Is the sports world ready for climate change?
This is the question that launched my research career in 2015.
After completing a Master’s program at the University of Brighton (under Dr. Nigel Jarvis), in which I investigated the negative outcomes and legacies of Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, I pivoted to environmental questions in my doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota (supervised by Dr. Yuhei Inoue).
Through a unique (and in many ways, unconventional) training in kinesiology, natural resources, policy and management, I equipped myself to address questions related to the human dimensions of climate change. Specifically, I became a specialist in climate vulnerability and adaptation in the sport sector. I was fortunate to be guided by an interdisciplinary committee led by Chair Dr. Ingrid Schneider (Professor of Forest Resources at University of Minnesota).
After finishing my PhD, I decided to re-tool so that I could conduct research on climate adaptation across industries. After all, climate change is not unique to any one sector. So, I studied a postdoc at The University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Management in strategy under Dr. Mike Chiasson.
Professionally, I was an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at SUNY Cortland from 2019-2021, then a Lecturer at Loughborough University London from 2021 to 2023 where I was tasked with developing the world’s first Masters degree in Sustainable Sport Business.
I am now at the University of Toronto in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. My research continues to focus on climate vulnerability and adaptation among organizations, with an additional focus on the roles of athletes and the sports media in conveying climate messages.
If any of these themes are of interest, I’m always on the lookout for new research collaborators and would welcome a conversation on these topics.
Research presentation at European Association of Sport Management Association AGM, September 2020 (Winner of Best Paper Award)
Research seminar presented at University of Brighton, January 2021
Open workshop delivered in partnership with Commonwealth Youth Secretariat and CYSDP, December 2020
Research presentation delivered at North American Society for Sport Management AGM, June 2020
Research presentation delivered at North American Society for Sport Sociology AGM, April 2022
Research Presentation delivered at the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand conference, Melbourne, November 2022
Research Presentation delivered at the European Sport Management Association conference, Innsbruck, September 2022
Primary research interest: Climate adaptation in the sport sector
What will sports look like 50 years from now? 100 years from now? Will skiing be tenable in low altitude regions? Will hurricanes and wildfires disrupt football season? Will athletes and organizations be ready for new environmental realities?
Kellison, T., Orr, M. & Watanabe, N. The nonexcludable function of sports stadiums in climate-changed cities. Sport in Society (in press).
Orr, M., Murfree, J. & Stargel, L. (Re)scheduling as an opportunity for climate adaptation, increased revenues, and equity in sport. Managing Sport and Leisure (in press).
Wilby, R., Orr, M., Depledge, D., Giulianotti, R., Havenith, G., Kenyon, J., Matthews, T., Mears, S., Mullan, D., & Taylor, L. (2022). The impacts of sport on climate: measurement, mitigation, and making a difference. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1519(1), 20-33.
Orr, M., Inoue, Y., Seymour, R. & Dingle, G. (2022). Impacts of climate change on organized sport: A scoping review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, e760.
Orr, M. & Ross, W.J. (2022). Assessing climate suitability of three cities for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Case Studies in Sport Management, 11(S1), 14-18.
Ross, W.J. & Orr, M. (2022). Predicting climate impacts to the Olympics Games and FIFA Men’s World Cups from 2022 to 2032. Sport & Society.
Orr, M. (2021). Finding consensus on indicators for organizational climate capacity in sport. Measuring Sport & Leisure.
Kellison, T.B. & Orr, M. (2021). Climate Vulnerability as a Catalyst for Early Stadium Replacement. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship.
Orr, M. (2020). On the potential impacts of climate change on baseball and cross-country skiing. Managing Sport & Leisure, 25(4), 307-320
Orr, M. & Inoue, Y. (2019). Sport versus Climate: introducing the climate vulnerability of sport organizations framework. Sport Management Review, 22(4), 452-463.
Orr, M. & Schneider, I. (2018). Substitution interests among active-sport tourists: The case of a cross-country ski event. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 22(4).
Secondary research interest: Sport as a platform for climate communication
Proponents of sustainability and climate action frequently cite the sport sector’s visibility and influence as an opportunity for public engagement on environmental issues. But how does that public engagement happen? Are sports teams and athletes credible messengers on climate change? Does the media cover climate issues in the sport sector? And what sports narratives can be leveraged to tell a climate story?
McCullough, B.M., Orr, M. & Kellison, T.B. (2020). Sport ecology: Conceptualizing an emerging sub-discipline within sport management. Journal of Sport Management.
Orr, M., McCullough, B.P. & Pelcher, J. (2020). Green teams, living labs, and venue tours: Using sport as a venue and vehicle to elevate sustainability learning. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Del Fiacco, A.* & Orr, M. (2019). A historical review of environmentalism in the Olympic Movement. International Journal of Event and Festival Management.