Lecturer
Sport Management
HPER 374
865-974-8584
lhuffman@utk.edu
COURSES TAUGHT
[TBD]
RESEARCH INTRESTS
Dr. Huffman’s scholarly interests are captured within the theoretical framework of holistic development within the sport community. Previously this has included examining the intersection of sport, religion, spirituality, and development, specifically as it pertains to the lived experiences (including identity, adversity, and life transitions) and holistic care model for intercollegiate athletes, coaches, and athletic administrators administrators. A related line of research explores cross-cultural sport-for-development experiences, particularly among marginalized communities. In his sport leadership and development work, Dr. Huffman has been able to pilot research and collect data on the role of sport, hope, and community development which he presented at conferences hosted at Baylor University and Cambridge, England.
Outcomes of his scholarly endeavors aim to provide resources and promote best practices to assist athletes, coaches, and athletic administrators with cultivating their vocational identity, hope, and life “beyond” sport. To date, his work has been published in 14 peer-reviewed articles as well as four book chapters, he has presented more than 35 presentations at national and international scholarly conferences, and Dr. Huffman has collaborated with teams securing more than $110,000 in external grant funding (e.g., hosting sport camps, leading transformational coach training seminars, and modeling empowerment through story telling for communities in Israel, Palestinian Territories, Jordan, and Cherokee, NC [Eastern Band Cherokee Indians]).
EDUCATION
| PhD | University of Tennessee Knoxville | Sport Management |
| MA | UNC | Sport Administration |
| BS | UNC | Sport Administration |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dr. Huffman, originally from Icard, North Carolina, has taught a broad range of undergraduate and graduate courses in sport studies including, Foundations of Sport Management, Intercollegiate Athletics, Sport Marketing, Sport Finance and Economics, Sociological Aspects of Sport, Organization and Administration of Sport, Facility and Event Management, Sport Governance, Sport & Religion, Legal & Ethical Issues in Sport, and Research Methods in Kinesiology. Prior to joining the faculty at UTK, Dr. Huffman served as Professor of Sport and Fitness Leadership as well as Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) at Johnson University, a private liberal arts university affiliated with the NAIA just down the road in South Knoxville.
To date, Dr. Huffman has participated in a variety of academic service opportunities, including serving as an Affiliate Scholar with the Sport and Religion Research Alliance, providing analytical support and serving as an Affiliate Faculty Member for the Center for Sport, Peace, & Society, serving as an editorial review board member for the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics (JIIA), Journal of Athlete Development and Experience (JADE), and Movement and Being, chairing search committees for faculty and sport administration personnel, judging student case study competitions at ASMA and CSRI conferences, promoting higher education within low-income communities by partnering with organizations such as Project GRAD and tnAchieves, assisting with the NEST Foundation (for retired national South Korean athletes), and co-founding the non-profit organization The Athletes’ Table to promote sport for development and peace initiatives (e.g., hosting sport camps, leading transformational coach training seminars, and modeling empowerment through story telling for communities in Israel, Palestinian Territories, Jordan, and Cherokee, NC [Eastern Band Cherokee Indians]).
Highlights of Dr. Huffman’s sport leadership experiences include serving as Faculty Athletics Representative at an NAIA institution (e.g., strategic planning, compliance, eligibility, student life, recruiting, advising), serving as an international sport management consultant working with developing sport programs, and working in intercollegiate athletic departments, most notably in academic support and student-athlete development as well as athletic event and team operations.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Stokowski, S., Hutchens, N. S., Huffman, L. T., Fridley, A., & Croft, C. (2020). An examination of college athletes’ motivation and athletic scholarship status. Applied Research in Coaching and Athletics Annual, 35, 1-26.
Ingram, A., & Huffman, L. T. (2017). To admit, or not to admit? An exploratory study of graduation rates of “special-admit” student-athletes within the “Power 5” conferences. Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 11(3), 193-215.
Weight, E. A., Navarro, K., Smith-Ryan, A., & Huffman, L. T. (2016). Holistic education through athletics: Health literacy of intercollegiate athletes and traditional students. Journal of Higher Education Athletics and Innovation, 1(1), 38-60.
Waller, S. N., Huffman, L. T., & Hardin, R. L. (2016). The sport chaplain’s role in the holistic care model for collegiate athletes in the United States. Practical Theology, 9(3), 226-241.
Huffman, L. T., Navarro, K., & Cooper, C. G. (2016). College choice…holistic development…career success…college choice: Introducing the “Lifetime Human Capital Cycle” for intercollegiate athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Management, 8(4), 67-94.