SPM 4800 Contemporary Issues in Sport
This is a capstone course for the Sports Management major within the School of Business. The class will examine contemporary sport both factually and critically, with a focus on sport in the United States, as well as the global community of sport. Since the 1960s and 1970s, major changes in US society have impacted the world of sport. Racial barriers have given way, allowing African Americans to dominate in basketball and football. Women and girls have greater opportunity to participate in sport than they did prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972. The Special Olympics and Paralympic Games have become major sport events for people with disabilities. Youth sport continues to evolve, leading to greater specialization and dramatically increased sports dropout rates. And a surging population of older adults are looking to sport and physical activity to enhance health, personal fitness, quality of life, and social interaction. Social issues in sport are as many and varied as the people who participate in sport. The topics in this course will be as fluid and changing as the business of sport itself.