The sport management department designs classes that give students a taste of the real world. The Partnership for the Advancement of Sport Management (PASM), plays a key role in providing this real-world experience.

Kim Wonyoung, director of PASM, said the goal is increasing opportunities for interaction among community members, sport practitioners, and students and faculty as well as providing a forum for people to connect and develop solutions for sport-related issues.

Wonyoung also serves as the sport management department’s assistant professor and graduate coordinator.

“The strategic plan for Wichita State is applied learning and innovation. Those are the two words right now,” Wonyoung said. “With PASM, we are really following that right now.”

Wonyoung, a native of South Korea, has experience making international connections. Through his connections, the department is partnering with universities in South Korea and Brazil.

“One of the aspects of trying to globalize our knowledge basis is to provide international connections,” Wonyoung said.

Last semester, these connections manifested in the form of a class with a travel abroad element.

During the class, students were exposed to South Korean culture and learned about the sport industry in the country. After a semester of learning, the students traveled to South Korea where they spent 18 days.

“The major concept I took away from my trip to Korea is to always expect something different. Working in sports is an ever-changing industry,” senior Therese VanderPutten said. “It changes as society changes, and in every location, the demographics and target markets are different.”

Wonyoung said PASM wants to bridge the gap between the classroom and sport management in the real world by connecting students with industry professionals.

“I believe that it’s an extremely valuable learning asset as a student to be able to not only get firsthand knowledge of what sport companies are looking for in applicants, but as a way of networking with people who could become influential on your career,” sophomore Peyton Lerner said.

“This also allows us to see how we fit into the sport management world as far as what kind of career we want to pursue, rather than studying in classroom setting only for four years and then getting a job and realizing you’re not enjoying what you’re doing.”

Wonyoung has been with the sport management program since 2012. When he first started, only around 200 students were in the program. Now, there are around 275.

“I believe we are heading in a good direction,” Wonyoung said. “PASM has helped our program become even better.”

Sophomore Jared Garcia came to Wichita State from California solely for the sport management program.

“This program at WSU is top notch,” Garcia said. “It provides us with valuable resources and opportunities to achieve our goals of working for a sport organization in the future.”