes him easy to spot on a roster, but it is his playing style that truly sets him apart. He is explosive, fast, and fearless. In the world of Canadian football, he is known to be one of the heavy hitters and made it on TSN's popular football segment "The Hit Parade". He applies that sense of fearlessness and power in his coaching style and hopes to create trusting relationships with his players that encourages his players to embrace values that follow them off the field."I want my players to possess pride, resilience, and confidence in whatever they do. Those values are necessary in achieving success both on and off the field."
Presently Coach Taylor, of Montreal, is scouring the island and its greater neighboring regions for new talent and has embarked on a recruiting process that will create a reputation for Concordia to be the next D.B.U (Defensive Back University). A D.B.U consists of a team that wins games through their powerful hits and explosive defensive plays. Coach Taylor wants to produce professional Canadian football players at the defensive back position. A rare commodity in the CFL when most positions are filled by American imports.
"It's all about having a great work ethic and being a high character guy, that's what I am looking for. The cherry on top would be a player that is not afraid to get hurt, a guy who plays with reckless abandon no matter who he is matched up against."
At this point, the university's athletic department needs Coach Taylor's recruitment skills to bring in players with high potential and personalities that welcome the obvious challenges they'll be up against returning to the field in 2014. Not everyone is built with the mental toughness to face the skepticism and negative criticism they'll be met with by the media, the league, and their own student body. It'll take hardwork to gain their support but Nathan Taylor welcomes the doubt as he has been the face of it before. Standing at 5'8, throughout his entire Concordia football career he has had to prove to critics that his short-build would not limit his ability to play at a professional level. His hardwork and discipline has silenced his critics and the adversity his height presented has been one of his biggest motivators to date.
A number of graduating seniors have left voids at all positions and the recent questionable "retirement" of head coach Gerry McGrath has left the team with a blank canvas. An ugly reality is that the Concordia Stingers have only won once in their last 17 games and have fell way behind the province's powerhouses such as Université de Montréal and Université de Laval.
Undertaking a challenge like the one that has been presented to Taylor and the rest of the Stinger's coaching staff is not going to be overcome overnight. He understands that the reputation he hopes to establish will take time but that this opportunity for growth is exciting. One thing is for certain, the only direction is up from here. When the Concordia Stingers take to the field for their first game in 2014, with the help of Coach Taylor, one is safe to assume that it will be a very different team than the one that went 0-9 this past season especially on the defensive side of the ball.
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