Practice Makes Perfect: Practical Experiential Learning in Sport Management

Abstract

Practical experiential learning opportunities have become an integral component of linking the theory of academia to the practice of industry. Sport industry officials, for example, have identified the internship as the most important element of a sport management program. In meeting the demands of the industry, the internship has become the most common component of a sport management program's curriculum. Yet, recent case law has shifted the legal framework in which internships and experiential learning opportunities operate. Following Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Productions, Inc., 811 F.3d 528 (2015), it is important for academic programs to adjust internship curricula to comply with legal frameworks and to ensure that students gain valuable educational opportunities and develop professional skills, without exploitation. This article includes a review of the literature related to sport management internships, as an example of an academic discipline in which experiential learning is vital; examines the legal framework that oversees the internship relationship, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and Glatt; and recommends ways in which internship-related curricula can benefit students and industry alike.