To kick off The U of M College Sport Research Institute Scholarly Conference on April 16, the Sport and Leisure Studies program is hosting a Tee Off For Tigers golf tournament. This event is being put on entirely by undergraduate students.
Deborah Southall, chief operating officer of the department of health and sport science, said much like the National Scholarly Conference's mission, which has been constructed solely by graduate students, the tournament's main function is to educate.
"The number one goal in doing this is to give students the opportunity to put into action this learning model," Southall said. "Let's don't just pretend you're doing it. Let's do it for real."
All of the profits made by the tournament go back to the students to fund many of their activities.
"Our money goes to the student chapter," Southall said. "The money funded two students to go to the Super Bowl, the Combine in Atlanta and to bring in all the guest speakers. ... It is a non-profit organization and a community project more than anything else."
In this year's tournament, there will be extras mixed within the play itself. A member of The U of M golf team to be present at certain holes will allow players to substitute a mulligan for one of the team members to shoot any chip, drive or putt.
Southall, along with her husband Richard Southall, utilize an unorthodox method of teaching in which students are expected to learn through completing a hands-on project.
"For me, it's the opportunity to give my students a chance to put this on their resume," she said.
In the beginning, Southall said students jump at the chance to enroll in a class where minimal bookwork is needed. Then, all bets are off once the project begins to unfold.
"Initially, students are very excited because college students can sometimes get overwhelmed," Southall said. "So, I present them with the opportunity to have a class without text."
As with any class, Southall said there were students who excelled at the project and others who struggled, but usually in the end, "they had a blast, and (the class) was a great experience."
Much like the graduate students in the related program, Southall's students are responsible for fully coordinating the tournament. They planned hospitality, prizes, sponsorship and individual contests.
One detail Southall said is often underestimated is actually attaining people to play in the tournament. There are still spots remaining for next Wednesday's event.
"Recruiting teams ... they think it's going to be the easiest thing, and it ends up being the hardest and most surprising," she said. "I asked how many students have teams, and they all raise their hands, but then I say 'OK, so where's the check?' and then I write a 'zero' on the board."
Registration for the tournament continues until the morning of the event. Southall said last year, people actually just stopped by after driving around and signed up right then.
The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Entry for the four-man teams is $400, with all of the funds going to the Sports and Leisure Management Program.
As for her prediction on how her students from this year's committee will be different from the previous year, Southall said she can never tell.
"It's always going to be different," she said. "Every semester, I have different types of students."
