Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Division I Softball Athletes' Perceptions On Stress, Coping, Performance, And Mental Health, Rhianna Weall

LSU Master's Theses

Collegiate athletes face numerous stressors in both athletic and academic areas of performance. Their perceptions of situations dictate coping responses and their ability to enact behavior or implement strategies to manage stress levels. This study investigated perceived stress and coping strategies using semi-structured in-person interviews with five current NCAA Division I softball players. Three main themes emerged from the interviews: (a) Pressure is Privilege, (b) Team Dynamic and Identity Development, (c) Softball-Centrism. In the first theme, pressure is viewed as a positive aspect and as an opportunity to perform in areas of high and low levels of confidence. Within the …

Using Video-Based Feedback And Self-Monitoring To Improve Athletic Coaching Interactions, Kayce Lee Nagel

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined if video-based feedback combined with self-monitoring will improve the quality of specific feedback statements delivered by coaches. The study involved four collegiate softball coaches. The primary dependent variable was the quality of coaching interactions delivered by the coaches as measured by items completed from a checklist of feedback characteristics. The coaching interaction was defined as any feedback statement that is referencing behavior relevant to task performance. The secondary dependent variable was the athlete’s performance. The independent variable was video feedback combined with self-monitoring. The results showed an improvement in all four participant’s coaching interactions. The group …

Laterality In The Power Five And Group Of Five Conferences In Women's College Softball, Jon C. Nachtigal

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Females in sport are under-represented in data and analysis when compared to their male counterparts. This disparity also applies to women’s softball in comparison to men’s baseball. To help fill this gap, this study evaluated the extent and impact of laterality in women’s college softball’s Power Five and Group of Five conferences from 2015-2017.

This study focused on the extent of a left-sided lateral preference in women’s college softball, possible interactions between throwing hand and batting preference, to what extent the platoon effect exists in the sport, and the extent of positional bias in the sport. As one of the …

Economics Of Recruiting Interactions In Collegiate Sport: An Analysis In Game Theory And Matching Markets, Jessica Twaddle

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This paper seeks to explain the interactions involved in recruiting prospective student-athletes to universities, particularly in the sport of softball. By employing the concepts of Game Theory, Prisoner’s Dilemma, and Matching Markets, the market for recruiting is explored and explained. Recent legislative changes in the market are then examined as well as possible outcomes as a result. Research on commitments in softball and lacrosse was collected in order to make claims in regard to incentives. The market for recruiting is compared to the residency placement matching system. Ideas are presented on ways to achieve a market that clears where outcomes …

Evaluating Tagteach As A Training Procedure For Novice-To-Advanced Fastpitch Softball Pitchers, Breanna Sniffen

Thesis Projects

Among the many behavioral coaching techniques available, acoustical guidance has been found to be highly effective in enhancing the athletic skills involved in a variety of sports (e.g. football, golf, dance, yoga, judo). TAGteach is a procedure in which a clicker is used to deliver immediate acoustical guidance to train a new skill or enhance a skill already in the subject’s repertoire (TAGteach International, 2012). The current study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of TAGteach in developing and/or enhancing the pitching skills of novice-to-advanced fastpitch softball pitchers. Results demonstrated an improvement in accuracy across skill sets for each subject’s …

Creating A Female Athlete: The Power Of Societal Reimaging And Advertising In The All American Girls Professional Baseball League, Kaitlyn M. Haines

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The All American Girls Professional Baseball League introduced an acceptable form of female sport to the United States during World War II. The All American Girls Professional Baseball League’s feminine image and high standards of the league provided a new quality team sport that the ever popular softball diamonds of industrial recreation had failed to reach. One of the reasons for their success was the attention to detail in the visual representation of the baseball league. Appearing in a time of heightened advertising and branding, a visual representation of the League was created to fit within the societal norms of …

An Economic Impact Analysis Of A Youth Softball World Series, Robert Tanner Jones

Honors Theses

Sporting events can have a large impact on an economy. From the Olympics to the Super Bowl to the World Cup, these events bring in millions of dollars of new revenue to a region. Extensive research has been conducted on the economic impact of these mega-events. However, smaller sporting events, such as a fishing tournament, youth sports tournament, or 5K race, can also boost local economies and influence future tourism choices. However, limited research has been conducted to understand the economic impact of these events, despite the significant resources needed by communities to host these smaller events. This economic impact …

The Creation And Validation Of A Youth Fundamental Hitting Scale: The Assessment Of Youth Baseball And Softball Hitting Fundamentals And The Perceived Psychological Barriers To Hitting A Pitched Ball, Andrew Walsh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The primary purpose of the thesis was to create a hitting scale for youth players that assess the fundamentals of a baseball swing. Secondly, the purpose of this thesis was to determine the interactions between the changes in anxiety, perceived competence and fear variables have with actual hitting competence over a four week sport specific training program.

Social Control Techniques In College Athletics: An Application Of Goffman And Foucault, Kendall M. Rainey

Doctoral Dissertations

College athletics originated as a recess from academic demands and were originally organized by students, yet faculty took over supervision to address safety, professionalism, and academic integrity (Hawkins, 2010). This evolution led to the formation of athletic departments and a governing body (Shulman & Bowen, 2001; Hawkins, 2010). Thus, demonstrating a historical element of social control in the motives of sporting establishments; however, official aims such as character building are typically espoused (Shulman & Bowen, 2001), or as Goffman (1961) states, “the reformation of inmates in the direction of some ideal standard” (p. 74). Examination of the use of available …

Ncaa Division I Head Softball Coaches' Confidence, Openness And Stigma Tolerance Toward Sport Psychology Consultants, Laurie Ann Neelis

Dissertations

This study used a mixed-method to look at NCAA division I head softball coaches confidence, openness, and stigma tolerance about sport psychology principles and consultants, as well as what sport psychology principles, time of year used, and what a Sport Psychology Consultant (SPC) can do to help division I head softball coaches have more success with their teams. These variables were measured through the use of the Sport Psychology Attitudes - Revised Coaches instrument developed by Zakrajsek and Zizzi (2007). For the qualitative component, the researcher developed five inquiries that allowed for a more in-depth response from the coaches concerning …