School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership
Through the School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership, you’ll be prepared to help shape the world of health and wellness. We offer majors in the study of physical and health education, including applied exercise science, nutritional sciences, athletic training, physical education, recreation management, and sport management.
If your goal is a career in sport, wellness, physical education, nutrition, exercise science, athletic training or recreational activities, then Springfield College School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership will prepare you to excel.
School Mission
The mission of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership is to steward the Humanics Philosophy by engaging students in building knowledge and skills to navigate their future by challenging and supporting their growth, fostering meaningful relationships and cultivating leaders.
School Majors
Our major field of study – applied exercise science, athletic training, athletic leadership, exercise physiology, physical education, health education, adventure education, sports management, strength and conditioning, sport and exercise psychology, and recreation management – are nationally and internationally recognized as among the leading professional programs in the United States. All of our programs are accredited and/or approved by the appropriate national organizations or government agencies. Although each major is unique and prepares students to enter a variety of professions, they all have a deep theoretical foundation augmented by significant real-world experiences built into the curricula. Many of the majors require at least two practical experiences, including a full semester internship, fieldwork or student teaching.
Real World Experience
We have placed student interns with ESPN, the New England Patriots, the Boston Celtics, Disney World, Boston Children’s Hospital, Connecticut PGA, Cooper Aerobic Institute, the Buffalo Bills, Stowe Mountain Resort, National Park Service, the universities of Tennessee, Texas, Auburn, and Massachusetts, YMCAs, and with many other sites. A large majority of our graduates secured their first jobs because of their exceptional performance in these high-quality learning experiences. We place student teachers within a 90-mile radius of the College for supervision and Massachusetts teacher licensing purposes. Springfield College’s eminence in sport, wellness, physical education, nutrition, exercise science, athletic training and recreation is the result of:
- Excellent design of our programs
- Commitment and dedication of our expert faculty
- High quality of our students
- Competency and achievement of our alumni
If you’re up to the challenge of top-quality professional preparation at a truly prestigious institution, we’d like to hear from you. Thank you for your interest in the School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.
American Kinesiology Association Membership
The School of Physical Education, Performance and Sport Leadership is a member of the American Kinesiology Association.
An advocate for kinesiology at the national and international levels, the American Kinesiology Association supports educational opportunities in the fields of exercise science and sport studies, health education and physical education, and sport management and recreation management.
Recent News
Social Justice through Sport and Exercise Psychology
Springfield College hosted the Social Justice through Sport and Exercise Psychology (SJSEP) symposium from March 23rd-25th. SJSEP brought together over 50 researchers and practitioners in sport and exercise psychology (and other related disciplines) from across the country whose work focuses on social justice and praxis, marginalized communities, participants lacking scholarly attention, or that fall outside the positivist mainstream of sport psychology. Dr. Stephany Coakley senior associate athletic director for mental health, wellness, and performance at Temple University provided the keynote address and Dr. Laurel Davis-Delano, Professor Sociology at Springfield College provided an invited lecture. Multiple faculty, current doctoral students, and alums of the Springfield College Sport and Exercise Psychology program presented their scholarship during the three-day event.
Springfield College Host the National Strength and Conditioning Association State Clinic
Springfield College hosted the 2023 state clinic on March 25th on campus for over 200 students, coaches, trainers, and therapists. With the support of our undergraduate applied exercise science and graduate strength and conditioning programs, the high-performance strength and conditioning clinic featured 12 speakers including 3 Springfield College alums (Michael Boyle, Dr. Michelle Boland, and Aysia Shellmire) along with seven graduate strength and conditioning students who presented on the state level for the first time.
Nefertiti A. Walker, PhD gives the 2022 Karpovich Lecture Titled: Building Inclusive Sport Culture through the Study of Sport Exclusion
Dr. Walker shared how her research on organizational exclusion in sport has provided the foundation for re-designing organizations to be inclusive. Her methods, which are fundamentally intersectional and adhere to critical theoretical approaches, have guided her towards an equity-minded, intersectional approach to inclusive organizational design in sport and beyond.
The Wellness Institute Oura Ring Research Study
Athletic Training Host the Charles J. Redmond Distinguished Athletic Training Alumni Lecture
The Charles J. Redmond Distinguished Athletic Training Alumni Lecture series highlights distinguished alumni who have promoted, enhanced, and advanced the profession of athletic training through their diligent work as athletic trainers, educators, and administrators. This year’s lecture coincides with the 50th anniversary of Title IX and recognizes Springfield College Athletic Training alumnae who have broken through the “glass ceiling” in athletic training.
The panelists responded to a series of questions crowdsourced from Springfield College students, staff, and faculty. The event will be moderated by Sue Guyer, DPE, dean of the School of Physical Education, Performance, and Sport Leadership.
Katie Delude ’11, Head Athletic Trainer, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.; Kristin Farrell ’06, Director of Manual Therapy/Assistant Athletic Trainer, Utah Jazz National Basketball Association Franchise, Salt Lake City, Utah; LaToya Franklin ’07, Injury Prevention Specialist, Amazon-CLT4, Charlotte, North Carolina; Amanda Kelley ’10, Associate Head Athletic Trainer, The College of The Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., Staff Athletic Trainer, Team USA Women’s’ Hockey, Lake Placid, N.Y.
Sports Management Professor Oliver Rick Published New Textbook
Oliver Rick, Assistant Professor of Sport Management and Recreation publication of his latest book Global Sports and Contemporary China: Sport Policy, International Relations and New Class Identities in the People’s Republic, in collaboration with Dr. Longxi ‘Jack’ Li (G’22). The book is a cultural examination of the intersections of sport, politics and global perspectives in China; commiserate with the typical courses he teaches in the sport management major. Oliver has become the department sport social science expert, both as a traditional scholarly publication and through his podcast series Somatics, where he and colleagues explore the various intersections of sport, social issues and culture.
