April 27, 2010--Assignment 3

In 1950 when Dr. William N. Wasson founded The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, he had a dream in mind. He organized a meeting at the first Intramural Conference at Dillard University in New Orleans. NIRSA is an organization that focuses on developing quality recreational programs, as well as educate its participants. The program exists primarily to provide college students as well as other public groups with both recreational sports as well as intramural sport contests. The most popular sports in the NIRSA are flag football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, and soccer. Both professional and student members provide for these programs for a variety of populations. The members of NIRSA focus on making healthy lifestyle choices and show their capability through their creativity and remarkable programs. They are striving to be internationally recognized in the future. Donations, communities, and other major Universities fund NIRSA.  All of these donors support what NIRSA does and are involved in the sport programs the foundation provides. Donations to the NIRSA Foundation are the only tax-deductible contributions allowable to a NIRSA-related entity. With all the support from the people interested in NIRSA, it is able to flourish. The main benefit and purpose of NIRSA’s services is to educate the public in healthy life-style choices and recreational fun.

NIRSA has various elements that set it apart from other agencies of its option. The main difference is that the organization is made of professional and student members both. This is helpful because many of the students who help could potentially find their passion within this organization, therefore leading to a possible career path. NIRSA also has a variety of job opportunities available, which is a direct result from the numerous programs it encompasses. In order to get started with NIRSA, people interested must attend the annual conference in Anaheim, California. The different types of jobs available are planners, financial coordinators, equipment and field management, as well as others. Volunteers are always welcome, and the only requirement is attending the conference, having a solid resume & knowledge of recreational sports. 

The NIRSA strengths is that they provide recreational programs to athletes and students in school. Ben Ellison, is one of the directors in charge in setting up the games and he talks about how he wants to give the kids a way to participate in the community. He says that the organization’s purpose is to help others make healthy lifestyle choices and demonstrate their professionalism through their creativity and outstanding programs. These are strengths because the organization offers leisure activities to students. It lets them participate in the community and to develop. Its an easy way to come out and participate in the community. Some of the weaknesses is that most of these programs are for college athletes and students. Most of the games are not in public places. These are weaknesses because their organization is not open to everyone and it is hard to get to the games. It is only open to college athletes and students. Not everyone can benefit from this organization.

            The NIRSA does fulfill its purpose because it provides education and development of quality recreational programs to college students and athletes. They give the students a healthy life-style and lets them participate and interact with each other. Most importantly, Ellison stated that the main goal was to have fun. That is why he started doing this in the first place. He wants to give the students a better leisure life by providing a safe and peaceful environment. He also has talked with the students and asked them if they would ever participate again. Almost everyone of them said yes because it is fun way to come out and play. 

Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW) is an online sports agency that serves numerous athletes around the world by establishing beneficial relationships between agents and their clients. According to their mission statement SMWW “strives to prepare a new generation of athlete representatives with knowledge, critical thinking, ethics, integrity, skills, and the passion to succeed.” SMWW is funded by the fees athletes pay in order to be represented by SMWW agents. It is also funded by the fees prospects pay to take their online courses to become certified agents. Any athlete who is searching for an agent and finds that SMWW fulfills their requirements can be served by this agency. Former ball players, NBA front office personnel, ESPN analysts, professional NBA scouts, athletic trainers, coaches, top endorsement negotiators, and Agent Advisors make up the personnel of SMWW Sports Agency.

Sports Management World Wide is a unique website that makes becoming a sports agent very accessible. The key program elements that set these agencies apart from others are the fact that this website allows anybody to be certified without any sort of education. Unlike other sports management programs this agency provides affordable opportunity to earn your Masters and Doctoral degree in sports management and leadership. The process to become a sports agent for this company requires you to complete an eight week online course.  This agency offers jobs such as “advisors” or the actual agent, and since it is an all online service, all the people who are employed who create and run the website. These jobs interrelate to help provide a smooth running service (webpage) for those who are interested in becoming certified through this agency. So those who create and manage the website are bringing in the agents who then in turn work for the company. 

Sports Management Worldwide has a variety of strengths and weaknesses as a leisure service provider.  However, some of its strengths can also be a weakness.  For example, anybody can apply for their online courses to obtain certification.  That can be seen as a strength and a weakness in that you don’t need credentials and a large resume.  This is also a weakness in that it can take some validity away from the agency and from agents in the field. Some of the major strengths of the agency are the immense number jobs that their certifications can bring and the simplicity that they utilize in giving you the resources to succeed.  Time is another great strength because it only takes 8 weeks to go through the online courses with renowned professors to obtain certification.  They also help young athletes find themselves agents to represent them in the sports world.  Some downfalls to the agency is that it isn’t as hands on and it is hard to be taught everything over a computer.  Sports Management Worldwide successfully fills their mission statements and goals.  They provide the user with an easy and fast way to become a certified sports agent and help young athletes obtain sports agents.  SMWW does this in a manner that is professional and scholarly.  They even have internships to help you get ahead of your peers in the sports agency world.  They back up their credentials with highly regarded sports managers and executives such as Marc Trestman and John Wooten.  Overall Sport Management Worldwide is a great source for young men and women who are looking to obtain a career in sports management, scouting, and leadership.

Sports Management World Wide is a full-service sports agency that is found internationally. It is the first ever-online sports management company, dedicated to educating future sports business executives. This agency serves athletes around the world, ranging from the United States to Lithuania, Malaysia to Mexico. This agency is unique because it provides athletes the helpful “Sports Agent Advisor program”, which helps develop a more personal relationship between the agents and the athletes. This relationship enables the agent to be able to provide a better representation of the athlete to potential employees.

The sports management world wide agency is geared to “revolutionize the sports agent industry into one where agents, in addition to providing excellent representation, have a positive impact on the athletes they represent”, according to the agency’s mission statement. As previously mentioned, the agency is internationally located; however, the home office is located in Portland, Oregon. The agency is comprised of sports agents as well as athletes; we will touch on the process of becoming a sports agent later in the presentation. The agency was founded over 35 years ago by the current president, Dr. G. Lynn Lashbrook.

The SMWW offers a sports management (sports agent) course. In order to become a sports agent for this company you must take the course and pass it; it is a one-of-a-kind 8-week, online course, which provides an interactive education to the participating individuals. This agency is unique because it does not require any sort of education in order to work for them; it just requires that you complete and pass the necessary courses offered by the agency. However, the agency has teamed up with Concordia University in Chicago, offering a regionally accredited, online and affordable opportunity to earn your Masters or Doctoral degree in Sports Management & Leadership.

In order to get your foot in the door and be employed by this agency you have to complete a certain number of their courses in order to become certified in sports management. Former ball players, NBA front office personnel, ESPN analysts, professional NBA scouts, athletic trainers, coaches, top endorsement negotiators, and Agent Advisors make up the personnel of SMWW Sports Agency. Their strong connections domestically and internationally have allowed them to form beneficial relationships with lead companies in apparel, entertainment, financial management, athletic training, legal counsel and athletic training. Agents of SMWW provide advice, professional guidance, mentoring, and strategic counseling from a worldwide team of experience.

The biggest trend with this agency is that they offer all of their required preparation online; as mentioned before, this is the first agency to do this, making it very easy and accessible for all those interested. With these courses, the participants can become certified in certain areas, including athlete management, coaching, and digital video management. Well-known sports executives in specific fields teach all courses.

The agency believes that a strong relationship with the client is necessary in order to provide a closer connection between “advisor” and athlete. Therefore they consider their program to be more leisurely because the intimate relationship between the two creates a much more relaxed tone and allows for a better contract over all. Because this company believes leisure to be like this, the population, in this case the athletes, is provided with a comfortable work zone and a friendly relationship with their agent, someone they can trust. Ultimately providing the athlete with better, longer contract and an all around improved career.

The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) is an organization committed to educate and develop quality recreational programs. There are professional and student members that provide these programs for a variety of populations. They enjoy helping others make healthy lifestyle choices and demonstrate their professionalism through their creativity and outstanding programs and hope to be internationally recognized some day.

NIRSA was founded in 1950 by Dr. William N. Wasson who organized a meeting at the first Intramural Conference at Dillard University in New Orleans. It was originally a small meeting of 22 men and women. Now NIRSA has grown massively, boasting nearly 4,000 members on 700 campuses. They exist to provide college students and other public facilities with intramural and recreational sports contests. These opportunities involve national championships in most of the programs.

There are a variety of jobs that the NIRSA provides because of the many programs it contains. NIRSA is always looking for volunteers to help out at events. Besides the volunteers, to join you must register for attendance at their annual conference (COC). Other than that, all that is needed is a solid resume and knowledge of the field of recreational sports.

To get a start into the NIRSA, you need to register and attend their annual conference in Anaheim, California. The different types of jobs that they offer are planners, financial coordinators, equipment and field management, etc. Most referees are volunteered or are local to the area. Sponsors also are needed to help pay for the events.

Some of the biggest trends in NIRSA as of now are the new National Championships that most of their sports have. The most popular sports in the NIRSA are flag football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, and soccer. Some issues that the NIRSA addresses are that campuses are all different and have their own rules and not all campuses and universities can do their programs. NIRSA sets its own rules for their sports so that they don’t differ at the variety of universities.

NIRSA’s definition of leisure is to provide the education and development of quality recreational programs for diverse populations. The main benefit of NIRSA’s services is to educate the public in healthy life-style choices and recreational fun. Also, they provide a safe environment for these recreational opportunities that promotes a peaceful atmosphere. NIRSA presents itself as a professional organization and upholds that with its excellent service and leadership.

Synopsis: Both groups found the assignment to be enjoyable as we got to learn how many different programs are set up nationally and the amount of participation that they receive. We also learned that many communities and students benefit from the programs provided by NIRSA. Sports Management World Wide also offers classes that provide individuals with career opportunities as a sports agent or manager through online courses and certifications. NIRSA provides a community environment for its events while Sports Management World Wide is more of an individual process. These agencies fit into the leisure service delivery system by providing jobs and creative programs to get individuals involved in their communities. This fits into the leisure service delivery system by opening new paths in the marketplace of leisure and ensuring a opportunity in a career in these programs. The cons of Sports Management World Wide are that it is an individual process and it only starts the foundation of your career. Overall, both of these organizations are beneficial to the leisure service delivery system and how it is seen by the public.