PORTLAND, OREGON, UNITED STATES, August 30, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — According to the official Olympics website, over 11,000 athletes participated in the 2024 Paris event. We all know the road to the Olympics is long and hard, but where does it all begin?
For basketball and American football, it all starts with John McCallum of Prime Time Sports. “We prepare that next generation of athletes for high level of competition, both on the men’s and women’s side,” explains John. “We use our events as a springboard for these elite basketball and football players. For example, we’ve been holding the Les Schwab Invitational basketball tournament in Oregon for the past 28 years. The Les Schwab Bowl (formerly the Shrine Game and Oregon Bowl) features top graduating senior football players from around the state in a traditional battle on the gridiron. The Nike Hoop Summit is an annual basketball event played under international rules featuring USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s Junior National Select Teams, comprised of the top high school boys and girls senior basketball players against the top U-19 players from around the world.”
Prime Time Sports works hard to find the best talent. “We know who’s projected to be of NBA/NFL caliber potential. Players are chosen from a team aspect as well as an individual player aspect,” explains John.
Managing elite sporting events and athletes, no two days are the same. “It’s an interesting career as it’s so multifaceted. I work with so many different types of individuals: athletes, parents, coaches, CEOs of large corporations, and fans. No event, even though it’s the same event, is ever close to being the same because the biggest variable is people. It’s quite exciting; every day I get up thinking, ‘I could be helping guide a future professional athlete today.’
For John, it all began with a mandatory college senior thesis. At the time, he was interning at a sports event company, so his thesis was on the economic impact of a high school basketball tournament on a community. “At the time, I thought I could parlay the thesis to a solid job opportunity and the rest is history.”
John believes that being young and naïve didn’t hurt him at the time, but might have helped him. “Being naive helped because of how big the scope was. This was 1993, before technology. There was a lot of calling from a landline to coordinate people. It was interesting how communications ran from a business standpoint. At the time, I didn’t know any different—my biggest qualification was that I had played these games in high school. Having that little bit of naivety, not knowing any better, makes all the adjustments a little bit easier. Just as with a game, you go in with a plan; and when the plan goes sideways, you must adjust. I laugh when I look back at my younger self because if I knew then what I know now, my stress level would have been much higher,” admits John.
John works with parents worldwide to navigate ever-changing regulations within the sports industry, or lack thereof. “It’s crazy right now in Division 1 College sports,” admits John. “Because NCAA Division 1 sports, specifically football and basketball which we deal with, does not have a lot of regulations, it really comes down to what is allowed. Basically, you can go to college and get paid more than you can by playing in the NFL. And once you start, there’s no going back. Elite athletes are younger and more talented than ever, si we work hard to make sure that everything is in place. We advise parents in many different areas. We have been around long enough and have a lot of knowledge and friends within the industry. We have the contacts for whatever you’re looking for, whatever that is legitimate on both sides – both the athlete and the brand.”
Close Up Radio will feature John McCallum in an interview with Jim Masters on Tuesday, September 3rd at 5pm EST and with Doug Llewelyn on Tuesday, September 10th at 5pm EST
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If you have any questions for our guest, please call (347) 996-3389
For more information about John McCallum and Prime Time Sports, please visit https://www.primetimepdx.com
Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
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