The Steering Point Newsletter
Welcome to the Steering Point Newsletter where we aim to bring you the best and most relevant performance advice there is. This mission begins with The 1% Podcast, a source of insights and lessons from some of the best thinkers in their field of performance. We also try to make the best writing on performance available to you with two weekly articles written by the Steering Point team.
14-11-2024
What We Recorded
Concussed: Sam Peters Unveils Rugby’s Uncomfortable Truths
Sam Peters is a former national newspaper reporter credited with driving a cultural change in sport’s attitude towards brain injuries and concussions. Between 2013 and 2017, Sam was the driving force behind the Mail on Sunday’s concussion in rugby campaign and was subsequently short-listed as sports journalist of the year at the 2014 UK Press Gazette Awards. Sam’s exclusive report in 2014 also revealed the FA’s failure to deliver promised research into the link between heading footballs and dementia following the death of a former England player.
In his 2023 book, ‘Concussed: Sport’s Uncomfortable Truth’, winner of the Best Sports Writing Award, Sam recounts the untold story of the most influential sports campaign in British newspaper history, asking how rugby and other sports can save themselves from the vested interests which threaten not just players’ livelihoods but the very existence of the sports themselves.
Podcast Highlights
Lack of Leadership in Concussion Crisis
“Short-term thinking, commercial obsession with profit and growth which are often at odds with genuinely looking after your people and being accountable and accepting that this is going to come at a cost, who’s going to carry that cost essentially…”
Reducing Concussion Risk in Sport
“The RFU’s own data in England has recently shown that still, injuries in training, concussions in training are absolutely through the roof. I cannot understand how slow rugby union has been to pick up on this fact that they’re still damaging their players during the week.”
Concussion, Bloodgate and the Role of Medical Staff
“I was fascinated with the idea of cheating and how people were prepared to sacrifice their morals to win at all costs…the Bloodgate case was absolutely a defining moment for me in me thinking this could happen. Could doctors…commit acts that were absolutely going against their oath to do no harm?”
What We Wrote
Strategies for a Productive End to the Year
“As the back end of November approaches, we find ourselves in a period that often tests the resilience of even the most motivated amongst us. The final stretch of the year can feel like trudging through treacle — fatigue is high, holiday plans and parties are abundant, and the temptation to ease off is hard to resist. It’s easy to slip into autopilot, coasting through until January with the expectation that the fresh calendar will bring a renewed sense of purpose.”
By Steering Point Founder & Partner, Shay Dalton
The Last Taboo: Religion in the Workplace
“Over the past decade, the workplace has seen a push not just for greater inclusion, but for more authentic self-expression. Employees are now encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, with conversations around race, gender, and sexuality becoming mainstream. Yet, one form of diversity remains in a grey area: religion.”
By Steering Point Founder & Partner, Shay Dalton
What We Read
From trade-offs to payoffs: CEOs on creating value with climate action
What Intellectual Property Policies Should We Expect from the Second Trump Administration?
