Recreation and Sport Management

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Chairperson: Dr. Steven W. Smidley
Department Office: Health and Human Services Building, room B-64
Web site: http://www.indstate.edu/rcsm/
E-mail: rcsm@indstate.edu

The Department of Recreation and Sport Management serves the University, the public, and professional communities by providing opportunities for learning, research, scholarship, service, and leadership through service and learning-centered activities, publications and presentations, and mentoring students, colleagues, and practitioners. Courses of study stress development of programming and management competencies in organizing, planning, and budgeting within a variety of settings. Students are involved in learning the basics of recreation and sport management while specializing in recreation therapy, recreation management and youth leadership, or sport management. The department programs are nationally accredited. The recreation curriculum is accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association, and the sport management concentration is approved by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the North American Society for Sport Management.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Degrees Offered

The department offers a degree in recreation and sport management. Students may select from three concentration areas: recreation management and youth leadership, recreation therapy, and sport management. Departmental majors must also successfully complete the University’s requirement of a minimum of 124 semester hours of credit including Foundational Studies course work.

Students completing the major in recreation and sport management are prepared to enter a variety of positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. All concetration areas develop and exhibit student skills in group leadership, activity planning, and management.

The Recreation Management and Youth Leadership concentration emphasizes work in the public sector at the state, county, and municipal level. The degree focuses on the delivery of park and recreation programs and services including program delivery, planning, marketing, finance, and the whole spectrum of youth serving agencies and camp administration.

The Recreation Therapy concentration prepares students to work in health-care settings as certified therapeutic recreation specialists. In these settings recreation therapists use a wide variety of activity methods and work with all ages of clients and patients, helping them address needs related to illness, injury, or disability. Study focuses on recreation therapy concepts, process, methods, administration, and issues. Supporting course work includes anatomy, physiology, abnormal pyschology, and medical terminology.

The Sport Management concentration focuses on preparing students to enter the growing discipline of sport delivery. Students enter the commercial, professional sport, collegiate sport, campus recreation, nonprofit sports programs, or community sports fields upon graduation. Specific emphasis is given to governance of sport, marketing, finance, event planning, and management functions.

All students are required to complete practicum service-learning hours prior to a 15-week 600-hour internship. Students, upon graduating from the program, may qualify to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional and/or Certified Therapeutic Recreation Professional examinations.

The American Humanics Program in Nonprofit Management is housed in the department as an external certificate program preparing students for employment in the nonprofit sector. Affiliated with American Humanics, a national organization dedicated to preparing students for careers in nonprofit youth and human service agencies, the program at Indiana State is designed to prepare students from a variety of disciplines for meaningful careers in the management of nonprofit agencies. Students who enroll in the program work toward certification from American Humanics by meeting a variety of curricular and co-curricular requirements.

Departmental Opportunities

All students majoring in recreation and sport management are assigned a faculty advisor and are expected to maintain close contact with the advisor in planning their academic program. Students receive individual advising by full-time faculty.

The Recreation and Sport Management Student Majors Club offers students an opportunity to gain valuable experience in leadership outside the classroom. Through participation in club activities students are introduced to professional organizations and gain valuable real world experiences.

The Indiana State University Field Campus provides excellent opportunities for students to experience the outdoors, leadership opportunities, and practicum and internship experiences. The 74-acre field campus includes seven ponds, a high-ropes course, climbing tower, a leadership course, and multiple trails. Located 20 minutes from the main ISU campus, the Field Campus is an excellent opportunity for students to enjoy their own recreational pursuits and experience personal growth.

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