Fit across Cultures Podcast

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BASKETBALL: Marissa Kastanek, a professional basketball player in Puerto Rico, is my guest for episode 44 of the Fit across Cultures Podcast.  As always, you can listen here, by clicking the play button above or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. "Going abroad was not only it a great way to propel my basketball career, but it was also a great way to travel. This may be my only chance to travel for extended periods of time. Not just as a vacation for 2 weeks. That's probably my favorite part [of playing abroad]." Marissa played college ball at North Carolina State University, but wanted to maximize her athlete career before entering "the real world". She played professionally overseas in Sweden, Czech Republic, and now Puerto Rico. In this podcast episode, we talk about: getting to the highest point in your sports career Marissa's first unique season of playing abroad in Sweden, staying with a host family getting a first contract overseas via agencies the mindset of a professional player and being a product choosing an offer and having an advisory board and transparent agent social media's influence on the transparency and honesty in the system of professional sports nerve-wracking cultural differences when grocery-shopping abroad   The life of a professional athlete abroad "I'm a product, I am the thing that is being sold. I need to perform. Get my reputation out there that is making me a good product." "The simple things that you are used to don't exist overseas. Budgeting is a nightmare when everything is in a different currency. Grocery trips that should take 15 min take an hour. On the flip side, it helps me as a person. In the U.S., there is no situation where I would feel that uncomfortable. It helps me grow."   Marissa's Advice for Athletes Abroad Bring along some familiar products to start off with something you like. Live in the moment! This is a chance of a lifetime. If you don't like it, you can always come back. Embrace where you are. Accept that you are not home anymore and that things are different. When you are in a place, be there and be there fully. Get in touch with Marissa If you have questions about playing abroad, reach out to Marissa via email (Listen to the episode to find her email there). [Tweet ""Embrace where you are and accept that things are different. Be there and be there fully." @marlee_23"]   The post FIT044: Seizing the moment while playing abroad with Marissa Kastanek appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

MINDFULNESS: Jenny Ebermann joins me on this episode to talk about mindfulness for athletes. Her background is in sports science & sports management, with her sport being basketball. She worked in the sports industry on "the other side" as well, in governance & sport (FIBA), fundraising & advocacy in sports for development programs, and the anti-doping agency (in Canada & Switzerland). Jenny and I took the time to chat about: what is mindfulness and what is it NOT brain science and research on using techniques such as mindfulness for athletes giving example on mental exercises and how they improve your mental toughness the importance of breathing our evolutionary instincts and how they are sometimes preventing us from performing better getting rid of emotional hijacking, accepting your emotions when being out of your comfort zone what influence has the situation of playing abroad incorporating mindfulness in an active lifestyle effects on your immune system, body health, and well-being   Why is mindfulness a useful technique for athletes? "Through mindfulness, you learn how to accept what comes up without judging and being able to react. Training the brain not to freak out during a competition and to use the adrenaline to perform better and channeling your energy. It is also used for team building, so that diverse teams play together in a harmonious and effective way."   I don't have time for mindfulness exercises. Research has shown that 8 weeks of 10-15 minutes a day of mindfulness exercises are enough to change your brain structures. It's just like gym for your brain. Just like for your body, you need to have a regular, daily practice.   Find out more about Mindfulness (for Athletes) and Jenny Join Jenny's blog www.jennyebermann.com or join her on her Facebook page  Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the Mindfulness approach    Jenny's Advice for Athletes Abroad Whenever you arrive in a country, don't start to work or practice directly. Don't be too harsh on yourself. Observe what is happening around you. Pay close attention to how your body is reacting. Your body will show you. Pay attention to your mood. Do it at your own pace. [Tweet ""When you arrive abroad, pay attention to your body. Adjust at your own pace." @bxljenny"]   If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to share it with a friend that could benefit. Jenny and I would appreciate it a lot. Pictures Source: Jenny Ebermann The post FIT043: Hype or help: Mindfulness for athletes (abroad)? appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

BASKETBALL: Former international basketball player Howard Brown hails from Pottstown, PA, a tight knit community with a sports fanatic family background. After trying out multiple sports, he stuck with basketball and went on to win the state championship during his high school years (going head to head with Kobe Bryant). He played Villanova college ball, received an invitation to try out with a NBA team but couldn't find his way until 1.5 years later when he went overseas to play in Portugal, Israel, Venezuela, and mainly Spain. There, Howard won two Spanish championships, but that was not the highlight of his time abroad. In his opinion, it was the moment when he meet his Spanish wife. While still playing abroad, he started iballunited, a full service sports management agency, helping players build and sustain successful basketball careers.   What is the one thing that is missing for players that do not make it? "At the end of the day it comes down to THE opportunity, finding that open door. Whether it is going to a camp, knowing which ones are productive, sending your resumes, and finding and signing with the right agents. A lot of hustle, relationship and luck." In this podcast interview, Howard and I took the time to talk for 30 minutes about taking care of your opportunities as a pro player abroad the crucial first year abroad owning your resume and video, and taking control of how you are marketed as a player his own business development process of founding a company abroad while still playing having mentors to develop a post-active career his non-profit foundation "Live the dream" to support first generation student athletes his 5 years plan for his business the need to share information about overseas exposure camps, combines, and transparency within the industry the difficulty of managing the transition and stepping into a post-active career "My biggest challenge was understanding my worth and whether I was working with the right people. Looking back, it's really important. I was a player with solid stats from a good school and an invite to try out with the Nets. But it didn't work out and it took me 1.5 years to find something. It's difficult to say that talent supersedes that label that people put on you. Once you go out and prove yourself, understand what it is worth and how it translates to the international market."   Contact Howard Check out his website iballunited.net and the iBall Career Advancement Network that will help you advance your basketball career abroad. Follow them on Twitter @iBallUnited   Howard's advice for a successful basketball career abroad Take ownership of your career. Ask questions and try to figure out where your opportunities are coming from. [Tweet ""Take ownership of your pro career. Ask questions and keep banging." @iBallUnited"] Embrace it and take advantage of it as much as you can. Not only for basketball, but to build a business, or give back to your community. Being abroad and being away from your community for an extended period of time is not easy for a career. My Dad always said "Keep banging". So keep pushing and banging on new doors. When the door opens, step through it and embrace every aspect and opportunity. Learn from the folks who are already there and making it. As you are going, you invite new people in and let them in.   If you enjoyed this interview, feel free to share it with your network. You can subscribe to our "Fit across Cultures" Podcast on Itunes or Stitcher to get regular updates on more episodes. Just search for our name. The post FIT042: Creating a successful basketball career abroad with Howard Brown appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Kevin DeShazo from Field House Media, started his business with the idea that social media in the sports industry shouldn't be treated like "the bad guy". Kevin moved on to educate thousands of athletes and athletic directors about the advantages and potential pitfalls of social media, using it as a tool and not a toy. In this episode of the Fit across Cultures Podcast, we talk about social media for athletes abroad. “If you walk out of a meeting and you are only being told what not to do, you don’t know what you could do. In Sports, every day you are being told how to be the best possible by giving advice, and I think we should take the same approach with social media.” Kevin and I talked about - The negative conversations about social media and college sports - His approach to grow his business and success stories - Impact of social media on player’s confidence - Balance between social media activity and your athletic activity - How social media can help you transition to after pro life - Letting your personality shine through, finding a balance between promotions or bland posts - Benefit of clubs choosing athletes with big media following   Benefits of social media for athletes (abroad) 1) Connect with fans and followers to tell your story 2) Get sponsorship, endorsements, business deals 3) Separate yourself from the average job applicant after sports 4) Marketing advantage in contract negotiations “Build your core- build a foundation of your strength and reason online. It should be more than just saying that you are an athlete. Whether that is to sell a product, get a sponsor, or build a business, you should have a purpose.” Reach out to learn more about social media for athletes Tweet him @kevindeshazo personally or @fieldhousemedia  or check out his company www.fieldhousemedia.net   Advice for athletes abroad "Don’t forget the fans abroad. You are building a double-whammy for potential sponsors having a fan base at home and abroad. It will help you feel more connected to that culture. It can make that time abroad more productive and you can focus on the work at hand." [Tweet ""Learn to embrace the social media of the culture that you are playing in." @kevindeshazo"] Picture Source: Fieldhousemedia.net The post FIT041: Tips on using social media for athletes abroad appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

FOOTBALL: Born in Alicante, Spain, Ramon Soria Alonso started playing the national sport of football with 6 years old , moved to the famous youth academy of Alicante and represented Spain in the youth national team, and later played professionally in 3rd division in Spain. Since then he decided to pack his bags and make a living […] The post FIT040: Playing football abroad in Norway, Canada & Slovenia appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

VOLLEYBALL: My interview guest in Episode 39 is Crystal Palmer, a former DIV I volleyball player at East Tennessee University. The U.S. American learned early on to sell her skills and market her talents to get into a major college after junior college, and used it to her advantage to land contracts abroad in multiple countries […] The post FIT039: Taking a break from playing pro volleyball overseas appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

TAXATION/FINANCES: Today it’s time to talk about a topic that gives most people, including myself a big headache: taxes! Athena Constantinou and her team at APC Sports Consulting took the time to tell me all about managing your taxes, image rights, and wealth as professional athletes abroad. Athena is no newbie to the accounting and tax […] The post FIT038: What about my taxes? Tax consulting for athletes abroad appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

BASKETBALL: Dre “DreAllDay” Baldwin hails from Philadelphia, PA, and managed to play professional basketball overseas after getting kicked off his college basketball team. Hear all about his struggles of going from intramural basketball his senior year to pro contracts abroad and playing hoops overseas in this podcast episode. We talk about exposure camps, his first gig in Lithuania, […] The post FIT037: Creating a personal brand while playing hoops overseas with Dre Baldwin appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

BASKETBALL: Tyler Smith, a former Penn State College basketball player, had many unique encounters, experiences, and memorable stories throughout his years of playing professional basketball abroad. The 6‘8 (2m30) athlete snatched his first contract overseas in the Netherlands, which happened coincidently at the same time as his parents were on an expatriation overseas in the European […] The post FIT036: Playing professional basketball abroad for Kobe Bryant’s Dad in Thailand appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

GOLF/TRANSITION MANAGEMENT: Penny Pulz is one of the top golfer to ever come out of the Australian continent. During her active career, she was considered a Top 10 Golfer worldwide,had  two LPGA wins, and played for 18 yrs on the LPGA tour. After a difficult transition with what she describes as “years of wasting time […] The post FIT035: Focus, Transition Management, and U.S. vs. Australian culture with Penny Pulz appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL/FINANCES:  Brandon Williams’ motto is “create a lifestyle that builds financial freedom.” In this episode of the podcast, he shares his reasons for becoming a financial advisor to professional athletes after retiring from a pro American Football career in the NFL in 2010. In our interview, we talk about his transition process and the […] The post FIT034: Creating brand equity and financial freedom abroad with Brandon Williams appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

VOLLEYBALL: Christy Swagerty and I met in Paris this spring (2015) after finding out we don’t live far away from each other. She is a professional volleyball player and also coaches youth teams in France. Her parents are coaches, so she says it was inevitable that she would take up a sport when younger. The […] The post FIT033: Exploring Europe while playing pro volleyball with Christy Swagerty appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

BASEBALL: Bobby Carrington is the first international baseball player to be featured on our podcast. He started playing in the U.S. as a 10yr old kid. Thanks to his good hand-eye coordination, he managed to develop into a top athlete and gained access to a full athletic college scholarship. An injury in his second passion […] The post FIT032: Did you know you could play baseball abroad professionally? appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

MENTAL FITNESS: Jemiah Battle thinks so. He went through his own emotional crisis when the recession hit in 2008. He felt “socially handicapped”, as he describes his mental state in his own words. After losing a lot of his material goods, he invested in personal coaching and certifications to specialize in the one area that […] The post FIT031: Should you develop emotional intelligence in athletes? appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

BASKETBALL:  Former Wisconsin Badgers college basketball player Mike Bruesewitz was known for his red afro in college ball (which he doesn't don overseas anymore), but , as he notes, he's really always been into sports. He is currently finishing up his second season playing pro ball abroad in Malta, after stunts in Israel and Slovenia. In our interview, we talk about his path to professional sports the summer of patience of 2013 after the end of his college career ("I was just kind of sitting around, working out and waiting for a job") the 25 long days of negotiation for his first pro hoops contract the challenges of his second season in Slovenia and why he ended up transferring to Malta mid-season his efforts to brand and market himself while being overseas, talking about his FOX Sports blog and other ways he stays visible dealing with agents and their different ways of handling the business when playing pro ball abroad (see also our episode on how to find the right agent) Mike on Dealing with Agents: "It's your life, it's your decision, it's your business. It's your job to make sure you handle your business. If you are going to move agents, move in the middle of the season or in the summer. I moved agents in September, which I would not advise anyone!" Mike Bruesewitz' advice for players abroad "You only have about a one year window where they really miss you from college basketball. Use it wisely" Reach out to Mike Tweet @mbruesewitz31or check out his new website  BRUE Experience  I also highly recommend reading some of his blog posts on FOX Sports Wisconsin "Imported Bru" [Tweet ""It's your life, your decision, your business. Handle it wisely overseas." @mbruesewitz31"] And, as always, stay interculturally fit, Susan Picture Credit: Mike Bruesewitz The post FIT030: From Wisconsin college hoops to pro ball abroad in Europe appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: Dr. Mark Robinson decided to enroll in a PhD program while playing professional basketball on a three year contract in Manchester. Something you don't hear about every day. Since that time, he has developed his Personal Player Development philosophy and practice, authored a book titled "The Athletic Identity" and hosts a magazine called PPD Mag. "The sport industry needs to stop using athletes only for their skill, but start to support them to be better people. It's a challenge because it's an area that is often overlook. Athletes sacrifice a lot of their free time to get better players that they could invest in their own development." In our interview, we touch upon his personal experience of playing professionally abroad. Additionally, Mark explains the three corner stones of this concept of Athletic Identity: Athletes should ask themselves as a professional.. 1. Who are you? 2. What are you good at? 3. What do you want to become? "If you compare professional athletes and doctors and you look at the time they spend developing their craft: An athlete will have spent more time honing their skills than a doctor. Or can you show me a doctor that started at the age of six?" Mark's Advice for Athletes Abroad: Look at your Alumni network from college and who of them are working abroad and reach out to see if you can gain some corporate experience. Leverage your location and reach out to companies in the area to see if you can get involved. And find a hobby that is going to get you outside! [Tweet ""If you go abroad, remember that every day is full of teachable moments." @drmarkppd"] Listen to the full interview here or on iTunes and Stitcher Radio by subscribing to the Fit across Cultures Podcast. Apologies for the sound quality, as we caught Mark outside, so there is a bit of background noise which fades out during the end of the interview. Hopefully, you can enjoy all the valuable content. Reach out to Mark Robinson and learn more about his approach to personal player development: Personal Player Development Magazine or check out his book "The Athletic Identity: Invincible and Invisible, the Personal Development of the Athlete" on Amazon Picture Source: PPD Mag The post FIT029: Developing an Athletic Identity with Dr. Mark Robinson appeared first on Fit Across Cultures.