One of my first ventures into the field of Sport Management was with a project called the Rock Run, an event conducted at Slippery Rock University.
Designed as a fund raiser for the SRU Athletic Training Club, the 5K Rock Run attracted approximately 300 runners from the local area. I was elected co-chairperson of the committee that designed and implemented the event. Shown below are the advertising posters for the 1987 and 1988 races, both which were deemed successful in terms of marketing the club, turning a profit, and promoting good health.
Organizing the Rock Run provided me with important knowledge and skills that I continue to draw upon in my teaching about the various aspects of Sport Management profession. I learned many valuable lessons in corporate sponsorship, advertising, administration and leadership; lessons that I continue to discuss with the students. The Rock Run also helped me better understand all that goes into planning and successfully implementing a sport management activity.
While at Slippery Rock, I also had an opportunity to provide tours of the campus for prospective students, especially for students and families interested in the profession of athletic training and teacher education. Serving as a host and answering questions on the fly prepared me to organize several future student recruitment activities at the college and universities where I later was employed. For example, at Wilmington College I was responsible for planning our annual Athletic Training Day, a large scale student recruiting event that I based partly on my educational and service experiences learned at Slippery Rock.
In recognition of my work on behalf of Athletic Training, I was awarded the Slippery Rock University Service Award.
Shown below are some samples of the Sport Management marketing materials from the Rock Run, and more current examples from the MU program where I am on the faculty.
