Female Athletes And Their Journey, Emily Youngs

Sport Management Undergraduate

Female athletes have gained their role in sports, and now female athletes are expressing their journey as a female athlete. Looking at female athletes and their journey of becoming a college athlete, researchers can find motivation, self-efficacy, and early specialization. Past research on the 3 factors has been done prior to this research. The relationship between self-efficacy, motivation and early specialization was examined. The data was obtained through interviews from 5 college student athletes using qualitative research. The findings showed a significantly positive relationship between self-efficacy and these athletes, however there was a considerably negative finding in athletes and early …

Re-Entry And Disorientation, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

I have been out of the country for less than three weeks and it is mid-summer when not much happens of note. The first thing I confronted on returning was a total reorganization of the local supermarket. Under the influence of jet lag I found this quite disorienting. As it turned out, this was only one of many changes that faced me.

Pressure Kicks: The Effects Of Distracting Variables On The Outcome Of A Pressure Kick In Division-I College Football, Karen Moede

All Theses

A field goal kicker in NCAA Division-I college football experiences high amounts of pressure when placed in a game-winning situation. A pressure kick may result in optimal or less than optimal performance due the influence of various distracting factors, such as the evaluative nature of an audience or the pressure of being iced by the opposing team. Pressure kicks are classified as a field goal kick, during the last minute of game time (or during overtime), which will result in a lead or a tie game for the kicking team (Goldschmied, Nankin, & Cafri, 2010). Conflicting literature surrounding social facilitation, …

World Cup, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

I am not a fan of The Beautiful Game, although I do watch and appreciate its beauty especially when it is displayed by the likes of Lionel Messi. Soccer, as with all games, when played with skill and competence is a beautiful game. The same might be said of hockey, baseball, basketball, or curling. When any skill is combined with artistry, whether in sport or some other human endeavor, it has a beauty worthy of admiration.

Fan Involvement With Regional Or City Affiliated Nfl Teams, Kristopher C. Jones

Sport Management Undergraduate

This research looked at the difference between how involved NFL fans are with their favorite/identified team, based on such team being either regionally or city affiliated. Prior to this study, it was known that sport fandom is positively correlated to a fan’s psychological well being, in addition to knowledge that fans who develop loyal relationships towards their team become increasingly involved with the team, resulting in positive identification with the team. The research conducted in the study was an attempt to uncover new knowledge on how the location affiliation of an NFL team relates to the team’s fans. For this …

Football Head Coaching Evaluations: Perceptions On The Ncaa Division Iii Level, Bryan Schnell

Sport Management Undergraduate

The purpose of this study was to look at the evaluation criteria used during the evaluation of a Division III head football coach. The reasoning behind the subject is because of the lack of knowledge on the criteria used. While some researches have given a short list of reasons why coaches get fired, however none of them have focused on Division III which’s landscape is very different of that in Division I. A survey was sent out to 150 head coaches and athletic directors throughout the country. After looking at the results it showed the perceptions did differ between both …

Change In Major League Baseball Player Performance After Signing A Long-Term Deal, Matthew J. Cahill

Sport Management Undergraduate

Baseball teams have been trying to understand how player performance changes over the course of their career for decades. Officials have wanted to figure out a better way of determining how much a player should make in their contract by trying to predict how their performance might change in the future. Front office officials need to better understand the importance experience might have when it comes to predicting a player’s future performance. In the previous study by Sturman & Thibodeau (2001), the researchers found that players tended to decline in performance once they signed a long term deal. The current …

Huge Week, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

I’m just now getting into the World Cup as the recent sports calendar has been overloaded with prime events. With the battle for Lord Stanley’s Cup raging on, the NBA Finals testing the bounds of credulity, and the U.S. Open Golf Tournament on the menu, trying to fit the World Cup into my thoughts and my schedule was nearly too much to manage. Perhaps foolishly, I will try to do some justice to each of these penultimate sporting events here.

I Wish The Sport I Love – Soccer – Could Help Eliminate Injustice Around World, Erin O'Flaherty

UCF Forum

Every four years soccer fans around the globe focus on the FIFA World Cup, this year being held in Brazil. The national teams of countries compete to become World Cup champions in the name of patriotism and pride. I am a fan of almost all sports, but especially soccer – so I cannot contain my excitement for the upcoming matches beginning June 12.

Triple Crown, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

By late Saturday sportsworld will know if there is a Triple Crown winner for the first time in thirty-six years. The last winner was Affirmed in 1978. No one could have guessed that it would be this long before another horse would accomplish this feat again. After all Affirmed was the third horse of the 1970s to win the Triple Crown. Seattle Slew won the Crown in 1977 and the great Secretariat did it in 1973.

Is The Nfl Responsible For Concussions Sustained By Players?, Lindsey Reid

Masters Theses

National Football League (NFL) players have sustained concussions while playing football (Casson & Viano, 2010). There is a growing controversy between NFL players, their immediate families, and the league regarding alleged claims that management should be held responsible for the physical deterioration of former players including compensatory damages for suffering. Family members of current and past NFL players claim league officials provided inadequate education regarding risks associated with playing professional football. Former players are experiencing health issues such as dementia, early Alzheimer's, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), trouble concentrating and inability to work; in some cases these debilitating life-changing events have …

Acceptable Violence, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

There are times when marginally related events converge and raise questions about issues related to sport. Such a convergence occurred in my corner of sportsworld over the past week.

How Does The Amount Of Spending On Coaches' Salaries And Recruiting Budgets Affect Win Percentage In College Football?, Ashleigh "Alex" Watson

Honors Theses

College football has become much more than a sport for the athletes who play it and entertainment for the fans who watch it. In college football, especially for Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools, winning has become a way to make money. However, in order to make money, people must spend money. In a college football program money is spent on a multitude of things. This study focuses on two important factors, coaches' salaries and recruiting budgets. Specifically, this study looked to find out how the amount of spending on coaches' salaries and recruiting budgets affected win percentage in college football. …

Pace Of Play In Golf, Dennis O. Leahy

Sport Management Undergraduate

Pace of play in golf is a major problem that is affecting participation rates negatively. A number of issues are compounding the problem, such as technological advancements, length of golf courses, players’ individual needs, and contemporary changes in the value placed on leisure time. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the topic in Upstate New York. Surveys were sent to 167 golf course PGA professionals, asking about pace of play at their courses. The survey collected basic information about the professionals’ courses and moved to items regarding what the courses are doing and not doing concerning pace of …

Understanding Season Ticket Holders’ Buying Behaviors, Stephen M. Castro Jr.

Sport Management Undergraduate

Increasing the average dollar spent from fans is important for an organizations’ bottom line. Existing literature focuses on general attendance versus the unique population of season ticket holders. Having already invested fans consume more, due to higher attendance, can increase the bottom line. By having the Rochester Red Wing’s season ticket holders fill out a survey it will uncover their buying behaviors and what affects their attendance. The results show aroma is how fans decide what concessions to buy and new merchandise is how fans decide what merchandise to buy.

The Role Of A Player Development System In Major League Baseball, Kyle Conklin

Sport Management Undergraduate

This paper looks at the role of a player development system and the possible paths to success in Major League Baseball (MLB). The study looked at rookie players in the MLB to see if the path of their journey to the major leagues has an influence on their success as a rookie. Two paths were studied, those who played collegiately and those who went through the minor leagues straight from high school. This study used quantitative data to analyze the differences in player’s performance as rookies through statistics such as batting average and on-base percentage for hitters and winning percentage …

The Financial Gap Between Athletic Scholarships And Athlete Expenses, Marykate Edmunds

Sport Management Undergraduate

This research examined the financial gap between athletic scholarships and athlete expenditures. The literature shows that several parties feel athletes are being undercompensated for their efforts at their institutions. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine how much money athletes are actually missing out on. The population was DI football players receiving a full ride scholarship at SEC and ACC institutions. Data was collected from the College Board and the US Census Bureau to determine institution financial statistics and athlete expenditures respectively. Results showed a significant financial gap exists for all schools and that there is no significant difference of …

Man Games Lost In The Nhl: A Correlation Between Travel, Rest Periods And Injuries In The National Hockey League, Aaron T. Kneeland

Sport Management Undergraduate

Each year in the National Hockey League, teams travel thousands of miles, coast to coast, to play hockey. Each year there are also hundreds of injuries, and thousands of man games lost in the league. While there has been substantial research on how travel can affect Circadian Rhythms, no research has connected this with injury in the NHL. This study used Circadian Rhythm Theory, the amount of travel miles, and back-to-back games played by teams to understand a possible correlation between travel, rest periods, and the amount of man games. After analysis, it was clear there was no consistent correlation …

A Geographical Analysis Of The Origin Of National Football League Players And Draftees, Robert Murray

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The inspiration for this examination of NFL football players came from a September 17, 2010 CBS Television program 60 Minutes report “American Samoa: Football Island” by Scott Pelley. Pelley determined “that a boy born to Samoan parents is 56 times more likely to get into the NFL than any other kid in America” (Pelley, 2010). As a result of this investigation, I was inspired to travel to American Samoa in June 2013 to learn firsthand what variables and conditions led to the production of National Football League (NFL) Draft picks from this country, Tonga and all the regions within the …

An Investigation Into The Accounting Practices Of Owners In The Professional Sport Industry With Specific Consideration Of Implications To Players, Taxpayers, And Local Governments, Stephen Michael Rathbun

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In today’s sport industry there is a push by players to maintain an equitable split in revenues to ensure ownership groups do not exploit them. This has been of particular importance over the past five years during collective bargaining agreements. Players associations are not the only groups who are affected by the financial management of professional sport owners. Taxpayers and local governments also share an interest in the manner owners operate teams. With an increase in public subsidization of sport teams, taxpayers have a natural vested concern for professional sports.

The concern on this topic comes with the financial management …

Coaching Style Preferences Of Division I College And Professional Softball Players, Megan Diane Langenfeld

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the coaching style and leader behavior preferences of softball players. The Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS; Chelladurai & Saleh, 1980) was administered to Division I college softball players and professional softball players from the National Professional Fastpitch league (NPF). Sixty-four softball players completed the Leadership Scale for Sport questionnaire (preference version), 52 Division I college softball players and 12 professional softball players from the NPF. Descriptive statistics revealed that softball players prefer Training and Instruction, Democratic Behavior, and Positive Feedback; players did not prefer Autocratic Behavior or Social Support. Follow-up univariate ANOVAs …

The Mediating Effect Of Team Identification On The Relationship Between Social Media Consumption And Intentions, Jaeahm Park

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to (a) identify the motivational factor for subscribing to collegiate athletics' social media (b) analyze the effect of subscribing to collegiate athletics' online social media on team identification (c) analyze the effect of subscribing to collegiate athletics' online social media on behavior intentions mediated by team identification. The study also examined the difference across demographic information which can be used for fan segmentation. By analyzing a total of 146 undergraduate students from University of Arkansas Recreation and Sport Management classes, this dissertation found the following.

This study verified seven motives for subscribing to school …

Sterling, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

There are times when something happens in the world of sport that is so startling that reactions come hard and fast and seem to overwhelm events. The Donald Sterling soliloquy hit with this sort of force, and the reaction was beyond what could be anticipated but was still more than appropriate. It was required.

Golf Tourists At Two Courses In Las Vegas: A Demographic Profile, Brian Milford Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study focuses on the motivations and practices of tourist golfers at two Las Vegas, Nevada area golf courses: Rhodes Ranch Golf Club and Tuscany Golf Club.

Data was collected from tourist golfers at these two results and they report the amounts of money spent on golf, the motivations to visit Las Vegas for golf the amounts of money normally spent to play golf at home. The study also provides evidence regarding other activities of these golf tourists while in Las Vegas, including where they stayed and courses played. This is an exploratory study. However, results show that further research …

A Special Week, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

It was one of those very special weeks in SportsWorld. At least three things stood out: two in baseball and one in the bizarre world of the NCAA.

Major League Baseball's Antitrust Exemption And The Impact Of The Curt Flood Act, Gina Scalzo

Senior Honors Theses

For many years, professional baseball has enjoyed a privileged antitrust exemption apart from other professional sports. With the passing of the Curt Flood Act in 1998 this exemption was removed; however, the act may not be as influential as it seems. Court rulings were prominent in initiating and maintaining the antitrust exemption for professional baseball. These include the Supreme Court Trilogy, especially the case of Curt Flood, a baseball player who fought against the reserve clause system which limited his and other players’ employment options. Collective bargaining as well as arbitration became dominant in professional baseball labor relations under the …

Masters Golf Tournament, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

On Sunday, as I usually do on Master’s weekend, I turned to CBS to get an overdose of saccharine. Jim Nantz was in fine form developing storylines, both real and contrived, to keep the focus on the players and the natural beauty of Augusta National. The camera guys had all the obligatory shots of the dogwoods and redbud trees, the flaming and cooling azaleas, and to complete the scene, an occasional magnolia. Words like “idyllic” were used with abandon and those close ups of tense competitors nearly made golf look like an action sport.

Nw Case, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

For the first time an official body uttered words that did damage to the term “student athlete.” About a week ago a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board defined a football player as an employee of a university. Football players, it concluded, are not primarily students.

Nfl Fans Response To Social Media Posts, Laura Fien

Sport Management Undergraduate

Social media has become a growing phenomenon in the 21st century, as a result sport teams can now interact and engage fans in more personalized ways. However, because social media is so new there is very little research that helps determine how fans interact with teams through social media. This study was conducted using focus groups and has determined that even though relationship marketing is a good idea, NFL fans prefer information posted to Facebook and Twitter to be convenient and informative in relationship to the team’s on field performance. Furthermore, the more convenient and informative the information posted is …

The Nfl’S Highly And Lowly Identified Fans: Who Are They?, Daniel Cusato

Sport Management Undergraduate

While there is a plethora of literature on fan identification, specifically high or lowly identified fans, there is no literature on who these highly and lowly identified fans actually are. The goal of this research paper is to fill the void in that section of NFL fan literature and discover what demographics of fans are the most highly and lowly identified. In order to find out who is a highly or lowly identified fan, a survey must be administered that will effectively test the characteristics of each participant. This will make the respondents classifiable as either a highly or lowly …