Sport management students learn the connection between sports and fostering peace worldwide

William Woods Undergraduate

Bachelors of Sport Management students, fitness enthusiasts and health activists alike recognize the benefits of sports and physical activity in the lives of both children and adults.

Aside from the physical, mental and social benefits athletics bring, such as reduced risk of numerous diseases, boosting your mood, and teaching valuable lessons such as cooperation, teamwork, responsibility and dedication, sports bring global benefits as well.

One organization that has always recognized the worldwide benefits of sports and the unity it can bring is the Olympics. And as we welcome the summer games this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) marks this time as an opportunity to celebrate sport and its ability to foster peace across nations and people groups around the globe by launching its new digital campaign #OlympicPeace.

The purpose of #OlympicPeace is to create a space for sharing stories across social media that show how sports bring hope to the world through bringing people together and breaking down barriers between communities and conflict, as well as to help overcome social stigmas. The campaign is also just one element of the IOC’s overarching global campaign titled “Together We Can Change the World.”

“Like no other human activity, sport is about bringing people together in the spirit of friendship and respect,” the IOC stated in a press release. “In a world shaken by crises, the message that our shared humanity is greater than the forces that divide us is more relevant than ever before. By coming together in unity to celebrate the rich diversity of our shared humanity, the Olympic Games give us all hope that a better world is possible.”

Sport management students at William Woods University will have the opportunity to learn more about the significant effects of physical activity and sport in society and culture through courses like PED 220: Social Science in Sport.

As an aspiring sport management professional, whether you hope to work as a coach, an athletic director, a sports agent, a marketing manager or something else, you can find assurance in the fact that you are making a difference in more than just someone’s physical and social well-being. You are part of something even bigger — a movement that promotes unity and fosters peace in a world that can so often be divided.

Your job in sport management will mean support. It will mean encouragement and determination, passion and perseverance. And most importantly it will mean promoting peace, so that together we can change the world.

“Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.” – Nelson Mandela

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