Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

For We See And Know In Part: An Examination Of The Portrayal Of African-American Female Athletes On The Covers Of Sports Illustrated, Chanel Leisa Lattimer

Masters Theses

This study examines the print media’s representation of African-American sportswomen’s femininity on the covers of Sport Illustrated. Sport is considered a male-dominated institution; a place where masculinity is expressed. Therefore, in spite of the increased participation for women in sport due to Title IX; the media’s coverage has been minimal and their representation of female athletes has been ambivalent at best, and trivializing at worse. The conveyance of African-American female athletes remains even more complex. Due to historical experiences, African-American women have developed a femininity that falls outside that of mainstream society. Therefore, the lack of coverage African-American female …

Female Collegiate Gymnasts And Experiences In Sport Retirement Due To Injury, Coleen Harrington Barry

Dissertations

There has been very limited research on sport retirement concerning the experiences that female collegiate athletes face when retiring from a sport due to injury. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, understand, and describe experiences that former NCAA Division I female gymnasts had when they retired from gymnastics, part-way through college, due to injury. The main objective of the study was to attempt to understand female collegiate gymnasts' sport retirement experiences and the impact these experiences may have had on their identity development and college experience. The study also considered female collegiate gymnasts' perceived needs and coping …

Self-Controlled Feedback And Activity Level In Learning A Simple Movement Skill, Tim Van Nguyen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if active and sedentary individuals differed in terms the effects of self-controlled feedback on the learning of a movement skill. The task consisted of a blindfolded beanbag toss using the non-preferred arm. Participants were prescreened according to their physical activity level using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Craig et al., 2003). An equal number of active (A) and sedentary (S) participants were assigned to self-control (SC) and yoked (Y) feedback conditions, creating four groups: Self-Control Active; Self-Control Sedentary; Yoked Active; and Yoked Sedentary. SC condition participants were provided feedback whenever they requested …

The Effects Of A Season-Long Relaxation Program On Anxiety And Performance In Female High School Track & Field Throwers, Jeremy Walker

Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a season-long relaxation breathing program on anxiety and performance in track and field throwers. It was hypothesized that the relaxation breathing technique would help to reduce anxiety and increase overall performance. Use of a single-subject research design was used to allow ongoing monitoring of each athlete’s anxiety levels and performance. Results indicated that 2 of the 3 participants had improved performance and reduced trait anxiety over the course of the season. Additional results indicated that there was no significant difference in performance between participants and non-participants and that the …

‘Balancing Acts’: A Qualitative Investigation Of Division I Football Players’ Roles Of Student And Athlete, Patricia Y. Jones

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine African-American Division I football players’ perceptions of their ability to balance their roles as “students” and “athletes”. Three major questions were addressed: Can student-athletes balance both the roles of “student” and “athlete”? If so, how are they able to do so? And, are they truly successful at it? Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight African-American football players at a Division I university. Six themes emerged which included: (a) parental emphasis on education and sport; (b) “childhood dreams” versus sport realities; (c) reality check; (d) perceptions of student-athletes; (e) pressure to become a …

Anticipation Timing As A Function Of Expertise And Effector-Specific Training, Greg Young

Masters Theses

Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer (1993) suggested that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is needed to attain expertise. Consequently, it would be expected that expert soccer players who possess a high level of proficiency in intercepting a ball with their feet would demonstrate superior anticipation timing performance with the feet compared to novices who lack training. On the other hand, Keele, Ivry, and Porkorny (1987), and Studenka and Zelaznik (2008) provided support for a centrally controlled process for timed movements. If true, it would be expected that experts’ anticipation timing performance would be superior to novices’ regardless of the effector used. …

Force-Velocity Characteristics Of The Leg Muscles And Anaerobic Performance In African-American And Caucasian College-Aged Males, Stacy D. Hunter

Masters Theses

PURPOSE: To compare vertical jump height and power and sprint time in African- American and Caucasian college-aged males, to compare isokinetic knee extension and flexion torques between the two groups, and to examine correlations between these variables. METHODS: The participants were fifty recreationally active, college-aged males (23 African-American and 27 Caucasian). Physical activity was assessed using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) Physical Activity module, body composition was determined using the Bod Pod, and anthropometric measures (height, weight, and thigh circumference) were taken. Subjects performed a 100-m sprint on an outdoor track and a countermovement vertical jump. Vertical jump …

Physical Activity And Social Support For Exercise In A Sample Of College Sorority And Fraternity Members, Jennifer Autumn Minton

Masters Theses

PURPOSE: To provide 1) a description of the levels of physical activity and social support for exercise for fraternity and sorority members; 2) a comparison of gender differences in physical activity levels among fraternity and sorority members; and 3) to determine a relationship between levels social support for exercise and physical activity in fraternity and sorority members. METHODS: Three hundred thirty-seven members of fraternities and sororities completed an online survey (74.8% female). The online survey included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Social Support for Exercise Survey, and demographic questions. RESULTS: According to the IPAQ, the …

General Health And Fitness Knowledge And Exercise Behaviors Of College Students At Eastern Illinois University, Cara Mcqueen

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Does Training With Powercranks™ Affect Economy Of Motion, Cycling Efficiency, Oxygen Uptake And Muscle Activation Patterns In Trained Cyclists?, Jack Burns

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

PowerCranks™ are claimed to increase economy of motion and cycling efficiency by reducing the muscular recruitment patterns that contribute to the resistive forces occurring during the recovery phase of the pedal stroke. However, scientific research examining the efficacy of training with PowerCranks™ is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if five weeks of training with PowerCranks™ improves economy of motion (EOM), gross efficiency (GE), oxygen uptake (V.O2) and muscle activation patterns in trained cyclists. Sixteen trained cyclists were matched and paired into either a PowerCranks™ (PC) or Normal Cranks (NC) training group. Prior to training, all …

The Relationship Between Training Load And Incidence Of Injury And Illness Over A Pre-Season At An Australian Football League Club, Benjamin Piggott

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In any competitive sporting environment, it is crucial to a team's success to have the maximum number of their players free from injury and illness and available for selection in as many games as possible throughout the season. The training programme of the club, and therefore training load, can have an impact on the incidence of injury and illness amongst the players. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the training load and the incidence of injury and illness over an entire pre-season at an Australian Football League (AFL) club. Sixteen players were subjects; all full …

Neuromuscular Fatigue And Endocrine Responses In Elite Australian Rules Football Players, Stuart J. Cormack

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The first purpose of this research was to establish the reliability of numerous measures obtained from a single and short duration repeated countermovement jump (CMJ) utilising a portable forceplate (Experimental Studies 1 and 2). Secondly, the response of reliable CMJ variables and T, C and T:C to a single elite level ARF match was assessed to identify the pattern of response and highlight those measures with the greatest potential for usefulness as monitoring tools across longer periods (Experimental Study 3). Finally, those variables identified as most valuable in Experimental Study 3 in addition to T, C and T:C; were measured …

The Effects Of Multiple Head Micro-Trauma On Cognitive Function In High School Football And Soccer Athletes, Jessica M. Cole

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There are limited studies that deal with the acute and chronic effects that high collision sports have on neurocognitive function. This study used a standardized concussion assessment (SAC) test to examine the effects that participation in high school football and high school soccer has on athletes’ neurocognitive functions throughout a season.

Forty-six male high school athletes participated in this study: 30 football players, and 16 soccer players. Each athlete underwent baseline SAC testing and a variety of SAC tests three additional times throughout the duration of the season, approximately 3 weeks apart.

Data analyses of the SAC scores did not …

Progress Checks As A Motivational Tool For Adult Fitness Participants, Stephanie James

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A C.A.R.E. Based Martial Arts Class On Students' Academic Achievement, Peer Relationships, And Social Interactions, David Hite Jr.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

What is the goal of education in America today? Why is education so important to our society? Why do we spend millions of dollars each year towards the success of America's educational system? What processes and procedures should be employed to insure an efficient and effective education for all individuals? These questions and more arise as we consider the current academic, social, and economic climate of America, as well as the rest of the world; and the role education has played in shaping our past, impacting our present, and directing our future as individuals of a free society. Abraham Lincoln …

Comparison Of Diabetes Education Across Age Group, Gender, And Diabetes Type, Katey Korhonen

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Motivational Factors Of Marathon Running, Donna Lakinger

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Physical Activity Levels Of College Age Sorority Members Compared To Non-Sorority Members, Michael J. Foster

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.