Sport and Community Development
Researchers in the Sport and Community Development lab focus on the use of sport as a platform for achieving positive outcomes. Although sport is an activity that most people have experienced at some point in their life and feel knowledgeable about it, there is limited meaningful, well-informed research regarding the role sport can play in improving life quality and building community. Given its popularity, the use of sport as a tool for positive community level impact remains high. The SCDL has specialized in research that will guide sport managers to better leverage sport in a manner that promotes community building, economic development, and health outcomes. Thus far, this work has emphasized improving the experiences of collegiate athletes, athletes with disabilities, older adults, and sport officials. Within this work, a critical perspective and strong emphasis is placed on connecting research and theory with practice. The goal of the SCDL research group is to provide 1) sport and community leaders with solutions on how sport can be managed to enhance life quality and promote regional transformation and 2) provide students with community engagement opportunities that will enhance their learning and career-readiness. Building Community via Sport: A Better Together Society was published by the lab in 2025. The book honors three ECU legends and serves as a guide for current and future sport management on how our sport systems can be improved.
Research Opportunities
There are many research opportunities within the SCDL for both undergraduate and graduate students. Examples of current SCDL faculty-led projects include: local economic impact of sport, advancing undergraduate research for sport management students, the impact of intragenerational pickleball programs, community sport and individual well-being, and promoting sport structures that advance community well-being globally. Graduate and undergraduate research opportunities are available through projects related to thesis, independent study, practicums, or independent research projects. The SCDL provides students with the opportunity to work alongside faculty on their current research projects or be guided by a faculty mentor on their own innovative research projects ideas. Recent undergraduate projects include: Sustainable success: Motives and Small-Scale Charity Sport Events; Not Broken: Improving Disability Sport; Atlanta, A Soccer City?; Big League Social Media: Cultivating Community Online; Eliminating Barriers to Youth Sports in Greenville, North Carolina. Recent graduate student projects include: Refereeing as a Post-Athletic Career Option; The Role of Community in Athlete Transgressive Behavior; Social Network Analysis as a Complementary Tool to Measuring Team Cohesion; Senior Games: Students’ Community Outreach with Older Adults; NCAA Basketball Team Performance and Coaching Turnover: The Implication of Coaching Success on Subsequent Coaching Changes.
Student Experiential Learning Opportunities
The SCDL also is committed to providing both undergraduate and graduate students with career development and community engagement opportunities. Graduate and undergraduate practical learning opportunities are available through coursework, independent study, practicums, or independent research projects. The SCDL provides select students with the opportunity to volunteer alongside faculty at mega sport events and international exchanges as well as participate in short-term summer study abroad programs related to the sport industry. Recent projects include: The Super Bowl, The Men’s Final Four, a two-way exchange with the Special Olympics’ Peru, A Student-Faculty Pickleball Tournament and summer study abroad learning experiences.
Applications for annual student experiences that are available are posted on the Sport Management Canvas Announcement page.
Intergenerational Pickleball
In Fall 2024, the Sport & Community Development Lab (SCDL) launched the first known intergenerational pickleball club, pairing students with faculty and staff members. With support from the College of Health and Human Performance, the initiative grew into community Intergenerational Pickleball Tournament held in December 2024 and April 2025. The event brought together ECU students and local older adults, creating a unique opportunity for connection across generations.
The tournament was a collaborative effort between the SCDL and ECU’s Office of Healthy Aging, designed to foster mentor-mentee relationships, promote a sense of belonging, and address social isolation among both college students and seniors.
In 2025, Dr. Taniyev received funding from the Engagement Scholarship Consortium to pilot a similar 5-week pickleball program aimed at achieving these same goals. The ECU SCDL is now actively exploring ways to sustain and expand the program into 2026 and beyond.
Lab Faculty
Dr. Stacy Warner serves as the Director of the SCDL and currently the Graduate Coordinator for the Sport Management program at ECU.
Warner, who is the Dr. Leroy T. Walker Distinguished Professor, is a globally recognized leader and expert on community building and sport. Her research has appeared in top journals across the world, and she authored book chapters on the topic in Sport Sociology, Sport Development, Sport Management, and Sport Theory textbooks. Prior to starting her academic career, Warner’s sport industry experience has included positions within the United State Olympic Committee, NCAA headquarters, NCAA (Divisions I, II, and III) athletic departments, campus recreation programs, Upward Sports Christian youth leagues, and various large-scale sporting events, such as the NCAA Final Four, Super Bowl, and the Special Olympic World Games. This has resulted in clear practical applications and implications of her research. She has led 22 successful funded collaborations with sport industry partners over the last decade.
Dr. Olzhas Taniyev, Recreation Sciences and Sport Management Assistant Professor, serves as the Director of Community Outreach for the SCD Lab. He brings extensive experience managing college and professional-level sport events to the SCDL along with a deep knowledge of athlete role model behavior and community engagement (http://doi.org/10.32731/SMQ.311.0322.05) and sports fandom among older adults (https://doi.org/10.5430/ijba.v12n3p86). His primary responsibilities revolve around community collaboration, strategic partnerships, and market research and analysis.
Prior to starting his academic career, Dr. Taniyev spent a decade working and coaching in many facets of the sport industry. Playing at No. 1 singles and doubles, he led the Harding men’s tennis team to multiple NCAA National Championship appearances, while earning his bachelor’s degree in international business. After his college career, he played competitive tennis on the ITF future and USTA circuits. Taniyev continued to gain practical experience coaching and teaching while earning his MBA and master’s and PhD in sport management.
Faculty Affiliates
The SCDL collaborates with faculty with expertise in Adapted Sport, Economic Impact, Experiential Learning and Healthy Aging.
Adapted Sport – Dr. Jihoun “AJ” An, Dr. David Loy, Dr. Lindsey Oakes
Economic Impact – Dr. Kindal Shores
Experiential Learning – Dr. Andrea Buenaño
Healthy Aging – Dr. Abby Schwartz