BEYONDtheCheers

The world of sports has been riddled with sexual abuse and incidents of bullying for many decades. These negative behaviors can come from coaches, peers, parents or anyone in contact with young athletes. Abuse in youth sports reveals itself in many different ways; emotional, sexual abuse, physical abuse, bullying, harassment and neglect. There are still too many unanswered questions that need to be addressed to be able to protect athletes from the unethical actions of offenders: What screening should be in place to prevent abuse?When should the sport organization enforce professional conduct?When are local authorities to be notified of possible criminal behavior? Must the sport community wait until there is evidence of abuse before they take action?  As is true with many not-for-profit organizations, Safe4Athletes was born out of the personal experience of its founder, Katherine Starr. Discover the how to make sport a safe and positive experience for all athletes when she joins us LIVE at BEYONDtheCheers on blogtalkradio on Wed, Oct. 15th at 7PM EST. Our repeat broadcasts are Friday at NOON on AMFM247 or on demand at  iHeart Radio,  iTunes and  Stitcher.com.

Pro athletes remain in denial to the reality of their own injuries and the long term effects towards their overall health. Leigh Steinberg, one of the most influential persons in pro sports, has become increasingly vocal regarding the injury of players today. During his 30-year career, Steinberg has represented over 150 athletes in football, baseball, basketball, boxing and Olympic sports.  It’s no surprise that athletes are hurting themselves in a professional sport system that appears to turn a blind eye for the sake of big money. Teams are reluctant to keep their star players out of play for a length of time as this may hamper a playoff run, standings in the league or financial gain. Some people have forecasted the eventual death of football if the lawsuits, concussions and life altering injuries do not cease. The game itself is not likely to change but in order to save the athletes it has been suggested, by many league officials, that Neurologists have a place on the sidelines of every game for players of all ages.  Leigh Steinberg joins us LIVE at BEYONDtheCheers on blogtalkradio on Wednesday, October 8th at 7PM EST. Friday at NOON is our repeat broadcast on AMFM247 plus listen anytime at iHeart Radio.com.

The full impact of violent encounters is often extreme for victims and can affect them for the rest of their lives. The campus environment combined with the culture of big time college athletics can be seen as a devastating mix, especially since one in five women on campus will experience a sexual assault or an attempted rape. Athletes are often seen as role models and leaders in their communities. They can have a huge influence towards minimizing violence and improving societal standards. National Coalition Against Violent Athletes (NCAVA) isdedicated to a concept of sports, as an activity, that promotes positive life skills in athletes so that they develop into respectful, productive role models.  Their mission is eliminate off-the-field violence by athletes, through the implementation of prevention methods that develop positive leadership potential of athletes within their teams and their communities.  Katherine Redmond Brown, founder of the NCAVA joins us LIVE at BEYONDtheCheers on blogtalkradio on Wednesday, October 1st at 7PM EST. Listen to our repeat broadnast on AMFM247 or at anytime on iHeart Radio or iTunes

The NFL has long been the number one spectator sport in the United States.This marketing machine continues despite the number of skeletons in their closets. The 2007 Patriots were caught up in a videotaping controversy, dubbed Spygate, where the Patriots were caught capturing signals of defensive coaches on film which happened more than once. After an investigation, Patriots head coach Belichick was fined $500,000 by the NFL, the maximum fine allowed and the largest ever in league’s 87-year history. “Spygate: The Untold Story”, author Brian O’Leary examines the full extent of the scandal. Bryan O’Leary joins us LIVE at BEYONDtheCheers on blogtalkradio on Wednesday, September 24th at 7PM EST. You can also listen each Friday at NOON to our repeat broadcast on AMFM247 or listen on iHeart Radio or iTunes

The professional leagues of many sports are not necessarily good places to find role models for young children. The way that some pros handle their injuries, including concussions, doesn’t in many ways promote what many parents, teachers and communities are trying to instill in our youth today. We usually rely upon the concussion knowledge of the athlete in order to recognize when something is wrong. However, many (up to 70% of high school football players) will not admit when they are concussed. Some will continue to play and unfortunately for some, they may unknowingly suffer from either post concussion syndrome or second impact syndrome. Don Brady, PhD, PsyD, NCSP is a licensed clinical and school psychologist. He has presented papers on subtle brain injury for over 20 years and has personal experience with concussion. We are joined by Don Brady LIVE at BEYONDtheCheers on blogtalkradio on Wednesday, September 17th at 7PM EST. You can also listen each Friday at NOON to our repeat broadcast on AMFM247 or listen anytime on iHeart Radio or iTunes on demand and at Stitcher.com. Dial-in TOLL FREE 1-877-357-2448 in Canada and United States to ask a question, or email our guest in advance.