Discussion Thread: Sport Outreach Programming Activities
Read, review and provide specific feedback on at least 3 of your classmates Sport Outreach Plan drafts from the previous week. Each post should point out strengths with specific suggestions for improvement. Posts should include connections to Scripture.
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Sports Outreach Programming Activities
Jordan Donald
Masters of Sport Management
SMGT 504: Foundation of Sport Outreach
Dr. Kevin Heisey
September 8, 2024
Key Participant Activities
With our program, we know that for many of these kids, it will be their first time playing certain sports, and we want to offer the best opportunity for these kids to grow and develop athletically. It serves us and them no purpose for us to just roll out a ball and say, “Here you go, play.” With our knowledge of sports and the seasons that respected sports are played within we will plan our program around that. For example, football, volleyball, and soccer are sports that are played during the fall season. In the winter, you typically have basketball and wrestling active. In the springtime, you have sports like baseball, softball, golf, and track & field. Now for our participants there might not be high interest in a lot of these sports for them and we completely understand. We don’t want to strip anybody of the opportunity to learn a. new sport. Therefore, we will offer specific activities every week a season before the sports respected season. For example, a kid newly interested in football will begin football activities in the spring leading up to the summer. While participating in these activities we are building up their skill development of each specific sport which will translate to others promoting a great amount of carryover. An article from the National Academy of Athletics states, there is no doubt in my mind that attending a clinic or camp before league participation is invaluable for children’s sports journey, enhancing their comfort, skills, knowledge, confidence, and safety awareness, leading to a more fulfilling and successful sports experience while reducing the likelihood of early quitting. (Locks 2024) We will have a continuous push of nutrition, health, and safety with each sport we promote every time we come around to it. We want to provide the best opportunity for our kids and that’s the. The only way we can keep them safe is by instilling these things into them repetitively.
Initially, we won’t have our teams to go out and compete in the local leagues against other teams. We believe we should develop our brand a little more and have it within our five-year plan where we will have that opportunity for our kids. We will have opportunities for our kids to compete throughout the season whether it is just a scrimmage against each other, other teams we invite or travel to, or even tournaments that we put into place. Unfortunately, we don’t believe obligating ourselves to a league will be as beneficial to us before we can develop our kids our way.
Another way for us to get everything we want to get accomplished and help serve our community is through having after-school programs and a summer program. It’s not always easy for parents to take off work to go home and watch after their kids every day, which is why we want to offer our programs to develop. Through these programs, we want to continue to develop them personally and academically to show continuous growth. An article from Connections Academy shares, that children aged 6-17 should engage in at least an hour of physical activity daily. Getting active this summer is a great way to build healthy habits that carry over into the school year. (Polzin 2023) We want to do this because when they go back to school there will be a balance of school and sport which is why they’re called student athletes. When they get to college it will more likely be the same way, so it is crucial to lay the foundation before they get to that stage.
Travel
Regarding traveling for our participants and the young people who will be serving our community, we will have adequate plans for everybody top to bottom. Anytime we have to travel within city limits we would like to rent vans until we build ourselves up financially to get our vans that we can keep. Now when we have other activities planned that allow for the whole program to go, we will easily charter buses to get from point a to point b. We will also provide hotels to participants and staff if we ever take a trip out of town where we would need to stay through the night. There will always be adequate supervision no matter whether it is a local or an out-of-town trip. At the end of the day, the safety and progression of our kids are the is vital for us achieving our goals. Anytime with travel, we will find a way to serve the communities we are going to and find a way to serve others. Serving others will help our kids develop and become better people while also changing the lives of others. For any trip we plan on taking an itinerary will be set at least three days before departure that way all staff, parents, and chaperones know what is going on and when events are supposed to take place.
Facility
Initially, we know we will not have the facilities to benefit our complete mission, but we will work with the city of Memphis and the state of Tennessee, to receive funding to build our facility before we become fully operational. Working with the city of Memphis, we will be allowed to host our daily events in the Memphis Sports & Event Center located in Liberty Park. The Memphis Sports & Events Center is home to 16 basketball courts, 32 volleyball courts, a soccer field, a football field, a pair of multipurpose rooms, and classrooms, alongside several event spaces. This is major for us with the target audience we are looking to extend a helping hand towards. This community where the event center is located is right in a rough neighborhood where kids aren’t fortunate enough with the same resources as other kids around the city. Orange Mound is a well-known community in Memphis and has produced some of the best athletes to come through the City of Memphis. With us initially starting there in this facility will only grow and develop our brand. The facility will promote something similar to a big playground for kids and adults. An article from Safe Homes Movement shares this about playgrounds, beyond individual development, playgrounds play a significant role in boosting community engagement and well-being. They act as communal hubs where families gather, friendships form, and neighbors meet, strengthening the social fabric of the area. In low-income communities, where such communal spaces might be scarce, playgrounds become even more critical. They offer a free, accessible place for children and adults alike to engage with others, promoting inclusivity and a sense of belonging. The presence of a playground can transform an empty lot into a lively gathering spot, contributing significantly to the overall health of the community. (Medlife Movement 2024) With all the things we want to bring and promote to the community, we are virtually offering a big playground. Once we finally get our facility up, we have the opportunity to not only build up our community but the city as a whole.
Equipment
The equipment needed for us to adequately support and give the kids the opportunities in sports that they deserve will be no easy task to get. We completely understand that, and we embrace it. One of the main reasons for our program is to make sure these kids have accessible equipment on and off the court. The items we will need include helmets, shoulder pads, basketballs, softballs, baseballs, tennis rackets, tennis balls, and cleats/shoes. When looking at uniforms we will need jerseys, pants, and shorts which we will supply for the kids, so they don’t have to worry about the money to get them. Now when it comes to training these kids, we will need equipment such as cones, speed ladders, nets, agile bags, score clocks, weights, and resistance bands. This way we can have the best resources to develop our kids to compete and improve their skill sets over time.
References
Locks, A. (2024, May 14). The importance of sports fundamentals. National Academy of Athletics. https://nationalacademyofathletics.com/importance-of-sports-fundamentals/#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20doubt%20in,reducing%20the%20likelihood%20of%20early
Medlife Movement. (2024, April 5). MEDLIFE network sites. Safe Homes Movement. https://www.safehomesmovement.org/2024/04/05/the-social-benefits-of-playgrounds-in-low-income-communities/
Polzin, C. (2023, August 7). Keep your child healthy and active over Summer break. Connections Academy®. https://www.connectionsacademy.com/support/resources/article/keep-your-child-healthy-active-over-summer-break/
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Football in New York: Programming Activities 2
Football in New York: Programming Activities 2
Football in New York: Programming Activities
Jordan Hall
School of Sport Management, Liberty University
Football in New York: Programming Activities
Football in New York will consist of programming both on and off the field on competition. It is important with my age group to keep the young men active and engaged while at the clinic. The programming will be very detailed and will be outlined for both the participants and the coaches to follow. The Football in New York clinical will be three days a week in the Summer during the month of June. The clinic will last for four weeks and will be physical on field activities in the morning and life skills activities will be in the afternoon. As Garner states, “Organization minimizes conflict, duplication, and wasted effort” (2017, p. 86). My intention is to have a very organized and detailed plan in order to maximize time with participants to be able to have an effective ministry.
The on the field programming will consist of positional focused drills with a coach at every station. The drills will be divided into age groups to provide a level and fair approach for all participants. The coaches, who are former college and professional athletes, will demonstrate the drill first and then let the participants do the drill. For the older participants, there will be a lot of player led drills to try and train leadership and accountability. That will be harder for the younger participants just because of lack of maturity and newly getting into their sport. The drill station will last approximately thirty minutes.
After the drill session, the participants will go into the competition and live game action of the clinic. The lineman will get ready for their one-on-one competition. Then, the wide receivers and defensive backs will do the same on the other side of the field. The linebackers versus running backs would be the last piece to the live competition. After the one on ones are completed, the skill players, which is anyone besides the lineman, will participate in seven on seven. The seven-on-seven drill will be for four quarters.
After the morning practice, lunch will be provided for all participants. There will be a time of rest and reset during lunch. On the first day of each week, there will be a guest speaker to talk with the participants. The guest speaker will focus on the overall theme or mission for the week. After lunch, the participants will work on their life skills for the afternoon.
There will be four different stations for life skills for the off the field part. Each life skill will be twenty to thirty minutes. The first station will be the Professional Development station. Here, participants will learn how to work on resumes, how to get dressed for interviews, and learn how to tie ties. The second station will be the Finance 101 station. This teaches participants how to save and invest money the right way. The older participants will be educated on NIL as well to prepare them for the whole lot of money they will be able to make as well as networking in college. The third station will be Community Awareness. This simply will be letting the participants know how they should surround themselves in the community and the right things to do. We will discuss not using drugs and alcohol, letting them know how that can negatively affect their future. This station will also talk about how they know that they should always surround themselves with the right people. For example, when they see people doing the wrong thing they should stay away, even if it's friends or family. The Community Awareness station will also focus on giving back to their community. By remembering that it starts with them and the choice they make, they will be more aware of their community and how they can contribute to it.. The final station for the off the field part of skills will be the Nutrition station. This station will teach participants how to diet and knowing how to portion food having the right things on their plate, so they know what a healthy meal looks like. There will also be cooking classes some weeks to show participants how they can prepare food at home. Each station will be instrumental for the overall program of Football in New York.
There is value in understanding that the skill of football along with the social skills and environment each play a role in an athlete’s life. The Football in New York Clinic will be well organized and structured because it creates the best opportunity for the participants, not only for their future, but also their current situation. Vaughn et al., states, “the values an individual can express are constrained by the character of the social institutions (i.e., football clubs) and the social order (i.e., form of life) in which people live” (2021). It is my goal with Football in New York to create a clinic that is positive and has a promising future.
References
Garner, J. (2017). Recreation and Sports Ministry: Impacting the Postmodern Culture. LU Press.
Vaughan, J., Mallett, C. J., Potrac, P., López-Felip, M. A., & Davids, K. (2021). Football, Culture, Skill Development and Sport Coaching: Extending Ecological Approaches in Athlete Development Using the Skilled Intentionality Framework. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 635420. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.635420
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Connection Sports: Programming Activities
Conner J. McCullen
Liberty University
SMGT 504: Foundations of Sport Outreach
Dr. Kevin Heisey
01 SEP 2024
Authors note
I have no known conflicts of interest to disclose
Questions, comments, or concerns should be sent to Conner McCullen:
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Abstract
Connection Sports aims to provide sport programs that appeal to the local community of
Savannah, GA while staying on mission to create disciples among the youth. Connection Sports
will focus on a select few sports with room to grow in others for future endeavors. The first few
sport programs Connection Sports will be focused on to start is: flag football, baseball/softball,
and soccer. Depending on interest and growth of the Outreach program, Connection will look
into adding volleyball and basketball once resources become available or known to the program.
Optimistic about sport opportunities in Connection Sports, there is more opportunity knocking at
the door with Connection Churches planted in Georgia to create a legitimate Ministry league
among them.
Keywords: community, budget, donations, opportunity
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Connection Sports Activities
Flag football
Flag football used to be a staple for outdoor recreation and P.E classes for schools back in
the early 2000s. Today, flag football has grown into a league of its own. Connection Sports
would capitalize on flag football to offer as a starter sports program because it does not require a
ton of equipment or space, which saves money. Flag football sets on amazon run thirty dollars or
less. The program could always go above and beyond and get each athlete in the program a pair
of cleats, football gloves, and a mouth guard if funds are budgeted properly. Another big reason
for going the flag football route is safety. In the study Kroshus et al. (2018) discusses how flag
football has an impact on kids having fewer head injuries that could lead to future health issues.
For Connection Sports, safety should not be overlooked as children are still able to get hurt, but
can mitigate health concerns if staying clear of the pads. As for space, Connection Church
Rincon has an open field to easily set up for practices and scrimmages. Practices would be held
twice a week with a scrimmage/games set on Saturdays. Sundays after Church services would
also be a great option with having the body of the Church go out and cheer on the kids to create a
sense of community.
Baseball
Baseball is another great sport to get kids involved in. Depending on age and number of
participants, Connection Sports would do T-ball for both boys and girls to combine funds and
save money for the program. Once participants reached a certain age, Connection sports would
consider splitting into baseball and softball groups for boys and girls respectively. However, a
study by Cohen et al. (2014) showed that having coed teams brought more diversity and
inclusion when it came to sports. Since Connection Sports' main priority is to teach the Great
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Commission, having everyone involved on a team would align more with the mission statement
of Connection Sports. Since baseball needs more equipment, this would be a great opportunity to
receive donations for old baseball gear from the Church body. Gear such as: baseball bats of
various sizes and weights, helmets, gloves, catchers gear, cleats, and baseballs. As for space to
carry out practices and games, there are two local baseball fields that can be rented out within 3
miles from the Church. Depending how long the season goes, that would determine how much
Connection Sports needs to budget for practices and games. Practices would be twice a week
with game slots on Saturdays as well as Sundays following Church service.
Soccer
Soccer is another sport that does not require much gear. Connection Sports can provide
soccer balls and cones for simple practices. If the program is able to go above and beyond, they
could also provide soccer cleats, shin guards, and goalkeeper gloves. The program would also
have to consider making this a co-ed league or two separate leagues depending on the number of
participants. There are a few sports complexes nearby including a brand new YMCA that is less
than 2 miles from the Church. These would be prime locations to hold practices and games.
Depending on the length of the season, that will determine how much is needed to budget for
field rentals. Another idea is to have the smaller kids have practices at the Church to save funds
due to not needing a lot of space and the ability to obtain small goals for them to experience
scoring. Just as flag football and baseball, practices would be twice a week with game slots on
Saturdays as well as Sundays following Church service.
Future Sports
The next sports in line to be added to Connection Sports are volleyball and basketball.
Especially with the building of the nearby YMCA in Rincon, that gives Connection Sports a
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prime opportunity to have a facility to conduct indoor sports. These sports are very simple when
it comes to gear. Connection Sports would need volleyballs and basketballs for their sports. If the
YMCA does not have a volleyball net, the program can invest in a net to bring to and from the
facility, or partner with them to leave it standing there.
Travel Logistics and Future Goals
Connection Sports' goal is to help the families get to and from practices if parents are
unable to do so for their kids. Determining pick up locations in Savannah to offer the best option
for transportation will help ease of operation for the families in the area and the Church. In order
for this to come to fruition, the Church would need a big van or bus depending on how many
kids are participating and what practices are going on that evening. Connection Sports would
also need to present consent forms to allow the families to grant the program permission to pick
up their kids. In the Bible it says: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble,
thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take
an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Jesus Christ had” (Philippians
2:3-5, NLT). With the ability to transport kids to and from practices and games, it gives
Connection Sports a great opportunity to make a direct impact in the kids' lives.
The future goal of Connection Sports is to eventually build a league among its planted
Churches. Currently there are 8 Connection Churches spread out in Georgia. This would allow
Connection Sports to help not only the Savannah area, but other parts of Georgia that have
struggles with local poverty through the sports ministry. Low-income children have fewer
opportunities to develop prosocial behaviors and are at higher risk for delinquent behavior; thus
participation in extracurricular activities is recommended to change this situation (Bruening et
al., 2015). The Bible says: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good
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works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one
another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT).The
sense of community and camaraderie among the Connection Churches through sports is strong
enough to build each other up in Christ.
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References
Bruening, J. E., Clark, B. S., & Mudrick, M. (2015). Sport-Based Youth Development in
Practice: The Long-Term Impacts of an Urban After-School Program for Girls. Journal of
Park and Recreation Administration, 33, 87–103.
Cohen, A., Melton, E. N., & Peachey, J. W. (2014). Investigating a coed sport’s ability to
encourage inclusion and equality. Journal of Sport Management, 28(2), 220–235.
https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2013-0329
Kroshus, E., Sonnen, A. J., Chrisman, S. P., & Rivara, F. P. (2018). Association between
community socioeconomic characteristics and access to youth flag football. Injury
Prevention, 25(4), 278–282. https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2017-042677
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SMGT 504
Discussion/Peer Review Assignment Instructions
You will complete four Peer Review exercises involving colleagues’ Sport Outreach Plan drafts in this course. You will attach your previous week’s Sport Outreach Plan draft submission by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of the Module/Week. Then you will carefully read at least three of your peers’ drafts and post three responses of at least 200 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module/Week.
Your response should offer suggestions for improvement, related information on the topic, questions for clarity and further insight into your colleagues’ work.
The objective of the assignment is for students to both learn from each other’s plans as well as contribute feedback that helps improve plans throughout the course.