The University of Georgia Sport Instruction Research Laboratory was founded in 1986 (then called the Curriculum and Instruction Research Laboratory) under the direction of Dr. Ann Jewett, a leading scholar in physical education curriculum. Since its inception, the lab has shifted its focus from curriculum design to physical education teacher education, instructor training and certification programs, and expertise in teaching and coaching. The Sport Instruction Lab, now headed by Dr. Paul Schempp, is unique in that no other facility in the nation shares its mission.

For the past decade, members of the Sport Instruction Lab have pursued the notion of teaching expertise in a number of studies which have investigated the perceptions and practices of exceptional teachers and coaches. Most recently, grants awarded through various sports organizations, such as the United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) and the Ladies Professional golf Association (LPGA), have facilitated research conducted with expert tennis teachers and Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Golf Instructors. Another primary area of emphasis in the lab is teacher and coach preparation and development. Not surprisingly, the two focus areas of expert teaching and teacher/coach development have tended to complement one another.

Though the lab and its research have traveled quite a distance, there remains much to be learned about what constitutes exemplary instruction in sport and physical education. As well, continued research is needed to strengthen teacher education programs both in Georgia and around the nation. Over the next several years, and even into the distant future, the Sportlab will no doubt lead the charge toward excellence in teaching and teacher education, just as it has for the better part of two decades.