Sports Management Podcast

Welcome to episode 246 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Emiliano Abramzon, founder and CEO of Racket360, a company building a full ecosystem around racket sports in the US - including clubs, leagues, events, and e-commerce platforms.
In this episode, we spoke about:
Building a sports ecosystem from scratch in a new market
Why padel is growing rapidly in the US
The challenges of infrastructure, real estate and scaling sports facilities
Entrepreneurship, fundraising and lessons from building multiple companies
Timestamps:
00:00 Building Racket360 Explained 00:20 The Four Companies Strategy 01:28 Racket X Growth Story 02:19 E-Commerce Scaling Fast 03:27 Why Everything Is Growing 04:49 Funding & Capital Strategy 05:58 Why Padel Is Growing Fast 07:23 Challenges of Building a New Sport 08:22 Why Padel Is Addictive 10:05 Competition from Other Sports 11:36 Infrastructure Challenges 13:40 Building an Ecosystem Strategy 14:46 Future of Padel in the US 16:39 Career Journey & Background 25:04 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
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Welcome to episode 245 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Claire Nelson, Managing Director of the Netball Super League. Claire is leading one of the most ambitious transformations in women's sport - building a fully professional league, growing fandom, and redefining what a modern sports product looks like.
In this episode, we spoke about:
Building a women's sport league without a men's structure
Turning participation into fandom
Commercial partnerships and growing revenue
Leadership, resilience, and driving change in sport
Timestamps:
00:00 What Is the Netball Super League 00:16 Building Women's Sport Without a Men's Model 01:53 Turning Participation into Fandom 03:29 The Relaunch Strategy 06:19 Transforming the League Structure 07:44 New Clubs & Innovation 08:32 Creating a Fan Experience 10:52 Competing for Attention (Not Just Sports) 12:25 Digital Storytelling Strategy 13:22 Broadcast Strategy Explained 14:44 Commercial Partnerships Strategy 16:20 Aligning Brands with Purpose 18:42 Leadership Style & Vision 21:45 Biggest Challenges Behind the Scenes 26:54 Vision for the Next 5–10 Years
Photo: Ben Lumley.
SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
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Welcome to episode 244 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Bryn Drescher, a mental performance coach, speaker, and host of the Mental Advantage Podcast. Bryn works with elite athletes across multiple sports, helping them master the mental side of performance, handle pressure on game day, and build identities that extend beyond sport.
In this episode, we spoke about:
How athletes can perform under pressure on game day
Building a strong identity beyond sport
The role of visualization and routines in performance
Mental performance coaching for individuals vs teams
And more! 
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:12 Why Competition Is Mental
2:18 Handling Life Outside Sport
4:30 Working Across Different Sports
6:39 Learning New Sports as a Coach 
10:09 Mastering the Inner Game
12:11 Flow State Explained
13:38 Game Day Preparation
15:42 Pre-Game Routines
17:05 Visualization Techniques
18:22 Individual vs Team Coaching
23:13 Trust and Mental Coaching
26:20 Burnout in Athletes
34:29 Identity Beyond Sport
48:53 Measuring Mental Performance Results
SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
 
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Welcome to episode 243 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Parker Graham, founder and CEO of Vestible, a platform aiming to open up sports investing to everyone - not just private equity and billionaires.
From investing in athletes to unlocking opportunities in clubs and college sports, Parker is building what could become the "stock market of sports."
In this episode, we spoke about:
The rise of sports as an investment asset class
How fans can invest in teams and athletes
The impact of NIL on college sports economics
Why the future of sports ownership is changing
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro 00:14 What is Vestible? 01:10 Investing in Athletes Explained 02:38 The Shift to College Sports 03:10 Why Fans Want to Invest 03:49 The Gap in Sports Investing 04:41 NIL Changed Everything 05:54 The Financial Pressure on Colleges 07:13 College vs Pro Debate 09:00 Why Athletes Should Get Paid 09:23 The Vision: Stock Market for Sports 10:30 US vs Europe Strategy 11:02 Key Challenges in Each Market 12:37 First Deals & Expansion Plans 14:23 Beyond Football: Future Sports 15:13 World Cup Opportunity 16:47 Gambling vs Investing Mindset 19:40 Parker's Career Journey 21:56 How AI Is Changing Startups 24:51 Advice: Be Undeniable 28:23 Overperformance vs Entitlement 34:51 Startup Struggles & Near Failure 37:33 The Vision for Vestible
39:00 Outro
SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
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Welcome to episode 242 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today we dive into one of the fastest-growing sports stories in the world — how padel went from unknown to obsession in Pakistan in just a few years.
Talal Shah, Co-Founder & CEO of Total Sports and Legends Arena, shares how he scaled from one facility to a nationwide movement transforming sports participation.
In this episode, we spoke about:
Building a sports facility empire from scratch
Why padel exploded faster than cricket in Pakistan
The business model behind pay-as-you-play sports
Scaling from 1 to 11 venues in under 3 years
Timestamps: 00:01 The vision behind Legends Arena 00:22 From construction to sports empire 01:34 Choosing which sports to build 02:43 Why padel changed everything 03:26 Courts booked 24 hours a day 05:21 Early operational mistakes 06:51 Pivoting from cricket to padel 08:09 Why padel beats cricket logistically 10:19 Making padel affordable for the masses 10:41 Sponsorship boom and brand demand 12:26 Hosting international tournaments 14:20 The coaching gap challenge 16:15 Scaling to 11 venues 17:34 Building a full sports ecosystem 24:35 Advice for future sports entrepreneurs
SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.
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www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com