Institute of Sport

Inform... Educate... Disrupt...

The story so far…

The Institute of Sport came about (as with many good ideas) over a couple of beers and a medium rare steak with a trusted friend doubling up as a sage sounding board.

That said, the original concept for the business was forged during a longish academic career that continues to confound. As bureaucracy and the ‘publish or perish’ mantra consumed and depressed, the longing to impart practical, student-focused knowledge in a contemporary, student-facing way became my siren call.

Feeling the system was broken, I leapt out of academia on my own terms. The cv was full enough of qualifications, books, chapters, keynotes and presentations but a burning desire to someday, somehow do something different, remained.

Project based consulting followed (and continues) with some game changing outcomes in professional and community sport and many incredible clients. But the siren call grew ever louder…

In Hobart, teaching, consulting, thinking and discussing before one last chance to convince swami Paul of my unrivaled brilliance! Across the road for cold beer, meat and some madcap scribbling on assorted napkins and beer mats.

Finally, a rumble, the eureka moment! An online check finds ‘Institute of Sport’ bafflingly unregistered and iSport is born! There have been ups and downs aplenty and a few unique challenges to boot but the simple vision of iSport remains to this day…

                  Inform… Educate… Disrupt…

The Institute of Sport combines three decades of practical experience in sport education and the business of sport with a multimedia sport intelligence platform accessible on demand.

Whatever your needs, whatever your background, iSport has something for you!

Education and Training

iSport develops and delivers practically oriented, educationally rigorous online courses that can be purchased and accessed at anytime through the iSport Management portal. All resources are updated regularly to reflect contemporary conditions and key learnings can be implemented immediately for the benefit of individual and organisational sport business operations.

From project management to communication, sports marketing to social media and from volunteer management and leadership to governance and sponsorship. Individually or organisationally, iSport can help you with all of your education and training needs.

We are continually formulating new courses so whether a volunteer in a local club with only a few members, a part time administrator in a growing niche sport, a skilled professional in a global franchise, or whether you just want to learn new, practical skills, iSport has a course for you.

iSport also formulates bespoke courses in partnership with organisations or individuals that can be delivered through online, face to face and blended learning methodologies through the iSport portal or seamlessly integrated into individual learning management systems.

Projects and Consulting

Led by Managing Director, Dr Dave Arthur who has nearly three decades of sport business consulting, iSport has undertaken 200+ projects for a diverse range of clients including a number of global sport organisations, professional franchises, grassroots clubs and associations and local government authorities.

As well as sport education and training consultation, projects have included complex organisational business reviews and associated plans, strategy formulation, planning and development, sport project design, initiation and management, as well as stakeholder identification and management, risk assessment and conflict resolution.

Experience

Over the last five years this has included:

  • FCV International Football Academy: Online Course Development and Delivery
  • International Judo Federation Academy: Online Course Development and Delivery
  • Ocean Shores Country Club: Review and Strategic Planning
  • Ballina Coast High School: Review and Strategic Planning for Sport
  • UCFB: Scoping and Course Development
  • AFL/NSW/ACT: Online Course Development and Delivery
  • Liverpool Academy, NSW (Southern Cross Football Centre): Online Course Development and Delivery
  • ISO Technology: Strategic Planning and Implementation
  • Regional Academies of Sport: Economic and Social Contribution of RAS to New South Wales
  • Volunteering Australia/Institute of Project Management: Economic and Social Value
  • Gosford City Council: Central Coast Stadium Wi Fi Project Implementation Plan
  • Gosford City Council: Central Coast Stadium Customer and Fan Engagement Project
  • Gold Coast Titans: Strategic Plan Formulation and Project Implementation
  • Lismore City Council: City Infrastructure and Development Project
  • Hobart City Council: Economic and Social Value of North Melbourne Football Club to HCC

Dr Dave Arthur

Dr Dave Arthur is the Managing Director and co-founder of the Institute of Sport. UK born and bred, he started travelling the globe in the early 1980’s as his gap year grew ever longer.

A lifelong aficionado of all things sporting it was his long-term, abiding love for rugby union that drew him to Sydney and then into sport education, business ownership, an academic career, consulting and, inexorably iSport.

Described as “one of Australia’s leading sport consultants” he has been commissioned by premier global rugby league brand the National Rugby League on three separate occasions, has made two international rugby union tours as part of the management team for Pacific Rugby Limited (PRL) and co-completed the economic impact of the Rugby World Cup 2011 for MasterCard International. He worked with the Gold Coast Titans professional rugby league franchise to review, systemise and strategise their entire business on and off the field and remains a sought after consultant around professional and grass roots sport.

A long-term, recently departed Chair of the North Coast Academy of Sport he continues to work in community and participation sport. Through the Institute of Sport he is currently working globally with the International Judo Federation Academy, FCV International Football Academy, Water Polo Australia and ACPE and a range of other sporting organisations. His work involves developing and delivering innovative sport business products for their members, delivering project and sport management education around the world as well as the development of on demand, practical sport education for all.

Dave is active on Twitter through @isportedu and can also be found regularly posting on Linkedin.

If you would like to talk over your business, sport business or sport education requirements please call +61 (0) 422267813 or contact him below.

THE INSTITUTE OF SPORT

Projects and Partners