Global Athlete

Latest Episodes:

New Independent Athlete Groups with Christian Taylor, Emma Coburn, and Matt Biondi Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

Independent athlete organizations have been around for years but not all of them last long enough to make significant changes. Noah discusses two new groups with world class athletes Christian Taylor, Emma Coburn, and Matt Biondi and their experiences of forming independent athlete groups in hopes of providing solutions and positive change for athletes worldwide.

In this episode, we talk about…

What led Christian to follow the footsteps of other athlete rights organizations and start Athletics Association
How Christian got buy-in from other athletes and the response received when AA launched
Christian’s goal to reach solutions by finding commonalities vs. focusing on adversity
The leadership model of Athletics Association and how athletes make their voices heard
What Christian’s experienced since forming an independent organization
Why Christian believes Athletics Association might be the group to last and advice for anyone starting their own independent organization
Why Emma believes a collection of experts is necessary for athlete representation
The value of patience and endurance to keep working on the changes you want
Ideal revenue model for Athletics Association and providing membership benefits that help make athlete lives better on and off the field
What spurred the creation of the International Swimmers' Alliance
Why Matt is returning to support swimmers after 25 years of leaving the sport
How ISL came to be and its relationship with the International Swimmers' Alliance
What athletes can expect from joining the International Swimmers' Alliance
The biggest issue swimmers want addressed
Whether or not athletes need to be more aggressive in seeking better representation
How Matt decides next steps for the ISA and challenges for building a diverse membership
Where Matt believes the ISA fits in the broader picture of Olympic sport and with other independent athlete groups

Memorable Quotes:

“Not all changes have to result from being hurt.”
“It’s death by a thousand cuts against these systems; you have to be continually pushing and pushing if you want to slowly create change. You’re definitely going to get pushback more than you make forward progress.”

Guest Bio:

Christian Taylor is the President of the Athletics Association and is a four time world champion and two time Olympic champion in the triple jump.

Emma Coburn is the Vice President of the Athletics Association and is a world champion and an Olympic bronze medalist in the 3000 meter steeplechase.

Matt Biondi is Leader of the International Swimmers' Alliance and is an eleven time Olympic medal swimmer.

Links to resources:

Learn more about The Athletics Association at athleticsassociation.org. Learn more about the International Swimmers' Alliance at internationalswimmersalliance.org.

Follow the Athletics Association on Twitter @WeAreTheSport, the Internat ional Swimmers' Alliance @IntSwimAlliance and follow Global Athlete @GlobalAthleteHQ. Get in touch at hello@globalathlete.org and join the movement at globalathlete.org.

Athlete Power and Representation in Professional Sports with Matt Graham and Paulina Tomczyk Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

Athletes must have a voice when it comes to athlete rights and players associations provide the opportunity for their voices to be heard and supported. Noah welcomes Matt Graham and Paulina Tomczyk to discuss what players associations are and why they’re so necessary in today’s world of sport.

In this episode, we talk about…

What a player association is and examples of players associations
The main mission of player associations when it comes to athlete representation and accountability
Why new player associations and unions receive backlash and often struggle
Common issues for athletes with amateur status
How just cause and culture can influence the formation of player organizations
How large players organizations operate and support athletes
Revenue models for both large and small players associations
Why EU Athletes and other umbrella organizations exist
World Players Association and how unions benefit from this group
The relationship between World Players Association and the IOC
Why it’s possible for smaller sports to have strong players associations

Memorable Quotes:

“When the players realize as a group they enjoy considerably more power than they have as individuals, they’re actually in a strong position to negotiate the terms and conditions of their work and they’re broader livelihoods.”

Guest Bios:

Australian freestyle skier Matt Graham is the Director of Legal and Player Relations for the World Players Association.

Paulina Tomczyk is the General Secretary of EU Athletes, the European federation of player unions and athlete associations, and is also an Executive Committee Member of World Players Association.

Links to resources:

#CompeteLikeaMother

EU Athletes

World Players Association

IOC

The Cyclists Alliance

Follow World Players Association on Twitter @WorldPlayersUtd, EU Athletes @EUAthletes, Paulina @PauTomczyk and follow Global Athlete @GlobalAthleteHQ. Get in touch at hello@globalathlete.org and join the movement at globalathlete.org.

Current Athlete Representation Models with Beckie Scott and Han Xiao Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

Just because you’re elected to a position of power doesn’t mean you can make the changes you want. Beckie Scott joins Noah to discuss her experiences with both the WADA Athlete Committee and IOC Athletes’ Commission and the ups and downs of athlete representation and power in international sport governance.

In this episode, we talk about…

What drove Beckie to get involved in the WADA Athlete Committee and IOC Athletes’ Commission
Details about Beckie’s experience within WADA AC
What professional support Beckie received while working with WADA AC
Why Beckie chose to become a part of the IOC AC
An insider’s perspective about the power, loyalty and perks given to IOC AC’s members
The influence of the IOC AC over WADA
Making athletes feel important vs. listening to and acting on athlete’s concerns
What Beckie believes is the only way athletes can shape the future of sport

Memorable Quotes:

“It was really important that athletes know that we weren’t aligned with the leadership and the decision-making body at that time, that we felt very strongly on behalf of athletes that this was not representative of their rights and was not representative of clean sport and the right direction to go at all.”
“I think the future does lie with independent organizations...either the NOC Athlete Commissions becoming independent or the international federations...are really good starts and are probably gonna shape the way forward.”

Guest Bio:

Beckie Scott is an Olympic gold and silver medalist in cross-country skiing. She was a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Committee from 2005-2018, during which time she also served as chair of the committee, and she served on WADA’s Foundation Board and on the WADA Executive Committee.

In 2006, she was also elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission. She served a full 8-year term ending in 2014. She’s also worked for the Canadian Olympic Committee and was on the board of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee. In 2019, she was officially appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Links to resources:

Beckie Scott

World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Committee

International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission

Follow Beckie on Twitter @BeckieScott4 and follow Global Athlete @GlobalAthleteHQ. Get in touch at hello@globalathlete.org and join the movement at globalathlete.org.

The Current Landscape in Olympic and Paralympic Sport with Rob Koehler Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

Without athletes, the Olympic and Paralympic Games would not be possible. Noah talks with Rob Koehler about why it’s imperative to understand athletes’ rights and why more accountability is needed in both the IOC and Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In this episode, we talk about…

The emotional story of Navid Afkari
Athlete activism in Belarus
Relationship between IOC Athletes’ Commission and the IOC
Rule 50 and it’s current implications for Olympic/Paralympic athletes
Double standard of how athletes are treated vs. IOC members
IOC financial priorities and why Global Athlete is pushing to abolish Rule 40
Issues with Court of Arbitration for Sport
What happened to British hammer thrower Mark Dry
Impending problems of the Tokyo Games and what it means for athletes’ safety

Memorable Quotes:

“Athletes that want to see better communities, want to stand up for social, racial justice—are being told that they can’t do it, and if they are going to do it—we’ll tell you when you can do it. And that is not freedom of expression. You cannot tell someone when they can’t speak up and when they can speak up.”
“If we’re going to look at the entire anti-doping system, we can’t look at things in silo, we need to look at it as a complete picture, and one of those pieces of the pie is the Court of Arbitration of Sport.”

Guest Bio:

Rob Koehler is the Director General of Global Athlete and formerly the Deputy Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency and a strong independent voice for athlete rights.

Links to resources:

IOC

United for Navid Campaign

IOC Athletes’ Commission

Olympic Commercialization and Player Compensations: A Review of Olympic Financial Reports

WADA: World Anti-Doping Agency

Court of Arbitration for Sport

Follow Rob on Twitter @RobKoehler2 and follow Global Athlete @GlobalAthleteHQ. Get in touch at hello@globalathlete.org and join the movement at globalathlete.org.

Overview and History of International Sport Governance with Prof. Jules Boykoff Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

The Olympics are no doubt an iconic sports staple and whether watching gymnasts tumble across an arena or skiers flying down the slopes, chances are you’ve watched—and probably cheered for—an Olympic event. Professor Jules Boykoff joins Noah Hoffman to break down the history of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and share the impact of some remarkable highs and lows of the modern Olympic games.

In this episode, we talk about…

Pierre Coubertin’s vision and who he wanted to participate in the Olympics
How athletes fit into the Olympic story throughout history
Peter O’Connor’s activism at the 1906 Olympics
Alice Milliat’s alternative Olympics for women
The lasting influence of John Carlos, Tommie Smith and the Olympic Project for Human Rights in 1968
How the IOC leverages sanctions against athletes in present day
IOC’s governance structure and accountability
4 Trends of Olympic host cities: high spending, militarization, displacement and eviction, greenwashing
How the United Nations addresses the democracy deficit of the IOC
The state of exception the IOC thrives on vs. state of emergency in Japan for upcoming summer games

Memorable Quotes:

“All to often, those stories of fighting back on the part of principled athletes who weren’t happy with the way the Olympics were being organized, get shuffled under the historical rug….Athletes have been standing up to those in power...and standing up for their freedoms and their political beliefs.”
“Athletes have a tremendous amount of leverage if they act in unison, if they act in concert, and if they have a good plan going in.”

Guest Bio:

Jules Boykoff writes on a range of subjects, including political activism, the Olympic Games, and climate change. Boykoff holds a Ph.D. in political science from American University. He currently teaches political science at Pacific University in Oregon.

He is the author of four books on the Olympics—NOlympians: Inside the Fight Against Capitalist Mega-Sports in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Beyond (Fernwood, 2020), Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics (Verso, 2016), Activism and the Olympics: Dissent at the Games in Vancouver and London (Rutgers University Press, 2014), and Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games (Routledge, 2013).

Links to resources:

Jules Boykoff

“A Bid for a Better Olympics” New York Times (13 August 2014) Join the movement for athlete driven change across the world of sport at globalathlete.org.

Start Here Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

The Global Athlete Podcast features in-depth conversations about international sport governance, athlete rights, and the future of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Hosted by Olympic cross-country skier Noah Hoffman with weekly contributions from Olympic bobsledder Bree Schaaf, the podcast centers athletes in the politics of sport. Guests include experts and activists covering topics such as athlete agency, welfare, and power; the IOC as a political institution; the differences between professional sport leagues and Olympic sport; and more. New episodes come out every Tuesday.

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