Professor selected to attend Olympic academy for educators
July 17th, 2006
Mary Hums
By Todd Wetzel
Two years ago, she worked the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Athens. Now University of Louisville sport administration professor Mary Hums has been invited to return to Greece with other scholars for this month’s International Olympic Academy Educators Session.
Hums is one of just 60 academics and scholars the International Olympic Committee selected from thousands of applicants to attend the weeklong academy July 19–27 in Olympia, home of the ancient Olympic Games.
“This is a dream come true for me,” she said. “I’m very honored to be chosen to represent the U.S. at the academy. I believe my selection is a reflection of the internationally recognized quality of our sport administration program at U of L and the good work we all do.”
The academy offers the educators session every two years to provides scholars an indepth look at the Olympic Movement, including the history, philosophy and operation of the Olympic Games and how different nations promote the Olympic spirit.
After attending the session, Hums automatically becomes a member of the International Olympic Academy Participants Association. As such, the U.S. Olympic Committee may call on her to speak on Olympic-related topics in the United States.
Hums said she hopes to use what she learns at the academy in her international sport course, which the College of Education and Human Development offered for the first time last spring.
To shape the course, she used her experiences as a 2004 Olympic softball field operations volunteer, a staff member of the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens and work with the 1996 and 2002 Paralympic Games.
“I wanted to use the course to expose students to sports from other cultures,” she said. “There may be no industry in the world more global than sport, and I think it is important for students to understand how sport fits within a global context beyond just North America.”
The course focuses on the history, governance, operational and business aspects of the international sport industry, including the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and select professional sports with a strong international following — such as soccer, basketball and tennis.
Hums brought in guest speakers involved with international sports, including a representative from the Korean Baseball Organization, a Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee delegate for the 2004 Summer Olympics and a member of Ball for All, a sport organization which brings soccer to children in Western Africa.
The course also delves into such social issues as diversity, illegal performance enhancement, sport as a human right and sport in developing nations.
“I’ve been teaching for 25 years, and this may gave been the best class I’ve ever had,” Hums said. “The students were there to learn and asked a lot of great questions. I learned a lot from them, as well.”
In addition to using her experience to enhance her work and course curriculum, Hums said she is interested in helping the U.S. Olympic Committee restart its national academy similar to the international one she is attending. The USOC has not had an academy for several years.
Hums said she is eagerly awaiting her return to Greece.
“Olympia is a magical place, so to be where the original Olympic Games took place with scholars from all over the world is a great experience,” she said.
