Online Master of Science in Coaching and Athletic Development (MS)

Designed for learners involved in the fields of health and exercise science, this course surveys and critically evaluates the basic principles of human physiology with direct application to acute and chronic exercise. Particular attention is paid to lifestyle risk factors that can lead to heart disease.

An evaluation of the physical, physiological, and psychological factors that affect motor skill acquisition, performance, retention, and transfer. With a focus on voluntary movement, topics include nervous system control of movement, sensory and perceptual contributions to motor learning, information processing, optimal conditions for learning motor skills, preferred modes of feedback delivery during learning, and individual variability in motor skill acquisition. Students will apply the principles of motor learning to coaching, fitness, and rehabilitation settings. Additionally, they will analyze motor learning settings and determine adjustments to be made in those settings to foster motor skill acquisition for a variety of populations.

Nutrition plays an integral part of our daily lives. It becomes even more important for athletes, who push the physical limits of their body. Providing adequate fuel is essential and can make a difference between success and failure. Yet most athletes and coaches lack basic nutrition knowledge important for enhancing strength, speed and endurance. This class will focus on the nutritional needs and requirement of athletes. First, the student will recognize and establish sound nutrition principles and the nutrients that play a role in determining these principles. Nutrients and other food constituents are integrated into the human body. These affect the athlete's metabolism, health, and performance. The student will trace the metabolic fate of dietary components and recognize how each nutrient and/or food constituent affects metabolism, health and performance. Using this knowledge, the student will design several healthy diets that optimize performance. (Prerequisite: SPHS502)

Sport Psychology is the scientific study of how individuals behave in sport and exercise, and the practical application of that knowledge to performance enhancement strategies. Students in this course will investigate human behavior patterns in sports and exercise settings. Human behavior is complex, dynamic, and social. There are no easy answers when you try to determine why people behave in a certain fashion. However, this course will focus on interpreting and applying fundamental behavioral tendencies related to biological and psychological models of personality structure, motivational orientations, psychological interventions, and social dynamics. In addition, students will create useful psychological interventions that demonstrate their ability to distinguish the need for normal sport enhancement strategies from serious psycho/physical behaviors that require other professionally trained experts. Psycho/social relationships to sport performance will be analyzed. Behavior management strategies, modeling, aggression, and group dynamic models will be critiqued as students design philosophies that guide training and intervention strategies.

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an understanding, appreciation, and ability to analyze human movement using a biomechanics approach. This course will expose the student to the laws and principles governing human motion. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of exercise and sport movements. Research with applications to a variety of sport, exercise, and clinical settings will also be included to provide the student with knowledge of current topics of interest in the field.

This course is designed to provide an understanding of postural assessment and integrated performance profile as it relates to human performance. This course will focus on identifying and correcting musculoskeletal abnormalities and performing integrate performance assessments. The student will develop appropriate techniques used to recommend exercise prescription for individuals post assessments. This course incorporates advanced sports performance assessments and exercise techniques utilizing the Optimum Performance Training Model (OPT Model) and prepares students for the Performance Enhancement Specialist examination offered by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM-PES). (Prerequisite: SPHS501)

This course focuses on the study of historical, cultural, and sport policy variables within athletic development management. Students will evaluate the relationships between athletes and stakeholders through the theoretical concepts of sociology, physiology, and kinesiology, psychology, sport management, business, and coaching. They will analyze the role of specific sports policies and play from the perspective of an athlete, coach, and stakeholder. Nuances of specific sports are examined through historical sporting events, athletic achievements, and national and international governance of amateur and professional sport.

Students in this course will use analytical techniques to examine coaching strategies. Methods, practices, and approaches that apply across a number of sports disciplines will be discussed. Students will study several issues related to coaching preparation. Students will research, strategize, and reflect on past, present, and future coaching strategies. Course topics will address coaching philosophy, technique, time management, character, teaching, nutrition, and physical training. Methods for learning will include critical thinking, decision making, and analytical skills necessary to form an effective coach.

This course focuses on the marketing, promotions, public relations, and communications involved in the multi-billion dollar sports industry. The course provides research, case analysis, and other opportunities to learn of the effective principles, theories, practices, and methods involved with all aspects of sports communications.

The main thrust of this course is the application of principles and practices of financial management, as it applies to organizations in the sport industry. This course seeks to develop the financial skills necessary to gain an understanding of an array of financial concepts that impact sport managers. Students will examine financial strategies related to sport entities and organizations and will be introduced to current economic and financial issues that impact the sport industry. Included in the course are the basics of accounting, budgets and budgeting systems, performance measures creation, and financial statement evaluation for the purpose of cost analysis and planning. Other topics include budget development, funding, capital projects, economic impact, and supply and demand in the sport industry.

This course focuses on the entrepreneurial opportunities in the sports industry, to include sports management, sports franchise, sports agency, and small sports business management professions and programs. The course focuses heavily on the business plan, financial, and planning issues associated with entrepreneurial and small business ventures. Students will develop their own entrepreneurial sports plan as an independent research project for this course.