Teaching: New Years Resolution Slowly Manifesting

One of my new years resolutions was that I would teach more in 2017.  Educating young people is just something that I know in my heart will play a major part of the latter years of my life and I figured that it’s never too early to start.  I’ve been working in sports for nearly 14 years now in a League Office, at two agencies and now as CEO of a professional football club and, in that time, I’ve learned a tremendous amount about what it takes to be effective in this industry.  And while I’ve learned many facts, figures and theories along the way, what I’ve really taken away are the soft skills that make a difference. And I say “effective” and not “successful” as those who are ambitious will rarely know when they have truly achieved success as the bar raises at every level.  But effectiveness is more measurable; one can clearly see when they have been able to make positive difference to their organisation and ultimately to the sports industry. 

Since I’ve been in India, I have had the opportunity to deliver a guest lecture a handful of times and each time I left the class glowing.  There is just something about having the platform to share your insights and experiences with those hungry to learn which gives me a high.  And it’s a completely different high than managing a team which has its own set of rewards and challenges.  Managing a team is like being a part of a family where there are great days, okay days and days when you don’t even want to share the same space with one another.  Whereas, delivering a sports management lecture to a roomful of young people who dream of working in the sports industry is like being the fun Uncle that shows up from time to time with all sorts of cool stories, gifts and nuggets of wisdom.

So given that I made teaching more a resolution for 2017, unsurprisingly it has manifested over the past few months.  I was able to teach a class at the Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences MBA program in Pune and another class for the Diploma in Football Management course in Mumbai.  Both went well and I am confident that they will lead to more opportunities to educate young people in the future. And one thing that I know for sure is that the more I work in the industry and experience the tremendous highs and treacherous lows of professional sport, the better teacher I will become. 

With some of the Symbiosis School of Sport Sciences students

With the Diploma in Football Management students