Fundamentals of Recreational Sports Management Certificate Program
Time limit: 365 days
2 credits
Full course description
Program summary:
Especially for municipal park and recreation agency front line staff and supervisors, this certificate program covers the most important aspects of managing leagues and tournaments. Focus areas include planning, design and scheduling, operations, financial management, facility selection and management, communications, promotions, and participant safety and health. Upon completion of this program, learners should have the tools they need to operate leagues and tournaments in accordance with an agency or organizational policies, requirements, and needs.
Program objectives:
After completing this certificate program, learners should be able to:
- Plan, design, and schedule leagues and tournaments in various recreational sports.
- Select and prepare facilities for safe, quality conditions.
- Understand budgeting and financial management basics of recreational sports.
- Effectively communicate league and tournament information to participants and stakeholders.
- Promote leagues and tournaments to attract players and teams, officials, spectators, and sponsors.
- Practice safety, health and emergency planning and response in recreational sports leagues and tournamnets.
Recommended background:
This course is intended for front line park and recreation agency or other organization employees new to recreation programming.
Creators:
This certificate program was designed and developed by the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University, adapting content originally developed in collaboration with USA Softball and other experienced sport management experts.
Program topics:
- Course 1: Recreational Sports League and Tournament Design and Scheduling
- Course 2: Recreational Sports League and Tournament Management Essentials
- Course 3: Recreational Sports Facility Management
- Course 4: Recreational Sports Communications and Promotions
- Course 5: Safety, Health, and Risk Management Considerations in Recreational Sports Settings
The certificate program includes the following elements:
- Five self-paced, self-study e-courses
- Companion assignments, which allow you to apply what you have learned in the courses and are reviewed by course instructors, with substantive feedback provided
- Informational text
- Interactive activities
- "Learn More" opportunities
- Real world examples
- Supplemental reference materials
- Informal knwoledge checks
These courses are self-paced, allowing learners the flexibility to complete the courses as quickly or slowly as they need.
After completing the content and activities in each course module, you will complete a final quiz to demonstrate your understanding of key course concepts. Upon successful completion of all course module quizzes and assignments, you will be awarded a program certificate of completion.
How to access:
Upon enrolling, you will receive instructions and the link to the Canvas course. Note: When you register, you will receive an email invitation. Be sure to accept that invitation, or Canvas will not allow you to open the course modules.
Enrollees can move through content modules at their own pace within the course timeframe.