National Coaching Standards: Perceptions and the Undertaking of Core Responsibilities by Beginner, Intermediate and Elite Sport Coaches

In recent years, the responsibilities of sport coaches have expanded to include more than just directing practices, overseeing training and game management. As a result, a greater focus is being...

Youth Sport Coaches’ Perceptions of Sexually Inappropriate Behaviors and Intimate Coach-Athlete Relationships

Sungwon Kim, Daniel P. Connaughton, & David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT Although sexual harassment and abuse in youth sport have received increasing research attention worldwide, less is known about...

Rebooting Content: Broadcasting Sport & Esports to Homes During COVID-19

Rebooting Content: Broadcasting Sport & Esports to Homes During COVID-19 Michael M. Goldman and David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT Beginning in early March 2020, sport in the U.S. entered an...

Determinants impacting why college sports fans purchase merchandise

Determinants impacting why college sports fans purchase merchandise David P. Hedlund and Michael E. Naylor ABSTRACT Despite the importance of understanding the factors impacting the purchase of...

Comparing Sport Coaches’ and Administrators’ Perceptions of the National Standards for Sport Coaches

Comparing Sport Coaches’ and Administrators’ Perceptions of the National Standards for Sport Coaches David P. Hedlund, Carol A. Fletcher, and Sean Dahlin ABSTRACT The purpose of this...

Performance of Future Elite Players at the NFL Scouting Combine

Performance of Future Elite Players at the NFL Scouting Combine David P. Hedlund, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Division of Sport Management College of Professional Studies St. John's...

The motivations of esports players

The motivations of esports players (from the book Understanding esports: An introduction to the global phenomenon) David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT Since the early 2000s, several inquiries have focused on...

Towards a Future Esports Research: Introduction to Esports Minitrack

Siuda, P., Behnke, M., & Hedlund, D. P. ABSTRACT Research on esports is a relatively new, yet fast-growing discipline with multiple inter- and multi-disciplinary perspectives. For HICSS-56,...

Professional sport teams and fan loyalty programs: A perceived value perspective

Professional sport teams and fan loyalty programs: A perceived value perspective Masayuki Yoshida Brian S. Gordon David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT The management of loyalty programs has become a central...

Inclusion of electronic sport in the Olympic Games for the right (or wrong) reasons

Inclusion of electronic sport in the Olympic Games for the right (or wrong) reasons Simon M. Pack and David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT With so many popular and unique sports played around the world, one of...

David P. Hedlund, Ph.D.

Sport Management, Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Coaching, Analytics and Esports Professor and Consultant


David P. Hedlund, Ph.D. is a Full Professor and the Chairperson of the Division of Sport Management at St. John’s University in New York City. Dr. Hedlund earned his Ph.D. and a certificate in Measurement and Statistics from Florida State University.  He has more than 20 years of domestic and international experience in sports, esports, coaching, business, education and analytics. His areas of sport expertise and research include management, marketing, consumer behavior, sponsorship, coaching, esports and analytics. Dr. Hedlund also is a faculty advisor for esports at St. John’s University, an advisor for the student Sport Management Association, the Co-Moderator for the Gaming and Emerging Technology co-curricular club, in addition to numerous other service roles.

Dr. Hedlund is the lead editor and author of the first-of-its-kind textbook “Esports Business Management,” he is the founding Chief Editor of the Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, and he is a member of the Esports Research Network.

Outside of the university, Dr. Hedlund has also acted as a consultant for dozens of domestic and international high school, college, and professional esports teams as well as business and entrepreneurial ventures.  He is a globally recognized speaker and has spoken at international esports events such as the World Cyber Games and the Global Esports Executive Summit. Dr. Hedlund also works with collegiate and professional sport organizations on numerous analytics projects, while also educating students about current issues and opportunities in sports analytics, esports, entrepreneurship and other opportunities.

Dr. Hedlund is also a managing partner of Hedlund-Chuang Consulting Group, LLC.