Policy and Governance in Sport: Issues, Organizations, and Practical Application

This book provides a broad overview of the governance structures of sport organizations as well as policy issues pertaining to sport governance. Leading scholars have contributed chapters addressing how sport governance is executed through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling in the multiple levels of governance (e.g., local, national, and international).

The chapters are arranged by three main sections of the book: governance and decision-making, organizations, and current issues in governance. The book begins with an introduction to establish the definition of sport governance and unpacks ethical considerations when governing across sport organizations, emphasizing frameworks for decision-making and analysis. The second part of the text highlights organizations that govern with the aim of understanding differences across levels of competition and oversight. The third section of the book focuses on issues within governance, including chapters focused on women in sport, sexual misconduct, corruption in sport, imagery, and sports wagering.

Governance is oversight within a designated framework of operating an organization in sport for the purpose of fulfilling its mission, and the act of oversight may be different from organization to organization. That is why this text aims to offer examples of decision-making, organizations, and current issues in relation to governance to inform future leaders in sport.

Robin Hardin is Professor of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies at The University of Tennessee.

Josh Pate is the Dean of Business and Management, Program Coordinator for Sport Management, and a Professor at Lees-McRae College.

David Shonk is a Professor & Director of Hart School of Hospitality, Sport & Recreation Management at James Madison University.