Beginning of Spring Semester 2015

The first two weeks of a semester are always a dynamic time, for me, as I attempt to return to a routine, establish class schedules, and determine a general day-to-day balance.  An additional part of finding that equilibrium is learning the overall timetable of GA projects.

From an initial perspective, this semester looks to be quite different from the fall semester.  When I began working with Dr. G, many of the projects he had in progress were in the editing and revision stages. So I did little to no work with data collection or literature reviews.  This semester there are considerably more projects in their genesis, so I am getting the opportunity to participate in Dr. G's work from a new angle.

At this point, there are three primary research projects which are underway to which I have contributed:

1) Internal grant proposal for sport-for-development research 
I believe being able to see the strenuous process of obtaining a grant has been invaluable.  This is an integral part of the research process and being able to better understand the support and connections necessary to write a successful grant is eye-opening.  All of this in addition to being able to convey the entire purpose and breadth of a project in a concise (5-page for these circumstances) manner.

2) Response Rate manuscript
I have had a difficult time proposing potential adjustments to this manuscript. In other situations, such as with the Brand Authenticity article, seeing new paths to conceivably pursue with the manuscript seemed more natural.

3) Olympic Bid Project focus groups 
This is one of the most interesting collaborations for me because this the first time I have been directly involved with organizing focus groups for data collection.  However, this task has also proved challenging due to scheduling conflicts and considerations for each of the participants.

In addition to the research oriented endeavors, I have had the opportunity to be involved with certain aspects of the classes Dr. G teaches.  Most recently, I read an article entitled Sport without Management. This was one of the most thought provoking and challenging articles I have contemplated. I think it would be fascinating to compare this piece of work with the article written in response by Bob Stewart, Sport without Management: A Response. Furthermore, I believe these two articles might provide a stimulating classroom debate.