Sport Communication Syllabus - Summer 2021

In case you missed my awesome interactive syllabus 

ESPE 6143 Sport Communication -10A

CRN 30514

 

Sport Comm FAQ week 1

 Hello sport communicators, 

Thank you for submitting your questions to your academic coaches: 

Ms. Melanie Hosty (mhosty@astate.edu)

Ms. Kristen Buynar (kbuynar@astate.edu)

Mr. Mark Zeka (mzeka@astate.edu)

They compiled them for me and here is the summary of the need to know. 

1. I have discontinued the use of the writing center for the syllabus assignment. What you saw on that video was residual from last year when I was trying that out. I found it did not scale well, so we will no longer be using them for small assignments like the synthesis papers. 
2. The discussions should include all articles for the week, not just one article. 
3. The mini-doc info sheet has been redone. 
4. Yuja has also been discontinued. A-State has now contracted with Kalutra and IT has made you a how-to video in case you are struggling to upload your intro video. It is located in week 1 activities' folder.  
5. You can make your mini-doc on an organization (or part of an organization) you work for, and it does not have to be pro sports. It can be anything in parks and rec, high school, club sports, college athletics, you name it!

Check out this video for more detailed information =D

Midterm suggestions

 It is midterm suggestions time! (at least for some of you, do not forget I have courses going on 16-week time periods, and courses going on 7-week time periods, so if this seems like an odd time to post a midterm suggestion post, that's because this particular eval probably does not apply to you :P

Check out the form below. It is anonymous. so I will not know who said what, but you are still a person (and my student), and I am still a person (and your professor, who has your best interest at heart and is trying extra hard to give you the best college or graduate experience possible). Thus, I expect you not to take this anonymity as an excuse to be a jerk (OK?). I still expect the utmost professionalism and respect from you, and kindly worded feedback. 

<><

Dr. Benavides

Here is some audio for you because I am trying something new =D

Claudia Espinoza · Audio For Class

Here is the survey: 

Internships

    

 Hello, A-State Sport Management and Sport Admin students! Check out this list of amazing internships available at the time of the writing of this post (Summer 2021): 

1. Graphic designer intern with the Reno Aces in Reno NV
• The mini-documentary video you did in the SportComm course and similar experiences can help you land this one!
2. The Palm Beaches ballpark operations in West Palm Beach Florida
• You would have covered content to land this internship in the Sport Governance and Operations course
3. Sponsorship Sales & Services in West Texas A&M University
• Think Sport Marketing on this one!
4. Marketing and fan experience in University of Cincinnati
• This one is also Mostly Marketing

As you probably remember from your comps and/or thesis, the sport management content covered in each class does not operate in a vacuum from the content covered in the other courses. My suggestion for guiding you to the course material for each of the internships above is to direct you to the main source of content that will help you prepare your application materials, but this will not be the only source by any means. Always think of your degree globally and try to keep in mind the many ways in which it overlaps in the many sport industry segments. 

*****

More recently, it has been brought to my attention, that students have had some difficulty getting placement after covid close-downs. I spent some time talking to people and decided to post some evergreen internship placement information below. As always, the internship information hub for face-to-face graduate and undergraduate students is on the HPESS internship site run by Dr. Amanda Wheeler Gryffin. Likewise, the information for the online M. S. Sport Administration online program can be found in the M.S. Sport Administration-Online Blackboard Organization run by Dr. David LaVetter. These are helpful suggestions to help students in their search for placement. 

    1. Jonesboro Country Club    

• Kate Titsworth
• Phone: 870-820-2546
• Intern duties may include managing lifeguards, overseeing swim lessons, answering patron questions/concerns, rule and regulation enforcement, facility maintenance, special events, etc. 

    2. No Regrets Fitness Studio

• Owner: Heidi Rigsbi
• 514 Southwesr Drive 72401
• Email: hrigsbi@astate.edu
• Intern duties may include inventory, SWOT analysis, marketing plan, market analysis, update client portfolio, expansion plan, expansion research, social media plan, social media management, etc. 

    3. Red Wolf Wellness

• Director: Spencer Beradley
• Phone: 870-972-3974
• Email: sbradley@astate.edu
• Intern duties may include inventory, SWOT analysis, marketing plan, market analysis, update client portfolio, expansion plan, expansion research, social media plan, social media management, etc. 

    4. Last, but not least!

Recommendation letters

 Hello, A-State Sport Management and Sport Admin students! 

I am pleased to announce I have revised my recommendation letter policy. If you need a recommendation letter please fill out ***this form*** and email me at cbenavides@astate.edu to let me know you have done so. I will send out a letter or PDF to the official company or school address or email you provide within the form. Please note I will use your indicated pronouns, job title (school program), company name (school name), recipient information, and all other information exactly as listed, punctuated, and capitalized in the form; so please double and triple check all the information you provide. Once the letter has been sent out I will send you an email to inform you. I still do not send generic letters directly to students, so have all the information handy and fill out the form below when you are ready. 

Here are a few things you may want to reflect on and look up before you fill out the form. 

1. Your values. ***Here*** is a good resource to help you with that reflection. 
2. Your skills. ***Here*** is a good resource to help you with that reflection. 
3. the courses you have taken with me (and only with me)

<><

Dr. Benavides. 

Marketing plan

As promised, once you turned in your SWOT analysis we are going to focus on the marketing plan assignment. One thing at a time, right? Here are the major components of the marketing plan and the rubric that will be used to grade it. This is presented here as an outline for your convenience, but for your assignment, you are to present it as a narrative. Ultimately you are gathering evidence to speak of a plan that integrates all elements of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion, people, processes or places)

1. Organization's profile
1. Name
2. Provide a history of the organization
3. Describe the industry
4. Describe the products and/or services the marketing plan focuses on (PRODUCT)
5. Name and describe the organization key competitors
1. Explain why they are so
2. Market segmentation and targeting
1. What problem do the products and/or services solve?
2. Describe the potential customers
3. What are the key segments within this market? 
1. Identify and describe at least three segments this company serves 
1. Describe how they serve them
1. How will you communicate this to them? (PROMOTION)
4. What segment does the marketing plan focus on, and why? How does this segment will offer growth and opportunity? (PEOPLE)
3. Context
1. Speak if the macro environments that affect the organization
1. Economic
2. Political 
3. Technological advancements
4. Social 
4. SWOT Analysis 
1. Strengths
2. Weaknesses
3. Opportunities
4. Threats

All this previous information should lead you to create a cohesive plan for integrating all elements of the marketing mix. Describe how you are doing so. 

       5. Marketing mix

1. Product
2. Price
3. Promotion
4. People
5. Process or places

Click here for the grading rubric. 

Below are a couple of marketing plans by students. With their permission I made them publicYou can find more examples with feedback as well as the feedback for these videos on my youtube channel. 

Finding articles for class

Having trouble finding articles for my courses? Follow these easy steps. 

1. Go to the A-State website 
2. Click on the library tab, or go directly to the A-State library website 
3. Find the database you want to use (I like SportDiscus), or use the OneSearch box right there on the main page. 
4. Copy and paste the title of the article from the syllabus to the search box and click search. I like to put it in quotation marks ("") to limit my search hits.
5. If you have any trouble you can chat with a librarian. Make sure you have the article information from the syllabus handy (the whole article reference from the article list section, not just the author name from the itinerary section). The chatbox is located on the main A-State library website page. 

I hope this helps you and reduce some of your anxiety and frustration operating the library website. Remember the coaches or myself do not control the library. This activity is built into my courses so you practice and struggle less when you take your comps exam. If you have feedback about the library they will be happy to hear it, and if you have feedback about the class you can relay it to the coaches. Please do so in a professional and helpful manner. We are all here to help you and be assured we want to do so! <><

Here is a step by step video

Updated video including the articles for week 6 in the Sport marketing course