Sport management professor Kadie Otto writes her first textbook
Kadie Otto used to think she would do anything in order to take a sabbatical. That was until the Western Carolina University sport management professor used a recent scholarly leave assignment to write a textbook.
Otto was approached by a sport management colleague who thought she might be interested in tackling the project of writing a textbook. At the time, Otto was trying to get a scholarly leave assignment and this proved to be just what she needed to make that happen. Otto had no idea what she was getting into.
鈥淭hat was a mistake because it was a massive undertaking,鈥� Otto joked. 鈥淭ruth be told, if I knew what went into it, I would not do it again because it鈥檚 a lot of work, a tremendous amount of work. It鈥檚 such a different type of writing. We usually write journal articles as faculty. To write a textbook in the language that students might actually read is very difficult. You have to bring everything you know down to a level that鈥檚 easier to understand.鈥�
Kadie Otto
Otto succeeded and her textbook, is now available through Carolina Academic Press. The 208-page soft cover book features short chapters and is student-friendly and written in a conversational tone.
The book aims at heightening the reader鈥檚 awareness regarding the importance, responsibilities and challenges of becoming a complete sport manager, which is someone who evolves from a manager of sport to a leader of sport by operating professionally, ethically and socially responsible.
鈥淚 tried to write it in a conversational fashion with a lot of questions that might stimulate their interests,鈥� Otto said. 鈥淎fter teaching for 15 to 16 years, I got to know that the students are not likely to read one of these massive hard cover texts. This is not intimidating.鈥�
The book鈥檚 cover features a picture of Auguste Rodin鈥檚 sculpture, 鈥淭he Thinker,鈥� which was Otto鈥檚 idea.
鈥淚 think it gives some legitimacy to our field of sport that鈥檚 often sort of viewed as nonacademic, when really we drive a lot of change in society, if you really think about it,鈥� Otto said. 鈥淲e can drive social change or ethical change, through sport. I wanted to give it a seriousness of the significance of our field.鈥�
Otto鈥檚 area of research revolves around corruption in big-time college sports, with an emphasis on the ethical angle. Over time, Otto said she has realized that the ethical angle impacts the social culture.
鈥淲hat I felt my contribution might be is why not be a part of bringing up the next generation of sport managers by really making it very clear that you鈥檙e not just a manager, you鈥檙e a leader,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat I tried to do with the book is get them to see that it鈥檚 one thing to manage sport, but it鈥檚 another thing to be a leader. A leader in sport is someone who operates ethically and sees sport as a vehicle for social change. That鈥檚 sort of the spirit of the book.鈥�
Otto鈥檚 book will be used in her 鈥淪port Ethics鈥� class. It also may be used as a supplemental textbook in her graduate level 鈥淐ritical Issues In Sport鈥� class.
鈥淎fter all that stress, I have to admit I鈥檓 pretty darned pleased with it because I think it鈥檚 readable for undergrads,鈥� Otto said.
