Global Sports Narratives

United States Sports University
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Sports

Global Sports Narratives explores the stories, ideas, and issues shaping sport around the world. Through engaging conversations with athletes, coaches, scholars, journalists, and industry leaders, each episode examines the intersection of sport with culture, science, education, and economics. From the Olympic Movement and International Sport to local youth sport, we go beyond the headlines to uncover the deeper narratives behind the diplomacy, governance, and innovation that driving international sport. Whether you're a sports professional, student, researcher, or passionate fan, Global Sports Narratives offers thoughtful conversations that inform, inspire, and connect sport to the world we share.

Episodes

  1. Oct 23

    Global Sports Narratives | Ep. 5: More Than Baseball with Mr. Jonathan Griffith

    Get in Touch For more than 140 years, Minor League Baseball has been an enduring part of the American sporting landscape. From small towns to growing metropolitan communities, minor league franchises have provided generations of fans with affordable entertainment, civic pride, and a shared sense of identity. Beyond the baseball diamond, these organizations have become important community institutions, contributing to local economies, supporting charitable initiatives, and connecting families through the traditions of America's pastime. In this episode, our first recorded in front of a live audience, Mr. Jonathan Griffith, President of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, explores the unique challenges and opportunities of leading a Minor League Baseball franchise. Our discussion goes beyond wins and losses to examine the business, leadership, and community relationships that sustain professional baseball at the local level. Mr. Griffith lays out his personal career path and provides sound advice for students and early-career professionals. The conversation also considers the importance of community engagement, corporate partnerships, and financial sustainability. Mr. Griffith also elaborates on the evolving relationship between Major League Baseball and its affiliated minor league organizations and why Minor League Baseball continues to occupy a distinctive place in American sporting culture.

  2. Sep 3

    Global Sports Narratives | Ep. 4: What Art Teaches Us About Elite Athletes

    Get in Touch Two of the most powerful forces in human societies are the art they produce and the games they play. The interconnectedness of the arts and athletics dates back to at least the 8th century BCE, and Pierre de Coubertin, father of the modern Olympic movement, considered the arts an important aspect of the revival of the Olympic Games. Between the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, and the 1948 Olympic Games in London, England, 146 Olympic medals were awarded in art competition categories such as architecture, sculpture, painting, and music. Our guest for this episode is Steven Lester, an award-winning narrative artist whose work brings the energy of sport and the power of human experience to life. Based in Atlanta, Lester has built a four-decade career as an illustrator, creative director, and painter, earning more than 100 national and international awards. Lester’s collection, Unstoppable: The Resilient Spirit of Olympic Athletes, has recently returned to the USSU campus. This inspiring collection invites us to look beyond athletic achievement and recognize something universal: the courage to endure, the determination to rise, and the human capacity to become more than circumstances seem to allow. Lester discusses the stories behind the Olympians he has depicted in this series and provides insight into his own inspirations and artistic process. Studio link:  https://www.stevenlesterartstudio.com/ ASAMA: https://asama.org/steven-lester/

  3. Aug 14

    Global Sports Narratives | Ep. 3: Can the American Soccer System Build World Class Players?

    Get in Touch Can America build enough world class men’s soccer players to make a deep run at the World Cup? Participation rates in the US are high, and the investment of families and clubs is growing, yet this question continues to persist in the wake of the 2026 Men’s World Cup. In this episode we sit down with USSU’s Head Men’s Soccer Coach, Peter Fuller, to discuss his first-person perspective of the developmental path for 2026 US Men’s National Team Members; Brenden Aaronson, Mark McKenzie, and Auston Trusty during Coach Fuller’s tenure as U-18 Team Coach for the Philadelphia Union’s Academy Program. Coach Fuller provides a wider perspective of the governance of soccer at the highest levels of competition and what the ramifications of this summer’s World Cup, and continuing crisis of leadership at FIFA, will mean for the future of soccer in the US.   Global Sports Narratives is produced in conjunction with the Center for the Study of Olympic Sport & Culture at United States Sports University.

  4. Jul 17

    Global Sports Narratives | Ep. 2: World Cup Soccer Ticket Pricing with Dr. Cristian Zaharia, OLY

    Get in Touch In this episode, host Dr. Roch King sits down with the USSU’s Director of International Business, Dr. Cristian Zaharia, OLY to discuss FIFA’s approach to revenue generation, ticket-pricing, and the fan experience at the 2026 Men’s World. Dr. Zaharia discusses the specific changes from the 2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar to the 2026 edition in regards to dynamic ticket pricing and sponsor relations, and fan experience. He also provides a bit of a preview to the next international sports event to be held on US soil, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and how sports business students might get involved.   Learn more here: https://ussu.edu/news/world-cup-2026-ticket-pricing-controversy/

  5. Jul 10

    Global Sports Narratives | Ep. 1: An Olympian's Journey with LaTanya Sheffield

    Get in Touch In this episode, host Dr. Roch King sits down with Coach Latanya Sheffield, one of the most accomplished and influential figures in US Track and Field. As an elite athlete, she established herself as one of the nation’s premier 400-meter hurdlers and her athletic career reached its pinnacle at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, where she became an Olympic finalist in the 400-meter hurdles. Coach Sheffield is currently serving as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Long Beach State University. She was selected by her peers to be the USA Head Women’s Track & Field Coach for the 2024 Paris Olympics. We cover her individual journey as an athlete, the transition into coaching, and her progress through the system to being named Head Olympic Coach. She highlights her personal coaching philosophy and her relentless focus on the individual development of all of the athletes with which she works.

  • 5 Episodes

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Global Sports Narratives explores the stories, ideas, and issues shaping sport around the world. Through engaging conversations with athletes, coaches, scholars, journalists, and industry leaders, each episode examines the intersection of sport with culture, science, education, and economics. From the Olympic Movement and International Sport to local youth sport, we go beyond the headlines to uncover the deeper narratives behind the diplomacy, governance, and innovation that driving international sport. Whether you're a sports professional, student, researcher, or passionate fan, Global Sports Narratives offers thoughtful conversations that inform, inspire, and connect sport to the world we share.

Information

  • Creator
    United States Sports University
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Global Sports Narratives
  • Show Website
    Global Sports Narratives