Sports Management Education: A Perspective on the Public Sector

Abstract

The discussion on the role of the sport managers has gained a growing prominence within the scope of scientific research in sport, and it is crucial that he/she possesses knowledge and essential skills to act efficiently and effectively in increasingly complex and differentiated contexts. This research aimed to identify the sociodemographic profile of the main actors involved in municipal sports management, while exploring their perception of the importance of training in sports management. We followed a simple descriptive quantitative approach, focusing on the 308 municipalities of Mainland Portugal, the Autonomous Region of Madeira and the Autonomous Region of the Azores. Data were collected through a questionnaire, applied between November 2020 and February 2021, and 443 responses were achieved. The results show a superiority of males in both groups and in both cases they are aged between 41 and 49 years. The average level of qualifications is the bachelor’s degree, however, the number of professionals with academic training in sports management is extremely low. Despite this scenario, the professionals working in municipal sports management considered that it is very important to have training in sports management in order to improve their skills. Theoretical contributions of the research: (i) increases scientific knowledge in the field of municipal sports management and its actors; (ii) updates knowledge on the profile of technicians and those responsible for the promotion and development of municipal sports activity; (iii) establishes the relationship between the importance of training in sports management and the opinion/perception of those who effectively act as sports managers; (iv) explores the indices of training in sports management vs. the academic qualifications of technicians and municipal officials. Keywords: Sports management; portuguese municipalities; sports technicians; competencies; education and training