Risk Management Plan – The Sport Journal

International Olympic Academy Master’s Degree Program Specifications

Introducing an Olympic Movement innovation, in collaboration with the Department of Sports Organization and Management of the University of Peloponnese (UOP), Sparta, the International Olympic Academy (IOA) now offers a Master’s Degree Scholarship Program for the Academic year of 2010-2011. The course title is, “Olympic Studies, Olympic Education, Organization and Management of Olympic Events.”

The program’s philosophy is consistent with the values of the Olympic movement aimed at worldwide diffusion of the Olympic ideal, global participation, and promotion of knowledge and research in Olympic issues. Grounded in Olympism and Olympic Pedagogy, the academics are based on the three pillars of the Olympic Movement: Education, Sports, and Culture.

### Objectives

– To provide students with specialized knowledge at a postgraduate level on issues related to Olympic Studies, as well as the necessary skills for their academic, professional, or research careers.
– To promote knowledge and research on issues of Olympic philosophy and education, and on organization and management of Olympic Games, big athletic events, and general Olympic and athletic studies.
– To provide a specialized workforce that will organize and direct Olympic and athletic institutions, promote the growth of international Olympic education programs, and contribute to the creation of a scientific basis for the growth and organization of sports.

### Applications

A limit of thirty students may be admitted to the Master’s Degree Program in these categories: degree holders from Greek and foreign higher educational institutions, preferably the officials of National Olympic Academies, National Olympic Committees, the International Olympic Committee, and EU Committees for Education, Culture, and Sport; or graduates of Centers for Olympic Studies, Schools of Sports Organization and Management, Physical Education, Journalism, Economic Faculties, and other Departments; corresponding Departments of recognized institutions of equivalent status in Greece and abroad; along with degree holders from Technology Institute Departments in related subject areas.

### Location and Duration of the Program

The program will take place at the facilities of the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece, and the facilities of the University of Peloponnese in Sparta.

The duration of the program is three semesters. Students are required to attend two semesters of lectures in Greece. The third semester is done at the student’s place of choice. The first academic semester, lasting nine weeks, will start in mid-September 2010. Exact dates will be announced. Second semester dates will be set by the UOP and the IOA.

### Teaching Program

Attendance by all students at all lectures is mandatory. Submission of a dissertation project at the end of the 3rd semester, and of module assignments and examinations at the end of each semester, will determine a participant’s success in this program.

#### 1st Semester

##### Mandatory Modules

The Birth of Sports: History and Philosophy of Sport in Antiquity

– The modern Olympic Games – revival, historic development of Olympic Summer and Winter Games – social, political, and cultural aspects of the Games – Olympic institutions – Olympic law
– Sport and ethics – the Olympic Philosophy
– Olympic Pedagogy I: Olympic education school programs development, implementation

##### Optional Modules (Student to select one from below.)

– The role, organization, and operation of Olympic museums and libraries
– Financial management of sports organizations
– International relations and humanitarian law

#### 2nd Semester

##### Mandatory Modules

– Olympic Pedagogy II: Olympic education school programs development, implementation
– Evaluation of Olympic education programs, research methodology
– Olympic Games Organization and Management (technology, media, financial management, communication, etc.)
– Olympic sponsoring and marketing

##### Optional Modules (Student selects one.)

– Special Olympic Movement issues: media – technology and Olympic Games, doping, fair play, racism and sport, intercultural education, volunteerism, etc.
– Strategic and operational planning of major sports events

#### 3rd semester

##### Master’s Thesis

Preparation, submission, and presentation of Master’s Thesis (All lectures in English)

### Fees, Costs, and Documents Required

The Master’s Program is privately financed by the John S. Latsis Foundation; therefore, no course fee or accommodation costs will be incurred by the students.

Application documents required are

– application form;
– certified copy of diploma or degree with detailed marks;
– curriculum vitae (CV) of the applicant; and
– two recommendation letters, one that is required to originate from a university professor; and a second letter, preferably from the National Olympic Academy, the National Olympic Committee, or any other athletic organization.

U.S. Sports Academy2013-11-25T17:14:03-06:00September 9th, 2010|Sports Facilities, Sports Management, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

Closing Address

Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the IOA

Dear participants and friends, with the conclusion of the works of the 10th Joint International Session for Presidents or Directors of National Olympic Academies and Officials of National Olympic Committees, I would like to express my gratitude for your presence in the International Olympic Academy and my conviction regarding our future cooperation for the propagation of the Olympic Education and the management of crisis and challenges in the sports world and the Olympic Movement.

The National Olympic Academies and the National Olympic Committees constitute the two pillars for the cultivation and the dissemination of the Olympic Ideal in cooperation with the International Olympic Academy and the International Olympic Committee. As Henry Tandau aptly mentioned in this room, you are “the key players in the development and spread of Olympic Education,” and we must have a common perception and try to reinforce the communication for the realization of Olympic Educational and Training Programs all around the world.

We all have to realize that, in order to achieve this goal, the broader Olympic Family has to be constantly prepared. The role of the National Olympic Committees is significant for the work of the National Olympic Academies. The differences in their structures and operations should not affect, but, on the contrary, they should strengthen the common goals mentioned before.

Dear friends, I believe that the sacredness of Ancient Olympia where we are and the humanistic ideas of the Olympic Movement are the elements that will reinforce the coherence for the future course of the National Olympic Academies and the National Olympic Committees. In an era dominated by individualism and cruel economic and social competition, one could say that the topics that we discussed in this Session could probably be considered by some as utopian.

However, your presence here, the interest you all showed through your presentations, and the conclusions of the discussion groups prove the opposite. Due to my necessary absence, I didn’t have the opportunity to attend the presentations of the 26 National Olympic Academies. Nevertheless, my colleagues inform me that there is a constant and unceasing effort of continuous activities by the Olympic Academies that prove that there is will, intention, and vision.

The contemporary societies desperately need ideas and people with vision. Let us keep a vivid memory of the beauty of the landscape and of the ideas of Ancient Olympia, and let’s join our forces for the achievement of the common goals. Where there is no track, let’s trace it together as we walk. Because otherwise, “it is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do,” according to the famous words of the French dramatist, Moliere.

Dear friends, I would like to thank you all personally, both the exceptional lecturers as well as the participants, for your contributions to this session. I wish you all a safe trip back home, and I reassure you that, as IOA President, I will always unconditionally support your work.

### The Olympic Anthem

Immortal spirit of antiquity, Father of the true, beautiful, and good,
Descend, appear, shed over us they light, upon this ground and under this sky
Which has first witnessed thy unperishable fame.
Give life and animation to those noble games!
Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors in the race and in the strife!
Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!
In thy light, plains, mountains, and seas, shine in a roseate hue and form a vast temple
To which all nations throng to adore thee, oh, immortal spirit of antiquity!

U.S. Sports Academy2013-11-25T17:16:14-06:00September 9th, 2010|Sports Coaching, Sports Management, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

Introduction to the International Olympic Academy

Anne Kent Rush, Editor

International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece

### IOA Today

The International Olympic Academy (IOA) established in Olympia, Greece, serves a multi-national community as an International Academic Centre for Olympic Studies. It is an outstanding academic resource for students and researchers around the globe. Run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Greek government, the IOA makes available a broad spectrum of educational programs and studies aimed at disseminating the vision of Olympism.

In February 2010, in collaboration with the Department of Sports Organization and Management of the University of Peloponnese (UOP) in Sparta, the IOA announced their new Master’s Degree Program titled, Olympic Studies, Olympic Education, Organization, and Management of Olympic Events. The program is constructed on the three pillars of Olympism, Education, Sports, and Culture. Prospective students can access information on the programs through the National Olympic Academy (NOA) of their home country. Students may also contact the Secretary of the IOA Master Program by telephone at 30-210-6878952, or by email at ioa-ms@uop.gr. Applications may be sent directly to the following address: Dr. K. Georgiadis, Program Director; Postgraduate Studies Program U.O.P. 52; Dimitrios Vikelas Avenue 152 33 Halandri; Athens, Greece.

Participants in the 10th Joint International Session for Presidents or Directors of National Olympic Academies and Officials of National Olympic Committees gather in front of the International Olympic Academy.

International conferences on topics related to Olympism are often held on the idyllic grounds at Ancient Olympia. The Olympic Solidarity organization in Lausanne, Switzerland, offers a variety of scholarship funds for many IOA studies and projects. The new Master’s Degree Program, limited to 30 students, is privately funded by the John S. Latsis Foundation, and no costs are charged to the students for its course fees and accommodations. The duration of the program is three semesters, two of which take place in Greece at the International Olympic Academy. Participants in IOA seminars must be fluent in at least one of the three official languages, Greek, French, and English.

Based on Olympic ideals, IOA educational programs not only benefit individual students, but also have the potential to help raise the standards of global interaction among countries for years to come. In May 2010, at the 10th Joint International Session, the presenters basked in the historic power of Ancient Olympia and added their words and hopes to the distinguished voices of the ages. You are invited to share the information and join the international dialogue on the spread of Olympism through education. Authorized by the IOC, the presentations are offered for public study in this unique edition of _The Sport Journal_.

### IOA History

Officially inaugurated on 14 June 1961, the IOA initially limited its function to organizing the International Session for Young Participants. In 1967, an IOC commission was created to coordinate relations among the IOA, the Olympic Movement, and Olympic Solidarity. This same year, the first permanent premises for the IOA were constructed at the site of Ancient Olympia.

The Temple of Hera is one of the oldest monumental temples in Ancient Greece. The modern day Olympic torch is lit just as it was in ancient times, at the Temple of Hera.

By 1970, the educational programs of the IOA had expanded to cover all aspects of the Olympic Movement. Special sessions for institutions involved with Olympism were established, including National Olympic Committees (NOC), National Olympic Academies (NOA), International Sport Federations (FIEP), Sport Medical Societies, Unions of Coaches, Sports Administrators, and Teachers.

Growing out of ancient Greek civilization, Olympism is a philosophy of life that blends sport, culture, and education to produce a balanced character strong in body, mind, and will. Convening at Ancient Olympia infused with this dramatic lineage is important to the spirit of the conferences, and the campus exerts a profound effect on all who visit and study there.

> “We are in a haven of peace and balance, where centuries remain engraved on the stones… the beauty of the vegetation, and the serenity which pervades this unique place, Olympia, where sport started on its most glorious and finest course.”
> Juan Antonio Samaranch, Former Honorary President of the IOC and IOA; International Olympic Academy, 2009; p. 52

Many of these ancient traditions continue today. Two of the most powerful ceremonies are the laying of wreaths at the monument where Pierre de Coubertin’s heart is buried to honor the man who revived the Ancient Games, and the Lighting of the Olympic Flame to inaugurate the official Olympic Games.

In Ancient Greece, a person needed well-rounded training to be considered cultured. Sport was part of man’s education that aimed at cultivating harmonious intellectual, mental, and physical faculties. Young students were taught art, philosophy, and music, as well as sports, based on the spirit of fair competition and high ethics.

An actress dressed as a ceremonial priestess, in the robes of the ancient Greeks, lights the Olympic torch via the same technique used in the original Games.

Held every four years, the Ancient Olympic Games were an integral part of the balanced way of life. With its origins in the mists of Greek mythological tales of gods and goddesses, the honor of victory at the Olympic Games carried sacred blessings and immense prestige. The Olympic Games went through many reversals of fortune due to political changes over the long history. From circa 400 AD to the late 1800s, no organized Olympic Games existed. Then in 1896, Pierre de Coubertin succeeded in reviving the tradition, and the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens.

In 1927, Coubertin originated the idea for adding an international Olympic academy in his efforts to spread Olympic values. In the IOA, the realization of his vision continues to grow as a result of the dedicated contributions of many people over decades. Now overseen by the IOC, the International Olympic Movement (IOM) has been formed to functionally implement Olympic ideals through a conglomeration of organizations and individuals. Recognizing education as the backbone of the Olympic Movement, the IOC supports the IOA and other institutions devoted to Olympic education.

The current IOA houses many priceless resources, such as an archeological museum, a modern Olympic Games museum, a research library, the Coubertin Grove, and the excavated ruins of Ancient Olympia’s temples, gymnasium, and Sanctuary constructed by Alexander the Great in 338 B.C. These exalted settings, sacred to the Greek god, Zeus, offer a cornucopia of contemporary sports media conferences, research studies, special sessions for dignitaries, gatherings of Olympic medalists, the Olympic Studies Master’s Degree Program, and other courses for international students of the IOA.

> “The Olympic Games are… the only competition in the world… transcending cultural, religious, and political differences, an Image of fraternity and universality.”
> Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC; International Olympic Academy, 2009; p. 68

From left: Professor Konstantino Georgiadis, IOA Honorary Dean; Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich, United States Sports Academy President; Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos, IOA President; and Professor Dionyssis Gangas, IOA Director, were among the many Olympic experts who attended the 10th Joint International Session for Presidents or Directors of National Olympic Academies and Officials of National Olympic Committees.

U.S. Sports Academy2020-06-02T13:33:14-05:00August 10th, 2010|Contemporary Sports Issues, Sports Management|Comments Off