Weekly Newsletter, Oct. 14, 2026: A Field of Dreams Moment (seriously)
HAPPY WEDNESDAY.
What do you mean we’re nearly halfway through October? When you have clients who are doing amazing things literally every day of the week, time sort of becomes irrelevant. This past week was no exception and our CG Sports crew worked through the weekend to keep up with our athletes.
If you’re a fan of the film Field of Dreams then I’ve got a treat for you. Our publishing client and 2xMLB World Series champion Scott Spiezio took part in the Field of Dreams Fantasy Camp along with his son Tyler. The camp is hosted by the St. Louis Cardinals and takes place at the actual Field of Dreams movie site. Scott gave me some epic photos - including one of him playing catch with the Dwier Brown (the actor who played Ray Kinsella, father of Kevin’s Costner’s character in the film)
The College Swimming League Match 4 was basically a rock concert with a pool in the middle and our girl Kristen Romano (CG Sports’ Manager of Partnerships) was on deck in the VIP section documenting on social media. Lilly King wrapped up a two-day clinic in Bothell, WA last weekend — two days with WEST Coast Aquatics, age-group sessions and a coaches' dinner Friday night, then a full slate Saturday morning.
Add in a brand-new clinic booking, a networking habit I leaned on hard while chasing LA28 Partner Summit contacts, and an afternoon at US Rowing's Olympic Hospitality Preview and it's been a full week.
In today's newsletter, we'll look at:
College Swimming League Match 4 Recap (what didn’t happen)
Lilly King's two-day clinic takeover of the Pacific Northwest
A personal story: My Recap of the USRowing Olympic Hospitality Preview
Cejih's Corner: what to actually do after you swap business cards
CG Sports Publishing: two reads worth picking up this month
I’m back on the road later this month
This week's biggest client news
Four CG Sports swimmers raced at College Swimming League Match 4 this past weekend — McKenzie Siroky, Camille Spink, Ella Jansen, and Katie Grimes. With standout performances from Spink and Grimes the CSL continue to be the hottest ticket in town in the swimming market. It’s vastly improved product and tv viewing experience that what we’ve had in the past and the ceiling is high for CSL. I’m really hoping it does well, our athletes deserve it. I’ll be in attendance at Match 5 in Walnut, CA this Friday cheering on our clients and documenting the exciting event on social media.
Clients spend the weekend in the Pacific Northwest
Lilly King spent last weekend in Bothell, WA for a two-day clinic with WEST Coast Aquatics — age-group sessions and a coaches' dinner Friday night, then a full slate of Senior, Junior, and Age Group sessions Saturday morning. It's become one of the more requested clinic formats among the swim clubs we work with.
On Monday we launched a brand-new nutrition clinic with Bellevue Club Swim Team led by nutrition specialist Mandy Smith — clinics keep expanding past pure swim instruction, and we're here for it.
Sales, networking and other tips
Behind the scenes, we spent the week introducing CG Sports to a dozen-plus brand contacts ahead of the LA28 Partner Summit later this month — the kind of quiet networking push that usually pays off months later (more on that below)
One more thing catching my eye this week
USA Artistic Swimming just unveiled a dedicated "Artistic Swimming House" for LA28 — a full hospitality experience built around the sport, with Olympic athletes, sponsor activations, and live competition coverage. Most national governing bodies are still figuring out their LA28 game plan; USA Artistic Swimming already has prime real estate locked down this early. Smart, aggressive move, and one worth keeping an eye on (more to come on this).
Personal Story: My Recap of USRowing’s Hospitality House for LA28
Friday afternoon I was at The Bungalow Kitchen in Long Beach for USRowing's Olympic Hospitality Preview, a reception held right after the opening day of racing at the Long Beach Invitational, where Team USA's rowers squared off against crews from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Lori McBride, USRowing's Chief Revenue Officer, hosted, and I brought LA28's Calvin Werts along as my plus-one — a quick ask to Lori and he was on the list. That's the whole point of showing up to these previews early: the right introduction in a room like that is worth a lot more than a cold email.
The program opened with a highlight reel, and the numbers are worth repeating: USRowing just wrapped its most successful summer in over 30 years, with a new world record in the women's program and nine medals at this past summer's World Championships — five of them in boat classes, a first for the program. And the team isn't done yet. They just competed in China in beach sprint rowing, a brand-new discipline debuting at the Games for the first time alongside traditional flatwater racing. The comparison the room kept coming back to was beach volleyball splitting off from the indoor game — a format built to pull in a completely different audience — and USRowing is clearly betting on that same kind of growth.
Then came the real reason for the preview: a first look at USRowing's plans for its Olympic Hospitality House at LA28. The organization is taking over the venue for the full two weeks of the Games (July 14–30), built as a home base for national-team alumni reunions as much as for daily hangouts between races — rowing-and-sailing themed throughout, with a smaller room for intimate receptions and a larger dining room for the everyday crowd. Tiered ticketing is part of the plan too, a direct answer to how unreachable some LA28 ticket drops have already felt. Outside, expect activations built to pull in new fans (erg challenges included) and a content studio for athlete podcasts and livestreaming; athletes will stop by Team USA House first, then come back to celebrate with friends and family — open bar included — until midnight.
It's an ambitious, well-thought-out pitch, and another reminder that the governing bodies moving early on LA28 hospitality are the ones who'll own the space — and the brand opportunities — once the Games actually get here.
Cejih's Corner
This week's tip: what to actually do with a business card after you get one.
Last week I sent out a dozen-plus "let's connect at the LA28 Partner Summit" emails this week, and it reminded me how often people nail the first half of networking and completely whiff the second half. Collecting a stack of cards means nothing if nothing happens afterward. Here's the fix:
Follow up within 24–48 hours, while you're still a real person in their memory and not just a name on cardstock.
Reference something specific from your actual conversation — not "great meeting you," but the detail that made the conversation worth having.
Log it immediately. I write a one-line note the second a conversation ends, before I've even left the room. Memory is unreliable; a note isn't.
Lead your follow-up with one specific, low-pressure next step — a short call, an intro to the right person, a relevant case study — never just "let's stay in touch."
A stack of business cards is a to-do list, not a win. Treat it that way and the actual relationships start building themselves.
Read my full breakdown here: The Art of Booking Meetings and Exchanging Biz Cards
CG Sports Publishing
Two reads worth your time this month from the CG Sports Publishing shelf (available on Amazon now).
Becoming Uncommon: The Student-Athlete's Guide to Leadership and Life — Dan Freschi's debut, officially out as of Tuesday. It's not another motivational read; it's data-backed, practical leadership instruction built from Dan's own years developing leaders at the youth and collegiate level.
The Hardest Comeback — Scott Spiezio's memoir has been out for a few months now and keeps building momentum, with new media hits and a growing readership. If you haven't picked it up yet, now's a good time — especially with Scott's Field of Dreams appearance alongside his son and former teammates putting it back in the spotlight this week.
CG Sports Client Events
Oct 27, 2026 (Bloomingdale, NJ): Keynote at Walter T Bergen Middle School, Jack Wallace.
Oct 27, 2026: Speaking engagement at West Ridge Elementary School, Jack Wallace.
Oct 28-31, (Westmont, IL): 2026 Short Course World Championship Trials, Cejih in attendance.
Nov 3–4, 2026 (Colorado Springs, CO): USADA Athlete Panel, Jack Wallace.
Nov 7, 2026 (Mesquite, TX): Clinic with Rodeo Aquatics, Lilly King.
Nov 15, 2026 (Bay City, MI): Clinic with Bay City Aquatics Club, McKenzie Siroky.
Nov 18, 2026 (Baltimore, MD): Speaking engagement at Bryn Mawr School, Emily Oberst.
Dec 3, 2026 (Wilton, CT): Leadership keynote & Captain's Workshop at Wilton High School, Elizabeth Beisel.
Jan 10, 2027 (Issaquah, WA): Clinic with Issaquah Swim Team, Hali Flickinger.
Apr 10, 2027 (venue TBD): Clinic with Border Swimming LSC, Phoebe Bacon.
May 1, 2027: Beyond the Blocks 2027, Ohio Swimming.
That's the week. See you next Wednesday.
Cejih and The CG Sports Company
