Procurement in Sports

Overview

Year Level: Year 12
Subject: Business
Unit Title: Professional English for Procurement
Lesson Number: 8 of 10
Lesson Title: Current Affairs in Procurement
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 1 student
Curriculum Alignment:
This lesson is aligned with the Australian Curriculum – Senior Secondary Business Curriculum, specifically addressing:

• Business Knowledge and Understanding (Unit 4: Business Development and Change):

  • Analyse and evaluate the influence of external factors (e.g. legal, economic, sociocultural, technological) on business activity.
  • Develop insights into ethical and sustainable business practice.
  • Investigate current local, national and international business issues using real-world examples.

• Communication and Professional English Skills:

  • Apply business language and vocabulary appropriately in diverse contexts.
  • Develop written and oral responses based on analysis of real-world case studies.
  • Engage in professional-level discussions linked to contemporary events.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

• Investigate a current event affecting procurement in the global and Australian sports industries.
• Interpret and critically reflect on the wider implications of procurement decisions.
• Use professional business language to express viewpoints and analysis.
• Connect theoretical procurement concepts to practical, real-world events.

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Success Criteria

The student will demonstrate success by:

• Summarising and discussing a current event article with clarity and depth.
• Drawing connections between industry developments and procurement strategies.
• Using appropriate procurement and business vocabulary accurately.
• Producing a well-structured, reflective response as homework using professional language.

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Materials and Resources

• Access to a current article from Sports Business Journal (choose an article related to procurement in a recent sports project or partnership)
• Business terms glossary (provided as a printed handout)
• Printed prompts sheet for discussion
• Device with Word or Google Docs for student reflections
• Procurement strategy checklist (prior class resource for reference)

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Lesson Structure

0–5 min: Welcome and Recap

• Teacher welcomes the student and recaps previous lesson topics: language used in procurement contracts and sustainable sourcing.
• Review of key vocabulary from the previous lesson (e.g. supplier diversity, value analysis, tender invitation).

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5–15 min: Introduction to Article

• Student is presented with a printed copy of a carefully selected short-form article from Sports Business Journal.
  • Example: An article detailing an Australian sports team's procurement of sustainable merchandise ahead of an international event.
• Teacher provides brief contextual background (e.g. who is involved, the event, the key procurement issue).
• Shared reading of the article aloud, with annotations and vocab highlights discussed in real time.

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15–30 min: Guided Discussion

Discussion Questions:

1. What procurement strategy is evident in the article?
2. How have external factors (e.g. sustainability, public opinion, logistics delays) impacted procurement?
3. What risks or challenges can you identify?
4. How could the procurement process be improved?
5. How might this procurement decision affect branding, stakeholder partnerships, or long-term costs?

• Teacher uses Socratic questioning to prompt critical and reflective thinking.
• Student is encouraged to use previously learned procurement-related terms.
• Key thoughts are recorded in dot points on a shared document.

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30–45 min: Professional Language Development

• Focused mini-task: Translate three informal statements (shown below) into professionally written statements using industry terminology.

  1. “The team just wanted to get the merch really fast.”
  2. “They were worried people might not like their suppliers.”
  3. “Prices went crazy 'cause of the transport delays.”

• Student converts these into analytical sentences:

  • e.g., “The sports team prioritised rapid procurement cycles to secure merchandise before market demand escalated.”

• Teacher provides immediate feedback on grammar, clarity, and tone.

• Discussion on why tone and professionalism matter in B2B procurement.

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45–55 min: Application / Reflective Prompt

Written prompt:
“Reflect on how procurement in the sports industry is evolving in response to global pressures. Refer to the article you read today. What trends do you predict will influence future procurement projects?”

• Student begins drafting a professional response (3 paragraphs recommended).

• Teacher provides scaffolding:

  • Paragraph 1: Summary of the issue
  • Paragraph 2: Personal reflection with vocabulary use
  • Paragraph 3: Predicted future trends in procurement

• This response will be polished for homework and submitted digitally.

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55–60 min: Wrap-up and Homework Brief

• Quick review of article insights.
• Teacher highlights one key strength in the student’s work and one area for improvement.
• Homework assigned:
  • Finalise the written reflection developed during class.
  • Add vocabulary from the glossary (at least 5 terms).
  • Submit by next lesson.

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Differentiation

With a class size of one:

• The teacher is able to personalise questioning based on the student’s strengths and prior knowledge.
• Extension: Encourage the student to research a second article and compare sourcing decisions between two sports organisations.
• Support: Offer sentence starters or checklists to scaffold critical vocabulary if needed.

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Assessment Opportunities

Formative assessment via:

• Real-time discussion engagement
• Vocabulary application during the transformation task
• Reflection writing sample for tone, accuracy, and clarity

Summative insights can be gained from the homework reflection, which will be reviewed for adherence to professional tone, relevance, terminology use, and structure.

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Teacher Reflection Prompt:

After the session, consider:

• Did the student authentically connect the article’s content to procurement theory?
• What misconceptions or assumptions did they display?
• How did their use of professional language develop?
• What would enhance the student's reflective writing next time?

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Extension Ideas (Optional Future Integration)

• Introduce a guest speaker from a local sporting organisation's procurement team.
• View short streaming clips of procurement press conferences and analyse messaging.
• Create a small portfolio of current events in procurement using Canva or Adobe Express.

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Keywords Covered

Sourcing strategy, vendor management, lead times, logistics risk, ethical procurement, tender analysis, contract compliance, sustainability in procurement, scope of supply.

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Note to teacher:
This lesson is extremely adaptable — you can swap the sports article each week to keep up with the news cycle. This flexibility maintains student engagement and brings alive the dynamic world of procurement in a field that resonates with senior students.