A New Type of Jewish Sports Hero

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – July 5, 2010 –David Lasday, a Maplewood, New Jersey native and Fellow at the PresenTense 2010 Global Summer Institute, is bringing the excitement back into Jewish learning with Bring It In Israel, an Israel-based program that empowers Jewish leaders to use sports to impart Jewish values, life skills, and a connection to Israel onto Jewish children.

As a Summer Fellow at the prestigious six-week Institute, Lasday joins fifteen other budding Jewish social entrepreneurs from America, Israel, Australia, and the UK to gain the skills and connections necessary to launch their ventures to benefit the Jewish world at large.

"The 2010 Fellows represent some of the most innovative Jewish minds today.  They are embarking on projects that have the potential to transform Jewish life here in Jerusalem and around the world," commented Flo Low, Chair of the Institute Steering Committee. Sponsoring Lasday’s venture is the iCenter, reputed for its dedication to Israel education.

The Jerusalem Post recently had a great article on coaching:

Asked on Wednesday to explain the differences between coaching Israelis and coaching British or Australian clients, Grant responded, “Israelis are renowned for their directness, and every Israeli has strong opinions. So there are obviously some cultural differences, but the notion that we can use behavioral sciences or theoretical programs to bring positive change is a cross-cultural idea. We can all find more satisfying lives, more satisfying ways to do things; these are universal concepts, not Australian, European or Israeli.”

In it, they discuss the negative perceptions that coaching has amongst the general public. Self-titled "life coaches" and other would-be mentor types market themselves to struggling professionals and often have murky background in the fields that they are supposedly expert.

JPost highlights the work of Dr. Anthony Grant, an international leader in coaching methodology, who has been speaking to various groups across Israel in a recent tour. One interesting stat that they provided: there are between 60-80 coaching schools in Israel, or 1 for every 100,000 people. Australia, where Dr. Grant is from, has only 14 coaching schools.