Associate Professor
Department of Management
Email:
snelgror@uoguelph.ca
Ryan Snelgrove
Ryan Snelgrove is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management and serves as Co-Editor of the International Journal of Sport Management. Dr. Snelgrove’s research is centered on sport experience, with a focus on how events and programs can be designed and managed to create meaningful outcomes for participants and communities. His work examines the psychosocial mechanisms through which individuals engage with sport, how these experiences are shaped by organizational and institutional contexts, and how they are interpreted and communicated through media and social interaction. A central focus of his research is understanding the outcomes of sport participation, including well-being, identity, and behavioural change. He also explores how emerging innovations and technologies are reshaping the nature of sport experiences. Dr. Snelgrove’s research has been published in leading journals such as Sport Management Review, Journal of Sport Management, Leisure Sciences, and Event Management.
Ph.D. (Recreation and Leisure Studies), University of Waterloo
M.H.K. (Sport Management), University of Windsor
B.B.A. (Honours), Wilfrid Laurier University
- Sport event experience and design
- Psychosocial mechanisms of engagement and meaning-making
- Organizational and institutional contexts shaping sport experiences
- Outcomes of sport event participation (well-being, behavior, identity)
- Innovation and technology in sport experiences
Selvaratnam, V., Wood, L., & Snelgrove, R. (in press). Toward greater participation: Student-suggested strategies for improving campus recreation engagement. Journal of Applied Sport Management.
Selvaratnam, V., Snelgrove, R., & Naraine, M. (in press). Sport fans’ adoption of a mixed reality headset: Extending the technology acceptance model with team identification. Sport Marketing Quarterly.
Wood, L., Snelgrove, R., & Potwarka, L. R. (in press). Absent but not uninterested: Understanding charity sport event non-participation through capability and practice theories. Sport Management Review.
Snelgrove, R., Wigfield, D., Edwards, J. R., & Wood, L. (in press). Framing change, constructing legitimacy: Media framing of organizational innovation in youth sport. International Journal of Sport Communication.
Selvaratnam, V., Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2026). A typological analysis of student perceptions of campus recreation. Recreational Sports Journal, 50(1), 3-11.
Derom, I., Taks, M., Potwarka, L. R., Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., & Teare, G. (2025). How pre-event engagement and event type are associated with spectators’ cognitive processing at two swimming events. Journal of Global Sport Management, 10(1), 84-108.
Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., Potwarka, L. R., Taks, M., & Derom, I. (2024). Cognitive factors that lead to inspiration and post-event intention to swim among spectators. Managing Sport and Leisure, 29(6), 1013-1026.
Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., Hoeber, L., & Hoeber, O. (2024). Throwing them under the bus: The framing of a critical incident at the Tour de France. International Journal of Sport Communication, 17(4), 431-441.
Wood, L., & Snelgrove, R. (2024). The creation of a new charity sport event: The case of the Canadian Cancer Society. Case Studies in Sport Management, 13(1), 51-56.
Wigfield, D., & Snelgrove, R. (2024). The ongoing struggle for legitimacy: The case of an unsanctioned community sport organization. Sport, Business, Management, 14(3), 400-424.
Wilson, K. E. S., Wood, L., & Snelgrove, R. (2023). If you build it will they come? The mediating roles of human resource and program capacities. Recreational Sports Journal, 47(1), 4-14. [Winner, President’s Award for Article of Distinction, NIRSA]
Snelgrove, R., Selvaratnam, V., Wood, L., & Potwarka, L. R. (2022). Distinguishing participants and non-participants in campus recreation: The roles of knowledge and motivations. Recreational Sports Journal, 46(2), 175-183.
Snelgrove, R., Riehl, S., & Villanueva, J. (2022). Value-laden traditions and organizational practices as sources of stakeholder resistance to change in intercollegiate athletics. International Journal of Sport Management, 23(2), 102-110.
Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2022). From theory to practice and back again: Introducing a new direction. International Journal of Sport Management, 23(1), 75-77.
Selvaratnam, V., Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., & Potwarka, L. R. (2021). How constraints to campus recreation participation differ based on activity type, gender, and citizenship. Recreational Sports Journal, 45, 61-68.
Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2021). Co-creating change through sport-based social entrepreneurship. Sport Management Education Journal, 15, 57-59.
Teare, G., Potwarka, L. R., Snelgrove, R., & Drewery, D. (2021). Inspiring participation in a new sport opportunity: Exploring the role of event experience and spectator characteristics. Event Management, 25, 227-244.
Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2021). Encouraging the use of innovative practices in sport management. Case Studies in Sport Management, 10, S1-S2.
Kabetu, V., Snelgrove, R., Lopez, K., & Wigfield, D. (2021). Hockey is not for everyone, but it could be. Case Studies in Sport Management, 10, 7-14.
Potwarka, L. R., Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., Teare, G., & Wigfield, D. (2020). Understanding demonstration effects among youth sport spectators: Cognitive and affective explanations. Sport, Business, Management, 10, 187-206.
Bakhsh, J., Potwarka, L. R., & Snelgrove, R. (2020). Are ‘youth days’ effective at motivating new sport participation? Evidence from a pre-post event research design. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 11, 89-104.
Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., & Wigfield, D. (2020). Managing a professional sport franchise: An extended case approach to learning. Sport Management Education Journal, 14, 64-66.
Potwarka, L. R., Snelgrove, R., Drewery, D., Bakhsh, J., & Wood, L. (2020). From intention to participation: Exploring the moderating role of a voucher-based event leveraging initiative. Sport Management Review, 23, 302-314.
Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., Taks, M., Potwarka, L. R., & Wigfield, D. (2019). Attracting spectators to youth sport events: The case of the International Children’s Games. Journal of Amateur Sport, 5(2), 138-159.
Wood, L., Hoeber, O., Snelgrove, R., & Hoeber, L. (2019). Computer science meets digital leisure: Multiple perspectives on social media and eSport collaborations. Journal of Leisure Research, 50, 425-437.
Wigfield, D., Snelgrove, R., Potwarka, L. R., Misener, K., & Wood, L. (2019). To grow or not to grow: Strategy development at PGC Basketball. Case Studies in Sport Management, 8, 1-5.
Wigfield, D., & Snelgrove, R. (2019). Managing conflict and resistance to change in a minor hockey system. Case Studies in Sport Management, 8(S1), S15-20. doi.org/10.1123/cssm.2018-0024
Riehl, S., Snelgrove, R., & Edwards, J. (2019). Mechanisms of institutional maintenance in minor hockey. Journal of Sport Management, 33, 93-105.
Potwarka, L. R., Drewery, D., Snelgrove, R., Havitz, M. E., & Mair, H. (2018). Modeling a demonstration effect: The case of spectators’ experiences at 2015 Pan Am Games’ track cycling competitions. Leisure Sciences, 40, 578-600.
Wood, L., Snelgrove, R., Legg, J., Taks, M., & Potwarka, L. R. (2018). Perspectives of event leveraging held by restaurants and city officials. International Journal of Event & Festival Management, 9, 34-50.
Hoeber, O., Snelgrove, R., Hoeber, L., & Wood, L. (2017). A systematic methodology for preserving the whole in large-scale qualitative-temporal research. Journal of Sport Management, 31, 387-400.
Snelgrove, R. (2017). Advancing paradigmatic consistency and distinction in leisure studies: From epistemology to method. Annals of Leisure Research, 20, 131-136.
Goodwin, A., Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., & Taks, M. (2017). Leveraging charity sport events to develop a connection to a cause. Event Management, 21, 175-184.
Potwarka, L. R., & Snelgrove, R. (2017). Managing sport events for beneficial outcomes: Theoretical and practical insights. Event Management, 21, 135-137.
Littlejohn, M., Taks, M., Wood, L., & Snelgrove, R. (2016). Sport events and happiness: Towards the development of a measuring instrument. World Leisure Journal, 58, 255-266.
Legg, J., Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2016). Modifying tradition: Examining organizational change in youth sport. Journal of Sport Management, 30, 369-381.
Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., & Carr, K. (2016). Emerging adults with chronic illness pursuing and enhancing leisure. Leisure Sciences, 38, 34-49.
Taks, M., Littlejohn, M., Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2016). Sport events and residential happiness: The case of two non-mega sport events. Journal of Global Sport Management, 3/4, 90-109.
Snelgrove, R. (2015). Youth with chronic illness forming identities through leisure. Journal of Leisure Research, 47, 154-173.
Danylchuk, K., Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2015). Managing women’s participation in golf: A case study of organizational change. Leisure/Loisir, 39, 61-80.
Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., & Havitz, M. (2013). The development of attachment to a physically active charity event. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 18, 133-140.
Snelgrove, R., & Wood, L. (2010). Attracting and leveraging visitors at a charity cycling event. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 15, 269-285.
Snelgrove, R., & Havitz, M. E. (2010). Looking back in time: The pitfalls and potential of retrospective methods in leisure studies. Leisure Sciences, 32, 337-351.
Wood, L., Snelgrove, R., & Danylchuk, K. (2010). Segmenting volunteer fundraisers at a charity sport event. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 22(1), 38-54.
Snelgrove, R., Taks, M., Chalip, L., & Green, B. C. (2008). How visitors and locals at a sport event differ in motives and identity. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 13, 165 – 180.
2023-28. Ryan Snelgrove (PI), Laura Wood, Luke Potwarka. SSHRC Insight Grant. Illness-based Events as Impactful Spaces.
2016-19. Luke Potwarka (PI), Ryan Snelgrove, Scott Leatherdale, Heather Mair. SSHRC Insight Development Grant. Leveraging Youth Sport Participation Impacts of Track Cycling Events in Milton’s Velodrome.
2014-18. Laura Wood (PI), Ryan Snelgrove, Marijke Taks. SSHRC Insight Grant. Managing Sport Events to Maximize Positive Impacts.