Sports Studies Commons^™

Minor League: The Journey To The Show, Collin Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When thinking about the path an athlete takes to get to the major leagues, many think of the same process: High School, College, Professional. However, the professional level includes is more than just the MLB or NBA that people would assume. Almost all professional U.S. sports leagues have a minor league system associated with them that nearly all players pass through at one point or another. Through the lens of a documentary, this portion in an athlete’s journey will be spotlighted to show what these leagues do for them, how they help them improve, and how they prepare them to …

The Black Bombers Of Ghana: Sport, Nation-Building And Pan-Africanism, 1958 To The 21st Century, Kenneth Tagoe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ghana’s Amateur Boxing Team, known as the Black Bombers, has impacted the country’s political and socio-economic development since its formation in 1958. This thesis argues that amateur boxing was one of the sports that Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, used to promote nation-building and, more broadly, a Pan-African agenda. The team’s success in international competitions has widely projected Ghana's sporting reputation and reinforced the Pan-African principles of Black pride and excellence in the global athletics arena, and beyond. This thesis traces the origins of amateur boxing and the formation of the Black Bombers, the squad’s participation in international athletics events …

On And Off The Court: Who Am I?, Katie Claire Parker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From a very young age, athletically gifted individuals are encouraged to pursue their sport. This can lead to a strong maturity in an athletic sense, yet it comes at the expense of other areas of development. The early commitments to sport require the individual to make sacrifices that allow them to gain competency over others, as a result, additional values and identifying characteristics get pushed aside. Further, athletes are known for performing in the spotlight. Every game has an audience and one team ends up a winner, the other a loser. Typically, the athletes experience the highs of victory and …

Changes In Physical Activity And Sleep Following The Covid-19 Pandemic On A University Campus: Perception Versus Reality, Bryce T. Daniels, Samantha Robinson, Ivan Vargas, Jamie I. Baum, Erin K. Howie

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

It has been hypothesized that key lifestyle behaviors of physical activity and sleep worsened in response to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, there have been inconsistencies in findings of changes in these key lifestyle behaviors across populations likely due to the wide variety of assessment methods. The purpose of the study was to compare physical activity and sleep before and after the COVID-19 pandemic using accelerometers and self-reported behaviors. A longitudinal follow-up was conducted on students, faculty, and staff at a university campus in the United States. In the periods before March 2020 (covering the academic years of 2018-2019 …

Exploring Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy In The Lived Experiences Of African-American Male Former Division I Basketball Players: A Phenomenological Study, James Jameel Pugh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the self-perceived career goal achievement capabilities of African-American former Division I basketball players through the lens of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE) and its impact on their post-athletic career decisions. Through a phenomenological approach, this study aims to contribute a nuanced understanding of the experiences, behaviors, and perceptions of these athletes' post-collegiate sports career transitions. Embedded within the literature review framework, this study illuminates likely factors influencing CDMSE by examining Self-Efficacy, Athlete Identity, Identity Foreclosure, and Career Maturity. Additionally presented is an overview of the unique culture within revenue-generating collegiate sports and, specifically, previous research on the experiences …

Setting The Record Straight: Why The Nba Needs To Officially Adopt Aba Statistics, Roy E. Brownell Ii

Arkansas Law Review

In the case of the legal settlement between the (merger of the NBA and ABA, one of those legacies is that the NBA chooses not to officially recognize the ABA’s statistics. By arguing in favor of the NBA officially adopting ABA statistics, this Article addresses a question that lies at the intersection of law, race, sports, history, and corporate policy. Part II discusses the 1976 legal settlement between the two leagues. Part III, in turn, analyzes concerns over morality and why they weigh heavily in support of the NBA acknowledging ABA records. Part IV offers an evaluation of historical factors …

The Role Of Age As A Risk Factor For Pickleball-Related Injuries, Ches Jones, Bart Hammig

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pickleball is a popular sport that includes players from many different demographics. The popularity has resulted in not only increases in participation but also in activity related injuries. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors along with potential mechanisms for injuries related to pickleball and identify effective countermeasures. Methods included the identification of pickleball related injuries from a US National Emergency Room database (NEISS). A narrative section of the database was used to identify and categorize potential mechanisms of injury. Results indicated that the types and mechanisms of injury relate to three specific age groups: younger, middle …

Isomorphic Trends In State Nil Laws, Andrew Godfrey

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

On July 1, 2021, the NCAA released their interim NIL policies, reversing its stance from prohibiting college athletes from being compensated for their name, image, or likeness to permitting college athletes to acquire compensation in return for the use of their NIL by third parties unrelated to the athlete’s institution. As such, state NIL laws, which have only existed since 2019, have become the primary measure on what is or is not permissible in relation to NIL. State NIL laws have already evolved repeatedly since their creation, thus causing confusion on what the state NIL laws permit and prohibit. These …

An Exploration Of Saudi Women’S Experiences And Perceptions Towards Participation In Physical Activity And Sports In The United States, Ahmed H. Sumayli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A significant proportion of Saudi women are currently living in different Western countries, including the United States of America. Physical activity and sports participation play a significant role in maintaining health and well-being for all individuals. Understanding their physical activity experiences and perceptions regarding participation in sports activity during their stay in the United States is important. This study aimed to understand if the length of residence in the United States and/or acculturation to the U.S. environment could significantly change Saudi women's patterns, attitudes, and behaviors towards sports and fitness activities. This qualitative study was carried out to explore and …

The Role Of Event Operations In Collegiate Athletics: A Reflection Of My Internship With University Of Arkansas Event Management, Cameron Terrell

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Today, millions of people throughout the globe are taking part in sport, either through active participation or through watching athletes. According to the State of the lndustry Report from the Sports & Fitness lndustry Association and Sports Marketing Surveys USA, 232.6 million Americans participated in sports and fitness activities during 2021 (Broughton, 2022). Add to this number the millions of people who do not participate but are regular attendees or viewers at sport events, and it is staggering to realize how society's interest in sport has increased. Thus, the need for more informed sport managers in the public, nonprofit, and …

How Student Athletes Can Profit From Their Name, Image, And Likeness Rights, Ryan Bartholow

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

A new mixture of state laws and NCAA rules have provided athletes with varying degrees of new protections and opportunities to make money by selling their NIL rights (Murphy, 2021). However, these new NIL rights do not come with any sort of guide on how to begin making a profit. According to Christovich (2021), wealthy D-I schools have spent the past year building their NIL programs and hiring consultants to educate their athletes on the new NIL rules. There are many D-II and D-III schools that may not have the finances available to educate their athletes on how to return …

Nationalistic Media Obsession With Olympic Medal Counts: The Case Of The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Steve Dittmore, Kibaek Kim

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Because Olympic medals are awarded to athletes representing an individual National Olympic Committee, it is natural for the media, and even the International Olympic Committee, to create a table indicating which nation has experienced the most athletic success. Problems, and even disagreements, arise when nations utilize different methods to count medals. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, contested in 2021, provided a unique opportunity to observe how media organizations create a narrative around medal tables. American media outlets preferred to consistently show the United States at the top of the medal standings even though China had more gold medals for much …

Stress Among Ncaa Division Ii Head Coaches, Dee Gerlach

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify factors that create stress among head coaches at the National Association Athletic Association Division II level. Data was collected through a demographic questionnaire and the Coaching Issues Survey (CIS), a tool used to measure specific factors that may create stress among coaches. The factors of the CIS include four subscales: Athlete-Concerns, Time-Role, Program-Success, and Win-Loss. Participants (N=416) consisted of head coaches representing the following sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s and women’s golf, softball, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s tennis. The independent variables for this …

Analyzing The Mediating Effects Of Social Capital And Sense Of Community Between International Student’S College Sports Fan Identification And Acculturation, Kibaek Kim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the number provided by the International Institute of Education (IIE), there are over one million international students enrolled in the United States. Although the number of international students is increasing, the incremental rate started to decrease after reaching its peak in the 2017-2018 academic year. While previous studies focused on the role of leisure activities, such as physical activity participation, to analyze how international students can receive social support from their communities to better acculturate in the U.S., this study focused on the role of spectator sports on providing social support and its effect on international student’s acculturation. …

Decision Making Within An Nfl Context Using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis, Lawson Porter

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular sports league in the world, with millions of viewers every game and billions of dollars generated every season. Statistics are an important part of an NFL team’s business operating model and contribute greatly towards their decision making. Every season, general managers try to sign players that give the team the highest probability of winning games throughout the year. There are many factors that go into this decision, including the amount of money the team has to spend and the value that available players can bring to a team. Teams must abide …

Values And Success In Collegiate Athletics, Nathan Shelby Hutchens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The rapid commercialization of intercollegiate sports has changed the landscape of the hiring decisions and methodologies within university-associated athletic departments – especially within the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (DI-FBS) (Wong, 2017). Most notably and recently, the strategies used to hire athletic directors (ADs) have underwent considerable revision – yet successful hires are far from a sure thing. Many strategies include allusions to leadership style, yet leadership styles are as numerous as there are researchers who study them – and are rarely implemented holistically, thus making their assessment and associated outcomes tenuous at best (Peachey et al., 2015). Hambrick and …

Narrative Inquiry: Life Experiences Of Elite Athletes, Sarah Elizabeth Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Elite athletes face numerous personal and professional pressures and high-stress experiences; however, there is a gap in the literature connecting identity development with these life experiences. Using narrative inquiry analysis with six emerging adult athletes competing at professional and Olympic levels, this study identified self-narratives they created from life experiences within the context of sport and analyzed when these meanings were formed. Athletes described experiences causing great psychological disturbances as a normal risk within their sport and needing to regulate or compartmentalize their emotions to get through those experiences. Participants discussed various roles they play within their team but lacked …

The Effect Of Endorser Credibility On Purchase Intention Based On Golf Products’ Attribute: Elaboration Likelihood Model Perspective. Golf Equipment Vs. Golf Apparel, Jongyeol Yoo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to examine the main features of a sport celebrity which make them credible as an endorser such that it influences the consumer’s purchase intention based on the products’ attributes. The study used a non-probability sample, a convenient sample method, limiting the generalization possibilities. A total of 401 surveys were collected for a golf apparel study while a total of 397 surveys were collected for a golf equipment study.

Findings of the golf apparel study indicated that trustworthiness, attitude toward advertisement, and involvement in golf positively influence on purchase intentions. On the other hand, attractiveness, …

What Is The Availability, Accessibility And Scope Of Mental Health Services For College Athletes? Where Do Social Workers Fit In?, James Robinson Ii

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the availability, accessibility, and scope of mental health services and how social workers impact the mental health care of collegiate student-athletes. This section will interpret findings from the study and focus on availability, access and scope of mental health services and comment on the presence of social work in college athletics. [Excerpt from thesis].

Relationship Marketing And Intercollegiate Sport Promotion, Alison Fridley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The first article, a case study on a NCAA Division I Power Five university in the southeastern United States, employed a case study framework, explored target markets and exposure techniques through both the planned behavior theory and social identity theory theoretical lenses. This study aimed to better understand how university students and booster club members identify as a social group. The data emerged into four distinct themes, including communication, social interaction, connection, and hospitality. The findings suggested booster club members are primary fans and help the team generate fan interest. The importance of sociability was clear and the implications for …

Buffer Zones And The Recreational Golf Sector: A Negligence Case Content Analysis, Natalie Bird

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Buffer zones are a risk management method used within sport and recreation to protect participants and spectators from avoidable injury. Within the recreational golf sector, buffer zone standards do not exist. This poses a problem as golf courses in the recreational sector serve a wide range of customers in terms of age, skill level, and experience. A legal case content analysis of 1,561 golf negligence lawsuits aimed to answer research questions related to locations of incidents, circumstances that led to injury, and injuries or damages that were the result of errant golf shots. A Westlaw search provided the data for …

El Baloncesto Es Vida: A Look Into Strength And Conditioning, Physical Therapy, And Coaching During My Internship Abroad, Jessica Doublesin

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: An experience abroad can help a person grow in confidence and knowledge and allow them to immerse themselves in a new culture. During my time in Valencia, Spain, I was able to work at a youth basketball club, CB L’Horta Godella, alongside the club’s strength and conditioning coaches and the physical therapist and be a coach for the young athletes. The fact that I lived with a Spanish family and had an open mindset towards making friends and exploring new things allowed me to grow closer to the culture in Spain. By using my knowledge and passion for sports …

Horse Racing During The Civil War: The Perseverance Of The Sport During A Time Of National Crisis, Danael Christian Suttle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Horse racing has a long and uninterrupted history in the United States. The historiography, however, maintains that horse racing went into hiatus during the Civil War. This simply is not true. While it is true that horse racing saw a decline in the beginning of the war, by the time the war ended, the sport had risen to similar heights as seen before the war. During the war, the sport was enjoyed by both soldiers and civilians. In the army, soldiers would often have impromptu camp races. As the war continued on, camp races became frowned upon by officers. The …

Barriers Of African American Football Student-Athletes In Seeking Mental Health Services, Todd Andrew Wilkerson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly half (48%) of collegiate football student-athletes are African American (NCAA, 2018). African American student-athletes face adversity at their respective institutions in the forms of racism and unfair treatment (Hill, Hall & Appleton, 2010). African American male student-athletes face educational stressors, campus stressors and athletic stressors. These stressors consist of academics, family, athletics and social relationships (Miller & Hoffman, 2009). Many African American student-athletes do not seek mental health treatment due to their status on campus (Watson, 2006). However, few studies have examined mental health and barriers for African American male student-athletes when seeking mental health services. As such, the …

Advanced Statistics In Arkansas Sports Reporting, Andrew Lee Epperson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to analyze how Arkansas’ sports journalists are adapting to the recent surge in available advanced statistics that are being used by certain national news organizations. Using in-depth qualitative research that includes in-depth interviews with a number of individuals in the print, broadcast, and athletics side of sports coverage, we discover how journalists and coaches use these next-generation analytics, what they fundamentally mean for the evolution of each respective path, and why so few Arkansas reporters and writers use them at the time of this paper’s defense. We see how budgets and deadlines restrict the use of these …

Female Perspectives On Mountain Biking, Rebecca Irvin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study strived to inquire about females’ perspectives of learning to mountain biking. Through an online survey, the present study explored the constraints (White, 2008) that keep women from trying the sport. Respondents (N=150) answered an online survey. Results of this study will be useful for outdoor education professionals, parks and recreation programming, cycling advocacy organizations, and any who make marketing materials for the outdoor industry. The study is designed to provide a description of the female perspectives regarding constraints and motivation towards learning to mountain bike.

Irish Whips And German Suplexes: Professional Wrestling And The American Immigrant And Minority Experience, Colin Rush Walker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Trends within sports and popular entertainment have long been regarded as great indicators of larger transitions in the social, political, and economic landscape of the United States. Repeatedly mined and often used for context, sports have become intrinsically linked to the broader discussions of people, their beliefs, ideals, and actions occurring in the historiography of American culture. However, one sport has regularly been passed over in these examinations. I argue that the modern day entertainment monolith of professional wrestling serves as one of the most important indicators of socioeconomic change in the history of the U.S., and that it plays …

The Impact Of Coaches' Character On Youth Basketball Players, Natasha Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

If utilized effectively, recreation and sports can serve as major tools for developing youth, improving the educational environment, and increasing the number of productive adults that are healthier physically and mentally to positively impact society. Most research targeting recreation and sports developing youth has the perspective primarily of parents and youth. Evaluating the character strengths of coaches and youth athletes who actively participate in team basketball is vital.

An exploration of the value of basketball and character strengths of (n = 64) youth athletes, between the ages of 12 to 16 years, and the impact of their involvement with coaches …

Fantasy Football's Impact On Nfl Revenue, Joshua Hamby

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates the hypothesis that fantasy football positively influences NFL revenues. While there are many variables that may substantially influence NFL revenues, such as team by team and year by year variation, the estimations in this paper attempt to isolate the effects of fantasy football. Providing evidence of impacts attributable to fantasy football would be important information for parties involved with the NFL and/or fantasy football to better understand what is creating value for the league, players in the league, and the fantasy industry. This paper has results on estimations testing the impacts of both the fantasy participation explosion …

Transformational Leadership In Club Sports: An Instrument For Evaluation And Assessment, Nathan Shelby Hutchens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campus Recreation and its programs can be used as a way to combat the national trends of decreasing enrollment and retention (Weaver, Forte, & McFadden, 2017; Kampf & Teske, 2013). In fact, 62% of students indicate that Campus Recreation programs are a factor when choosing an institution and 67% indicate that recreation programs were a factor when deciding to stay at a particular institution (Forrester, 2014). As a program within Campus Recreation, Club Sports specifically is perceived to have the greatest health and wellbeing benefits out of all Campus Recreation programming (Lower, Turner, & Petersen, 2013). Due to the voluntary …