University of New Mexico PEP 493 Intro to Sport Management Spring 2020

The leader that I chose to highlight is Nat King Cole because of his leadership in paving the way for blues, soul and jazz in the fifties. During that time, the world was not very accepting to people of color, which made it extremely difficult to be successful during that time. Nat King Cole was able to break down those barriers starting at an early age. At an early age he was able to learn piano and in his teens he directed a 14-piece band with him being the leader. He had a vision at an early age to pursue his music career and established the King Cole Trio. Nat King Cole didn’t let his speech disorder stop him, he was able to break those boundaries and become a profound singer. Through his band he was able to create numerous albums through Capitol records and became a sensation. Nat King Cole became one of the first black television presenters and he continuously tried to fight the battles of racism. Nat King Cole has inspired me with his music, his ambition for success and his failures. Nat King Cole has had many successes throughout his life, but he has also faced many failures. His failures did not hold him back nor prevent him for continuing to fight. I enjoy listening to his music and I appreciate the road he was able to create for people of color that didn’t have a voice back then. Even today, he continues to inspire many people of his leadership in music and teach people that they should not be afraid of pushing boundaries within the world and within themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFyuOEovTOE&t=43s

The leader that I chose was Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald is a record setting wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. I choose him as a leader because he impacts people on and off of the field. He is very involved in bettering the community. He has his own foundation to help underprivileged kids. Larry Fitzgerald is an all around good guy. He has loyally played for the cardinals for 16 seasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SfXyDHGKDI

The timing of this assignment was extremely coincidental, one of my favorite podcasts on ESPN had a discussion on the greatest leader in sports since 2000. My mind had initially floated to LeBron, the way he elevates his teammates level of play. There was concern as to how much he considered his teammates opinions however, which made me think of the next candidate. The Captain, Derek Jeter, is in my mind the greatest leader. His determination led his team to 5 world series even with a lackluster of talent and front office that was not entirely capable. His integrity is unmatched, in the era of doping in the MLB he never tested positive for PED’s, instead he worked harder to stay the best in the game. In baseball, you only get to make an impact 3-5 times a game, and yet he has so many memorable moments.
https://youtu.be/nltYNIbogTQ

As someone who is very passionate in running. Allyson Felix is someone who is very inspirational to me. Allyson Felix is not only a peak performer on the track but she is also a big advocate of maternity rights in sports. She made a decision that many would not do and broke her sponsorship with Nike due to their maternity rights policies. She then went on to pass Usain Bolt and become the most decorated runner 10 months after giving birth to her daughter Cameron “Cammy”. Allyson had said that it seemed as if Nike was punishing female athletes for acting on their right to have kids by giving athletes pay cuts. In 2019, she then proceeded to continue to make strides in her career despite the birth or Cameron. Allyson Felix is a six time Olympic medalist and is a huge role model in the track and field community.Through injuries and her pregnancy she has shown that he is able to bounce back and continue to dominate in her races.She is truly an all around great athlete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yunGYU-2ppY

https://youtu.be/0uhm_WKOuVQ

I chose Jennifer Lopez as a peak performer because of her tenacity and work ethic. I believe she leads by example, in that she is the hardest women in the room and does not settle. Many people have criticized her talents, such as acting and singing, and yet she does not let that bring her down or affect her in her career. She dreams big and pursues her goals regardless of failures, or obstacles. She learns from them and continues on. She is an entrepreneur, producer, designer, singer, actor, dancer and mother who works endlessly towards her goals.

The person who inspires me, and the person I chose for this assignment, is Simone Biles. Simone is not only an outstanding gymnast, but her mindset is also something that amazes me. When she first started competing in all of the big competitions, especially when she went to Rio for the Olympics, she said that she felt like she was doing it for other people’s approval more than she was doing it for herself and for her love of the sport. Because of this, she almost quit gymnastics completely after the Olympics in 2016 but during her year and a half break, she realized that she still really does have a strong love for the sport, so she came back in 2018 and started competing again. While in Rio people started comparing her to other Olympic medalists like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt who we all know are also very decorated. She was asked how she felt about this in an interview, and her response was: “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles,”. This was her way of effectively undercutting people’s attempts to compare her achievements next to those of a man’s. Not only did she decide to compete again, but she says that she is now only competing for herself and everything that she does is because she wants to, and because she wants to see how far she can push herself. Since her return, she has been doing some insane things, like winning medal after medal and breaking record after record. As of October of 2019, after the world’s championship Simone Biles is now the most decorated gymnast in history with 25 medals at the age of 22 years old, and without a doubt that number is going to only get bigger when she makes her appearance in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. My favorite thing about Simone is how she doesn’t just stop thriving to be better than what she already is, even though she is both literally and statistically the best gymnast in the history of the sport, she still wants to push herself to be the absolute best that she can be regardless of how hard it may be, she just wants to set as many records as she can, and I think that is very inspiring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7-sBuQnrAk

One of my favorite athletes and the leader the I chose is Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning was an MVP and super bowl winning quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. I chose him as a leader because he was not only a productive player on the field, but a great and humble individual off the field. Peyton Manning was not the most athletic of football players, but his hard work and knowledge of the game lead him to such a successful career. His leadership, talent, and community efforts were why he was respected and looked up to by players, fans, and his peers. Peyton Manning has not only left his mark on the game of football, but he has done so much for the community and that is why I chose him as a great and memorable leader.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUsEZeoHk-c

From when I was 4 years old, I started playing soccer with falling in love with the game and watching it all the time on the TV with my mom and dad and that’s where I first watched and fell in love with how number 9 played. Number 9 was Mia Hamm and she became my inspiration for everything I did in life and on the soccer field. When I was a little bit older, maybe 5 or 6, that’s when my mom took me to my first US women’s national soccer team game where I had the best day of my life and I will never forget that day. She inspired me to become the best player and the best person I could be. She also inspired me to give back to those who really need it. She also taught me to be selfless with my team but also be a role model for everyone to look up to if I could. She had to have casts on her feet and to correct something in her legs and got them off, once those things were off she couldn’t be stopped as the video says. Every time I got hurt, I got better and then I was right back on the field being unstoppable. I have had the same mindset even though I had to stop playing due to a medical issue. This is why I chose her as a great and memorable leader.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDX8zPyJkHE

The leader I chose who i am influenced by is Eric Thomas. The reason i chose Eric Thomas is because he is someone who built themselves from the ground up. Growing up he struggled with being homeless and not growing up with his biological father. What really inspires me is despite his struggles, he didnt let it keep him from growing into the person he is today. He is now a well-known American Motivational Speaker who speaks for many colleges and teams in the NFL, NBA, and the MLB as well. The video I uploaded is him talking on campus to students about if you want something and to be successful, you have to make sacrifices and stay focused to make it happen. His drive and determination is something that I believe makes him a great leader, but most importantly how you can relate to him in the sense that he had to work for everything he has, it wasn’t given to him. I look up to him because he overcame so many struggles and still made something great out of himself. https://youtu.be/5fsm-QbN9r8

The leader I chose is Conor McGregor. I chose him because his story his very inspiring. He truly made something out of nothing by becoming everything he set out to be, and that’s a great champion. Conor grew up very poor in Ireland and before the UFC was in debt and barely getting by. He did all he could to make it to the UFC by putting in hours and hours of hard work to make his dreams become reality. To me, Conor McGregor is more than a very wealthy athlete he is an icon that has made an impact on his sport and people all over the world. If you haven’t yet, I recommend watching his documentary Conor McGregor: Notorious on Netflix!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BJ98YcTCRw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKybKcVjA7k

The leader I chose is Serena Williams. Serena has always been an inspiration for me growing up and still to this day motivates me to be the best player I can be. She is undoubtedly the greatest female player of all time and her competitive drive has kept her in the game competing at the highest level even at 38 years of age. Perseverance is a characteristic that comes to mind when I think of Serena Williams. Being a black female athlete puts her as a minority in sports so overcoming this adversity is just one of the obstacles she has had to face without even taking into account the challenges of the sport. Serena is a relentless athlete with great disciplinary skills, you can’t become a world class athlete without making the sacrifices that she has. I think this a fundamental trait of a leader and makes her a great role model

The leader I chose was Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes hard work, dedication, and knowledge of the game lead him to a Superbowl. Patrick showed the whole world time after time that he will never give up. Being down by double digits in all playoff games to beating all teams by double digits is incredible. He shows us what having “heart” is all about and never giving up even against incredible odds. He is setting a great example that no matter what the odds are against you, you never give up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slHLs2oukls&t=22s

https://www.glamour.com/video/watch/women-of-the-year-megan-rapinoe-s-acceptance-speech-2019-women-of-the-year

The leader that I chose was Megan Rapinoe. I chose her because she is very proud of where she comes from and how hard she has worked to get where she is today. It is also amazing to think that someone i grew up watching play soccer as a kid has been awarded the Woman of the Year award. She also stands very strongly for what she believes in, like for instance she believes that the woman should be paid equally for playing soccer and winning more wold cups than the men. Throughout her career she shows her team and people that you are able to live life and struggle while still being kind to others and being there for others. She stands tall in all her beliefs and she plays the game of soccer in a strong and confident way and it has been really fun growing up and watching her show off these traits.

A group of men that have shown exemplary leadership skills and have excelled through the hardships of life are The Blind Boys of Alabama. This American gospel group began its musical journey in the late 1930s at the Institute for the Negro Blind. Since then, their music has reached audiences of distinct cultures and beliefs. I chose The Blind Boys of Alabama as my leader because of their tenacity to create such soulful and unique music in a time when their actions were not widely accepted. Besides that, they became innovators in a style of music that is different and now accepted and appreciated by many. Throughout the years, these men have demonstrated to the world their passion, commitment, and vision through their music and persistence. I think that everyone can learn something from this musical group and witness how their effort brought them to be a widely recognized gospel group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwlW8uJwP-E

The leader that I have chosen to highlight is my favorite NFL quarterback at the moment, Russell Wilson. Also know as “DangerRuss” he the 8 year veteran out of North Carolina State who has also dabbled with playing professional baseball, suiting up for the New York Yankees in spring training and being drafted as a pitcher before ultimately deciding to play quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. I believe that Wilson is an elite leader because of the way he carries himself. No one player on the Seahawks does more to prepare themselves day in and day out to be a successful player and teammate than Wilson. In just his rookie reason, he took a lackluster Seattle offense to the playoffs and even won a game. The following year, he took them to the Super Bowl and won the whole thing. And of course they have been back to the Super Bowl since then, and everyone knows what happened then (they should have ran the ball at the 1 yard line!). He is a perfect representation of leading by example. Ever since his rookie season, he has visited the Seattle Children’s Hospital every single Tuesday to visit with kids and give back to his community. This tradition has caught on with many of this teammates and there is group that visits weekly now, for the past 8 years.
The YouTube video shows Wilson’s leadership in his true element, on the football field. His encouragement and believe in not only himself, but his teammates and coaches is truly remarkable and inspires me in many ways. And while they did not win this game, they fought hard and you can see how Wilson picks up his teammates even after a tough loss and tells them that they will get them next time. He wins with class, and losses with grace.
https://youtu.be/fslbkQL6WoY

A person who I believe can be classified as one of the greatest leaders of all time is none other than Phil Jackson. I chose Phil Jackson because he has been a coach of winning teams during his coaching career. Jackson has developed some remarkable players over his years of coaching such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. It takes a truly great leader to be able to inspire others to become really great leaders. And this is exactly what this coach has been able to achieve. These players have been to multiple finals and have multiple rings. Let’s not forget that they hold some significant scoring titles as well. These players having come into the league were led by Jackson and in my opinion, he had given them the tools they needed to become not only great players but also great people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7X4EanKio

The leader I chose was Keanu Reeves. Keanu Reeves is resilient, passionate and humble. During his career, he lost loved ones. He used his tragedies to become a better person. He has passion for his career, at one point he was was willing to give up his profits to have more actors in movies he was starring in. He was not concerned with money, he simply just loved what he did. Keanu Reeves is known for being the most humble guy in Hollywood.
He gives much of the money he makes to charities. He is a good guy and I think there should be more people like him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tuq003fj8Y&feature=share

The person that I consider a great leader is Usain Bolt. While most people say he is the fastest man in the world, he is also very humble with that title. At 15 years old, Usain won the 200 meter dash in the 2002 World Junior Championships. Making him the youngest world medalist ever. I consider Usain a great leader because he has broken so many world records and is a 3 time gold medalist from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With all of this success, he is a very humble man and is inspiring others with his success by motivating them to be the best version of themselves as seen in the quote. “Easy is not a option. No days off. Never quit. Be fearless. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours of work.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWM3HlIw7d0

For my leader I am choosing Rodolfo Gonzales more commonly known as Corky. I didn’t learn about him until I took at course at UNM called Chicano and Chicana studies. He is considered one of the main leaders when it comes to the Chicano movement in the 1960′s, he helped fight for Mexican American rights. He helped with equality, more access to education and the right to vote. One thing that stood out to me is his famous poem “Yo so Joaquin” poem (Which is an excellent read if you are interested and have the time) It really spoke to me and really showed me how Mexican American/ Hispanics were oppressed in the United States. When I learned about how much my people struggled for equality which still and has effects today, it really makes me feel grateful for the opportunities I have, like being able to go to college and become the first person in my family to graduate. Which my grandparents and parents didn’t have as much opportunity as me, it puts a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but it will mean the world to them once they see one of the family graduate college and get a good job and not have to struggle as they did. Hopefully I will become successful financially and be able to take care of my family once they can not work anymore. I will also be able to pass it on to the next generation of how people like Corky gave us a chance to become the best possible versions of ourselves all while having Chicano empowerment and pride and to never be ashamed of your roots, family and where you came from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzx7e3h2N5k&t=68s

The leader I have chosen is Carson Wentz, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. I have chosen Carson Wentz because he is just a tremendous athlete and he is a great team player. Wentz has suffered through a lot of adversities because the injuries he has had in the past. Wentz never gives up and he can lead a team, whether it is a team of starters or back-ups or even players that had to step up from being a player from the practice squad for the Eagles. He always pushes and believes in all of his teammates that will make the play, that will give all the effort out there on and outside of the field. I look up to Carson Wentz. His drive and relentless effort out there on the field is just amazing and he has a great character.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxolo-R57mA&t=1s

The leader that I chose to write about is Bruce Lee, a mixed martial artist that has performed in several classic Chinese fighting movies. I chose Bruce Lee because he shows that no matter your current circumstance with dedication and hard work you can achieve greatness. Bruce Lee had crippling illnesses when he was growing up which prevented him from even going outside. Now Bruce Lee is regarding by most to be the father of modern day mixed martial arts. I chose this clip of Bruce Lee lighting matches with his nun chucks because it is the coolest thing I have ever seen. This clip shows how his hard work has payed off while dealing with adversity in his life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PLBXAcKyDw

The leader I chose to write about is Lionel Messi. Although many say that he is not a leader due to his introverted nature. My grandfather came from Argentina and I would watch the games with him. From a young age I always looked up to him as one of my role models as a leader due to his attribute of being a teacher. This clip shows this well where Messi is helping Dembele grow as a professional soccer player by mentoring him on the field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIP7cJ7xMXA&authuser=0

The leader I chose is Kobe Bryant. Growing up as a Lakers fan and particularly a fan of Kobe, his passing was completely devastating. My entire family looked up to him, as he was one of the most influential leaders of our lifetime. The video clip I attached was his interview with the USC where he focuses on effective leadership and teamwork, specifically Mamba Mentality.
https://youtu.be/T5-vgyEbtPU