Sport Facilities III

Environmental sustainability and sport management education: bridging the gaps Jeffrey Grahama, Sylvia Trendafilovaa and Vassilios Ziakasb

aKinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Management, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA; bFaculty of Sport, Health & Wellbeing, University of Saint Mark and Saint John, Plymouth, UK

ABSTRACT Although sport management higher education has recognized the need to include environmental sustainability in curricula, little is known about the scope and content of environmental sustainability curricula. This study conducted an inventory of environmental sustainability courses offered in sport management programs. A questionnaire was distributed to 553 faculty members from North American higher education institutions. Additionally, a panel of experts were interviewed about the benefits, drawbacks and challenges of including sustainability in a sport management curriculum. Findings reveal that very few programs currently have stand-alone courses dedicated to environmental sustainability in sport. There are significant barriers to adopting environmental sustainability in sport as a stand-alone course and as a module, which certainly makes developing stand-alone coursework a long-term process. However, these challenges have not stopped many programs from incorporating these topics into their programs of study in other creative ways. The paper suggests ways to overcome barriers and integrate environmental and sport management education.

ARTICLE HISTORY Received 5 June 2018 Accepted 26 September 2018

KEYWORDS Higher education; environmental sustainability; curriculum; sport

Introduction

Sport organizations have recently started to pay considerable attention to environmental sus- tainability as part of their response to industry trends and policies of making the sport sector more sustainable (Trendafilova, Babiak, & Heinze, 2013). Correspondingly, sport manage- ment higher education, being a key stakeholder of the sport sector that prepares upcoming specialists to ideally develop sport in a sustain- able manner, has recognized the need to include environmental sustainability in curricula (Pfahl, 2015). This can enable future pro- fessionals to develop skills and be equipped with the tools to manage the environmental

impacts of sport. However, little is known about environmental sustainability curricula in sport management and how topics of sustain- ability can best be integrated into the standard coursework.

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct an inventory of current environmental sustainability courses offered in sport manage- ment programs. Additionally, we sought the input of a panel of faculty who are experts in the area of environmental sustainability in the sport context to give insight into these pro- grammatic trends. The paper first reviews the literature on the resonance of environmental sustainability for the sport sector and the

© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

CONTACT Jeffrey Graham [email protected] Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Management, University of Tennessee, 1914 Andy Holt Ave, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA

MANAGING SPORT AND LEISURE 2018, VOL. 23, NOS. 4–6, 422–433 https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2018.1530069

underlying issues, gaps and perspectives in sport management education. The methods employed in the study are explained followed by the presentation of results and a discussion of key findings.

Resonance of environmental sustainability in the sport context

The sport industry has recently witnessed a shift in which organizations have begun to place considerable importance on becoming more environmentally conscientious at the collegiate, professional and international levels (Babiak & Trendafilova, 2011; Casper, Pfahl, & McSherry, 2012; Greenhalgh, LeCrom, & Dwyer, 2015; Tren- dafilova et al., 2013). For example, there have been numerous on-campus efforts in collegiate sports such as the development of recycling programs and increased attention given to the issue at campus recreation and associated sporting events (Casper, Pfahl, & McCullough, 2014; Pfahl, 2015). Similarly, at the professional level, major sport leagues in North America are collaborating with the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in order to implement systems, structures and specific programs to engage in greening initiatives (Trendafilova & Babiak, 2013). Furthermore, at the international level, Australia has a number of leaders in environmental building and design practices within the sport sector. Many of the efforts were inspired by the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and since then, the Sydney Olympic Park Auth- ority (SOPA) have expanded the design and use practices to all those residing within its commu- nity (Trendafilova, McCullough, et al., 2014). These examples demonstrate how important sustainability has become in the sport context. Accordingly, environmental initiatives within the sport industry are taken as part of commu- nity outreach that encourages sport personnel to give back to the local community (Carroll & Shabana, 2010; Pfahl, 2015). This underlines essentially a movement away from exploiting the environment to one of being responsible

and valuing the protection of the natural environment (Glicken & Fairbrother, 2000).

However, environmental sustainability is not adopted with the same pace and determination along different sport sectors and domains. For example, as Mallen, Adams, Stevens, and Thompson (2010) observe, environmental sus- tainability is slowly gaining credibility and becoming a priority at sport facilities in North America, although these facilities may lack the financial investment to support quick and impactful advancements in sustainability initiat- ives. Similarly, Trendafilova, Kellison, and Spear- man (2014) examined the environmental practices of small-scale sport facilities and con- cluded that multiple challenges prevent sport facility managers from adopting environmen- tally sustainable initiatives such as lack of edu- cation, the age of the facility, limited funding, and insufficient human power. In this regard, deficiencies in the adoption and application of environmental initiatives in the sport industry illustrate that there is a need for a broader fra- mework to encompass the integration of environmental sustainability into different sport industry sectors and contexts. Moreover, Mallen et al. (2010) reviewed the sport manage- ment literature and discovered the paucity of research regarding environmental sustainabil- ity. They pointed out multiple gaps including challenges, barriers, best practices, competen- cies and education.

Environmental sustainability and sport management education

A foundation for the development of a compre- hensive understanding of environmental sus- tainability across the sport industry is education. In particular, the natural environ- ment provides opportunities for experiential learning, as it touches all aspects of organiz- ational operations in both strategic and oper- ational ways (Pfahl, 2015). The inclusion of the natural environment within various com- ponents of a sport management curriculum

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ultimately develops a student’s theoretical and applied understanding of what managing a sport organization involves (Pfahl, 2015). Conse- quently, a number of scholars have expressed the need for students to be educated on the topic of sustainability. This call cuts across the sport management, tourism and recreation sectors (Casper & Pfahl, 2012; Hales & Jennings, 2017).

On a broader level, a growing recognition has emerged that environmental sustainability should be embedded into higher education aimed at changing students’ thinking and behavior regarding the environment (Mitchell & Walinga, 2017; Thomas, 2009). Hales and Jen- nings (2017) suggest that even though progress in education for sustainable development has been limited, there has been some improve- ment in sustainable practices in higher edu- cation in terms of government-led incentives, socio-economic expectations of education, part- nership platforms, student leadership and experiential practice in the curriculum. However, these changes have not been sus- tained in universities (Tilbury, 2011). That is, most higher education programs do not have a critical dimension to the extent that the major socio-economic and environmental pro- blems are pedagogically addressed in order to produce more reflexive practitioners (Hales & Jennings, 2017). As Thomas (2009) found, higher education should develop student problem-solving skills and the ability of stu- dents to assess environmental impacts, initiate and manage environmental change, identify the important attributes of the environment, and acquire knowledge regarding sustainable development while encouraging them to adopt values conducive to environment.

In this respect, Hales and Jennings (2017) maintain that learner-centered, critical and transformative approaches are important in facilitating the development of more complex ways of thinking about sustainability. Similarly, it has been suggested that there is an urgent need to educate students through comparative

analysis that is creative, effective, and accepta- ble to the transformative principles of sustain- able development (Liu, Horng, Chou, & Yung-Chuan Huang, 2017). Along these lines, Hales and Jennings (2017) argue that transfor- mational learning constitutes a key pedagogical approach suited to sustainability in the class- room as it facilitates the adaptive capacity of individuals and groups to uncertainty. As such, they emphasize that the need for more atten- tion to sustainability education needs to be imbued with a conscious focus on offering a transformative educational experience that enables students to develop the capacity for solutions to complex problems.

Within sport management education, environmental sustainability remains tentative and dispersed across different courses and sub- jects. Yet, its importance has been highlighted in order for becoming a distinct part of sport management higher education programs. This argument lies at the reasoning that the sport management curriculum is a pre-hire anticipat- ory socialization stage in which students are preparing themselves for personal and career challenges within the sport industry (Pfahl, 2015). As such, their experience affects develop- ing environmental perceptions and understand- ing of environmental issues, as well as their inclination to take action (Casper & Pfahl, 2012). This brings to the fore the potential of sport management education to shape future actions in the sport industry (Pfahl, 2015). Incor- porating the environment into sport manage- ment education can shape assumptions, encourage innovative strategies and options that drive the advancement of environmental sustainability (Mallen et al., 2010). The challenge then is how environmental sustainability can be effectively incorporated into the sport manage- ment curriculum.

Mallen et al. (2010), guiding sport manage- ment educators in embedding environmental sustainability throughout the curriculum, put forward three central themes. First, a shift in thinking is needed to foster a vision of advances

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to managing effectively the business–nature interface by changing the ways of thinking about doing business (Sharma, Pablo, & Vreden- burg, 1999). Second, developing responsiveness about the environment is important for shaping managerial and operational performance strat- egies. Third, determining the appropriate environmental impact of sport could alter the direction of sport for environmental responsibil- ity. This type of change in thinking may require a transformative learning experience (Mezirow, 2003, 2009). Transformative learning is when problematic frames of reference, such as fixed mindsets, sets of assumptions or expectations, are challenged and encouraged to become more inclusive, discriminating, open, reflective and emotionally able to change (Mezirow, 2009). Pfahl (2015) argues for a shift from focus- ing on single aspects of environmental initiat- ives, such as disposal waste, recycling or renewable energy systems, to a holistic approach and balanced understanding of environmental issues in the sport context in order to enable students see what actions are needed. This argument is based on the idea that such a broad approach should seek to connect intellect, application, philosophy and emotion into an immersive set of applied experiences that result in the necessary trans- formative learning experience (Mezirow, 2003, 2009; Pfahl, 2015).

Consequently, a holistic perspective on environmental sustainability within sport man- agement education can be grounded in trans- formational learning. From this perspective, it is pivotal to enable the adaptive capacity of stu- dents for working and living in an uncertain world where the challenges and potential sol- utions are directed by the contextual demands of the lived experience of the students. This can help develop more complex thinking about sustainability, thereby facilitating criti- cally aware, reflexive, autonomous learners (Hales & Jennings, 2017). On this basis, a funda- mental premise to transformational change needed to address the complex problems of

sustainability is the development of concepts that change the way students think and act (Hales & Jennings, 2017). In this vein, the nexus of relationships and issues between sport and the natural environment can be more effectively revealed, examined and under- stood by students.

Methods

The data collection process incorporated a survey and interviews. Prior to any data collec- tion, an IRB approval was acquired. Initially, a questionnaire was distributed to 552 faculty in North American higher education institutions, which offered a sport management degree (either undergraduate or graduate). These insti- tutions were identified through the North Amer- ican Society for Sport Management affiliated program page. The questionnaire was circulated online via publicly available faculty email addresses, which were collected manually using institutional directories. The survey con- tained 28 questions, which were developed based on the review of literature and in consul- tation with an expert in the area of environ- mental sustainability in sport. Of the 28 questions in the survey, 6 were open-ended and solicited a response from the participant. Two follow-up invitations to participate in the survey were sent out over the span of three weeks. At the conclusion of data collection, 123 respondents had completed the question- naire, providing for a response rate of 22.28%. The moderately low response rate limits the generalizability for the study as those programs that did not respond to the survey request may be systematically different from those that did respond to the survey. Even so, the responses do provide insight into the current practices of programs of a number of different universities offering sport management instruction.

In addition to the survey, a panel of experts in the area of environmental sustainability in sport were invited to participate in an interview about coursework in sport management, and

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more specifically environmental sustainability. For the purposes of this study, experts were identified as university faculty members who are currently highly engaged in research invol- ving environmental sustainability in sport, and whose work has historically been most cited within academia in regard to the focal topic. The panel consisted of six individuals, two of which are associated with institutions outside the United States. The interview protocol con- tained five main questions, including the following:

. In your experience, do you feel there is a sig- nificant and important relationship between sport organizations and environmental sustainability?

. For students entering and starting a career in sport management, why might learning about environmental sustainability be impor- tant? What disciplines within sport manage- ment have the strongest connection with environmental sustainability? (e.g. facilities, marketing, event management, etc.?)

. How might instructors approach building a stand-alone environmental sustainability course dedicated to sport management?

. How might an instructor dedicate a module within a course to environmental sustainabil- ity? Would such a module be useful?

. Should environmental sustainability become one of the pillars of sport management education?

Follow-up questions provided for more in- depth information. The interviews lasted about 30 minutes and were conducted individually with each participant. The goal of these inter- views was to gain insight into the importance, benefits and challenges of including environ- mental sustainability in the sport management curriculum.

The quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics to find trends and patterns in the responses. For the qualitative panel inter- views, data were categorized with a deductive

coding in which the investigators looked specifically for the benefits, drawbacks, and challenges the participants addressed. The research team reviewed and analyzed both data sets (i.e. the qualitative and quantitative data) independently. Results from the survey as well as the expert panel interviews are listed in the following section.

Results

Survey results

Results from the survey are summarized in Table 1. These figures represent the descriptive data for whether a full course or specific module was offered and at what level (undergraduate or graduate), when the course/module was offered, what prevents a course/module from being offered and if the program has plans for offering a course/module in the future. For stand-alone courses, it is instructive to note

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for programs offering environmental sustainability in sport.

Stand-alone course

Module within parent course

Item n % n %

Content offered Yes 10 8.94 84 71.19 No 112 91.06 34 28.82

Class level Undergraduate 1 10 28 35 Graduate 4 40 16 20 Both undergraduate and graduate

5 50 36 45

Timing of offering Every semester 1 10 32 40.00 Once per academic year 5 50 45 56.25 Every other academic year 4 40 3 3.75

What prevents it from being offered Lack of student interest 9 8.49 1 3.31 Lack of faculty interest 25 23.58 14 43.75 Lack of resources 32 30.19 6 18.75 Lack of admin support 2 1.89 1 3.13 Other not listed 38 35.85 10 31.25

Plans to offer course in future Definitely yes 0 0.00 1 3.13 Probably yes 10 9.35 3 9.38 Might or might not 23 21.50 10 31.25 Probably not 57 53.27 13 40.63 Definitely not 17 15.89 5 15.63

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that in every case in which a stand-alone course in environmental sustainability in sport was offered, it was instructed by a faculty member with expertise in this area. Overall, 8.94% of respondents reported offering a stand-alone course, and 71.19% offered some content related to environmental sustainability in sport as a module within a parent course.

The parent courses for the environmental sustainability in sport modules varied. Some respondents reported that this content was taught in sport marketing (8.70%) and financial aspects of sport (2.90%). Other respon- dents reported the module being taught in special topics courses (5.80%) or issues and trends in sport courses (10.14%). The majority of modules were found in sport and event man- agement (21.74%) and sport facility manage- ment (35.51%). In addition, 15.22% of respondents reported that this content was covered in another course that was not listed among the options (15.22%). In the comment box provided in the survey, the respondents listed courses including introduction to sport management, sport management foundations, sport and tourism, sport and society, sport policy, global perspectives in sport, ethics in sport, sport governance, sponsorship in sport and strategic management in sport.

Respondents were also asked to provide brief feedback about the benefits and chal- lenges of offering this material as a stand- alone course and/or as a module. In addition, if respondents noted that they did not offer a course in environmental sustainability in sport, they were prompted to comment on the factors that prevented them from offering the content as a module and/or as a stand-alone course. In general, respondents who discussed the benefits of offering environmental sustain- ability as a stand-alone course or as a module mentioned increased levels of understanding, awareness, and importance about the relation- ship between sport and the environment. In addition, some reported that offering environ- mental sustainability material as a module

within a different course allowed them to see their primary content (e.g. marketing) through a new and valuable lens. Some of the challenges brought up in the comments focused on the lack of interest by students, underdeveloped materials to draw from and not having enough time to fit the material in during a semester. Some respondents also mentioned how students in certain regions are unfamiliar with the concept of environmental sustainabil- ity in general, which makes introducing topics and discussing the content somewhat of a chal- lenge. For those respondents who did not offer coursework in environmental sustainability, the lack of time, faculty members, general expertise, accreditation requirements, research and general development in the field all were major factors preventing programs from offering environmental sustainability in sport as a stand-alone or module within a different course. Table 2 provides a summary of this feed- back with representative quotes.

Interview results

Results from the interviews with experts revolve around three key issues: (1) the role and impor- tance of sustainability in the context of sport, (2) challenges associated with implementing cour- sework in sustainability and (3) the future of environmental sustainability in the sport man- agement curriculum. These three issues are dis- cussed in more detail in the following subsections.

Role and importance of teaching sustainability in sport Each of the panel experts discussed the role and importance of sustainability in the realm of sport and consequently the importance of edu- cating students on the topic. As participants indicated, the relationship between sport organizations and the environment is recipro- cal. In other words, sport impacts the natural environment and at the same time the natural environment impacts sport. For example, one

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participant pointed out, “There needs to be a response that echoes the call from the United Nations to integrate sustainability development goals into the sport industry.” Another respon- dent connected the importance of environ- mental sustainability in sport with the need to teach this content in higher education:

There needs to be a paradigm shift in our pro- fessional preparation of sport management students to understand the simplicity to con- sider more environmentally sustainable decisions across organizations. This can include and primarily apply to facility and event operations. However, there are more considerations that should be factored into sport management education including strat- egy, marketing, sponsorship, and law.

One of the panel respondents noted that a detailed background in the exact science of environmental sustainability may not be necessary to teach the course or convey the importance of it, saying:

Every student, no matter his or her particular career goals, needs to understand his or her environmental impact when working in sport … becoming an environmental scientists or expert in green chemistry is not what is needed. Mindfulness of issues is a starting point. Mindfulness leading to application or

practice in ways that minimize environmental issues to the greatest extent possible is the goal.

Another respondent connected the idea of the importance of learning about environmental sustainability in sport with ways this will help students be more competitive in the job market, by stating the following:

Learning about sustainability is important for students interested in sport management careers, especially those related to events, venues, and operations. It is important, because it represents a “new” skill and one that older venue managers may be less inclined to pursue due to a lack of familiarity of best current practices.

In summary, experts in the field of environ- mental sustainability in sport independently agreed not only that the topic is important, but also that students should at least be exposed and become aware of the connection between sport and the environment. For example, a participant shared:

I think that every sport management student should have an understanding of the impor- tance of environmental sustainability, an understanding of the impact that environ- mental protection plays within sport (and

Table 2. Benefits and challenges of offering environmental sustainability in sport content. Themes Stand-alone course Module within parent course

Benefits of offering the course/module

“They have certainly gained a much better understanding of the concept of sustainability and how it relates to sport. My hope is that they will use that information in their future decision making.”

“It is important to teach emerging topics like environmental sustainability to student to embrace future trends in the industry.”

“Students are aware of the importance of environmental sustainability in sport tourism”

“Generates awareness of the impact sustainability has on the operation of facilities and events.”

“Yes, it is a great opportunity for students to approach marketing from a different perspective.”

Challenges of offering the course/module

“Not all students believe this is important when paired against revenue generation or keeping stakeholders (coaches) happy.”

“Students are not brought up with the concept of sustainability in this region so it is a bit of a challenge to open them up to the concept in the first place”

“The text used in the course only briefly discusses environmental sustainability.”

“The students don’t seem interested” “Finding the expertise to teach apart from simple concepts.”

“Lack of time during semester long course.” Obstacles preventing offering course/ module

“Lack of available faculty” “Limited academic class space” “Not evaluated as important as a separate course” “Not part of COSMA” “Sports focus is still new”

“Lack of research” “Lack of expertise in this area” “We only offer a few sport management courses and the courses are already packed with crucial content”

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sport operations), and the understanding of how to implement environmental sustainabil- ity (internally and externally) as future sport managers.

This comment clearly emphasizes the purpose of educating students in the area of environ- mental sustainability in the sport industry as understanding the role of environmental pro- tection within sport and how to implement it. This leads to the next issue of implementing coursework on the topic.

Challenges associated with implementing coursework in sustainability The second issue the panel experts discussed related to the challenges associated with imple- menting courses/modules specifically focused on sustainability in sport. Participants agreed that the lack of faculty expertise in the area of sustainability within the department could be a challenge in offering a stand-alone course. For example, one participant indicated: “I would see this being hard for those who have a base knowledge and interest in the subject.” However, experts suggested that a module in nearly every sport management course can be implemented. For example, one of the partici- pants pointed out: “Environmental sustainability should be integrated into every component of sport management education as it is not a stand-alone topic.” Specifically, in a marketing class, a discussion can take place revolving around campaigns that are designed to change other behaviors like recycling more or taking public transit to games, and a finance class can discuss the payback period for facility upgrades as well as cost savings due to adoption of more environmentally responsible practices.

Another important component related to course design was the idea that coursework should provide for some hands-on experience. One of the panelists recommended that: “It would be hard to keep the focus of students without an integrative experiential learning experience.” Additionally, a suggestion was made to use case studies as a way of

introducing sustainability issues in various courses. Lastly, an interesting challenge related to coursework in environmental sustain- ability was the lack of published materials as one panel expert summed it up:

Environmental sustainability should be an aspect that is incorporated into classes, but this will not happen until materials are readily made available to instructors through texts, modules, case studies, etc. If there are these materials then it is more likely that environ- mental sustainability becomes more prevalent in our sport management education.

Although several challenges were identified, the overall vibe was that environmental sustainabil- ity would soon find its place as another pillar of sport management education.

Future of environmental sustainability in sport management curriculum There was no doubt about the importance of environmental sustainability becoming one of the pillars of sport management education as it encompasses all areas of sport management (e.g. facility, events, marketing, law, ethics, finance). The consent among the panel experts was that by addressing the negative environmental impact of sport, the field of sport management has the potential to make a cultural shift for the next generation. For example, one participant pointed out:

The high profile of sport means that it has had, historically, no choice but to be a platform for social issues to manifest themselves (e.g., race, gender, economics, politics, now environ- ment). This important social standing and con- tract should be embraced and not feared.

Similarly, another participant shared:

Sport managers must account for environ- mental concerns as much as they do financial issues or personal well-being. It is an organiz- ational DNA element and not just a commu- nity/CRS initiative designed for goodwill.

When asked whether environmental sustain- ability should become one of the pillars of

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sport management education, participants shared:

Absolutely – sport must do their part to safe- guard the natural environment for use today and in the future of sport. The communication capabilities of sport make it a terrific vehicle to aid in developing solutions to the environ- mental issues.

Sport is a key influential voice in the discussion and learning about environmental issues, especially when applied to educational set- tings (e.g., schools).

It is encouraging to see that experts in the area of sustainability not only see the power of sport as a vehicle for social change and a platform for environmental education, but to feel the opti- mism in their voice that environmental sustain- ability would become a new pillar in the sport management curriculum.

Discussion

The above results suggest that indeed environ- mental sustainability, especially in the context of sport management, is still a developing field of instruction. Very few programs currently have stand-alone courses dedicated to environ- mental sustainability in sport, and feedback from the questionnaire also indicates that there are also very few programs looking to add a dedicated environmental sustainability in sport course. There are significant barriers to adopting environmental sustainability in sport as a stand-alone course and as a module (e.g. acquiring materials, building expertise, finding examples, making programmatic space, etc.), which certainly makes developing stand-alone coursework a long-term process. However, these challenges have not stopped many programs from incorporating these topics into their programs of study in other creative ways.

As indicated by the interview participants, and supported by results from the survey, in cases in which resources are not available for

a stand-alone course in environmental sustain- ability, it would be logical and natural to incor- porate sustainability topics into already existing courses (e.g. sport event management, sport facility, financial aspects of sport, sport marketing, legal aspects of sport, strategic management of sport organizations, etc.). What is important to note here is that such integration would provide for a tangible, prac- tical, application-based and hands-on type of approach to environmental sustainability knowledge. For example, instructors in facility management may approach a module cover- ing environmental sustainability by asking stu- dents to research trends and practices currently being utilized by recreation, collegi- ate and professional sport organizations. Alter- natively, instructors in a sport and event management course might ask students to engage in a case study in which they evaluate the positive and negative efforts regarding environmental sustainability at a local sporting event. This approach to application and hands- on learning would help students to engage in the topic in a way that would allow them to become aware of best practices in the industry.

Although the application of this type of knowledge is critical, approaching environ- mental sustainability from a different angle may also be beneficial to students. That is, instructors might engage students by asking questions about the duty of care and the responsibility to the natural environment that all stakeholders (e.g. athletic departments, fans, participants, employees, event organizers, etc.) involved in the delivery and consumption of sport have. Courses such as ethics in sport, sociology of sport, sport and social issues, global perspectives in sport or sport policy may be particularly suited for this type of instruction and discussion. For example, an instructor in a global perspective of sport course might require students to research the harmful environmental effects of mega-sporting

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events, especially those taking place in under- developed regions, and discuss the conse- quences of these actions. Or, an instructor in sport policy might have students study the focal events leading up to the International Olympic Committee adopting environmental- ism as the third pillar of Olympism. By challen- ging students to think about environmental sustainability at a higher level in this way, future industry practitioners will be better pre- pared to understand the complex and multidi- mensional nature that dealing with environmental sustainability in sport requires.

The data from the quantitative portion of the study highlighted the concern from some faculty about not being an expert in the field of environmental sustainability. However, a detailed background in the exact science of environmental sustainability may not be necessary to teach material related to environ- mental sustainability or convey the importance of the topic. In general, by adopting an integra- tive approach and incorporating environmental sustainability as a module into every com- ponent of sport management education, instructors could eliminate many of the barriers preventing programs from offering the content as a stand-alone course, such as the need to have the specific content expertise in the area. Instructors can leverage outside experts to visit the class as guest speakers to deliver this content. Such guest lectures could be delivered by faculty from areas of expertise in natural resources management, ecotourism, environmental impact assessment or even practitioners in the field. In other words, invol- ving units on campus that are active in the area of sustainability would treat campus as a learn- ing laboratory with athletics being the focal point and provide a great opportunity for stu- dents to learn about sustainability from different points of view.

Overall, there are multiple opportunities for instructing students in sport management pro- grams about the need for and importance of environmental sustainability. Ultimately, it falls

on the faculty in sport management programs to instruct and educate students on the ways in which they can deliver high-quality sporting experiences, while also caring for the environ- ment. By creatively working to overcome the current challenges preventing many programs from providing instruction on environmental sustainability in sport, students will be better prepared to enter the industry as they start their careers, and more knowledgeable as their careers progress and they transition into the individuals who will be leading the industry into the future.

Conclusion

This study addressed the pressing need to bridge the underlying gaps between environ- mental sustainability and sport management education if it is to re-shape the future of the sport sector. While the status of environmental sustainability within sport management higher education curricula remains secondary, the sport industry is becoming progressively inter- ested and active in environmental sustainability. Subsequently, sport management programs, given the resource constraints, need to find creative ways to integrate topics of environ- ment protection and stewardship in their offering. Incorporating discussions of environ- mental sustainability into the curriculum can challenge students to think of non-traditional ways of delivering sport while caring for the environment. Even programs with limited faculty, resources or expertise in the area of environmental sustainability can still weave this topic into existing coursework.

Drawing upon the findings of this study, future research may focus on examining the coursework components and teaching/learning strategies that can optimize the integration of sport management and environmental edu- cation. Such an inquiry needs to develop a hol- istic framework that encompasses a balanced understanding of environmental issues in the sport context while designing transformative

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learning experiences for students. Accordingly, a holistic perspective on environmental sustain- ability within sport management education can be based on transformational learning and change aimed at nurturing the adaptive capacity of students for developing more complex thinking about sustainability. From this perspective, the intricate relationship between sustainability and environmental impacts of sport can be addressed by changing the affective, cognitive and behavioral frame of students’ attitudes towards “what is needed” for building a sustainable sporting future.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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