Students majoring in Sports Administration at Baker University are experiencing trends in sports facilities first-hand in the Sports Facilities and Event Management class.
“Sports facilities are a huge deal today,” Lynsey Payne, instructor of health, sport and human performance, said. “This class shows students some of the trends involved in creating some of the newest facilities.”
Payne said people can see changes in the importance of sports facilities with the construction of the New York Yankees’ and Mets’ stadiums. She said the changes in how the facilities are developed are something students in the sports administration major should understand.
Payne first offered the class as an interterm in January 2007 and 2008. Payne said the class was popular enough in the Spring 2009 semester to become a full-semester class.
“I took it as an interterm,” junior Martin McDonald said. “I thought it was fun as an interterm, so it would be more fun as a class.”
During the course of the semester, the class has or will tour the Booth Family Hall of Athletics and Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas, the Kansas Speedway, Kansas University Ambler Student Recreation Center and the Populous (an architect firm). Guest speakers will include Dan Harris, former Baker University athletic director, Assistant Athletic Director Theresa Yetmar and a few others that are undetermined.
“I’m a pretty big NASCAR fan,” senior Ryan Burns said. “It will be cool to go behind the scenes to see all you don’t usually get to see.”
Every trip is free of charge and exclusive to students enrolled in the class. Payne said the tours are free and the department pays for the gas fees.
She said the class is very beneficial to students by creating an understanding of the direction some of the newest sports facilities are headed. She hopes to show students current trends in design elements, how the facilities are financed to be built and some of the management that takes place within each facility.
“I’m very excited the school has chosen to offer the class,” Payne said. “It is unique in that it is a class generally offered at the graduate level and it allows students to experience both the creative and business sides of sports administration.”
