Sports Studies Commons^™

"Yo, I Like Your Walk-Up Song": Music Integration In Professional Baseball Gamedays, Seth Swary

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During competition, athletes are consistently regulating their own emotions (Friesen et al., 2013a) and the emotions of their teammates (Tamminen et al., 2016). Athletes have identified music as a strategy used for both intrapersonal (Lane, Davis, & Devonport, 2011) and interpersonal emotion regulation (Friesen et al., 2015), while also using music for association/dissociation, enhancing performance, facilitating flow, and improving their qualitative experiences (Gabana et al., 2019). Though theories have been proposed on athletes’ individual (Bishop, Karageorghis, & Loizou, 2007) and group music use (Karageorghis et al., 2018), they are yet to be widely applied to other sports. Further examination is …

Using The Social Ecological Model To Build A Path Analysis Model Of Physical Activity In A Sample Of Active Us College Students, Jonathan J. Stewart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objective: To examine how achievement goal orientation, perceived barriers and benefits, self-efficacy, on-campus residence, transportation, and binge drinking impact physical activity. Participants: Five hundred and twenty (70.23% female) college students participated in the study during Fall 2014. Methods: Students completed an online questionnaire that measured environmental and psychosocial factors, and physical activity behaviors. Results: A path analysis revealed that self-efficacy, episodes of binge drinking, use of active transportation, and use of public transportation all had significant direct effects on physical activity. Meanwhile, perceived barriers had a significant negative direct effect on physical activity. Conclusion: Results indicate that both environmental and …

“I Do Not Feel I Am A Piece Of Property To Be Bought And Sold Irrespective Of My Wishes:” Athlete Activism And The Sociocultural Impact Of Curt Flood’S Lawsuit Against Major League Baseball, Luka Green

Pomona Senior Theses

In January 1970, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood filed a suit against MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, protesting the Reserve Clause in Major League Baseball that did not allow players the right to negotiate contract terms with any team but their current one. In doing so, he cemented his status as a divisive figure in baseball, the media, and with the general public. One of the primary reasons for such an extreme reaction was Flood’s rhetoric surrounding the case, as he repeatedly invoked slavery and other forms of peonage when describing the working conditions of professional baseball players. This sparked …

Use Your Head: A Frame Analysis Of Digital Media On Concussions In The National Football League Using The Health Belief Model And The Extended Parallel Process Model, Harrison Stow Witwer-Dukes

Senior Independent Study Theses

Over the past decade, the topic of concussions in the National Football League has increased in discourse as more information about the long term effects of head injuries has come out. The way the media portrays the topic has a significant impact on how the general public perceives the issue, as well as how solutions to the issue are proposed. The purpose of this study is to perform a frame analysis on 30 digital media news articles from 2009-2019. The frames presented in the study are based on elements from the Health Belief Model and the Extended Parallel Process Model. …

The Federalism Jackpot In Murphy V. Ncaa: Going All In On Anti-Commandeering Fails To Protect The Vulnerable, Erik Shannon

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

Sensorimotor Function In Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, Jules D. Miehm, John Buonaccorsi, Jongil Lim, Sumire Sato, Caitlin Rajala, Julianna Averill, Farnaz Khalighinejad, Carolina Ionete, Stephanie L. Jones, Jane A. Kent, Richard E.A. Van Emmerik

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: A sensitive test reflecting subtle sensorimotor changes throughout disease progression independent of mobility impairment is currently lacking in progressive multiple sclerosis.

Objectives: We examined non-ambulatory measures of upper and lower extremity sensorimotor function that may reveal differences between relapsing–remitting and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis.

Methods: Cutaneous sensitivity, proprioception, central motor function and mobility were assessed in 32 relapsing–remitting and 31 progressive multiple sclerosis patients and 30 non-multiple sclerosis controls.

Results: Cutaneous sensation differed between relapsing–remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis at the foot and to a lesser extent the hand. Proprioception function in the upper but not the lower …

The Fear Of Reinjury And Motivational Influences Contributing To An Athlete's Return To Sport, Erica Moyer

Capstone Showcase

ERICA MOYER

The Fear of Reinjury and Motivational Influences Contributing to an Athlete’s Return to Sport

Recovery from injury can be a difficult and lengthy process both physically and psychologically. Research that exists on the subject on injury recovery and return to sport mainly focuses on the importance of physical recovery, while discounting the psychological side. Fear of reinjury and motivation are two psychological concepts that contribute to an injured athlete’s decision of whether or not to return to sport. These factors are prominent during the recovery phase, up until and including a return to athletic competition. Self-determination theory provides …

An Analysis Of Attendance At An Ncaa Division I University: The Relationship Of Fan Identification, Sport Fandom, And Demographic Variables, Ashley Richardson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Research was conducted at The University of Akron to investigate the relationship between attendance at sporting events and fan identification, sport fandom, and other demographics variables. 195 Akron students took a survey consisting of the Sport Spectator Identification Scale, the Sport Fandom Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. The results revealed that fan identification and sport fandom were both positively correlated to student attendance at sporting events. Additional factors significantly correlated with attendance were if the participant had friends that played on a varsity sports team, or if the participant themselves played on a varsity sports team. Demographic variables such as …

Systemic Barriers And Facilitators Of Help-Seeking And Highly Performing Individuals In Business And Sports, Jonathan N. Weller

Theses and Dissertations

The mental health and wellbeing of highly performing individuals in business and sport demands attention due to the high costs (personal and financial) that disruptions can create for these individuals and their organizations or teams. Utilizing 13 interviews with support professionals (e.g., executive coaches, psychologists), this study explored factors affecting help-seeking and wellbeing amongst high-performing athletes and executives, consequences of not seeking help, and similarities present in business and elite sports environments. Themes including stigma, career consequences, logistics, culture, and isolation of leadership were identified as factors inhibiting help-seeking and wellbeing. Service delivery factors, organizational resources and policies, and leadership …

Demographics And Physical Activity Levels Of Esports Athletes At The University Of Akron, Madison Morgan, Patrick Barrett, Madeleine Stoll

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Esports is rapidly growing and gaining popularity, however there is a lack of research regarding physical activity levels of eSport athletes, especially those at the collegiate level. This study summarizes the current research and findings related to exercise, overall health, and video game performance. All varsity eSport athletes for The University of Akron varsity team were “participants” in this study. A survey tool was designed through Qualtrics (Qualtrics 2020© Provo, UT), an online survey instrument, to assess current physical activity levels, preferences and tolerance for exercise intensity, and perceptions about how physical activity affects gaming performance. This survey was distributed …

Physiological Adaptations To Training And Associations With Performance In Division I Cross-Country Runners, Kailyn Renae Sanchez

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

The Prevalence Of Secondary School Sport Safety Policies Within State Athletic Associations And Legislation, Samantha E. Scarneo, William M. Adams, Susan W. Yeargin, Madeline A. Konz, James E. Potter, Douglas J. Casa

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The location of secondary school health and safety policies impacts how they are implemented by the sports medicine team and stakeholders. Yet, a comprehensive list of each state’s policy locations has not been established. The purpose of this study was to describe where secondary school health and safety policies were located at the state level within the United States. Method: Emergency related health and safety policies were designated as either being located in the state high school athletics association (SHSAA), state legislation (LEGIS), or in both SHSAA and LEGIS (BOTH). Designation was determined by two researchers who independently …

Is There Racial Bias In Officiating Nba Games?, Kyle Gaisano

CMC Senior Theses

Racial discrimination has not only been an issue in policing and in the labor market among others, but also it is a growing and contentious concern in professional sports leagues. This paper uses data from the 2017-18 and the 2018-19 NBA seasons to find evidence of racial bias and market inefficiencies in the context of sports betting markets. We find that although the results only weakly support this, there is some evidence of racial bias in the league. This is because it was found that sports betting companies tend to price in race-related information into the betting odds.

An Investigation Of The Competitive Anxiety Experiences Of Adolescent Figure Skaters, Diane Benish

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Based on the three-factor hierarchical model of competitive anxiety (Jones, Mullen, & Hardy, 2019), the present study explored the relationship between competitive anxiety and performance among a sample of adolescent figure skaters. Participants included 47 figure skating athletes between the ages of 13 – 17 who were participating in a United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) sanctioned test session. Analyses revealed that the three higher order factors of the Three Factor Anxiety Inventory (TFAI; Jones et al., 2019) along with years of testing experience, test attempt number and months training for a test were not related and therefore were unable …

An Exploration Of Contributing Factors Of Student Fitness Employee Job Satisfaction In Campus Recreation, John Davenport

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored what factors contributed to a student employee’s satisfaction with their job in the fitness sector of campus recreation. Campus recreation programs offer many on-campus jobs for students, with a focus on student development and community. Despite much research being done on job satisfaction, there is a noticeable gap when it comes to job satisfaction in campus recreation fitness. Findings from nine semi-structured phone interviews across three universities in California, Louisiana, and Mississippi have yielded three main elements: people, job qualities, and rewards. First, the findings indicated that supervisors, teammates, and patrons are the people that contribute …

Gamers Who Gamble: Examining The Relationship Between Esports Spectatorship And Event Wagering, Brett Abarbanel, Joseph Macey, Juho Hamari, Rolando R. Corley Melton

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

During recent years, while electronic sports (esports) has increasingly become a positive mainstream cultural phenomenon, it also may have several socio-economic implications, such as the growth of esports betting. Much like betting in sport, betting on esports has become a prominent form of gambling. However, there is still a paucity of knowledge on the demographic characteristics of this gambling cohort, particularly in regard to its relationship to video game play and spectatorship. In the present study, past-year video gamers (N = 1368) completed an online survey. Survey questions inquired about their esports event spectating, video game play, and esports betting …

Exercise Training As Adjunct Therapy For Substance Use Disorder, Emily Lynn Roessel

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Exercise training for clients at out-patient drug rehabilitation centers likely helps with coping skills. However, a better examination of the mechanisms producing changes may help identify effective interventions. PURPOSE: To test the effect of a vigorous exercise prescription on drug abstinence in voluntary rehabilitation patients. METHODS: 25 surveyed participants in a male drug treatment program underwent a 12-week minimum training program. The program included moderate-rigorous exercise and psychotherapy. Three days per week all subjects participated in EP for 90 minutes. Subjects also participated in ABIT 3 days per week where each session lasted 2 hours. Subjects also participated in ESM …

Insurance Status And Obesity As Predictors Of Cost In Trauma Care, Emily Homer

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Insurance is a vital factor in the billed cost to the patient, but to what degree does insurance explain the amount a patient is left to pay? Also, does obesity further influence patient’s billed cost? This thesis assesses the type of thoracic trauma patient, insurance status, and their billed cost. Database variables were analyzed in IBM SPSS 25. Table 1 characteristics were evaluated based on demographics and systematic hospital factors. Linear regressions used Private0_Government1 and BMI Obese n_y_ as independent variables while Total Patient Cost was the dependent variable. Private0_Government1 insurance explained .03% of Total Patient Charges. Private0_Government1 and BMI …

A Phenomenological Photovoice Exploration Of Female Exercisers’ Experiences Of Their Body In Fitness Center Environments, Katherine E. Fairhurst

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For many women, the relationship with their body and exercise is complex. Exercise can have positive effects on body image, however, not all women appear to benefit positively from all types of exercise. To date, body image research has focused on exercise as an activity and less so on the context in which exercise is performed. Women frequently exercise in fitness centers as young adults which, unfortunately, is associated with body dissatisfaction. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach with Photovoice methodology, we explored young adult women’s lived body experiences while exercising in fitness centers. A purposive sample of 11 …

Exploring The Relationship Between Hardiness And Performance In Collegiate Baseball Players, Kevin R. Lou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the individual personality characteristic of hardiness on trait anxiety and objective performance within NCAA Division I collegiate baseball players. An updated version of the PVS III-R was used to measure hardiness after a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. Of the total 389 players that participated, 171 met inclusion criteria requirements and were split into two groups – hitters (N=94) and pitchers (N=80) – to identify differences in skills and how sub-constructs of hardiness affected performance through a descriptive correlational prospective design. The results show …

The Shifting Scheme Of Athletic Fundraising: Investigating Private Giving Under The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act, Kirsten Nicole Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With a consistent decline in state funding to public higher education, institutions have become more reliant on private funding to institutional support. The shift in government policy through the introduction of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (2017) created financial uncertainty within athletic departments and university foundations. The TCJA eliminated the 80 percent tax deduction on season ticket donations and increased the standard deduction. With these policy changes, athletic development officers speculated a decline in donations in 2018 and beyond. Using quantitative methodology and a longitudinal approach, this study examined athletic donations from January 1, 2013 to July 31, …

Important Factors Influencing Attendance At Northwoods League Games, Ryan Eiche

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of various factors as they related to attendance at Northwoods League baseball games. This league was an ideal fit for the study as little research has been conducted on this level of baseball. A survey was sent out via the Facebook page of the Lakeshore Chinooks to gather responses from fans on what factors encouraged attendance. Fans were asked to then rate how important each factor was on a five-point sliding scale. The research revealed that situational factors such as convenience, day and time, and weather of the game were …

Single Sport Specialization: Ncaa Di Collegiate Student Athlete Perceptions, Jordyn Blood

Masters Theses

This study seeks to understand the experience and perception of current, NCAA DI athletes with regard to sport specialization. By learning more about their level of specialization prior to their life as an NCAA DI athlete, as well as their perception on the importance of specialization, this study seeks to contribute to the growing body of literature in sport specialization. Specifically, this study will help inform aspiring athletes, coaches and parents about the role and perceptions of sport specialization in today's elite level athlete. Using paper surveys, the perceptions of 138 current 2019-2020 season NCAA DI athletes at a mid-major …

Using Sport Identification & Rhetorical Strategy: Evaluating An Ncaa D1 Collegiate Football Team’S Social Media Presence, Maria Baldwin

Masters Theses

Using social media platforms to build identification amongst stakeholders is of increasing importance for a growing range of organizations. Social media represents a powerful tool for marketing and developing business. In sports organizations, the use of social media can build identification amongst a fanbase by using George Cheney’s (1983) rhetorical strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore the content of a regional D1 university football team’s twitter and Instagram platforms, using a content analysis to clarify the organization’s use of rhetorical strategies and design elements to foster sport identification amongst their social media fanbase. Many sports organizations use …

Female Collegiate Student Athletes And The Perception, Attitudes And Experiences Of Psychological And Mental Health Services, Breonna Bejaran

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study explored eighteen National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II female student athletes’ experiences and opinions of help seeking for mental health concerns. A mixed methodological design was used. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected to gain an understanding of help seeking barriers for the participant and their beliefs about help seeking barriers for their peers. Results from the qualitative data identified several themes that assisted in understanding help seeking behaviors. Data suggest that there was a lack of motivation when it came to seek mental health services as a whole by the female student athlete population. Time, lack …

Localization Economies And Firm Productivity: Evidence From Football Teams In Sao Paulo, Brazil, Brad Humphreys, Amir B. Neto

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Agglomeration economies affect urban economic outcomes. We analyze variation in sports team productivity and localization of teams across divisions and cities in Campeonato Paulista an annual football competition in São Paulo state, Brazil, exploiting plausibly exogenous variation in localization generated by a promotion and relegation system in this league. Results show that both urbanization, proxied by population, and localization affects short and long run team productivity. These results provide new evidence on the importance of localization economies in the urban economy in developing countries and shed light on why sports teams in larger cities enjoy more success than those in …

Development, Assessment And Application Of A Novel Algorithm To Automatically Detect Change Of Direction Movement And Quantify Its Associated Mechanical Load In Elite Australian Football, Aaron Balloch

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The ability to change direction rapidly and efficiently is critical to team-sport performance, including Australian football (AF), where a player’s capacity to rapidly decelerate, move laterally and re-accelerate is critical when evading opponents, tackling, or reacting to the unpredictable bounce of the ball or movement of another player. The biomechanical loading requirements of change of direction (COD) movement are angle and velocity dependant. Cumulative COD movement can impart high levels of neuromuscular and metabolic fatigue which can adversely affect the efficiency of subsequent movement efforts. Despite widespread use of microtechnology devices (the vast majority containing a global navigation satellite system …

Improving Sprint Performance In Road Cycling: The Forward Standing Sprint Position, Paul Franciscus Johannes Merkes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The majority of road cycling races finish with a sprint and as such sprints are a key determinant of success. Surprisingly, the scientific literature on this specific topic is scarce, with limited to few studies describing the characteristics of road cycling sprinters and the demands of road sprinting. Cyclists’ sprinting velocity, which is mostly influenced by power output and aerodynamic drag (CdA) is critical to performance outcomes. However, to date, there is very limited research specifically examining how to maximise road sprint velocity. Thus, the overall objective of the four studies outlined in this thesis was to manipulate CdA, physiology, …

Injury Surveillance In Community Cricket And The Exploration Of Insurance Claims Systems, Geordie Mcleod

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aims of this industry funded PhD thesis were 1) To understand the injury causes, trends and burden in community cricket and 2) To examine the Cricket Australia National Club Risk Protection Program (NCRPP) insurance scheme for suitability as an injury surveillance tool for community cricket.

This thesis sought to identify and understand the injury profile of community cricketers through existing literature and injury datasets, being, Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit (VISU) hospital data, Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and NCRPP insurance claims data. This thesis also undertook a novel assessment of data validity and completeness from various sources, against industry standards …

Exploring Sex And Contact Sport Differences In Baseline Impact Post-Concussion Symptom Scale Scores Among Collegiate Athletes Without A History Of Concussion, Madison Mackenzie

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Introduction: The use of baseline or preseason cognitive testing, including symptom endorsement, to quantify post-injury changes, is a practice supported by most major sports associations. In the absence of baseline data, normative data are used for this purpose and research suggests that those data often fail to accurately represent some groups of athletes, particularly non-concussed female athletes in all sports. In clinical practice, inaccurate normative scores can mask or exaggerate post-injury changes which can result in mismanaged athlete care and inaccurate return-to-play decisions. This study examines differences in baseline symptom scores between male and female athletes in different types of …