Craig Rudd’s Post

Here are three expert tips for American Olympians (as well as future Olympic-hopefuls) to stay afloat financially.

Curious about the financial hurdles behind Olympic dreams? This video sheds light on the staggering costs athletes face and the sacrifices required to compete at the highest level. 🏅💰 #Olympics #AthleteFinance

Is this just a tennis ball? A broken one? Was watching two people play tennis from my balcony. The court had a dozen tennis balls strewn around. Such luxury. Memories of owning a single tennis ball was a sign of luxury. Leave alone a dozen. Why? The ball was perishable. With great amount of saving or what is now called crowd-funding, we would go and buy a ball. Sometimes a tennis ball would surface as a result of a birthday present. Sometimes one of us would convince their mothers for an extra allowance or the generous departing cash gift of an auntieji. Sometimes everyone chipped in. Hard saved money. The person who contributed the most got to keep the ball. It was an unsaid covenant among the partners. Everyone would go to the shop. The selection process would begin. Squeeze, bounce, spin, lob, caress. One ball would be selected. What would start as a fresh fluffy ball with a soft bounce, easy to catch, grip, and spin would slowly turn scruffy, patchy, and bald. Till one day it would just break open. The cycle would resume. Till one day we just stopped playing cricket. The ball which became the pivot of friendships; quarrels over one bounce or two, breaking window-panes, declared out because you played a risky shot became irrelevant. Today there is abundance. Yet scarcity. Even today when I see a plastic "bottle" full of tennis balls I smile. When there is a ball within reach, I still pick it up, spin it up in the air. Or sometimes hold with split fingers like a Sometimes throw it on the wall and catch the returning ball. Some things are left behind. Some relationships are left behind. New dreams and new objects become our pursuit. It is time to renew dreams and social connections. As I write this. Australia is 474 all out. Coming up next, Indrajal and Amar Chitra Katha Comics.

- 2024 Election: Prepare For A Sweep? - Will the 2017 Individual Tax Cuts Be Extended? - Economic and Sector Snapshots We’re borrowing from the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics for our quarterly theme – with a twist. Instead of using the most popular events (like gymnastics, swimming, and track & field) to express our views, we’ll go beyond the spotlight. The reason: we advocate looking past the obvious and strive to find value in diverse market areas – because that’s how you can add value to a portfolio over time. Just as the market has had its share of surprises recently, the Games will have a few as well. https://lnkd.in/grGt3r-k

My 2cents on the economics of Athletics. 1st point is most of the worlds best athletes are playing actual sports (football, NFL, basketball, baseball I think are the world's biggest 4). These require a lot of extra things like all-round coordination and skill, and are clearly more compelling to most people. Case in point Tyreek Hill said he'd beat Noah Lyles in a foot race. Tyreek is the fastest wide receiver in the NFL and probably has 50lbs of muscle extra he's carrying, but he did run sub-10 as a youngster. This race won't actually happen as Tyreek has a $120million contract with the Miami Dolphins he needs to focus on. Compared to the $2m Noah was able to swing with Adidas. Point 2 - More constructively the Wimbledon Tennis club bank-rolls grassroots tennis. This is definitely something the IOC could do for athletics. The IOC made $700m profit last year. But there's 350 medalling events, so this will spread out super fast. $2m per event, for all nations candidates? So it's left to Diamond League and some sponsors. Ultimately it seems athletics is to sport what classical music is to music. High-brow, needs self-subsidising, if you're on the triangle in the orchestra don't expect to coin it in. This brings us to the end of my useless LinkedIn post that will never garner me any money.

As we revel in the astounding spectacle, athleticism, cooperation and sportsmanship that are the Olympic Games, we also can find a lessons for ourselves and business. (Still one of my favorite articles that I have written.)

Do you know about the barefoot Olympic gold medalist? 🥇 Read more about his story and how it relates to good financial planning! https://lnkd.in/gNS_kqnn #faithbasedinvesting #biblicallyresponsibleinvesting #Paris2024 #Olympics #ParisOlympics

Never say never! Yesterday at the French Open, Rafael Nadal said, “I tried everything to be ready for this tournament. The last two years, I have been working and going through probably the toughest process in my tennis career with the dream to come back here. At least I did. I lost, but that's part of the business". These words encapsulate not just his experience as the KING OF CLAY, but also the psychological journey that defines him as an athlete on and off the court. From a sports psychology perspective, Nadal's mentality is a masterclass in resilience and mental toughness. His journey highlights the emotional rollercoaster athletes endure: hope during rehab, doubt about their future performance, and the intense pressure to meet expectations. Despite these challenges, Nadal's acceptance of loss as part of the sport showcases a mature and balanced approach. He acknowledges the inevitability of defeat, turning a setback into a comeback. Nadal reminds us that the path to greatness is not without its obstacles, but with the right mindset, every setback can be a setup for an even greater comeback. For other athletes, Nadal's story offers invaluable lessons. It teaches the importance of setting long-term goals to stay motivated during tough times, embracing the rehabilitation process with patience and determination, and maintaining a balanced perspective on wins and losses. Nadal’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of mental strength, a growth mindset, and the unwavering spirit that drives athletes to overcome adversity and return to their passion. #RafaelNadal #Resilience #MentalToughness #ChampionMindset #OvercomingAdversity #SportsPsychology #NeverGiveUp #TennisLegend #Inspiration #Motivation #ComebackStory #AthleteJourney #Determination #Sportsmanship #FrenchOpen

The Olympic Effect The Olympic Games are not only about celebrating the World’s top athletes, as highlighted by Team USA’s recent (and arguably better than the Dream Team) men’s basketball gold medal victory. The Games also play a significant role in influencing financial markets, particularly in the host country. Historically, as you can imagine, the infrastructure investments, increased tourism, and global visibility associated with the Olympics have driven short-term market optimism and economic activity. The 2008 Beijing Olympics saw massive infrastructure development that boosted China’s economic growth. However, the 2016 Rio Olympics highlighted potential risks, as Brazil’s struggling economy faced increased debt without substantial long-term gains. LA has been selected as the 2028 host of the Summer Olympic Games, and it’s worth noting that the last time LA hosted the Olympics in 1984, it turned a reported $223 million profit ($670 million in today’s dollars). Investors often view the anticipation of the Olympics as an opportunity, driving market performance in the lead-up to the Games. While the short-term economic benefits of the Olympics can be significant—much like Team USA's ability to rally and secure gold—the long-term impact hinges on how effectively the host country leverages the momentum. Some analysts argue that designing permanent host cities for the Olympics could mitigate the immense budgets and last-minute preparations frequently challenging host nations. What are your thoughts? Who were you rooting for this year? 

Here's some trivia facts for the International Olympics. The iconic rings are a symbol around the world. What were 5 rings, and 5 colors, chosen to represent over a hundred years ago, and does it still hold true today? To find out, we have to go back in time over a century and meet Frenchman Baron Pierre Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee in 1894. Interestingly, as a young man at the time, his focus was not on athletics but educational reform. He desired the French schools include physical activity like the British. I don't think he achieved that but much more instead! In 1894 he founded the first International Olympic Committee and himself drew what we now identify as the Olympic rings in the early years of the competition. Not surprisingly, the interconnected rings of equal size represented the union of athletes and equal dignity of humanity. The 5 colors, blue, yellow, black, green, and red, on a white background, represented the flags of the 28 countries that participated in the 4th year, the Stokholm Olympics of 1912. It is said that every country has at least one of the ring colors on their flag, or that these colors, together with white, can be combined to reproduce their flags, even if the shade is altered. But why 5 colors, and not 4, 6, 7, or 8? Per the Olympic Charter, rule 8, "The Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. So there you have it! 5 inhabited continents (North and South America counted as one) and colors that can be combined to create all the flags of the world! Now, who wants to check this fact and compare the Olympic rings to flags of all the countries in the world?