Dr. Kenneth E. Pendleton brings a unique philosophical perspective to sports conflict resolution, combining deep academic expertise with practical sports industry experience. As Research & Project Development specialist at the Sports Conflict Institute since 2013, he focuses on understanding how cultural, social, and ethical factors shape the line between healthy competition and destructive conflict in sports. His work examines how class, race, nationality, gender, and commercialism influence competitive dynamics at all levels of sport, from youth athletics to professional leagues.

Dr. Pendleton’s diverse career spans academia, entrepreneurship, and sports consulting. As co-author of The Sports Playbook: Building Teams that Outperform Year After Year (2019), he helped create a comprehensive guide for aligning team values with practices—principles applicable to any organization. His entrepreneurial experience as Founder and CEO of Trading Players Inc. (2015-2023), where he developed the first viable play stock market for professional athletes, provides unique insights into sports innovation, market dynamics, and regulatory compliance. His encyclopedic knowledge of American sports and international soccer has made him a valuable consultant for organizations including Football Marketing & Management International, where he contributed to groundbreaking research on the North American soccer landscape.

With a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Oregon and over two decades of teaching experience, Dr. Pendleton specializes in critical thinking, ethics, and sports philosophy. His academic work includes pioneering research on reasonableness standards in legal contexts and extensive writing on sports culture and globalization. At SCI, he designs analytical methods and develops projects that promote better practices in sports management, helping stakeholders understand, resolve, and prevent institutional problems that arise at all levels of sports.