Maximizing youth experiences in community sport programs is critical, particularly for vulnerable and/or marginalized youth who may have limited access and opportunity to these experiences. Using second-order latent growth modeling, this study explores the impact of a community sport program, the LiFE Sports Camp, on the development of social and sport skills among vulnerable youth. The importance of a sense of belonging as a key mechanism that contributes to youth outcomes also is examined. The findings of this research point to the value of community sport that is strategically designed to promote both sport and social outcomes in youth, as well as highlights the role of belonging in these contexts. Implications for sports management leaders and practitioners are discussed.
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Maximizing Youth Experiences in Community Sport Settings: The Design and Impact of the LiFE Sports Camp
Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Allison Riley, Anthony Amorose, Aidyn Iachini, and Rebecca Wade-Mdivanian
Officiating Attrition: The Experiences of Former Referees Via a Sport Development Lens
Stacy Warner, Jacob K. Tingle, and Pamm Kellett
Referees are key sport personnel who have important responsibilities both on- and off- the field. Organized competition would not survive without referees, yet little is known about what cause referees to discontinue in the role. This research examines the experiences of former referees so that managers may better understand strategies that might encourage more referees to be retained. Fifteen previous basketball referees were interviewed about their refereeing experience. Ten themes emerged that were related to the sport development stages of referee recruitment, referee retention, and referee advancement. The results indicate that issues experienced during the retention phase (Problematic Social Interaction, Training/Mentoring, and Lack of Referee Community) and then at the advancing stage (Lack of Administrator Consideration, Administrator Decision Making, and Sport Policies) are linked to eventual departure from the role. Interestingly, off-court factors were reported as more influential in the decision to leave. Managerial strategies and implications are discussed.
In Search of Relived Social Experience: Group-Based Nostalgia Sport Tourism
Sheranne Fairley
Why do some fans travel to follow professional sport teams? In order to answer that question, participant observation and ethnographic interviews were used to examine the motives and behaviors of a group that undertakes a 5-day bus trip to watch its team play in a distant city. Nostalgia was identified as a key element of the experience. In particular, nostalgic recollections of past trips were found to be a vital basis for repeated travel by the group and for socializing new members. Five themes having to do with nostalgia were identified: nostalgia as motive, norms and rituals as objects of nostalgia, best experience as object of nostalgia, nostalgia as a basis for trip suggestions, and nostalgia through socialization. It is suggested that group-based nostalgia can play a more significant role in fan travel behavior than has heretofore been recognized and that nostalgic appeals can foster repeat purchase.
Perceived Barriers and Sources of Support for Undergraduate Female Students’ Persistence in the Sport Management Major
Molly Hayes Sauder, Michael Mudrick, and Jaime R. DeLuca
student experience is a particularly critical area of inquiry, especially given the influx of programs in the United States and the size and importance of the sport sector of the economy ( Leberman & Shaw, 2015 ). As such, this study seeks to better understand the holistic complexity of the female student
Streaming in Esports: Lessons Learned From Student Reflection Journals
Kostas Karadakis
in developing and delivering this assignment. Kolb’s theory is based on a holistic model of learning that is achieved from a student’s experiences ( Kolb & Kolb, 2009 ). The assignment was assessed by the experiential learning practices of students in an undergraduate introduction to esport class
Self-Categorization and Sport Management Students: Perceptions of Industry and Discipline by Self-Identified Gender
Mike Ross, Bobby Berry, and Mark Vermillion
( Burton et al., 2009 ; Hindman & Walker, 2020 ), male students preferring female sport management professors in the classroom ( Sosa & Sagas, 2008 ), and how students’ gendered perceptions of sport are impacted by generation Z experiences ( Schailee et al., 2021 ). While research continues to identify
Authentic Assessment Through the Sport Management Practicum: Participants’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of a Student-Led Sports Event
Amy K. Bermingham, Ross D. Neville, and Kyriaki Makopoulou
-à-vis graduate attributes ( Fahrner & Schüttoff, 2020 ; Miragaia, da Costa, & Ratten, 2018 ; Miragaia & Soares, 2017 ). One way to achieve this is by exposing sport management students to industry-based and, therefore, authentic, practical learning experiences over the course of their degree programs ( Gavin
Enhancing Holistic Learning Through a Sport Management Short-Term Study Abroad
Daniel L. Springer, Arden J. Anderson, Stuart M. Dixon, Stacy M. Warner, and Marlene A. Dixon
, Braskamp, & Merrill, 2009 ; Danylchuk, 2011 ; Jones & Cunningham, 2008 ; Vande Berg, Connor-Linton, & Paige, 2009 ). Traditional, long-term study abroad trips provide numerous experiences that can push students out of their comfort zone by providing both academic and personal growth opportunities in a
Experiential Learning From a Classroom Desk: Exploring Student Perceptions of Applied Coursework
Jaime R. DeLuca and Emily Fornatora
contributes to student success. While many universities provide these requisite opportunities in the form of internship requirements and field experience classes, implementing hands-on, experiential learning projects and coursework can be an important way for students to gain applied learning opportunities
Examining the Workplace Experiences of Sport Employees Who Are LGBT: A Social Categorization Theory Perspective
E. Nicole Melton and George B. Cunningham
The purpose of this qualitative analysis was to explore the work experiences of sport employees who are LGBT, and examine how these individuals negotiate their multiple social identities in a sport context. Considering the growing interest in sport, and sport management in particular, it is important for scholars to gain of better understanding of why people choose to work in the sport industry, and understand how employee identity may influence career decisions and subsequent work experiences. Thus, the researchers only interviewed employees who did not fulfill coaching or player roles, as these individuals could potentially work in other industries. Analysis of the data revealed how working in a sport context may present sexual minorities with certain advantages, such as an opportunity to enhance self-esteem and gain social acceptance. When confronted with unjust treatment because of their sexual orientation, employees used coworker social support and social mobility techniques to cope with these negative situations. Although the employees did not always view their sexual orientation as salient to their identity, they had all disclosed their sexual orientation, to varying degrees, to others in the workplace. Finally, though the participants did not engage in social change activities, some of their supportive coworkers attempted to proactively create a more inclusive work environment. Implications of these findings are discussed and practical suggestions are provided.