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College of Education

Sport Management graduate program information session

In the meeting, we will discuss the purpose of pursuing a master’s degree, provide an overview of the WSU Sport Management master’s program, discuss funding options at WSU and elsewhere, and answer any questions students might have. A current WSU Sport Management master’s student will share her experience as a student and graduate assistant. The meeting will open with a short presentation, followed by plenty of time for questions. Late drop-ins are welcome to join us “open house”-style any time until 2 p.m.

Sport Management guest lecture: “Performing in the spectacle: The 21st-Century Gladiator and the Modern-Day Coliseum”

Dr. Ashleigh-Jane Thompson, a Lecturer and Program Director within La Trobe University’s Department of Management, Sport and Tourism, will present a guest lecture entitled, “Performing in the spectacle: The 21st-Century Gladiator and the Modern-Day Coliseum,” 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, in Cleveland Hall 30E.

Social media have become pervasive parts of modern society, consumer culture and are now an important facet of sport communication. In this talk, Dr. Thompson will consider the growing importance of social media as a sport communication tool, share how athletes are negotiating and performing in this new arena, and the exciting new opportunities that make sport fans part of the spectacle. She will also discuss whether social media serves up the right results for stakeholders involved in a global sport like tennis.

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The good, bad, and ugly of social media in sport will be discussed at Washington State University Pullman by a professor from La Trobe University in Australia, in an open lecture at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, in Cleveland Hall 30E.

Ashleigh-Jane Thompson’s lecture, titled “Performing in the Spectacle: The 21st-Century Gladiator and the Modern-Day Coliseum,” will discuss the growing importance of social media as a communication tool in sport.

“The strategic use of social media might help sport brands create an authentic connection with fans, and develop social bonds that are not easily copied by competitors,” said Thompson, who directs study programs in Sport Development and Management in the La Trobe Business School.

“Social media’s lack of geographical and temporal boundaries allow fans to feel part of the tournament, even if they are thousands of kilometers away. Fans forget they are communicating with a company.”

Thompson studies the impact of communication between sport organizations, athletes, and consumers.

If used correctly, social media allows athletes to cultivate their image and increase their potential endorsement value. However, when used incorrectly, it can cause irreparable harm.

“Whether athletes want to acknowledge it or not, they are public figures and receive increased attention, and social media enhances this,” Thompson said. “There’s a fragility around an athlete’s playing career – for example, through injury – but there’s also the possibility of athletes destroying their career through posts to social media.”

Thompson is originally from New Zealand, a sport-mad nation that often punches above its weight in global contests. “I’m hoping to share with you a view inside New Zealand’s unique outlook on sport, our idolized stars and the use of social media,” Thompson said about her visit to Pullman.

“Australia and New Zealand are very technologically advanced, and frequent test markets for new digital products,” said Simon Licen, assistant professor of sport management and program coordinator. “Dr. Thompson will introduce us to the ‘tomorrow’ of today’s technologies.”

Thompson has studied a range of sports including elite tennis, rugby, and cricket. She maintains connections within the sport industry and provides guidance to national and international sport organizations and events.

“This presentation will be particularly valuable to people interested in social media and sport in university departments, Olympic sports, and beyond, who cannot count on league mastodons to provide detailed guidelines and rather need to rely on their own creativity and originality when using cutting-edge technology,” Licen said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Thompson will present a guest lecture on alcohol and sport in New Zealand to students in a course on sport and popular culture. She studied alcohol advertisement in rugby and cricket world cups hosted by the island nation.

The event is hosted by the Sport Management program in the College of Education.

International social media scholar to speak at WSU

 

Sport Management Research Meeting

Scott Jedlicka, an assistant professor in sport management, will speak in the fourth and final Sport Management Research Meeting of the Fall 2017 semester. His presentation, “A Compatibility Issue: International Sport Events and Domestic Polities,” will occur 4-5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 15, in Cleveland Hall 255 in Pullman.

In the last decade, international sport and multi-sport events seem to be receiving a warm welcome from undemocratic regimes. Dr. Jedlicka’s study attempts to empirically verify whether the ostensible shift toward autocratic host destinations is actually taking place. As international sport organizations struggle to reclaim the moral authority eroded by scandal, the association of sport with autocratic regimes may bring further unwanted scrutiny and undermine these organizations’ pursuit of public redemption.

Sport Management research meetings are organized by the Sport Management program at Washington State University. They occur monthly and feature faculty and student presentations of ongoing and completed research projects. Students and faculty from all programs are welcome to attend.

Meetings will resume next semester. A video archive of past presentations can be found here.

Sport Management Club Guest Speaker

On Tuesday, September 27, the Sport Management Club will have Mr. Mike Johnston, VP, General Manager, and Head Coach of the Portland Winterhawks speaking to the club.  The event will begin at 6 p.m.  All students are welcome.  It is free for Club members and $5 for non-members.  Mr. Johnston brings a world of experience in professional hockey as his previous jobs include coaching the Canadian National Hockey team as well as the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.