Final admission
17 May 2026
Final general admission deadline for Summer 2026.
In-person Program
Sport & Society High School Course
A campus-based course exploring how media, fans, athletes and organizations shape sport culture through practical projects and career insight.
Last verified: 26 Aug 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy
In-person Program
Sport & Society High School Course
A campus-based course exploring how media, fans, athletes and organizations shape sport culture through practical projects and career insight.
Last verified: 26 Aug 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy
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Sport and Society Course at a glance: cost, dates and eligibility
Current status
Recently closed
Eligibility
Grades 9-12; 3.0 GPA
Age range / Year group
Ages 14-18; Grades 9-12
Location / Region
Santa Barbara, California
Cost
$5,798 residential; $3,298 commuter
Duration
2 weeks
Format
In-person; residential or commuter
Media Studies
Accommodation: Double or triple campus rooms
Meals: 3 daily residential; lunch commuter
Certificate / Outcome: Certificate and recommendation letter
Latest verified cycle: 2026
Sessions / cadence: Nine 3-hour weekday classes
Main deliverable / output: Major-event media coverage plan
Tutor / faculty: UCSB Communication PhD candidate
Sport and Society Course summary
This is a focused sport communication course examining how fans, athletes, media and organizations shape sport culture across professional, collegiate and amateur settings.
Students complete applied work, including a major-event media coverage plan and a simulation about communication around referee harassment.
It suits students exploring sport management, journalism, public relations, communication or law who want academic study alongside a structured campus experience.
What is Sport & Society High School Course?
The Sport & Society High School Course is a Summer Springboard academic course hosted on the UC Santa Barbara campus. It examines sport through communication, focusing on the relationships among fans, athletes, media and organizations.
Students investigate identity, representation, entrepreneurship and social factors such as race, gender and socioeconomic status. Practical projects, simulations and possible visits to local sport organizations connect academic analysis with industry and career questions.
Why Succeed highlights Sport and Society Course
The course treats sport as a cultural and communication system rather than focusing only on games or performance.
Its four-part lens—fans, athletes, media and organizations—gives students a clear framework for analysis.
A media coverage plan and community-leader simulation create practical applications for course ideas.
The named instructor combines communication research with professional experience in sport sales, compliance and journalism.
Residential and commuter routes let families choose between full campus living and weekday participation.
Who is Sport and Society Course for?
Best for
Students curious about sport media, communication, management, journalism, public relations or the social meaning of sport.
Not ideal if
You want athletic coaching, intensive sports training, university credit or an inexpensive standalone class without broader campus programming.
Is Sport and Society Course worth it?
It can be worthwhile for a student who wants to test sport communication through applied projects while experiencing structured campus life. The course has a coherent academic lens and connects it to several realistic study and career directions.
The main limitation is value for money: tuition is substantial, and this UCSB-based option does not carry UC Santa Barbara college credit. Families should judge the academic course together with the meals, accommodation, excursions and wider program activities included in their chosen tuition type.
A practical overview of cost, accommodation, meals, dates and provider details to review before deciding.
Cost and what is included
$5,798 residential; $3,298 commuter; includes Residential: academic course, lodging and all meals., Residential: excursions and weekend excursions., Commuter: academic course, lunch and excursions., Commuter: weekday programming from 9am to 5pm..
Accommodation
Double or triple campus rooms
Meals
3 daily residential; lunch commuter
Provider details
Review the Summer Springboard provider page and official sources before making a final decision.
Dates and logistics
2 weeks; Santa Barbara, California.
What to check before committing
Confirm current dates, payment terms, travel arrangements, cancellation rules and what is included with the provider.
Compare this program with similar options before deciding on dates, cost, format and fit.
Compare with similar programsHow much preparation does Sport and Society Course need?
Effort level
Moderate academic and planning commitment.
Best started
Begin four to six weeks before the admission deadline to compare tuition options, prepare short answers and organize family, health and travel documents.
Main challenge
Balancing critical academic analysis with busy campus days and practical group work.
Typical preparation
Review the course themes and choose a recent sport-media issue you can discuss thoughtfully.
Draft concise answers about your academic interests and reasons for choosing the course.
Decide early between residential and commuter tuition, including meal, transport and weekend implications.
Allow additional time for international travel documents or requested medical and support paperwork.
Useful if
You can discuss sport beyond results and engage with media, identity and organizational questions.
What do students do on Sport and Society Course?
Students combine classroom analysis of sport communication with practical projects, a simulation, college-readiness programming and campus activities.
Step-by-step process
- 1
Study how fans, athletes, media and organizations interact across sport.
- 2
Compare professional, collegiate and amateur sport contexts.
- 3
Analyze representation, identity, entrepreneurship and social inequality in sport communication.
- 4
Create a media coverage plan for a major sporting event.
- 5
Join a mock community-leader simulation addressing referee harassment.
- 6
Take part in academic excursions, recreational activities and college-readiness workshops.
Sport and Society Course dates and deadlines
Next cycle not announced yet. These dates are from the latest verified cycle and should be used as a reference only.
Reference date
Course session
19-31 July 2026
One two-week UC Santa Barbara session.
| Milestone | Date | Timezone | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Final admission | 17 May 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Course session | 19-31 July 2026 | Local | Reference date |
Eligibility and requirements
Open to students in Grades 9-12.
Minimum 3.0 GPA or local equivalent.
Students starting high school in fall may apply.
Spring high school graduates may apply.
International applicants must demonstrate English proficiency.
Applicants must meet the Essential Eligibility Criteria.
How much does Sport and Society Course cost?
Program tuition
$5,798; $3,298 — Residential and commuter options.
Funding or discounts
- Deposit: $600 — Paid with the application to hold a place.
- Application fee: From $99 — Mandatory and nonrefundable.
- Alumni scholarship: $500 — Published for eligible alumni in the 2026 cycle.
What's included
Residential: academic course, lodging and all meals., Residential: excursions and weekend excursions., Commuter: academic course, lunch and excursions., Commuter: weekday programming from 9am to 5pm.
How to apply to Sport and Society Course
- 1
A parent or guardian creates an account in the official application portal.
- 2
Confirm the registration email and complete the account details.
- 3
Select UC Santa Barbara, the session, Sport & Society and the preferred tuition type.
- 4
Complete the student information and short-answer application with the student present.
- 5
Submit the signed agreements and any requested supporting information.
- 6
Pay the $600 deposit and application fee when submitting.
- 7
Look for an enrollment decision within five to seven business days.
What does Sport and Society Course cover?
The program covers the following focus areas.
Sport communication systems
Examine relationships among fans, athletes, media and organizations.
Media and representation
Explore identity and differences in coverage across sport.
Sport organizations and enterprise
Study entrepreneurship and communication across the sport industry.
Applied media planning
Design coverage around the needs of major sport stakeholders.
Community communication
Use research in a simulation about referee harassment.
Curriculum may be adjusted based on participant interests and current developments.
What is a typical day on Sport and Society Course?
A typical day during the program.
Academic course
Three-hour morning classes cover the selected academic subject.
Activity or excursion
Students join a recreational activity or course-linked academic excursion.
College readiness
Workshops or True You sessions support college planning and self-discovery.
Residential evening
Dinner is followed by clubs, activities and nightly room checks.
Who teaches on Sport and Society Course?
The named instructor is Steven Kubitza, a UC Santa Barbara Communication PhD candidate researching organizational communication and sport. His professional background includes sport sales, compliance, journalism and more than a decade managing online sports news websites.
The course is designed to combine information with an interactive classroom approach.
Where do students stay on Sport and Society Course?
Residential plan
- Manzanita Village: Students stay in campus residence halls above the ocean and lagoon.
- Double or triple rooms: Bathrooms are shared by groups of four to five students.
- Full meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included each day.
- Residence security: Locked exterior doors, student keys and nighttime safety rounds support residents.
Non-residential plan
- Campus day access: Commuters attend weekday programming and receive lunch.
- Weekend excursions: Commuters may add weekend excursions for $125 per day.
Rooms have no air conditioning, although students may bring a small fan.
What happens after Sport and Society Course?
After completing this program, participants often pursue:
Explore further study in sport management or communication.
Develop context for journalism and public-relations pathways.
Connect sport-industry questions with law and organizational research.
Add a completed media coverage plan to academic reflections.
Receive a completion certificate and professor recommendation letter.
The program does not award UC Santa Barbara college credit.
Where does Sport and Society Course take place?
The course is hosted on the UC Santa Barbara campus in Santa Barbara, California, close to the Pacific Ocean. Campus programming can include dining halls, residence life, local attractions, recreational activities and course-related excursions.
Summer Springboard, not UC Santa Barbara, operates the program.
Sport and Society Course FAQs
It examines how fans, athletes, media and organizations interact across professional, collegiate and amateur sport. Students also consider identity, representation, entrepreneurship, race, gender and socioeconomic status.
No. It is an academic communication course about sport culture and industry rather than athletic coaching or performance training.
Students develop a media coverage plan for a major event and participate in a mock community-leader simulation about referee harassment.
There are nine three-hour classes. Classes run Monday through Friday in week one and Monday through Thursday in week two, with extra academic time on Wednesday afternoons.
Yes. A commuter option includes the academic course, weekday lunch, excursions and programming from 9am to 5pm.
Residential tuition includes the academic course, lodging, all meals, excursions and weekend excursions.
The named instructor is Steven Kubitza, a Communication PhD candidate at UC Santa Barbara with research and professional experience spanning sport communication, journalism, compliance and sales.
No college credit is stated for this UC Santa Barbara course. Summer Springboard says participants receive a completion certificate and a professor-completed recommendation letter.
Alternatives to Sport and Society Course
Compare these programs if you want a different balance of sport management, social sciences or business study.
Alternatives to Sport and Society Course
Sport leadership and management study in New York.
Business & Economics
Deadline: Not announced
From £4395
14-18
New York
In-person
Best for
Students more interested in leadership and management than media analysis.
Social & Political Sciences Summer Course
Recently closed
Social and political sciences study in Cambridge.
Politics
03 Aug 2026
From £6295
14-18
Cambridge
In-person
Best for
Students who prefer broader social analysis beyond sport.
International business and finance study in New York.
Finance
Deadline: Not announced
From £4295
14-18
New York
In-person
Best for
Students drawn to the commercial side of major industries.
Save this program in Succeed to compare it with similar programs, dates, costs and formats in one place.
Compare with other programsContent reviewed by
Ben Stacy
Co-founder, Succeed | Former secondary teacher and educational leader
Ben works at the intersection of education, technology and school adoption, with expertise in how secondary schools evaluate data-driven tools and how education technology is used in practice.
Sources and verification
Source types reviewed
- Terra Education
- 2026 HS 2-week Sport & Society V3
- Essential Eligibility Criteria | Policies & Terms | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- (1) New Messages!
- Main FAQ | Knowledge Base | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- (1) New Messages!
- UC Santa Barbara | Campus | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- Apply Now | Enrollment | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- (1) New Messages!
- Programs Overview - 2026
- Tuition Protection Plan T&C
- Sport & Society | UC Santa Barbara | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.
What we verified (on 26 Aug 2026)
Course details reviewed
Session dates checked
Tuition options checked
Eligibility reviewed
Application process checked
Housing details reviewed
Policy terms reviewed
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