This two year program leading to the Associate in Applied Science degree prepares students for careers in a number of widely diverse fields related to the growing sport industry market. This program is designed to appeal to those students who wish to combine a practical business background with an interest in the sports world.

Course work and leadership experience in Sport Management are emphasized in the program. Potential career options include: professional sports management, educational athletics, leisure products, sport clubs and camps, and sport retailing and manufacturing.

Graduates of the Recreation Leadership/Sport Management A.A.S. will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes

• Foundation knowledge of sports management/recreation leadership core concepts and methods
  • Scope of physical education, sport, recreation and leisure today in terms of past present and future trends concerning organized programs, leadership, funding, sponsorship and professional organization
  • Goals and overall philosophical base of the physical education, sport, recreation, leisure field in modern society as well as the problems, challenges and issues that face leaders in today’s society
  • Understanding of the relationship between leisure, recreation, and health
  • Knowledge of the process used in the delivery of therapeutic recreation services
  • Knowledge and understanding of coaching as a profession
  • Knowledge and understanding of sport and event management
  • Exercise facts and basic knowledge of fitness
  • Problem solving – decision making for lifetime fitness
  • Components of a sound philosophy as it pertains to interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics
  • Administrative processes essential to a successful sports program including budgeting, record keeping, public relations, and facility management
  • Problem solving and decision making for implementing new camp programs
  • Task generalization and sufficient evaluation of methods essential for camp settings
  • The importance of human resource management in sports
  • Basic understanding of the laws regarding liability, contract law and risk management as it pertains to sports management
• Knowledge of information literacy as it relates to recreation leadership/sport management
  • Interpret both the theoretical and practical aspect of physical education, sport, recreation, leisure fields
  • analyze the scholarly meaning of physical education, sports, recreation and leisure as seen from the perspectives of such social and behavioral sciences as history, sociology, psychology and economics
  • explore scientific principles as they relate to athletic training and conditioning
  • distinguish the effects of psychological, sociological, and environmental variables on athletic training and competition
• Career information
  • Basic library, research and communication skills
  • Ability to understand, summarize, analyze and critically evaluate
  • sources of recreation leadership/sport management information
• Knowledge of career opportunities in the field of recreation leadership/sport management
  • Professional opportunities and limitations in today’s job market and major job roles and settings in leisure-related business
  • Workplace competencies related to a future career in sport management field
  • Career options and experience in the applications of skills required in event management and game administration
  • Different settings of practice for therapeutic recreation
  • recreation leadership/sport management job descriptions, requirements and benefits
  • Career opportunities in recreation leadership/sport management
  • Educational transfer opportunities in recreation leadership/sport management
• Critical thinking, oral and written communication skills
  • General communication skills
  • Instruction in and assessment of critical thinking skills