A GAME CHANGER

By Josh Duke

A Game Changer

FSU’s Center for Sport, Health and Equitable Development

Imagine for a moment standing on a basketball court. The lighting above casts your shadow in four different directions, each one mirroring your actions as you dribble past the half court line. In front of you, a defender gets low, stretches out their hand and steps backwards as you test their reflexes. You lock eyes with this person, watching them watch you, as a bead of sweat traces the lines on your face. For a moment, nothing else matters. Just you, your opponent and your desire to win. You do not worry about the bills or what’s for dinner tonight or even who this person is trying to stop you. You are lost in the spirit of competition.

You take a step to the right to see if they will flinch, and when they bite, you crossover to the left, your fingers barely registering the worn surface of the basketball as you drive to the hoop. Adrenaline propels you as you can feel the defender recovering and trying to stop you, but you gained just enough space to make it to the basket. As you hear the sweet swooshing sound of the ball sinking through the net, you pump your fist in celebration.

The game over, you shake hands, maybe even pass a few compliments back and forth. You are no longer opponents now but simply students of the game. Reality starts to set back in as you head home. The problems you put aside for an hour or two slowly fill the back of your mind. But you feel better for that brief moment of your day that you spent on the court—in body, mind and spirit, you feel stronger, refreshed, and maybe just a bit more prepared to face the challenges in your life.

Sports of all kinds bring out that feeling, even when the opponent you face is your own personal best. Runners report a “runner’s high,” climbers face their own limitations as well as the mountain, and gymnasts push their bodies for the best scores from judges as well as their own satisfaction. There is just as much of an emotional benefit as there is a physical one. And for that reason, the love of sports transcends social, political, economic and cultural lines.

It is also partly why Florida State’s Center for Sport, Health and Equitable Development (SHED) came to be. With the understanding that sports can be a powerful force of positive change, SHED aims to help improve the Tallahassee community, particularly populations that have historically been underserved.

THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Florida State University is home to one of the best sport management programs in the country. One of the reasons for the program’s consistently high rankings is its focus on practical experience. Students complete internships, gain hands-on experience in the sport industry and expand their network to include experienced sport management professionals. Upon graduation, students will have acquired strong theoretical understanding of the sports industry as well as practical experience.

Dr. Joshua Newman

In 2012, students and faculty realized that there was a demand in the department to combine the program’s strong work ethic with a desire to improve the local community through sports. Research conducted by faculty and students had proven just how beneficial sports can be—not just for physical wellness, but emotional and mental wellness as well—so why not apply that knowledge to the local community? With that in mind, sport management faculty and students began the process of creating SHED.

Just like superstars still need a team behind them, SHED realized that to help the community, it needed to establish partnerships with existing programs in Tallahassee. “We first formed strategic partnerships with community groups, government agencies, non-profit and academic organizations whose primary mission was to serve socially disadvantaged youth and adult populations,” says Joshua Newman, professor in the FSU Department of Sport Management program and co-director of SHED.

“We do whatever we can to help bolster the active living capacities of local communities and their residents,” he continues. “We play basketball, teach yoga classes, fundraise, conduct policy analyses, offer programming recommendations, conduct community needs assessments, lobby local

government for increased support for recreation programs, advocate for expanded access to youth sport, and conduct research on how these programs can be made better or implemented in other communities.”

Since it began, SHED has helped create and implement sport or physical activity programs at the Kearney Comprehensive Emergency Services Center (formerly the Tallahassee/Leon County Homeless Shelter/Renaissance Community Center); the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association; Tallahassee Division of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Affairs; the Knight Creative Communities Institute; the Federal Correctional Institute of Tallahassee; America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend and the Tallahassee Senior Center.

Through these partnerships, SHED was able to quickly help those in the community who needed it most; however, Katie Flanagan believes that these partnerships are mutually beneficial for the students involved in SHED. An assistant instructor in the FSU Department of Sport Management and co-director of SHED, Flanagan says that “working with these community partners enable students to interact with individuals professionally and socially that they have never interacted with before.

Dr. Katie Flanagan

“Students build relationships with, for example, senior citizens, persons experiencing homelessness and individuals with disabilities. The relationships lead them to reflect on their own values and beliefs and determine what they want to be intentional about pursuing as an engaged citizen and sport professional.”

SPORT INTELLIGENCE

Since its beginning, SHED has leveraged its unique strengths to make a difference through sports. Because its membership has a deep interest in the sports industry, they use research and their insights to select meaningful projects.

For example, the Kearney Center in Tallahassee helps individuals experiencing homelessness. In 2015, the center moved to a new location; however, the center reported a drop in its population. SHED conducted research on mobility and access issues due to the Kearney Center’s relocation. Using the information gathered, SHED implemented a bicycle program.

Over the holidays, FSU students organized and delivered food and gifts to a local family whose children attend an underserved school in Leon County.

SHED’s support of the local community also extends to high-profile projects. Cascades Park is one of the most beloved destinations in Tallahassee, and the amphitheater is perhaps one of the park’s most iconic features. SHED provided the community need assessment which ultimately secured the money for the amphitheater and other amenities at the park.

under a limited budget, and needs changeover time, leaving certain programs underfunded.Tallahassee is no exception, and thecity has unfortunately had to make a numberof cuts to programs that provide sports, physicalactivity and recreational opportunities,which disproportionately affect vulnerablepopulations. “Our center has sought to fill thesegaps by harnessing the energy and expertiseof FSU’s sport management students and facultyto develop and augment community-basedprograms,” says Newman.

“As opportunities to engage in sport and physicalactivities decline for marginalized andunderserved groups—from people experiencinghomeless to seniors to people with disabilities—andthus exacerbating health disparitiesand increasing social and healthproblems for the members of the community,SHED members are trying to use sport and

physical activity programs to increase social,physical health and mental health benefits andthus the overall well-being of Tallahassee’smost vulnerable groups,” he adds.

FSU students play ball with children and adults of all abilities through the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association inclusive sport programs.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Now in its ninth year, SHED continues to find ways to innovate and help the community.

Perhaps one of its most noteworthy achievementswas SHED’s response to the coronavirus.As the pandemic shut down or pausedmany of SHED’s strategic partners in the community,the team adapted to a rapidly changingenvironment. Many of the activities theyengaged in involved face-to-face contact;however, SHED believed that more than ever,people needed to enjoy both the physical andmental benefits of exercise and sport.

“We have had to be creative in developing virtual programs—such as fitness programs for persons with disabilities—via Zoom,” says Flanagan. While it is not an ideal situation, SHED recognizes the importance of prioritizing the community’s health. However, despite the challenges, Flanagan believes that the pandemic has taught some invaluable lessons as well about the power of technology. “In some ways, we have actually seen inclusion increase on account of the virtual nature of events. I think some of these programs will remain post-pandemic.”

SHED shined in quickly adapting to the situation, and if nothing else, the pandemic proved just why organizations like SHED are vital to a community. The organization could act quickly to meet the needs of the community and provide a specific resource that might otherwise be neglected. Despite unfortunate circumstances, SHED’s brand of social entrepreneurship enabled it to stay focused on the issues it deemed to be most important.

Flanagan thinks that SHED’s vision and mission prepared it for any problem in the future. The way SHED approaches social entrepreneurship focuses on “identifying a social issue or problem, learning about all aspects of that issue and then attempting to improve that issue by implementing a new idea, program, process or approach,” she says. While no one could foresee the disruption of the pandemic, SHED overcame challenges that would stymie other organizations.

When the pandemic comes to an end, SHED will be ready to help those in the community discover and enjoy sport and physical activity. No matter the situation, the students and faculty involved with SHED will find a way to accomplish their goals. To learn more about SHED, you can visit their website at shed. education.fsu.edu.

SHED BY THE NUMBERS Since its founding, SHED affiliated faculty and students have achieved the following:

Over 2,300 FSU undergraduate and graduate students have been involved in community-based service-learning programs

Over 10,000 local community members have participated in SHED sport and physical activity programs

SHED-affiliated faculty and graduate students have produced over 125 academic conference presentations and over 150 peer-reviewed publications

Faculty have received 13 foundation and government grants to support the programs

In total, students and faculty have provided more than 30,000 service hours in support of these initiatives