Teaching a 10-Step Risk Management Model: An Application of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory

Abstract

Sport management curricula at universities across the United States often require one or more classes on legal issues of sport. Most often, the topic of risk management (RM) is not covered as extensively as necessary with venues and events being targets of violence and terrorism. Do graduating sport management students understand RM in a way where they could bring a large toolbox of skills to an organization, especially if planning a career in facility/event management? To assist future sport managers, this article proposes an application of Kolb’s experiential learning theory to a comprehensive 10-step RM model. Each step in the model was carefully designed to create, deepen, and apply the RM process and exhibit the importance of including RM as a required course in a sport management curriculum. Applying Kolb’s experiential learning theory permits faculty to create an RM process to real-world systems.