This July, community college educators from across the country gathered at the University of Washington for the Community College Master Teaching Institute (CCMTI) — a two-day deep dive into teaching, collaboration, and a shared exploration of this year’s theme: Global Sport: Culture, Society, and Economy. From circumpolar Indigenous games to Southeast Asian athletic artistry to the evolving economics of esports, the event spotlighted how sport reflects and reshapes global cultures, economies, and communities.
Held July 24-25, the program opened with welcoming remarks from Phillip Shekleton, the managing director of the Center for Global Studies, followed by an introduction to the theme by Danny Hoffman, director of the Jackson School. Early sessions laid the foundation for understanding sport not only as physical activity, but as a cultural and political force.
An opening session by Ron Krabill — a professor at UW Bothell’s School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences — introduced the Global Sport Lab, for which he is the director, a Jackson School initiative across the University that brings together scholars and communities exploring the global dimensions of sport through research and public engagement.
Challenging the norm: Arctic Winter Games
Nadine Fabbi presents “Arctic Sports, Inuit Games: Sport as Diplomacy in the Circumpolar World” on July 24, 2025. Photo by Madison Anne Morgan
The first lecture was given by Nadine Fabbi, director of the Canadian Studies Center and chair of the Arctic Studies minor. Her talk, “Arctic Sports, Inuit Games: Sport as Diplomacy in the Circumpolar World,” invited participants to look north — not at professional leagues or televised mega-events, but toward the community-based, culturally rooted practices of Indigenous sport. Specifically, she mentioned the Arctic Winter Games, a multi-sport competition for circumpolar athletes.
“The Arctic Winter Games, offered biennially, are critical to the community of global sport as they provide an alternative — and challenge — to sport that is highly commercialized, competitive, and quite often not sustainable,” Fabbi said. “The Arctic Winter Games are provided to build a circumpolar community, to develop skills necessary for a healthy life, and to promote northern cultures.”
New frontiers: the politics of eSports
Dr. Evan W. Rowe, adjunct professor at Green River Community College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Colorado School of Mines, brought a digital dimension to the conversation with a discussion on eSports spectatorship. Drawing from his doctoral research, Rowe addressed the mechanics of “watchability” and what differentiates successful spectator sports — both traditional and digital.
He also unpacked the power dynamics in the eSports industry, where video game publishers retain exclusive ownership and control.
“Unlike something like the NBA, eSport titles are owned by publishers and developers,” Rowe said, adding that “in the current eSports ecosystem, the game owner owns the games, which subordinates the eSport teams in a variety of ways, but mainly roots in the monetization mechanics for publishers being their top priority and using eSports as something more akin to marketing, branding, and advertising than as sports in and of themselves.”
Bringing sport to life: Sepak Takraw
Jeremy Mirken (far right) plays Sepak Takraw with current and former members of the U.S. Men’s National Takraw team July 24, 2025. Photo by Madison Anne Morgan
As part of this year’s focus on global sport, participants experienced a live demonstration of Sepak Takraw, a fast-paced sport from Southeast Asia that combines elements of volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics.
The demonstration was led by Jeremy Mirken, former player and head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Takraw team, who helped showcase the sport’s high level of athleticism and coordination.
“In the sport of Takraw, you see a bicycle kick in literally every point,” Mirken said. “I mean, there is nothing more dynamic than seeing a backflip kick and somebody land on their feet … the level of eye-foot coordination that is required is off the charts.”
Mirken was joined by Anthony and Ker Cha, a former and current member of the U.S. National Takraw teamm respectively; in 2024, Ker Cha opened the Blaine Takraw Academy, the first dedicated Takraw academy in the United States.
Mirken emphasized how sports like Sepak Takraw promote global learning and cross-cultural engagement, providing educators with unique ways to introduce international perspectives in the classroom.
“I believe that Sepak Takraw has a lot to offer the world,” Mirken said, adding that “it’s a sport that should be known by the world because it’s fun, dynamic, and it allows you to form a bond in a way that [you] probably haven’t ever experienced with players of other sports.”
Strengthening a national teaching community
Throughout the two-day event, participants explored a wide range of topics highlighting the complex intersections of sport, history, politics, and global society. Additional talks included “Cricket and Colonialism” by Professor Anand Yang and “Will hosting the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup make your community happy?” by Jackson School Graduate Programs Adviser Jesús Hidalgo.
These conversations underscored the importance of teaching global sport not only through its most visible forms, but also by analyzing its broader historical and political dimensions.
In addition to formal presentations, participants took part in Community of Learners sessions and working groups designed to foster collaboration and exchange across disciplines and institutions; this included a session with Mike VanQuickenborne, a tenured philosophy instructor with the Department of Sociology at Everett Community College, designed to help attendees across disciplines incorporate sport into their teaching.
“That community college pedagogy is of academic interest, and putting people together in a room to share insights, ideas, and lesson plans has shared value,” Rowe said.
