Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Georgia Lundie-Jenkins

How do you find new music? Do you listen to different radio stations on your morning commute or maybe scour the endless “Made For You” playlists on Spotify? On average, a person listens to approximately 961 hours and 10 minutes of music per year. As a staple of life in the 21^st century, individuals are embracing new ways of finding new music, sometimes without even realising it. Let me explain.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

How to Motivate Young Athletes for the upcoming 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. 

By Eva Timmermans & Isabel Rowan 

Did you know that 41% of Australians who are aged 15+ are participating in sport-related activities at least once a week (Clearing House for Sport 2022). However, approximately 30% of teenagers drop out of sports (Vella, Schweickle & Sutcliffe 2020).

For me I have definitely seen this statistic relevant in sports I’ve participated in and especially for girls, it is a lot more common. As teenagers get older and especially as the end of their schooling life draws nearer, it becomes a lot more challenging to find the time to still participate in sport while balancing socialising and studies! Personally, I tended to prioritise sport and social life over studies and as a result of that I found myself extremely stressed the night before an assessment was due. I’m assuming a lot of you can relate to that!

“From experience I know that finding the motivation to continue competing in a sport that you love and are passionate about can be difficult.”

 Sport-Life Balance

Are you an athlete? Do you find yourself struggling to juggle between sport, work, study, social and family commitments? Well, this is a space for you! As a young athlete I know that it can be challenging to find that sport-life balance. From experience I know that finding the motivation to continue competing in a sport that you love and are passionate about can be difficult. Personally, I struggled so much trying to navigate my final year of high-school studies with work, life and sport that I gave up sport for a whole year and I hated it! I needed that source of fitness and social interaction for my wellbeing. We are here to help young athletes to stay motivated and to get ready for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games!

QAS – You For 2032

The Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) has created a new program designed for young and aspiring athletes in their search for the next generation of sports men and women to compete at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This program is called the YouFor2032 Talent Identification Program and involves QAS identifying and then developing and nurturing young Queensland talents that have the potential to win on the world Olympic stage. It is designed for athletes aged between 13 and 23 years old as of 2023. This program helps in motivating young athletes to aim big to achieve their goals and continue to work hard in order to reach these goals.

“To be motivated means to be moved into action” (Sounders, B, 2019)

Self-Determination Theory

“To be motivated means to be moved into action,” (Sounders, B 2019) . Which is easier said than done. Setting your alarm for 4.45 am for training is one thing, but actually getting up and out of bed when it sounds is another. How can we motivate ourselves as athletes and nurture those with athletic potential around us? Now more than ever, with the opportunity of the 2032 Olympic Games approaching, it is essential that we motivate young athletes in order for them to have the chance to compete and represent Australia on a world stage. This is where the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) comes into play.

So, what is the Self-Determination Theory anyway? Well, the Self-Determination Theory is actually comprised of four theories, but we will just be focusing on the two most important theories for athletes. This includes the CET (Cognitive Evaluation Theory) which refers to the social development in motivational findings, emphasising the athlete’s value on sport, based on the external rewards and positive feedback they receive. This also includes BNT (Basic Needs Theory) which focusses on three psychological needs: competence, relatedness and autonomy. These basic needs include the need for athletes to feel effective in their environment, have quality connections with their peers and fellow athletes and the need to feel that they are initiating their actions (Keegan, R et al 2011). Click here to read more on the self-determination theory!

Athlete Motivation Checklist

Based on the research conducted on SDT, it has been deduced that in order to keep athletes motivated as a community we must…

1. Provide Encouragement and Positive Feedback. Use positive feedback as a reward to inspire athletes to reach their full potential. Ara Parseghian (American Footballer) said that “A good coach will make his [or her] players see what they can be rather than what they are.”
2. Welcome Mistakes! Reducing athletes’ critical thinking and negative, destructive thoughts on their performance is crucial to keep athletes motivated.
3. Create a positive sport environment for athletes to feel safe and supported in order for them to create quality connections with their fellow athletes.
4. Don’t put too much pressure on them! It is good to encourage, but when athletes start to question who is initiating their actions, sport starts to feel like a chore and can lead to negative performance outcomes (Donohue, B et al 2007).

What Can We Do?

To reduce the significant percentage of teenagers who drop out of sports, it is essential that we nurture and motivate them by integrating the Athlete Motivation Checklist into their everyday lives. By providing encouragement, welcoming mistakes, creating positive sporting communities and not putting too much pressure on young athletes, we can witness a growth in sport participation and interest in the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games through government run programs.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Muskaan Singh

Electric vehicles are transforming the global automotive market. With new car-tech innovations allowing reduced energy costs, lower emissions and convenient home charging, it is no surprise major automakers are racing to bring electric cars to the market. However, what does this mean for the future of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles? Currently at 51.5% market share, ICE vehicles that rely on petrol or diesel fuels are in sharp decline. As a result of the pressures from government incentives, consumer buyer behaviour and technological advancements, ICE vehicles will be rendered obsolete by more sustainable alternatives.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Zax Cox

ChatGPT, a man’s best friend. Well. It seems that way, doesn’t it. This new and emerging piece of AI has quickly changed the way all of society, but specifically, how academics see their way of learning. For those who may not be aware,  ChatGPT is essentially an advanced chat bot which has adaptive capabilities, in order to give the user the most efficient experience. This piece of AI has created an issue, and not an issue that can be fixed either.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Natalie Sayed

Well, well, well, look who decided to grace us with their presence again!  Yes, it’s me, I’m back.

Now I know it’s been a while since I graced your screens with my witty banter so you’ve probably been wondering where I disappeared to, and why the world has been so dull without my blog posts. Well, don’t worry. I’m back and better than ever.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Prudence Coburn

It’s no secret that during the peak of COVID lockdowns many of us started either exploring our hobbies or dabbling in a few more alcoholic drinks in the evenings. In many cases, we did both of these things, which leads me to our topic… Paint and Sips. With these workshops ticking the boxes of being Social, creative and fun, it’s no wonder that Paint and Sips are coming out of the pandemic bigger than ever.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Melissa Farmer & Connor Davies

“What’s for dinner?” Does a day go by without this question being asked multiple times in any household? With the incredible pace of life in the 21st century, the last thing we have time for is planning, shopping and cooking dinner. It is in consumers’ best interests to want quality, tasty and nutritious meals that fit into their busy lifestyles. This is where HelloFresh steals the show, meeting consumer demands with their amazing meal kits that take the hassle out of nightly meals.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Carlie Tough

The increased work pressures and need for a holiday as we recover from COVID-19, will see a new travel trend, workcation, emerge. COVID-19 has changed the world dramatically. After being trapped at home for 2 years, people are itching to get back out and travel again. For most, this is not a problem as they saved money by not going out as often. However, people worry about taking time off and travelling for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. A solution to this is to take a workcation. Imagine sitting on a beach, sipping a cocktail whilst participating in a zoom meeting with your colleagues who are back in the office!

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Sarah Rogers

Meal kits are subscription-based food services, where pre-planned ingredients are sent to customers with recipe cards to be assembled by the consumer. Meal kits’ popularity in Australia has grown tremendously in recent years. There are many factors that have led to the surge of uptake of meal kits, but the main driver is our lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes have been attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, our work-life balance, and the rising cost of living. Together, these elements have created a market allowing meal kits to expand vastly and become a growing trend within the community.

Our PR Director, Michelle Smytheman, is passionate about helping emerging professionals in the communications industry and teaches at the University of the Sunshine Coast. As part of an assessment task this year, there have been some excellent blogs written by first-year students about emerging business trends. We are proud to share their work.

By Ashleigh Kaye

We’ve all heard of them before, but not everyone has tried the “easy meals” fad that has been growing steadily for the last decade. These make-at-home meals differ from the pre-cooked, heat-and-eat type. They utilise a choice of recipes and then deliver those recipes chosen. You then receive the ingredients and recipe cards to your door ready for you to recreate the meals yourself. There are multiple companies that offer these helpful and time-saving products such as Dinnerly, Hello Fresh, Every Plate and Marley and Spoon. Is one better than the other? That probably comes down to personal choice.