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Major Sport Events: Winning Through Diversity and Inclusion

Explore how athletes and para athletes prepare for major sport events, and how sport contributes to diversity and inclusion.

1,164 enrolled on this course

Swimming athlete at swimming pool
  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Discover what it takes to compete at an international sports event

In this course you’ll learn how athletes and para athletes prepare for a major sporting event.

You’ll learn how sports science, medicine and technology helps athletes prepare for competition.

We’ll explore the importance of sponsorship for athletes and how sport event partners help build legacies.

We’ll also discover the motivations and preparation for a major sporting event of athletes and para athletes from developing countries.

You’ll learn how we can begin to level the playing field for athletes and para athletes from developing countries to promote diversity and inclusion.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 13 seconds Endurance.

Skip to 0 minutes and 17 seconds Power. Speed. Dedication. Gold. In any major international sports event, we watch in awe as athletes push themselves to the limit for the love of their sport and their country. But these events are more than just competition. They’re a celebration of the diversity and inclusion that can be found through sport. The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games is a great example, bringing together elite athletes and para athletes from 70 nations and territories to compete in a spirit of unity to achieve their personal best. Griffith University is an official partner of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, and a leader in sports research and education.

Skip to 1 minute and 5 seconds Hi I’m Clare Minahan, and I am the lead academic in the sports physiology and performance group at Griffith University. We’ll examine the sports science and sports medicine involved in athlete preparation. We will also look at how we can promote inclusion and equity by assisting athletes and para athletes from developing countries with their preparation. Hi, my name’s Alana Thompson. My area of expertise is sport management and the legacies of major sport events. We’ll look at this together and also uncover the work involved in securing sponsorship and building legacies. Join us and be inspired by remarkable athletes and their coaches, as we learn what it takes to level the playing field and build sporting legacies for future generations.

Skip to 1 minute and 50 seconds Together, we’ll discover how the human spirit triumphs through diversity and inclusion.

What topics will you cover?

  • The role of major sport events in contributing to diversity and social inclusion.
  • The motivations, goals and rewards that drive athletes and para athletes to prepare for major international sport events.
  • How sports science, medicine and technology as well as sport management are used to prepare athletes and para athletes for major sport events.
  • How a structured program can help athletes and para athletes from developing countries perform at their best.
  • How sport event partners plan for and resource initiatives to secure legacies from international sport events.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain the range of elements involved in preparing and supporting athletes and para athletes to realise their potential at major sport events.
  • Describe why and how different partners work together around an international sports event to prepare athletes and build equity and social inclusion.
  • Explore a contemporary case study of a high performance sport development programme in how it prepares athletes and para athletes from developing countries for international competition.
  • Discuss the potential for athletes, participating countries and key partners to secure legacies before, during and after a major sports event.

Who is the course for?

This course is aimed at anyone interested in international sport events, particularly those who are interested in how elite athletes and para athletes prepare for such events, and what happens in developing countries.

Who will you learn with?

I am the lead academic in the Sports Physiology and Performance group at Griffith University. I work with elite Australian athletes and apply my knowledge to athletes in developing countries.

I'm a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Griffith Business School's Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management. I'm interested in the sport and social legacies of large-scale sport events.

Who developed the course?

Griffith University

Griffith University was created to be a different kind of university—challenging conventions, responding to trends and pioneering solutions through innovative teaching and research.

  • Established

    1971
  • Location

    Queensland, Australia
  • World ranking

    Top 210Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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