Sports Studies is important because sports are such an important part of our society. Every school has some type of sports program. Sports are displayed on television, radio, magazines, and newspapers. To help students understand the central role of sports in our culture, Reinhardt offers a degree program in Sports Studies, headed by Dr. Robert Epling. Dr. Epling teaches courses such as Sports History, Sport in Society, Sports Admin-istration, Athletic and Media Relations, and supervises internships. Dr. Epling is a helpful professor who has been through dramatic life situations and has dedicated his life to being a positive influence upon his students.
Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Epling’s dream was to become a coach. However, his professors at the University of Georgia inspired him to want to work with students at the college level in the class room. After he earned both his undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Georgia, he and his wife got married.
A Good Sport
His wife also took up studies in the sports field. She went and got a graduate degree in sports, and he attended the University of Tennessee to earn his doctorate degree.
Epling was an assistant coach at Clark Central High School and Statesboro High School before coaching at Reinhardt. While at Clark Central High School, he went to three state championships. The first champ-ionship he went to, his team lost to Valdosta. While he was at Statesboro, he went to four state championship games in five years and won one.
He has been a full-time professor for 22 years at various high schools and colleges, including being a graduate assistant for five years and teaching in public schools for four years. In all, Epling has taught in the sports studies field for a total of 31 years.
Epling has been at Reinhardt three different times, in different roles. He began by coach-ing at Reinhardt in 1986. Epling coached football, baseball, basketball and soccer in his early years at Reinhardt.
Photos provided by Robert Epling EplingDanial Bivins
By Daniel Bivins
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