Sports Management at WesternWestern Health Sciences

History of Sport Management at Western

Faculty and Students:

The Sport Management Program at Western has a long and successful history. Dr. Earle F. Zeigler was instrumental in offering the first sport administration-focused course at Western—"Administration of Physical Education and Athletics," in the early 1950s during his tenure as department head. Dr. Zeigler subsequently moved on to the University of Michigan in 1956, followed by the University of Illinois, before being lured back to Western in 1971 by faculty member Garth Paton (Dr. Zeigler's former MA and PhD student). He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education. Shortly afterwards, Packianathan Chelladurai and Terry Haggerty arrived at Western as graduate students and were subsequently hired as faculty members. Prof. Karen Danylchuk joined this illustrious group in 1986 followed by Prof. Alison Doherty in 1990. Prof. Jim Weese, former Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, in which the School of Kinesiology is presently housed, joined the Sport Management team in 2004, followed by Dr. Laura Misener in 2011.

We are extremely proud of the international peer recognition and accomplishments that our Sport Management faculty members have achieved over the years. Dr. Earle Zeigler was the initiator of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), which was established in 1985, along with co-founders Dr. Garth Paton and Dr. Terry Haggerty. Professors Paton, Danylchuk, Doherty, and Weese are NASSM Past Presidents, while Paton and Danylchuk have also served as Treasurer. The Earle F. Zeigler Lecture Award, the highest honour of NASSM, has been received by Professors Zeigler, Chelladurai, Weese, Danylchuk, and Doherty. The Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award has been earned by its namesake Dr. Garth Paton, NASSM’s first and longstanding Business Office Manager, as well as Professors Karen Danylchuk, Alison Doherty, and Jim Weese. Professors Danylchuk, Doherty, and Weese are NASSM Research Fellows, as is Dr. Laura Misener.

Not only can we boast of an outstanding array of scholars in our program over the years, but our former students have also excelled in their careers, many of whom are now spread around the globe in both academic and sport-related fields.

Program:

Although Sport Management at Western began as a single course tailored to physical education and athletics administration, it has flourished into a diversity of undergraduate and graduate courses within our Kinesiology Program. At the undergraduate level, we offer a Bachelor of Arts Honors Specialization in Sport Management, as well as a combined Bachelor of Arts Honours Kinesiology - Sport Management and Honours Bachelor of Business Administration. Our graduate program has expanded considerably over the years to include both a Master of Arts (three options) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).