MBA Leaders in Sport

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people.” Nelson Mandela

MBA Leaders in Sport program is a joint program from International Leadership & Business Academy, Netherlands Business Academy and City Campus Dordrecht in collaboration with top European sport organizations.

Unique Sport Leadership Program

This MBA program is designed for sport organizations that are looking to position or reposition their role in the “sport participation society”. The sport participation society goes beyond the buzzword. There is a need for an interdisciplinary approach that brings together the management of sport organizations. The parties in the sport market have gradually concluded that sport organizations have many social dynamics, which must be organized in a very specific way. Sport organizations play a decisive role in the relationship between sport and society.

Who Is this Program for?

MBA Leaders in Sport program is aimed at directors who work at or aspire towards careers at strategic levels in sport organizations and are interested in updating their knowledge and skills in various areas of business management and strategy determination, and mirroring colleagues at the same level.

What Makes a Leader?

Good leaders renew, tackle, and change the status quo. They inspire colleagues to have a clear and shared vision, enable others to act, set a good example and take the organization in tow. It is important to first get to know yourself, scan your environment, and then make the optimal choice for putting the team together. You do not renew and change on your own.

Challenges for Leaders in the 21st Century

The biggest challenge in leadership is to respond to the changes. For several decades, leadership has been about inspiring and motivating employees. Today, leadership is especially important because of the battle for talent. Good people are scarce; therefore, we must ensure an attractive working environment, and employees must connect with the vision, values, and standards of the organization. People often consider personal development more important than material rewards. The present time presents an even greater challenge. The themes of meaning, sustainability, and social involvement play an increasingly important role. Sustainability is also about the person themselves. “Wellbeing” and “work-life balance” are just English terms, but how do we make policy toward these? How do we turn this challenge into an opportunity?

Talent Management

To think about talent management in an organization or team is not just to think about the top talents. Real talent management is utilizing the full potential of all the people in the team. If the whole team is performing optimally, the special qualities of the stars can be used to the maximum.

Why Is this Program Unique?

MBA Leaders in Sport is the only international integrated study program in the Czech Republic that links theory from different disciplines to practical experiences and is directly linked to practices in the world of sport. This MBA program is a substantively strong business management program with several relevant topics and current issues from the sport sector, including inspiration sessions.

International Network

An interdisciplinary curriculum is being designed in collaboration with several European sport organizations and institutions of higher education. Students can participate in international internships with top European sport organizations. This experience and network of contacts will offer them the opportunity to grow into international, all-rounded managers who know how to combine knowledge of sport processes with innovative business insight. Students from different countries are involved in the project over multiple weeks. This program will enable you to combine business knowledge with the sport and education sector.

Internationally Renowned Guest Teachers

In addition to the teachers of Netherlands Business Academy, City Campus Dordrecht and International Leadership & Business Academy, we also work with renowned guest teachers with specific knowledge and practical experience in the field of sport.

Practically Oriented

During this program, students will discuss developments in their work environments. Attention will be given to the subjects indicated in the overview, but there is ample room for topics brought in by the participants.

Why Should You Do this MBA?

This study program integrates different management aspects and functions. The training broadens skills by taking disciplines as a starting point to improve on the integral and critical views that can be expected of managers. Existing concepts, models, and new developments in sport business administration fields are studied and discussed. This program offers students a chance to learn with and from other students from different international backgrounds and work environments. The teachers and professors are all experts in their own professional fields, which guarantees application of business theories into practical examples from the world of sport. The students are invited to bring in practical examples themselves so that these can be discussed during lectures.

Access to high-quality knowledge from international networks
Renowned international guest teachers
Part-time training for professionals
Small interactive study groups
Side-events abroad
Financial options

We Train the Sport Leaders of the Future

After successfully completing this study program, you will be entitled to call yourself an expert in sport organization leadership. You will be an all-round manager who can combine knowledge of sport processes with innovative business insight. You will be part of an invaluable, high-quality knowledge network. The training is designed for (future) managers in the broad sector of sport or those from other disciplines who want to play a key role in the necessary (re)positioning of sport institutions in the “sport participation society”. Our students are managers of sport clubs, national associations, government sport organizations, sport event providers, sport foundations, etc. Graduates of this study program can excel in the following professions:

Leader of sport organizations, companies, and governmental institutions
Director, (General) Manager (CEO)
Business Operations Manager
Project Manager
Member of a management team
Member of international networks of sport experts
Adviser/Consultant

Internationally Renowned Teachers

In addition to the teachers of International Leadership & Business Academy, Netherlands Business Academy, and our partner universities, students will interact within MBA Leaders in Sport with successful professionals with practical experience from different sectors of the world of top sport.