This week is the very important Discussion Board 2 is all about proper Research Questions. Discussion Board 2 requires you to: 1) Develop a focused research question(s) for a topic. 2) Discuss the theoretical background for this topic including your personal interest in the topic. 3) Post two or more replies to other classmates. When considering a research topic, make sure you are focusing on our Sport Profession and your desire to work in the Sport Industry. Take time to consider where you want to work and in what capacity within the sport industry. Then strongly consider the skills/competencies necessary to be successful in that position/field. Select a research topic that is geared toward learning and developing knowledge and skill necessary for your future advancement. Do not pick a topic such as steroids, paying college athletes, or the latest dietary supplementations just because it sounds interesting. This research course is designed to help prepare and guide you advancing into your professional career. If you want to be a(n):  •Athletic Director, then you must possess strong executive management, finance, and leadership skill. •Head Sport Coach, then you must enjoy strong personnel, communication, and strategic competency. •YMCA Director, then you must be experienced in Non-Profit, program management, and CSR. •ESPN Anchor, then you must possess outstanding personal and interpersonal communication. •Sport Marketer, then you must possess competency in branding, advertising, and communication. •Sport Agent, then you must have a background in contract law, advertising, and endorsements.    As you can see, you should consider where you want to go in the Sport Profession and then pare down the necessary skill sets and competencies for advancement. Those are the items I suggest you research and study through this course, something that will help you grow and blossom and your career advancement (finance, law, marketing, promotions, advertising, branding, liability, media, communication, ethics, management, administration, leadership, facility development, etc.).    Your topic could also be a problem or matter or issue we currently deal with in sport:  ∞ The difficulties of collective bargaining.  ∞ Greed in professional athletics.  ∞ Aggression and violence in the promotion of sport.  ∞ Ambush marketing in sport.  ∞ Product exclusivity.  ∞ The place for prayer and religion in sport.  ∞ Public financing of private sport.  ∞ The intricacies of athlete endorsements and the morality clauses of today.  ∞ How to provide sport to the lowers classes of society in cost effective manners.  ∞ Escalating costs of operating a sport business.  ∞ Product liability and the litigious society.    Try to avoid common trite topics such as nutrition enhancements, fitness matters, payment of college athletes, steroids, etc. Make sure you stay focused on key management topics that are related to your desire to advance into the Sport Profession.    You must first select a topic in the Sport Profession and then scour the scholarly literature (not op ed articles or Non-Professional materials – ONLY Professional scholarly sources) to see if there is a basis for the theoretical framework. Include references and citation from several journals and scholarly pieces to begin showing a theoretical framework. Forbes Magazine, ESPN Magazine, newspapers, etc. are Non-Professional sources unacceptable for graduate level research, stick to scholarly journals, textbooks, and trade publications. Answer the questions and provide the necessary discussion, respond to more than enough students, and always include lots of scholarship and faith integration throughout.