Dr. Damon couldn’t find an existing solution in the market that exposes students to the immense pressure of dealing with a sports scandal. So he created one. His answer hit it out of the park.
In the fall of 2018. Dr. Damon attended Capsim’s Symposium to learn more about simulation-based learning. Little did he know that upon seeing Capsim’s new microsimulation platform, CapsimInbox, he’d use his expertise to author his very own version. After the symposium, Capsim sent an email looking for contributing authors.
Dr. Damon had a lightbulb moment, and thought to himself, “this is the answer.” Previous tools were fairly cut and dry. “There was something missing,” Dr. Damon said.
He had been looking for a tool to expose students to ethical decision-making, problem-solving, and communication: skills needed in the sports industry, but lacking in the classroom. As the Sport Management Graduate Program Director, he was searching for more in-depth resources than PowerPoints, video lectures, case studies, and discussion boards.
He first experienced Capsim as a Georgia Southern University graduate student in an MBA course in the spring of 2012. His professor adopted Capstone 2.0, opening his eyes up to communication with others in problem-solving skills.
Years down the line, as a professor himself, Dr. Damon felt simulation building was the way forward. “Higher education is stagnant,” he said.
He wanted to pass along his learning experiences and passion to his students. Baseball was his first choice: he had played all throughout high school, and aspired to walk-on at Georgia Southern University. He took his passion for coaching the sport, and realized it could be leveraged as a teaching tool for his students.
Dr. Damon realized it was possible to create a realistic and engaging experience for both students and practitioners to grow from. He was able to turn a crisis into a playable and engaging learning experience within the email simulation. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, he realized there was a unique opportunity to combine the enticing nature of sports with already-established business undertones.
“We hit the ground running, and it’s been a great experience since,” Damon said.
CapsimInbox Sports Management helps students gain skills and learning opportunities by simulating high-leverage career moments. We want learning experiences to be as realistic as possible, where everything is real-world except for the impact.