The Sports Studies department at Guilford is “a world unto itself,” said Lavon Williams, Department Chair and Coordinator of Physical Education. “The great thing about Sports Studies is that it’s not limiting. It gives you a foundation in different areas, which in turn provides different career opportunities,” said Williams.
Introduction to Sport Management, First Aid, Exercise Physiology, Psychology Sport and Exercise, and The Wonder of Dance are all classes that the department offers.
Within the Sport Studies department are three majors: Sport Management, Sport and Exercise Studies, and Sport Medicine.
Bob Malekoff, professor of Introduction to Sport Management, Sport Historical Perspective, and Intercollegiate Athletics, said, “The Sports Studies department is great because it causes the student to think and investigate something critically.”
“It’s a major that prepares the student for grad school, but also provides entry-level work for people who don’t go directly to grad school.
“A main focus of Sports Studies is the thought process; being able to analyze various components of sport and thinking things through. We stress thinking outside of the box.”
Graduates with a Sports Studies degree give themselves the opportunity to pursue jobs in various fields. One example is Doug McConnell, a department alum. Doug now works as a box office manager for the Potomac Nationals, a semi-pro baseball team.
Current Sport Management major Joe Rigert said, “All the classes I have taken in the Sports Studies department have really made me think. The classes focus on more than just facts and test answers; it’s much more than that. A lot of my exam questions are essay; questions that test your ability to think, not just your ability to recall numbers and figures.”
Bryce Hunsucker, also a Sport Management major, agreed.”I am taking one class right now where all the exam questions are essay. It’s not like other majors where you can study the facts and read the book and you’ll be fine for the test. These classes are more in tune to the real world; things like creativity and the ability to think about more than just facts is a focus the professors tend to stress a lot.”
Rigert added, “The first time I took a Sports Studies class I thought it would be really easy, but it turned out to be completely different. It wasn’t that simple at all. The first exam I had took me by surprise; it asked me all sorts of questions that didn’t even involve things in the book or things in my notes.
“I realized the first day that this major was more than just talking about sports; it really is a great option to major in because it prepares you for the real world.
“You can go into a variety of jobs and learn the job with ease because the major you received in Sports Studies prepares you well.