Sports Studies Commons^™

Genetic Variants And Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture – Elastin Proteins Gene And Fibromodulin Gene Polymorphisms, Ewelina Lulińska, Joanna Żelazny, Agnieszka Lulińska, Elżbieta Grzywacz, Aleksandra Stroińska-Pluta, Marek Sawczuk, Magdalena Stanulewicz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most common ligament injuries of the knee and often require reconstruction. The etiology of the molecular mechanisms of rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is poorly understood, and many external and internal factors have been associated with it, including genetics. This study aimed to investigate the association of sequence variants in the ELN and FMOD candidate genes with ACL ruptures based on the essential biological functions of these two proteoglycan-encoding genes in maintaining the structural integrity of tissues and regulating fibrillogenesis. Material and Methods: The partici-pants consisted of 229 (164 …

Empire At Play: The United States’ Cultural Influence On Nicaragua’S National Sports’ Identity, Jason R. Old

Selected Faculty Publications

‘Empire at Play’ seeks to contextualize the inception of a Nicaraguan surfing subculture in the first decade of the twenty-first century by situating it within the broader scope of the United States’ influence on Nicaragua’s sporting history. By weaving together primary and secondary sources, as well as oral histories from expatriate surfers, Nicaraguan nationals, and members from the local indigenous communities, this article shows how international actors from the United States introduced Nicaragua to three of their major sports: baseball, boxing, and surfing—all of which became part of Nicaragua’s cultural identity. As these three sports grew in popularity domestically, so …

A Guide For The Everyday Woman Surfer: How Surf Culture's Patriarchy Marginalizes Ocean Lovers, Alexis S. Di Stefano

Women's, Gender and Queer Studies

Humans are naturally drawn to the water by wind and tide. It is a place of solace that we have a desire to know deeply, yet we have kept one another from experiencing it through biases that perpetuate inequality. White-supremacist hegemony has historically kept communities of color from coastlines, women from lineups, and queer communities from participating in surf culture. As more people from all social groups return to the water through surfing in the 20th century, surf culture needs to adapt to become more inclusive. This paper outlines surf culture's historical transition into whiteness and how female beauty standards …

Career Adaptability: A Phenomenological Examination Of High School Student-Athlete's Perception Of Their Adaptive Skill Development, Aretha Barnes

Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined high school student-athletes’ perspectives on their adaptive skill development and how their experiences with sports influenced their career development techniques. The study aimed to provide insight into the formation of the adaptive skill development of high school student-athletes to promote post-secondary planning that includes career options outside of the world of sports. Twelve graduated student-athletes who participated in revenue sports at the senior high level completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale and participated in an interview designed to measure adaptive attitudes, behaviors, and competencies. Participants’ interview responses were coded based on behaviors, attitudes, and competencies that correlated …

Muscling Through: Athletic Women In Victorian Popular Representation, 1864–1915, Julia G. Fuller

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Muscling Through” reconstructs an overlooked history of strong female bodies in the nineteenth century. It argues that popular representations of athletic women introduced a new category of identity that was distinct from women’s traditional relational and social roles. The project’s central figure is the hyper-able “Sportswoman,” who bridges the gap between two familiar versions of the Victorian woman’s body: the mid-century ideal of docile, domesticated femininity and the sturdy, capable women who enter universities, professions, and public spaces en masse just before the turn of the century. Representationally, the Sportswoman figures a range of attitudes, from anxious to aspirational, toward …

Self-Efficacy Of Professional Athletes, Peter Voelker

Master of Arts in Sport Management

The purpose of this study was designed to use the definition of self-efficacy by Bandura (2002) as well as previous research on the topic of self-efficacy to investigate self-reported performance evaluations of professional athletes. The initial literature review included studies that investigated athletes participating in a wide range of sports at different age and experience levels. The parameters and methods of each study differed, but all took a qualitative or mixed methods approach. Based on these previous studies, this study suggested a qualitative approach using a questionnaire based on the Strength Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Tsai et al. (2013). The …

Utilizing New Technologies To Measure Therapy Effectiveness For Mental And Physical Health, Jonathan Ossie

Dissertations

Mental health is quickly becoming a major policy concern, with recent data reporting increasing and disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, increased substance abuse, and elevated suicidal ideation. One specific population that is especially high risk for these issues is the military community because military conflict, deployment stressors, and combat exposure contribute to the risk of mental health problems.

Although several pharmacological approaches have been employed to combat this epidemic, their efficacy is mixed at best, which has led to novel nonpharmacological approaches. One such approach is Operation Surf, a nonprofit that provides nature-based programs advocating the restorative …

Well Played

DePaul Magazine

At DePaul's high-tech Esports Gaming Center, students gather to compete in competitive video gaming. As players battle on screen, they depend on skills like teamwork, strategy and sportsmanship as well as inclusion.

Professional Athletes Tell All: Communication Techniques To Assist In A Successful Podcast, Wilnir Louis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

An increasing number of athletes are utilizing various mediums to communicate to fans. A rising medium that athletes are adopting is podcasting. While there are studies that discuss the benefits of podcasting, there is limited research that provides individuals, specifically athletes, with the proper knowledge on how to effectively communicate on a podcast platform. This project investigates what athletes can do to make their podcasts engaging for viewers and listeners. A case study was conducted that included textual and content analysis of the top episodes of two successful athlete-driven podcasts. Findings from the research guided the creation of a visual …

Mental Health Among D1 Female College Athletes: Prevalance And Links To Athletic And Academic Performance, Mary Goebel

Honors Theses

Background. NCAA Division I female student-athletes are underrepresented in mental health research; existing research among female athletes tends to focus only on disordered eating and body appearance. This study aims to 1) describe the prevalence of mental health issues (i.e., anxiety, depression, and stress) among female Division I college athletes, and 2) assess the association between mental health issues and the student-athlete experience (i.e., athletic and academic performance).

Methods. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study that used a self-administered online survey. The participants were NCAA Division I female student-athletes, mainly from the University of Mississippi. Demographics and sample characteristics were …

How Doctoral Students In A Formal Leadership Program Conceptualize Followership: A Mixed-Methods Study, Katy J. Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to determine how doctoral students in a formal leadership program conceptualize followership. The methods used to conduct this analysis included distributing a Qualtrics (released in August 2022) survey and conducting one-on-one interviews with a sample of degree-seeking doctoral students within a formal leadership program. The researcher collected quantitative and qualitative data addressing students’ followership style, leadership attitudes and beliefs, and perceptions of followership. These data were analyzed concurrently using a triangulation design. A total of 67 students completed the survey, and seven students were interviewed. The findings revealed that the participants employ …

Predictors Of Meeting Physical Activity Recommendation Before And During Covid-19 Pandemic In Adults, Ayda Karaca, Sinem Hazir Aytar, Funda Akcan, Necip Demirci, Emine Caglar

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the variables that predict whether WHO's global recommendation for physical activity (PA) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic can be met among adults. Material and Methods: A total of 921 adults voluntarily participated in this study. A demographic information form and the Physical Activity Assessment Questionnaire for Turkish people were administered by self-report. The participants were also asked whether they regularly do PA and if the duration of PA is over 150 minutes. Results: The number of adults doing regular PA at the level recommended by WHO significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and …

An Examination Of Organizational Influences On Coach Decision Making, Arien Elizabeth Faucett

Dissertations

Sport coaching occurs in an ambiguous, complex, and dynamic environment bounded by rules, structures, and traditions unique to the context in which it occurs (ICCE et al., 2013; Jones & Wallace, 2005; Nash & Collins, 2006). Coaching is therefore not only pedagogical in nature but also features social and political elements (Abraham & Collins, 2011) focused on athlete development within a specific social and organizational context (ICCE et al., 2013). At the heart of this coaching practice is a constant process of decision-making (Abraham et al., 2006; Lyle & Vergeer, 2013; Vergeer & Lyle, 2009). However, research on the decision-making …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Para-Athletes: A Case Study On Motivation And Psychological Training For The 2020 Paralympic Games, Irina Perfilova

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the 61-year history of the Paralympic Games, the Games have never been canceled for any public health reasons. In order to participate in the Paralympic Games, the preparation process for professional athletes is planned at least four years in advance. Interruptions to this schedule can present significant challenges for elite athletes. Such was the case in 2020 with widespread cancellations of many athletic events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of in-home isolation can potentially cause athletes to experience different psychological conditions, including depression and anxiety as well as losing motivation. The purpose of this study was to …

Du Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Caitlyn Aldersea, Justin Bravo, Sam Allen, Anna Block, Connor Block, Emma Buechler, Maria De Los Angeles Bustillos, Arianna Carlson, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Noah Craver, Kate Dillon, Muskan Fatima, Angel Fernandes, Emma Finch, Colleen Cassidy, Amy Fishman, Andrea Francis, Stacia Fritz, Simran Gill, Emma Gries, Rylie Hansen, Shannon Powers, Jacqueline Martinez, Zachary Harker, Ashley Hasty, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Kathleen Hopps, Adelaide Kerenick, Colin Kleckner, Ci Koehring, Elijah Kruger, Braden Krumholz, Maddie Leake, Lyneé Alves, Seraphina Loukas, Yatzari Lozano Vazquez, Haley Maki, Emily Martinez, Sierra Mckinney, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Mitchell, Kipling Newman, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Andrew Nguyen, Stevie Ostman, Casandra Pearson, Alexandra Penney, Julia Gielczynski, Tyler Ball, Anna Rini, Christina Rorres, Simon Ruland, Helayna Schafer, Emma Sellers, Sarah Schuller, Claire Shaver, Kevin Summers, Isabella Shaw, Madison Sinar, Claudia Pena, Apshara Siwakoti, Carter Sorensen, Madi Sousa, Anna Sparling, Alexandra Revier, Brandon Thierry, Dylan Tyree, Maggie Williams, Lauren Wols

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

DU Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Works

Calculating Risk: A Scoping Review Of Ncaa D1 Football Players’ Motivations To Play And The Correlation To Demographic Characteristics And Injury Experiences, Kathleen D. Walsh

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to investigate the motivations of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 (D1) football players for playing the game and how these motivations are associated with their socioeconomic status (SES). Further, the research aimed to investigate how the uncovered motivations were linked to injury experiences. The original project was designed as a survey-based mixed methods study on a national scale. However, issues with participant recruitment led to sidelining of that primary research. The research presented is a scoping review of the available literature pertaining to the research question: What is known from existing literature …

Physical Activity In Managing Stress Among Managers During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Systematic Review, Anna Hryniewicz, Anna Gmiąt, Magdalena Jaroch-Lidzbarska, Mariusz Lipowski

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic managers experienced additional stress connected with taking responsibility for workers at the time of a worldwide crisis. Maintaining a high level of physical activity in this specific group possibly could have contributed to keeping both management skills and health condition at a high required standard. The purpose of this review is to verify the range of scientific interest on the subject of physical activity among managers as a stress coping strategy during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: For this systematic review six studies were chosen (two of them are qualitative descriptive, three are cross-sectional, one …

Cedarville Vs. Findlay, Cedarville University

Baseball Programs

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Draft Order On Stress Sonography Of The Ulnar Collateral Ligament Of The Elbow In Professional Baseball Pitchers: An 18-Year Study, Adeeb Hanna, John Sonnier, Brian Fliegel, Matthew Sherman, Michael Ciccotti, Robert Jack, Steven Cohen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The MLB draft is a common route for players to enter professional baseball in the United States. Individuals taken in earlier rounds are typically higher-performing players. When looking at pitchers specifically, higher performance at the amateur level may be associated with increased frequency of adaptive change in the throwing elbow.

Purpose/Hypothesis: To determine if players taken in earlier rounds of the MLB draft have a greater frequency or extent of pathological change in the elbow, as measured by dynamic stress ultrasound.

Study Design: Retrospective Cohort Study Methods: Dynamic stress ultrasounds (SUS) were performed over an 18-year period on the …

“Not What I Expected”: A Narrative Inquiry On The Leadership Experiences Of Women Campus Recreation Directors In The Power Five Conferences, Emily J. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

While there is an increase of women working in campus recreation, there remains an underrepresentation of women in leadership roles within campus recreation and related industries. Not only can it be challenging for women to navigate male-dominated fields to achieve their desired position, but women experience difficulties once they finally obtain leadership roles. This study built upon the limited research conducted about the experiences of women leaders within campus recreation. The purpose of the study was to gain further understanding of the experiences of women who are directors of campus recreation. Specifically examining their career development, resilience, and health in …