2016 CSPS Summer Update

CENTER FOR SPORT, PEACE, AND SOCIETY

SUMMER UPDATE 2016

FROM KNOXVILLE TO THE WORLD, the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society continues to make a SPORTS EXCHANGES Read summaries on the Center’s first disability sport exchange, an upcoming exchange in Mexico, and the planning for a fifth women’s empowerment program.

RESEARCH Learn about the Center’s recent work in research, including two academic presentations, a journal article, and an upcoming chapter in a prominent SDP handbook.Jour

LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES Check out a new campus collaboration–the VOLeaders Academy–and its inaugural 10day service-learning trip to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

difference throughout the world.

Read more to learn what the CSPS team has been up to leading into the fall semester.

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS

CENTER LEADS FIRST DISABILITY SPORTS EXCHANGE PROGRAM – GSMP: SPORT FOR COMMUNITY For five weeks from mid-May to mid-June, the Center led the first government-sponsored exchange program to empower international leaders in the field of disability sport. As part of its cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State to implement the Global Sports Mentoring Program, directors Dr. Sarah Hillyer and Dr. Ashleigh Huffman and their team managed all aspects of the program, known as GSMP: Sport for Community. The 15 participants or “Emerging Leaders” in the program represented 13 countries, including Guatemala, Ecuador, Brazil, Kosovo, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Philippines. They also came from a variety of backgrounds, including two Paralympic champions, five presidents or executives of National Paralympic Committees, and two university professors.

The Center assisted the State Department in choosing mentor organizations from around the country to host participants for three weeks during the program. For the first week of the program, the Center organized curriculum sessions led by Drs. Hillyer and Huffman and select partners, including Tennessee alumnus Dr. Josh Pate, a professor of sport management at James Madison

In April, Dr. Carolyn Spellings, CSPS Impact and Assessments Coordinator, presented at the 4th Annual Muhammad Ali Center, Athletes and Social Change Forum.

Dr. Spellings’ presentation— The Importance of Exposing, Equipping, Engaging, and Entrusting Local Audiences: Reflections from 20 Years of International Sports Development Experience— highlighted best practices from the Center’s directors’ extensive work in the field, including the Global Sports Mentoring Program.

University whose research focuses on disability sport.

After Orientation Week in DC, Dr. Hillyer traveled with a media team to each of the mentor organizations to assist Emerging Leaders with the development of their Action Plans – a concept developed by the CSPS directors that involves participants creating a project or plan for how they will enact social change in their communities upon returning home. The program concluded with four days in DC when the international leaders presented their Action Plans in a conferencelike setting in front of each other, State Department representatives, mentors, and CSPS staff.

2

. In July, Janine Al-Aseer, a Research Assistant with the Center, presented at the 31st Annual International Congress of Psychology in Yokohama, Japan. Her paper highlighted the Center’s 4-E Model of Empowerment and the importance of teaching cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity to students through service-learning.

IN HER WORDS: EMERGING LEADER OLESYA VLADYKINA ON THE IMPACT OF GSMP

”

I’m very thankful to the U.S. State

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

Department and the University of Tennessee for the opportunity to participate in the GSMP: Sport for Community program.

Because of my experiences, I have more confidence in myself to create a better world.

I really understand that I want to do more and be more than just an athlete. I’m ready to make a change in areas of Russia where I see issues for people with disabilities.

SUPPORTING WOMEN’S SPORTS AND GSMP ALUMNAE IN MEXICO THROUGH FOLLOW-ON EXCHANGE IN HERMOSILLO AND MEXICO CITY GSMP: SPORT FOR COMMUNITY MENTORING ORGANIZATIONS

”

CECILIA VALES Founder, She Wins Mexico

Their paper focused on factors that influenced the implementation of SDP programs in post-conflict settings internationally.

Ability 360 Phoenix, AZ U.S. Association of Blind Athletes Colorado Springs, CO U.S. Olympic Committee Colorado Springs, CO University of Texas-Arlington Arlington, TX Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL

For 10 days in August, the CSPS

to underprivileged girls in the rural

team will travel to Hermosillo

southern state of Oaxaca.

Chicago Park District Chicago, IL

and Mexico City, Mexico to lead

Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities Fort Wayne, IN

Department of State. Specifically,

Lakeshore Foundation Birmingham, AL

support the efforts of three Global

University of Alabama Adapted Athletics Birmingham, AL

alumnae: Carla Bustmante, public

Spaulding Rehabilitation Network Boston, MA GlideSlope New York City, NY

Led by Dr. Alicia Malnati and Dr. Carolyn Spellings, five members of the CSPS team, along with an international colleague, were recently published in a special issue of Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health. The special issue was titled: Engaging the Field: Sport in Under-Resourced, Underdeveloped, and Conflict Regions.

Dr. Huffman has led the planning

a follow-on exchange for the U.S.

for the trip and coordinated with several prominent figures

the team will be in Mexico to

to participate in workshops and clinics. During the trip, there will

Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP)

be collaboration with local NGOs, the Mexican Soccer Federation,

relations director for Naranjeros

U.S. Ambassador Roberta Jacobsen,

Baseball Club; Anna Cecy Lopez,

former First Lady and presidential

Business Member Director in

candidate Margarita Zavala, and

Coparmex; and Cecilia Vales,

representatives from Nike, Puma,

founder of She Wins Mexico, an NGO

Adidas, among others.

that provides sports opportunities 3

...The Center was also asked to contribute a ..book chapter for ...an upcoming ....Sport for ...Development ...and Peace Handbook. Led by Dr. Ashleigh Huffman and Dr. Sarah Hillyer, four members of the Center staff are drafting a chapter on the intersection of SDP and education, with a specific focus on university students.

The handbook will be the foremost resource for those interested in SDP work, including undergraduate and graduate students, practitioners, and funders.

Since 2012, 66 women have graduated from the Empower Women program. In the past two GUESTS TRAVELING WITH CSPS FOR FOLLOW-ON EXCHANGE IN MEXICO Laura Gentile President espnW John Lisko Executive Communications Director Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles Laura Dixon Executive Director of Community Responsibility Spurs Sports & Entertainment Mary Harvey Olympic Gold Medalist U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Executive at Ripple Consulting Ralph & Karen Weekly Co-Head Coaches University of Tennessee Softball

years alone, 109 new partnerships

PLANNING FOR A FIFTH WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

have been formed, 3,560 volunteers have been mobilized,

For the fifth year, the Center will

and more than 10,500 individuals

lead a women’s empowerment

have participated in sports-

exchange as part of the U.S.

based, community development

Department of State’s Global Sports

programming because of the GSMP

Mentoring Program (GSMP). The

and the work of its participants.

exchange will be the first edition of the GSMP: Empower Women

Alumnae of the program include

through Sports program since the

professional athletes, CEOs,

Center’s cooperative agreement was

social entrepreneurs, high-level

renewed in 2015.

administrators, and government

WRITING AWARD In May, Brian Canever, Digital Content Manager for the Center, earned a thirdplace award in Sports Reporting at the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists’ Golden Press Card Awards.

His piece titled, “The Quiet Fighter,” was featured in the Knoxville Mercury last July.

officials who do everything from

Named among the nation’s 10

develop rugby leagues for girls in

most successful public diplomacy

Australia to create sports programs

programs, the GSMP brings

for Syrian refugees in Jordan.

together a network of international changemakers working to advance opportunities for disadvantaged populations, specifically including women and people with disabilities, to play sports.

its partners at the U.S. Department of State and espnW to ensure this program continues to change lives

For the 2016 edition, CSPS staff

all around the world. Drs. Hillyer

have been busy interviewing

and Huffman will depart with their

candidates, preparing materials

team to begin the program in

and curriculum, and working with

Washington DC on Oct. 4.

VOLEADERS ACADEMY VISITS BRAZIL In July, the Center’s directors led student-athletes from the VOLeaders

the new knowledge and skills

Academy, a collaboration between

in transformational leadership,

the Center, Tennessee Athletics,

community development,

and the Center for Leadership and Service, on a 10-day servicelearning trip to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The trip included collaboration with organizations connected to the Center through previous international work.

Student-athletes participated in

group dynamics, mentoring, activities at the University of São

athletes, who represented 10 sports

positive coaching, cross-cultural

Paulo, a behind-the-scenes tour of

teams on campus, participated in

communication, and sports-based

Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro,

Brazil exchange. The experience

service that Drs. Hillyer and

and a boxing clinic with the

served as the conclusion to the

Huffman provided in the Sport for

internationally-recognized NGO,

inaugural year of the VOLeaders

Social Change course they taught

Fight for Peace. All 13 student-

Academy and an application of

last spring.

4