Stay ConnectedPhilosophies of Sport Management
A supplemental textbook for college courses in sport management.
I did not write this textbook to prepare students for their first job—I wrote it to prepare them for their last one,
for when they reach the managerial level in positions such as, but not limited to, athletic director, senior women’s athletic director, director of intramural programs, director of campus recreation, director of fitness and wellness centers, director of employee sports programs, sport camp director, sports information director, stadium and arena manager, ballpark manager, assistant general manager of a professional sports team, and director of ticketing, marketing, and promotions of sport.
and for when they reach the senior executive level in positions such as, but not limited to, executive director, president, and commissioner of a sports govern-ing body such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), United States Golf Association (USGA), and the United States Tennis Association (USTA); owner and executive director of sports camps; executive director and chief executive officer of national professional associations and foundations, such as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF); and executive director of nation-al sport and recreation agencies, such as the Boys and Girls Club of America, YMCA, and YWCA.
I wrote this textbook to equip students with the philosophical knowledge that will help guide them, as the future leaders of sport management, in shaping the nature and scope of sports programs.
About the Author
Author’s Note
Chapter I. Introduction
A. What Is Philosophy?
B. Why Should Sport Management Students Study Philosophy?
Chapter II. Major Branches of Philosophy
Eight Branches of Philosophy
Additional Philosophical Considerations
Chapter III. Three Philosophical Schools of Thought
Idealism
Realism
Pragmatism
Chapter IV. Idealism Applied to Sport Management
Planning
Organizing/Administering
Staffing
Directing/Leading
Controlling
Evaluating
Chapter V. Realism as Applied to Sport Management
Planning
Organizing/Administering
Staffing
Directing/Leading
Controlling
Evaluating
Chapter VI. Pragmatism as Applied to Sport Management
Planning
Organizing/Administering
Staffing
Directing/Leading
Controlling
Evaluating
Chapter VII. A Comparison of the Three Schools of Thought
Chapter VIII. Examples of Idealism, Realism, and Pragmatism in Sport Management Programs
Delimitations of the Philosophical Analyses
A. Youth Sports Program of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Middle Tennessee
B. United States Army’s World Class Athlete Program
C. i9 Sports
D. NCAA Division II Athletics
E. NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
F. NCAA Division III Athletics
G. Youth Sports Program of the City of Streetsboro, Ohio, Parks and Recreation Department
H. United States Golf Association
I. Major Professional Team Sports Leagues and Associations in the United States
J. Club Sports Program at the University of Virginia
K. Athletic Program of the Westminster Christian High School
L. Disabled Sports USA Program
Chapter IX. Strengths and Weaknesses of Idealism, Realism, and Pragmatism
Idealism
Realism
Pragmatism
Chapter X. Discussion Questions
Questions Students Often Ask About Philosophy and Religion
The Main Question Students Ask About Consistency
Additional Questions for Discussion in Class
Approaching Problems in Sport Management From a Philosophical Point of View
Chapter XI. Student Learning Activities
The Upward Sports Program
Bibliography