SpMgt-441-tammycr-2026-01-31-05-00-16
SPMGT 441
Leadership and Management in Sport Coaching
3 credits
Spring 2027
Course Title: Leadership and Management in Sport Coaching
Section: SpMgt 441
Location: Global, online delivery
Class Hours: ARRGT
Instructor: Pete Van Mullem, Ph.D.
Office: Cleveland Hall 257
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday: 9:30 to 10:30 AM, also by appt. via Zoom
E-mail: vanmullem@wsu.edu
Phone: 208-874-3715 (cell) *text first, include your name and the course.
Course Overview
This course provides the student with the administrative functions of a coach and the leadership responsibilities of athletic administrators in supervising coaches. The student will explore the management roles of a coach off the field of play and examine how athletic administrators hire, train, support, and evaluate coaches.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Upon completion of this course, students will
- Identify and analyze the organizational structure and setting of sport coaching
- Develop skills and strategies to develop athletes physically, mentally, and socially.
- Develop skills and strategies to gain organizational, professional, and personal support as a coach.
- Identify and apply strategies to create a winning culture and gain a competitive edge.
- Identify and apply strategies to develop a long-term coaching career.
Course Textbook (Required)
Gilbert, W. (2017). Coaching Better Every Season. Human Kinetics. ISBN: 9781492579892
(est. cost $27)
Expectations for Student Effort
Anticipate dedicating about 9 hours per week to course-related tasks. This includes three hours of designated class time and an additional six hours for independent work beyond the classroom. Activities outside of class include reading, reviewing class materials, working collaboratively with group members, and preparing for tests.
Credit Hour Equivalent
Academic credit is a measure of the total minimum time commitment required of a typical student in a specific course. For the WSU semester system, one semester credit is assigned for a minimum of 45 hours of student effort. See Academic regulation 27.
For a 15-week course, students should expect to spend a minimum of 9 hours per week for each online 3-credit course engaged in activities including, but not limited to: reading, listening to/viewing media, completing assignments and reviewing instructor feedback, contributing to discussions, conducting research, studying for and completing assessments, etc.
For a 7-week course, students should expect to spend a minimum of 19 hours per week for each online 3-credit course engaged in the activities as listed above.
ASSIGNMENTS
Personal Reflections (4)
Students will reflect on their values to craft responses to a series of reflection questions about course content. You are evaluated on following instructions and completing all tasks. Your values are not evaluated. Each reflection is worth 15 points toward your overall grade in the course.
Discussions (4)
Students will participate in four discussions with their classmates covering course topics. Each discussion session requires an initial post by Thursday and response posts by Sunday. Discussion sessions are worth 20 points toward your overall grade in the course.
Learning Activities (6)
Students will review course content and complete six learning activities. Details for each learning activity are provided on Canvas. Review assignment instructions and the scoring rubric on Canvas before beginning the activity. Each learning activity is worth 25 points toward your overall course grade.
Coach Development Plan
Students will craft a professional improvement plan for learning and developing as a coach. Students will take a personalized approach to crafting the plan. Additional details will be provided on Canvas. This assignment is worth 75 points toward your overall grade in the course. Review assignment instructions and accompanying scoring rubric on Canvas before beginning the assignment.
Coach Management Plan
Students will craft a plan for managing coaches using a fictional scenario. Students will select from a list of organizational scenarios provided by the instructor. Additional details will be provided on Canvas. This assignment is worth 75 points toward your overall grade in the course. Review assignment instructions and accompanying scoring rubric on Canvas before beginning the assignment.
Assessments
There will be 12 scheduled quizzes based on weekly material. Each quiz is worth 10 points. Quizzes will contain up to 10 questions, including multiple-choice, true-false, and short-essay questions. You will have one attempt and unlimited time to complete each quiz. No make-up quizzes will be provided.
Grading
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Assignment Breakdown |
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Assignment |
Points |
Percent of Overall Grade |
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Personal Reflections |
60 |
10.7% |
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Discussions |
80 |
14.3% |
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Learning Activities |
150 |
26.8% |
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Quizzes |
120 |
21.4% |
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Coach Development Plan |
75 |
13.4% |
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Coach Management Plan |
75 |
13.4% |
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Grading Schema |
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Grade |
Percent |
Grade |
Percent |
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A |
92.5–100% |
C |
72.5–76.4% |
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A– |
90–92.4% |
C– |
70–72.4% |
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B+ |
86.5–89.9% |
D+ |
66.5–69.9% |
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B |
82.5–86.4% |
D |
60–66.4% |
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B– |
80–82.4% |
F |
0–59.9% |
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C+ |
76.5–79.9% |
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Instructor Interaction
The instructor will engage directly with students through course assignments and assessments. Students can expect a response from the instructor within 24 hours of their attempt to reach the instructor via email or phone. Limited email or phone responses will occur between Friday (3:00 PM PST) and Sunday (5:00 PM PST). Timely responses will occur at some point during the time indicated on the communication calendar below.
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Communication Calendar (all times PST) |
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
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8:00 AM |
8:00 AM |
8:00 AM |
8:00 AM |
8:00 AM |
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to |
to |
to |
to |
to |
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5:00 PM |
5:00 PM |
5:00 PM |
5:00 PM |
3:00 PM |
Academic Integrity Policy
Washington State University, a community dedicated to advancing knowledge, expects all students to adhere to high standards of scholarship and the Standards of Conduct for Students. Students are expected to understand the meaning of academic integrity and to adhere to the University’s policies on academic integrity. All members of the university community (and this class) share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship.
Any form of academic dishonesty (including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and misrepresentation) is not tolerated, and violation of the policy will incur the consequences outlined below.
As a student, you are responsible for reading WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policies (identified in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 504-26-010(3) and WAC 504-26-404 will, on the first offense, receive a zero for the assignment and receive one full letter grade lower as a final grade for the semester (from an A to a B, etc.). A second violation will result in an “F” grade for the course. Students suspected of an academic integrity violation will be reported to the Center for Community Standards and will not have the option to drop or withdraw from the course until the appeals process is complete. If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.
For more information on responding to academic integrity violations, please visit: https://www.handbook.wsu.edu/academic-integrity-process/. Please get in touch with the Center for Community Standards for more specific information about the process. The Center for Community Standards can be reached at 509-335-4532 or community.standards@wsu.edu.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
Use AI to generate ideas and edit your work. Synthesize AI-generated content with your writing to align it with the course material. By itself, AI-generated content is not original work. Therefore, treat AI-generated content like a source (e.g., journal article, blog post, book, or website) and provide a citation. Provide quotations if the text is a direct (word-for-word) replica of the content generated in AI or if you have revised or paraphrased the material. Your ability to produce original work is required in this course, and failure to provide appropriate citations for AI-generated content may result in a zero on the assignment.
To cite AI in APA format, use the following approach*:
- APA format: OpenAI. (Year). ChatGPT (Month Day version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com\
- APA reference entry: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Feb 13 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
- APA in-text citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
*Source - OWL at Purdue: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/c.php?g=1371380&p=10135074
** For additional information: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
Late Work Policy
All assignments are due on the date given on the syllabus; otherwise, a score of zero will be recorded. Accepting late work due to extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Incomplete Grade Policy (Academic Rule 90h)
Incompletes are granted only with permission of the instructor and are subject to the following guidelines:
- Students must request an incomplete in writing or by e-mail from the instructor before the end of the semester.
- The request must be signed and dated by the student (or identified by the student's e-mail address) and must explain the reasons behind the request for the incomplete.
- To be considered for an incomplete, there are two main conditions:
- A student must complete a minimum of 75 percent of the assigned coursework.
- A student must have a mathematical possibility of scoring 60 percent or above for the entire course.
- If extraordinary circumstances (e.g., family emergency, serious illness) are involved and are documented to the instructor's satisfaction, the professor/ instructor retains the discretion to grant an incomplete even if the minimum conditions outlined in item 3 above are not met.
If an incomplete is granted, the standard WSU policy applies (i.e., ALL work must be completed within one full year from the end of the enrollment semester at issue, unless the instructor specifies a shorter time. Otherwise, an automatic grade of "F" (failing) will be entered on the student’s transcript.
Copyright
Any course-related materials, presentations, lectures, etc., are the instructor's intellectual property and may be protected by copyright. The use of University electronic resources for commercial purposes, including advertising to other students to buy notes, violates WSU's computer abuse and theft policy (WAC 504-26-218). Selling class notes through commercial note-taking services without written advance permission from the faculty could be viewed as copyright infringement and/or academic integrity violation, WAC 504-26-010 (3)(a,b,c, i).
Course schedule
Coursework is due at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST) on the date indicated.
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SpMgt 441 Course Schedule by Week |
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Week # |
Lesson Topic |
Discussions due 11:59 PM |
Assignment |
Assessment due 11:59 PM |
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Week 1 |
Lesson 1: Working as a Coach |
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Personal Reflection 1 Due XXX |
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Week 2 |
Lesson 2: Staying in the Game |
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Learning Activity 1 Due XXX |
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Week 3 |
Lesson 3: Preparing to Coach |
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Personal Reflection 2 Due XXX |
Quiz 1 due Sunday |
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Week 4 |
Lesson 4: Longevity in Coaching |
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Learning Activity 2 Due XXX |
Quiz 2 due Sunday, |
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Week 5 |
Lesson 5: Developing Athlete Support |
Discussion 1 Initial Post due Wednesday Reply Posts due Sunday |
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Quiz 3 due Sunday |
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Week 6 |
Lesson 6: Building Professional Support |
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Learning Activity 3 Due XXX |
Quiz 4 due Sunday |
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Week 7 |
Lesson 7: Increasing Organizational Support |
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Learning Activity 4 Due XXX |
Quiz 5 due Sunday |
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Week 8 |
Lesson 8: Developing Community and Personal Support |
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Personal Reflection 3 Due XXX |
Quiz 6 due Sunday |
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Week 9 |
Lesson 9: Physical Skill Development |
Discussion 2 Initial Post due Wednesday Reply Posts due Sunday |
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Quiz 7 due Sunday |
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Week 10 |
Lesson 10: Mental Skill Development |
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Learning Activity 5 Due XXX |
Quiz 8 due Sunday |
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Week 11 |
Lesson 11: Character and Life Skill Development |
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Personal Reflection 4 Due XXX |
Quiz 9 due Sunday |
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Week 12 |
Lesson 12: Create a Winning Culture |
Discussion 3 Initial Post due Wednesday, Reply Posts due Sunday |
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Quiz 10 due Sunday |
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Week 13 |
Lesson 13: Gain a Competitive Edge in Practice |
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Learning Activity 6 Due XXX |
Quiz 11 due Sunday, Apr. 13 |
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Week 14 |
Lesson 14: Gain a Competitive Edge in Competition |
Discussion 4 Initial Post due Wednesday Reply Posts due Sunday |
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Quiz 12 due Sunday |
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Week 15 |
Lesson 15: Gain a Competitive Edge Off the Field of Play |
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Coach Development Plan Due XXX |
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Week 16 |
Finals Week |
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Coach Management Plan Due XXX |
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