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Clemson University's Brooks Institute
for Sports Science is a conduit for research in the thriving
sports, recreation and leisure industries. What makes the institute
distinctive is its focus on technological, managerial and cultural
perspectives, as opposed to the physiological and psychological
aspects of athletic performance.
Founded in 1994 through a $2.5
million pledge from alumnus Robert H. Brooks, the Brooks Institute
for Sports Science was established in memory of four members
of the Brooks' organization who died in an airplane crash en
route to a NASCAR race in 1993.
The institute has fostered sports-related
research, outreach programs and initiatives that include the
following:
- a two-year partnership with
Ford that provided $600,000 for internships and student projects
with NASCAR Winston Cup teams. The program also has initiated
partnerships with other companies including Michelin Tire Co.
and several race teams;
- an intern program funded by
Michelin for Clemson students to work with the "ALMS,"
or American Le Mans Series;
- an agreement with the National
Hot Rod Association to develop a broad range of cooperative programs,
including internships and cooperative education opportunities
for Clemson students;
- research and student projects
with several NASCAR and other race teams;
- a project funded by the Clemson
athletic department for sports marketing students to conduct
attitudinal research with Clemson football fans, surveying their
perceptions of what the University is doing well and what it
can do better to serve its audience;
- internships for Clemson students
with sports organizations, including the Philadelphia Phillies,
Philadelphia 76ers, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee
Brewers, Dodge Rockwell's motorsports division, ESPN, Greenville
Grrrowl, Darlington Raceway, S. C. Shamrocks, Clemson Sports
Network and Clemson athletic department;
·the establishment of the Clemson Motorsports Foundation
as part of the Clemson University Foundation to facilitate and
manage partnerships and funding agreements between Clemson and
corporations interested in motorsports;
- the National Forum on Accessible
Golf, co-founded by Larry Allen, associate dean of the College
of Health, Education and Human Development, is helping to
open the sport to the 49 million Americans with disabilities.
The project joins golfers with disabilities with golf associations,
researchers and representatives from golf-related industries;
- the Clemson
Outdoor Laboratory, located on Lake Hartwell, has been serving
the recreational needs of special populations for more than 20
years. The Outdoor Lab was a pioneer in developing residential
camping experiences for the blind, hemophiliacs, mentally disabled
children and adults, and children with cancer;
- researchers in the turf-grass
project in Clemson's College
of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences are involved in
developing and testing a variety of grasses for golf courses
and athletic fields.
For more information, call (864)
656-6337.
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