Graduate students and faculty visit
U.S. Olympic Training Center

Before coming to Philadelphia for Temple University’s graduate program in sport and recreation administration, Ning “Alvin” Xu played pro volleyball in his home country of China. But even though he already knew the ins and outs of being a professional player, Xu wanted to know more about the behind-the-scenes planning of sports administration. 

In May, Xu and three fellow graduate students got a first-hand look at how sports administration plays out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., which hosted this year’s Sport Management Symposium. The center holds tryouts and competitions for both amateur teams and the world’s top athletes, houses the governing boards of amateur sports and conducts all planning for the Olympics. “This program has given me insights into how the industry works, and into how the industry and American sports differ from sports in China,” Xu said.

Outside the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., from left to right: graduate student Ning “Alvin” Xu, USOC official Glen Warner Roseboom, graduate students Beth Ann Vollberg and Margaret “Sam” Spragens, faculty members Ted Tedrick and Debra Blair, and graduate student Jason Vida. (Photo courtesy Sam Spragens)

Xu was joined in Colorado Springs by his School of Tourism and Hospitality Management classmates Beth Ann Vollberg, Jason Vida and Margaret “Sam” Spragens, as well as professor Ted Tedrick and instructor Debra Blair, of the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. The symposium included a tour of the facilities, seminars with speakers from several United States Olympic Committee departments — from food services to media relations — and group presentations on topics related to planning for the Olympics, which were developed by the Temple students and others attending the symposium.

The students learned how the U.S. Olympic training and governing bodies work, and how employees from all departments work together to plan for the Olympics. These are lessons students can apply to other areas of sport management, Tedrick explained.

“Because this is the United States Olympic Committee and not the world of big-time pro sports, we were working with people who are not really in this business for the money,” Spragens added. “They do this because they love athletes, care about their development and competitive experiences, and are devoted to seeing our country represented in the best possible way. I am grateful we were all exposed to this.”

The group presentations to U.S. Olympic Training Center management also gave students important hands-on experience.  Xu and Spragens’ project focused on the planning involved in taking the Olympic team to Beijing. Training Center officials liked the students’ work so well that they were told their presentations will be taken into consideration when the center’s executives plan for the 2008 Olympics, Tedrick said.

“Any time you have the chance to touch, taste and see something of such importance in your field, it gives you a sense of reality of what your industry is, and it enhances your experience, exposure and knowledge,” said Michael Jackson, professor and director of graduate programs in sport and recreation administration.

According to Jackson, the symposium also helped students learn about cultural differences through exposure to students from abroad.

Xu, who has been living in the United States for 10 months, said, “I am from China, so I was able to share some of my cultural knowledge. It gave me an idea of how training centers operate in the United States, and it also gave me an idea of what students from other states and cultures know.”      

The experience was also beneficial for faculty. 

“The major benefit for me is getting to incorporate examples in the classroom, and walking away with new perspectives and information,” Tedrick said. For example, he said, “I have the current list of prohibited substances for in and out of competition from the United States Anti-Doping Agency, and can share that with students interested in writing a paper on these issues.”            

Temple has strong ties to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, as Temple students intern in Colorado Springs on a regular basis, and several alumni hold full-time positions there.

“It speaks highly of us when they select our students to work,” said Jackson. “I think it brings prestige to our program.”

Mike Favre, who graduated from Temple in 2001 with a master’s of education in sport and recreation administration, is the coordinator of strength and conditioning for the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Terri Rogers, who received her master’s of education in sport and recreation administration from Temple in 2002, works as the operations coordinator of the center. Janine DiSalvatore, a recent USOC intern, was just hired as a full-time employee in venue operations. Jennifer Porreca, a graduate student, is an intern this summer.

The symposium benefits many students by serving as a stepping stone to their future careers.

“It was a win-win situation for all those involved,” Tedrick said. “The presentations enabled students to be involved in a real-life practical problem, while the seminars provided students with valuable contacts for internships and job opportunities.”

— Erica B. Fajge