Sports Studies Commons^™

Does Virtual Reality Allow For A Reliable Assessment Of Reaction Speed In Mixed Martial Arts Athletes?, Jacek Polechoński, Alan Langer, Petr Stastny, Marcin Zak, Izabela Zając-Gawlak, Adam Maszczyk

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: The immersive virtual reality (VR) might bring a new reliable approach to diagnosing motor abilities. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to check the intertrial reliability and diagnostic possibility (reaction time, movement time, lateral differences) of VR for upper limb movements in a group of mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes, and to evaluate whether distractors influence the complexity of the whole reaction. Material and methods: Twenty-six MMA athletes (age 27.1 ± 5.4 years, body mass 77.6 ± 9.3 kg, height 179.2 ± 5.7 cm, training experience 6.7±4.3 years) performed two reaction tests for their upper limbs (four …

Evaluation Of The Influence Of Training In An Immersive Virtual Reality Environment On Sports Skills In Table Tennis, Martin Škopek, Josef Heidler, Štefan Balkó, Lenka Vojtíková, Radka Ulrichová

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: This study explores the possibilities of leveraging immersive virtual reality (VR) training for the improvement of table tennis skills. The primary objective was to assess the in-fluence of VR intervention on the development of table tennis skills. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight participants, whose mean age was 17.37 ± 0.84 years and who lacked previous table tennis experience, were divided into experimental (n = 21) and control (n = 17) groups. The experimental group engaged in six sessions of VR training aimed at enhancing table tennis skills, and their performance was evaluated using a comprehensive test battery. In contrast, the …

Palestinian Sports Fans' Rooting Practices And Preferences: A Case Study Of The 2022 Fifa World Cup In Qatar, Oqab Jabali, Munther Saeedi

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objective: This study explores the motivations and justifications driving Palestinian sports fans to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup and support specific national teams. The objective is to understand the underlying factors that contribute to their engagement with this global sports event. Methods: The study targeted 732 residents of Nablus Governorate with a primary interest in watching football matches on television. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess Palestinian fandom preferences concerning the FIFA World Cup 2022, covering demographic information and reasons motivating Palestinians to watch the World Cup. Results: The study reveals several significant associations between the variables …

Strength And Conditioning Habits Of Polish Amateur Endurance Runners, Zbigniew Jost, Maciej Chroboczek

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Correctly performed Strength & Conditioning (S&C) training is important in terms of improving sports performance. This survey was to check S&C habits among amateur runners in Poland. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire dealt with 1) personal and anthropometric data, 2) advancement / fitness level and 3) training habits, which was correctly filled in by 923 people. The participants were matched to five fitness levels (LG1–LG5) depending on sex (W/M) and the selected distance (5K/10K/Half-Marathon). Results: More than half of the respondents (n = 467, 50.6%) considered S&C as very important. The most frequently used S&C activities were uphill runs …

The Effect Of 6-Week Eeg-Biofeedback Training In Normobaric Hypoxia And Normoxia Conditions On Reaction Time In Elite Judo Athletes, Magdalena Prończuk, Joanna Motowidło, Ewelina Lulińska, Dariusz T. Skalski, Jarosław Markowski, Jan Pilch, Maciej Kostrzewa, Artur Terbalyan, Karol Skotniczny, Adam Maszczyk

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Biofeedback Training in normoxic and normobaric hypoxic conditions on reaction times in judo athletes. Material and methods: The participants in the experimental group underwent thetha/beta1 training under simulated hypoxic conditions in a laboratory equipped with a normobaric hypoxia generation system (LOS-HYP1/3NU, Lowoxygen Systems, Germany), at a simulated altitude of 2500m above sea level (FiO₂ = 15.5%). Each cycle of the study consisted of 15 training sessions. The training sessions lasted for 20 minutes, with 4 sets of 4 minutes each and a 1-minute break in between. In …

Supporting Students’ Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Within High School Physical Education, Ken Murfay, Aaron Beighle, Heather Erwin, Erin Aiello, Sarah Pyszczynski

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Research examining physical activity (PA) is significant because of the known benefits of PA. Studying high school (HS) students is particularly important due to the consistent decline in PA as students age. One strategy to increase PA is to increase someone’s self-efficacy (confidence) to be physically active which is commonly positively associated with PA. Most of the research on how to support physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) comes from outside-of-school interventions with minimal literature on how to support students’ PASE within HS physical education (PE). This study attempted to identify and share practices that current HS PE teachers were implementing to …

Neuronal Control Of Posture In Blind Individuals, I. Helmich, R. Gemmerich

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

The control of posture is guided by the integration of sensory information. Because blind individuals cannot apply visual information to control posture as sighted individuals do they must compensate by the remaining senses. We therefore hypothesize that blind individuals alter their brain activation in the sensorimotor cortex during postural control to compensate for balance control without vision by the increased integration of somatosensory information. Ten blind and ten sighted (matched) individuals controlled posture during conditions with (I) eyes closed / open, and (II) stable / unstable surface conditions. Postural sway was recorded by applying a pressure distribution measuring plate. Brain …

Who Are You Rooting For? T20 Cricket World Cup 2024, Usa & Wi, Purvesh Desai

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The T20 Cricket World Cup '24 played in USA & WI will bring immense excitement to the cricket lovers around the world and have a question to themselves “Who shall I Root for?” How do people or fans support their favorite teams and on what criteria do they pick these teams will discuss in here.

Patriotism, tradition, and favorite individual players, are the main reasons for the fans to choose their and support the team. Nation is the biggest pride of an individual and many people choose their pride over everything. People celebrate when the home team plays on the …

Woman Abuse In Sports-Related Contexts: Social Scientific Knowledge, Walter Dekeseredy

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

There was a vibrant surge in the 1980s and 1990s of social scientific work on men’s abuse of women in sports-related contexts, but this wave receded over the past two decades and eventually disappeared. Recently, however, an international cadre of scholars has revisited the off- and online victimization of women in these settings. The main objective of this paper is to examine what the extant scholarly literature tells and does not tell us about this social problem.

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 …

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (Fap) For Sport Psychology: Enhancing Performance Enhancement, Blake Pindyck

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The field of applied sport and performance psychology has seen remarkable growth and innovation over its relatively short history. Current sport psychology models have shown promising outcomes, but largely focus on addressing performance from an intrapersonal perspective. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is part of a third wave of behavioral therapies that has been found to be effective in ideographically addressing client issues through an interpersonal lens utilizing the client-therapist relationship. FAP has been deployed as both a standalone intervention and as an enhancement to several existing theoretical orientations, including those most commonly used by sport psychology professionals. This paper proposes …

Sport And Performance Psychology Service Provision Needs And Preferences Of Division-I Student-Athletes, Coaches, And Program Stakeholders At A Private University, Ellie Brown

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

In response to increased reports of mental health concerns among NCAA Division I collegiate student-athletes (Wong, 2017), investigators examined the Sport and Performance Psychology (SPP) service provision needs and preferences of Division I student-athletes, coaches, and program stakeholders within a Division I athletic program. A survey-based needs analysis was employed to provide a comprehensive analysis of: (a) the needs of student-athletes receiving SPP services; (b) help-seeking attitudes of student-athletes receiving SPP services; (c) key stakeholder (i.e., athletic administrators, coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches) attitudes toward SPP services; (d) key stakeholder perceptions of the SPP needs of their …

Understanding The Big Picture Before Assigning Full Blame: The Lost Opportunity With The Oakland A’S, Mark S. Nagel

The COSMA Journal

Despite operating in Oakland, California since the 1960s, the A’s have received Major League Baseball (MLB) approval to permanently move operations to Las Vegas in 2028. Though most fans and media members have placed the blame for the move on A’s primary owner John Fisher, a detailed analysis indicates that at least some of the blame for the A’s leaving their long-time home should be attributed to MLB and the MLB Players’ Association as they failed to recognize opportunities for the A’s to remain in the Bay Area and for the entire baseball industry to increase their short and long-term …

Teacher Implementation Profiles: A Response To Top-Down Mandate Of Movement Integration, Zack Beddoes, Jeanne Barcelona, Darla Castelli

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

This study examined teacher implementation practices to meet a state mandate requiring 135 minutes of student physical activity (PA) weekly. Teachers were required to implement a video-based movement integration (MI) program. Using an embedded mixed-methods design, provider characteristics of 42 teachers and the organizational capacity of six schools were developed from interviews, surveys, observations, and artifacts. Data analysis revealed three teacher profiles (a) Dynamic Experientialists, (b) Coachable Constructivists, and (c) Cautious Behaviorists, and three school profiles (a) Whole Child Approach, (b) Grade Level Champions, and (c) Back to Basics. Findings suggest that school, teacher, …

Development Of A New Individual Interest Questionnaire In Physical Education, Minting Zhang, Bo Shen, Jin Bo

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Recognizing the close interconnection between implicit-affective control and cognitive-rational aspects of individual interest, we designed this study to develop a new instrument - the Individual Interest Questionnaire in Physical Education (IIQ-PE). In study 1 (N=132), an exploratory factor analysis supported a model consisting of a single unified factor. In study 2 (N=117), Confirmatory Factor Analyses corroborated the construct validity of the IIQ-PE. Also, when examining multi-group invariance across the two study samples, no significant differences were found, suggesting that this factor structure held consistently. In study 3 (N=121), a path model further demonstrated that the individual interest significantly predicted learning …

Comprehensive Technical Analysis Of A Kickboxing Fight In K1 Format Based On Observation, Marta Niewczas, Wojciech Wąsacz, Wiesław Chwała, Tomasz Pałka, Ewa Sobiło-Rydzik, Tadeusz Ambroży, Kristína Němá, Łukasz Rydzik

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Observation and specialized analysis of confrontations in combat sports are fundamental for introducing corrections in training programs and for modifying the individual technical-tactical profiles of athletes in these types of activities. These actions comprehensively assess the progress of sports activities, ultimately inspiring and guiding the direction of training in sports clubs. The aim of this study was to analyze and assess the level of the offensive structure of Kickboxing sport fights in the K1 format, in terms of global simulated sparring, in selected thematic sets. Materials and Methods: The research material consisted of a multimedia recording of 10 simulated …

Ua80/1 Memorandum Of Understanding, W Club, Athletics (Wku)

University Organizations

Memorandum of Understanding between the W Club and WKU Athletics regarding support offered by WKU Athletics to W Club.

Ua80/1 Agenda, W Club

University Organizations

Agenda of the August 2024 W Club Board of Directors meeting.

The Impact Of Coach-Created Motivational Climate On Athletes’ Mental Health And The Mitigating Effects Of Psychological Safety And Psychological Resiliency, Shir Wasserman

Dissertations, 2020-current

With the growing importance of athletes’ mental health in sport, there is an escalating need for understanding the multifaceted nature of the concept, including related individual and environmental factors (Nixdorf et al., 2023). Previous studies suggest that athletes’ engagement with their social environment can potentially influence their mental health outcomes (Reis, 2001). Additionally, studies examining the coach-athlete relationship have consistently affirmed the significance of this connection to various athlete-related outcomes, including aspects of mental health and overall well-being (Jowett & Shanmagum, 2016). Therefore, this study explored the relationship between coach-created motivational climate, athletes' mental health, and the mitigating effects of …

Virtual Reality And Higher Education Sporting Events: Social Anxiety Perception As An Outcome Of Vr Simulation, Kyu-Soo Chung, Chad Goebert, John David Johnson

Faculty Articles

Background: This study investigates the relationship between Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) and social anxiety in sport environments. Social anxiety is a mental health condition that manifests people’s intense fear of being watched and judged by others and worrying about humiliation It is important to research potential tools like VRET that could help to mitigate the impact of social anxiety as people with social anxiety often avoid attending live events due to the venue’s sensory stimuli and the social encounters they anticipate. VR simulation could allow socially anxious individuals to fully experience a sporting event simulation minus the anxiety induced …

Transgender Boy Allowed To Try Out For Tennessee High School Boys' Golf Team, Emily J. Houghton, Erica J. Zonder

Human Performance Department Publications

The plaintiff L.E. is a transgender boy who is suing Tennessee Governor Bill Lee along with the individuals employed within the Tennessee Board of Education, and Knox County Board of Education. The lawsuit attempts to challenge SB 228, Gender in Athletics Law which was passed in 2021 in the state of Tennessee and the subsequent revised I-171 policy (L.E. v. Lee, 2021). Under SB 228, students are only allowed to compete in middle school or high school athletics in Tennessee, based on gender assigned at birth or on their birth certificate. SB 228 also dictates that each “local governing body” …

Watching The Paris Olympics From France, Jean Lavigne

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Two New Baseball Performance Statistics, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Ever since I was a small child I have been interested in both statistics and baseball, so I guess it was inevitable I would eventually find a way to put the two together. In this short note I'd like to suggest a pair of measures that I feel might be useful in interpreting quality of play: one focusing more on hitting, the other on pitching. Let's start with the one concerning hitting.

Safe At Home: A Phenomenological Exploration Into Team Sports’ Perceived Influence On Ptsd Symptoms In Military Veterans., Jeffrey M. Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Team sports have been a staple of life for over 150 years. Presently, no research has been undertaken on the possibility of team sports as an intervention with PTSD in military veterans. The primary aim of this investigation was to explore how participation in team sports can alter veterans’ perceptions of their PTSD symptoms and overall well-being. Using phenomenological qualitative semi-structured interviews with eight veterans engaged in team sports, the research highlights the transformative power and holistic health benefits of such involvement. This dissertation used a two-paper format: The first paper identified direct perceived influences of team sports, revealing promising …

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 …

Faculty Diversity, Accreditation, And Sport Management, B. Nalani Butler, Thomas Aicher, Ryan Turcott

The COSMA Journal

The lack of racial and gender diversity of faculty within sport management programs has been an area of concern for years. This is an exploratory longitudinal study that compared sport management faculty diversity over the course of five-years to investigate and understand how racial and gender diversity within Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) accredited sport management programs has evolved over the years. A content analysis based on the Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) created by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) was used to determine faculty diversity amongst COSMA accredited sport management programs. Results indicated …

Repetitive Subconcussive Head Impacts In Sports And Their Impact On Brain Anatomy And Function: A Systematic Review, Lukas Hack, Bhagyashree Singh, Ferdinand Binkofski, Ingo Helmich

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Repetitive subconcussive head impacts occur regularly in sports. However, the exact relationship between their biomechanical properties and their consequences on brain structure and function has not been clarified yet. We therefore reviewed prospective cohort studies that objectively reported the biomechanical characteristics of repetitive subconcussive head impacts and their impact on brain anatomy and function. Only studies with a pre- to post-measurement design were included. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Structural white matter alterations, such as reduced fractional anisotropy and an increase in mean diffusivity values, seem to be evident in athletes exposed to repetitive subconcussive head impacts exceeding 10 …

Ncaa Division I Collegiate Athletes’ Motivational Perspectives Pertaining To Their Academic And Athletic Roles, Jeongwon Choi, Allison B. Smith

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Research continues to point to collegiate athletes need to navigate their conflicting roles of academics and athletics simultaneously to be successful in their collegiate experience. Thus, in order to traverse these dual roles, collegiate athletes need to be both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to balance both academic and athletic responsibilities. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand collegiate athletes’ perceptions of motivation through a qualitative design based on Self Determination Theory (SDT). Ten collegiate athletes who competed at the NCAA Division I level in a variety of sports were interviewed for this study. Three meaningful themes emerged …

An Examination Of Sport Retirement Through Concept Analysis Of Occupational Retirement, Andrea Cota Powell, Patti J. Berg, Andrew C. Pickett, Moses N. Ikiugu, Whitney Lucas Molitor

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Occupational retirement is a major life transition that involves extensive planning, preparation, and coping strategies. Concept analysis was completed to explore adaptation to occupational retirement as a way to further understand sport retirement. Thirty-nine occupational-related articles were included in the final analysis. The primary antecedent to occupational retirement is financial stability, followed by age and family life. Antecedents to sport retirement include graduation, exhaustion of NCAA eligibility, and possibly injury. The antecedents are unique to each type of retirement, but the consequences are similar. Retirees of both types often experience feeling of loss, grief, depression, and identity crisis while adjusting …

The Role Of Athlete Identity, Motivation, And Satisfaction On The Mental Well-Being Of Division I Collegiate Athletes, Ronnie D. Watson, Khirey B. Walker, Jean-Charles Lebeau, Robert Turick, Matthew Allen Moore, James Johnson

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Concerns about the mental well-being of collegiate athletes, given high reports of psychological issues, have prompted a survey-based study among NCAA Division I student-athletes. The research explores the influence of athlete identity, motivation, and satisfaction on mental well-being, and how it varies among different NCAA classifications (i.e., G5, FCS, DI-NO). Instruments used include the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), the Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ), the Student-Athlete’s Motivation Towards Sports and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ), and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). The secondary aim investigates differences in these factors across Division I competition levels (i.e., G5, FCS, DI-NO). This study provides …