7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1. The opportunity I would like to pursue is the online interactive basketball training I discussed in assignment 4A.

2. There is a lack of available basketball training for athletes who do not live near trainers or have access to a trainer during the coronavirus pandemic.

The who: Basketball players of all ages.

The what: They do not have access to basketball training.

The why: Location and/or the coronavirus pandemic

3. Testing the who: Everyone described has this need and potentially middle school and high school coaches who cannot currently coach.

Testing the what: Some beginner-level players have access to online training programs that could help them improve their game. However, most high-level players do not find these programs sufficient.

The why: Some athletes do not live close enough to a qualified basketball trainer. Others cannot afford basketball training. Currently, most players do not have access to training because of the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

4. I interviewed Omar Brown, Caleb Townsend, and Ethan Miller again while also interviewing J’Michael Plummer and Susan Dana. The first four mentioned are all high-level players who have or are currently playing at the high school level. Susan is the mother of a ten year old and thirteen year old boys who enjoy playing basketball. Each player I spoke with said they do not have access to a basketball trainer because of the gyms closed due to the pandemic. However, all but one of those players said before the pandemic began, they had access to a trainer they enjoyed working with. The other player said they did not have the funds to consistently train with someone. Susan has never had her boys trained by a trainer and does not believe that is a need of theirs because they play multiple sports and do not have the time. As mentioned in assignment 4A, many players are not currently satisfied with available online training programs because of the equipment needed, the simplicity of the content, or the lack of communication between them and the coach.

5. After the interviews, I still firmly believe this is a great opportunity. I believe that online personal training customized for the specific player(s) provides the most value to players. Prior to the interviews, I believed the best way to train players through some sort of online program would be best through Facetime or Zoom so the player could learn directly from the coach who could customize the workout according to the player’s access to equipment. Despite this being the most valuable form of training, it is also difficult to train many players at once so there would always be a limited supply. After the interview, I realized that multiple different curriculums could be developed to match different player types. If there was a separate program for each player type, all players that fit that mold would be able to purchase the program and use it as they please. This would allow the trainer to reach more players than before. Additionally, video reviews of players could be another form of training used for correction, such as with shooting form. This would also be more time efficient as the review could be done any time, with a response expected within 24 hours. Lastly, I was introduced to an application called HomeCourt AI during the interviews which tracks the specific details of a players shot such as makes and misses, ball angle, shot speed, ball rotation, and more. If there was a way for trainers to have live access to these stats to the players they train, they could easily correct and breakdown the mistakes players are making.

6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

1. One economic problem is the unemployment rate across the country is at an all-time high due to the coronavirus pandemic. A major issue that will occur when the pandemic ends is the unemployed finding jobs. Many businesses have shut down due to the pandemic and many of the ones remaining will be focused on paying off debt when social restrictions are lifted. I was made aware of this issue when several friends were laid off due to the financial struggles their businesses were going through during the stay at home order. I later learned after reading https://www.fosters.com/business/20200528/next-economic-challenge-finding-job-once-pandemic-eases that this is a wide scale issue that is going to affect a lot of people. This article predicts that less than 50% of people will return to work as the job market may forever be changed. As the job market changes, the unprecedented new system of hiring and large of supply of unemployed labor can potentially create many opportunities. I believe this is a rather easy opportunity to exploit due to the problem being very new.

2. A another economic problem is the shortage of certified teachers across the country. This shortage is so large that the State Department of Education in New Hampshire has lowered requirements for hiring teachers, permitting schools to hire teachers lacking specific certifications. According to the article https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/with-teacher-shortage-schools-turn-to-educators-without-licenses/article_be92434a-f48a-50ee-b3cb-23e6c5f8644f.html, 40% of teachers in New Hampshire do not receive all certification requirements and instead use alternative such as training on the job. Teachers now do not even have to have received degrees in their specific subject for teaching. The cause of this is most likely due to the low wages teachers make despite being a high stress job. The lack of certifications required to teach now may hurt the teaching and learning for students as these certifications usually teach how to make a proper curriculum and improve the learning of students. This presents an opportunity as the supply of qualified teachers is low while schools do not have the funds to entice more qualified teachers to work for them. I was made aware of this issue by my aunt who teaches in New Hampshire and has noticed the quality of teaching decrease. This is a rather difficult opportunity to exploit due to the lack of funding schools have.

3. One social problem is the lack of representation of ethnic and racial minorities in the media. According to the article https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/why-on-screen-representation-matters-according-to-these-teens, 40% of the United States is non-white. However, members in the media do not reflect anywhere near that same percentage. This issue directly affects non-white people in the country who do not see themselves represented in the media. This also affects any non-white people trying to pursue a career in media. A more diverse media can create new conversations and ideas while improving communication to non-white Americans across the country. I was made aware of this issue in the 2019 fall semester while taking SPM3012 Sport and Society. This issue is not going to be easy to exploit as it requires long-term action to see permanent results. However, early opportunities may be easy to exploit as there are not many current examples of solutions.

4. Another social issue is the issue of global warming and climate change. I think this is a very large opportunity to exploit but would be extremely difficult. Current energy regulations are changing to become more environmentally friendly. Alternative sources of energy are slowly but surely becoming more prevalent around the world. Solar panels and wind turbines are two of the many new forms of energy being used. According to https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/alternative-energy-sources, alternative energy sources are projected to continue to expand in all sectors by 2023. The prototypical customer for this is opportunity is China, as it is the largest energy consumer in the world. This opportunity will continue to grow as countries around the world continue changing energy regulations and the conversations of climate change also increase as seen in the previous presidential election.

 

5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Late delivery of NM mail ballots feared

https://www.abqjournal.com/1460214/late-delivery-of-nm-mail-ballots-feared.html

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, many Americans are turning to absentee voting, also known as voting by mail. However, the absentee voting process is flawed as many voters have not received their ballot and may not until it is too late, or at all. The current system requires voters to apply for absentee voting to confirm their address. If approved, they are then sent a ballot to vote on. Unfortunately, the increase in absentee voting due to the pandemic has put an extra burden on the mail system. Many voters have not received their ballots yet and if the ballots are not returned to election officials by 7 p.m. on June 2^nd, then the votes will not be valid.

The problem in this story is that the increase in absentee voting will potentially prevent many voters from being able to submit their vote in time.

The people who have this problem is those participating in absentee voting.

 

2. Coronavirus Causing More Issues for People in Food Deserts

https://www.weirtondailytimes.com/news/local-news/2020/04/coronavirus-causing-more-issues-for-people-in-food-deserts/

There are many areas in America that are considered food deserts, meaning those areas have a lack of access to healthy food options due to transportation, income, and location. These areas are experiencing more difficulties as many businesses closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Their current issues are being amplified by many people getting laid off and current social distancing policies. With lowered incomes, increased unemployment, and social distancing policies, it is becoming increasingly difficult for these areas to access healthy food options.

The problem in this story is that people in desert areas are having even more difficulty accessing healthy food options due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

The people who have this problem are those located in desert areas.

 

3. Paterson High School Graduation Rate Dropped Two Years in a Row

https://patersontimes.com/2020/05/18/paterson-high-school-graduation-rate-dropped-two-years-in-a-row/

High schools in Paterson School District have experienced a decline in graduation rates for the second straight year. Although the previous year is not perfectly explainable, the larger drop this year is a result of a change in calculating graduation rates at the state level. This change, coming in 2019, ensured that students attending alternative schools were not apart of the graduation rate calculation.

The problem in this story is that there is a decrease in graduation rates in New Jersey.

The people who have this problem are students and school officials in Paterson, New Jersey and other nearby areas.

 

4. Philabundance to hold its first emergency food drive-through Friday morning at Citizens Bank Park parking lot

https://www.inquirer.com/news/hunger-pandemic-philabundance-food-distribution-coronavirus-phillies-20200528.html

The Covid 19 pandemic has increased the amount of people going hungry while also making distribution of food to these people more difficult. Due to financial and employment difficulties caused by the pandemic, 60% more people need food provided by Philabundance. Not only is this large increase in demand and issue to keep up with, safely distributing food to these people is also an issue. Thirty-five pounds is currently being distributed once a week by Philabundance to these people in need.

The problem in this story is that there is an increase in people not being able to afford food.

The people who have this problem is those people with a low income and cannot work during the pandemic.

 

5. Housing Authority donates $275K to ensure internet access for city students

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2020/05/28/Pittsburgh-Housing-Authority-donation-internet-access-laptops-city-public-schools-students/stories/202005280149

The Covid 19 pandemic has forced schools to begin teaching online, causing major issues for students in low-income areas. Many students in these areas do not have reliable internet access or equipment to participate in online schooling. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh is donating $275,000 to help buy these students laptops and other internet essentials. There still remains a large amount of students who still do not have access to their online schooling.

The problem in this story is that many students are unable to access their online schooling due to lack of internet access.

The people who have this problem is students in low-income areas who do not have reliable internet access.

 

 

 

4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

    An opportunity that I believe exists comes from the unmet need of basketball training. This applies to all high-level basketball players from middle school athletes all the way up to professional players. This need already existed for some players who do not live near any basketball skills trainers, but now all players have this unmet need due to the coronavirus pandemic. To try to fulfill this need, players are purchasing general online basketball programs that are the same for every player. They are not customized for the player and sometimes require equipment that the players do not have access to. I am 100% this opportunity exists as I have seen multiple players complain about not having access to trainers during this time.

    The protypical customer for this opportunity is high-level high school and college basketball players. I interviewed Omar Brown, the starting point guard for Saint Francis Catholic Academy, to discuss this opportunity. Omar said that he needs training customized for his skillset like he would have with his regular trainer before the coronavirus. This need was created as soon as the basketball courts closed due to the pandemic. Currently, he is following two separate online training programs from two separate trainers. However, he is unsatisfied with both programs because he feels as if it is tailored towards lower-level players and requires a full court at times which he does not have access to. He also does not like the lack of communication between himself and the trainers who made the program so he cannot ask questions to learn more about the drill and its application. 

    I learned that this opportunity is much more important than I initially believed. I was most surprised hearing that communication was the largest issue Omar had. I had not considered lack of communication as a barrier towards skill development for players using online training programs. I also learned that the format of most of these programs is very similar to a list with basic descriptions, which is very difficult to improve from. 

    I also interviewed Caleb Townsend, a college basketball player, to find out more about this opportunity. Caleb does not have much experience working with basketball skills trainers. However, after having a relative unsuccesful first season playing college basketball, he realized he needed a trainer to improve his game. This means he's been training with a trainer for a little less than a year. He thinks training has helped him improve his game as it provides him more structure than he ever has had. However, currently he has no way to fulfill this unmet need because of the coronavirus. He has access to a basketball court but no trainers are training right now. Instead, he has been playing and practicing by himself. He does not believe he is getting any better by practicing on his own, but instead he is just trying to maintain his skill and conditioning. This is not great for a player who did not have a great first year, but he believes he is doing everything he can given the circumstances.

    I learned that this opportunity for Caleb can be fulfilled much easier than Omar. I believe current available online training programs could provide Caleb with enough structure to improve his game. I was most surprised that he did not seem to think he needed the accountability of basketball trainers but more so just needed to know what he should do. 

    Lastly, I interviewed Ethan Miller, a starting forward for Creekside High School. Ethan's biggest need is online skills training that requires nothing except for a basketball and a flat surface, as that is all he has access to. He said that he's researched many existing online training programs, but they all require more equipment than he has available. This need began as soon as the stay-at-home orders were issued, as his trainer immediately stopped working with his clients. He currently is training by himself in his driveway to stay in shape. He is very unsatisfied with this alternative because he is limited to working on skills he already has because he does not have a trainer to teach him. He also finds it very difficult to remain motivated when he knows he is just trying to maintain his skill level and not improve it.

    The most surprising thing I learned about this opportunity was how important trainers are for motivating players. I think this specific unmet need comes from the lack of communication he currently has with other players and trainers. I also learned the unmet need is magnified when the player does not have the resources, such as a basketball hoop, to improve most parts of their game. I now know most players do not know how to get better without a basketball hoop or court simulating the context of a real game. 

    I believe the opportunity is larger than I previously thought. This pandemic has created unprecedented circumstances for many of these athletes, so the need for direction and motivation is more important than ever. Given that this is unprecedented, entrepreneurs should absolutely adapt their opportunities according to customer feedback. After interviewing these three players, I learned that all the online training programs mentioned are flawed and do not create as much value as they could for the athletes. I think a solution to their unmet needs is to have training sessions through Zoom or Facetime. This would allow the trainers to customize their training programs to their athletes' cirumstances. Additionally, consistent communication through these video calls will also increase and improve learning for these players.  

 

3A- My Entrepreneurship Story

    During Spring 2019, I interned for Coach Manny Torres, founder of For All Athletics LLC, as a basketball training intern. Coach Torres graduated from the University of Florida as a Sport Management major in hopes of creating a basketball training business. He did exactly that and continues to expand upon the traditional ideas of basketball training. One of his more innovative ideas was to start online basketball training which launched this month. This is an idea he had been brainstorming since I was an intern for him over a year ago. I was able to watch him overthink the format and content of the online training for over six months before finally just starting it. He realized that it was not going to be perfect regardless and that he needed to just create it and go from there. This realization had him extremely prepared when the coronavirus shut down all basketball courts. Instead of being stuck with no stream of income, he was able to launch his online training program. He continues to be innovative as he works on finding new ways to teach the game of basketball to the youth. 

This is Coach Torres and me viewing the beginning of the online training program.

I took this class because the idea of working for someone else sounds awful to me, and I knew being an entrepreneur is a potential alternative to that. Working a 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. job five days a week for the rest of my life also sounded awful as I would like to work and be productive during the hours I feel I work best at. I hope to find out in this class if being an entrepreneur is something I really want to become and develop as for the rest of my life.

2A- Bug List

1. At the doctor's office there is a long wait before being taken back to the room. This is most likely because doctors are unsure of what services they will perform every day so appointment times are estimates more than set times.

2. While playing video games on PS4, the internet cuts out and disconnects the game. This most likely happens because the connection can only serve a limited amount of devices.

3. During Zoom meetings, the connection is unstable leading to voices stuttering. This is because their has been an influx of users using Zoom due to the coronavirus. 

4. My iPhone 7 freezes then shuts off when exiting out of applications. This is most likely because Apple is trying to sabatoge old iPhones to make the users purchase the newer versions.

5. Chick-fil-A on Southside Blvd gives out the wrong order through the drive-through. This is becuase Chick-fil-a is extremely busy and the coronavirus increased traffic through the drive-through. 

6. When purchasing shirts at Kohl's the cashier does not remove the security tag off the shirts. This is because the cashiers made an honest mistake or they do not care enough about the job to pay attention to details.

7. When eating a Tropichop Bowl at Pollo Tropical in Bartram Park there is often hair in the food. This is because the cooks do not all wear hair nets when preparing the food.

8. While getting an oil change at Tuffy Tire & Auto Services, the auto mechanic constantly tries to sell more and more repairs that your car does not necessarily need right away. This is because the auto mechanics would like to make more money.

9. The door-to-door salesman that tries to sell kitchen appliances will not leave when I state my disinterest. This is because they do not get many sales and will try anything to make one. 

10. While picking up trash in my neighborhood, the garbageman does not pick up the pieces of trash he drops. This is because he is on a tight schedule and does not want to risk being late because of a few pieces of trash.

11. While assembling a new desk from Ikea, realizing that there is a screw missing from the set. This is because no one double checked the pieces while packaging it. 

12. The physical therapist I see during the 4 P.M. session often spends a lot of time on their phone while I am doing my exercises and fails to notice when I finish. This is because it is the end of the day and they are tired of working.

13. Not being able to watch a NBA game on NBA League Pass due to blackout restrictions. This is because the game was not sold out and local and national content providers have specific exclusive rights for streaming games. 

14. During Jaguars games, the beer vendors stand in the way of the view of the game while selling beer to customers. This is because the vendors have no interest in the game and are just focused on selling their product.

15. While purchasing food at McDonald's, the cashier asks if I would like to donate extra money to a children's hospital. This is because McDonald's wants to appear generous to its customers.

16. The dryer timer goes off signaling the clothes are dry, but the clothes are still damp. This is because my dryer is old and it is too expensive to replace.

17. When calling customer service numbers, it takes over five minutes to reach a real representative. This is because companies do not want to have to deal with simple or unnecessary complaints that they believe is a waste of time. 

18. When I buy a drink at McDonald's in Fruit Cove, the cup is sticky. This is because McDonald's focuses more on speed than quality so they do not correct their mistakes. 

19. When purchasing cat food at Walmart off of Archer Road, the cat food spills immediately when I pick it up from a hole in the bag. This is because Walmart does not care about the quality of their products, they are more focused on the quantity.

20. During the show Prison Break, Hulu starts a commercial at the most climatic part of the episode. This is so the consumers are forced to watch the commercial in order to watch the best part of the episode. 

I struggled mightily with this assignment because I am a very optimistic person and do not like focusing on the negatives in life. Often times I laugh off mistakes or bad situations because I believe there is nothing I can do to change them. Professor Pryor stated that the first five may be easier then the rest of the list, but I struggled from the very beginning. If I choose to be an entrepreneur, this is a skill I will need to practice developing. 

Testing..

Test post.