National Council of Youth Sports

"Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports." "Enhancing The Youth Sports Experience In America." "A Unified Voice For Youth Sports."

The rapidly changing sports market is requiring more sophisticated marketing and greater fiscal responsibility from sports organization and their management. At the same time, sports industry managers do not often have the time, resources or opportunity to earn an advanced management degree or relevant management training.

The NCYS has partnered with internationally renowned The George Washington University (GWU) School of Business to develop a customized, flexible and affordable educational program that provides management-related courses to NCYS executives to address the existing market.

The CERTIFIED SPORTS ADMINISTRATOR courses are ideal for youth sports administrators, managers, volunteers, coaches who do not have the time to attend an in-person classroom setting. The program was designed with convenience in mind. You have three months to complete each course. Users can bookmark their spot so they can exit and re-enter the course, it's accessible 24 hours a day, and online learning gives users the opportunity to learn at their own pace.

Participants will earn a Certified Sports Administrator certificate by completing six courses. The fee for each course is $99.00 for members and $189 for non-members, and you can register for the courses below. We are able to offer this extremely discounted rate due to our corporate sponsors.

"Well, I finally did it...YEAH!!! I just successfully completed all 6 courses of the CSA Certificate Program at GWU. I know it took me a long time, but I am so glad I hung in there because I gained so much insight into the administration side of youth sports. I have always been a coach and now I know how to get the crew working together and how to keep the organization going strong. I feel like I want to have a parade, but I guess that might be just a bit over the top! Thank you to both the NCYS and GWU for your patience and encouragement."

Coach Glen R. Harris, CSA
Director, Emerald City Archery Academy

"Thanks for your help. I have been telling the AAU Hosts and the local CVB about this course. It is great information and the course covers every aspect involved with planning, promoting funding, and running an event."

William Brown, CSA
Member of the National AAU Boys Basketball Executive Committee and the AAU Virginia District Boys and Girls Basketball Executive Committee.

Dear Sally,

"Thank you for providing me the opportunity to complete the Certified Sports Administrator program. I found the courses to be informative, the online format was convenient and the staff was very helpful. I believe the CSA qualification will be beneficial in my career development."

Best regards,
Jim MacEachern, CSA

Already Enrolled? Click HERE to login

How To Register

Register Online By Credit Card:
You can register for CSA courses online, and pay by Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal. To order a course, click the "Add To Cart" button below each course description.

To order more than one course, click "Continue Shopping" after you have added a course to the shopping cart.

Register By Mail/Fax:
If you prefer to order CSA courses offline by check or money order or with a credit card by fax then print our mail/fax order form.

***NCYS members save $90 off the cost of each course. Click HERE to become a NCYS member.

Course #1: Risk Management for Sports Administrators
Member: $99.00
Non-Member: $189
• Volunteers/Coaches (recruiting/security checks, training)
• Financial accounting & reporting (unique considerations for non-profits)
• Event safety and security
• Contract law
• Program development (scheduling)

Member Fee: $99.00


Non-Member Fee: $189.00

Course #2: Management and Leadership of Sports Organizations
Member: $99.00
Non-Member: $189
• Creating an organizational structure that works
• Establishing a direction through goals, policies and procedures (strategic planning)
• Enhancing relationships between paid and volunteer leadership
• Negotiating with key product and service vendors (e.g., insurance, uniforms, equipment, travel)
• Communicating with members and customer service strategies including measurement techniques
• Coordinating with other sport organizations with similar goals

Member Fee: $99.00

Non-Member Fee: $189.00

Course #3: Funding Sports Organizations
• Sponsorship
• Grants
• Membership
• Events
• Merchandising/Licensing
• Fund raising

Member: $99.00

Non-Member Fee: $189.00

Course #4: Marketing Sports Organizations
Learn how to better market your organization to:
• Participants/Parents/Members
• Corporate sponsors
• Media
• Facilities
• Event host cities
• Legislators
• Other sport organizations
Through branding strategies, public relations campaigns, advocacy/political campaigns, viral marketing

Member Fee: $99.00

Non-Member Fee: $189.00

Course #5: Sponsorship & Negotiations
Member: $99.00
Non-Member: $189
• Identifying and researching potential corporate partners
• Writing sponsorship proposals
• Presenting sponsorship opportunities
• Negotiating and contracting with sponsors
• Servicing sponsors
• Evaluating ROI
• Re-signing sponsors

Member Fee: $99.00

Non-Member Fee: $189.00

Course #6: Event Management
Member: $99.00
Non-Member: $189
• Creating or enhancing events
• Writing RFPs and selecting host cities
• Managing event coordination and implementation
• Evaluating events

Member Fee: $99.00

NCYS Certified Sports Administrator Program

Developed and Delivered by:

The George Washington University
Sports Management Program

Lisa Delpy Neirotti, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Business and Public Management, The George Washington University.

Lisa Delpy Neirotti has been a professor of sport, event, and tourism management at the George Washington University for fourteen years. In this time Dr. Delpy Neirotti has established a strong academic program at both the undergraduate and graduate level and serves as the Sport and Event Management programs director and the MBA Sport, Event, and Hospitality Management Director. Aside from teaching, advising and conducting research, she coordinates and supervises all internships.

Dr. Delpy Neirotti is also the founder and program director for the annual TEAMS: Travel, Events, and Management in Sports conference. Since 1997, TEAMS serves to define, develop and expand the fast growing field of Sports Tourism. In addition to speaking at numerous conferences, writing professional articles, consulting with corporate sponsors and sport commissions Dr. Delpy Neirotti, co-authored The Ultimate Guide to Sport Event Management and Marketing published by McGraw-Hill. Dr. Delpy Neirotti also serves on the editorial board of Sport Marketing Quarterly and Sport Travel magazine in which she writes a monthly column. She also is a member of the Women's Sport Foundation (WSF) advisory board and is a founding board member of the DC Chapter of Women In Sports and Events (WISE).

Prior to arriving at The George Washington University, Dr. Delpy Neirotti traveled to 56 countries around the world studying the development and organization of the Olympic Movement and has attended 11 consecutive Olympic Games as well as hundreds of other major sport events as a consultant, volunteer or researcher.

Dr. Delpy Neirotti also directed the National Children and Youth Fitness Study II in 1986 to determine the fitness level of youth ages 6-9 years old and has a long history of being involved with youth sports.

Born and raised in California, Dr. Delpy Neirotti received her undergraduate degree in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; a MS in Sport Management from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA; and a Ph.D. in Sport Administration from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She currently resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband Alan, one year old daughter Alison, and another child on the way.

Jeff Bliss is president of THE JAVELIN GROUP, a global team of strategic marketing, media and investment advisors specializing in the $200B sports/entertainment industry. The Javelin Group helps catapult new business growth for organizations through strategic acquisitions, programs and partnerships.

Jeff has nearly 30 years of Fortune 500 and start-up venture management and global sports/event experience. He was most recently President/CEO of the Sara Lee Olympic Partnership, responsible for driving $500 million in 1996 Olympic licensed sales and creating $200 million in new business for 23 Sara Lee brands, including Champion, Hanes, Coach and Hillshire Farm in 17 countries.

Jeff was previously Chief Marketing Officer/ SVP of World Cup USA 1994, responsible for all marketing and revenue generation that resulted in a $50M surplus. He was also Director for the 120 corporate sponsors and suppliers of the 1984 LA Olympics that resulted in an Olympic record $222M surplus, and in senior brand management with industry leaders The Gillette Company, Xerox Corporation, H.P. Hood and New Balance. Bliss was named 1996 Brandweek Marketer of the Year.

Jeff attended Colgate University and received an MBA in Marketing from Boston University/UCLA and participated in post-graduate studies at Suffolk Law School and Harvard School of Public Health. He is the Sports Management Program Director for The GWU School of Business and is on the Advisory Committees of Special Olympics International, Women’s Sports Foundation, SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now), the Fairfax Symphony and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.

Jeff has been quoted in scores of major publications internationally and has been a featured guest on shows such as CNNfn, CNBC, National Public Radio and Canadian Radio. Jeff is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist/moderator for business seminars, forums, and conferences and guest lectures at universities and business schools.