Students Engage Studying Abroad in South Africa Before Leaving the United States

Everyone has heard it before: Learning goes beyond the classroom. Nonetheless, some people naturally balk upon discovering that the University of San Francisco Sport Management Master’s Program has a study abroad program. Yet simply because the sports business is largest in the US-dominated North American market hardly means that the United States is the only place the business is relevant. Beginning in the winter of 2015, the program will provide a one-week immersion in South Africa. Professor Michael Goldman will guide students, not on a wilderness safari, but through an exploration of sport in his native land. Topics in global sport range from NBA Africa to the management of Olympic athlete training and preparation centers to the Multichoice conglomerate SuperSport broadcasting channels, as well as touching upon locally based rugby and cricket enterprises.

An integral focus of the program is the role of sports within the community amid the backdrop of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Beyond mere observance, USF students are giving back to develop a more meaningful relationship with their hosts. This inaugural South Africa study abroad class is raising $2,200 for the Dreamfields Project, which helps bring the teachings, character, and joy of sport to disadvantaged children attending rural schools near Johannesburg by providing basic soccer equipment. In addition to FNB Stadium and Football for Hope, students will personally visit and experience the Dreamfields operation during their study.