The Privilege Of Service And Mentorship, Robin Hardin

Journal of Applied Sport Management

N/A

Linking Sport Simulation Games To Real-World Sport Consumption: The Role Of Passion And Sport Enjoyment, Jeeyoon Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This study examines the potential of utilizing sport simulation games in promoting real-world sport consumption. Drawing on diversification theory, we examine whether psychological experiences (arousal, belonging, achievement) in simulated sport play leads to sport enjoyment and subsequently increases sport consumption intentions (participating, spectating, media viewing); passion-type (harmonious vs. obsessive) is set as a boundary condition based on the dualistic model of passion. Using online survey data from 431 US/Canadian adults who regularly play sport simulation games, multi-group SEM was conducted. In harmonious group, arousal and belonging were positively linked to all three intention-types through sport enjoyment, supporting a positive relation …

Family Perspectives: A Qualitative Examination Of College Athlete Suicide During The Spring 2022 Semester, Elaine M. Anton-Lotruglio, Sophia M. Burke, Kimberly H. Mcmanama O'Brien

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Objective: Suicide among college athletes remains largely underexplored despite rising rates. This qualitative study aimed to explore family members' perspectives on why their loved ones died by suicide. Participants: The study included family members (N=10) of three college athletes who died by suicide in the spring 2022 semester. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and July 2024. ATLAS.ti and Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis were employed to analyze the data and identify themes. Results: The data revealed three primary themes: factors contributing to the suicide crisis, presence of a suicide crisis, and university crisis response. The themes suggested a …

Beyond The Playing Field: Athletic Identity, Academic Performance, And Career Readiness Among Student-Athletes, Lucy Mcafee, Alexander Traugutt, Caroline J. Ketcham, Eric E. Hall

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This mixed-methods study examined how athletic participation relates to perceived career readiness development and explored relationships between athletic identity, academic performance, and post-graduation plans among 124 Division I student-athletes (varsity and club) at a private university. Participants completed surveys measuring athletic identity (AIMS), perceived development of NACE Career Readiness competencies, and open-ended questions about how athletics prepared them for future careers. Varsity athletes reported significantly higher perceived development than club athletes across five competencies: professionalism, critical thinking, communication, technology, and career and self-development. Male athletes reported higher perceived development in professionalism, critical thinking, and technology. Athletic identity demonstrated significant positive …

How To Build A Successful High School Sports Program, Jacob Jude Mulligan

M.S. in Leadership

The goal of this study was to explore the most influential factors for building a successful high school sports program. Through an expansive literature review, including testimonies from Hall of Fame coaches, themes emerged around the importance of Vision, Relationships, Belief, and Identity when it comes to the question of how to build a successful high school sports program. This research was conducted with the purpose of highlighting evidence of how these four themes have led to a positive culture and success for sports programs and athletes. This study is designed to help current and future high school coaches so …

Beyond The Game: A Four-Phase Financial Development Program For Student-Athletes, Joanna Cirrincione

Masters Projects

Student-athletes face unique challenges including, but not limited to, significant time demands, limited financial socialization, and emerging name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities that influence their financial knowledge and behaviors. Although financial education exists, it is often inconsistent and not tailored to the needs of the population which the education intends to serve. This project is grounded in Nancy Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory and Nevitt Sanford’s (1962) theory of challenge and support, framing financial literacy development as a process requiring intentional challenge and support as student-athletes transition into life after collegiate athletics. A four-phased, structured development program is proposed to …

Wrestling With The Cold War, Robert M. Barnum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how professional wrestling functioned as a cultural arena through which Americans interpreted, dramatized, and emotionally processed the Cold War from the 1950s to the early 1990s. By analyzing wrestling storylines, character archetypes, promotional narratives, and fan responses, the study demonstrates that wrestling not only reflected prevailing geopolitical tensions but also actively shaped public perceptions of the ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Throughout the Cold War, promotions deployed foreign “heel” characters—initially German and Japanese, later Soviet and Iranian—to embody national anxieties and reinforce patriotic sentiment. Soviet characters, including Nikolai Volkoff, Ivan Koloff, and …

Youth Basketball Development Camp: Planning, Implementation, And Reflection, Jaden Ty Mathis

Whittier Scholars Program

Basketball has always been a huge part of my life, shaping who I am both on and off the court. As a senior at Whittier College and captain of the basketball team, I have experienced firsthand how powerful the game can be in teaching discipline, teamwork, and leadership. From a young age, I spent countless hours practicing, learning from my coaches, and growing as a teammate. Through these experiences, I learned that success does not happen overnight. It requires patience, consistency, and a willingness to work through challenges.

I was fortunate to have mentors who believed in me and pushed …

Sowing Imbalance From The Start: Power, Role Socialization, And Graduate Assistants In Ncaa Division I Power Four Athletic Departments, Kaitlin Pericak, Daniel Springer, Brittany Washington, Rachel Silva

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Graduate assistantships represent early entry points into intercollegiate athletics and serve as critical sites of professional socialization. Guided by Mead’s (1934) role theory and Foucault’s (1975/1977) concept of power, this study examined how graduate assistants (GAs) negotiated their dual roles as students and employees within Division I Power Four athletic departments. Semi-structured interviews with 10 current GAs revealed how organizational expectations normalized overwork, positioned the master’s degree as a compulsory credential, and sowed imbalance that shaped participants’ identities and well-being. Findings demonstrate how GAs internalized structured constraints and reproduced organizational norms, framing overwork as a necessary rite of passage. These …

Eating Vs. Competing: Comparing Pressures Of Disordered Eating In Lean And Non-Lean Sports, Brielle G. Newland, Meredith Meyer

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

In the current study, I compared the risk factors of disordered eating between athletes in weight dependent and non-weight dependent sports, specifically the motivating pressures to pursue this behavior. Weight dependent or “lean athletes” participate in sports with emphasis on weight, size, or bodily appearance. Non-weight dependent or “non-lean athletes” participate in sports without emphasis on weight or aesthetics, which tend to be team sports. While there are many different disordered eating risk factors in athletics, the current study focused on sport based pressures and societal based pressures. Participants included undergraduate student athletes on female athletic teams or dance minors …

The Contested Terrain Of Sport For Development And ‘Peace’ Amidst Persistent Global Aid Cuts And Geopolitical Tensions, Derrick Charway, Umair Asif, Zohreh Khani, Mazen Alkhatib

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has emerged as a global concept for advancing humanitarian, peacebuilding and social benefits, particularly in disadvantaged communities and conflict-affected regions of the world. Yet, its promise is often entangled with the broader contradictions of international aid, which in the Global South often shifts from solidarity to systems shaped by power asymmetries, geopolitics and self-interests. Drawing on critical aid theory and decolonial thought, foregrounded in the Palestine context, we argue that SDP offers potential benefits but remains constrained by the very systemic issues it purports to redress. Further, we critique the International Olympic Committee’s stance …

Teaching With S2scc-Ai: A Practical Framework For Sport Management Classrooms, Kimberly D. Bynum, Wendy T. Gillis

The COSMA Journal

ABSTRACT

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, are radically changing how higher ed students approach their college learning experience. These shifts are especially impactful in undergraduate sport management programs, where employers expect graduates to demonstrate teamwork, critical thinking and digital literacy skills. As AI becomes embedded across sport industry functions such as event operations, marketing, analytics, and fan engagement, higher ed pedagogy must evolve to reflect the professional contexts students are preparing to enter. In this paper, Student-to-Student Co-Creation enhanced by AI (S2SCC-AI) is advanced as a practical, COSMA-aligned pedagogical framework for leveraging …

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy And Career Duration In Former Professional American Football Players: A Literature Review, Malik I. Watson, Chase Forbes, Bhavik Singh, Etop Udoh, Kévin Borgella, Jonathan Mosley, Erik Zarandy

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Background:

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head trauma and has been increasingly identified in former contact sport athletes, particularly American football players. Although the relationship between repetitive head impacts and CTE has been well documented, the role of career duration as a measurable exposure variable remains an important area of investigation. Understanding this relationship may provide clinically useful insight for primary care physicians responsible for longitudinal monitoring of individuals with extensive athletic exposure.

Methods:

This literature review examined published studies evaluating the relationship between football career duration, cumulative head impact exposure, and neuropathologic …

Barriers And Motivators To Participation In Intramural Sports At Fort Hays State University, Tereus Henry, Dillon Provost, Judson Wiltfong, Samuel Spencer, Taylor Falk, Justin L. Montney

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Introduction: Intramural sports programs play an important role in promoting physical activity, social connection, and overall well-being among college students; however, participation rates on many campuses remain lower than desired. The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing student participation in intramural sports at Fort Hays State University and to identify strategies that may enhance engagement.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was utilized to collect data from currently enrolled students taking at least six credit hours. Participants were recruited through university communication channels, including course announcements and social media, and completed an online questionnaire assessing perceived barriers …

From Experience To Impact: Engaging With The Idd Community, Annabelle Malsam, Braydon Peterson, Whitney Randall, Andrew Gannon

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Tigers for IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) is an event created and led by college students to provide an opportunity for collaboration between the campus and the IDD community. Volunteers were asked to complete a survey after the event to provide feedback on their experience. Survey results show that volunteering with the IDD community is an overall very positive experience for volunteers and creates opportunities for personal growth. Individuals who volunteer at similar events, such as Special Olympics events, are motivated to participate for reasons such as giving back to the community and doing something worthwhile. Hosting community events that …

An Exploratory Investigation Of College Student Betting Behaviors: How Pervasive Is Sports Betting In The Age Of Legalized Gambling?, George W. Stone, Kirsten Passyn, Michael A. Jones

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Stress, Anxiety, Personality Factors, And Coping Strategies Of Collegiate Students And Student-Athletes, Jordan A. Wise, Nicholas Erdman

ASPIRE 2026

No abstract provided.

Examining Moderators In The Relationship Between Injury/Injury Anxiety And Eating Disturbances In College Women Athletes, Lydia M. Reichley

Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Injury and injury-related anxiety are common in collegiate athletes and may contribute to maladaptive psychological and behavioral outcomes, including eating disturbances. This study examined the relationship between injury/injury anxiety and eating disturbances, and whether athletic identity, injury self-efficacy, and body shame moderated this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used with 57 female collegiate and club athletes from Bellarmine University (M age = 19.98 + 1.37). Participants completed an online survey including the Sport Injury Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBC; …

New Marker Unveiled To Honor Una, Jeff Mcintyre

Documents

A new marker was unveiled to honor the University of North Alabama as being the only college football team in history to win three consecutive national championships- The TimesDaily 

There's 'No Place Like Home' For Una Lions, Jeff Hodges

Documents

News article in The Florence Times-Tri-Cities Daily on the impact Flowers Hall has for the UNA Lions and their at home win ratio.