Welcome to my professional portfolio. I am Emmanuel Mensah, a Master’s student in Sport & Recreation Management at the University of Iowa and a proud NACDA McLendon Foundation Postgraduate Scholar. My work focuses on Student-athlete mental health and well-being, mental-health literacy, life-skills development, career readiness, and post-sport transition in collegiate athletics.

This site highlights my research, teaching experience, sport projects, and long-term vision for shaping the future of sport.

My Journey

My story is one of movement, growth, and purpose:

• I developed through soccer and track & field, where I learned resilience, teamwork, and commitment.

• I pursued my Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), where I later became a Teaching Assistant in Accounting, Auditing, and Economics. 

• I transitioned into sport leadership roles, serving with the Ministry of Sport and Recreation in Ghana, where I helped organize the 13th African Games and contributed to the African Para Games research team. 

• I worked with the Africa Sports Ventures Group as a Logistics Project Coordinator, supporting strategic initiatives that strengthened African sport ecosystems. 

• I moved to the United States to pursue advanced study and sport leadership training, eventually earning the prestigious McLendon Scholar Award for excellence in sport leadership. 

• Today, I serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Iowa, supporting instruction in Contemporary Issues in Sport, mentoring students, and contributing to sport research projects. 

My academic, athletic, and administrative journey has shaped a unique global perspective rooted in lived experience.

What Drives Me

I believe deeply that sport can change lives. My commitment is to make sport environments:

• Safer through strong risk-management practices

• More supportive through mental health and wellbeing initiatives

• More accessible through youth, disability, and community sport development

• More global by connecting African sport systems with U.S. college athletics models

Whether I am teaching in a classroom, researching athlete experiences, or coordinating sport events, my mission remains the same: to create systems where athletes thrive academically, mentally, socially, and professionally.

Areas I Focus On

• College Athletics & Student-Athlete Development

• Athlete Mental Health & Wellbeing

• Life-Skills Education & Post-Sport Transition

• Global Sport Development (Africa & the U.S.)

• Sport Law & Risk Management

• Sport Marketing & Fan Experience

• Disability Sport & Para Sport Advocacy

• Sport Event Management

• Sport Finance and Sport Marketing 

These areas reflect both my academic research and real-world experience in sport systems.