January 2010 Archives

Why do little league fathers have fights under the bleachers? Is the promotion of top female athletes like Lindsay Vonn sexploitation or good business? Should college athletes be paid wages?

To help answer these questions and understand the role of sports in society, the Leeds School of Business formally rolled out its Business of Sports Certification Program in mid-January. The BRD's role in the program is to offer support for experiential research learning opportunities that will be provided to students.

The following is a short teaser of some of the material to be covered in the program.

Physical activity can be divided into four mutually exclusive categories: play, games, sports, and athletics. An understanding of the definitions of these activities helps inform the debate about questions such as those posed in the first paragraph.

• Play is unstructured activity. Children are experts at play--this is never more evident than on a cold winter day when they want to run, jump, and hop around the house. There are no rules in play, and score is not kept. It is the purest form of activity.

• Games are loosely structured activities that may involve more than one individual. Rules are minimal. Scores may be kept, but winning and losing may be based on competition or cooperation. Games are the focus of many recreation-based youth programs.

• Sports are highly structured activities that may involve individuals or teams. Sportsmanship is an essential part of the competition, even though scores are kept for the purpose of determining a winner or loser. Amateur competition, such as high school sports, is the best example of this category.

• Athletics is competition with a minimal set of rules, just short of open warfare. Winning occurs at all costs. Competition at this level is a form of entertainment. The NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL are all examples of athletics.

Sound intriguing? The BRD is interested in learning more about how you think sports, recreation, athletics, and the creative industries play a significant role in our society. If you are interested in the program, contact Robin Miglarese, Interim Director of the Leeds Executive Education Program, at 303-735-0183.

One of Colorado's finest January traditions is the National Western Stock Show (NWSS). The event, which runs from January 9th-24th, has been held in the Mile High City for more than 100 years. Despite the down economy, more than 600,000 participants and visitors attended the eclectic mix of rodeos, dancing horses, commercial exhibits, and livestock auctions.

The fact that the NWSS appeals to everyone, from city slickers to the top livestock breeders in the world, makes it arguably one of the top economic drivers in the state. A 1997 visitor spending study estimated attendee expenditures to be more than $80 million for the 16-day event. In 2010, over 40 countries were represented at a meeting of the International Livestock Congress held in conjunction with the NWSS. Their attraction to Colorado is the genetics and science represented at the show, not to mention the western hospitality.

Over the years, the NWSS has been a strong economic driver because of constant monitoring and improvement to show events, activities, and facilities; however, the event has reached a crossroads. The future growth and reputation of the NWSS may be constrained by its current location and other factors.

The NWSS is an important part of Colorado's heritage and economy. Stay tuned for the release of an updated economic impact analysis that will help inform the public discussion about the future direction of the National Western.