The High Performance in Sport Management Conference 2024, hosted by the High-Performance Institute (HPI) of the North-West University (NWU), took place at the NWU Sports Village from 23 to 24 April.
The goal of the conference was to explore innovative developments, industry best practices and creative approaches that boost sports performance and administration.
The notable speakers included Prof Liandi van den Berg, associate professor at the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the NWU, and Prof Jacques Faul, an associate professor at the NWU Business School.
Dr Bertus le Roux, the business operations manager at the Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP) of the NWU, Prof Wim Hollander, Arnold Geerdts, Jimmy Wright, Heinrich Strydom, Rikus Blomerus, Jaco Beukes and Bertie Grobbelaar were the other speakers.
During his welcome address on Monday, 22 April, Jean Verster, the NWU’s director of the HPI, said: “From the university’s side, it is essential that we get involved with schools and develop sport at the lower levels. This is a point where you can network and meet people who have the same passion as you, and hopefully this is the first of many of these kinds of get-togethers. It is an opportunity to gain experience from experts, but – mostly importantly – I hope you have a good couple of days.”
In support, Jean Stidworthy, director of Marketing at Student Recruitment, gave an overview of the three campuses of the NWU and emphasised his delight in the world-class facilities that the university possesses.
“We are immensely proud of the facilities of the NWU. The NWU Sports Village, for those of you who do not know, is where Spain, the 2010 FIFA World Cup champions, were housed while in South Africa. Last week we were also sponsors of the National Press Club Newsmaker of the Year awards, where the Springboks won the Newsmaker of the. For us it is those things that we want to be involved in, because we see sport as a nation-building tool; something that makes learners and competitive athletes excel in their lives,” he added.
Prof Jacques Faul expressed his gratitude to the programme director and everyone who participated in the process of making the conference a success.
The speakers brought a plethora of experience and insight from years of dedicated work in sport, sports sciences, sports law, sports management, and sports academics. Their insights benefited players, coaches, sport and administrators, and their contributions shaped global trends and advancements.
The two-day conference discussed revolutionary topics like sponsorship in sport, sports law, sports facility management, investing in sport from a sponsorship perspective, and the management of sport. The other topics that were discussed included sports coaching processes, banned substances in sport and sports injury management.
Prof Jacques Faul is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Titans Cricket, who won the 2023 Cricket South Africa T-20 challenge, and his creative humor kept the audience lively.
Jean Verster, the director of the HPI, during his welcoming speech
