What sport management major wouldn’t love to get hands-on experience with a major league sports team? Thanks to three alumni of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism (RST), 23 University of Illinois undergraduate students were given just that opportunity last summer with the Minnesota Twins, host of the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis.
The partnership with Major League Baseball came about through Dr. Tiffany Richardson, a lecturer in sport management at the University of Minnesota who completed her Ph.D. in RST in 2012. She and her students had previously worked with the Twins on their annual fundraiser called “Twinsfest.” During the 2014 event, Dr. Richardson was approached by Dave Horsman, Twins’ director of operations, about student volunteers for the All-Star Game. She knew that the best way to fulfill his need for 50 volunteers for the Twins’ “Green Team” was to offer a summer class that incorporated the event as part of the educational experience. She enlisted the help of Minnesota colleague and associate professor Dr. Steve Ross, who received his Ph.D. from RST in 2003. Still, she was doubtful they could enroll that many students in a summer class.
A course is born
Dr. Richardson called her friend, former mentor, and fellow alumnus, Dr. Michael Raycraft, a lecturer in recreation, sport, and tourism at Illinois who completed both his master’s and doctoral degrees here, in 1995 and 2001. He enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to offer Illinois students a rare behind-the-scenes look at major league sports’ operations. Their collaboration resulted in an online course about sport and sustainability, defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as “meeting the needs of society of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
“The Twins have a good sustainability program in place,” Dr. Richardson said. “It is important to ownership, and that’s why it works—they’ve made a commitment to and investment in green initiatives.”
The sports industry has recently embraced increasingly visible and influential positions supporting sustainability and environmental protection. “In fact, the commissioners of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the National Football League, Major League Soccer, and the U.S. Tennis Association have all made public statements encouraging teams and venues to address environmental issues such as climate change, energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction,” Dr. Raycraft said.
From the virtual classroom to the field
Sport management student Alex Roux said his understanding of sustainability was limited before taking the class. “It changed my perspective on how sports facilities operate in a sustainable way, and I also developed a better understanding of the environmental standards that guide the construction of new facilities,” he said.
Alex and other Illinois students enrolled in the class completed online modules addressing the principles and history of sustainability, the use of sports as vehicles of change, and the Olympic movement (an early adopter of sustainable practices) before traveling to Minneapolis for the MLB Green Team/All-Star Game field experience from July 11 through July 16. In addition to touring the LEED Silver-certified University of Minnesota football stadium and Target Field, students met with Twins executives and marketing and operations staff. They also worked to educate the public about sustainability as members of the Twins’ Green Team at several All-Star Game events, including a concert, color run, block party, and the game itself.
Sport management student Elizabeth McMahon enjoyed the class both for the people she met and worked with and the knowledge she gained. “I didn’t realize the emphasis sports and sporting venues placed on saving the environment,” she said. “Getting a first-hand look at such a large event and seeing their marketing and sustainability initiatives in action was a great experience.”
Dr. Raycraft hopes to continue offering the class in sport and sustainability with a hands-on component. His Minnesota colleagues will be meeting with Major League Baseball to discuss possibilities for future partnerships since the All-Star Game effort was so successful.
“Major League Baseball was very happy with the way things went,” Dr. Richardson said. “The students gave great customer service, and they represented the Twins, the city, their respective institutions, and Major League Baseball well.”