Diploma in Sport Management

Purpose

This vocational qualification serves as an accessibility vehicle to all professional dimensions in the field of sport management. The qualification is designed for learners to develop knowledge in sport management and administration skills. The learners of this qualification will perform administrative tasks in private and public organisational structures, team sport management, recreation management, sport marketing as well as fitness, coaching, event and facility management. The qualifying learners will gain the capacity to coordinate and administer sport, recreation, fitness and coaching related programmes and events. Learners will acquire skills to apply their knowledge in sport management functions using available technology to empower industry. The qualification will also serve as a stepping stone to equip the learners to specialise in one of the various disciplines in the field of sport management and administration. The purpose of the qualification is to develop achieving learners who can demonstrate focused knowledge and skills in sport management.

Rationale

Learners will develop knowledge, together with practical skills through work integrated learning, to enable graduates to apply their learning in the sport management arena. There is a reported lack of adequate knowledge, expertise and practical skills in sport management, especially sport marketing, event management, and planning, implementation and control of recreation programs in South Africa. This qualification will provide a set of very important and essential skills to prospective sport management practitioners. The qualification will address the national skills shortage and achieving learners will be equipped to take up positions as: sport administrators, event organisers, and sport development officers. In addition, it provides achieving learners with an opportunity to further specialise in all areas in sport management.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

As per institutional policy, credits towards this qualification may be obtained by means of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National senior certificate National Qualifications Framework(NQF) Level 4.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework(NQF) Level 5 and 6 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 144 Credits

• Life Skills I, 2 Credits.
• Marketing I, 24 Credits.
• Sport, Fitness and Recreation Management, 24 Credits.
• Sport Management I, 24 Credits.
• Communication for Academic Purposes, 10 Credits.
• Information Literacy, 2 Credits.
• Computer Literacy, 10 Credits.
• Coaching and Physical Education Studies I, 24 Credits.
• Consumer Behaviour, 24 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 216 Credits

• Sport Management II, 30 Credits.
• Sport, Fitness and Recreation Management II, 30 Credits.
• Sport Marketing II, 30 Credits.
• Sport Management III, 32 Credits.
• Sport Marketing III, 32 Credits.
• Sport Public Relations II, 30 Credits.
• Sport, Fitness and Recreation Management III, 32 Credits.

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the various means of accessing and communicating complex information reliably, including the use of information technology effectively to function in and promote the principles of good governance and ethics in sport organisations.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles and the ability to manage the planning, presentation and execution of sport, recreation, fitness and coaching programmes and events affectively.
3. Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the concepts, rules and theories applicable to the management, administration and operations of sport organisations and structures.
4. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a team in developing and implementing a sport event, marketing, public relations plans and the running of sports organisations. This includes the ability to identify, analyse and solve problems in the effective management of sports organisations.
5. Demonstrate the ability to make decisions and act appropriately in the operations of sports within the broader sport fraternity. This includes demonstrating an understanding of the various systems and their relationship within the South African and International context.
6. Demonstrate understanding of basic principles of exploratory and descriptive research.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be used in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes

• Apply the management functions of planning, organising, directing of staff and control.
• Compile annual budgets and monitor income and expenditure within such budgets.
• Appraise performance and take corrective action.
• Decisions on the outsourcing of security responsibilities or performing such responsibilities in-house.
• Develop security systems to safeguard staff, facilities and equipment.
• Stay within security budgeting constraints.
• Development of budgets for tournaments or events.
• Designing a time frame for critical actions to be taken.
• Assigning planning responsibilities to staff.
• Setting standards of performance, measuring actual performance and taking of corrective action.
• Understanding and staying within the parameters of the principles guiding the law of contract and sale.
• Understanding and staying within the parameters of legislation governing labour practice.
• Conduct environmental scanning and competitor analysis to identify opportunities and threats.
• Conduct an internal audit to identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Apply market-forecasting techniques to determine potential demand.
• Understand marketing research procedures to conduct feasibility studies.
• Obtain consensus on marketing objectives.
• Conduct market segmentation to analyse the potential market.
• Apply criteria to select segments as target markets.
• Position the offering in the perception of the target market as having a differential advantage over competing products or services.
• Develop product or service features to meet the requirements of target markets.
• Develop a distribution network to allow access to target markets.
• Formulate pricing and discount policy.
• Establishing the perception of constituent of the organisation and its products or services.
• Apply the research process to obtain relevant information for corporate identification decision-making.
• Develop a corporate image strategy.
• Identify all constituents of the organisation.
• Select appropriate media strategies to communicate with constituents.
• Maintain press relations to ensure coverage of newsworthy incidents or events.
• Preparation of press releases.
• Understand and apply sociological theories to the sport environment.
• Apply principles of psychology for a variety of sport situations.
• Execute psychological techniques to enhance sport performance in a variety of sport situations.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment is done on the following basis: In the assessment strategy as a whole, evidence must be demonstrated through a variety of options which can include case studies, problem solving assignments and strategies, portfolio of learning materials, projects, written and oral examinations, log books and practical exercises, presentations and demonstrations. Some strategies will be more suited to assess foundational competence while others are more suited to assess practical and reflexive competence. The final integrated assessment needs to measure applied competence. It would be in the form of a written internal examination with external moderation, practical examination and a final integrated portfolio assessment. It should assess whether learners are able to co-ordinate and manage all event genres through research, plan, design and conduct (practical competence), understand the theoretical basis for these actions (foundational competence), and reflect and evaluate the event and make changes to their practices (reflexive competence). A Work Integrated Learning(WIL) Component will allow students to perform the practical and reflexive competence and will specifically be assessed by a portfolio which will be moderated and assessed in-line with institutional policies.