From Classroom to Field : Enhancing Sport Management Education to Promote Successful Application of Theoretical Knowledge

StatementSport management is a hands-on field that involves managing and organizing sports events,teams, athletes, and facilities. Therefore, students in Sport management education programsneed opportunities to gain practical experience through internships or other types ofexperiential learning. However, such opportunities may be limited due to the availability ofinternships, funding, or access to industry partners. Against this backdrop, staff and studentsat the Coaching and Sport Management programme (CSM), at the Linnaeus University inVäxjö, Sweden initiated a cooperative process with the purpose to develop a course in whichstudents could integrate their theoretical knowledge into practice.The results of this work culminated in a field-based course (UBL) in which the students wereto implement the learning and theories from other courses in practice. The course has evolvedinto a vital component in preparing students for their future careers in the field of sportmanagement. With a history spanning almost 20 years, over 600 students have successfullycompleted the course. According to a published university report, approximately 70 % of thesegraduates have secured employment in various course-related positions and have developed aprofessional practice network (Andersson, 2020). AimIn this professional practice abstract, targeted towards the Sport Management Educationsession, the aim is to share experiences on the UBL-course. We will present the field-basedcourse, give examples of students approaches in the course, and reflect on the course outcomes(including the students’ own and stakeholders experiences). Further, we would like to initiatea discussion regarding ‘best practice experiences’ from similar courses. BackgroundTheoretical knowledge can provide a foundation for effective practice, while practicalexperience can help refine and improve theoretical understanding. However, there can also bechallenges in translating theoretical knowledge into effective practice, and in ensuring thatpractice is informed by the latest theoretical insights. It is imperative that sport managementeducation programs offer students opportunities to transfer the knowledge learned to real lifecases in a sporting context relevant for the students’ future professional career.The sport management field is highly competitive, and there may be limited job opportunitiesfor graduates. Therefore, integrating theory and practice, and give the students opportunitiesof hands-on experience to develop practical skills, and build industry connections is essentialin sport management education to prepare students for the complex and dynamic sportindustry. As such, experimental learning courses are highly relevant for the employability ofstudents in the field of Sport Management. Design and ImplementationOften fieldwork courses or internships consist of “shadowing”, where the student follows andassist an employee resulting in limited learning opportunities for the student. However, theUBL course has been designed to involve the students in actual sport management projectswhere they are responsible for specific parts of a project or managing the whole project themselves. Hence, the UBL course is mainly project-oriented and is based on assignments incooperation with the (sporting) society, through sports associations/clubs, municipalities andcompanies operating in the sport industry. Outputs/Outcomes, Reflections and Future DevelopmentStudents in Sport management education need opportunities to gain practical experiencethrough internships or other types of experiential learning in order to integrate theory andpractice that enhance their employability.With 10 years of experience from the UBL course we have seen that the students have had theopportunity to put their theoretical knowledge into a relevant practical context and that theexperiences from the field have enriched and increased the theoretical understanding in sportmanagement. Through this course, the students have initiated contacts with future employers,boosted their c.v. with concrete results, and several of them have been offered permanentemployment before graduation as a result