The Curious Intersection of Languages and Sports

I grew up in a sports family, Mom taught Phys-ed and Dad played professional cricket and the sports gene was duly passed on.  The idea of homework intruding on valuable sports time after class was a challenge to be met, and in two of my courses, French and Latin, I found I could generally get a lot of homework done in class whilst the instructor was asking questions round the room.  It worked out well, I got good grades and extra time on the sports field.

Success often breeds interest (and vice versa) so I added Spanish to the mix a couple of years later just as the realization was hitting home that I might be a decent athlete, but not at a level to earn a living.  Ironically, I had seen languages as a facilitator for sports success, and role-reversal came into play.

Timing (or is that luck?!) is everything and I was then fortunate to study at universities in the UK, France and Spain just as university language courses began to focus on language as communication, not just the study of literature.  Languages then became a passport for a successful international business career, and in that weird way, sports kept surfacing and I’ve ended up working with companies like Rollerblade inline skates, Dunlop and Slazenger racquets, Ping golf and Athletic Knit team uniforms.

Executive English Coach

During my international travel, I’ve met and worked with some wonderful associates which has always been an encouragement to maintain my interest in languages.  I’ve also done some Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) over the years, and have recently completed a University of Toronto certification for TEFL and Business English to add the latest thinking on English language learning.

So fast forward to Executive English Coach today, After my experiences as a business executive communicating in a language which wasn’t my lingua franca, I can immediately relate to fellow international executives who are seeking to build their English communication proficiency.  I understand first-hand the nuances of senior level contract negotiation, sales, Board meetings, interviews etc so I’m in a position to coach confident, contemporary English to meet these kinds of scenarios.

Sports haven’t completely left the picture!  I continue to work with a sporting goods client in my business management consulting practice and speak French on almost a daily basis.  And on a personal level, I can’t wait to get back on the squash court once the pandemic is under control…………