At the first KIN Case Competition, held in January 2021, teams of students worked together to analyze a Kinesiology-related business case and devise the best solution to the problem. Each team was tasked to review the history and data provided by a partner organization. They were then required to strategically analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the Kinesiology-related business and provide actionable solutions and recommendations based on the organization’s needs. A group of panelists then judged and determined the best solution proposed by a team.
The idea for the KIN Case Competition was the brainchild of a group of BKin students who all shared the same idea of creating such an event. Kinners, Ahmed Masood, Patricia Melgar, and Cameron Lee came together to organize the Case Competition as each one believed that such a competition would be incredibly beneficial for the School. When asked why they thought a business Case Competition would be so beneficial Cameron Lee states, “the purpose of integrating business and kinesiology is to provide students with an opportunity to learn about what healthcare businesses look like, and to allow students to apply their classroom knowledge in a real-world healthcare job setting.” Students develop important soft skills such as public speaking, team collaboration, case analysis, problem-solving, and presentation slides. Case competitions are a great way for students to learn more about a particular industry, connect with faculty and professionals, and tap into their creative-side.
This year’s competition was a great success, with 70 student registrants, a partnered local physiotherapy clinic (PhysioCollective), and lots of positive student feedback. The KIN students who stepped up as coordinators and advisors this year were Ahmed Masood, Patricia Melgar, Eunice Lui, Natascha Lam, Sharon Leung, Davin Hu (AVP Academic), Morgan Lorenz (AVP Academic) and Cameron Lee (VP Academic). Cameron comments, “we plan to run the competition in the upcoming years, with the possibility of opening it up to other academic Kinesiology programs across the country. Students should definitely consider joining this insider opportunity to practice problem-solving cases that healthcare businesses must deal with on a regular basis.”
“A common problem that students face once they’ve graduated and are looking for work, is that they don’t have applied knowledge and skills to prepare them for real world jobs, and I firmly believe that the KIN Case Competition can help fill that gap. This competition is meant to be beginner-friendly and welcomes students that have no prior case competition experience under their belt,” states Cameron.
Should a student place well in the competition, they will not only emerge with possible monetary winnings but they’ll make connections with KIN partner businesses and professionals, and be given the opportunity to pursue the implementation of their proposed solution. The competition can also help form short and long-term partnerships between the School and external organizations, facilitate connections between faculty and students, and bring a different dimension to the UBC KIN academic experience.
Brandon Lam (BKin 2020) supported the partnership between the KIN Case Competition Team and the partnered physiotherapy clinic, PhysioCollective, where he works as a kinesiologist. As an outcome of this competition, the School and PhysioCollective have formed a positive working relationship, which will be beneficial for undergraduate students who seek future work placements. In the coming year, the Canadian Kinesiology Alliance (CKA) will be looking into creating a national-wide Kinesiology Case Competition, and the University of Alberta will also be implementing a KIN Case Competition into their practicum. The undergraduate academic experience is changing, and it is exciting to see that the UBC KIN Case Competition contributed towards this important development!