Snežana Lazarević

A book by Prof. Jovan Šurbatović, Ph.D, titled “Sports Management” has been widely anticipated not only by numerous students, but also by sports professionals and everyone interested in this increasingly popular topic in the field of sport. This monographic study published by Public Enterprise Institute for Textbook Publishing and Teaching Aids together with College of Sports and Health from Belgrade, and comprising 344 pages, 52 images, 39 tables, 8 charts and 14 case studies, holds priceless value for the scientific field of sports management, which is still insufficiently researched. Even though very few authors in this region engage in the research of the process of sports management and sports organization management, based on theoretical foundations and rules from the field of scientific management, this book greatly improves the understanding of more efficient functioning of modern sports organization, as well as the interpretation of numerous questions and issues it permanently faces in today’s dynamic environment. It is generally known that contemporary sport, whether observed as professional, amateur, recreational or school sport, and sport among children and youth, demands high level of knowledge, competence and professionalism from sports professionals who work with these categories. However, the role and significance of sports professionals and management-administrative part of every sports organization should not be minimized. Successful management of sports organization has become a demand and need for its development and growth, and a major role in that domain is played by highly educated and qualified sports managers. Namely, as sports industry grew and gained momentum, the need for successful management practice based on professionals specialized in sports management increased. That is why today, sports managers with their knowledge, skills, potential and abilities represent a crucial factor in the success of efficient and effective sports organization. The author structured the book “Sports Management” into 10 chapters, which gradually guide reader into the topic. The final part of the book clearly and concisely presents an overview of: case studies, tables and charts, Index, and References in this field. The first chapter is dedicated to the basic characteristics of the theoretical concept of scientific management, its origins and development, and it also presents an overview of basic theories, defines the term management, management levels and basic measures of success of every organization (efficiency and effectiveness), referring to the contemporary aspect of management. The second chapter is an in-depth presentation of the five basic management process stages – anticipation, planning, organization, management and control. In the third chapter, the author defines sport as a multidimensional and specific global phenomenon. He underlines the significance and role of sports activity in the modern way of life, and questions the need for strategic and system approach, the role and relationship of the state toward sport, and the degree of its influence on sport’s development and functioning in general, at the same time pointing out that sport should boost its connections to economy through sponsor agreements, advertising and donation contracts, or presents. This chapter also defines the term sports management as a multidisciplinary scientific field, whose origin is found in the management and sports sciences, and at the same time the author stresses the role and significance of managers in contemporary sport for the development of sports organization. Chapter four elaborates how five basic functions of management process – anticipation, planning, organization, management and control – are applied to sport. What makes this chapter particularly valuable are case studies, which the author used to illustrate most management functions (anticipation in sport – case study of BC “FMP” from Belgrade and the anticipation of the number of medals won at the Olympics; planning in sport – FC “Red Star” and BC “Partizan”; organization in sport – the scheme of organization structure of FC “Red Star”; control in sport - the example of UEFA which conducts financial control of European football clubs through mandatory licensing and regular audits). Chapters five and six are dedicated to professional and recreational sport, respectively. In the chapter that addresses professional sport, the author shows extensive knowledge of the matter by systematically providing data about the globalization of modern sport (pgs. 116-119). In favour of this, he offers statistical data from the European Commission’s White Papers on Sport, 2006: around 60% of EU citizens (271 million people) do sports or some form of exercise in sports; around 70 million sportspeople compete in 700,000 European sports clubs, which engage around 10 million volunteers. This chapter also includes a presentation of the regional investment into sport in the period from 2008 to 2012, as well as the share of certain sports in the total value, and an interesting spreadsheet of the US companies which closed deals for naming rights of sports facilities along with the values of those deals, a list of best paid sportspeople (football and basketball players in 2013), a list of the most prominent football brands (football clubs) in the world in 2013. A special contribution of this chapter is embodied in the analysis of financing model in professional sport worldwide (the models included the US, British, Western European – German and Spanish, and French ones), and its management strategy. The author points out two strategies present in the European professional sport: profit maximization and sports performance maximization. At the end of this chapter he provides two interesting case studies involving a partnership between the Coca-Cola Company and the Olympic Movement, as well as a good example of implementation of strategic concept of successful management by Joan Laporta and his team in FC Barcelona. The chapter covering the topic of recreational sports underlines that the comprehension of its significance is of crucial importance, along with the need to regularly practice a form of physical activity, and define the state’s role in enhanced affirmation and promotion of recreational sport in order to improve its citizens’ health and general psychophysical status. Chapters seven and eight Management of Sports Facilities and Management of Sports Events, respectively, concisely introduce reader to the basic terms related to sports facilities, types, their classification and typology, also referring to the contemporary trends that accompany the construction of such facilities worldwide. At the end of chapter seven, the author presents a case study of the first multifunctional stadium in Europe – “Amsterdam Arena”. The term, characteristics, planning, organization and funding of sports events and a case study related to the London Olympics in 2012 are all covered in the eighth chapter. Chapter nine encompassed a popular topic – Marketing in Sports Management, and the author puts a particular stress on the importance of sponsorships (case study – a sponsorship deal between the MasterCard company and the UEFA Champions League), branding (case study –British consultancy Brand Finance Plc’s reports on the most valuable brands – European football clubs). In chapter ten, the author puts an accent on the significance of the connection of public relations and media with sports, in order to realize more efficient communication with sports and general public and create the best possible image, standing and reputation on sports market. The development of modern internet technology, which is also a novelty in the contemporary literature on marketing in sports management, brought about increasingly frequent use of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and My Space) in the promotion of sports organizations (case study – implementation of new media in promotion – Twitter and Champions League finals in 2012). Apart from being a major sports fan and connoisseur, the author of ''Sports Management'', Prof. Jovan Šurbatović, Ph.D, is also an affirmed sports professional who has been successfully performing the role of Secretary General of the Football Association of Belgrade for several years now, and teaching at College of Sports and Health. The author gives a good example to his students, as well as wider sports public, that theory and practice represent unbreakable wholes in sport, and play a significant role in the solution of numerous problems and difficulties faced by our sport on a daily basis. This book features a simple style, high degree of pragmatism and instructiveness, so it is warmly recommended to all college and university students whose study programs include Sports Management, but also to wider sports public which would like to acquire more knowledge in this field and directly or indirectly support the development of the Serbian sport

Keywords: Sports Management

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