SportStories - The Podcast

Have you ever wondered what life is like for an executive (i.e., CEO, COO, CFO, etc.)? Well, I have always been curious as to what exactly do executives...do. Sure, we understand that executives are the leaders of the organization, but what does their daily life look like?My curiosity landed me to a conversation with Ella Chan, the COO of Pedalheads. Pedalheads is a privately owned company in Vancouver, British Columbia, specializing in Kids day camps & lessons that grow skills & confidence through sport and recreational activities. Pedalheads, over the 40 years of their company, has reached over 1,000,000 children and is operating in over 400 unique locations within Canada and the United States. I hope you enjoy the episode!![Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

Thank you for listening to a FULL YEAR of SportStories The Podcast. The journey has been challenging over this last year. We transitioned from audio-only to providing video and also underwent a branding change.The podcast initially began as "Rebuilding the Ivory Tower: Perspectives on Sport in Society", whew. Realizing now, this name was WAY too long. Also, nobody knows what the "ivory Tower" is and what am I "rebuilding"?Given these concerns, I changed the platform to SportStories The Podcast, with the goal of sharing unique stories that we have with Sports.I hope you enjoy the recap of this years' episodes! Stay tuned for some great episodes in Season 2.[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 current landscape in the NCAA being compared to the wild west, I wondered what life was like behind the scenes. How does an AD approach the transfer portal? How does an AD build a culture within their athletic department?I sat down with Jordan Harmon, the Athletic Director for Austin Peay State University. We discussed his story from being a student athlete at APSU to working within the Athletics department to eventually being elected as the new AD for APSU.Here is a short bio of Jordan:Named the 15th Director of Athletics at Austin Peay State University on February 9, 2026, Jordan Harmon is a two-time APSU graduate and former Governors baseball student-athlete who previously served as interim director of athletics and general manager, leading revenue sharing and name, image, and likeness initiatives. A St. Louis native, Harmon returned to APSU in 2024 as deputy director of athletics and chief revenue officer after serving as director of development at Bishop Verot Catholic High School, and earlier helped drive one of the most successful fundraising periods in department history. A 2017 finance graduate and former pitcher for the Governors, Harmon also earned his master’s in management from APSU in 2020 and, alongside his wife Reagan, a former APSU women’s golfer, is the proud parent of their daughter, Parker.Please consider donating to the platform to support video production: buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelI hope you enjoy the episode!![Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

With Jack Hughes scoring the golden goal to award the US its' first Gold Medal since 1980, we began to think, who cares?I am joined by the hosts of Royally Quacked, Cody & Gary, an in-depth hockey podcast focusing on the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings, to answer this question.With the recent success of the US on the Olympic stage, will this actually influence people to watch more hockey? We sat down to discuss some of the below questions: Do people even care that we won Gold in the Olympics? What is causing the 40% increase in female fans over the last year? Is the stadium series getting boring?We hope to provide some answers to these questions and will be publishing a bi-annual State of the League Address that will answer the question: Why should we care about the NHL and why should we care about Hockey?Please consider donating to the platform to support the video product of the podcast.https://buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkel[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

"The Father, Son, and the Holy Touchdown""I want to give all glory and thanks to God" - Fernando Mendoza after winning NCAA National Championship.Have you noticed that more and more athletes are praising God during post-game interviews? Maybe you noticed the amount of athletes praying before the game starts. Where did this come from and why are athletes so outwardly religious now?I spoke with Sterling Harris, an ex-NFL lineman turned spiritual minister. We discussed the convergence of religion and sports and how spirituality has become increasingly important in modern athletics.Please consider donating to the Podcast to help support video production and engineering:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelBelow is a biography of Sterling along with the URL to his website:https://sterlingharris.org/Sterling Harris was born in Dallas, TX and grew up in Terrell. Sterling was a high school football standout with an array of awards including Super-Prep All-American, All-State, All-Area, and All-District, as well as a top four finalist for Class 4A player of the year in the State of Texas. He also excelled in the classroom as an honor roll student, and he graduated in the top 10% of his class from Terrell High School. Sterling was voted Best All Around Boy his senior year. During this time, he also owned and operated his own company specializing in acreage mowing and bulldozer work.During his years at SMU, Sterling worked for a variety of companies that include Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, State Farm Insurance, Sewell Motor Companies, and ORIX Real Estate Capital Markets where he refined his business skills. Sterling holds a Business Management degree from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. While attending SMU, he was a four-year football letterman at the right tackle position. After graduation, he signed an NFL contract with the Cleveland Browns. Sterling suffered a broken foot during his rookie season. After battling back from the injury, the Browns sent him to NFL Europe where he played and started at the offensive tackle position for the Frankfurt Galaxy. Sterling was forced into early retirement by a reoccurring foot injury he suffered in NFL Europe after his second year in the NFL.[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]

Send us a text[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]Hello everyone! This episode is a banger! I am gratefully welcomed by Alexia P. Hammonds, a 43-year-old self-made businesswoman with 23 years of experience as an exercise and wellness expert, fragrance specialist and doctoral student based out of Urbana, IL.After years of dedicated work in the fitness and sports industry as a classically trained Master Pilates and Yoga Teacher Trainer and instructor for professional and collegiate athletes, Alexia shifted her focus to the beauty industry. She worked as the Beauty Director of LaMode Magazine and ENVY Magazine in Dallas, TX and an on-air fashion and beauty expert for Fox 4 Good Day. But it was during her time as the co-founder and CEO of successful lifestyle brand Eat. Sweat. Undress. that she seized the opportunity to change the face of the fragrance world forever.Alexia is the first black woman to create fragrance of any kind in Grasse, France - the historic birthplace of perfume and the first black woman overall to create a hair perfume.  Her debut line of self-titled hair perfume was some of the first of its kind in existence. Made with hair-healthy ingredients like a special keratin protein derived from cashmere, her products are meant to nourish and protect hair while imparting an unforgettable, long-lasting fragrance.This storied achievement gained Alexia nation-wide recognition. Her products have been featured in publications across the world, including Huffington Post, NBC, Fox, ABC, Oprah Daily, Good Morning America, Essence Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Beauty Independent, tica, the Associated Press, and many more. She has also had the honor of being profiled in Forbes, Madame Noir, and Black Enterprise for her breakthrough success in the fragrance industry.After selling her company in 2022, Alexia focused on consulting for beauty and fitness brands, guest speaking, and appeared in NBA star Chris Paul’s 8-episode series “Why Not Us” on ESPN+. Alexia is currently a second year Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a top 10 R1 institution. Her research focuses on menopausal women and using exercise interventions to address physiological and psychological outcomes.linktr.ee/AlexiaphammondsI hope you enjoy the episode!!Support the show

Send us a text[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]Hey everyone! I begin this episode by sharing my story through Sport and how it has shaped me. I was born and raised in St. Louis where I grew up playing every sport possible. Even though I found a passion for competing in Sports, I realized that I HATED school and I did not put any effort into academia at all. I found myself graduating my undergrad with a 2.8 GPA (C+ average) and moving to Memphis. Through the years, I have lived in 8 states (Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Illinois) chasing a dream. I eventually realized that I actually like school and ended up pursuing a PhD at Illinois, where I am located today.The second half of the episode of focused on the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears' current relocation rumors. I provide a general historical overview of how franchise relocation began and where we are today. Kansas City is threatening to relocate, with rumors they may end up in Topeka, KS. Whereas the Bears are doing the same with rumors circulating they may end up in NW Indiana. It is the wild west for Sport franchises' in North America, with private owners threatening to leave (with what it seems) every season. I hope you enjoy the episode!! Let me know if you have any questions or inquiries - [email protected] the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelSupport the showSupport the show

Send us a text[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]Coach Darrion Cockrell (better known as DC) was born to a mother who struggled with addiction and a father who passed away at age 4. He bounced in and out of foster care in St. Louis and found himself involved in gang and drug-related activity throughout his youth. Plagued with temptation, DC wanted more out of life and began to pursue a better future for himself and his family. This is the moment DC found football and football found him. Through his eccentric passion for life, DC was adopted by his football coach and got a second-chance on life. He went on to play college football at Milliken University and pursued a degree in Physical Education the University of Missouri - St. Louis.Coach DC has been awarded the 2021 State Teacher of the Year Award for Missouri, and the 2024 Missouri Elementary P.E Teacher of the Year Award. He has was a special guest on the Tamron Hall Show, featured in CNN and NBC News and has been giving keynote presentations across the country; sharing his story of a second chance and the power of sports and a positive attitude. Below are some links for Coach DC's story!https://ntoy.ccsso.org/2021-state-teacher-of-the-year-missouri-darrion-cockrell/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwGw7q5gjpohttps://www.goodmorningamerica.com/gma/story/man-gang-member-missouris-2020-teacher-year-74366768?userab=shop_ui_series-231%2Avariant_c_cta-top-868I hope you enjoy the episode!! Let me know if you have any questions or inquiries - [email protected] the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelSupport the show

Send us a text[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]Are you familiar with the story of Billy Bean? Maybe you've heard of the movie, Money Ball. With the rise of Sports data analytics and statistics, we as consumers have become reliant upon percentages and data-driven analyses. Enter Mr. Neil Schwartz, President of SBRNet (Sport Business Research Network) with over 25 years of experience in marketing and consumer research. Neil is regarded as an expert in the trends affecting sports fans across both team and individual sports. SBRnet and the Sports Market Analytics Platform provide a comprehensive online platform covering nationwide sports business, sports marketing, and sports marketing analytics, utilizing syndicated, custom, and proprietary research for professional, minor league, and college sports. As President of SBRnet, Neil is dedicated to expanding the use of data within academic and related commercial fields such as sports management, sports business, sports marketing, and sports analytics. I hope you enjoy the episode!Check out their website: https://sportsmarketanalytics.com/home.aspxMy First Job in Sports Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KCrVnPsORNhhTr8sn5sObSBRnet Instagram: @sbrnetdataLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-schwartz-96a4816/Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelEmail if you have any questions or inquiries! [email protected] the show

Send us a text[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 LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elissa-grabow-95271b48/One's Basketball Leaguehttps://oblhoops.com/tournament/Most Notable Women in Sports 2022https://www.crainsnewyork.com/awards/elissa-grabow-notable-women-sports-2022Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelIf you have any questions or inquires, please reach [email protected] the show

Send us a textHi 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:[email protected] the show

Send us a text[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 record12 Gold Medals - Men's Wheelchair Basketball5 Silver Medals - Men's Wheelchair Basketball2 Gold Medals - Women's Wheelchair BasketballI 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/Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelPlease reach out if you have any questions:[email protected] the show

Send us a text[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] the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelVisit my website to check out my blog:nathanmerkel.comSupport the show

Send us a text[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!Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelPlease reach out if you have any questions:[email protected] the show

Send us a text[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. Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelIf 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] the show

Send us a text[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. Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelHope you enjoy the episode!Below is Tyler's TikTok and LinkedIn if you'd like to connect with him!@thehillsportshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerchill941/Support the show

Send us a text[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.Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelI hope you enjoy the episode!Support the show

Send us a text[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. Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelPlease reach out if you have any questions! I hope you enjoy the episode. [email protected]://nathanmerkel.com/Support the show

Send us a textHey 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 Australia2. Current state of the punting position in Collegiate Football3. "Sense of belonging" 4. Student vs Athlete debate5. Experiences with fan hate6. Globalization of SportSupport the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelHope you enjoy the episode!!https://nathanmerkel.com/Support the show

Send us a textThis episode will dive into the experiences of my father and I who were season ticket holding St. Louis Rams fans from 1998-2015. The St. Louis Rams relocated to LA in 2015 and decimated our psychological connection to football, and sport in general.Are you a fan curious about franchise relocation?Are you a practitioner wondering what franchise relocation does to your loyal fanbase?Are you a Sport Management student interested in the impact of Sport in Society?Support the Podcast and help me transition to video content:buymeacoffee.com/nathanmerkelThis podcast episode will (hopefully) answer all those questions!Thank you for listening.Please message me with questions or inquiries:[email protected] https://nathanmerkel.com/Support the show