A Great time to be a Sports fan

As a sports enthusiast, this is probably one of my favorite weeks of the year. There’s been the NCAA Final Four, the Masters golf tournament, and opening day for Major League Baseball. Add the warming weather trend to this mix, and I’m pretty much in my happy place.

Basketball, golf, and baseball are vastly different sports. While all involve a degree of athleticism, there’s the obvious difference of fast paced versus slow pace, indoor versus outdoor, and, in the case of golf, group competition versus individual ambitions. I use to play basketball and baseball, but as I’ve aged, golf has become my game of choice. I’ve also grown an appreciation for golf because of its traditions.

The Masters is known as “A Tradition Unlike Any Other” and rightly so. The Masters is a tournament that honors the history of its game in a truly unique and unmatched way. We watch because “The Big Three” (Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer & Gary Player) hit the ceremonial first tee shot. They are ages 75, 85, and 79, respectively. There is a Champions Dinner hosted by the winner of the tournament from the previous year. The result is nearly 50 years of winners all breaking bread together. Generations come together for tradition. The par 3 contest allows players to bring their wives, girlfriends and children onto the course with them – a rare glimpse into their personal lives for the sports fan.

Many organizations that honor their history also get paralyzed by it. They’re afraid of change because they fear straying too far from what made them successful in the past. What Augusta National Golf Course has done so well with The Masters Tournament is they have updated their product to keep up with major changes in the game of golf, but have also stayed true to their past and the character that makes their tournament special. We a walk the same line in honoring our past and the traditional ways of doing business while keeping current with the changes of the world around us.

Look for me at one of the upcoming conferences and let’s talk about the direction your business is headed, and how we can help maintain your traditions in this changing environment.