Dr. Matt Ostermeyer
Professor of Practice
Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies
Dr. Ostermeyer is the Director ofSport and Recreation Leadership (SRL). In that role, he oversees both the undergraduate and graduate programs associated with SRL.
This program area helps students prepare for careers in:
- K-12 and youth sports
- collegiate athletics
- adaptive athletics
- campus recreation
- municipal parks and recreation agencies
- other community organizations
Matt and his colleagues believe that high-quality sport and recreation programs:
- Improve the quality of life, health, and well-being of individuals and communities.
- Facilitate social connection, learning and development, as well as self-actualization.
- Should be accessible regardless of social class, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, religion, language, and other markers of diversity
Dr. Ostermeyer's professional experience includes 15 years in the field of recreational sports. He has worked in municipal parks and recreation settings, as well as campus recreation. He has held various positions, from tennis instructor and volleyball official, to intramural supervisor, program coordinator, and tournament director for national-level sporting events.
His research has focused on cultural competence and humility in the leisure service industry. He is most interested in understanding how agency policy, management priorities, and accreditation standards affect access to recreation opportunities for disadvantaged, underrepresented populations, especially in the public sector.
"Students' passion for sports and recreation become powerful entry points for understanding social justice issues."
What personal challenges have you faced, or continue to face, as you progress in your academic career in teaching, research, and or the broad range of service you provide in your position?
Some of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my 10 years in the College of Education have been navigating program and curriculum development. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to create a Sport and Recreation Leadership (SRL) undergraduate minor in 2017 and the SRL MA with two stackable graduate certificates in 2024. Both were years-long efforts that required what I might call "personal fortitude" - learning bureaucratic processes without having institutional roadmaps and managing complex campus politics around resource allocation. The struggles were sometimes exacerbated because I was in a department and college that had very limited existing connections to my background in leisure/recreation/sports. The end results have provided students with important academic opportunities to prepare for careers in K-12 and youth sports, collegiate athletics, adaptive athletics, campus recreation, municipal parks and recreation agencies, or other community organizations.
I've also had to work hard to maintain high quality pedagogy, while teaching more than 4,000 students; most in a large General Education course: “Sport, Leisure and Consumer Culture.” This course often attracts students from across campus expecting to discuss "last night's game," but I quickly engage them in critical analysis of social systems. Reaching hundreds of students per semester, with such a wide variety of backgrounds and academic interests, has been a challenge I have grown to embrace. I try to push them out of their comfort zones to question big ideas they have previously taken for granted, while also ensuring they feel supported and like they can be successful in my class. Using sports and recreation as an entry point to explore issues related to race, gender, sexuality, ability, etc. seems to break down some resistance students might have to engage on these kinds of topics. It still takes a lot of vulnerability and often feels scary as a non-tenured faculty member, particularly in 2025. Learning how to get more comfortable to lean in, rather than shut down or react in fear/frustration, when students are clearly uncomfortable and actively resistant to ideas explored in my classes has been a journey that continues today.
As a Professor of Practice, it has always also been a challenge not having any part of my official workload dedicated to research/scholarship. Despite that, I have been personally committed to presenting at an academic conference or two every year, mostly related to pedagogy and curriculum. This year was particularly rewarding to co-present with two of my fantastic SRL faculty colleagues (Dr. Jesse Stipek & Dr. Xingxing Wu) at The Academy of Leisure Sciences conference. The sessions were titled 1) “Teaching Student Athletes Inside the U.S. Intercollegiate Sports Industrial Complex” and 2) “Supporting New Faculty Through Effective Mentorship.”
What aspects of inclusion does your work address?
Pedagogically, I try to use Universal Design principles and asset-based approaches, with frequent low-stakes assessments to support diverse learning styles and reduce barriers for different student populations.
Related to curriculum, I try to center marginalized voices. For example, students in my large general education course mentioned above, read Michael Bennett's "Things That Make White People Uncomfortable" and David Treuer's "Return the Parks to the Tribes." We explicitly examine how sport and leisure practices are inequitably shaped by class, race, age, gender, ability, sexual identity and try to foster increased critical consciousness.
At the programmatic level, the Sport and Recreation Leadership program embodies inclusion as a core value. Our statement of purpose declares that “high quality sport and recreation programs should be accessible regardless of social class, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, religion, language, and other markers of diversity." We created the "Inclusive Leadership in Sport and Recreation" graduate certificate and foster partnerships with Campus Recreation, Athletics, and Adaptive Athletics to ensure traditionally underserved students have meaningful pathways.
"Embrace small, consistent, and caring actions."
What words of advice or inspiration would you like to share?
Use what students care about as bridges to what they need to learn. In my world, students' passion for sports and recreation becomes powerful entry points for understanding social justice issues. Don't fight their interests - leverage them. Part of that, is also acknowledging the reality that our students exist within our broader political system that is increasingly overtly hostile to DEI. Some come from family, school, and (social) media ecosystems that naturally puts them in a serious defensive posture. Lean into some of the uncomfortable work it is going to take for yourself in order to make them feel open to even hearing what you have to say. They might have to believe you care about them, more than your soapbox, to listen at all.
Embrace small, consistent, and caring actions. Learning happens through regular engagement, not high-pressure moments. This applies beyond the classroom - sustainable change comes through persistent, thoughtful, and compassionate work rather than dramatic gestures.
Be willing to work across boundaries, even when not fully supported. Some of my most meaningful contributions came from saying "yes" to opportunities without clear precedents. The bureaucracy can feel overwhelming, but remember you're potentially changing systems for future students and faculty.
Finally, because my PhD is in Leisure Behavior, I always feel like it’s my highest responsibility to encourage/remind everyone to have fun outside of work! Get moving, get outside, get creative! And turn off email notifications on your phone 😊
"Have fun outside of work! Get moving, get outside, get creative!"
