[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

I wonder what athletes go through off the field..? How do they manage their life while also playing at an elite level..? What do they do if they get traded and need to find a new home..?

These are questions that race through my mind when watching sports. Enter, Elissa Grabow: a lifelong Sports Life Coach of sorts. Over her reign in sports she has helped the profiles of Tracy McGrady (2017 NBA Hall of Fame) and the infamous but never forgotten, Kobe Bryant.

Over the years, Elissa has worked personally with Tracy to help build the One's Basketball League: a 1 vs 1 basketball tournament that pays $20,000 to the champion. As well as manage his life off the court.

Elissa was awarded the Crain's New York Business Most Notable Women in Sports in 2022. Interestingly, Elissa had little to no background and interest in sports when she began her career, tune in to the episode to hear her story!

Below are some helpful links:

Elissa's LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elissa-grabow-95271b48/

One's Basketball League

https://oblhoops.com/tournament/

Most Notable Women in Sports 2022

https://www.crainsnewyork.com/awards/elissa-grabow-notable-women-sports-2022

If you have any questions or inquires, please reach out!

[email protected]

Hi everyone! Welcome to SportStories - The Podcast, my name is Nathan Merkel. Have you ever wondered why people love sports so much? How do people fall in love with teams, brands, and/or athletes so quickly and heavily? What does this do us as humans and how does it change us?

All of these questions will be, slightly, addressed throughout this podcast with the help of a wide variety of guests and topics. We will take a deep dive into the world of Sports and ask the question: Why are Sports so important to us as humans?

I truly hope you enjoy this podcast! Please reach out if you have any questions, inquiries, or suggestions.

You can reach me at:

nathanmerkel.com

[email protected]

[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

The Paris Paralympics, saw an 70% increase in viewership from 2020 to 2024. In total, over 15 million viewers streamed in for the Paralympics in 2024 and saw an average live-coverage viewership of 160,000. It is evident that the Paralympics is on the rise in terms of popularity and exposure.

Coach Ron Lykins, a wheelchair basketball icon has accumulated an illustrious history with the USA wheelchair basketball team. Below are his accolades:

98-9 career record

12 Gold Medals - Men's Wheelchair Basketball

5 Silver Medals - Men's Wheelchair Basketball

2 Gold Medals - Women's Wheelchair Basketball

I am gratefully joined by Coach Ron to discuss the current state of Paralympic sport(s) and where we believe it is going. I truly hope you enjoy this episode!

Coach Ron was recently inducted into the Missouri Sport Hall of Fame, below is the article written:

https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/ron-lykins/

Please reach out if you have any questions:

[email protected]

[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

With the recent rise in popularity of American collegiate football, organizations have taken note on the importance of proper (sport/s) fan engagement and marketing. I spoke with Allison Kelly, the Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement at the University of Kansas.

We spoke about her (hectic) daily schedule, what the people with headsets on the sidelines actually do, and how her perception of sport/s has changed since she works full-time in the industry.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Connect with Allison on LinkedIn here -(https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonakelly0906/)

Please let me know if you have any questions or inquiries:

[email protected]

Visit my website to check out my blog:

nathanmerkel.com

[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

Do you think supporting a semi-professional sports team is different than a professional team? Have you ever attended a semi-professional sports game/event? Matt and I talk about the intricacies of semi-professional sporting events and how they are drastically changing the sport fan experience.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Please reach out if you have any questions:

[email protected]

[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in an athletes' daily schedule? I have been curious about what collegiate and professional athletes are up to when they're not competing. I am grateful to be welcomed alongside Mary Long, a professional in sports within the inclusion and athlete development space.

Mary is the Coordinator for Success Through Well-Being at Columbia University Athletics in New York. Mary is responsible (but not limited to) developing Columbia athletes off the field to enhance their well-being and sense of belonging.

If you are inspired by this episode, please reach out to Mary on her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marylong93/

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Please reach out if you have any questions or inquiries: [email protected]

[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

Has anyone noticed how the landscape of sports media has changed? It went from a casual newspaper/magazine article to a monthly/yearly contract. I spoke with Tyler Hill, a multi-media reporter at WCIA in Champaign, Illinois about the landscape of sports media and how it has changed.

Hope you enjoy the episode!

Below is Tyler's TikTok and LinkedIn if you'd like to connect with him!

@thehillsports

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerchill941/

[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

Hey everyone! I am gratefully joined by Michael Creek, a goalie for FC Tulsa in the United Soccer League.

We dive into topics about life as a professional athlete, the identity struggle that athletes face, the psychology of being a professional athlete, and the state of soccer in the United States.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

Are you a sport fan and wonder what life behind the scenes is like? I spoke with Brian McQueen, an equipment manager for an ECHL team in Maine about his journey through sport, experience working for a professional hockey club, and the current landscape of hockey in North America.

This episode also discusses the importance of the Sport Management major and if it belongs in society and/or academia.

Please reach out if you have any questions!

I hope you enjoy the episode.

[email protected]

https://nathanmerkel.com/

Hey everyone! Thank you for joining us for Episode 2, "4th and... Australian?".

I sat down with Hugh Robertson, a recently graduated athlete from the University of Illinois. Hugh competed as the punter for UIUC's football team from 2020-2024. He is originally from Australia and shared his experiences of being an international athlete in the Collegiate Football context. 

Here are some key themes of the episode:

1. Culture of Sport in Australia

2. Current state of the punting position in Collegiate Football

3. "Sense of belonging" 

4. Student vs Athlete debate

5. Experiences with fan hate

6. Globalization of Sport

Hope you enjoy the episode!!

https://nathanmerkel.com/