Introduction to Sports
Management
SMGT 151
Managing Sport in the 21st Century
Emmanuel Aboagye
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lecture, a student will
be able to;
1. Define sport and sport management
1. Discuss examples of traditional and
non- traditional sport activities.
2. Identify settings in which sport
activities occur
3. Identify three sectors of
organisations that operate in the sport This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
industry
Learning outcomes Continues
4. Discuss unique aspects of sports management and the types
of positions available in the field.
5. Explain competencies required for success as a sport
manager.
Learning outcomes Continues
6. Apply critical thinking skills to a problem in sport
management
7. Discuss opportunities and challenges facing sport managers
of the future
Defining Sport and Sports
Management
• What do sports mean to you?
• Discuss in groups.
Sports as Fan
Sport as work
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Sport as work
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Sport as Employment
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Sport as Business
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
Is sport a business?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Forms of Sports.
Team sports:
Multiple participants
working together to defeat
opponents
Forms of Sport
Dual Sport:
Two participants facing
each other
Forms of Sport
• Individual sport:
Compete with one
another but
focuses on own
performance
Definition of Sport
• https://youtu.be/SbWGB2nZddA.
Definition of Sport
• In groups
• What is sport?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
Definition of Sport
• For an activity to be classified as sport it must include play,
be organised (governed by rules), include competition, be
comprised of skill and not chance include physicality (e.g.
physical skills), have a large following, and have achieved
institutionalization (institutional stability and important social
practice rather than a fad) (Jenny et al., 2016).
Definition of Sport
• Sport refers to a competitive physical activity. Sport is
generally recognised as activities based in physical
athleticism or physical dexterity. Sports are usually governed
by rules to ensure fair competition and consistent
adjudication of the winner. Records of performance are often
kept and reported in sport news. Sport is a major source of
entertainment with spectator sports drawing large crowds and
reaching wider audiences through sports broadcasting.
https://www.definitions.net/definition/sports.
Key Ideas in the definition of Sports
What is sport Management
What is Sport Management?
• https://youtu.be/a3FuLOLNJ2Q.
In Groups
• What is sport
management?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
What is Sport Management?
• Sport as defined and used in sports management is a broad
concept term used to denote all people activity, businesses,
and organisations involved in producing, facilitating,
promoting, or organizing any activity, experience or business
enterprise focused on fitness, recreation, athletics, or leisure,
sport product including goods, services, people, places and
ideas (B.G. Pitts, personal communication, November 18,
2017) as cited by Pedersen and Thibault (2018).
What is sport management
• The study and practice of all people, activities, businesses or
organisations involved in producing, facilitating, promoting
or organizing any sport related business or product
(Eksteen, 2014).
• Therefore, people who are employed in business endeavours
associated with sports are engaged in a career field known as
sport management.
Nature and Scope of the Sport Industry
• Just as there are several definitions of sport, there are many
ways to conceptualize the nature and the scope of the sport
industry.
• Three concepts provide overview of the industry.
• 1. Types of sports
• 2. Settings in which sports are found and
• 3. Models of sport industry segments
1. Types of Sports
• Awareness of wide diversity of sport opportunities available
to consumers is essential for anyone who anticipates
becoming a decision maker in sport
• Sport marketers must have understanding of both traditional
and new sport to effectively develop promotional strategies.
Types of Sports continue
Diverse sporting opportunities available to consumers
• What are some traditional and new sports?
• Name five sports that have emerged in the last ten years?
2. Settings for sport activities
• Examining the many different settings in which sport
activities occur.
• This provide ideas with sites that might need sport managers.
• The latest listing of the sport market place directory (2017)
has more than 14,000 sport related listing (Pedersen &
Thibault, 2018).
2. Settings in which
sporting activities occur
• Single sports (professional leagues, teams, organisations,
stakeholders)
• Multisport (athletic foundations, Olympic sport organisations,
high school and youth sports etc.)
• College sports (conferences, associations, sport management
degree programmes)
• Events, meetings, and trade shows (trading cards, technology
shows)
• Media (newspaper, magazines, radio, cable, pay-per-view,
premium cable, websites, satellite radio, etc….)
2. Settings in which sporting
activities occur
• Sports sponsors - (Corporations or local business)
• Professional services (agents, lawyers, sports medicine,
travel, athletic recruiting)
• Facilities (arenas and stadiums, tracks, parks, architect
services, concessions)
• Manufacturers and retailers (Nike, Adidas, etc.…software
producers, etc.…)
3. Models of sport industry segments
• An industry model that shows the relationships among
various segments and sectors of the sport industry.
• Product type model (participation, products, promotion)
Centers around sport products
• Economic impact model (entertainment, products, support
organizations) Centers around spending
• Sport activity model (sport-producing sector in the middle/
6 subsectors that support them)
Sport industry Sectors model
• Public
• Nonprofit and
• commercial
Three sectors of sports
State or Public Sector
Includes national,
state/provincial, regional and
local governments, and
specialist agencies that
develop sport policy,
provide funding to other
sectors, and support
specialist roles such as elite
athlete development or drug
control. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
non-profit or voluntary sector
Community based clubs, governing associations and
international sport organizations that provide competition and
participation opportunities, regulate and manage sporting
codes, and organize major championship events.
Nonprofit
Voluntary organizations whose main purpose is not to make a
profit but rather to address a social cause, a special interest,
and the needs of members. In many cases, organizations that
focus on education, cultural, religious, professional, or public
service operate as nonprofit organizations.
Professional or commercial sport
organizations
Comprise professional
leagues and their member
teams, as well as allied
organizations such as
sporting apparel and
equipment manufacturers,
media companies, major
stadium operators and event
managers.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Relationship between the three sectors
Public sector – Professional sector –
local council hires out local sports shop sells
facility for club kit and equipment
to meet in to players
Voluntary sector –
people join to play,
provides coaches and
referees, etc
Unique Aspects of Sport Management
Sport marketing – instant consumption, an event is watched, then it
is done.
Sport enterprise financial structures – competing for “discretionary
funds” of consumers – money left over after necessary expenditures
are made
Sport industry career paths (growing)
Difficulties in gender/race diversity and opportunity
Sport as a social institution
Acknowledged by the UN as an agent for positive change in the world
Sport Management Competencies
• Are universal and have remained relatively stable overtime
(Danylchuk & Boucher, 2003).
• Besides personal management and planning, sports
management organisations management and settings focus on
communication skills, technological aptitude and the ability
to interact in a global and multicultural society.
Sport Managers Need 2 Core
Competencies
• Managerial Leadership Skills (Business Leadership)
• Critical Thinking Skills (Problem solving, idea creation)
Important
Athletic Skill
Less
Managerial important
Leadership
Skills
Community sport Professional Sport
Sport management Competencies
Model
Sport
Management
Competencies
Model
Sport Management Competencies:
Critical Thinking Skills
• Examples of issues that sport management will need to
address
• Becoming a critical thinker
• Dispositions of critical thinkers
• Critical thinking is not simply thinking, negative thinking,
or creative thinking
Activity
• List the pros and cons of eliminating football for children
under 16.
• Who does this effect?
• Who should decide?
• Economic Impact?
• What is your recommendation?
Critical Thinking Skills
• The awareness of a set of interrelated critical questions
• The ability to ask and answer critical questions at appropriate
times
• The desire to use those questions and accept their results as a
guide to behavior
Critical Thinking Questions
• What are the issues and the conclusion?
• What are the reasons?
• What words or phrases are ambiguous?
• What are the value conflicts and assumptions?
(continued)
Critical Thinking Questions
(continued)
• What are the descriptive assumptions?
• Does the reasoning contain fallacies?
• How good is the evidence?
• What significant information is omitted?
Future Challenges and Opportunities
for Sports
• Technology
• Ethics and social responsibility
• Globalization of sport
Future Trends in the Field
Health and Fitness Industry:
• Family
• Niche
• Spa
• Personal training
Facility Management:
• Domes
• Golf
• Parks
Sporting Goods:
• Product Diversity
• Event management
Professional Sport:
• Additional franchises
Guidelines for Making
Ethical Decisions
Principled Decision Making
• Recognize an ethical issue
• Get the facts
• Evaluate alternative actions
• Make a decision and test it
• Act and reflect on the outcome
Three Review Questions
1. What are the three sport industry sector
models? Provide examples in each model.
2. What are the four unique aspects of sport
management? Explain how each makes the
sport business different from other businesses.
(continued)
Three Review Questions
(continued)
3. What is critical thinking? What are the benefits of applying
critical thinking skills to important issues in sport
management?
References
• Pedersen, P. M., & Thibault, L. (2018). Contemporary sport management. Human Kinetics.
• Eksteen, E. (2014). Sport Management: Manual for Sport Management. -E. Eksteen & book boon. com.
•
