Sports Studies Commons^™

Sports Teams As Multiteam Systems, Frederic Vinal

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

A multiteam system (MTS) is a unique and complex organizational form consisting of two or more distinct component teams which interact interdependently in pursuit of a shared goal. In many contexts, such as emergency response teams military operations units, disaster relief task forces, and collaborative scientific efforts, MTSs are easily and intuitively identifiable as distinct entities. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding boundary conditions of MTSs, and classification of an organizational form as an MTS in novel contexts. This study addresses that gap by examining whether and how sports teams can be conceptualized as MTSs. Using a …

An Exploration Of Lgbtq+ Runner Motivation And Constraints., Michael Clemons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Running offers extensive benefits beyond physical fitness, encompassing mental, emotional, and social advantages. However, LGBTQ+ individuals face unique challenges in participating in the running community, which remains predominantly White, cisgender, and heterosexual. With the LGBTQ+ population in the U.S. growing, there is a need to understand their motivations and barriers to participation in running events and training groups. This study explores these motivations using self-determination theory, comparing LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ runners to identify differences in driving factors such as social connectivity, self-esteem, and competition. Additionally, it examines barriers LGBTQ+ runners face, ranging from structural obstacles to intrapersonal challenges, and how …

The Experiences Of Elite, Female Club Volleyball Players – An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Chelsea Brehm

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the lived experiences of female athletes participating in national-level club volleyball in a Midwestern U.S. state. Amid increasing sport privatization and a growing emphasis on early sport specialization, female athletes in club volleyball are navigating complex pressures tied to elite competition, college recruitment, and psychosocial well-being. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study sought to uncover how athletes experience and make meaning of their participation in this highly demanding sport structure.

Data collection included a demographic survey distributed to national-level athletes (n = 66) and in-depth, semistructured interviews with five female …

Investigating The Impact Of Adaptive Sports And Recreation Involvement For Veterans, Ashley Bowen

All Dissertations

Adaptive sports and recreation programs offer a promising complementary recreation-based treatment option for veterans with service-connected disabilities and health conditions, and these programs can positively impact veterans’ lives. The many biopsychosocial benefits of veteran adaptive sport and recreation participation have been researched, but studies focused on measuring the broader impact of these programs are new. The Experience Type Framework (ETF) and its associated measures, the Experience Impact Scale (EIS) and Experience Type Scale (ETS), offer options for measuring that broader impact. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of adaptive sports and recreation experiences for veterans, explore …

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 …

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 …

A Preston Bridge School (Pbs) Approach To Inclusive Multisport Practices Within Sen, Jack Smith

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This paper, originating from the ‘Power of Us!’ conference held in June 2025, reflects on the session titled A Preston Bridge School Approach To Inclusive Multisport Practices Within SEN, which captured the current physical provision offer at Preston Bridge, with a particular focus on how the implementation of inclusive practices enable young people with SEN to meet and achieve their EHCP targets through physical education. The paper offers an insight into the session delivered, sharing best practice, staff and student reflections, and calls for action to promote the inclusion of young people with SEN within the context of physical education.

Book Review: Winters Of Discontent, Simon Barrick

Global Sport Business Journal

Editor Russell Field, through Winters of Discontent: The Winter Olympics and a Half Century of Protest and Resistance, offers the first focused academic inquiry into the myriad ways that individuals, organizations, and communities have resisted these sport mega-events. More specifically, each chapter contributor “chronicles the ways in which the issues raised by anti-Olympic advocates have increasingly become part of a mainstream discourse” (Field, 2025, p. 5). Various core themes run through the book including concern over public spending amid rising neoliberalism, the contested relationship between Indigenous self-determination and settler colonial domination, balancing local community priorities against the backdrop of Games-related …

Addressing Head Injuries In High School Football: An Assessment Of Best Practices And Challenges In The Area Of Concussions As Held By New Mexico Activities Association High School Varsity Football Head Coaches And Athletic Directors, Alonzo Maestas

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Youth sports participation in the United States offers children and adolescents opportunities for physical activity, skill development, social interaction, and personal achievement. However, with sports comes the risk of injury, including concussions. Concussions can have serious long-term consequences such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In response to the risks of concussions, New Mexico enacted a concussion law, NM Stat 22-13-31. In addition to this law, the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) and National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) have also given guidance on how to manage concussions.

However, there is a gap in the literature concerning concussion education, best …

Evaluation Of Physical, Mental, And Mechanical Aspects Of An Extreme Military Training Event: A Continuous Monitoring Approach, Tirthankar Chatterjee, Debojyoti Bhattacharyya, Roshani Meena

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Soldiers receive extensive training at extremes of environments and simulated terrains to improve their battle efficiency. A study was designed to evaluate the actual cost of a military physical efficiency test consisting of several physically engaging activities to quantify physiological, mechanical, and subjective demands. Sixteen Indian soldiers participated in a military training session consisting of events such as a 5-km run, 4-m vertical rope climbing, a 2.75-m jump, a 60-m dash, and a 9-m horizontal rope climbing with 6.5 kg of equipment in a hot dry environment. Their physiological status was monitored continuously. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load …

Understanding The Willingness Of Christian Ethnic Minority Student-Athletes To Seek On-Campus Mental Health Services: A Mixed Methods Approach, Benael J. John-Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Romans 12:1 tells Christians that their unique physical abilities are gifts from God that should be used to honor Him (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011). Christian racial/ethnic minority student-athletes (CMSAs) often navigate complex intersections of spirituality, identity, and stigma in relation to mental health. Despite growing research in biopsychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) models, CMSAs remain underrepresented in mental health literature. This mixed-methods study explored the willingness of CMSAs to seek on-campus mental health services at a public university in the Southwestern United States. Data was collected through a web-based survey (N = 20) and semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants (N …

The Decline Of Baseball In African American Communities And Its Sociocultural And Historical Context, Owen Dylong

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

When you look at baseball at every level today, it’s clear that the sport has become predominantly a "white man's" game. The lack of African American representation at both the player and fan levels has become a significant issue, and many wonder how the sport can reclaim its connection with African American communities and revitalize its cultural relevance in the years to come.

Not only has such a shortage prevailed within the MLB, but also at a collegiate level. According to the NCAA’s 2014-15 student-athlete ethnicity report, only four percent of baseball players at the Division I, II, and III …

Christian Identity And Commercialization: A Rhetorical Case Study Of Faith-Based Nil Branding In College Athletics, Santiago Diaz Finochietto

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

This project, “Christian Identity and Commercialization: A Rhetorical Case Study of Faith-Based NIL Branding in College Athletics," explores the intersection of faith, personal branding, and commercialization in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in collegiate athletics, with a specific focus on Christian student-athletes. Since the NCAA's 2021 policy change allowing athletes to profit from NIL, student-athletes have been thrust into a complex landscape of sponsorships, digital branding, and entrepreneurial identity. While this shift offers unprecedented opportunities, it also presents ethical and spiritual dilemmas, particularly for Christian athletes seeking to integrate their faith into their public and commercial presence …

The Influence Of "Ifbb Pro" Designation On Consumer Decision-Making In Online Personal Training Services: An Experimental Investigation, Zehua Hei, Alan Morse

Global Sport Business Journal

The recent rising health awareness, social media occurrence, and digital access to fitness services promote the growth of online personal training. Drawing upon signaling theory, a recent rising group of trainers, “IFBB Pro” athletes, who are perceived as elite bodybuilders, often signal a high level of expertise and competency in fitness training. With content marketing as the background, posted content plays a key role in this process as social media platforms become increasingly popular for fitness professionals to market their personal training services and attract clients. However, scarce research exists to investigate how this designation influences consumer perceptions and purchase …

Exploring Coaching Leadership Behaviours In Strength And Conditioning Coaching: Preferences Of Ncaa Division I And Ii Collegiate Student-Athletes Based On Task Variability, Severiano Tiberi, Jeremy Moody, Steve Cooper, George Jennings, Joseph I. Esformes

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

This study aimed to explore collegiate student-athletesˈ preferences of coaching leadership behaviours in strength and conditioning coaching and evaluate differences between the student-athletesˈ preferences of behaviours based on task variability. In total 145 National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes (closed sports athletes = 51, open sports athletes = 94) completed an electronic questionnaire involving the athletesˈ preference version of the Revised Leadership Scale for Strength and Conditioning. Results revealed that the most favoured behaviour was ˈtraining and instructionˈ, whilst the least favoured was ˈautocraticˈ. Similar results were observed for closed and open sports groups, though closed sports athletes preferred ˈtraining and …

Need Frustration And Poor Mental Health Among Collegiate Athletes: The Indirect Role Of Ruminative Thinking, Alanni N. Brown, Adrian J. Bravo, Stimulant Norms And Prevalence 2 (Snap2) Study Team

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Vulnerability to negative mental health outcomes (i.e. anxiety and depression) among DI collegiate athletes may best be understood using Self Determination Theory (SDT) and the framework that need frustration impairs autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Need frustration may also relate to negative mental health symptoms via higher ruminative thinking, known to relate to both need frustration and poor mental health. The present study tested these two path models (i.e., SDT need frustration components [autonomy, relatedness, competency]-->rumination facets [problem-focused thoughts, counterfactual thinking, repetitive thinking, anticipatory thoughts]-->mental health problems (one for depression and one for anxiety as outcomes) among 341 collegiate …

Mentoring Of Para-Athletes And Its Impact On The Preparation Process For The 2020 Paralympic Games, Irina Perfilova, Joshua R. Pate, Robin Hardin

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Many factors contribute to successful athletic performance, and athletes have reported that mentors have played a vital role in their athletic performance as well as their personal development. Mentoring relationships can have a transformative impact on people’s lives, and mentored athletes, either by peers or coaches, have higher levels of dedication, confidence, and individual performance. Having a mentor is critically important during unexpected challenges in life such as was the case with the extraordinary uncertainty for para-athletes during the postponement of the 2020 Paralympic Games. The purpose of this study was to explore how mentoring aided para-athletes’ navigating the challenges …

Development And Transition In Crisis: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Division I College Athletes, Grace Kazmierski-Davie, Khalid Ballouli

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

The aim of this study is to explore how Division I college athletes made meaning of their experiences during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Though existing literature details various athlete transitions, there is limited knowledge about how athletes navigate unprecedented disruptions like a global pandemic. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth data. The study included a diverse sample of 19 college athletes, ranging from freshmen to seniors, representing various sports and academic levels. Findings revealed that athletes employed diverse strategies to maintain readiness and mental sharpness, reflecting both proactive and reactive coping mechanisms. …

False Starts & Finish Lines: Youth Sports, Coaching, & The Crisis Of The American Dream, John S. Lammert Jr

Master's Theses

False Starts & Finish Lines: Youth Sports, Coaching, & the Crisis of the American Dream examines how the American youth sports system reflects, reproduces, and at times resists the evolving contradictions of the American Dream. Drawing on a comparative analysis of institutional documents from public high schools, travel clubs, and recreational leagues, this thesis interrogates how youth sports have shifted from inclusive spaces of play and character-building to stratified marketplaces governed by the Athletic Industrial Complex (AIC). It argues that rising costs, performance pressures, and privatized structures have transformed access to sport—and, by extension, to the Dream itself—into a function …

Book Review: The Architecture Of The Playing Field, Eddie G. Walker Ii

Global Sport Business Journal

Athletic fields, facilities, golf courses, stadiums, and arenas are at the heart of the sport management industry. Physical activity has been “an essential component” of mankind’s life on Earth since the beginning of time (Elgammal & Abdel-Razek, 2022; p. 26). Throughout history, the methods of hosting athletic events have undergone significant evolution. Dr. Richard Cleary provides a concise yet thorough resource on how the structure of these spaces influences the experience for both participants and spectators. The Architecture of the Playing Field: Shaping Space in Sport comprises four chapters and an Epilogue that utilize architectural design and sociocultural theories to …