Twenty-five UA students traveled to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, in May to gain knowledge of the global sport industry and participate in an international sports marketing case study competition through a study abroad experience organized by the sport management program in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.
UA in Europe: Globalization of Sport aims to guide students through a meaningful and impactful education abroad experience through on-site tours, guest lecturers, hands-on peer collaboration with students from UA and other universities, and service-learning projects. Through an intentional combination of practice and theory, students experienced intellectual growth, gained increased self-efficacy and demonstrated an increased capacity to examine issues and viewpoints within the global sport industry.
Students participated in the 16th annual European Association for Sport Management’s Summer School conference in Madrid. As part of the conference, students took part in a sports marketing case study competition with students from around the world.
“Academically, the EASM Summer School challenged me in ways I didn’t anticipate,” said Alex Frazier, a junior majoring in sport management. “Working on an international case study with students from all over the world taught me how to communicate, collaborate and think across cultures. Presenting that work in front of a diverse group gave me confidence in my ideas and reinforced how powerful teamwork can be.”
As part of the conference, students were able to learn about different sport initiatives in Spain including the push for adapted athletics. The group met with Ignacio Ortega, former wheelchair basketball student-athlete who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UA, to learn more about adapted sports in Spain and visited a wheelchair basketball clinic. A two-time Paralympian, Ortega is a rising star in wheelchair basketball in Spain.
Following their time in Madrid, the group traveled to Barcelona. While there, students learned about the legacies of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, visited a sports agency, met with professional sport organizations and received a guided tour of the FC Barcelona Museum and stadium. In addition, the group took a traditional Spanish cooking class and a catamaran lunch cruise in the Mediterranean.
“Culturally, Spain was vibrant and full of surprises,” said Frazier. “These weren’t just experiences, they were moments that expanded my worldview and made me feel connected to something much larger.”
For an in-depth look at the education abroad experience, read Frazier’s blog detailing his trip to Spain.