Award Date

Spring 2012

Degree Type

Professional Paper

Degree Name

Master of Hospitality Administration

Department

Hotel Administration

First Committee Member

Kurt Stahura, Chair

Number of Pages

57

Abstract

Youth sport events are part of a growing industry to which event venues are tailoring their policies, procedures, and designs. The competitive nature of the events and their participants have caused these venues to examine their existing policies and adjust them to increase security and safety measures for the athletes, coaches, spectators, game officials, and venue staff. Tempers at these events will flare, and in recent years violence is becoming increasingly more common. Parents and athletes have attacked each other, coaches, and game officials due to the intense nature of these events. The result of these acts could range from minor injuries to death.

The venue and event management teams at ESPN Wide World of Sports are some of the many that have had to adjust to this trend. These competitors are coming to the venue for one purpose, and that is to compete for a title in their respective sport. It is because of this that tensions are high from the moment the athletes walk through the gates, as opposed to the celebratory atmosphere of other events where attendees are primarily concerned with having an enjoyable time. This intense atmosphere is what may provoke the instances of violence, jeopardizing the safety of all in the venue. Taking the proper steps to ensure that these situations are dealt with efficiently without putting the rest of the participants and staff in a dangerous situation is a critical task.

Behavioral studies have been previously recorded in regard to these acts of violence; however this study focuses on the management of the sports venues and violent situations. The behavioral studies are referenced to examine the origins and reasons behind the incidents. The challenges faced and attempted solutions found in those reports are analyzed to form suggestions in the areas of preventative measures and recovery actions for the event venues. These suggestions focus on providing a competitive and enjoyable environment for the sports activities, while remaining safe for guests, officials, and event staff.

Keywords

Child athletes; Hosting of sporting events—Security measures; Spectator control; Sports administration; Sports for children; Violence in sports – Prevention

Disciplines

Child Psychology | Leisure Studies | Recreation Business | Sports Management | Sports Studies

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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