Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Shu Athletics Annual Report 2022-23, Department Of Athletics

News, Magazines and Reports

Summary of the accomplishments of Sacred Heart University Athletics for the Academic Year 2022-2023.

The Athletic Identity Of Collegiate Athletic Trainers: A Descriptive Study, Christianne M. Eason, Stephanie H. Clines

Athletic Training Faculty Publications

Context: Empirical and anecdotal evidence suggest that many athletic trainers were former athletes and select the profession due to its affiliation with sport. Qualitative research has indicated that collegiate athletic trainers may have a strong athletic identity, but the concept of athletic identity has not been quantified in this population.

Objective: To quantitatively asses the athletic identity of collegiate athletic trainers and determine if group differences exist.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: Collegiate clinical setting.

Patients and other participants: A total of 257 (n = 93 (37%) males, n = 162 (63%) females) athletic trainers employed in the collegiate setting …

Postactivation Potentiation Improves Jumps Performance In Children Ages 6 To 8 Years Old, Camila Gerber, Paolo Sirieiro, Igor Nasser, Christopher B. Taber, Humberto Miranda

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of postactivation potentiation (PAP) in vertical and horizontal jump performance in pre-pubertal children.

Material and method: One hundred and nineteen children (65 girls and 54 boys; 6.8 ± 0.7 years old; 124.5 ± 6.4 cm; 25.2 ± 5.1 kg) participated in this study. This was a transversal cross-sectional study which incorporated a within-subjects repeated-measures design, where participants completed all protocols. The experimental procedure required four total testing, separated by one week, using a counterbalanced. This study investigated jumping performance associated with weighted jumps, low-load vertical jumps, and …

The Expression Of The Hijab In American Sports Culture, Nicholas Duca

Sacred Heart University Scholar

Many sports in the West, specifically in American culture, permit religious symbols and practices. Yet Muslim women have been subject to discrimination, bigotry, and disrespect for wearing or wanting to wear a hijab. This study uses philosophical theory, data, and cultural information to explore the stigma behind Muslim women in America and their participation in the sporting activities that are held here. This piece explains how the hijab’s true meaning is dismantled through American culture and the religious meaning behind it, argues why it should be allowed in sporting events, and suggests ways to prevent discrimination against Muslim women who …

Digital Transformation And Strategic Sponsorship: The Case Of Bbva, James Santomier, Sten Soderman, Reinhard Kunz

WCBT Faculty Publications

The overall purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the strategic sponsorship program of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) and, specifically, the partnership of its U.S. subsidiary, BBVA Compass (BBVAC), with the American National Basketball Association (NBA) using a case study method. This paper demonstrates how BBVA, initially through the transformational leadership of former BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González, has leveraged digital transformation and strategic sponsorship to increase its brand equity and revenue. BBVA’s effective sponsorship strategy represents an innovative, agile, and digitally focused model for marketing executives and sport marketers considering a long-term investment in strategic …

Pressure To Be Perfect, Genevieve Nitzsche

Sacred Heart University Scholar

Eating disorders have become more prevalent in recent years, as societal standards have gotten harsher. Typically, when non-athletes think about the type of people who develop eating disorders, they may not consider athletes to be among those that are most affected. However, in sports such as wrestling and aesthetic sports, like gymnastics and figure skating, the emphasis of image and the pressure from coaches can be extremely harmful to athletes’ mental health. This article discusses specific statistics of the incidence of eating disorders in various sports, but mainly focuses on figure skating, gymnastics, and wrestling. The claim that the main …

Sexual Assault Of United States Olympic Athletes: Gymnastics, Taekwondo, And Swimming, Chloe Meenan

Sacred Heart University Scholar

The distribution of power in American Olympic sports has made room for the development of a culture of sexual assault. This culture has continued to grow and the organizations in authority have not done enough to put a stop to the abuse. First, I will address the troubles that victims have when sharing their stories, due to the distribution of power within the organizations, namely in gymnastics, taekwondo, and swimming. I focus on the Me Too Movement and the influence that social media has had in making strides towards raising awareness about sexual assault. I will explore the specifics of …

The Value Of A Sports Franchise: The Influence Of Coaches, Fans, And Players, Montgomery Gray

Sacred Heart University Scholar

This article examines existing data to consider the factors that go into the valuation of a sports franchise. Rather than assuming a narrow monetary calculation, I argue for a broader perspective that includes the often incalculable influence of coaches, fans, and players.

Sexual Assault Of United States Olympic Athletes: Gymnastics, Taekwondo, And Swimming, Chloe Meenan

Writing Across the Curriculum

In this paper, I argue that the distribution of power in American Olympic Sports has made room for the development of a culture of sexual assault. This culture has continued to grow and the organizations responsible for putting a stop to the abuse have done nothing. First, I will address the troubles that victims have when sharing their stories due to the distribution of power within the organizations, namely in gymnastics, taekwondo, and swimming. I focus on the Me Too Movement and the influence that social media has had in making strides towards raising awareness about sexual assault. I will …

Pressure To Be Perfect: Eating Disorders In Sports, Genevieve Nitzsche

Writing Across the Curriculum

Eating disorders have become more prevalent in recent years as societal standards have gotten harsher. Typically, when people think about the type of people who develop eating disorders, the first thing that pops into their head is not athletes. There is an association between athletes and the need for great amounts of food to fuel their bodies. However, in sports such as wrestling and aesthetic sports, like gymnastics and figure skating, the emphasis of image and the pressure from their coaches can be extremely harmful to their mental health. This paper discusses specific statistics of the incidence of eating disorders …

The Value Of Sports Teams: The Influence Of Coaches, Fans, And Players On Value, Montgomery Gray

Writing Across the Curriculum

In this paper, I argue that the true value of a team comes from the coaches, fans, and players. These are the people who influence the monetary and competitional success of a team, so are the ones who affect the value the most. Growing up, I have always been a part of a sports team and have cheered for multiple professional teams across numerous sports, but I have always questioned how a team should be valued. I have also always been in business, so I believed that the monetary value was a good source but have found that it goes …

Managing The Business Of Soccer: A Conceptual Framework, Sten Söderman, James Santomier

WCBT Faculty Publications

In recent years soccer (i.e., European football) has experienced rapid globalization, primarily due to increased integration of sponsorship agreements, foreign investment, private equity, digital media technologies and effective executive leadership. Manchester United, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, and other high-level European soccer clubs are now owned or managed by investors, with the ostensible objective of generating ancillary benefits or significant profits. Historically, however, the ownership of unprofitable and often relegated soccer clubs was overwhelmingly in the hands of wealthy sport enthusiasts as sole proprietors. Given the recent and often dramatic changes in the business of soccer, the primary purpose of this chapter …

Aging Athletes, Broken Bodies, And Disability In Jack London's Prizefighting Prose, Cara E. Kilgallen

English Faculty Publications

Jack London's name often conjures up images of dogs plowing through Alaska's desolate wilderness, or of robust men journeying into the wild; however, pictures of broken bodies struggling for survival in a boxing ring less readily come to mind. Few think of London as a sports writer, yet his illustrations of prizefighting reveal an author interested not only in able bodied athletes but in disabled and weakened ones as well. Although he is best known for his Klondike stories, nautical adventures, and socialist sentiments, the author's fascination with fitness shows that sport and the body are just as central to …

End Of The Road : Why The Istanbul F1 Grand Prix Came To A Screeching Halt, Cem Tinaz, Douglas Michele Turco, James Santomier

WCBT Faculty Publications

This case explores the series of strategic decisions by event organisers and Formula One Management that ultimately drove Formula One's Istanbul Grand Prix to a dead end. The Istanbul Grand Prix required high levels of subsidy from the Turkish government and private investors, yet ended before realizing the expected goals. Findings reveal several factors that contributed to the discontinuation of Istanbul's Formula One Grand Prix, including a misunderstanding of the Turkish market, high costs, low spectator interest, and increased competition from other cities. The case provides a model that other cities considering hosting a major international motorsport event should consider.

New Media, Branding And Global Sports Sponsorship, James Santomier

WCBT Faculty Publications

New media has emerged as a significant dimension of branding and global sports sponsorship because it provides the capability to communicate with consumers worldwide via a multitude of digital platforms. This paper discusses the results of a systematic review of the development of global sports sponsorship and the importance of new media integration to the sector for the future. Results indicate that a new paradigm is emerging which involves thematically linked, integrated, strategic global marketing initiatives driven by new media applications, which have enhanced the value of sports sponsorship.

Leadership And Recruitment: What Leaders Can Learn From Coach Robert Montgomery Knight, Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

The article discusses the leadership style of coach Robert Knight that can be adapted by business leaders in recruiting and managing their employees. Background information about Knight is presented. It is said that Knight believes that coaching is motivation and leadership and understanding human nature. According to the author, Knight is concerned with creating an environment where helping co-workers work to their fullest is the norm. Some additional insights into the leadership philosophy of Knight are presented.

Shu Football 2007, Sacred Heart University

Athletics

Football quick facts, coach profiles, roster, player profiles, record book, 2007 opponents, and admissions information.

Shu Men's Basketball 2007-08, Sacred Heart University

Athletics

Coach profiles, support and athletic training staff, season outlook, 2007-08 roster and team photo, player bios, record book 2007-08 opponents, and NEC 2006-07 standings.

Winning It All: The Cinematic Construction Of The Athletic American Dream, Andrew Miller

Communication, Media & The Arts Faculty Publications

Powered by a philosophy of self-determination and an ideology of a level playing field, the Athletic American Dream has become firmly entrenched in American culture. Following narrative pattterns influenced by both newspaper sports sections and juvenile sports fiction, it coalesces around underdog-to-champion, hard-work-leads-to-victory narratives that shape the sporting imagination and help to forge the masculine ideal that is the foundation of American self-image. The Athletic American Dream is produced, packaged and sold by mass media so successfully that one could argue that it becomes the most dominant vision of the American Dream by the end of the twentieth century.

Endorser Source Credibility: Redefining Spokesperson Influence Through Development Of The Celebrity-Hero Matrix, Joshua Shuart

WCBT Faculty Publications

Endorsement of sport and non-sport products by athletes is an extremely popular method that corporations use to drive sales and advertising. Traditionally, celebrity endorsement research has focused on the physical attractiveness of the endorser; while this makes sense, it provides only a partial explanation why consumers purchase athlete-endorsed products. Several other components of source credibility, as well as previously unexplored elements such as "heroic" traits, prove to be stronger predictors of intent-to-purchase. A 3-phase research study of Americans aged 18-35 was conducted, with a Celebrity-Hero Matrix© (CHM) developed and several marketing recommendations made based on the findings.

Heroes In Sport: Assessing Celebrity Endorser Effectiveness, Joshua Shuart

WCBT Faculty Publications

The use of celebrities, and particularly athletes, to influence consumers and sell products is not a new practice, but one that is gaining considerable steam in the sports marketplace. However, many academics and practitioners have long questioned the means by which celebrity endorsement is measured and evaluated. Through the use of validated surveys among US students and the inauguration of the Celebrity-Hero Matrix (CHM), some of their questions are answered. Being labelled a 'heroic' athlete does, it seems, have tremendous power for marketers, and provides endorsement clout for the athlete.

The Media Dichotomy Of Sports Heroes And Sport Celebrities: The Marketing Of Professional Women's Tennis Players, Joshua Shuart

WCBT Faculty Publications

There is perhaps no better example of media created frenzy over heroism and celebrity than in the world of professional women’s tennis. Two of the most recognizable personalities, Venus Williams and Anna Kournikova, are known for very different reasons: Williams because of her on-court success and her rivalry with her sister Serena, Kournikova because of her on-court failures yet curiously strong endorsement success. Survey research was undertaken to examine perceptions of both women, to determine a) how society views them (as heroes or celebrities), and b) to determine their marketing worth, with regards to consumer intention to purchase an endorsed …

Men's Basketball 2003-2004, Sacred Heart University

Athletics

Head coach and coaching staff, season outlook, roster, player bios, university profile and administration, 2002-03 statistics, record book, series standing, post season standing, year by year leaders and 2002-03 NEC standings.

The Playmasters (Book Review), Joshua Shuart

WCBT Faculty Publications

Book review by Joshua Shuart.

Ham, Eldon L. The Playmasters: From Sellouts to Lockouts-An Unauthorized History of the NBA. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 2000. ISBN 9780809226023

Media Sports Stars: Masculinities And Moralities (Book Review), Andrew C. Miller

Communication, Media & The Arts Faculty Publications

Book review by Andrew C. Miller.

Whannel, G. (2002). Media sports stars: Masculinities and moralities. Routledge.

Sacred Heart, Don Harrison

SHU Faculty Publications

Sixty miles south of Storrs, Connecticut, but well within the scope of the media spotlight that engulfs the UConn women's basketball team, sits one of the nation's newest Division I women's programs. Sacred Heart University, a small, independent, private Catholic school located in suburban Fairfield, made the quantum leap from Division II to Division I in 1999.

Men's Basketball 1999-2000, Sacred Heart University

Athletics

About SHU, coach and staff profiles, 1999-2000 season outlook, all-time roster, record book.

Pioneer Football 1997, Sacred Heart University

Athletics

Coaches, fall sports schedule, 1997 football preview, top returning players, opponents, football record book, and 1996 statistics.

Ncaa Division Ii East Regional Softball Champions 1993, Sacred Heart University

Athletics

Tournament staff & schedule, regional preview, regional bracket, and tournament records.

Sacred Heart University 1993 Softball Program, Sacred Heart University

Athletics

1993 preview and roster, players, 1992 statistics, yea-by-year results and series records, record book, and 1993 team photo and schedule.