Latest news with #RoyWard
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Pro Athletes' Key Career Investment Happens Before Performance
Roy Ward, President/CEO of PREGAME®. Professional athletes aren't just elite performers; they're effectively CEOs of sometimes multimillion-dollar enterprises, with their bodies as the primary operational asset. Like any savvy business leader, successful athletes understand portfolio management: investing strategically in prevention rather than paying the steep costs of recovery. While highlight reels showcase game-winning moments, the true determinant of career success often happens hours before, in carefully designed warmup routines and rituals that protect and maximize their most valuable asset. For these athlete-CEOs, a significant return on investment doesn't just come from fourth-quarter heroics, but from consistent, science-based preparation that extends career longevity and stacks the odds in their favor for the prevention of injuries. The Business Case For Preparation The financial comparison between prevention and rehabilitation tells a compelling story. Professional sports injuries carry substantial costs—not just in medical expenses, but in lost games, diminished performance upon return and potential contract implications. In professional North American sports (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) from 2007 to 2019, an average of 62.49 injuries per 100 players per season was recorded, with groin/hip/thigh injuries being the most common in baseball, football and hockey. For elite athletes with multimillion-dollar salaries, missing even a handful of games represents a significant financial impact. For example, an NBA player earning $10 million annually could lose approximately $122,000 per game missed in an 82-game season. Meanwhile, comprehensive warmup and recovery protocols require investment in specialized coaches, technology and recovery equipment. Though the upfront costs may seem substantial, they could pale in comparison to the potential losses from preventable injuries. A review of 11 studies involving 6,344 soccer players found that a 20-minute structured warmup (the FIFA 11+ program) reduced the risk of injuries by 30%. This reduction could translate to fewer missed games, lower medical costs and preserved earning potential, suggesting a potential prevention-based ROI. Professional sports careers are notoriously short, with many athletes forced into early retirement due to injuries. For professional athletes, each additional year of career longevity can represent additional earnings, making preparation a potentially significant ROI investment. The True Cost Of Neglecting Preparation Beyond direct salary losses, injuries can create cascading impacts on an athlete's entire business model. Endorsement deals often contain performance clauses that reduce or eliminate payments during extended absences. Brand partnerships depend on visibility and performance, and both are usually diminished during recovery periods. Athletes who miss significant time due to preventable injuries may see reductions in their subsequent contract values, even after returning to full health. The perception of injury risk can influence market value in ways that transcend actual performance metrics. We can see the importance of preparation at work in high-profile examples. Tennis star Roger Federer's preparation regimen was one contributing factor to his successful career. LeBron James is known for his dedication to taking care of his body—I think this has likely helped him avoid injuries throughout a long career. Contrast this with athletes whose promising careers have been derailed by preventable injuries, representing substantial unrealized earnings and lost opportunities. Strategic Capital Investment Framework Forward-thinking athletes are shifting their mindset from viewing warmups as a physical necessity to treating them as a sophisticated business strategy. A strategic framework often includes: • Professional preparation staff: Many elite athletes now employ dedicated warmup specialists and recovery technicians to optimize their primary asset's performance and longevity. • Technology investments: From preparation technology to advanced biomechanical analysis and recovery equipment, I've noticed athletes are increasingly investing in these areas, recognizing the return in terms of injury prevention and performance consistency. • Time as capital: Athletes allocate significant time to preparation, recognizing that an hour spent warming up could deliver better returns than an extra hour of skill drills. Advancements in sports technology, like wearables and recovery tools, amplify this efficiency, enabling precise warmups and skill work simultaneously. It's disciplined resource management, akin to budgeting for R&D over short-term sales pushes. This framework represents a fundamental shift in how the business of athletic performance is managed. Just as corporations invest in preventative maintenance for critical infrastructure, athletes are learning that proactive investment in body preparation may yield superior financial returns compared to reactive spending on rehabilitation. The Competitive Advantage Athletes who embrace this investment philosophy could gain competitive advantages that extend beyond physical performance. In contract negotiations, athletes with consistent preparation routines and minimal injury histories may be able to secure terms with fewer injury provisions and higher guarantees. In the endorsement marketplace, brands often value not just performance but reliability and the ability to represent their products without unplanned absences. The Investment Mindset Just as successful business leaders think beyond quarterly earnings to build sustainable companies, elite athletes can view their careers as long-term business operations rather than a series of individual performances. By treating warmup rituals as capital investments rather than obligatory routines, athletes may be better positioned to protect their most valuable asset and potentially maximize their career earning potential. The financial wisdom suggests: In professional sports, a smart investment happens in the hours before the spotlight turns on. This strategic approach to physical preparation can offer valuable lessons for business leaders in any industry—consider investing consistently in preventative measures, protecting your critical assets and prioritizing long-term returns over short-term convenience. The information provided here is not investment, tax or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Sydney Morning Herald
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Socceroos v Japan LIVE: Australia chase vital World Cup qualifying win in Perth
Go to latest What the Socceroos need to do to qualify Roy Ward The Socceroos can't qualify tonight but a win will all but assure them of second place in the group and a spot on the plane to North America in 2026. Going into the last two games of the group C qualifying, Japan has locked top spot and a World Cup spot while Australia, Saudi Arabia and, mathematically, Indonesia but are chasing the second automatic berth. The Socceroos are best placed to take second spot due to their record and their commanding nine-goal lead over the Saudis in goal difference. Saudi Arabia plays Bahrain early on Friday morning. Even if the Socceroos lose tonight and Saudis win both games, they will need two enormous goal-scoring efforts to get ahead of Australia on goal difference and they've only scored four goals in their previous eight qualifiers. With some help from here is how the scenarios for the Socceroos: Socceroos make it if: AUS beat JPN and SA lose or draw with BAH. AUS draw with JPN, SA lose to BAH and IND lose to CHN. If the Saudis and Australia both get the same result, their clash in Jeddah early on Wednesday morning will likely decide the group but both nations drop either or both game, then it will open the door for Indonesia to qualify in second place but they will need two wins and for Australia to lose both games Socceroos fans will be hoping for a positive result and some pleasant news upon waking up on Friday morning but time will tell. 8.04pm Vince Rugari with the latest on the lineups for tonight By Vince Rugari Good evening, folks. Huge night ahead. The team sheets are out, and it's pretty much as expected from Socceroos coach Tony Popovic. Alessandro Circati comes straight into the starting XI in the middle of Popovic's back three. In the absence of the injured Jackson Irvine, it's Aiden O'Neill and Ryan Teague entrusted with running the midfield - both have played well for the national team, but never together. And up front, Brandon Borrello gets the nod at striker with Martin Boyle and Connor Metcalfe the inverted a strong side for the Socceroos - and Japan's, too, is formidable. And that's factoring in the 14 changes to their squad since the last international window, having already clinched World Cup qualification. Only two members of their starting XI, tonight's captain Daichi Kamada of Crystal Palace and Union SG's Koko Machida, are in the double digits in terms of caps. There are a couple of debutants in there, too, with most of their big guns on the will be strong, of course, and will be looking to impress their coach and press their World Cup selection claims. But they will also lack a bit of cohesion, so there's a real opportunity for the Socceroos to capitalise if they're good enough. 7.58pm Will the Socceroos qualify for World Cup- and if so, when? 7.58pm What the Socceroos need to do to qualify By Roy Ward The Socceroos can't qualify tonight but a win will all but assure them of second place in the group and a spot on the plane to North America in 2026. Going into the last two games of the group C qualifying, Japan has locked top spot and a World Cup spot while Australia, Saudi Arabia and, mathematically, Indonesia but are chasing the second automatic berth. The Socceroos are best placed to take second spot due to their record and their commanding nine-goal lead over the Saudis in goal difference. Saudi Arabia plays Bahrain early on Friday morning. Even if the Socceroos lose tonight and Saudis win both games, they will need two enormous goal-scoring efforts to get ahead of Australia on goal difference and they've only scored four goals in their previous eight qualifiers. With some help from here is how the scenarios for the Socceroos: Socceroos make it if: AUS beat JPN and SA lose or draw with BAH. AUS draw with JPN, SA lose to BAH and IND lose to CHN. If the Saudis and Australia both get the same result, their clash in Jeddah early on Wednesday morning will likely decide the group but both nations drop either or both game, then it will open the door for Indonesia to qualify in second place but they will need two wins and for Australia to lose both games 7.58pm Good evening Hello and welcome to our live blog for the AFC World Cup qualifier between the Socceroos and Japan. I'm Jonathan Drennan and I'll be taking you through all the major moments as the Socceroos chase a win in their vital qualifier against rivals Japan who have already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the winner of this group. It's almost 20 years since Socceroo's star John Aloisi scored a crucial penalty in the playoff shootout in Sydney against Uruguay to send Australia to their first World Cup in 34 years. Tonight in Perth, the Socceroos have the perfect opportunity to create another golden memory for Australian football fans. Kick off is 9.10pm AEST, looking forward to this.
The Age
05-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Socceroos v Japan LIVE: Australia chase vital World Cup qualifying win in Perth
Go to latest What the Socceroos need to do to qualify Roy Ward The Socceroos can't qualify tonight but a win will all but assure them of second place in the group and a spot on the plane to North America in 2026. Going into the last two games of the group C qualifying, Japan has locked top spot and a World Cup spot while Australia, Saudi Arabia and, mathematically, Indonesia but are chasing the second automatic berth. The Socceroos are best placed to take second spot due to their record and their commanding nine-goal lead over the Saudis in goal difference. Saudi Arabia plays Bahrain early on Friday morning. Even if the Socceroos lose tonight and Saudis win both games, they will need two enormous goal-scoring efforts to get ahead of Australia on goal difference and they've only scored four goals in their previous eight qualifiers. With some help from here is how the scenarios for the Socceroos: Socceroos make it if: AUS beat JPN and SA lose or draw with BAH. AUS draw with JPN, SA lose to BAH and IND lose to CHN. If the Saudis and Australia both get the same result, their clash in Jeddah early on Wednesday morning will likely decide the group but both nations drop either or both game, then it will open the door for Indonesia to qualify in second place but they will need two wins and for Australia to lose both games 7.58pm Will the Socceroos qualify for World Cup- and if so, when? 7.58pm What the Socceroos need to do to qualify By Roy Ward The Socceroos can't qualify tonight but a win will all but assure them of second place in the group and a spot on the plane to North America in 2026. Going into the last two games of the group C qualifying, Japan has locked top spot and a World Cup spot while Australia, Saudi Arabia and, mathematically, Indonesia but are chasing the second automatic berth. The Socceroos are best placed to take second spot due to their record and their commanding nine-goal lead over the Saudis in goal difference. Saudi Arabia plays Bahrain early on Friday morning. Even if the Socceroos lose tonight and Saudis win both games, they will need two enormous goal-scoring efforts to get ahead of Australia on goal difference and they've only scored four goals in their previous eight qualifiers. With some help from here is how the scenarios for the Socceroos: Socceroos make it if: AUS beat JPN and SA lose or draw with BAH. AUS draw with JPN, SA lose to BAH and IND lose to CHN. If the Saudis and Australia both get the same result, their clash in Jeddah early on Wednesday morning will likely decide the group but both nations drop either or both game, then it will open the door for Indonesia to qualify in second place but they will need two wins and for Australia to lose both games Socceroos fans will be hoping for a positive result and some pleasant news upon waking up on Friday morning but time will tell. 7.58pm Good evening Hello and welcome to our live blog for the AFC World Cup qualifier between the Socceroos and Japan. I'm Jonathan Drennan and I'll be taking you through all the major moments as the Socceroos chase a win in their vital qualifier against rivals Japan who have already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the winner of this group. It's almost 20 years since Socceroo's star John Aloisi scored a crucial penalty in the playoff shootout in Sydney against Uruguay to send Australia to their first World Cup in 34 years. Tonight in Perth, the Socceroos have the perfect opportunity to create another golden memory for Australian football fans. Kick off is 9.10pm AEST, looking forward to this.
The Age
30-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Matildas vs Argentina LIVE: Johnson impresses on debut as Matildas beat Argentina 2-0 in Melbourne
Go to latest Pinned post from 10.02pm FT: Matildas 2, Argentina 0 By Roy Ward Forward Kahli Johnson scored on debut and Kaitlin Torpey found the back of the net in unusual fashion as the Matildas beat Argentina 2-0 at Marvel Stadium on Friday night with 43,020 attending the match. Johnson started on debut and added her name to the list of scorers for the national team with a headed goal late in the first half following a cross the back post. Torpey's goal came as a shock because the player was attempting to cross the ball from the right side of the box. But her cross went off her shin and directly onto the goals giving the keeper no chance to make a save. Torpey looked surprised and a little sheepish but she happily took her goal. Australia had more chances as the match went on, Argentina only had one shot on Tegan Micah's goal and that was in the 80th minute and went straight into her hands. Matildas coach Tom Sermanni, in his 150th match in charge of the team, opted against playing his three Arsenal players who only returned home to Australia on Wednesday night after winning the UEFA Women's Champions League final last week. They will hopefully get some time in Monday night's match. The Matildas finish the series against Argentina with a second match in Canberra on Monday night. 10.06pm Matildas continue to win fans By Brittany Busch No wonder the cheers from the crowd are so thunderous here at Marvel tonight – 43,020 fans have turned out for the friendly match. That's despite the game clashing with AFL premiership favourite Collingwood at the MCG, and soccer fans also selling out the A-League men's Melbourne derby grand final on Saturday. Melbourne's rectangular stadium, AAMI Park, can hold a little over 30,000 for comparison. 10.02pm FT: Matildas 2, Argentina 0 By Roy Ward Forward Kahli Johnson scored on debut and Kaitlin Torpey found the back of the net in unusual fashion as the Matildas beat Argentina 2-0 at Marvel Stadium on Friday night with 43,020 attending the match. Johnson started on debut and added her name to the list of scorers for the national team with a headed goal late in the first half following a cross the back post. Torpey's goal came as a shock because the player was attempting to cross the ball from the right side of the box. But her cross went off her shin and directly onto the goals giving the keeper no chance to make a save. Torpey looked surprised and a little sheepish but she happily took her goal. Australia had more chances as the match went on, Argentina only had one shot on Tegan Micah's goal and that was in the 80th minute and went straight into her hands. Matildas coach Tom Sermanni, in his 150th match in charge of the team, opted against playing his three Arsenal players who only returned home to Australia on Wednesday night after winning the UEFA Women's Champions League final last week. They will hopefully get some time in Monday night's match.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Psychology Of Preparation: Why Professionals Skip What Matters Most
Roy Ward, President/CEO of PREGAME®. During my two decades in medical device sales, I witnessed a stark reality that fundamentally changed my perspective on human behavior. Day after day, I observed patients receiving treatments for conditions that could have been mitigated, or even prevented entirely, with proper preparation and preventative care. Even more striking was how universal this pattern appeared, regardless of patients' education, income or awareness of risks. I also realized this observation isn't limited to healthcare. When my company began researching athletic performance, we discovered that even elite athletes—professionals whose livelihoods depend entirely on their bodies—don't always have as many convenient options or time to spend on warmup protocols as they do on recovery and rehabilitation. In business, I see the same pattern. Companies often invest millions in crisis management while underinvesting in strategic preparation. The paradox is clear: We consistently underinvest in preparation and a proactive mindset, despite overwhelming evidence of its importance. I think understanding the psychology behind this tendency is the first step toward creating meaningful change, whether in healthcare, athletics or business leadership. In athletics, research indicates that over 30% of injuries treated in sports medicine clinics are skeletal muscle injuries, many of which can be prevented through proper warmup and stretching routines. Yet, up to 24% of professional athletes retire due to injuries rather than age or performance decline. This highlights that in many cases, despite proper warmup routines administered by coaches and teams, there's still a psychological factor that's contributing to the gap in preparation. This pattern mirrors what we see in business, too. Let's look at startups: CB Insights found that 35% of startups fail because they simply don't have product-market fit. They found that's the second biggest reason startups crash and burn. And the frustrating part? This kind of obstacle could be avoided with proper research and preparation up front. Yet so many founders rush ahead without taking the time to really understand who they're building for. This repeated behavior across domains suggests deeper psychological factors at work. Factors we must understand to create lasting change. We often prioritize immediate rewards over delayed benefits, a phenomenon psychologists call "temporal discounting." This made perfect evolutionary sense when immediate threats dominated our ancestors' lives, but it can create a significant barrier to preparation in modern contexts. When an athlete faces the choice between jumping straight into performance (immediate gratification) or spending 20 minutes on a proper warmup (delayed benefit), they often naturally gravitate toward the immediate option. The same mechanism can affect business leaders who choose to address urgent emails rather than engage in strategic planning. Perhaps the most insidious barrier to preparation is the invisibility of its benefits. When preparation works perfectly, the result often looks like "nothing happened." The athlete who doesn't get injured receives no celebration. The business initiative that unfolds smoothly generates no dramatic stories. Contrast this with the visible, measurable outcomes of recovery or crisis management. The athlete who returns from injury gets praised for their comeback. The executive who saves a failing project becomes the hero. Our brains often struggle to attribute positive outcomes to preparation because the causal relationship is less obvious. When you think about it, we've created a weird reward system here—a system where the heroes are the ones who swoop in and fix problems, not those who quietly prevent them from happening in the first place. Reactive measures get all the glory and recognition, while proactive work often goes completely unnoticed. It's backwards, right? We're celebrating the more expensive, less efficient approach while ignoring the smarter, more cost-effective one. Perhaps most surprising is how experience can often exacerbate rather than mitigate preparation avoidance. Past success can create a dangerous form of overconfidence. The executive who has successfully led projects thinks, "I know how to do this," just as the veteran athlete believes, "My body knows what to do." This can create a dangerous zone where skill meets complacency, and often with costly consequences. Understanding these psychological barriers allows us to design more effective approaches to preparation. Rather than relying on willpower or awareness, we may need to redesign the preparation experience itself. The key insight from my work with athletes is that preparation must become appealing rather than obligatory. That's why I'm focused on transforming warmup from a clinical, tedious requirement into an engaging, confidence-boosting experience that athletes actually want to do. This approach translates directly to business settings. Forward-thinking organizations can build preparation into their cultures and encourage practices that trigger positive emotions rather than feelings of obligation. I've noticed some companies have created pre-project planning phases designed to make strategic thinking more appealing than reactive tasking. So here's the challenge: What's the one area in your career or business where you know you should be preparing more, but aren't? Take a minute to identify it, then ask yourself which of these psychological barriers is holding you back. Is it the allure of immediate rewards? The invisible benefits? Or maybe past success has made you overconfident? Rather than relying solely on willpower, consider how you might redesign your approach. How could you transform preparation from a draining obligation into something that actually energizes and motivates you? I think the future belongs to those who prepare for it effectively—not just because preparation is logically sound, but because it unleashes a competitive advantage and significant confidence that can enable you to hit your peak performance. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
