Bond University's Sports Management degree students recently worked with a group of high profile local athletes at Currumbin, in a bid to assist the athletes to secure sponsorship.
The athletes taking part include: Stephanie Pettersen (5 times World Champion Body Boarder), Gary Sutherland (Top 5 Adventure competitor in Australia), martial artist, Peter Stanton, Eddie Valladares (National Masters Surfing Champion), top Gold Coast lifeguard and free surfer James Watson, and Jay ‘Bottles' Thompson (fulltime professional surfer and former Australian surfing champion).
The practical exercise requires Bond students to engage with the athletes, and design a suitable proposal which could be pitched to a sponsor on the athletes' behalf. A component of the Player Management subject, offered within the Sports Management degree, the exercise is designed to provide graduates with the necessary skills to be effective sports managers.
Assistant professor and sports lawyer Denis Callinan said a vital skill for this profession is finding the perfect fit between a sponsor's needs and the athletes skills and abilities.
“To be successful in the arena of athlete management you need to be able to produce the goods for the sponsor and the athlete, and often this needs to happen in a short period of time and usually under pressure. If the students can experience even a little of that pressure, it will help them be more prepared for the workplace,” said Assistant Professor Callinan.
Sport and its related industries have recently experienced rapid growth on a global scale. The industry is now a worldwide, multimillion dollar professional business with a strong demand for qualified people. Bond's degree aims to provide a balance between theory and practice, with strategic alliances developed within the sports industry.