2020 Wrapped: CG Sports Edition

Hey there.

Let’s talk 2020. When you hear the word pivot, we’ve mentioned several individuals and companies who have successfully done so this year. Thankfully, we have been able to do some pivoting ourselves to match the pace of this year’s events, and level up in ways we had planned for years down the road.

A few big things we were grateful to create this year:

• CG Sports Network

• CG Sports Publishing

• THE CG Sports Company… all of it.

Let’s dive in to the details, starting with some top posts from our social and the weekly newsletters.

1. Haylie McCleney’s love story was highlighted in an article published on Team USA’s news outlet: “U.S. Softball Star Haylie McCleney Doesn’t Have A Coming Out Story, She Has A Love Story”. This was our top social post, drawing in 600 likes. It was written at the right time, coming out at the end of Pride Month in June, but we’ll be the first to tell you how amazing Haylie is as an individual and an athlete, which might be why she reigned in so many fans of the post.

2. McKenzie Coan wrote a letter to the late Ruth Bade Ginsburg. It was powerful. McKenzie, a future lawyer inspired by RBG’s trailblazing work, put into words what many of us were unable to express.

You may have come across us after hearing about the summer webinars, or Swimmers for Change. That is all thanks to the launch of our very own network.

3. We launched the CG Sports Network in April 2020. Packed with meaningful, hilarious conversations from some of the world’s most talented athletes and speakers, each show was a hit. Nearly all of the episodes are still available for free to watch again and again!

We even got to produce the 10-week series, Swimmers for Change, spearheaded by Olympic Swimmers, Lia Neal and Jacob Pebley, aimed at increasing awareness about racial injustices and raising money for the Black community.

4. This year we launched Rachel’s Rundown, a weekly wrap-up of sports news and marketing, and CG Sports updates. It was an organic evolution from the CG Sports Network weekly previews, and has grown to 10,000+ subscribers.

Within the newsletter, CEO Cejih Yung added a segment “Cejih Explains”, to help give you more insight into the world of sport marketing, sponsorships, athlete branding, and other relevant topics. It quickly developed a social media presence through our best friend, Instagram Reels, and racked up over 2,800 views in one day. Safe to say, we were ~shook.

5. One of the funniest individuals we know, and most talented, join the team - Calvin, the Intern. Through comedic, unfiltered days in the life, and some excellent production and editing skills, his videos jumped from 98 to nearly 2100 views. We aren’t the only ones who love Calvin, and lucky for us all, he got an upgrade and is no longer Calvin, the Intern… Will be rebrand? 🤔

YouTube is also home to Elizabeth Beisel’s Fireside Chats. Having fellow World class athlete, Natalie Hinds on for the debut episode “Race, Swimming, and the Fight for Equality” was the perfect opportunity to showcase the importance of difficult conversations, and the need for open-mindedness and vulnerability. For the second episode, “Channeling Your Inner Champion” Beisel is accompanied by Champion’s Mojo co-hosts, Kelly Place and Maria Parker, sharing the difficulties along their journey that developed them into the World Record holding athletes they are today, in addition to being best friends, co-hosts, and successful business women. 

6. CG Sports Publishing (CGSP) was born in July 2020, and helped bring to life Katie Hoff’s Blueprint as its first piece of work. Two-Time USA Olympian Katie Hoff landed herself another notable title - International Best-Selling Author, within the first day of release. She joins Elizabeth Beisel who received the similar praises and International Best-Selling accomplishments with Silver Lining in February. Pretty cool to say you have competed in AND sold your own book in 5+ countries around the world. What can these two NOT do?! Seriously.

Most recently, Two-Time Paralympic Swimmer McKenzie Coan and Two-Time Track and Field Olympian Tianna Bartoletta, signed their first publishing deals, set to release in 2021.

7. We have officially entered into winter sports, with the addition of one of Team USA’s best snowboarders…which we cannot wait to announce in the coming weeks. ;)

8. CG Sports Merch is available to the public! Beanies, tees, hats, and stickers for that blank space between the other 7 stickers on your water bottle. Shoutout Chlorine Deckwear!

---

And that’s a wrap. We love you all for sticking with us and supporting the CG Sports Company, along with the athletes, speakers, and brands that we love so much.

Cheers to the future, ladies and gentlemen. 🥂