Sports Studies Commons^™

Investigating Mental Health Outcomes Of National Collegiate Athletic Association (Ncaa) Division I Student-Athletes At The University Of Louisville, 2019-2023., Paul Harvey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health outcomes among collegiate student-athletes, has become a broader concern in the 21^st century. This study examines prevalence and incidence of anxiety and depression amongst student-athletes at the University of Louisville from 2019-2023 across different Sports Groups. The prevalence of anxiety was found to be 20.22% and risk of anxiety was 15.65%. The prevalence of depression was found to be 13.11% and risk of depression was 18.75%. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between sports groups and anxiety/depression. There was a borderline association between sports groups and prevalence of anxiety after confounder adjustment (OR=1.86, 95% CI: …

Comparative Analysis Of Regression And Random Forest Models For Player Performance Prediction In The Mls, Joshua Clement Madeti

Senior Honors Theses

Advanced technology and analytics have transformed the world and have benefited several industries throughout, the sport industry being one of them. Data is constantly generated during sports and requires post-game or post-season analysis which is crucial to team and player success. In this paper, the researcher will focus on the impact of analytics on soccer and soccer players. With over three billion active fans, soccer is the most famous sport in the world yet, when it comes to analytics, it is lagging. The thesis includes a comparative study of multiple linear regression and random forest regression to explore whether these …

Upstate South Carolina Mental Health And Sport Initiative: Contributing Solutions To The Mental Health Crisis Via Improvement Of Mental Health Literacy Among Adults In Youth Sport Communities, Margaret Domka

All Dissertations

This study contributed solutions to the youth mental health crisis by providing effective options for mental health awareness training (MHAT) that can be utilized in youth sport for increasing mental health literacy (MHL) among adults. Widely implementing MHAT has the potential to improve youth mental health status through increased help-seeking behaviors by adults. This study first evaluated whether mental health status and MHL are correlated in a youth sport setting with significant results indicating that investing time and resources into MHAT is worthwhile. Next, two MHAT modules were evaluated to determine their effectiveness for increasing MHL among this audience, i.e., …

Intersectionality In Tennis (Wta) Sports Media, Emily Stoner

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This “applied knowledge” project investigates and observes intersectionality in tennis sports media via the women’s professional tour (WTA). Intersectionality in Tennis (WTA) Sports Media analyzes how intersectionality as a concept and social justice lens impacts and is impacted by media. By considering intersectional identities and their implications in sports media narratives and coverage, this piece displays some telling patterns and perpetuations.

At the professional level, tennis certainly does not garner the most profit or attention, but it provides a unique world of intersecting identities, cultures, geography and tradition. This work aims to shed light on the state of sports media, …

Ua12/2/2 Talisman: Connection, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Talisman:

• Alali, Cecilia & Ragan Harrington. Connection
• Hardesty, Emma. On a Roll – Dungeons & Dragons
• Muscutt, Carson. Grinding Through Life – Molotov Skateshop
• Cox, Kate. Stopwatch
• Harrington, Ragan. 1 Campus, 7 Strangers – Logan Hesse, Nicholas Basile, Spencer Winterbottom, Alliyah Jones, Alex Gehring, Annie McClurg, Rowan Finley
• Vickers, Abigail. Forged in Combat – Mixed Martial Arts
• Wood-Morris, Oli. Survivors to Neighbors – Bosnian Refugees
• Jordan, Shylin. Severed Roots
• Bivens, Emily. Behind the Screen – Social Media
• Dean, Clarissa. Shear Talent – Shake Rag Barbershop
• Sutton, Avery. For the Love of the Old – Thrift Shopping
• Phelps, Maggie. …

Decade-Long Deals: The Forces Driving Mlb’S Lengthening Contracts, Benjamin Cuccolo

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This study investigates the economic and institutional factors that influence lengthening contracts in Major League Baseball. Using a dataset of 652 free agent position players that signed for two years or longer from 1991 to 2025, this paper explores how factors such as age, relative player performance, collective bargaining agreements, and risk management strategies affect contract length. Results from the regression model show that younger players that are higher performing are more likely to receive long-term deals. Additionally, those that are extended a qualifying offer also typically sign for longer term deals as suggested by the regression results. A separate …

Rewriting War: Improving The Mlb’S Go-To Advanced Metric, Kolin Atwood

Honors Projects

Traditional Wins Above Replacement (WAR) metrics have long served as a cornerstone of player evaluation in Major League Baseball, offering a context-neutral summary of offensive, defensive, and baserunning contributions. However, this neutrality often overlooks critical factors such as game situation, lineup strength, and advanced baserunning impact. This project proposes an enhanced model, WAR-PC (Wins Above Replacement – Plus Context), that integrates three key improvements: context-dependent batting value (RE24), clutch performance (Win Probability Added, WPA), and Statcast-based baserunning metrics. Using R, player logs, and modern baseball data sources, WAR-PC was calculated for eight players from the 2023 MLB season. The revised …

Life In Dance: Relationship To Self And Dance Environment, Emily Barz

Undergraduate Theses

Dance is an athletic art form in which the body is trained repetitively to perfect sequences of movement. The training regimen for dance requires a lot of time and dedication; this training can have an impact on self-esteem, especially when aspects of dance become detrimental to the dancer.

Maintaining a high level of self-esteem is important for dancers because self-esteem impacts a dancer's ability to grow in their artistry as well as life outcomes outside of dance.

Current research on dancer self-esteem highlights a very specific issue: body image. Dancers are expected to execute technique and fulfill high standards; oftentimes, …

Everything But Wrestling: How Women Wrestlers Perform Dominance, Lauren Gherman

Anthropology Honors Papers

Women’s wrestling continues to grow at the high school level, with more young girls joining the sport each year. Yet, as more women join wrestling, a heavily masculine sport, questions about gender preintimation on women’s teams arise. This study asks three questions about the role of gender on women’s teams: 1) Does an individual’s gender identity, in a heavily gendered sport like wrestling, factor into the development of team culture? 2) What, if any, forms of gendered socialization emerge as women enter wrestling? 3) In what way are women socialized because of their gender? Data was gathered via interviews, in …

Game Changers: The Impact Of Female Representation In Sports Media On Girls' Youth Sport Participation, Kaci L. Huff

Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines how female representation in sports media impacts girls' youth sport participation rates. Using a review of current literature and original enrollment data from local youth organizations, it reveals that limited and often stereotyped portrayals of female athletes contribute to lower participation and early dropout among girls. The study highlights how underrepresentation, especially of marginalized groups, reinforces harmful narratives that deter engagement. Solutions are proposed, including increasing inclusive media coverage and emphasizing athletic achievements over appearance. By reshaping media narratives, the sports industry can create more supportive environments and encourage greater youth sport participation among girls.

Harnessing Ai For Small Business Feasibility: A Paddleboard Guiding Venture In Winona, Minnesota, Grace M. Baden, Clay A. Craker, Isabella Howe, Patrick Wright, Andrew A. Regner

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This project explores the integration of artificial intelligence in constructing a feasibility study for a proposed paddleboard guiding business in Winona, Minnesota. Conducted as a six-week applied learning experience within the Commercial Recreation course, students systematically employed AI tools to develop a feasibility analyses, covering business concept development, market research, financial forecasting, and operational planning.

A core focus of this project was AI prompt engineering—students iteratively designed, tested, and refined AI-generated responses to improve the accuracy, clarity, and applicability of feasibility study components. The project also examined AI's efficiency in generating data-driven insights, its limitations in niche market research, and …

Revisiting Least Restrictive Environment In Adapted Physical Education: A Framework For Evidence-Based Practice, Samantha K. Charron

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This article addresses the implementation of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) principles in adapted physical education. Despite the legal mandates established by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the field faces significant challenges, including a shortage of qualified professionals, overemphasis on universal inclusion, and the exclusion of student voices from placement decisions. Through analysis of historical context, implementation challenges, and a proposed Student-Centered APE Placement Model (SCAPM), this article provides a framework for making evidence-based placement decisions that prioritize student success. By integrating perspectives from preservice teacher education and current practice, the framework offers practitioners a structured approach to navigating the …

Effect Of Unilateral And Bilateral Resistance Training On Performance Tests Of Collegiate Softball Athletes, Kamryn S. O'Dell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Strength and conditioning coaches typically have athletes perform either unilateral (UL) or bilateral (BL) lower body training, based on the perception that UL may be more sport-specific, and may enable lighter loads due to different stability requirements. A randomized controlled design was used to assess the effects of UL (n=6) and BL (n=5) on collegiate DII softball athletes. After three weeks of familiarization training, testing was done pre- and post- 8 weeks of the athletes’ Fall offseason training program. Performance testing consisted of strength (front squat, hex bar deadlift, front rack split squat, rear foot elevated split squat), change of …

The Formation Of The American League In Baseball; Changes In American Society And Culture That Contributed To The Demand For More Baseball In The Late 19th Century, Shawn M. Smith

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The second professional major league (the American League) in baseball came about in response to the demand for more baseball entertainment due to the increased amount of leisure time Americans had in the late-19th century as society started the shift from an agricultural based lifestyle to a culture who worked predominantly in factory work.

The culture and society of the day changed drastically due to changing economic conditions of the time period. Due to monumental changes in industry, the vast majority of the population had shifted from working in an agrarian society to working in factories as a result of …

The Interaction/Impact Of Aces And Coach-Athlete Relationships On The Collegiate Athlete Experience: A Trauma Informed Coaching Approach, Lauren King

Masters Projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are known to contribute to long-term mental, physical, and social health challenges, including depression, anxiety, injury, and early mortality (ACE Response, 2024; Felitti et al., 1998). Despite this, limited research has addressed how ACEs affect student-athletes, who often enter college already carrying unresolved trauma (Bennett, 2022, 2023). Simultaneously, the coach-athlete relationship (CAR) is recognized as a key mediating factor in student-athlete well-being, yet coaches receive little to no formal training on trauma-informed care (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003; Simons & Bird, 2022). This project bridges that gap by synthesizing ACEs research, sport psychology, and social stress frameworks …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 3, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period February 17 - April 20, 2025.

• Wilborn, Price. You Matter & You Are Not Alone
• Smith, Kane. Peggy Crowe Reflects on Counseling Center in Face of Staff Shortages
• Stafford, Hallie. Help with Horses – New Beginnings Therapeutic Horse Riding
• Hawkins, Kaylee. How a WKU Professor Helps Improve Student Mental Health – Jay Gabbard, National Alliance on Mental Illness Recovery Support Group
• McMahon, Jake. More Than a Coach – Brent Chumbley, Track & Field
• Simpson, Libby. WKU’s American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Brings Mental Health Into the Light
• Hardesty, Emma. Trans …

Physical Activity Curriculum And Marketing Strategy For Dale Vuelta To Empower Young Girls In Mexico., Reagan A. Dodson, Eunice M. Lee

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The World Health Organization (WHO) found that nearly one-third of the world’s adult population are physically inactive, not meeting the global recommendations of at least 150 minutes of necessary physical activity per week (WHO, 2024). Adolescent girls were less active than adolescent boys, with 85% in comparison to 78%. In Mexico, 88% of girls, ages 11-17, are physically inactive (WHO, 2022). In Mexico, the stigma around girls practicing sports remains strong; gender-based violence grows by the year, and girls are often bullied, questioned, or discouraged from participating in sports (B. Möller, personal communication, September 23, 2024). Dale Vuelta, a non-profit …

A Winning Strategy: Sports For Advancing Health In Underserved Communities, Chia-Liang Dai

Community Engagement Expo Research Posters

Prevailing disparities in health outcomes underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions tailored to the unique needs of underserved students. An after-school sports program plays a vital role in promoting comprehensive school health by offering structured team sports alongside social-emotional lessons and academic support.

The Need For Gender Equity In Outdoor Adventure Sports: The Impact Of Gender Disparities On Women In The Outdoors, Suzanna Stegelmeier

Student Research Symposium

What obstacles do women face when participating in outdoor adventure recreation?

The Role Of Age, Experience, And Physical Fitness In Technical Performance In Karate: An Observational Analysis, Rui Miguel Silva, Joaquim Ferreira, Georgian Badicu, Jarosław Muracki, Beata Pożarowszczyk-Kuczko, Adam Kawczyński

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between age, experience, anthropometric measures, physical fitness, and the quality of technical performance in karate practitioners. We conducted an observational cross-sectional study with 53 federated karate athletes, aged 5 to 55, affiliated with the Youth Karate Association Portugal. The participants were divided into age and experience groups to assess differences in anthropometric measures (body mass, height, BMI) and physical fitness (strength, power, flexibility). The technical performance of four specific karate techniques – kizami, gyaku zuki, mawashi geri, and ura mawashi geri – was evaluated using a custom-designed technical evaluation …

The Pitch Clock's Impacts On The Game Of Baseball, Cole Ricciarelli

Honors Projects in Mathematics and Economics

Past research has investigated what on-field statistics have impacted the success of MLB teams. However, this paper aims to look at the effect that the recent rule change of the pitch clock has on the win percentage of MLB teams. With the implementation of the pitch clock, it was expected that teams with a lower average pitch time would see more success. Using data from the 2013-2024 seasons, statistical analysis was run to determine which variables impacted team win percentage the most. It was found that average pitch times of pitchers did not play a significant role in overall team …

Ua19/16/2 Women's Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU women's basketball team in spring 2025.

Beyond The Game: Black Power In Sports

The Civil Rights Movement (HIS/BLS 347) Zine Project

No abstract provided.

Ua19/16/2 Ahletics Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases regarding general activities of the WKU Athletics Department for spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Volleyball Press Relations, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU volleyball team in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Track & Field Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU track teams in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Football Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU football team in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Soccer Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU soccer team in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU men's basketball team in spring 2025.

Ua35/3 Provost's Message, Wku Provost

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Provost's Messages issued to faculty & staff via email. Topics include awards, budget cuts, grants, Transdisciplinary Opportunity Program and administrative decisions.