Just as in sports, filmmakers have had cancellations, postponements and empty venues during the pandemic. The adrenaline prior to our “game day”-a premiere or film’s opening-is intense. We’ve envisioned this highly anticipated event and accomplishment for years with...

In the Beyond the Game project, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with many current and professional athletes. Matt Dodge, one of the former NFL players who has wholeheartedly embraced our mission, renamed this project, “For Athletes By Athletes”,when he saw...

As of July 1st, College Athletes can use their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) to get paid for marketing and other related ventures. In fact Ohio State QB Quinn Ewers, who reclassified to the 2021 class and joined the Buckeyes in August, has signed an NIL deal for $1.4...

With our events being cancelled starting with the one we had planned for March Madness, along with the NFL Draft, and others-all due to the COVID restrictions-we, like so many, needed to regroup and refocus. Of course, it was very disappointing to see travel plans...

Although conducting business during COVID has been challenging at times, there have been many silver linings. I had time to work on a book which serves as an accompaniment to the film. In it, I share stories of the journey about the making of the documentary; the...

Last year, "Beyond the Game" producer, Jonathan Miller, released his book, "Wait Don't Sign That Contract". In his book, Jonathan discusses such essential topics as money, credit, budgets, networking, choosing the right professional team, finding a mentor, and goal...

  The leadership style at the head of any organization permeates the culture of his team, whether it be in sports, government, philanthropy or education. “Beyond the Game” delves into leadership, as one of its topics, and why athletes, as leaders, have such...

I had the honor of presenting the "Beyond the Game" film at various panels and Super Bowl 2020 events. Interviewing the student and pro athletes for this film has provided countless stories on camera and off. In addition, however, collaborating with experts on various...

“Beyond the Game” recently entered into a unique collaboration with our film project and Rebound Magazine, previously the official magazine for the NBRPA (National Basketball Retired Players Association) for the last seven years. We distributed the first edition of...

National Student Athlete Day is generally recognized April 6 nationwide, but can be celebrated throughout the months of March and April at NCAA colleges and universities. The day recognizes the accomplishments of student-athletes who excel academically, in their sport...

The Beyond the Game film is heading to the 2019 March Madness Final Four held in Tampa, Florida for the Women's games and Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Men's. I'm thrilled to, personally, support the women collegiate athletes and recognizing the important role...

In production since the summer of 2015, Silverlight Films’ crews and I have captured intimate interviews with over 150 professional athletes in 80 locations around the world in producing the full length documentary, Beyond the Game. Athletes were interviewed from...

Very few outside of the film industry truly know all we do to deliver a professionally produced full length feature documentary. It's, of course, so much more than picking up a camera and shooting. Literally, thousands of strategic and purposeful decisions are made...

The film production on this project has been one of the most fascinating journeys I've experienced in my 18 years of filmmaking. The content rich stories of the pro athletes highlighting their transitions have provided a connection that I've not seen in any other...

The “Beyond the Game” project, separate and apart from the film, has captured hundreds of hours of footage for use in effective and meaningful Peer to Peer Athlete Education. Seeing firsthand the tremendous need for financial literacy education, life skills, career...

I was recently invited to be a guest blogger on MoneySmartAthlete.com. As a University of Michigan undergrad who studied television and film, an attorney who utilized video in her practice to advance a client's case and as a film director/producer who combines the art...

Networking and building professional relationships, while in the game, isn’t always easy for the athlete. However, doing so especially while an athlete is “publicly relevant”, will make each transition, whether it be from student to employee or pro or pro to retiree,...

I had the opportunity to interview the Arizona Cardinal’s Director of Pro Scouting, Quentin Harris, along with some other former Cardinal football players. When I asked Quentin about the first thing he looks at with regards to athletes he’s scouting, he, without...

As a student athlete, many have dreams of going pro. It's fabulous to have those aspirations and sports provide numerous unmatched opportunities and experiences whether a student ultimately goes to the pros or not. However, if your "Plan A" is becoming a pro athlete...

Put a California crew on the Colorado slopes and a camera man who shoots while snowboarding and you get some great behind the scenes stories as well as some action filled shots. However, also intriguing is the status of today's pro snowboarders, how they "make a...

During a film production, a Director collects many stories...stories of interviewees sharing their emotions, memories and knowledge; location incidents that challenged the filming; times when that perfect shot overwhelmed our senses with beauty or exhilarated our...

We were able to film some interviews and footage during the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 induction. Sheryl Swoopes, WNBA great, inpired the local high school student athletes, with her stories of losing it all but never giving up on her dreams. I think I've...

Staying focused on spring training, the game itself and the unique challenges of seasonal salaries underscore the MLB players' need for post-baseball planning. Finding trusted advisors is key but how do you do this while playing? The most important decision a player...

With a promise he made to fellow player, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little kept his promise to give back and has done so relentlessly. This NFL Hall of Famer and Syracuse University alum, rather than enjoying a leisurely retirement, has mentored the women's basketball team,...

At Springfield College, Shaquille O'Neal, a proponent of education, financial literacy and life skills, regaled us with stories ranging from losing his first million dollars in one day to passing on the sage financial advice he received from his mentors. With a...

Like many I enjoy watching football but while doing so, I often reflect on my interview earlier this summer with Mike Ditka for our film, "Beyond the Game". "Da Coach" works nonstop to raise funds for financial and medical assistance for retired NFL players through an...

Panagiotis Triantopoulos, CEO for Panathinaikos B.C., truly captured the attention of our "Beyond the Game" film crew during his on camera interview. A passionate steward of the club's phenomenal legacy, Mr. Triantopoulos showed us that this is a team that genuinely...

We had a real marathon of on camera interviews with 13 former WNBA and NBA players full of information and emotional intensity as they reflected back on their careers. The women, in particular, also enlightened us on the challenges they face with lesser salaries and...

Advocating for clubs, associations and federations to become involved in financial literacy training, Spyros Neofytidis , Board Member - FIFPro Division Europe and President - PANCYPRIAN FOOTBALLERS ASSOCIATION (PA.S.P)underscored the importance of getting the youth...

So who would have ever thought we'd be "fogged out" when we were going to interview former NHL players? The arena had zero visibility and the shoot was rescheduled as a result. But it led us to a new date and a fabulous interview with Tim Watters, of NHL and Olympics...