Sports Management Commons^™

Nirsa Student Referees: Exploring The Connection Between Sense Of Community And Positive Health And Well-Being Outcomes, Jacob K. Tingle

School of Business Faculty Research

Despite working in complex environments, which require managing antagonistic and abusive relationships, sport referees are essential to ensure fair and safe competition. Evidence suggests officiating can positively impact well-being and officiating communities provide social support. Despite those positives, there remains a shortage of qualified officials, which is compounded by aging referee populations. These concerns emphasize the need to attract young people and examine well-being benefits resulting from involvement in officiating communities. As such, the aim of this study is to help NIRSA professionals better understand how the community or social networks made through officiating intramural sports could better support student …

The Leadership Pivot: How Labor Market Dynamics And The Ncaa Transfer Portal Impacts Leadership, Evan Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will cover a multitude of topics specific to my major, and also will use my in depth knowledge and connections within a collegiate sport to analyze how labor market changes effect the leadership styles of leaders within a given industry. This project is going to challenge me as a student because of the in depth research and data collection that will be necessary to not only educate myself about labor markets and leadership styles, but also educate myself enough to be able to present the information in a way that is digestible to readers. The other aspect of …

Youth Sport Organizational Leaders’ Perceived Strengths And Challenges Working With Volunteer Coaches: A Case Study, Hannah Swartz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Youth sport organizations in the United States rely heavily on volunteer coaches to deliver accessible and developmentally aligned programming, yet little research has examined how organizational leaders perceive and manage this volunteer workforce. Existing scholarship has focused primarily on volunteer coach motivations and experiences from the coach perspective, leaving a gap in understanding the views of those responsible for recruiting, training, retaining, and supporting volunteers. Guided by the youth sport social-ecological model (NYSS, 2019), the recent USOPC Commission Report, and principles of self-determination theory (Ryan. & Deci, 2000), this instrumental case study explored youth sport organizational leaders’ perceptions of working …

Leveling The Playing Field: Comparing School-Based Interventions For Academic Success In Student Athletes With Learning Disabilities, Eryk Ramon Sanchinelli-Salazar

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examined the disparities in school-based interventions for student athletes without learning disabilities versus those with learning disabilities. Learning disabilities are defined as disorders that impact language comprehension, mathematical abilities, motor coordination, and attention. The perspectives of special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, and coaches are considered in this analysis. This research used open ended qualitative interview questions with general education teachers, special education teachers, administrators, and coaches to gain an understanding of what supports they are providing for their student athletes with learning disabilities as opposed to their student athletes without learning disabilities. Through qualitative interviews with …

A Conceptual Framework Of Work Passion And Key Intelligences Among Coaches, Paul Yuseung Doh, Minjung Kim, Brent D. Oja

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This study proposes a conceptual framework that integrates work passion and three key intelligences: cultural intelligence, digital intelligence, and emotional intelligence, to enhance coaching effectiveness and psychological well-being in sport. The framework explores the anticipated antecedents and outcomes of work passion and these intelligences among coaches. The proposed framework contributes theoretically by highlighting the role of work passion and integrative intelligences as foundational elements for innovative work behaviors in sport coaching, which ultimately enhancing both coaching effectiveness and psychological well-being among coaches. This framework also offers practical insights for sport organizations to strategically invest in coaching development, promoting adaptive, tech-savvy, …

What Happens When Grit Goes Bad? Conceptualizing “Dark” Grit Among Sport Employees, Brent D. Oja, Samantha L. Jordan

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This paper details the complexities of the construct known as “grit” and specifically examines the potential for the positive effects of grit to turn maladaptive or “dark.” Although grit is commonly viewed as a generative construct that helps individuals achieve success and experience well-being, past scholars have suggested there could be a “too much of a good thing” effect whereby the helpful outcomes of grit reach a turning point and become detrimental. We propose that the sport industry is an ideal environment for this phenomenon to occur because the industry has high labor demands, and its employees have a strong …

Passion For What? Key Considerations For Passion In The Sport Workplace, Steve Swanson

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The sporting world is replete with emotion. Intense feelings of many forms are experienced by a wide range of actors consuming sport, with passion receiving some of the greatest attention across a spectrum of emotions studied in sport management. The notion of passionate employees is ubiquitous in the sport environment, with research suggesting emotion from the sporting arena spills over to the workplace. This article highlights key considerations about sport employee passion that need addressing, including what it is that they are actually passionate about, the role that identity plays for these individuals, and whether sport employee passion is inherently …

Passion In Sport Management Research: Looking Back To Move Ahead, Jiayao Qi, Marshall Magnusen, Samuel Y. Todd

Journal of Applied Sport Management

As a nearly “abused” term, passion is pervasive and distinctive concept in the sport industry. However, research about passion has often been limited to mainstream frameworks such as the dualistic model of passion, which was originally developed among sport participants (e.g., athletes) with survey-based research methods. Though helpful, this has created a gap between what the current literature offers and what is needed from contemporary passion research in sport management. Notably, more attention needs to be given to both sport job seekers and sport employees. Accordingly, in this piece, we look back on passion, covering its history, key theories, and …

Perspectives On Passion In Sport Management Research, Marshall Magnusen

Journal of Applied Sport Management

The focus of this special issue is to continue to broaden discussions of passion in sports to management contexts with sport personnel rather than marketing contexts with sport consumers. This is done through an offering of several “think pieces” with the goal of inspiring new and creative scholarship about passion in sport work environments.

Scoring Points With Purpose: The Interplay Of Passion At Work And Corporate Social Responsibility In Sports Organizations, Christos Anagnostopoulos

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This article explores the dynamic relationship between passion at work and corporate social responsibility (CSR) within sports organizations, highlighting how CSR initiatives can actively nurture and enhance employees’ passion for their careers in this sector. Drawing on 15 years of research in this area, I reference two relevant theoretical approaches that provide a solid foundation for my arguments. Through this discussion, I advocate for a strategic alignment of employee passion and CSR, illustrating how such integration can positively influence both organizational culture and community engagement. Ultimately, this article calls for a deeper understanding of how passionate employees, empowered by meaningful …

To Book Or Not To Book: A Case Analysis Of The Mydisney Experience Mobile Application And The Future Of Consumer Engagement, Cody T. Havard

Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management

As more participatory services lean heavily into the use of mobile applications to engage consumers, it has become increasingly important to gain a better understanding of such amenities. The current case analysis discusses the use of the MyDisney Experience mobile application in the fall of 2024. The case analysis uses an autoethnographic approach to investigate how the application added to and subtracted from the user experience. Implications and future directions of research are discussed.

Perceived Environmental Uncertainty Levels Of Ncaa Athletic Directors, Tiffany Brutus

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study explores predictors of perceived environmental uncertainty among college athletic directors (ADs) of National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions amidst the evolving dynamics of the intercollegiate athletics industry. This research specifically focuses on uncertainty associated with environmental forces outlined in the political, economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental, and legal (PESTEL)model, which captures recent industry disruptions such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation, social justice movements, the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in transfer rules, and conference realignments. Using a contingency theory perspective, the central inquiry of this study is how AD individual, departmental, and institutional characteristics relate to ADs' perceptions …

Perceptions Of Sport Fandom As A Means Of Meeting Psychological Needs, Daniel L. Wann Phd

Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management

The current study examined the use of sport fandom and team identification to assist in meeting four basic psychological needs: belonging, distinctiveness, structure, and meaning. The results indicated that fans view both general sport fandom and team identification as having the capability of helping them meet each of the needs, especially the need to belong. Additionally, team identification was believed to be more effective in assisting with the need for distinctiveness than was general sport fandom.

The Impact Of Major Sporting Events In Kalamazoo On Consumer Behavior, Nicholas Biel

Honors Theses

Sporting events are a force in the growth and sustainability of a community’s economy. In a market like Kalamazoo, collegiate football games such as those at Western Michigan University and annual events like the Kalamazoo Marathon play a pivotal role in bolstering the economy. This research demonstrates the effects on consumer behavior at restaurants in Kalamazoo, Michigan that are caused by these major sporting events. By examining data from the platform Placer.ai, and conducting interviews with local restaurants, this research examines trends in consumer habits, movements, and engagement. Placer.ai is a platform that tracks location analytics using data collected anonymously …

Faculty Perceptions Of Soft And Hard Skills In Sport Management Curricula, Jonathan Rosenberg Ed.D., Simon M. Pack

The COSMA Journal

While employers still see the value in accessing hard skills, the current hiring process involves placing a greater emphasis on the transferable skills known as soft skills. These soft skills include critical thinking, teamwork, leadership, written and oral communication, and the ability to research independently. As such, hiring managers suggest the onus for developing soft skills rest with faculty as they equip these future employees with the soft skills necessary for a given role or industry. There exists an abundance of research in skill development and employability from the vantage point of the employer and of the graduating student, however, …

Integrating A Practical Sport Analytics Course Into Sport Management Education, Bradley Congelio

The COSMA Journal

Integrating analytics into sport management curricula has become increasingly crucial as the sport industry embraces data-driven decision-making. However, many programs struggle to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in analytics education. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to teaching sport analytics that emphasizes hands-on experience with data using the R programming language and RStudio. The course structure and content described herein focus on leveraging the tidyverse ecosystem and National Football League (NFL) data to immerse students in conducting sport analytics. By progressing through modules on data manipulation, visualization, web scraping, and statistical analysis, students acquire both the …

Wearable Technology In Intercollegiate Sport: Ethical And Legal Considerations Of Collecting Student-Athlete Biometric Data, Taryn Deshane

Honors Theses

As wearable technology becomes increasingly integrated into athletic performance tracking, questions surrounding privacy, consent, and data ownership emerge. This research investigates how universities and athletic organizations navigate the complex issues surrounding athlete biometric data (ABD) collection and usage, with a particular emphasis on intercollegiate athletics. While the use of biometric data is widespread across both professional and amateur sports, this study hones in on the college sports environment, examining how ABD is collected, the ethical concerns it raises, and how it impacts student-athletes and institutions.

This pilot study centers on student-athletes at Western Michigan University, specifically focusing on Division 1 …

Beyond Amateurism: Examining The Potential Labor Expenses Of Ncaa Student-Athlete Employment, Alayna K. Falak, Tyler L. Custis

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

In light of recent administrative developments urging the classification of student-athletes as employees, litigation challenging the current employment status of student-athletes, and the Supreme Court’s willingness to tackle National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) issues, many questions surrounding the future of college sports under an employment model have emerged. The authors analyzed key litigation, recent developments from administrative agencies, and academic literature. The authors used publicly available data from the NCAA, the United States Department of Labor (DOL), and other sources to construct two estimates of what it would cost NCAA member institutions to provide baseline compensation to their Division I …

Voluntary Early Retirement From Sport: The Lived Experiences Of Former Ncaa Diii Student-Athletes, Lindsey Darvin, Ryan Konotopskyj, Ashley Ryder

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Intercollegiate athletics offer amateur athletes an approximately four-year window to pursue their athletic careers (Hodges & Darvin, 2022). While many athletes complete their full eligibility, some choose to retire early (Zvosec & Bass, 2022). At the NCAA Division III level, motivations for early retirement remain unclear, and the experiences of former student-athletes are often overlooked (Zvosec & Bass, 2022; Hodges & Darvin, 2022). Despite DIVISION III's large athlete population, research seldom delves into their experiences. This study aims to explore why former Division III athletes voluntarily leave their sport. Transitioning out of collegiate sports poses significant challenges, affecting athletes' identities, …

The Challenges Women Face In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu In The United States, Rachel S. Silverman, Anthony Dixon, Harriet E T Dixon

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

The purpose of this case study was to discover the challenges facing women participating in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the United States, how they overcame these challenges, and why they continue to participate in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Twenty-three female jiu-jitsu athletes participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions were utilized. Analysis of challenges revealed three broader themes of Brazilian jiu-jitsu being male-dominated, gender norms and Brazilian jiu-jitsu being a contact sport. Women discussed how they coped with the challenges and the benefits they gain from participation. To increase the number of women involved in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, participants suggested more women’s-only …