Sports management final

SPT 111 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview The sports industry involves far more than just the players, coaches and teams. It has grown to include a variety of businesses, organizations, and activities that support the producing, promoting, and organizing of sports. The sports industry has evolved into a billion-dollar industry. This means that the variety of jobs is extensive and the skills necessary to be successful are wide and varied. Throughout this course, you have learned about how the sports industry has evolved and developed as well as gained an understanding of the intricacies of the field. In this project, you will examine the industry through the lens of a specific career that you are interested in pursuing. You will have the opportunity to explore how the career emerged within the industry and how it is connected to various aspects of sports business, and discuss your plan for developing the skills necessary to ensure your success in the position. Not only will this help you solidify your career interests, but it will also allow you to reflect on the path your growth will take throughout the BS in Sports Management program and beyond. This assessment addresses the following course outcomes:

• Describe sports industry careers and their historical development for identifying connections to professional goals • Differentiate between leadership and management strategies for determining their appropriate application within the sports industry • Explain how marketing strategies are utilized within the sports industry for navigating marketing trends and attracting new spectators, investors, and

talent • Explain applications of finance-related business practices and principles in the sports industry and their relevance to sports-related careers

Prompt Within your career exploration paper, you will examine a career within the sports industry that is of particular interest to you, being sure to address the development of the career within the evolution of the industry at large; how the career impacts management, leadership, marketing and finances; as well as the skills necessary to make you successful within the field. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction: In this section, you will identify the career of your choice and set the foundation for its importance within the sports industry. A. Write an overview of the career you have selected to explore, describing its historical development within the sports industry. B. Describe the job outlook for this career. For example, is growth expected in this career’s forecast? Where are the potential job opportunities?

II. Management and Leadership: In this section, you will explore when an individual in this career should act as a manager versus when an individual

should act as a leader. A. Describe key management and leadership strategies related to this career.

B. Explain a situation in this career where you would utilize a leadership strategy over a management strategy, or vice versa. Why would this strategy be more appropriate for this situation?

C. Based on your discussion, describe the key differences between leadership and management within this career.

III. Marketing: In this section, you will examine marketing strategies used within the sports industry and how your chosen career supports them. A. Describe marketing strategies and activities within the sports industry that an individual in this career would be involved in. For example, is this

career involved in social media? Live drafts? Community outreach? B. Explain how this career supports these marketing strategies in navigating industry trends. For instance, how would the career you chose support

strategies surrounding the trend toward mobile technologies? C. Explain the impact this career has on attracting new spectators, investors, and talent.

IV. Finances: In this section, you will discuss the financial principles and business practices used specifically in the sports industry.

A. Describe finance-related business practices and principles that are used within the sports industry. Consider questions like the following: How are ticket prices and salaries set? How are sponsors and naming rights acquired?

B. Explain how these finance-related business practices and principles have impacted profitability within the sports industry. C. Explain which particular business practices and principles you would be involved in with your chosen career.

V. Conclusion: In this section, you will reflect on what you have learned about the career and explain your plan for skill development.

A. Based on your exploration, explain how your skill set aligns with the requirements of this career. What skills do you possess that make you a fit for this position? Which are in need of improvement?

B. Identify next steps you would need to take in pursuing your career interest. For example, what networking opportunities would benefit you? What job-related experiences do you need to research?

Milestones Milestone One: Introduction, Management and Leadership In Module Four, you will submit section I: Introduction and section II: Management and Leadership of the final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone Two: Marketing and Finances In Module Six, you will submit section III: Marketing and section IV: Finances of the final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. Final Submission: Career Exploration Paper In Module Eight, you will submit your final project, including the Conclusion section of the final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your career exploration paper should be 6–8 pages (not including title page), double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, and adhere to APA guidelines.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value Introduction: Development

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and overview demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the development of the career within the sports industry

Writes an overview of the career, describing its historical development within the sports industry

Writes an overview of the career, describing its historical development within the sports industry, but overview is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not write an overview of the career

5.62

Introduction: Job Outlook

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates keen insight into the future of the career

Describes job outlook for the career

Describes the job outlook for the career but is inaccurate

Does not describe the job outlook for the career

5.62

Management and Leadership: Strategies

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description makes cogent connections between strategies and the career

Describes key management and leadership strategies related to the career

Describes management and leadership strategies, but description is cursory or contains inaccuracies related to the career

Does not describe management and leadership strategies

7.5

Management and Leadership: Situation

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates keen insight into the application of leadership and management strategies

Explains a situation in the career where a leadership strategy would be utilized over a management strategy, or vice versa, and includes reasoning

Explains a situation in the career where a leadership strategy would be utilized over a management strategy, or vice versa, but explanation contains gaps in logic or strategy is inappropriate for the situation

Does not explain a situation in the career where a leadership strategy would be utilized over a management strategy, or vice versa

7.5

Management and Leadership: Differences

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the differences between management and leadership for a specific career in the sports industry

Describes key differences between leadership and management within the career

Describes differences between leadership and management within the career, but description is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not describe key differences between leadership and management within the career

7.5

Marketing: Strategies and Activities

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description makes cogent connections between the career and marketing strategies and activities

Describes marketing strategies and activities that are relevant to the career

Describes marketing strategies and activities, but strategies are not relevant to the career or discussion is lacking in detail

Does not describe marketing strategies and activities

7.5

Marketing: Industry Trends

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation shows keen insight into how the career helps to navigate industry trends

Explains how the career supports the marketing strategies in navigating industry trends

Explains how the career supports the marketing strategies in navigating industry trends, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain how the career supports the marketing strategies in navigating industry trends

7.5

Marketing: Spectators, Investors,

and Talent

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the impact of this career on attracting new spectators, investors, and talent

Explains the impact this career has on attracting new spectators, investors, and talent

Explains the impact this career has on attracting new spectators, investors, and talent, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain the impact this position has on attracting new spectators, investors, and talent

7.5

Finances: Business Practices and

Principles

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the business principles and practices that are unique to the sports industry

Describes finance-related business practices and principles used within the sports industry

Describes finance-related business practices and principles used within the sports industry, but description is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not describe finance-related business practices and principles used within the sports industry

7.5

Finances: Profitability

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates a sophisticated grasp of how profitability has been affected by particular business practices and principles in the sports industry

Explains how the finance- related business practices and principles have impacted profitability within the sports industry

Explains how the finance- related business practices and principles have impacted profitability within the sports industry, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain how the finance-related business practices and principles have impacted profitability within the sports industry

7.5

Finances: Career

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation makes cogent connections between business practices, principles, and the career

Explains which business practices and principles are relevant to the selected career

Explains which business practices and principles are relevant to the selected career, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain which business practices and principles are relevant to the selected career

7.5

Conclusion: Skill Set

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of how personal skill set aligns with the requirements of a specific sports-related career

Explains how personal skill set aligns with requirements of the selected career

Explains how personal skill set aligns with requirements of the selected career, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain how personal skill set aligns with requirements of the selected career

5.63

Conclusion: Next Steps

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of their career of interest

Identifies next steps for pursuing career interest

Identifies next steps for pursuing career interest, but response is cursory or not relevant to the selected career

Does not identify next steps for pursuing career interest

5.63

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to- read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

10

Total 100%