Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Cost Of Attendance And Competitive Balance In The Ncaa Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Michelle Calica Coyner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) justifies its power and regulatory structure as necessary to promote competitive balance. Despite this, there is limited research on the efficacy of NCAA policies that were implemented with the intention of supporting more parity in Division I conferences. This study examined whether the 2015 cost of attendance (COA) policy was associated with competitive balance in various groups within the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Through the lenses of the Matthew Effect and policy design theory, this study aimed to understand how NCAA policies may hurt or help inequality in college sport. Although not all …

Examination Of Mental Health And Family Relationship In Collegiate Athletes, Julia Hussey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Athletes at the collegiate level frequently experience unique stressors that cause them to be at risk for a number of mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety, and substance use. Current research in the field suggests that athletes are not as likely as their non-athlete peers to seek out psychological services for mental health difficulties. Social supports have been shown to impact athletes’ mental health and sport performance. Specifically, family relationships appear to have an influence on athletes’ level of stress and motivation, with positive family relationships showing decreases in athletes’ worry as well as faster recovery following injury. Surprisingly, there …

Gendered Self-Presentation On Social Media: A Content Analysis Of Tweets From Unlv Men's And Women's Athletic Teams, Alexandra Nicole White

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

ABSTRACT

This thesis examines how sports teams vary by means of self-presentation on a social media

platform in relation to gender and sport. Building on Erving Goffman’s (1959) constructs of selfpresentation

and operationalizing impression management strategies, this study content analyzed

seven UNLV teams’ Tweets. The analysis spanned from August 2015 to October 2015. Every

Tweet posted, during these three months, from the seven different sporting teams was coded to

compare and contrast the men's teams accounts with the women’s teams accounts, as well as one

account that combines the men’s and women’s team on one Twitter page. The study found …

Examining Factors Influencing Ncaa Division-I Conference Realignment, Ginikachi O. Nwosu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve and become

more dynamic. One of the most visible aspects of these changes is athletic conference realignment. During the period from 2010 to 2014 alone, over 30 institutions across the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) changed or announced imminent plans to change athletic conference affiliation (Mandel, 2012). Conference realignment is described as institutional changes in athletic conference affiliation (Covell & Barr, 2010; Groza, 2010; Sweitzer, 2009). Various literature has identified variables which influence NCAA Division-I institutions’ decisions in regard to conference realignment, yet no comprehensive study has examined …

Designing A Mechanical Linkage Capable Of Decreasing Force Transfer From The Facemask To The Protective Helmet When Loading Occurs, Levi Hansen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction

Sports that involve extensive personal contact have a high incidence of injury. The introduction of regulations mandating the use of personal protective equipment in these sports is the most common injury control strategy (Marshall et al., 2002). Negligible attention has been paid to the mechanical linkage between the facemask and helmet as a means of reducing force transfer from the facemask, through the helmet, and to the head and or neck of the athlete.

Methods

A novel prototype mechanical linkage of reasonable simplicity that provides 360° of freedom in motion capable of decreasing force transfer from the facemask to …

The Wetsuit Effect: Physiological Response To Wearing A Wetsuit, Aaron Prado

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing a wetsuit on resting cardiovascular parameters (mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate-pressure product (RPP), and heart rate variability (HRV)). Furthermore, the position (i.e., upright vs. prone) as well as the wetsuit size were explored as possible factors that influence the cardiovascular parameters. Twelve male participants (79.1±5.1 kg, 178.4±2.9 cm, 33.3±12.1 years) granted written consent and were assigned two wetsuits based on height, weight, and corresponding manufacturer recommendations. SWS signified the smallest possible wetsuit the subject could fit into according to recommendations, LWS signified the largest wetsuit the subject could …

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 …

New Mouthguard Design With Intermediate Nickel-Titanium And Foam Layer, Freddie Martinez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Mouthguards help prevent orofacial injuries in many physical activities, commonly to the maxillary incisors. Mouthguards have many different properties which can be idealized. One property involves the amount of impact force the mouthguard can dissipate, commonly referred to as shock absorption. The aim of this study was to improve shock absorption capabilities beyond the protection that a mouthguard made of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) can offer. A Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) and/or foam intermediate layer was placed between EVA. Seven configurations were fabricated at 3 different thicknesses. The configurations consisted of an intermediate layer composed of NiTi, foam, or NiTi/foam. The NiTi …

The Perceived Level Of Enjoyment In Sports Violence: An Experiment Examining How Sports Commentary, Fanship, And Gender Affect Viewer Emotions, Sarah Vineyard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This investigation examines if the independent variables of sports commentary, fanship, and gender affect the viewer's level of perceived enjoyment while watching sports violence through televised professional football and hockey clips. Previous studies have found that these three variables contribute most to a viewer's level of perceived enjoyment. This study aimed to test to see if that was still true, while taking into account new rules regarding violence by the National Football League and the National Hockey League. This thesis addresses all variables in one study, which something past research has failed to do.

Perhaps the most significant finding from …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Nutrition Knowledge And Disordered Eating Risk In Female Collegiate Athletes, Amy L. Miracle

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Involvement in collegiate sports among female athletes is at an all-time high with approximately 198,000 currently participating, (National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2012). With this increase in female participation in collegiate sports, the pressures of sport participation and academics lead some women to engage in harmful eating behaviors. These harmful eating behaviors may lead to the development of disordered eating (C. Johnson, Powers, & Dick, 1999; Quatromoni, 2008; Reel, SooHoo, Petrie, Greenleaf, & Carter, 2010; Reinking & Alexander, 2005). Many factors have been identified as contributing to the development of disordered eating but nutrition knowledge or lack thereof, has yet to …

Field Testing The Upright Versus The Aero Cycling Position, Curtis Scrugham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Body position can be of great importance to athletes who want to maximize their performance on the bike. Aerodynamic resistance can account for 70-90% of resistance encountered by cyclists, and a strategy used to reduce this resistance is riding in the aero position Research has been done in the lab to determine if there are trade-offs to using this position (Jobson et al. 2008, Welbergen and Clijsen 1990, Hubenig, Game and Kennedy 2011, Peveler 2004, Origenes et al. 1993, Ryschon and Stray-Gunderson 1991, Gnehm et al. 1997, Ashe et al. 2003). . Researchers have reported that riders untrained in the …

Vitamin D Status And Bone Mineral Density In Triathletes, Michelle Konstantarakis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purposes of this study were first to assess the vitamin D status and bone mineral density (BMD) in male and triathletes (N=15), female triathletes (N=13), and non-athletes (N=14), and to determine if circulating vitamin D was correlated with body composition, BMD, dietary calcium and vitamin D intake in triathletes. The second purpose was to determine if triathletes have a different level of serum vitamin D, body composition, BMD, dietary calcium and vitamin D intake then non-athletes. The third purpose was to determine if BMD was correlated with body composition (body mass, percent body fat, BMI) in triathletes.

Methods: …

Eating Pathology, Supplement Use, And Nutrition Knowledge In Collegiate Athletes, Holly Beth Lapota

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Eating pathology (e.g., body dissatisfaction, binge eating, purging, restrictive eating) and substance use (e.g., dietary supplements, legal and illegal drugs) proliferate university settings in the United States. Within university settings, athletes appear to be at particularly high risk for eating pathology and supplement use due to the external pressures to be attractive, the need to perform at optimal levels, and the specific characteristics of sports in which they participate. Furthermore, the degree to which athletes understand what constitutes healthy eating and exercise habits is understudied and may relate to eating pathology and supplement use. To build on existing research, the …

Predicting Chest Press Strength From A 4rm Triceps Brachii Exercise In Trained Women, Krystina Nadia Moschella

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Determining maximal strength is important when developing a resistance exercise program for trained athletes. The most frequent strength procedure used to evaluate maximum strength is the 1RM test. However, risk of injury from a 1RM test increases for the athletes, therefore a 4RM test is used in the following study. The purpose of the study is to test whether there is a linear relationship between the bench press and the triceps rope extension exercise. A secondary purpose is the development of a prediction equation for the purpose of prescribing bench press exercise loads from triceps brachii loads using a 4RM …

Comparing Division Ia Scholarship And Non-Scholarship Student-Athletes: A Discriminant Analysis Of Academic Performance, Lisa Melanie Rubin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many research studies have examined the academic performance and graduation rates of college student-athletes. The limited focus on scholarship student-athletes has overlooked the majority of NCAA student-athletes, those participating in collegiate athletic programs without athletic scholarships. Therefore, this study contributes to a gap in the literature about non-scholarship student-athletes. The following dissertation examined the academic performance, time-to-degree, and demographic and profile characteristics of Division IA scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes. The theoretical framework for this study was work motivation viewing athletic scholarships as extrinsic rewards. The researcher applied descriptive discriminant analysis utilizing secondary data to compare scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes across …

Division I Student-Athlete Degree Choice Assessment, Tony Terrell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Though the NCAA has established rules that require student-athletes to complete their college degree in an expeditious manner, the 40/60/80% rule may impinge on student-athlete academic decisions (i.e., degree choice).Yet limited empirical data exist regarding the nature and prevalence of student-athlete degree impingement. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Student-Athlete Degree Choice Questionnaire (SA-DCQ). The SA-DCQ assesses factors that influence Division I student-athletes' degree choice. An initial 40 item, 4 component SA-DCQ instrument was piloted with 170 Division I student-athletes. In order to develop scales, Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was conducted. PCA results yielded 13 …

A Positive Approach: Training Coaches To Build A Positive Motivational Climate, J. Spencer John

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to develop a training program for youth sport coaches focusing on a positive motivational climate, with an intended outcome to increase intrinsic motivation in youth sport participants. The coaching workshops that are available today tend to focus on teaching the fundamentals of the sport; while largely ignoring the motivational side of coaching. Pop Warner Football is the largest youth football league in the country, they have a large coach training program that focuses on drills and skill development, but fails to address positive motivation. Providing youth sport organizations with a training program that adds …

A Social Media Plan For The Ultimate Fighting Championship, Matthew Radmanovich

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social media has revolutionized marketing and communication and has changed the way many organizations do business. In sports, it has facilitated fans getting closer to the action while allowing management to be strategic and more efficient with finite amount of resources. It has allowed sports to get in the business of “relationship marketing” (Gronroos, 2004). That is, when a game ends or a season comes to a close, social media allows for the fostering of long term relationships and continues to build a sense of community. The marriage of social media and relationship marketing cannot be overlooked. Whereas 30 years …

Sustainability Program For Rio Secco Golf Club And Cascata, Jay Chiders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, operational excellence, and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward to the environment. Sustainability at Caesars Entertainment integrates strategic direction with the energy, innovation, and passion of its 70,000 employees. These employees are what drive Caesars Entertainment’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, CodeGreen (CodeGreen factsheet, 2012).

Caesars Entertainment Corporation owns two golf courses in Nevada. Rio Secco Golf Club opened in 1997 in Henderson and Cascata opened in …

Coaching Motivation, James Derella

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction

The ability to motivate athletes is one of the major requirements of being a good coach at any level. Collegiately it may even be more important because college athletes are trying to juggle so much in their life. Student athletes have to deal with schoolwork, practice, social life and other various demands that coaches, peers, individual and family members put on them. Student-athletes need to also weigh the options of trying to make sport a career or making sport a secondary option and making education. All educational institutions act politically correct and say that student-athletes are exactly that: students …

The Relationship Between Institutional, Departmental And Program-Specific Variables And The Academic Performance Of Division I Fbs Football Programs, Steven C. Eigenbrot

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study investigated the connection between the academic evaluation of Division I FBS football programs and the various social settings that influenced these student-athletes. These social settings were classified as: institutional, departmental and program-specific. The experience of the student-athlete is thought to be impacted by all three settings, creating applicability for social identity theory, which provides the theoretical framework of the study.

A Comparison Of High School Physical Education And Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Kathryn Anne Holt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Physical education is recommended for its potential to promote and provide physical activity. However, in high school settings students can commonly participate in other specified physical activity related programs in lieu of physical education and these programs are referred to as physical education waivers. Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is a common physical education waiver program. Although the criteria used to establish JROTC as a waiver program for physical education is unclear, anecdotally similar accrual of physical activity appears to be a main rationale. The primary purpose of this study was to examine student physical activity levels, lesson contexts, …

Perceptions Of Barriers That Inhibit African American Women And Adolescent Girls From Participation In Physical Activity, Sonya Daniels Walker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the barriers to leisure time physical activity for African American women and their adolescent daughters. Six mother-daughter dyads were interviewed who have access to physical activity opportunity. Three of the dyads participated in a follow-up focus group. A qualitative research design that utilized a grounded theory approach identified two themes for the women and two themes for the girls. Themes for the women include influence of culture and low physical activity IQ. Sub-themes of influence of culture are (a) hair and (b) body image. Sub-themes of low physical activity IQ are (a) mommy guilt, (b) perception of …

Understanding Loyalty And Motivation Of Professional Sports Fans, Victoria Wilkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors which create continuous and permanent commitment to a specific professional sports team.

Statement of Objectives: There is no denying that the current economic standing of the United States does not promote spending large sums of money on entertainment and leisure. Since taking a family to a professional sports game gets rather expensive, families are lead to pursue other alternatives while deciding how to spend free time. The costs of game attendance, including tickets, parking, food, beverages and souvenirs, can easily surpass one hundred dollars, which is undoable for many …

Enhancing Off-Season Motivation In Collegiate Athletes, Daniel Ryan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the optimal off-season motivational strategies to be utilized by collegiate coaches to maximize the motivation, sport performance, and sport satisfaction of collegiate athletes.

Objectives: By identifying the determinants of athlete motivation, this paper will serve as a resource for coaches as they seek to raise the overall motivation and commitment of their athletes during the off-season.

Justification: Developing the ideal off-season motivational strategy for collegiate athletes is important on a number of levels. Due to the heightened level of competition in college sports, coaches must ensure that the structuring of their …

Fan Loyalty And Motivation, Jason Mays

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this professional paper is to review psychological and marketing theory and research to explain what motivates an individual to become a highly identified loyal fan of a sports team. Implications for professional practice and future research will be presented.

Justification: Understanding what motivates a fan to become a highly identified fan is important to a team manager because fans are the primary revenue source of a team. The fundamental goal of marketing managers is to create repeat customers (brand loyalty) (Fortunato, 2006) and loyal fans represent most repeat customers. An organization’s brand is critical in …

Motivational Clinic For Coaches In Division I, Ii, Iii College Sports, Christopher M. Sheldrick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to create a motivational clinic for Division I coaches in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Statement of Objectives: By attending the motivational clinic for NCAA Division I coaches, attendees will learn effective motivational strategies from former successful collegiate athletes, successful college and professional sport coaches, and experts in sports psychology. By understanding and implementing the theories and strategies learned, coaches will be able to increase student-athlete performance at their institutions.

Justifications: It is important for coaches at all levels to understand athlete motivation. At the NCAA Division I level, the expectations for …

Creating A Positive Motivational Climate: Strategies For Division I Women’S Tennis Coaches, Mark Roberts

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a handbook of positive motivational strategies that enhance players’ performance and well-being.

Statement of Problem: When coaches do not use constructive motivational strategies and create a negative motivational climate, both the performance and the well-being of the student athlete may be undermined. Athletes playing in a negative motivational climate are less likely to perform to their full potential or enjoy participating in their sport. This can lead to athletes feeling negative emotions towards the athletic experience, resulting in harm to the athletes, teams, and coaches.

Justification: Exploring optimal motivational strategies for …

The Positive And Negative Economic Contributions Of Mega-Sporting Events To Local Communities, Qi Gong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the factors of mega-sporting events those contribute to positive economic impact as well as the factors that may negatively impact a community. Based on reviewing existing literature and data, the positive and negative contributions, a community may have through a hosting sporting event, will be discussed. The objective of this paper is focused on the economic impact that happened to the local communities.

The Role Of Ethics In Athletic Participation, Ryan Matthews

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine what role ethics plays in athletic participation and what intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors may influence the decision making process of athletes. Once identified, the information found in this paper can be used to help athletes understand their own thought processes concerning rules adherence and to assist them in making a conscious decision to follow the rules to achieve their goals.

Statement of Problem: The exploration of the literature will reveal the many factors and conditions that an athlete faces that will influence their decision to participate within the confines of the …