Sports Studies Commons^™

Out-Of-School Sports Time And Children's Body Weight Status: Evidence From A Longitudinal Study, Juan Du, Qi Zhang, Michael Stallone

Economics Faculty Publications

We used data from the Child Development Supplement (CDS) of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics in 2002 and 2007 to examine the relationship between the specific sport time spent during weekdays or weekends and American children’s body mass index (BMI). Time spent on out-of-school sports was recorded on a randomly selected weekday and a weekend day. Sports were further categorized as formal (organized sports such as sports games or lessons) or casual (any unorganized sports such as sports time in the neighborhood). Child’s height and weight were measured in person by interviewers. Body mass index was used to measure …

Religious Discourse And Interdisciplinarity In Sport Studies, Zachary T. Smith

The Hilltop Review

Religious and theological explorations of leisure have remained few and far between, as religious studies perceive sport and game related studies as trivial, and as leisure theorists find social scientific methods more compelling. And yet, religious traditions and thinkers have been offering accounts and ethics of leisure activities for thousands of years, and anthropological evidence suggests the origination of sport and game play arose in the context of religious cult activity (Huizinga, 1949; Guttmann, 2007). Further, contemporary research has indicated that religion plays an important role in structuring the thought and behavior of religious persons towards their leisure (Waller, 2009) …

The Power Of Soccer: A Promising Tool For Youth Empowerment A Case Of Soccer-Based Health Program At El Nacional Public School In Ecuador, Haruna Higa

MA IDS Thesis Projects

The purpose of this culminating project was to identify the power of soccer in the context of international development and apply it to soccer-based youth empowerment programs, specifically an after-school program at El Nacional public school in Ecuador. Soccer is becoming one of the best approaches to connect various peoples who do not share the same language or cultural traditions because of its universal popularity, as evidenced by the more than one billion people who watched coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2014 Final Match (numbers to be consolidated) (“The 2014 FIFA World Cup,” n.d.). Given the evidence that soccer …

Using A Mg-M Imagery Intervention To Enhance The Sport Competence Of Young Special Olympics Athletes, Kelley Catenacci

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The opportunity for athletes with an intellectual disability (ID) to participate in sport is limited due to physical, social, and psychological barriers (Shields, Synnot, & Barr, 2012). Sport psychology interventions may have the capacity to address these barriers, namely the lack of sport competence that athletes with an ID tend to experience (Vealey, Hayashi, Garner-Holman, & Giacobbi, 1998). Therefore, this single subject A-B-A design sought to enhance sport competence among athletes with an ID using personalized motivational general-mastery (MG-M) imagery scripts. The study spanned six weeks and was implemented with five Special Olympics athletes (M_age = 11.40) who had …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Sport Music Preferences Of Ncaa Division I Athletes, Zachary Ryan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Athletes report listening to music prior to their sport participation for a number of reasons, including: mood-regulation, arousal control, and concentration (Laukka & Quick, 2011; Sorenson, Czech, Gonzalez, Klein, & Lachowetz, 2008; Stevens & Lane, 2001). Researchers have found that many athletes report their music preferences for everyday listening are different from what they listen to around sport participation (Laukka & Quick, 2011). Music preferences have been found to be related to both gender and aspects of an individual’s personality, such as aggression (Rentfrow & Gosling, 2003; Colley, 2008; Rubin, West, & Mitchell, 2001;). The purpose of the current study …

Using A Motivational General-Mastery Imagery Intervention To Improve The Self-Efficacy Of Youth Gymnasts, Emily Parkerson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Self-efficacy plays a significant role in influencing sport performance (Moritz, et al., 2000) and has been shown to be a stronger predictor of sport performance compared to anxiety, perceived control, and one’s personal goals (Feltz & Lirg, 2001). The use of motivational general-mastery (MG-M) imagery has been shown to increase self-efficacy among athletic populations (O, et al., 2014); however, there is a paucity of research regarding the influence of imagery, particularly individualized MG-M imagery, on the self-efficacy of youth athletes specifically. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of an individualized MG-M imagery intervention on …

An Examination Between High And Low Optimistic Ncaa Division I Student-Athletes' Perceptions Of Preferred Leadership Behavior In Sport: A Qualitative Investigation, Alexander C. Roorda

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Numerous researchers have examined preferred sport leadership behaviors from both the coach and athlete perspectives (Beam, Serwatka, & Wilson, 2004; Chelladurai, & Carron, 1983; Freakley, Czech, Harris, & Burdette, 2012; Turman, 2013; Weinburg, & Gould, 2010). However, there is limited research in student-athlete personality dispositions and how those might influence student-athlete perceptions of preferred leadership behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to examine views of leadership in light of certain personality dispositions. This research examined the potential influence of optimism (Abramson, et al, 2000) on qualitative descriptions of preferred leadership behaviors using the Revised Leadership Scale for Sport …

Off The Court, Onto The Farm, Arza E. Hammond

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This work contains two separate but connected stories about developing a relationship with something larger than myself. Reaching the end of my basketball career forced me to examine my relationship with the great game of basketball and my role in it. After ending my hoops career, I spent a summer working and living on a small, organic farm. The lessons I learned from the game helped me to develop a meaningful relationship with the farm and to find a reciprocal role with the land I lived and worked on.

Ua1c11/70 Talisman Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Transparencies created by Talisman photographers for publication in the yearbook.

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Of Division I Collegiate Football And Volleyball Players Pre- And Post-Deregulation Of Snacks By The Ncaa, Emily Ludwig

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The deregulation of snacks by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) permits institutions to provide enhanced snacks incidental to participation. Athletes may now have the opportunity to improve their diet quality. The purpose of this research was to assess the consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as body composition of Division I collegiate athletes. The sample included 19 American football players and 8 volleyball players. Paired t-tests were performed to compare fruit intake, vegetable intake, and body fat percentage pre- and post-deregulation of snacks. Linear regression models were used to determine correlations between change in fruit intake and change …

Soft Power Played On The Hardwood: United States Diplomacy Through Basketball, Joseph Bertka Eyen

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis demonstrates the importance of basketball as a form of soft power and a diplomatic asset to better achieve American foreign policy, which is defined and referred to as basketball diplomacy. Basketball diplomacy is also a lens to observe the evolution of American power from 1893 through present day. Basketball connects and permeates foreign cultures and effectively disseminates American influence unlike any other form of soft power, which is most powerfully illustrated by the United States’ basketball relationship with China. American basketball diplomacy will become stronger and connect with more countries with greater influence, and exist without relevant competition, …

The Perceptions Of Nsaid Use Among One Midwestern Diii Athletic Department, Katherine L. Cialella

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used amongst athletes for a variety of reasons. The purpose of this research is to compare the usage of NSAIDs among different athletic teams and to gain insight on Division III athletes’ views and opinions of NSAIDs. The population participating in this study would include one Midwestern DIII athletic department. The goal of this research was to identify statistically significant behaviors, perceptions, and knowledge of NSAIDs between various athletic teams and determine if the athlete’s’ perceptions and actions align with the appropriate use of NSAIDs.

Of the 77 athletes that took the survey, 47 …

Patient-Reported Outcomes In Male And Female Collegiate Soccer Players During An Athletic Season, Johanna M. Hoch, Beth Druvenga, Brittany A. Ferguson, Megan N. Houston, Matthew C. Hoch

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Clinicians are urged to document patient-based outcomes during rehabilitation to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) from the patient's perspective. It is unclear how scores on patient-reported outcome instruments (PROs) vary over the course of an athletic season because of normal athletic participation.

Objective: Our primary purpose was to evaluate the effect of administration time point on HRQOL during an athletic season. Secondary purposes were to determine test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change scores of 3 PROs commonly used in clinical practice and if a relationship exists between generic and region-specific outcome instruments.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Athletic facility. …

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures In Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability: A Systematic Review, Megan N. Houston, Johanna M. Hoch, Matthew C. Hoch

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: A comprehensive systematic literature review of the health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) differences among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI), ankle-sprain copers, and healthy control participants has not been conducted. It could provide a better indication of the self-reported deficits that may be present in individuals with CAI.

Objective: To systematically summarize the extent to which HRQOL deficits are present in individuals with CAI.

Data Sources: We searched for articles in the electronic databases of EBSCO Host and PubMed Central using key words chronic, functional, mechanical, coper, instability, sprains, and patient-assessed. We also performed a hand search of reference lists, authors, …

Perceptions Of Support Networks During The Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer Experience, Stephanie M. Mazerolle, Stephanie Clines, Christianne M. Eason, William A. Pitney

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: The graduate-assistant position can be a highly influential experience because it is often the first time novice athletic trainers (ATs) are practicing autonomously.

Objective: To gain an understanding of how graduate-assistant ATs (GAATs) perceive professional socialization and mentorship during their assistantships.

Design: Semistructured phone interviews. Setting: Graduate-assistant ATs in various clinical settings.

Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-five GAATs (20 women, 5 men) studying in 1 of 3 academic tracks (postprofessional athletic training = 8, athletic training-based curriculum = 11, non-athletic training-based curriculum = 6). Median age was 24 years.

Data Collection and Analysis: Phone interviews were digitally recorded and …

Weight-Bearing Dorsiflexion Range Of Motion And Landing Biomechanics In Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instablity, Matthew C. Hoch, Kelley E. Farwell, Stacey L. Gaven, Joshua T. Weinhandl

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: People with chronic ankle instability (CAI) exhibit less weight-bearing dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and less knee flexion during landing than people with stable ankles. Examining the relationship between dorsiflexion ROM and landing biomechanics may identify a modifiable factor associated with altered kinematics and kinetics during landing tasks.

Objective: To examine the relationship between weight-bearing dorsiflexion ROM and single-legged landing biomechanics in persons with CAI.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants: Fifteen physically active persons with CAI (5 men, 10 women; age = 21.9 ± 2.1 years, height = 168.7 ± 9.0 cm, mass = 69.4 …

Pericyte Nf-Κb Activation Enhances Endothelial Cell Proliferation And Proangiogenic Cytokine Secretion In Vitro, Katherine E. Labarbera, Robert D. Hyldahl, Kevin S. O'Fallon, Priscilla M. Clarkson, Sarah Witkowski

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Pericytes are skeletal muscle resident, multipotent stem cells that are localized to the microvasculature. In vivo, studies have shown that they respond to damage through activation of nuclear-factor kappa-B (NF-κB), but the downstream effects of NF-κB activation on endothelial cell proliferation and cell– cell signaling during repair remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine pericyte NF-κB activation in a model of skeletal muscle damage; and use genetic manipulation to study the effects of changes in pericyte NF-κB activation on endothelial cell proliferation and cytokine secretion. We utilized scratch injury to C2C12 cells in coculture with human primary …

Water Treadmill Versus Land Treadmill Training Effects On Leg Strength And Cardiovascular Endurance, Michelle E. Hudson Ms.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Underwater treadmill running can be used as a means of reducing musculoskeletal loading while maintaining a training intensity equal to that of land running. A variety of cardiovascular benefits are seen in water running, such as greater increases in stroke volume and cardiac output than on land. Additionally, increased drag while water running can significantly improve force production. PURPOSE: To investigate if differences exist between underwater treadmill and land treadmill running on leg strength and cardiovascular endurance through a case study of two 22 year old sedentary males. METHODS: An 8-week aerobic training program was designed incorporating water …

Golf League Recruitment And Retention, Melissa J. Davies

College of the Pacific Faculty Reports

The purpose of this research was two-fold. First, the research sought to establish the primary information sources utilized by golf league participants prior to joining the league to determine participant recruitment strategies. The second purpose was to explore the relationship between participants’ basic psychological need satisfaction and the type of motivation the participant felt toward the golf league. Together, information obtained from this study provides golf associations and golf directors in Canada valuable information that could aid in designing golf leagues, which both attract and retain members. Increased participation can help to provide consistent financial gains for the golf clubs, …

Influences On Parents’ Decision Making Prior To Youth Sport Program Enrollment, Karl E. Zang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Current literature has previously reported on the potential benefits of sport participation (Dhurup, 2012; Tomik, Olex-Zarychta, & Mynarski, 2012), which are also some of the main motivations parents enroll their children in youth sport programs (Kurnik, Kajtna, Bedenik, & Kovac, 2013). Parents have also been reported as being both gatekeepers (Schwab, Wells, & Arthur-Banning, 2010) and supporters (Holt, Tamminen, Black, Mandigo, & Fox, 2009) in regards to their child’s participation. This study surveyed 135 parents enrolled in participation youth sport programs in order to identify the influential factors on parents youth sport program selection. Assessed influential factors were compared to …