Human resource management is one of the most important components of business operations in any organization, and sport and recreation programs are no exception. This textbook provides the framework and principles necessary for undergraduate and graduate students to develop, implement, and maintain the human resource strategies and practices that are essential in managing a sport, recreation or athletics program, from community and youth centers, to intramural collegiate and professional sports.Human Resource Management for Sport and Recreation Programs examines foundational concepts and the practical elements of human resource management, providing detailed insight, and a step by step look at overall program policies and plan development, program implementation and management, including personnel recruitment, onboarding and assessment techniques, planning and procedures for corrective action, as well as examining relevant legal, ethical, and safety considerations governing the employer--employee relationship. This text is essential in understanding how to successfully recruit, retain, reward, and maintain the most valuable resource of any organization: it's people.
About the Author: Richard Leonard, PhD is currently a Professor of Business Administration/Management at Flagler College in Tallahassee, Florida. His primary teaching focus is in Strategic Management with secondary instruction in Human Resource Management and Marketing. For eight years at Flagler, Dr. Leonard was the Department Chair for Business Administration and Accounting. His duties included curriculum improvement, complete human resource management of departmental faculty (full-time and adjunct), development of departmental initiatives, and participation in external departmental activities and promotions. In addition to his duties at Flagler College, Dr. Leonard was Distance Learning Faculty of Sports Management at the United States Sports Academy. His principal areas of instruction at USSA were in doctoral and graduate level courses in Strategic Management, Strategic Marketing, Human Resource Management, Event Planning, and Fundraising. Dr. Leonard's main academic professional development concentration over the past 14 years has been publishing textbooks. Leonard's textbooks include Fundraising for Sport and Athletics (2nd Ed. 2016), Summer Sports Camps 101: A Guidebook for Development and Operation (2015), Principles of Sport Administration (2013), and The Administrative Side of Coaching: Applying Business Concepts to Athletic Program Administration and Coaching (3rd Ed. 2017). Additionally, he has written numerous articles in the field of sports administration. These articles, published by the American Volleyball Coaches Association--the governing body of the sport, encompass every aspect of sport management including planning, organization, human resource management, and strategic management. Dr. Leonard earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Robert Morris University, an MBA in management from Florida Metropolitan University - Tampa College, and a PhD in management from Walden University. He has certifications in Strategic Management and Leadership from the American Management Association, as well as certifications in Professional Learning, Collaborative Learning, and Classroom Management.