England Trip
Every other year for the last few yeas, Dr. Lara Killick, Dr. Pete Schroeder, and/or Dr. Melissa Davies have taken a group of undergraduate and graduate students on a two-week trip to London, Glasgow and Durham as part of the Sport and Globalization class (HESP 142). During the whirlwind trip, students meet with major sport franchises, attend professional sporting events, receive coaching in cricket and rugby, tour internationally renowned facilities such as Wimbledon, attend academic presentations by Sport and Globalization experts, and take in many of London's famous sites and attractions.
The trip included:
Meetings with Sports Franchises: The class examined the challenges facing two of the largest American sport conglomerates, Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL), as they attempt to expand their products beyond the shores of the United States. The group met with members of the NFL UK.
Attending Live Sports Events: The group watched Millwall beat Huddersfield 2-0 in the League One Football (soccer) playoff semi-final at The Den and experienced the victory walk home through the streets of South London. Surrounded by a crowd of 82,000, they also watched the Leicester Tigers beat Saracens (33-27) in a last-minute thriller to become 2010 Guinness Premiership Rugby Champions at Twickenham Stadium.
Sporting Immersion Activities: The class "went native" and got a chance to play cricket and rugby in coaching sessions hosted by Dulwich Cricket Club and London Scottish Rugby Club. The second annual Pacific Soccer Friendly was held at Hyde Park with Dr. Schroeder's team once again coming out on top, 3-2. Graduate student Gwen Arafilies played cricket against the Dulwich Cricket Club's 12 and under girl's team, which ended in a tie!
Facility Tours: The group took tours of several international facilities, including Lord's Cricket Ground, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (a.k.a. Wimbledon), Chelsea Football Club, Twickenham Rugby Ground, Hampden Park and Celtic Park. The famed Centre Court at Wimbledon
Academic Presentations: The group attended several academic presentations, including a lecture by Sport and Globalization expert Professor Joseph Maguire from Loughborough University. They spent a full day with the bid team from Glasgow, Scotland for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which are similar to the Olympics and involve countries of the former British Empire.
University Exchange: In partnership with Durham University, the class spent a day touring the university's facilities, hearing from Durham's Director of Sport, Dr. Peter Warburton, and learning more about the structure of recreational and performance sport in UK universities.
Conducting Research: The graduate students spent an afternoon at the Wimbledon library collecting data on the media presentation of Andre Agassi. They had unrestricted access to the extensive collection of books, journal articles and media reports housed in this facility.
Cultural Immersion: It wasn't all work and no play: the group took in two West End shows (Billy Elliot and Wicked), rode on the famous London Eye ferris wheel, explored the markets and shops of London, tasted diverse food and drink, and marveled at the historical and cultural sights for which London is most famous (Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tate Modern, Trafalgar Square).
Watch video of a recent group of students who visited Europe.
