Prof. Karen Danylchuk's graduate Sport Marketing class had the opportunity to attend the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup at the Western Fair Sports Centre on December 3. The Para Hockey Cup is an annual sledge hockey tournament that brings together top para hockey nations to compete for a gold medal. The 2018 edition featured para hockey teams from Canada, South Korea, and the United States of America. The December 3 game was a preliminary contest between the United States and Canada, which was won by the US with a score of 3-0. The game featured end-to-end action, highlight reel goals, hitting and checking, and a great atmosphere.
London has a history of hosting Hockey Canada events. The city has previously hosted the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the Para Hockey Cup in 2011, and a pre-tournament game for 2018 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
Adam Purdy (MA Candidate, 2020) was inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2018) on November 8. Adam started swimming at age 12, and competed in prestigious events such as the 1996 Athens Games, the 2000 Sydney Games, the 1998 World Para Swimming Championships, and the 2000 World Championships. He was named Swim Ontario's Para Swimmer of the Year eight times. Adam's last competitive event was the 2015 PanAm and ParaPanAm Games in Toronto. Adam has won numerous medals and set various records, and always represented Canada with pride and respect.
Hearty congratulations to Adam on this well-deserved honour!
Prof. Alison Doherty attended the 2018 Sport Canada Research Initiative Conference held in Ottawa on November 6-7. She gave a plenary presentation titled, 'The Role of Social Capital in the Organizational Capacity of Community Sport' during which she discussed the potential impact of social capital generated among volunteers in community sport clubs and its role in helping these organizations meet their goals and objectives.
Given the dependence on volunteers throughout the Canadian sport system, Prof. Doherty's future research considerations include examining the role of social capital among volunteers at provincial and national sport organizations.
University of Waterloo held its annual Sport Management Case Competition on November 2. The competition offers students the opportunity to apply their classroom learning to real-life situations. At the 2018 case competition, students were asked to devise strategies that could potentially be utilized by USPORTS to evaluate bids for hosting national sport tournaments. USPORTS aims to incroporate the recommendations to make the bidding process more equitable, increase attendance at events, and improve the athlete experience.
Western Sport Management was represented by two teams of five undergraduate students each. One team included Rebecca Solomon, Chris Wood, Areez Saleh, Alexie Galipeau, and Sampurna Gurung. The second team included BoWaine Ma, Andrew Catlift, Kara Godkin, Aidan Jackson, and Sophie Teipel. Congratulations to the students on a fantastic performance!
Western Sport Management celebrated the convocation of its graduate students on October 25, 2018. The class of 2018 included Doctor of Philosophy graduates Dr. Brendan Riggin (Supervisor: Prof. Karen Danylchuk) and Dr. Ryan Clutterbuck (Supervisor: Prof. Alison Doherty), and Master of Arts graduates Chris Langdon and Chad Van Dyk (Supervisor: Prof. Jim Weese), Swarali Patil (Supervisor: Prof. Alison Doherty), and Francesca Gable and Kerri Bodin (Supervisor: Dr. Laura Misener).
Congratulations to the newly minted graduates, and all the best to them in their future endevours!
The Sport and Social Impact Research Group (SSIRG) of the Faculty of Health Sciences is a collection of scholars whose research focuses around sport and physical activity. On October 11, 2018, SSIRG hosted a special Symposium on Canada’s contribution to Social Impact and Human Rights in sport in the four areas of gender equity in sport, Parasport, Indigenous/Aboriginal sport and doping-free sport.
Distinguished panelists such as Becky Scott (Olympian and IOC & WADA member), Prof. Guylaine Demers (Université Laval, Chair of the Minister’s Working Group on Gender Equity in Sport), Allison Sandmeyer-Graves (CEO, CAAWS), Karen O’Neill (CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee), Dallas Soonias (2015 Pan Am Bronze Medalist with the Canadian Senior Men's Volleyball Team), Lyle Makosky (former Assistant Deputy Minister for Fitness & Amateur Sport), and Rob Koehler (former World Anti-Doping Agency Deputy Director General) shared their reflections on sport and how it can move forward in the aforementioned four areas.
The complete list of panelists and their biographies, and program information is available here. More information on SSIRG can be accessed on their website here.
Prof. Karen Danylchuk’s graduate Sport Marketing class received a behind-the-scenes look at three local venues in London, Ontario on October 2, 2018. Students visited The Factory and Junction Climbing Centre in downtown London, and The Rec Room at Masonville Mall.
Students were given a tour of each facility to understand how these businesses operate on a day-to-day basis, and what factors they take into consideration for long-term planning. The class also had the opportunity for a Q & A session with the host, and to learn how marketing concepts discussed in class can be applied to everyday situations.
2019 MA candidates (Management and Leadership) from the course-based plus internship stream spent their summers working at various sport organizations. They shared their experiences with faculty and students on September 27, 2018.
Presentations were given by Emily Greenough (Canadian Olympic Committee), Jordan Skavinsky (Vancouver Canadians Professional Baseball Club), Jordan Im (MLSE Launchpad), Robbie Turchyn (Wasserman Media Group), and Christman Hsu (Toronto FC). Students spoke about the process of securing the internship, their learning outcomes from the experience, and their future goals and how they relate to the internship.
Justin Mckenzie (MA Candidate, 2019) is a Partnership Marketing intern with the National Hockey League (NHL). As part of his duties with the NHL, Justin assisted in the Kraft Hockeyville event held in Lucan, Ontario on September 18, 2018.
Kraft Hockeyville celebrates the game of hockey and the role it plays in building communities. Each year, four communities are named as the finalists, and the winner is chosen based on number of votes received. Lucan, Ontario won the 2018 Kraft Hockeyville contest, for which they received $250,000 in arena upgrades, and the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game. September 18 saw the Toronto Maple Leafs square off against the Ottawa Senators.
Management/Leadership (Coaching) MA ’11 graduate, Misha Donskov has seen his commitment to coaching and sport management continue to pay off with a recent Stanley Cup Final appearance with the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Donskov is the Director of Hockey Operations for the Golden Knights, and described working with the team as a, "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of not only an NHL team but more specifically, to be part of something from ground zero."
Prior to joining the Golden Knights, Donskov had worked with Cardinal Health, the OHL's London Knights and the Ottawa 67s, and Hockey Canada. Read more on Donskov's story in Western News here.
Prof. Alison Doherty attended the Ontario Sport Management Collective (OSMC) workshop on media strategy on June 19. The event was hosted by Western sport management alumna, Dr. Katie Misener (PhD, 2009) at the University of Waterloo.
The OSMC is a consortium of sport management scholars at seven Ontario universities who provide evidence-based insight into current issues and events.
Sport Management doctoral student, Brendan Riggin successfully defended his dissertation entitled, "Social and Organizational Value in Sport: A Shared Value Perspective of a Men's Health Initiative" on June 22. For his dissertation, Brendan was part of an interdisciplinary project to improve the health of overweight and obese male hockey fans through the Hockey Fans in Training (Hockey FIT) program.
Congratulations Dr. Riggin and supervisor, Prof. Karen Danylchuk!
The Faculty of Health Sciences has welcomed Prof. Paul Downward from Loughborough University's (UK) School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. Prof. Downward is the Editor of European Sport Management Quarterly. He is visiting the School of Kinesiology as part of the International Scholar-in-Residence program from June 19 to 29.
Prof. Downward is hosted by Prof. Alison Doherty and the Sport and Social Impact Research Group, and will be meeting with sport management and health science scholars to discuss prospective projects around modelling healthy lifestyles.
The 2018 North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) conference was held at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Several Western Sport Management faculty and students attended the conference, and used the platform to share their research.
Prof. Alison Doherty and Swarali Patil (MA Candidate, 2018) presented their work on social capital in community level non-profit organizations. Prof. Doherty also led an interdisciplinary workshop on youth sport concussion research. Dr. Laura Misener teamed up with western alumnus, Dr. Kyle Rich (PhD, 2017) to present on social change. Brendan Riggin (PhD Candidate, 2018) and Prof. Karen Danylchuk presented on shared value in sport. In addition, poster presentations included Kylie Wasser (PhD Candidate, 2018) and Francesca Gable’s (MA Candidate, 2018) work on mentorship through physical activity, and Kerri Bodin (MA Candidate, 2018), Darda Sales (PhD Candidate, 2021), and Marika Kay’s (MA, 2017) work on strategies in governing an integrated sport organization.
Western was also represented through its alumni including Dr. Patti Millar (PhD, 2015), Dr. Katie Lebel (PhD, 2013), Dr. Shannon Kerwin (PhD, 2010), Dr. Katie Misener (PhD, 2009), and more. Details on NASSM and the 2018 program can be found here.
Dr. Laura Misener and her research team have been awarded with a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight grant for their project entitled, "Major sport events and parasport participation: Investigating post-event opportunities and experiences" worth $229,352. Dr. Misener's co-investigators are Dr. Gayle McPherson, Dr. David McGillivray (University of West Scotland), and Dr. David Legg (Mount Royal University).
Dr. Misener and her research team aim to address the gap between the potential and realized impact of major parasport events on disability issues. In this project, researchers will examine the impact of major parasport events on sport participation for persons with physical disabilities in the host city once the event is complete, and thus expand the concept of impact or legacy, to consider the quality and experiences associated with these legacies.
Congratulations to Dr. Misener and her research team!
Sport and Social Impact Research Group (SSIRG) members Brendan Riggin (PhD Candidate) and Prof. Karen Danylchuk have collaborated with researchers across Western University as part of an interdisciplinary project to improve the health of overweight and obese male ice hockey fans through the Hockey Fans in Training (Hockey FIT) program. The program leverages the passion male ice hockey fans feel towards their favorite junior team to motivate them to join a 12-week healthy lifestyle program.
The program includes weekly sessions of 90-minutes each of off-ice hockey-related physical activity, healthy eating, and setting lifestyle prescriptions for physical activity (steps/week). Participants receive a behind-the-scenes look at their favorite team's facilities, and the opportunity to interact with team personnel, players and alumni at select sessions. Additional details on the program may be accessed here.
The project was recently rewarded with a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant to assist in implementation across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Congratulations to Prof. Danylchuk, Brendan, and their research group!
Western Sport Management graduate students, Emily Greenough (MA 2019), Justin McKenzie (MA 2019), and Swarali Patil (MA 2018), and undergraduate student, Marc St. Pierre (BA 2020) presented at the 15th annual Sport Management Student Research Colloquium at Brock University on April 13.
Marc St. Pierre presented his research titled, "Benefits and Costs of Elite Athlete Sponsorship" in which he discussed the advantages and disadvantages of elite athletes entering into contracts with major sponsors. Swarali Patil's presentatation was titled, "A Case Study of Capacity to Implement Gender Equity Initiatives," and she discussed the findings from her study of a national sport organization engaged in implementing an initiative that targets increasing the participation of certified women coaches in the sport.
The day concluded with Emily Greenough, Justin McKenzie and Swarali Patil's presentation titled, "Volunteer Social Capital in Community-Based Organizations: A Comparative Case Study of Sport and Non-Sport Clubs." Their presentation highlighted the prevelance of social capital, and discussed the implications of this resource on volunteer performance and organizational effectiveness in two community-based organizations, .
All the presentations were appreciated by the faculty members and students present at the event. Congratulations to the students on a fantastic performance!
Sport Management doctoral student, Ryan Clutterbuck successfully defended his dissertation entitled, "Capacity for Sport for Development" on March 23. Faculty members such as Dr. Laura Misener, Prof. Karen Danychuk and Prof. Jim Weese were present to support Ryan, along with several of Ryan's friends and family members.
Congratulations Dr. Clutterbuck and supervisor, Prof. Alison Doherty!
Several graduate students attended the University of Toronto’s Sports and Business Industry Conference where they had the opportunity to interact with noted industry professionals including Faizal Khamisa (pictured here). Faizal is a Western alum (BA, 2010 - Psychology), who is commonly seen on Rogers Sportsnet hosting Sportscenter Live or as an addition to other Sportsnet programming such as Tim and Sid.
The Sports Business Industry Conference brings together academics, students and industry professionals for an exchange of ideas on the different areas of sports such as operations, fan engagement and broadcasting. The 2018 conference included noted guests such as Randy Ambrosie (Commissioner, Canadian Football League), Dawn Smyth (Director of Domestic Development, Canada Basketball), Andrew Miller (Executive VP of Business Operations, Toronto Blue Jays), and Scott Lidbury (General Manager, Toronto Wolfpack). More details on the conference and speakers can be found here.
Swarali Patil (MA Candidate, 2018) has penned a piece for the online blog of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). In the post, Swarali shares her experiences as an international student in Canada. She provides some tips that may be useful to international students in choosing an institution, as well as value-add programs all students can take advantage of to build their CV. Swarali's post can be read on the NASSM blog here.
Founded in 1984, NASSM is an academic society comprised of academics, students, and industry professionals working in the field of Sport Management, with member representatives from 20 different nations. More information on NASSM can be found on their website here.
Graduate students from Prof. Karen Danylchuk’s Sport Marketing class recently took a field trip to The Factory. Students began the tour by envisioning the completed project through detailed renderings. They were shown the high ropes course, the trampoline area, and the jungle gym, all of which are near completion. They were also shown the progress being made on the virtual reality and escape game rooms, an arcade, and the dining area. The trip was a great opportunity for students to conceptualize sport marketing concepts.
The Factory is a new, family entertainment facility currently under construction in the former Kellogg’s Building in east London. Visit their website here.
Prof. Alison Doherty and Dr. Laura Misener, noted scholars in the field of Sport Management are being called upon to contribute their thoughts on the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olypmic and Paralympic Games.
Dr. Misener was also interviewed by CBC Radio Morning show, Coast to Coast on her thoughts on the Games.
Prof. Doherty spoke with CBC Radio One's London Morning with Julianne Hazelwood on all things Olympics at Boler Mountain's Opening Ceremony celebrations. Click here to listen to the interview (Posted with the expressed permission of CBC Radio One's London Morning with Julianne Hazelwood).
Dr. Katie Lebel (Phd, 2013) has penned a poignant piece featured in the Globe and Mail, calling on sport organizations, media conglomorates, and sponsorship agencies to devote additional resources to women's sports. Dr. Lebel discusses the inequalities women face in media coverage, and sponsorship and pay opportunities compared to their male counterparts. Dr. Lebel is right - it is #TimesUp in sport, too!
Dr. Lebel is currently an Assistant Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. Her article can be read on the Globe and Mail website here.
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