I have a little nephew, he loves NBA games and he is really a big fan of his favourite NBA basketball team: Boston Celtics! although he was just 11years old but he really enjoy the fascinating time of watching his favourite players on the NBA game match. A few days ago he invited me, actually asked me to go to watch big match between Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic. It’s scheduled on May 12, and 17 2009. But the problem is right now I still have a little business in LA, and he said if I don’t get the ticket quickly we won’t have a good seat to watch the game. Alright then I go for search if there’s any online ticket reservation service for this game especially with a reasonable price. Lucky me, I’ve found the TD Banknorth Garden Tickets page which provide me the solution.

This is really help me, oh I also realized that there are so many available tickets since it’s universal broker I think, and it’s not event-based ticket store but place-based, it means that any events held on the place (concert, sports, or whatever), you can get the reservation online. Other options available: Dunkin Donuts Center Tickets, Chastain Park Amphitheatre Tickets, and many more!

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The Sports Authority, Gart Sports Company, Dick’s Clothing and Sporting Goods, Academy Sports and Outdoors and Cabela’s are USA’s fanciest sports shops.

Read and catch some hint of how five of USA’s fanciest sports stores began.

THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, INC.

The Sports Authority, Inc. is the largest sporting goods retailer, with its offering of the most complete line of products for sports enthusiasts. It was in 1987 that Jack Smith, then chairman of Herman’s World of Sports, opened its first Sports Authority shop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Smith applied the idea that made Home Depot a hit in his conceptualization of the Sports Authority.

Three years later Smith already had eight giant stores in Florida. That same year, Joseph Antonini, former CEO of Kmart Corporation, backed him up by acquiring the sporting goods small chain for 75 million dollars. With enough capital, Smith designed an expansion plan that soon made The Sports Authority rise to a hundred stores in four years.

Almost 140 shops are scattered all over US and Canada that bear over nine hundred famous brands including K2, Nike, Adidas, and Coleman. With its sturdy finances and technological advantage, The Sports Authority continues to lead the sporting goods industry.

GART SPORTS COMPANY

The Gart Sports Company is United States’ second largest company specializing in the retail of sports equipment and goods. Its creator Nathan Gart, and his family moved from Russia to Colorado. Nathan sold newspapers and utilized his earnings to buy and sell watches and rings from his patrons. Saving an ample amount of capital, Nathan purchased a tiny, limited-spaced shop worth 500 dollars at downtown Denver in 1928. He then launched Gart Bros. which is a family business focusing on selling outdoor sporting merchandise such as camping, hunting, and fishing gears. A pocket knife was Nathan’s first sale.

Before long the shop developed into a family business in a new direction. Nathan’s brother George joined him in 1932, his brother Kibby two years after and another brother, Melvin joined in 1946. That same year, the company turned into Gart Bros. Sporting Goods Co.

Gart Sports Company introduced its first Sports Castle store, a renowned, pioneering superstore in downtown Denver in 1971.

Gart Sports Company merged with Sportmart, Inc. in 1998. It has now more than 180 stores located in Western and Midwestern America under the Oshman’s, Gart Sports, and Sportmart names.

DICK’S CLOTHING AND SPORTING GOODS

In 1948, Richard “Dick” Stack created the Dick’s Clothing and Sporting Goods. He was 18. The owner of the Army and Navy shop where **** was a salesman asked him if it’s feasible for the store to offer fishing gear. Young **** devised a business plot over a series of nights without sleep. When he approached the store owner with his plan, the owner’s reaction was surprising. **** was taken aback to hear from the owner that he would never be a good businessman.

Frustrated **** found comfort in his grandmother who after learning Dick’s story, pulled out her savings worth $300 from a cookie jar, gave it to her grandson, and encouraged him to pursue his dreams. **** then used the cash in opening his humble fishing gear store in Binghamton, New York.

After ten years and inspired by his faithful customers, **** expanded his merchandise scale that include a large amount of what is offered at Dick’s Sporting Goods stores nowadays. Presently, the company has more than 300 stores situated in 30 plus states nationwide.

ACADEMY SPORTS & OUTDOORS

Academy Sports & Outdoors started its business in 1970. Arthur Gochman, an attorney, and his business associate bought Southern Sales, a chain of army and navy surplus that included 6 shops that was already into business failure. The idea of surplus business was learned by Arthur from his father, Max who then operated a chain of surplus outlets. In 1973, Arthur took over from his business associate. He then gave the company its commercial name Academy Corp., the name that he borrowed from his father’s shops.

Arthur gave up law in 1978 and transferred to Houston where Academy store is located to take on full control of the business. He ceased the selling of military surplus items and soon responded to new market trends of latest lifestyles. With the soaring prevalence of leisure wardrobe and sports footwear, Academy began offering sports apparel and goods, as well. The 1980s found the company transforming into a chain of stores supplying a varied and economically priced gamut of branded, superior sporting goods and apparel that gave the Academy Sports & Outdoors the perfect picture that remains until now.

CABELA’S

Cabela’s is the globe’s leading company to deliver the finest outdoor equipment and supplies. The story of Cabela’s spawned from modest domestic beginnings. In 1961, **** Cabela bought a set of fishing flies at a furniture show and thought it’s a good idea to sell them. When he came back home in Chappel, Nebraska, he placed an advertisement in a newspaper offering 12 hand-tied flies for 1 dollar. Inadvertently, **** took the initial measure in making a thriving mail-order business and a multi-billion dollar venture.

Toiling at their kitchen table, **** and his wife Mary began filling orders from sports lovers here and there in US. As demand for the fishing flies rose, **** bought other outdoor leisure goods and sent a catalog of other merchandise offered. Their inventory escalated quickly as multitude of orders was generated from the catalog mailed. The following year, there was a requirement for a warehouse to meet the demand.

Cabela’s expansion is unstoppable with almost 80 catalogs delivered each year, and its online division soars higher.

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Sports journalism in dedicated sports magazines offers reports on events like competitions and tournaments and related sports news. There are many sports magazines that have been mocked and called “toy magazines” for showing no concern for the ‘serious’ topics covered by various news desks. Today, sports coverage has grown in importance, just as the different sports themselves have grown in wealth and influence and a lot of subsequent power and recognition.

Sports journalism in sports magazines is an essential component of the news media organization. Sports journalism in sports magazines includes a sports department that is devoted solely to diligent sports reporting. Some of the world renowned magazines dedicated to sports are Sports Illustrated and Sports Round Up.

The reporters of various sports magazines have a tough time with sports teams from around the world. While some are not always very accommodating with sports journalists, others are known to allow sports reporters into locker rooms for interviews and some extra information. There are also sports teams that provide extensive information support, even if the reporting proves unfavorable to them. There are certain countries where sports coverage is often barely tolerated by the clubs and players.

Sports journalists who work for the various sports magazines are like any other reporters. They too have to find the story rather than simply rely on information that is generated by the sports teams or institution or the dedicated coaching staff. The reporters on sporting events are expected to first and foremeost be conversant with the particular game they are covering and the nuances involved. Sports journalists have to verify facts given to them by the teams and organizations they are covering, before getting the content into the sports magazines.

Often, the coaches of the different games and teams and players and even the sports organization management rescind the access credentials of the reporters covering a particular controversy or sporting event. This is done entirely in retaliation for printing accurate, but disparaging information about a team, player, coach or the organization in question.

Today, sports reporters cover extensively sports journalism for professional and intercollegiate sports such as American football, ice hockey, basketball, baseball and football. The sports magazines are segregated to either cater to the target ‘reader’ group for a particular sport or into sections within that cover different sports and offer better coverage to the sports enthusiasts. The sports magazines are headed by a team of professionals either from the games themselves or avid enthusiasts from around the world, who have followed the games religiously.

Sports magazines all over the world have now become a part of the integrated world online. The online sports magazines are increasing in popularity due to the private and comfortable access to live news and reviews possible because of the interent technology. There are many sports magazines that cater to both, the online and virtual segments successfully.

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Academy Sports & Outdoors, The Sports Authority, Inc. and **** Sporting Goods are amongst the leading Sports Equipment Stores in the USA

The 10 leading sports equipment stores in the USA are discussed here.

Academy Sports & Outdoors

This specialty company is known to be among America’s largest and most popular sporting goods sellers. With more than a hundred chains operated all over the southeastern region of the country, Academy Sports + Outdoors shops furnish the sports aficionados with a heavy collection of gears, clothing, as well as accessories at comparatively inexpensive rates.

The Sports Authority, Inc.

This popular chain offers everything from class sports footwear, apparels and sports accessories, at competitive rates. The company also provides an all-encompassing gamut of sports paraphernalia from aquatic sports equipment, hiking and camping gears, football supplies, cycling stuff to ball games kit. In 1987, Sports Authority, Inc. opened its first shop in Florida. Now, the company runs more than 400 stores scattered in the country.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Is one of the most advanced sporting goods chain in the United States that presents a sizeable choice of quality sports equipment, sports clothing, and sports accessories. The company sprang from the simple aspiration of a young man **** Stack to sell fishing gears in the late 1940s. Today, **** Sporting Goods has more than three hundred shops spread throughout thirty states across the United States.

Sport Chalet

Sport Chalet started out fifty years ago as a shop selling only scuba and ski equipment. At present, it has rocketed to be one of USA’s top sports vendor that provides high-end sporting merchandise such as fitness, bowling, fishing, basketball, airsoft, golf, snowboarding equipments, and a lot more. Sport Chalet also provides copious services such as sports expert advice, repairs and rentals. Stores are located throughout Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California.

Modell’s Sporting Goods

The company is one of the leading provider of an extensive line of sporting equipments such as paintball, soccer, skateboarding, running equipments plus so many more. It also supplies athletic footwear, and costumes. Brand names for football jerseys like The Champion and Schutt DNA football helmets are sold in Modell’s stores. Modell’s Sporting Goods is the oldest family owned specialty business of sporting merchandise in the United States. The company runs almost a hundred shops all over Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.

Hibbett Sporting Goods, Inc.

It is established in 1945 and is currently based in Birmingham, Alabama. The company equips sports fanatics with its wide multiplicity of reasonably priced apparel and equipment for sports such as basketball, boxing, football, and weight lifting. It also offers famous brand names of sporting goods like Dickies, Nautilus, NBA, Nike, Oakley, and Ecko. Near to 500 Hibbert Sporting Goods, Inc. stores are located in more than twenty American states.

Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

REI is one of the United Sates’ biggest buyer cooperatives that serves as a source of a broad line of camp and outdoor sports gears and clothing. REI has 77 retail stores and a comprehensive web site, as well. Dog gears, tents, car racks, backpacks, sleeping bags and watches are some of the products that REI sells in its different stores nationwide.

Football America

Maryland-based Football America has been providing the United States with the handpicked football equipment and supplies for almost three decades now. It offers a full selection of hard-wearing, high performance football costumes, helmets, cleats, shoulder pads, plus more.

ATS Sports

ATS Sports is USA’s and the globe’s biggest resource of tennis related tackles such as stringing machines, grips, court equipment racquet strings, umpire chairs, benches, as well as tennis accessories. The company is headquartered at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Sports & Recreation, Inc.

Is the tenth biggest sporting goods franchise in the US and is based in Tampa, Florida. It is a supplier of well-liked trade name sports equipment as well as footwear. As Sports & Recreation, Inc expanded its stores and locations, it also came up with a number of different names for its stores. The stores were adorned with banners that were aimed to build up the hometown persona of the company. Local area names where a Sports & Recreation, Inc shop is situated were taken on as the name of the store, itself. Thus, the stores run under names like Tampa Sports and Jacksonville Sports Unlimited.

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Abstract

In this article the problem of sport management is discussed. Firstly, a brief definition to the notion of Sport management is given followed by an excurse to history. Than the background and origin of sport management is discussed the second part of the article is dedicated to the current situation and prospects of sport management. A special attention is paid to the educational sphere and career opportunities that potential employees may have in the field of sport management. Finally, the article is concluded by prospects of sport management.

Introduction

Sport management existed for quite a long period of time and it always accompanied sport as its essential part. Naturally, it had different forms and differed from the notion of sport management as it is defined nowadays but such activity is known from ancient times. At least ancient Greeks practiced such an activity and probably they may be called one of the founders of sport management. This fact proves the importance of sport and sport management for people of all times. It was and it remains to be as important for people as their health sine sport provides health for people and sport management provides effectiveness of sport for all its participants. Nowadays sport management becomes more and more important because as many other things in the modern world sport is business and consequently it needs effective management that, in its turn, demands the preparation of well-qualified specialists in this domain. At the same time sport management is not only business. As sport so sport management are social phenomena for it involves not only professionals, for whom sport is their main source of earnings and actually it is their life, but also there is a huge category of amateurs, for whom sport is just a hobby but they still need sport management to practice sport as effectively as possible. So, taking into consideration the role of sport and sport management in the modern world, I would like to discuss this phenomenon in my article and focus my attention on the notion of sport management itself, its history, and prospects for all those who either on their way or already work in this field.

The Notion and Role of Sport Management

First of all, it is necessary to start with the definition of sport management. In order to understand any phenomenon, we have to know what is implied by its definition and interpret it correspondingly. Speaking about sport management, it is possible to say that there may be different interpretation of this notion but the main point of all definitions remains practically the same, in other words it may change its form but its content, its basic principles remain the same.

On analyzing different points of view on sport management, it is possible to make a general conclusion and give certain conclusion what it actually is. On doing this, I would prefer to define sport management as follows: “Sport management is a goal-oriented social process within a sport enterprise using pragmatic self-determined goals involving the selection of appropriate strategies and provisions for directing the work of the sport enterprise, and the control of performance in an effort to meet the objectives of the organization.” (Parkhouse 1996:47). Such a definition provides probably the best description of sport management and its main characteristics which permit to understand the essence of this phenomenon.

Naturally, there may be different view on sport management but it is obvious that any sport organization have to have its goals to achieve. The latter may be done only with the help of sport management that can organize all the staff of the sport enterprise and mobilize all its forces for achievement its goals. At the same time, simply to organize the work of a sport organization is not enough. It is necessary to control the fulfillment of the main tasks each department or even each person within the organization has to do.

But such a definition helps to realize what sport management is at large. At the same time it is necessary to take into consideration the position of those people who work in this field and for all those people who are currently working or are going to work in this sphere sport management is not just a profession it is rather a set of different professions, basically of administrative character which provide a person’s ability to fulfill his or her duties as a sport manager.

Obviously, management remains management even in such a specific domain as sport, particularly if we speak about professional sport which nowadays is more than sport. It is a great business and it is enough to have a look at such monstrous sport associations in North America as NHL, or NBA, for instance, it will be evident what kind of business it is and how profitable it may be, naturally on the condition if the management is effective, well planned and the execution of the main tasks is thoroughly controlled. At the same time we should remember that sport or any sport organization is more than a commercial enterprise it is also a social phenomenon since very often sport plays very important role in the life of certain groups of people or even whole countries. For instance, in the ancient world, namely in Greece, any wars were forbidden during the period of the Olympic games. So the organization of the Olympic games played a significant peacemaking and consolidating role in the ancient Greek society.

Unfortunately, nowadays we can hardly find an example like this but still sport remains very important for any human society and proper organization of sport events as well as effective functioning of numerous sport enterprises remains extremely significant for people in any country in the world.

Sport Management: Education and Career Opportunities

Taking into consideration the role sport and consequently sport management play in the modern world, we can presuppose that sport organizations need a great number of well-qualified specialists that could be provided only by professional education of such specialists on the highest level. The current situation actually proves that the growing demand engenders the growing offer of sport management education which matches the basic demands to specialists in this field. But it is necessary to point out that such a trend has appeared recently, within the last fifty-sixty years.

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