The London Marathon was due to be held on April 26 before it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the marathon's official coaches, Martin Yelling, explains ways to stay physically fit and mentally positive despite the disappointment.

It's natural to feel a bit disappointed - people that were planning on doing it were hugely excited.

They were going to raise a lot of money for really important charities and have a really amazing day, so it's quite natural to feel a bit deflated ... but it's absolutely the right decision given the context of where we are.

Perspective is really important. The marathon will always be there next year and you'll have your day.

Martin Yelling, Official marathon coach

Why not challenge yourself in a different way? The rearranged October 4 date is a little way off, but setting and completing a more immediate goal may help you to boost motivation.

What you find sometimes when you set yourself a challenge like that, something immediate. That also triggers something in you that says 'well, I want to keep this going, actually I can keep this going - I want to keep this motivated'.

Now could also be the time to reflect on the reason you were running the marathon in the first place - to help others - which may help you get your trainers back on.

Martin Yelling, Official marathon coach

Use your running as a tool to boost both mental and physical wellbeing, getting some time outside and to yourself in these current times can be invaluable.

Physical exercise can also help provide a sense of rhythm and normality in times of uncertainty.

If you don't feel like getting your trainers on one day, don't pressure yourself to do so - don't feel bad for not going out.

Martin Yelling, Official marathon coach

It's up to you, but the marathon's organisers recommend that those who were signed up to run in 2020 should aim to run on October 4.

Martin Yelling, Official marathon coach

It is important not to leap back into something too quickly and risk injuring yourself.

Gradually layer personal fitness and adapt training to continuing public health rules, including working out at home and going on solo runs.

If you were following a training plan back in January, February, March, just pick that up and put it into July, August, September, leading into October.

Martin Yelling, Official marathon coach

It's hard to give generic advice because every runner is different, but the principles of getting yourself ready for a marathon stay the same.

You may need to juggle your regular routine when re-building a structured training plan, but the key thing is to not be over-ambitious - know yourself.

You may find running at a particular time of day suits you, depending on how you respond to the heat, but remember to always stay hydrated.

Martin Yelling, Official marathon coach

A number of 'negotiations' will have to take place and childcare schedules may have to be adjusted - consider running in the mornings if you can bear to get up.

Martin Yelling, Official marathon coach

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London Marathon blues: How to stay motivated despite the event being postponed - ITV News

Staying motivated can sometimes be challenging and in these chaotic times, even more so. However, here are some tips to ensure you don't get discouraged and get a step closer to achieving your fitness goals. Define the goal: Make an extremely clear note of the goal. Define it as clearly as possible and state exactly what you want to achieve and by when. Understand your why: You may know what you want, you may even have an idea of how to achieve it but what is really important is understanding why you want it. Whatever the reason may be, write it down and be honest. Knowing why you want it and looking at your reason from time to time, will remind you why you started in the first place and help you stay on track. Make a plan: Now that you know your goal and why you want to achieve it, it is time to make a clear, definitive plan. The route should be well understood and realistic. Things you can ask yourself while making the plan include how you are going to achieve it, time you can dedicate each day to achieve your goal, understand your calorie intake and output (in terms of food and exercise), if you are doing this alone or going to get a buddy or trainer to help you through it etc. Break goals into tasks: You might have one massive goal, but a great way to stay on track is to break them up into smaller tasks. Achieving those little tasks along the way will help you stay motivated and guide you towards achieving the ultimate goal. Keep it positive: When you make your plan, and break up your goals you will find things easier to handle. As you achieve each little goal or task, do not forget to be proud of yourself. If for some reason there has been a delay don't beat yourself up on it, work harder, stay positive and catch up. Organise: Ensure everything is well organised from the very beginning. For example, know what you are eating for the next few days, plan ahead and get the right groceries. Another example is making sure you know your workout hour in the day, so nothing can come between you and your workout. Be well prepared so that there are no last minute surprises. Zone: It is important to stay in the zone and focus. One way of doing that is having a regular routine and knowing when you are doing what and what is next. Sometimes listening to motivational music, speeches or even just having a simple task book to tick things off can help. Keep it fun: This is something I find extremely important in order to stay on track. We sometimes forget how important it is to have fun doing the things we are doing and enjoying the journey! If you have fun while working towards your goal there are extremely low chances of you falling off the bandwagon. Find a trainer who motivates you and makes sessions fun, or just try different exercise forms until you find something you enjoy! I assure you you will find something that will keep you on track. Deadlines: It is really important to form deadlines and try to stick to them. Be realistic and set a deadline for each task and the goal as a whole, this will direct your energy towards achieving your goal. Reward yourself: Last but not the least, do not forget to reward yourself. Appreciate yourself and be proud of everything you have achieved. No matter how far you have come, it is definitely more than where you started and that in itself is awesome! And when you do achieve your final goal, reward yourself, you now have officially earned that 'treat meal'. Inputs by Pilates Coach Namrata Purohit

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Stay motivated when working out at home - Times of India

Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher thinks there will be hockey this summer.

And that belief comes from what he knows about one of the men in charge.

Speaking on a conference call with reporters Thursday, Gallagher said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is very motivated when it comes to completing the 2019-20 campaign.

The league paused its season March 12 with 189 games left on the regular schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been rumours and reports about various scenarios for an eventual return to play, including the league centralizing each of its four divisions in separate cities, sequestering players, games without fans, and the playoffs bleeding into August and September.

Gallagher said if had to wager and its only a guess the puck will indeed be dropped sometime after Canada Day.

A lot depends on the medical professionals, he said. To me, it just really feels like Gary Bettmans going to try and do whatever he can to have hockey. Hes going to have to meet a lot of our needs as players and what were gonna obviously want back. But if I had to guess, I think therell be some form of Stanley Cup playoffs.

Theyre probably going to have to get creative with the format at this point, but if I had to guess Id say at some point the Stanley Cup would get awarded.

But Gallagher, whos been on every NHL Players Association call since the season was halted, said its unlikely there will be unanimity from the league or the players on whatever decision is eventually made.

The Canadiens sat 10 points out of the playoffs with 11 games left on their schedule when the NHL halted proceedings amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, meaning if the regular season had played out as usual, Montreal would already be looking towards training camp in the fall.

It always comes back to the same thing its about winning, said Gallagher, whos close with Canadiens NHLPA representative Paul Byron. If (playing this summers) gonna interfere with our ability to prepare for (2020-21) where we have a chance, Id rather continue my training.

If its a situation where you have a chance to play and they expand the playoff bracket, obviously, then Id be all for it. Every player is going to think selfishly. For us, Id rather be here preparing for next year and get my body ready for whatever you have to do to have a chance to win. And obviously the players that are in contention, theyre gonna want to go play no matter what.

Its definitely not a given that the entire league is going to be on board with one thing.

But Gallagher who referred to himself as a pretty optimistic guy believes theres a way forward.

A lot of its outside our control, he said. A lot of it is what the medical professionals say and what the scientists are saying and what the mayors, the governors are all saying, and if its even allowed.

I will say this: I know Gary Bettman is very motivated to play these games so I think theres probably some form of solution to his problem.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2020.

___

Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

NHL

Excerpt from:
Habs winger Brendan Gallagher: Bettman very motivated to play these games - Lacombe Express

ITS not easy for players to stay fit during the lockdown when you dont have a definite date of when the league will return.

As I wrote in last weeks article, I think its highly unlikely that the League of Ireland will return on the provisional scheduled date of June 19, yet players need to still work towards this date.

From further information I have received in the past few days, it seems more likely that they league will recommence sometime in September and finish in February, thus having a shorter off-season next year and the 2021 season beginning in March.

However, that is speculation and until players get a definitive answer, we have to work of the assumption that we will be back training sometime next month and playing competitive matches on June 19.

Its strange being at the end of April and it feeling like November because Im back training by myself instead of with my teammates.

Its so much more difficult for me training by myself rather than with my teammates. Its the mental side of training by myself that I struggle with.

When Im training with the club, no matter how tired I am, I know I have to keep going because if I dont, the manager wont be long letting me hear about it and it will affect my chances of playing on a Friday night.

Doing my own fitness work, I sometimes find myself stopping when the session gets tough because I know there wont be any real consequences.

I get bored very easily running for a long period of time by myself and just end up making it easy on myself.

Its a totally different mindset training by myself and training with my club.

It doesnt really bother me how long it takes to run the length of a pitch when Im by myself but if Im training with my club, I find it embarrassing being at the back and struggling to bread, so it pushes me to go that extra bit quicker and work on my fitness.

Also, being the oldest outfielder at Waterford by a lot of years, I always feel that I have a point to prove in the runs, to show that there is still some life left in the old dog.

The last time we trained as a team we were given GPS devices to take away with us to make sure we were doing the work that was being asked. At that time, we expected to be back training within two weeks but as we all know, a lot has changed since the beginning of March.

We did have programmes designed for us at the start of this off time but as the weeks have gone by, we have been given the responsibility and trust from the management team to do our own sessions and train as much as we feel we need ourselves.

Im sure when there is a definite date as to when we will be allowed to return to training as a group, we will be given another programme before that date.

Its now about getting the right balance between maintaining fitness but at the same time not overdoing it. If the league does not resume until September then it is pointless doing so much training now but unfortunately, no one knows, so I have to keep training as much as I can in the unlikely event that we do return in June.

I try and stick programme my training to that of a normal week with Waterford: working five days. I focus more on sprint work on a Monday. Tuesday is more of an endurance run, normally five kilometres aiming for under 20 minutes to complete it.

Thursday is short and sharp foot work, nothing much just like the day before a game.

On Friday, because I try and replicate a match, I would do a 10-kilometre run not including warm-up and cool-down - to really build my endurance. On average a centre-back would normally do around 11-kilometres in a match but that would be over 90 minutes whereas I would be doing the 10-kilometre run in less than half that time.

Saturday would be a recovery session. Wednesday and Sunday are rest days.

I also manage to get a few weight sessions in out my back garden, using weights I took from the gym in Waterford when we were last training, predicating that this lockdown would be much longer than anticipated.

Judging from our teams WhatsApp group, some of the players are struggling with boredom.

Its not in a footballers nature to do nothing, players need to be active. Some lads seem to be struggling more than others with so much free time.

Yes, players go out and exercise but that doesnt take long and there are a lot of hours in the day when players have nothing to keep them occupied at home.

Im not a player that falls into that category. Just before the suspension of the league and the lockdown, I became a father for the first time. My days dont involve lying out in the sunshine, more like middle of night feeds and listening to The Wriggles.

After being a stay at home parent these last few weeks, no matter what running I go back to with Waterford when we do return, will be quiet easy in comparison.

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'When you're used to training in a team environment, it's tough to stay motivated' - Echo Live

VANCOUVER -- The grandchildren of the 92-year-old man in the convenience store assault police say is racially motivated say their "gramps" is doing fine a month after the attack, and are speaking out against racism.

At the same time, the suspects family has also been making claims in conversations, social media, and private messages that no charges are coming a claim the Vancouver police are quick to debunk.

"We have NOT told anyone they will not be charged," said Const. Tania Visintin of the Vancouver police in a statement to CTV News.

The VPD released a video this week of an attack in March at a 7-11 on Nanaimo Street and 1st Avenue. In the video, a larger man picks up an elderly ethnic Chinese man, pushes him outside and onto the curb.

He then returns outside and picks up the elderly man. CTV News has confirmed the man is Jamie Allen Bezanson.

Now, Bezansons son Lukas is claiming that no charges are coming. When a CTV News reporter approached his family home, a woman refused to answer questions, just saying, "We have no comment. Youve done enough damage," before slamming the door.

At least 11 alleged hate crimes have been reported in March to Vancouver police, five of those with an anti-Asian sentiment.

The Chinese government has been criticized for being slow to act on the pandemic, which began in its Hubei province. But that is half a world away from ethnic Chinese citizens in Vancouver.

Chinese Canadian leaders say its time to stop being divisive and face this pandemic together.

"Its alarming, disturbing and despicable that this type of incident is so upsetting to everyone of us in the community, as well as all Canadians," said Queenie Choo of S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

The same note was struck in a statement by the Kwong family, who told CTV News in a message theyre grateful for the support of people in the community and the speed at which the suspect was identified.

"He is doing well after the incident," the mans grandchildren wrote. "It has been heartwarming to have so many kind words of concern shared, and also to see the community band together to show they will not tolerate such treatment.

"Xenophobia is on the rise and we hope that as a community we can stand together to help protect the next person this may happen to. We cant control the fact that bad things are going to happen, but its how we react to them that really matters. For the many negative incidents that occur we hope there are more acts of kindness as shown by our community."

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Family of 92-year-old attacked in convenience store speaks out against racism - CTV News

Photo byAllie SmithonUnsplash

If you have ever thought to yourself,I need a life coach,then this article is dedicated to you. I was a life coach without calling myself one before I studied how to become a certified life coach. It was merely in my personality to encourage people to figure out how to make their own lives better.

It seemed as though it was a natural passion for me, and in 2018, I decided I would become a certified life coach and make a living out of it. So, I studied the courses available, watched tons of videos on YouTube (especially Tony Robbins), and calculated how I would pay for the certification process.

I soon realized that most of the life coaching industry focuses upon dolling out simple questions (albeit seemingly elusive to most of us) that inspire us to find our own answers to our problems. Instead of relying upon a life coach to help guide you in finding the answers you seek, learn the techniques they use, and apply them to yourself or your loved ones.

After all, just because the methods are somewhat shallow, it doesnt mean they are entirely ineffective. Incorporating them into your life can have a significant positive impact! Just keep your expectations realistic.

Luck doesnt exist. We might find ourselves thinking someone else has all the success in the world, but that thought process is a fallacy. Richard Wiseman pretty much proved it in the book (free PDF version) The Luck Factorwhen he conducted an experiment that sought to provide evidence of whether a person is lucky or unlucky.

I wont spoil it too much, but the gist of it is that he gathered participants and asked them to classify themselves as lucky or unlucky. He then gave them a newspaper and asked them to find a specific announcement.

However, he secretly placed a second announcement in it that instructed the participants to notify the researchers if they saw it to receive a bonus reward. All of the participants found the requested statement, but only those who self-identified as lucky found the secret announcement and received the bonus reward.

Each participant received the same opportunity to find the extra reward, so, was it luck that helped the lucky ones receive the bonus reward? No. Luck had nothing to do with it. In short, it is their mindset. Those who see themselves as lucky tend to examine life with a broader scope. Even if they unconsciously do so, they continuously scan their surroundings for opportunities.

If you want to improve your luck, you must first learn how to remove the blinders that keep you focused on one direction. Expanding your view will help you better recognize opportunities to improve your life.

Of course, there is a caveat to this logic. Extenuating circumstances that you have no control over can dictate the opportunities that come your way. However, everything that happens in your life is the result ofyourchoices and howyou reactedto other peoples choices. You must learn to recognize the difference between your choice and your reaction to their decisions.

A life coach isnt supposed to give you answers to your most pressing questions. Instead, they use different questions and techniques that help you arrive at your solutions.

During a coaching session, you may layout a lot of scattered information about how you are feeling. The clarification technique is simply rewording your problem to make it more concise and help the coach make sure they understand your challenge.

You can use this technique on yourself by writing out your frustrations, then reviewing it to pick it out the critical information to more clearly define the problem. For example, you may write out something like this:

I feel like I am stuck in a rut every day. My kids arent paying as much attention to me as I would like them to, my spouse and I have been arguing a lot lately, and were just not making enough money to cover the bills and save for our dream vacation.

There is certainly a lot to unpack there. So, lets pick out the fundamental problems and reword them to help us later define our goals. It may look something more like this:

I would like to have a little more adventure in life

I want to communicate better with my children

I want to communicate better with my spouse

I want to figure out ways to make more money or manage my money better

We have clarified the frustrations you are experiencing in more concise statements. From here, we move on to the next technique.

Envisioning the future and the reward realistically is sometimes a difficult task, but it gives you a vision of where you want (and need?) to be to feel more fulfilled. Once you have a clear view of what you want for the future and the reward that lies therein, you can work your way backward to determine the steps you need to take to get there.

Just make sure your vision for one or five years from now is realistic. Dont expect to become a millionaire by next year, but it may be achievable in five or ten years. Now, create the roadmap to achieving that goal by halving the timeframe. For example:

Twelve months:In one year, I want to have $5,000 saved up for my dream vacation.

Six months:I would need to have saved $2,500 by doing this and that. Perhaps I would have a side-hustle to help.

Three months:I will find a side-hustle, cancel these subscriptions, and stop going out to eat.

One month:In the first month, I will research interest-bearing savings accounts, ways to maximize those returns, research side-hustles, and do the math to figure out how much money I can set aside each month.

It may sound counter-intuitive, but as you work your way backward, you will find it easier to figure out the first step. As time goes on, review your plan and tweak it as needed to ensure youre staying on track and as new opportunities and ideas come to mind.

Try to recall similar situations from your past and how you overcame it. If you did not overcome it, reflect onwhyyou didnt. Hindsight is 20/20. We can often look back and think of what we would have done differently to change the outcome.

But, use this technique sparingly as you dont want to get stuck in the past and thinking about mistakes. Just try your best to recall similarities in the problem and the potential solutions at hand to see if they will work in the current situation.

For example, if you want to work out more often, think about why you dont work out now. Then, try to recall if there was a time when you found a way to overcome the block. Perhaps you discovered a relaxed dance class where you made new friends. Your motivation may lie in working out with other people. Therefore, you could look for group activities or classes to join that will motivate you to move.

Our minds find the use of numbers and percentages easier to digest when trying to figure out complex situations. So, dont be afraid of reducing a question down toon a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied am I withto help you prioritize which problems, ideas, and solutions you should focus on:

Once you determine which concepts are higher or lower on the scale, you can arrange them in order of significance to give a clearer picture of which direction to go.

Speaking more positively is a simple concept, but challenging to make into a habit. Stop using terms like trying or I hope when discussing your goals. Instead, use action-affirming words like doing or I will figure this out. Its easier said than done, but it is one massive step toward training your brain to look differently at the world around you and seek out opportunities.

As any writer knows: Passive voice kills a good story. The same goes for your goals. Passive thoughts and words dont inspire the desire to move forward.

In many instances, you probably know exactly what you want or need to do to achieve a goal, but you have some sort of wall or block preventing you from pushing forward. We often seek outside validation for our actions, and if we dont receive it, we think it must not have been a good idea.

Remember that no one can validate you. You must validate yourself. If you want to start a business, you dont need anyone elses approval. Find the reasons deep down why you feel so passionately about it to validate yourself and go for it. If you fail, so what?! You gave it a try and undoubtedly learned a lot of lessons.

Call it a power statement or mantra or whatever you please. Develop a personal statement (or several) to remind yourself of when times are tough. Use powerful, uplifting words. Pick ten positive words that describe you:

I am strong intelligent eager to learn intrepid

Whatever it is, it should feel you with a sense of power and motivation each time you say it. Develop a routine to repeat your power statement to yourself in the mirror after you get out of the shower, during your commute to work, or right before bed, and anytime you need a pick-me-up.

Do your best to choose positivity as often as you can because there is truth in the idea that your thoughts shape your worldview, opportunities, and influence. This doesnt mean you need to ignore all negative thoughts. They serve an essential purpose in life. But, finding a balance between the positive and negative will ultimately lead you to expand your horizons and your worldview.

While there will be roadblocks and circumstances you cant control, you indeed are the designer of your future to an extent most of us fail to realize. Everything in your past has served the purpose of showing who you are or are not, what you deserve or dont deserve, and what you need to do to make yourself stronger.

Own it!

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Only You Can Be Your Life Coach - Thrive Global

Josh Zimmerman is a life coach for creators, whose careers have become ever more consuming, uncertain and subject to scrutiny under coronavirus.

Alyson Stoner, 26, is an actress whose credits include various Disney and Nickelodeon productions. She has also independently developed an online audience of over one million who turn to her for advice about wellness and creativity.

Last month, as Hollywood sets went dark, her second career ramped up. By mid-March she was feeling caught in a hamster wheel of work. Thats when she got a call from Josh Zimmerman, her life coach.

Mr. Zimmerman, 35, helped Ms. Stoner prioritize her projects and narrow the scope of her responsibilities. Within 24 hours of their call, she had a plan for a timely series about grief, gratitude and self-reflection called 14 Days of Mindfulness, which she would share on Instagram Live and YouTube.

She shelved other projects that were taking up too much time. I reclaimed my mornings, and that structure has allowed me to maintain a sense of stability and sanity during quarantine, Ms. Stoner said.

Mr. Zimmerman has, in the course of two years, become a go-to adviser for creators. Through one-on-one coaching sessions, conducted via Zoom even in the absence of a pandemic, he has helped dozens of people navigate their lives as influencers.

What a lot of people dont understand is that the process of making content is stressful and very lonely, Mr. Zimmerman said.

Mr. Zimmerman is not an agent. He doesnt help clients negotiate brand deals or take a cut of their revenue. He is not a therapist either. He is a life coach, and hes very upfront about the difference.

I work on anything the talent wants to work on, unless it veers into mental health, he said. While a therapist might help an influencer diagnose mental health issues that arise from the emotional toll that comes with being in the public eye, Mr. Zimmerman develops tactical solutions, like career planning and focus techniques.

When I see what Josh is doing, it seems very unique but fills a very specific need in the creator community, said Earnest Pettie, a trends insights lead at YouTube. Its no secret that some of the best performing executives have executive coaches. Creators are an emerging class of media professionals, and so its great to see them engage with experts who can provide support and resources to help them remain productive in a positive way.

Mr. Zimmermans role feels especially vital now, in the midst of a health crisis that has sent half the world home for an indefinite period and glued many of them to their phones. The pandemic has been a boon for influencers who can provide actionable advice to followers in the coronavirus era fitness coaches, food bloggers and medical professionals, for example but those in other sectors, such as travel and fashion, have collectively lost millions in brand deals and ad revenue.

Most creators have continued working, business as usual or even more than usual. In a time when everything is shutting down and businesses are closing, the general populace is turning more to entertainment and media, Ms. Stoner said.

And the competition is fierce. Youre putting out more content, but your audience has been diluted because theres all these other people going live at the same time or putting new stuff out, Mr. Zimmerman said. Youre trying even harder to get those eyeballs and the money is not coming in as it should be, and maybe the brand deals youve relied on have disappeared.

It scared a lot of my clients from putting anything out there because they didnt want to get demonetized, even for spreading the word about helping people stay inside and stay safe, Mr. Zimmerman said. Theres been an onslaught of creators who are uncertain and really reaching out for structure in their lives.

YouTube later reversed its decision. As Covid-19 has become a part of our everyday lives, we want to support creators and news organizations covering this important topic, a company spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. As previously announced, weve expanded monetization of Covid-19 content to all creators in the YouTube Partner Program.

Many creators turn to Mr. Zimmerman because of his rsum; he has worked in the influencer space for years and knows the ins and outs of the business.

In 2013, Mr. Zimmerman took a job clearing video rights for YouTube Nation, a YouTube news show with more than two million subscribers, and fell headfirst into the world of YouTube stars. I had no idea who any of these creators were at first, but I really came to admire them, he said. Within three years, Mr. Zimmerman had founded his own management firm, JZ Management.

He liked working with creators and was struck by the toll creating content and growing a personal brand took on them. His father has worked as a life coach for high-profile business executives for years, and in 2018, Mr. Zimmerman decided to follow in his footsteps. He founded CreatorCoach.com, declaring himself the first-ever life coach dedicated to creators.

Influencers face a unique set of challenges. Creators dont separate from their work because they are their work, Mr. Zimmerman said. We go home and turn our computers off; they are their own brand. They are their own IP. Theyre never off, which leads to fatigue and a whole bunch of things that are not helpful to the creative process.

He said that the pressures the crisis has created uncertainty about money, uncertainty about who you can trust, uncertainty about staying relevant have made the job all the more consuming.

Plus, fans expect a level of responsiveness and intimacy that most celebrities dont offer. Consequently, many influencers have been inundated with messages asking for help or advice on how to handle the current moment.

Its the juxtaposition of businesses shutting down, but everyone wanting more from us, said Ms. Stoner, asking us to be the connection that they cant get anywhere else. One misstep could lead to massive online backlash.

While some people have suggested that the pandemic may mark the end of influencer culture, Collin Colburn, a senior analyst at Forrester, a market research and advisory firm, begs to differ.

I dont think its the end of anything, he said. There could be a collapse in print advertising, there could be a collapse in out of home advertising, there could be a collapse in influencer marketing. I dont think any of them are going away.

Mr. Zimmerman agreed. This is not the end of influencers or creators, he said.

Such opinions, he said, disregard the range of ideas, interests, platforms and demographics influencers represent. Theres quilting creators, theres woodworking creators, theres anything you can think of. Any hobby, any idea, there is an influencer or someone making content, Mr. Zimmerman said.

But ad revenues will undoubtedly tighten and certain sectors of the creator community may face trouble. If you look at past crises or recessions, its just a recalibration of the marketing budget, said Mr. Colburn. Maybe influencers will command less of the budget than they did before, but there will always be brands who want to engage these people who have influence over their followings.

Mr. Zimmerman said hes started working with some clients pro bono in light of their lost revenue. He wants to help as many people as he can during these uncertain and chaotic times. The industry is moving at lightning speed, and every hour its different, he said. Everyone is like, its a marathon not a sprint, but its a marathon at 100 miles an hour.

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Influencing? In This Economy? Its Only Gotten More Competitive - The New York Times

Growing up in a household with educators and coaches, Scott Reule had a good idea from an early age that he would one day follow in his parents footsteps.

Reule did exactly that, first getting into coaching as a basketball coach at Wilmington College before coming to Benjamin Logan as the athletic and activities director, a position he has filled for the last 13 years.

He has developed a reputation for being a strong advocate for his athletes and coaches as well as for displaying a tireless work ethic in a job that rarely slows down.

For his efforts, Reule has been recognized as athletic director of the year by the Southwest Ohio Athletic Directors Association. He was one of four ADs from southwest Ohio to receive the honor this year. He was nominated for the award by Ben Logan high school principal Mark Butler and Bellefontaine athletic director Matt Comstock.

Honestly, this is an honor that a lot of athletic directors deserve, said Reule. I dont feel like I should be recognized for simply doing what I am supposed to do. But I am grateful to Mark and Matt for nominating me for this award. Its really a reflection of the great people we have at our school and in this community.

Reule was raised in northern Kentucky. He enjoyed playing sports while growing up and that enjoyment turned into a profession.

I have been around education and athletics my entire life, said Reule. Both of my parents were educators and coaches. My dad was an athletic director and principal. From watching them, I knew that I wanted to get into coaching and teaching.

He had little knowledge of the Ben Logan district and surrounding area when he took the athletic directors position there. Having served the school for over a decade now and also being involved in the experiences of his wife Allison, who is a teacher and head volleyball coach at Ben Logan, Reule has developed a deep connection to the Raider community.

I really didnt know much about Ben Logan or Logan County before I came here, he said. My wife and I have grown with the community and we feel like we are a big part of it. Working here has created a strong bond to Ben Logan and a feeling of pride and respect for the entire community.

Being an athletic director comes with a lot of headaches, but Reule said those are outweighed by the relationships he has developed with his staff and the student-athletes at Ben Logan.

What happens from 8 to 3 during a school day is obviously very important to a students development, but I believe that what they do after school through clubs, athletics and school activities have as big of an influence on their character and their school memories.

The most rewarding part for me is seeing kids have success and just to see them have growth as young people.

In addition to his service to Ben Logan as an AD, Reule was the schools head boys basketball coach for one season a few years ago and he is now an assistant coach in the program. He said his coaching background has prepared him well in his relationships with the districts coaches.

There is no doubt that coaching has helped me understand what our coaches go through and what they deal with, said Reule. That has helped me know what I can do to help make their jobs a little easier.

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Ben Logan's Reule named athletic director of the year - Bellefontaine Examiner

Leave it to beloved Garces High School coach and art teacher Mark Brown to saunter into retirement unconventionally.

Brownie, as he is affectionately known, has always done things in his signature cool and easygoing way, although doing so under the dark cloud of a national emergency isnt exactly what he envisioned.

The schools longest-tenured teacher in its history expected to walk across the graduation stage with his students for the last time after 42 years in mid-May. But little more than two months ago, the new coronavirus, a word that wasnt part of anyones lexicon when the school year began, brought on-campus studies to a screeching halt, forcing faculty and students to utilize online instruction through the end of the semester.

There will be no senior prom to chaperone. No senior sunset to oversee. No swim meets to coach. No ceremonial pomp and circumstance.

Browns classroom, a shrine to more than four decades of teaching, remains as it was March 13 when the pandemic changed school life as he knew it.

Never has anything like this happened. Im OK, but Im sorry I cant see anybody off my students, my fellow teachers, Brown lamented by phone. It is such a bummer, my last year, to not see the graduation.

An institution at Garces, it will be hard to imagine the school without his larger-than-life personality come fall, whether it be in the classroom or the press box.

Mark Brown is woven into the culture on the Garces campus, said its Athletic Director Gino Lacava, calling Brown irreplaceable. He has affected more students, athletes and football fans than anyone since our establishment.

When Brown arrived, he was fresh out of college. The Illinois native, who was raised in the Bay Area, attended Cal State Bakersfield on a basketball scholarship and picked up his teaching credential at San Jose State.

I was just 22. I interviewed with Bob Carroll who was riding a tractor across campus and chewing tobacco, he recalled. He and Bob Garcia hired me in 1978. Mary Smile kicked me out of the office because she thought I was a student, he laughed, recalling the schools legendary typing instructor.

I was making about $649 a month, living in a studio apartment and driving a Volkswagen. That was a lot of money back then and I was in hog heaven, he remembered.

He met his wife, Marirose, two years later. Their children would go on to attend Garces.

I think I worked with 11 principals, different administrations and uncertain times the school faced, he said.

Brown says it was the kids who kept him going to work every day. As technology changed the way instructors taught, Brown kept things old-school.

I knew how to do roll call and enter grades, but that was about it, he said.

Over the years, Brown had a front-row seat to the campuss physical improvements and he wore many hats. From barbecues, moderating clubs, coaching and football play-by-play, it seems there was nothing he couldnt do.

Ive spent two-thirds of my life at Garces. Its my home, he said. To see the kids grow up, then teach their kids, the second generations, its been great.

One of those students, Johnny Soper, whose mother Marcie is also a graduate, remembers sharing the press box with Brown during home football games.

Mr. Brown is like an urban legend and a comedic machine. Often my stomach hurt from laughing at things he said during the games we called, he said.

Brown has been the voice of Rams Football for nearly 40 years, treating boosters to his trademark expressions like holy Toledo sports fans!

That was a good gig right there, Brown said. I had the best seat in town.

And it seemed there wasnt a sports team Brown couldnt take under his wing and leave his mark on. The Californian named Brown its All-Area Coach of the Year in 1989 for boys tennis.

The kids kept me young and it is the hard part of leaving, he said. They are like my own and Im really going to miss them.

Mark is a perfect example of what it means to be a part of the Garces family up here, said principal Myka Peck. His energy and love for this school and students will truly be missed. Brown and his wife will relocate to Sacramento to be closer to three of their four children. He expects to fill his days with hunting, fishing, rounds of golf and yard work. And perhaps finding another swim club to coach.

Brown says he began flirting with the idea of retirement a few years ago.

I thought 2020 might be a good number, he said. Guess that was a bad idea.

Undeterred, he promised to be back for the retirement party that was canceled and check in on his Garces family.

Opinions expressed in this column are those of Lisa Kimble.

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BAKERSFIELD MATTERS: The art of retirement: Garces longest-tenured teacher, coach signs off - The Bakersfield Californian

Given the massive success of RuPauls Drag Race over the last decade, its no surprise that the show has almost unilaterally defined the mainstream understanding of drag artistry. But now that the show has done the hard work of getting people to pay attention, what becomes of drag as an art form? And can Drag Race continue to thrive now that everyone wants a piece of that success?

Since its debut in 2009, Drag Race has gone from a reality show pseudo-parody on a niche cable network to regularly coming in as the most-watched cable show among young adults on Friday nights. The multi-million dollar franchise has raked in the cash for producers World of Wonder, expanding to include not only spinoff television series, but also several digital series, the $3.99 per month streaming service WOW Presents Plus, and live events like the 95-city Werq the World tour and a lucrative pair of annual conventions in New York and Los Angeles.

The queens themselves are certainly benefiting from the surfeit of opportunity. As performers and entrepreneurs and TV stars, former Drag Race stars have proven disproportionately skilled at parlaying their success into other ventures beyond the show.

This week alone, HBO and TLC have debuted new programs showcasing the talents of Drag Race veterans. Both take a rough Queer Eye-style makeover/life-coaching format and feature a set of queens Alexis Michelle, BeBe Zahara Benet, Jujubee and Thorgy Thor on TLCs Dragnificent, and Eureka OHara, Shangela and Bob the Drag Queen on HBOs Were Here who travel around the country to help better the lives of quote-unquote everyday Americans. On Were Here, that involves mostly queer people living in small towns; on the much more light-hearted Dragnificent, the subjects are women preparing for a big day like a wedding or a class reunion.

Also Read: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Alums Talk Changing Lives From the Outside-In on HBO's 'We're Here'

The cast of Dragnificent (TLC)

For us, Dragnificent really fit what we call that TLC lens,' said Wendy Douglas, vice president of east coast production for TLC. Shining a light on extraordinary people, opening a door to a fascinating world. Were all about embracing people of all walks of life and authenticity and relatability for our audience. That really encompasses what drag queens are all about.

They have so much confidence and they themselves celebrate inclusivity and being your best self, she continued, also praising a unique ability in the Dragnificent cast to make people feel comfortable. They somehow disarm people. You can see a willingness from the people they work with to really open up.

Were Here showrunner Peter LoGreco expressed a similar sentiment, honing in on his casts ability to connect with others in an honest, compelling way.

Theyre all really, really great, he said. Not just as performers, but as people who can share part of their experience and use that to connect with someone. I was impressed from the moment we started doing that on the pilot And thats not something that you can necessarily teach. I think it just has to do with who they are and how theyve come to where they are.

Thats a different skill set than whats demanded by Drag Race, a show that already demands a lot of its contestants as Season 6 champ Bianca del Rio put it, If you cant sing, dance, do comedy or sew, you dont belong on the show. But its a testament to the versatility of drag as an art form, which can lend itself to formats as varied as stand-up comedy, scripted television or music.

Also Read: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Celebrity Spinoff Gets Premiere Date at VH1 (Video)

HBO

Drag Race, meanwhile, is still betting on a more-is-more strategy, super-serving fans with a steady stream of content, including yearly installments of both the flagship series, the weekly aftershow Untucked and its All Stars spinoff. Not to mention several international editions and the steady stream of content offered through YouTube and the SVOD service WOW Presents Plus.

The franchise has been such a strong performer for VH1 that even ViacomCBS sister network Showtime is trying to get a piece of the action by picking up loaner seasons of All Stars, making the big bet that fans will be willing to shell out a monthly fee to keep up. A new four-episode limited series will see celebrities get drag makeovers from the shows roster of queens and compete in their own version of Drag Race for charity.

Much of the drag-oriented content, especially World of Wonders digital offerings, is driven by drag queens who first appeared on the franchise. Beyond All Stars and the mentors featured on Celebrity Drag Race, theres the recap show Pit Stop, which features rotating pairs of past contestants recounting the latest episode. Two of the shows most beloved finalists, Raja and Raven, host a Fashion Police-style Fashion Photo Ru-view. The fan-favorite catchphrase UNHhhh has become so popular that Season 7s Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova have managed to establish themselves as a comedy duo now courted by the likes of Vice and Netflix.

Drag Race has had no shortage of new talent (casting is already underway for the next season), but what becomes of the franchises nonstop expansion when the people it relies on to anchor that content have more options than ever?

Thus far, the all-in approach has paid off, pulling in strong ratings for VH1 and a boatload of Emmy nominations along the way. But having more eyes on the franchise is not without risks. The currently airing 12th season of Drag Race became embroiled in a misconduct scandal earlier this year when one of the contestants admitted to posing as a casting director and coercing men into recording themselves in sexually compromising positions under the false pretense of an audition.

The contestant, Sherry Pie, was quickly disqualified from the competition and the season the majority of which was filmed well before the misconduct came to light was apparently re-edited to minimize her screen time.

Also Read: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Contestant Disqualified After Catfishing Accusations

"RuPaul's Drag Race" Meet The Queens Event - Feb. 26, 2020

Sherry Pie (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

Thats one of the biggest adjustments queens have had to make as drag has skyrocketed in popularity and at a time when even minor public figures face ever-greater scrutiny. Now as a drag queen, you have to be careful about what you say, said Eureka OHara, a runner-up on Drag Race Season 10. You have to be mindful about your humor. People hold drag queens more accountable now than they ever used to as we grow as a culture, drag has to evolve.

But what does that evolution look like when corporate interests come into play? Are the days of Divines shock-and-awe tactics best left in the past? Maybe not.

It is ever-changing, because thats just how art works. People are always thinking of ways to make it new and different, OHara said. But that rebellious, sty part, that part you kind of have to hate but you also kinda love because only drag could make it interesting? Thats kind of the point. Upending your societal standards and how you think youre supposed to conduct yourself. Thats what drag is all about.

Set of RuPauls Drag Race (Photo: VH1)

Read original story RuPauls Drag Race Spawns a Host of Spinoffs and Imitators, But Is the Runaway Big Enough? At TheWrap

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RuPauls Drag Race Spawns a Host of Spinoffs and Imitators, But Is the Runaway Big Enough? - Yahoo Entertainment