Academic elected Vice-President of global sports association

Members of the World Association for Sport Management have elected a Northumbria University academic to become its Vice-President.

The World Association of Sport Management was established to aid global research, teaching and learning excellence in the area of sport management. The Association works with international sport federations, non-government organisations and higher education institutions in Europe, North and Latin America, Asia, Africa and Australasia.

Dr Ruth Crabtree, a lecturer in sports management and development and Head of International Development for Northumbria’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, was awarded the prestigious position of Vice-President during the Association’s annual general meeting in Poland this month. She was elected to the post after serving on the Association’s executive board for four years.

Ruth has a wealth of experience in the area of global sport management. Her research specialises in how to manage tourism and national parks in Australasia and North America. Last year she was elected Vice-President of the European Association of Sport Management, which is a member of the World Association, and she also acts as an advisor to the African Sport Business Association.

Recognising that such positions provide a great opportunity to promote Northumbria and its Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation internationally, Ruth is already working to develop links and partnerships with other global universities working closely with the Association. These links will help to provide real benefits to students in the form of collaboration and improved opportunities for work placements, study exchanges and research projects.

She said: “This position is both personally and professionally exciting and is a great opportunity to learn, develop and implement good practice internationally.

“It is a pleasure to be working with some of the key people in the world associated with sport management and is a great honour to be able to represent Europe and Northumbria University on the world stage.”

Dr Paul Jonson, outgoing President of the World Association of Sport Management (WASM), said: “Ruth brings practical wisdom in sport management education and knowledge of both the sport and academic industries. Her promotion was a natural progression after four years of outstanding service.

“I will certainly miss working with Ruth as it is always a great pleasure to share her insights, but I leave knowing that the World Association for Sport Management is in the more than capable and hard-working hands of Ruth as the new Vice-President.”

Northumbria University has an outstanding reputation for sports education. It was one of the first universities in the UK to offer sports degrees and provides students with state-of-the-art teaching facilities, including specialist physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning and nutrition laboratories.

Many of the University’s sports courses are accredited and endorsed by professional associations and national governing bodies, with field trips and work placement opportunities available at organisations including the International Olympic Committee.

For more information on sport courses at Northumbria, visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/sportrehab