ILLINOIS VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S TOMMY CANALE FIRST BSS GRADUATE OF U.S. SPORTS ACADEMY - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Illinois Valley Community College issued the following news release:

Illinois Valley Community College's Intramural Coordinator Tommy Canale will be the first person to be conferred a baccalaureate degree from the United States Sports Academy.

As the last of Tom Canale's Jr.'s three children to receive baccalaureate degrees, Tommy will be the first to be conferred a degree from USSA, the wish of Tom Canale III, whose father is suffering from terminal cancer.

'My brother and sister are already college graduates and I wanted to get my degree while my father was still alive,' stated Canale.

Canale received his associates degree from IVCC while working as the assistant basketball coach to the college. Tommy, a 15 year coaching veteran took a year off from his coaching career to finish his Bachelor of Sports Science Degree in sports management and will be the first graduate of the two year old upper division BSS degree at USSA.

'It was a bold decision for Tommy to take a year off coaching to work on his bachelor's degree,' said his mentor and IVCC's Athletic Director Michael Riley. 'He is a unique individual who when he sets his mind is one hundred percent focused and goal oriented. What sets him apart is that he also does everything with quality.'

The convenience of online learning made it possible for Canale to expedite the pursuit of his bachelor degree. Distance learning allows for convenience and flexibility for many busy adults.

'Tommy came to me without a bachelor's degree,' said Riley. 'But he had a lot of talent as a coach and administrator. We talked about him going back to school and I was familiar with the US Sports Academy. We both liked the online delivery that offers students an option to pursue their degree while working because they can continue in their personal and professional life.'

'One of the main reasons this program was so appealing to me is the fact that it's so sports specific and I could go at my own pace,' stated Canale. 'If I'm going to out of town for two or three days I like to get my work done before I leave so I won't be behind when I get back. The Academy offers great flexibility with their online course delivery.'

The final work toward Canale's bachelor's degree comes to a close in April with the last day of his mentorship at IVCC with Coach Riley who is also the Division II liaison to the National Junior College Athletic Association.

WVU College Of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences to Honor Five Graduates - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

West Virginia University issued the following news release:

The West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences this month will honor five graduates who have made their mark in business, professional sports, education and physical therapy.

The college will induct four alumni into the 2008 Hall of Fame: WVU professor emeritus William Alsop, aquatic therapist Paula Briggs, professional and college football coach George Henshaw and former NFL player Pete Zinaich. Zinaich will be honored posthumously.

John Mallory, a former NFL player and retired business executive, will accept this year's Outstanding Alumnus Award. The Monongalia County Board of Education, represented by Superintendent Frank Devono, will receive the 2008 Dean's Service Award for outstanding service to the National Youth Sports Program.

The awards ceremony will be Friday, Oct. 10, at the new Erickson Alumni Center - 57 Alumni Drive (formerly Medical Center Drive), near Ruby Memorial Hospital and Milan Puskar Stadium.

A reception will begin at 7 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

'The Hall of Fame class of 2008 inductees represents internationally recognized college professors, administrators, scholars and business leaders within the physical activity industry,' Dean Dana Brooks said.

'The inductees received numerous honors and awards for their service contributions to their various professions,' Brooks added. 'The College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences is proud to add the names of this year's class of inductees to its growing list of outstanding alumni.'

William Alsop

Alsop earned his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and his master's and doctoral degrees in physical education from WVU.

Alsop was faculty member in WVU's College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences for more than 30 years. He was founder and leader of the nationally acclaimed Sport Management Program at WVU and helped in the initial formation of the college's visiting committee.

During his tenure at WVU, he held the positions of associate professor, coordinator of graduate studies, chairman of the Department of Sport and Exercise Studies, chair of the Division of Physical Education and Sport Studies and program coordinator of the Sport Management Program.

Alsop was president of the West Virginia chapter of the Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. He also served on numerous committees of the national association, including the board of directors and as vice president for the Midwest District.

He was involved in the early formation of the North American Society for Sport Management and served as the organization's membership chair.

Alsop and colleague Andrew Ostrow donated the assets of their successful publishing company, Fitness Information Technology Inc., to establish the International Center for Performance Excellence in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.

He and his wife, Marie, reside in Morgantown and Swanton, Md.

Paula Briggs

After obtaining her bachelor's degree in physical education from Frostburg State College, Briggs earned her master's degree in exercise physiology from WVU.

Briggs has had a long, distinguished career in aquatics and aquatic therapy and rehab. She is the aquatic director at the MountainView Regional Rehabilitation Hospital therapeutic pool, where she developed aquatic programs for all patient diagnoses.

She is also a faculty member in the School of Medicine, Department of Human Performance and Applied Sciences at WVU. She successfully introduced the aquatic therapy curriculum at WVU, making the school one of the few universities offering a specialty in aquatic therapy.

At the national level, Briggs serves on numerous committees for the National Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute. She has also served on the Committee of Disability International Foundation, Aquatic Exercise Association Advisory Board and the boards of directors of the local American Diabetes Association chapter and Mountain Laurel Chapter of the American Red Cross.

She is the liaison for the West Virginia Bureau of Health, Chronic Disease Coalition and Physical Activity Coalition.

In 2000, she received the Aquatic Therapy Professional of the Year Award from the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute, the organization's highest recognition. She also received the Tsunami Spirit Award from the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute in 1996.

She lives in Morgantown with her husband, Rick.

George Henshaw

Henshaw earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from WVU.

As an undergraduate, he started for the WVU football team during his sophomore, junior and senior years and was an All-Conference lineman. He received the Ira Rodgers Award in 1970.

He began his coaching career at his alma mater. He was also offensive- and defensive-line coach and offensive coordinator at Florida State University, an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama and head coach at Tulsa University.

Henshaw spent five years with the Denver Broncos, coaching wide receivers and the offensive line and was the team's offensive coordinator in 1992. While he was with the Broncos, the team won two AFC West titles and appeared in Super Bowl XXIV.

He was offensive coordinator with the New York Giants for four years. He also coached for the Tennessee Oilers, served as assistant head coach/offense for the Tennessee Titans and served with the New Orleans Saints.

He has been involved in several professional organizations, including the American Football Coaches Association and National Football League Coaches Association.

He and his wife, Kathleen, reside in Mandeville, La.

Pete Zinaich

Zinaich earned his undergraduate and master's degrees in physical education at WVU.

Zinaich played fullback for the WVU football team during the 1946-49 seasons and was captain of the 1949 team. He helped the Mountaineers to a 9-3 record in 1948, including a 21-12 victory over Texas Western in the Sun Bowl.

He was also a baseball standout at WVU from 1948-50. He played catcher and shortstop and batted cleanup in the lineup.

Zinaich went on to have a successful professional football career, being selected in the ninth round of the draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

After retiring from football, he was a teacher and coach at various high schools in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle area and Ohio.

He was selected to the WVU All-Time Team (1930-50). He was a recipient of Hancock County's Sports Greats Award by the West Virginia Centennial Commission and the West Virginia Lion's organization.

The Pete Zinaich Touchdown Club Scholarship is awarded annually to a WVU athlete.

John Mallory

Mallory earned his bachelor's degree in education from WVU.

As an undergraduate, he played for the WVU football team, leading the Mountaineers in punt returns from 1965-67 while excelling as a defensive back. He was a two-year All-Southern Conference pick and earned honorable mention All-America honors.

Mallory also lettered twice in track.

He went on to play in the NFL, being selected in the 10th round by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was traded the next year to Atlanta, where he became the Falcons' all-time punt return leader.

He was also a player-coach for the now-defunct World Football League franchise in Shreveport, La.

After his football career, Mallory spent 25 years at AT&T, where he held management positions in sales, marketing, product management, strategic planning, government affairs and personnel. He also worked as the general manager of an AT&T sales division.

He now works as an independent consultant.

He has served on the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce's Business Education Training Alliance board of trustees and the AT&T Community Involvement Council.

Active in his alma mater, he serves on the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences visiting committee. He is a former member of the WVU Alumni Association board of directors and served as vice president during his term.

He has been named to the WVU All-Time Team (1960-69) and WVU Athletic Hall of Fame.

He lives in Whitehouse Station, N.J.

SPORT PSYCHOLOGISTS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS HELP PROSPECTS PREPARE FOR NFL COMBINE - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Georgia Southern University issued the following news release:

For many athletes, it takes more than raw physical ability to make it in the National Football League.

The proper psychological approach is also necessary for prospective players who want to reach their full athletic potential by maximizing their speed and strength.

Georgia Southern University sport psychologists Daniel Czech and Jonathan Metzler and a group of their graduate students have been helping college football players from around the country hone their mental approach to competition as the prospects prepare for what has been called 'the ultimate job interview.'

During a recent trip to New York, the Georgia Southern contingent spent two days working with 10 players who have been invited to the upcoming National Invitational Camp, an annual event more commonly known as the NFL Scouting Combine.

The players will be put through a variety of physical and psychological tests at the combine, which will be held on Feb. 21-27 in Indianapolis. In addition, the players will be interviewed by executives, coaches and scouts from all 32 NFL teams that are gearing up for the annual draft on April 28-29.

'Of course, a certain percentage of peak performance is physical,' Czech said, 'but an important percentage is mental. We try to enhance the mental aspect by teaching the athletes specific psychological skills that will help them reach their peak performance.'

Czech and Metzler are co-coordinators of the Graduate Sports Psychology Program in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern. Two of the nation's leading authorities on sports psychology, they have been published in numerous professional and academic journals.

In addition, Czech works as an envoy for Major League Baseball International, a position that has enabled him to teach sport psychology in more than 35 countries around the world.

Czech is also a longtime friend of attorney Eugene T. Lee, who runs ETL Associates, a sports management and representation agency based in New York.

The NFL prospects that Czech, Metzler and eight of their students tutored during their late-January trip to New York are clients of ETL Associates. This marked the third year in a row that the Georgia Southern group traveled north to help Lee's clients get ready for the combine.

'Dr. Czech and his team of graduate students have made a profound impact on our clients as they prepare for their pre-draft workouts at the combine,' Lee said. 'They teach specific techniques and exercises that allow our clients to unlock the mental component to optimal athletic performance.

'Their work has given our clients a decided advantage over other players in each year's draft.'

In their quests to find athletes who can help them win the Super Bowl, NFL teams leave no stone unturned. At the combine, more than 300 of the top college football players in the nation are poked, prodded and studied by an army of doctors and coaches.

The heights and weights of all of the players are accurately measured, along with the lengths of their arms and the sizes of their hands. All of the players also take a 50-question intelligence test known as the Wonderlic.

While a few opt out because of injury or some other reason, the vast majority of the players at the combine undergo a series of tests that measure their speed and strength.

Among other things, they are timed in the 40-yard dash, and they attempt to bench press 225 pounds as many times as possible.

This is where the pre-combine meetings with Czech, Metzler and their students enter the picture. While they can't make a player bigger or stronger, the sport psychology sessions can teach him how to perform at his best in pressure situations.

When a mere tenth of a second in the 40-yard dash can play a huge role in which round a player is drafted - or if he is drafted at all - the pressure to perform at the combine can be substantial.

'We use concepts such as imagery and arousal regulation,' Czech said. 'Imaging success can help with creating mental blueprints for future success, and being cognizant of arousal levels are very important for peak performance. We teach the players how to regulate themselves through breathing techniques, progressive relaxation and meditation.

'In addition, we take the time to just listen and work through some of the debilitating thoughts they may be thinking.

'Once they master these concepts and work through some of their worries and anxieties, the players can put themselves in position to perform at optimal levels when they really need it.'Contact: Mark Holland, 912/681-0405, markwh@georgiasouthern.edu.

BJORN HANSON-RENOWNED HOSPITALITY AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY RESEARCHER AND SENIOR EXECUTIVE-APPOINTED NEW HEAD OF NYU-SCPS TISCH CENTER FOR HOSPITALITY, TOURISM, AND SPORTS MANAGEMENT. - States News Service

NEW YORK -- The following information was released by New York University:

Dean Robert Lapiner of the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS) has announced the appointment of Bjorn Hanson as the new divisional dean of the School's Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management, beginning with the fall 2010 academic semester.

A hospitality and travel industry researcher widely respected for his forecasts and for having created econometric models that transformed business analysis in the field, Hanson joined the Center in 2008, where he is now a clinical professor teaching in the graduate and undergraduate hospitality and tourism programs and directing applied research projects. Well-known for his scholarship, he has an international following for his periodic 'Trend Reports' on key lodging industry indicators.

Before becoming a member of the full-time NYU-SCPS faculty, Hanson was Global Industry Leader, Hospitality and Leisure, for the worldwide professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for nearly 20 years.

Hanson has a long association with NYU, where he earned a Ph.D. While at PwC, he served as chair of the Tisch Center's Advisory Board of distinguished industry leaders and shared his expertise in the classroom as a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty member. And for more than a decade, he has moderated the highly regarded economists' roundtable panel at the annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Conference.

'Because of his background, in-depth understanding of the fields of hospitality, tourism, and sports business, and his strong connection with the Tisch Center, Bjorn Hanson will be uniquely able to work with the faculty, staff, and Advisory Board to bring the Center to new levels of distinction,' said Dean Lapiner. 'Professor Hanson has a compelling and articulate vision for the Center, and more important, a track record that demonstrates his ability to inspire confidence and realize the ambitious, shared aspirations for its future.'

Lapiner added, 'This is a wonderful outcome to an extensive international search process that identified very strong candidates for the position. I am deeply grateful for the dedicated work of the Search Committee. My special thanks go to Peter Warren (chair, Tisch Center Advisory Board) and Jim Stuckey (divisional dean, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate) for their superb service as co-chairs of the Search Committee, and of course, to the incomparable Jonathan Tisch (CEO, Loews Hotels) for his insightful and invaluable participation as executive chair.'

'I am incredibly honored and humbled to be asked to serve as the next divisional dean of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management,' said Bjorn Hanson.

'When I joined the Tisch Center faculty, my intent was to be a teacher and mentor to our outstanding students and to be a colleague of our extraordinary faculty and administrative professionals. I am grateful for the opportunity to do so in this expanded role and to be part of the organization that will build on the truly remarkable accomplishments of Lalia Rach, dean of the Tisch Center for the past 15 years,' he added.

Hanson's appointment comes at an exciting time for the Tisch Center. A nearly 120,000 square foot building on the NYU campus is being entirely redesigned and reconstructed to provide a new home for NYU-SCPS by summer 2011. Within that facility, the Tisch Center will at last enjoy a comprehensive environment with offices for faculty and staff, student lounges, dedicated classrooms (including a small conference center), and easy access to a range of schoolwide services. Of equal importance during the coming year, the School and Center are committed to implement plans to enhance career development support for students and alumni, foster collaborative research projects across the University and with industry, and expand the Center's capacity for the bold curricular innovation for which it is known.

More about the Tisch Center at NYU-SCPS

Established in 1992, the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management has earned a global reputation as one of the world's leading academic hubs for undergraduate and graduate professional studies, applied research, and continuing and executive education programs for the hospitality, tourism, and sports business fields. It bears with pride the name of an industry giant and New York University benefactor, Preston Robert Tisch, former CEO of Loews Hotels and owner of the New York Giants. The Tisch Center achieved its present standing and scope under the leadership of Lalia Rach, who will be stepping down after an exceptionally successful and inventive 15-year tenure as divisional dean, to return to teaching, conducting research, and mentoring students as a member of the Center's full-time faculty.

Within NYU-SCPS, the Tisch Center offers two bachelor's degrees (B.S. programs in Hotel and Tourism Management and Sports Management) and three master's degrees (M.S. programs in Hospitality Industry Studies, Sports Business, and Tourism Management), and also offers three graduate-level certificates (in Hospitality Industry Studies, Sports Business, and Tourism Management). Taught by 12 full-time clinical faculty members as well as more than 80 dedicated adjuncts--all of whom are leading practitioners in their respective industries--these programs enroll more than 500 undergraduate and graduate students, from across the United States and abroad, and claim 1,600-plus alumni working around the globe. The Tisch Center is also known for organizing each June in New York City, the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, considered the premier hospitality finance and development forum of its kind. Annual attendance has grown to nearly 2,000 industry leaders-among them CEOs and leading finance and real estate executives.

More about Bjorn Hanson

A hospitality industry researcher, consultant, and scholar by profession, Hanson holds a Ph.D. from New York University, an M.B.A. from Fordham University, and a bachelor's degree from Cornell University.

Hanson began his tenure at Coopers and Lybrand LLP, the forebear to PwC, in 1990. He founded the firm's hospitality, sports, convention, and leisure practice and held various positions at PwC, including: National Industry Chairman for the Hospitality Industries, National Service Line Director for Hospitality Consulting, National Industry Chairman for Real Estate, Real Estate Service Line Director, and National Director of Appraisal Services. Additionally, he served on the firm's leadership committee and financial advisory services management committee. Hanson was also managing director with two Wall Street firms where he led banking and research departments for lodging and gaming.

He has co-chaired a committee of the American Hotel and Lodging Association and was president of the Cornell Club of New York. He was honored in 2008 with the Lodging Hospitality Stephen W. Brener Silver Plate Award, is a past Cornell University 'Hotelie of the Year,' a Conti Distinguished Professor at Penn State University, and holds CRE and CFE professional designations.

As scholar and trusted industry expert, Hanson has been quoted in almost every major business periodical and professional journal, including Time, Newsweek, Forbes, Fortune, US News and World Report, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal (US, European, and Asian editions), Barron's, and The New York Times. He has appeared numerous times on CNN, CNBC, FOX, WCBS, PBS, the Today Show, and other media outlets. Hanson has published chapters in all four editions of HOTEL INVESTMENTS and has been named one of the '25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry' by Meeting News, one of 75 industry leaders in Lodging magazine's

'Profiles in Leadership,' and as 'One of the 33 Most Influential People in the Travel Industry' by Travel Weekly.

MEDIA ONLY: Professor Bjorn Hanson is available for comment regarding his appointment and major current trends in the hospitality industry. Please contact Ken Brown at ken.b rown@ny u.edu sdawson@lakpr.com or (212) 329-1420 to arrange an interview.or (212) 998-9119 or Suzanne Dawson at

About the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies

SPORTS MANAGEMENT ALUMNUS TO SPEAK ON APRIL 10 - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Western Illinois University issued the following news release:

Take me out to the ballgame is more than a song to Western Illinois University graduate Rob Louthain. It's a way of life.

Louthain, who graduated from Western's sports management graduate degree program in 2001, is the manager of premium seating and group sales for the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox. He will present 'The Chicago White Sox 1995-2005' at 9:30 a.m. and 'Selling the Western Open' at 1 p.m. Monday, April 10. Both presentations will be held in Horrabin Hall 1.

In 2005, he generated more than $1.8 million in sales revenue and is responsible for the sale of all premium seating, group seating and party areas at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Prior to joining the Sox organization, Louthain was director of sales and marketing for the Professional Golf Association's (PGA) Western Open from 2002 to 2004.

Louthain is a 1989 graduate of Bushnell-Prairie City High School. He has also worked with the Western Golf Association and interned with the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers.

This event is sponsored by the department of kinesiology, the Graduate Sports Management Club and Western's Visiting Lecture Committee.Contact: Darcie Shinberger, 309/298-1993, 309/298-1606.

An assessment of statistical data analysis techniques employed in the Journal of Sport Management: 1987-2002. (Sport Management/Administration). - Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport

The purpose of this investigation was to examine statistical data analysis techniques utilized in the Journal of Sport Management (JSM).JSM was selected because it is the official research publication of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). It is the primary publication outlet for research of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in higher education throughout North America. All articles appearing in JSM from January 1987 to October 2002 were examined in this investigation. However, the type of articles selected for analyses were primary quantitative data base articles (i.e., those which used some type of numerical data analysis technique). The number of articles reviewed was 263. Of this amount 145 (55.1%) utilized quantitative data base techniques; 13 (5.0%) qualitative data base techniques; 5 (1.9%) utilized both quantitative and qualitative techniques; and 100 (38.0%) were coded as primarily scholarly review essays. For each of the quantitative articles, a coding process was utili zed that involved the following steps: (a) reading the article, (b) deciding whether a technique was considered primary in answering the study's research purpose(s), research question(s) and/or research hypothesis(es), and (c) categorizing each technique by level of statistical procedure (basic, intermediate, or advanced) as recommended by Goodwin & Goodwin (1985). Of 150 articles coded, a total of 365 statistical techniques were coded as primary and classified by level of difficulty. Of the three levels, nearly two thirds (61.6%) were coded as basic; nearly one fourth (23.3%) were coded as intermediate; and less than a fifth (15.1%) were coded as advanced techniques. Twenty-three statistical techniques were identified and coded. Descriptive techniques (35.9%) accounted for more than two thirds of the frequencies coded as basic techniques, followed by the t statisitics (7.4%), Pearson's product-moment correlation and chi-square, (7.8%) and (6.8%) respectively. The single most frequent intermediate techniques to be coded were factoral analyses of v ariance (7.1%) and multiple regression (6.0%). Factor analysis (5.8%) was the single most frequently technique employed as advanced and primary for answering the research questions and hypotheses. This investigation was an attempt to assist in developing a more reliable and valid body of knowledge for enabling the research consumers of JSM to better explain, predict, and understand sport industry management phenomena and concepts via research methods. There remains considerable room for improvement in the selection of statistical data analysis techniques of instruments utilized in the study of sport industry management education and research.

New NASCAR course elevates profile of Virginia State University's sport management program. - VAHPERD Journal

At the beginning of the spring 2007 semester at Virginia State University (VSU), instructor Keith Green, Director of Public Relations at Richmond International Raceway (RIR), and course facilitator, Dr. Leon Wright Bey, who is a Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (HPERD Department) at VSU, introduced a unique, three-credit course entitled, 'The Business and Marketing ofNASCAR' The idea for the course is credited to Dr. Michael W Jackson, Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in Sport and Recreation Administration at Temple University (TU), who suggested that his former graduate students (co-authors of this article, Green and Bey) collaborate on this project.

The class relied on the industry knowledge of Mr. Green, who has 14 years of sports marketing experience, including nearly 9 years of helping to promote NASCAR races. Bey, who has taught for 31 years, assisted him by handling many of the administrative aspects of the class.

The course included three site visits to Richmond International Raceway (RIR) during NASCAR testing and race weekend, making it more than likely the first time a course of this nature and scope was taught anywhere in the country and most certainly, making it unique to 'Historically Black Colleges and Universities.' Hosting a course ofthis nature on the VSU campus definitely elevated the profile of its sports management program.

It provided students with a board overview of the NASCAR industry through a combination of in-class lectures by the instructor, guest speakers who are industry experts and site visits to the track. Students learned ow fundamental business practices including, but not limited to, marketing, public relations, advertising, sales and technology relate to America's number two sport, NASCAR

Students also learned about the history of the sport and what NASCAR is doing to reach out and involve more minorities in the sport. Given the relevant demographics of the class, exposure to NASCAR's diversity initiatives (e.g., internship opportunities) was a particularly significant aspect of the course.

During the first class, only about a half a dozen students acknowledged ever having attended or watched a NASCAR race or of having known much about the sport. To introduce most of the students to the sport and help immediately grab their attention, a video narrated by rapper Funkmaster Flex was shown to the students. The introductory piece gave a board overview of NASCAR and how the sanctioning body is going to great lengths to involve more minorities in the sport. This was a terrific tonesetter for the class.

A brief overview of NASCAR was also given and this in turn also helped to set the tone for the class. Students were encouraged to think of the class as an open forum and to ask questions about anything related to the sport at any time. This led to some fantastic questions throughout the duration of the semester.

In-class guest speakers included members of the marketing and sales team at Richmond International Raceway; Nate Ryan, Motorsports journalist for USA Today; Ben Hamlin, the sports director for NBC 12 in Richmond and Todd Ervin, the Director of

Multi-Cultural Marketing for International Speedway Corporation, parent company of Richmond International Raceway and 12 other tracks.

Specifically, the students learned how NASCAR is big business and how the teams, drivers, tracks, sanctioning body (NASCAR), TV networks and sponsors all work together to make NASCAR a $3 billion-plus industry each year. Students seemed to have been amazed at the enormity of the motorsports industry.

All of the lectures by the instructor and information provided by the guest speakers culminated in several site visits to RIR to help the experience come full circle for the students. The students attended one of or both of the NASCAR test sessions at the track, which is a little more than a half hour from campus. They sat in on press conferences held by the drivers (even having the opportunity to ask 2006 champion Jimmie Johnson and local hero Denny Hamlin of Chesterfield questions!), listened intently as more guest speakers lectured, took a tour or Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s hauler and soaked in some of the testing action from pit road and the grandstands.

Some of the at-track guest speakers included Gary Graves from USA Today; Joe Balash, Director of the NASCAR Busch Series and Kenneth 'Lightening' Scott, a NASCAR official who is the nephew of legendary African American racecar driver, Wendell Scott.

A handful of students even took advantage of an invitation from track and NASCAR officials to attend the May 4-5,2007 NASCAR weekend at the track after the class had ended! Their participation in this regard, underscored their interest in NASCAR and appreciation for germane opportunities that Mr. Green presented during various class sessions.

Throughout the semester, students were encouraged to follow the sport by watching races on television and by periodically checking websites and newspapers that had the latest NASCAR news. The 'news of the week,' along with information contained in the class lectures and from guest speakers, formed the basis of the weekly quizzes given by the instructor. In addition to the quizzes, each student was required to pick a NASCAR topic of his or her choice and give a technology-assisted oral presentation. This was an opportunity for the students to not only learn more about many NASCAR topics, but to also help sharpen their presentation skills. The take-home final was then based on the quizzes, class lecturers and one question from each student's oral presentation.

Overall, this seemed to have been an enlightening and rewarding experience for the students, many of whom had never thought of NASCAR as a career possibility prior to their enrollment in this course. It was also most certainly a rewarding experience for the instructor, Mr. Gren, who was teaching for the first time.

'Mr. Green, who is an authority in his field, provided expert instruction for this course,' said co-author Bey. 'In fact, his extraordinarly innovative teaching style matched that of a veteran instructor, as opposed to one who had no prior classroom experience,' he continued.