Inside the sport management BS: Business of Sport course
The sport management major within the School of Kinesiology teaches students about the business side of sports. This industry is continuously evolving, so to be prepared for their future careers, students are taught to identify, define, and solve problems within sports. One way the curriculum prepares students to do this is through the Business of Sport class.
The Business of Sport course, taught by Kevin King and in collaboration with the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship in the Carlson School of Management, focuses on students thinking entrepreneurially to solve sport industry problems. Students work in teams to come up with a creative solution to a problem within the industry. Throughout this project, students receive feedback on their idea from their professor, business experts from the Carlson School of Management, and entrepreneurs in the sport industry. At the end of the course, students pitch their refined business ideas to their peers. Their peers then determine their favorite project to “invest” in. This class is collaborative in nature and connects students with people in the sports and business industries.
To see this course in action, past student Julia Orlando took us through her experience.
What was your team's project? How did you come up with the idea?
My groups finalized project was called “Victory Volunteer.” It aimed to streamline volunteer management in the athletic community by providing a centralized platform that would make recruitment, communication, and event logistics for volunteers and event management easier. This idea was manifested after our difficulties finding volunteer opportunities and lack of a centralized location for athletic related volunteer options.
Throughout the class, there were opportunities for your team to get feedback on your project proposal. What were these experiences like?
The opportunity to talk with entrepreneurs who are in the athletic industry helped us to refine our ideas and consider new perspectives we had been missing. Overall, the experience gave great real-world insight about the entrepreneurial process that we would not have received in the classroom.
What did you learn and find valuable from this experience?
The primary thing that this class taught me is that pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone is a great way to learn. I also enjoyed being able to practically apply what we were learning in class. I believe this really prepared me for the projects and collaborative work I will undertake in my career!
This course is one of many in the sport management major that allows students to work collaboratively and apply their learnings to real-world issues. To learn more about the major and to apply, visit the sport management program page.