ISSN: 1543-9518|Vol. 24

About U.S. Sports Academy

The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited sports university created to serve the nation and the world with programs in instruction, research, and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare our men and women for careers in the profession of sports using modern technologies and traditional teaching methodologies.

An Exploration of Female Athletes’ Experiences and Perceptions of Male and Female Coaches: Ten Years Later

Authors:Melissa Rima, Rory Weishaar, Brian McGladrey, Erica Pratt

Corresponding Author:
Brian McGladrey, Ph.D.
400 E University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
brian.mcgladrey@cwu.edu
509-963-1972

Dr. Brian McGladrey is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Education, School Health, and Movement Studies at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.

An Exploration of Female Athletes’ Experiences and Perceptions of Male and Female Coaches: Ten Years Later

ABSTRACT

 Athletes’ experiences and perceptions of their coaches will be different based on differing lifestyles, personalities, and characters (16), and gender may be a mediating factor for the building of effective relationships between athletes and their coaches (11,12). The purpose of this study was to explore six female athletes’ experiences and perceptions of both male and female head coaches, and to compare results to those reported by Frey, Czech, Kent, and Johnson (4), who investigated the same issue 10 years prior. In this study, four prevalent themes emerged from semi-structured interviews with participants: (1) structure and communication; (2) personal relationships; (3) positivity and aggressiveness; and (4) coach preference. Although the results specific to coach gender preference were split (three participants stated they preferred a male coach, and three stated they preferred a female coach), other differences emerged with regard to different coach qualities. Results are discussed from the perspective of the participants, and compared to the 2006 study.

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2020-06-02T13:47:24-05:00May 9th, 2019|Research, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off on An Exploration of Female Athletes’ Experiences and Perceptions of Male and Female Coaches: Ten Years Later
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Endurance masters athletes: A model of successful ageing with clinically superior BMI?

Authors: Mike Climstein, PhD, FASMF, FACSM, FAAESS, Joe Walsh, MSc, Ian Timothy Heazlewood, PhD, Mark DeBeliso, PhD, FACSM

Corresponding Author:
Dr. Mike Climstein
Clinical Exercise Physiology, School of Health and Human Sciences
Southern Cross University (Gold Coast Campus)
Bilinga,  Qld 4225
Australia
michael.climstein@scu.edu.au
+617 5509 3330

Dr. Mike Climstein (FASMF, FACSM, FAAESS, AEP) is with Clinical Exercise Physiology, Southern Cross University, School of Health and Human Sciences, Bilinga, Queensland, Australia; Adjunct Associate Professor with The University of Sydney, Exercise, Health and Performance Faculty Research Group, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Joe Walsh is affiliated with the Faculty of Engineering, Health, Science and the Environment, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Ian Timothy Heazlewood is Associate Professor and Theme Leader Exercise and Sport Science in The College of Health and Human Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Mark DeBeliso is Professor, Department of Physical Education and Human Performance, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, USA

Endurance masters athletes: A model of successful ageing with clinically superior BMI?

ABSTRACT

Master athletes (30yrs and older) are aged individuals who exercise regularly and compete in organized competitive sport.  The long-term physical activity/exercise should afford these individuals health benefits, one of which should be apparent in body mass index (BMI), a simple index for identifying overweight and obese athletes. 

Purpose: To investigate the BMI of endurance masters athletes and determine if this cohort demonstrated clinically favourable BMI as compared to sedentary controls or the general population.    A systematic review of electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science) for studies where BMI was measured in either masters athletes, World Masters Games athletes or veteran athletes.

Results:  Database searches identified 7,465 studies, of which nine met our inclusion criteria.   The mean BMI of all the studies was found to be significantly (p<0.001) lower in masters athletes as compared to controls (23.4 kg/m2 (±0.97) versus 26.3 kg/m2 (±1.68)).   Additionally, for all studies mean masters athlete BMI was classified as normal (BMI >18.5 to <25.0 kg/m2) whereas the majority (77.8%) of the controls BMIs were classified as overweight (BMI >25.0 to < 30 kg/m2).  In all studies, masters athletes had lower BMI compared to controls, this difference was found to be significant in 44.4% of the studies, where significance was not found masters athlete BMI was -2.6% to -18.6% lower than controls.    In all studies, the mean BMI was lower in masters athletes (as compared to controls) and this favourable BMI would afford masters athletes reduced risk with regard to the development of a number of cardiometabolic diseases, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer.

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2020-06-02T13:47:38-05:00April 25th, 2019|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off on Endurance masters athletes: A model of successful ageing with clinically superior BMI?
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Strategically Driven Rule Changes in NBA: Causes and Consequences

Authors: Mahmoud M. Nourayi

Corresponding Author:
Mahmoud M. Nourayi, Ph.D., CPA
One LMU Drive, MS 8385
Los Angeles, CA 90045
mnourayi@lmu.edu
310-338-5831

Mahmoud Nourayi is the Paul A. Grosch Professor of Accounting and former Associate Dean and Department Chair at Loyola Marymount University, College of Business Administration. He teaches cost management and quantitative courses.

Strategically Driven Rule Changes in NBA: Causes and Consequences

ABSTRACT

This study presents a review of NBA Business Model instituted by the league’s Select Committee and related rule changes, as well as the effect of such changes on the style of the game. The author analyzed the play-off games’ statistics for periods before and after the changes in the rules. The results show increases in the speed and pace of the game as indicated by the field goal attempts and fewer interruptions due to foul calls as well as higher scoring games after the rule changes. The results also indicate the improvement in the close range field goal percentage in post-change games.

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2020-06-02T13:47:55-05:00April 18th, 2019|Sports Management|Comments Off on Strategically Driven Rule Changes in NBA: Causes and Consequences
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From Gold to Glory: An Analysis of U.S. Olympic Boxers in the Professional Ranks

Authors:Robert G. Rodriguez, Mark R. Joslyn, Emily Gruver

Corresponding Author: 
Robert G. Rodriguez, Ph. D.
Associate Professor, Political Science
Texas A&M University-Commerce
P.O. Box 3011
Commerce, TX  75429
robert.rodriguez@tamuc.edu
903-886-5317

Robert G. Rodriguez is an associate professor of political science at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Mark R. Joslyn is a professor of political science and graduate director at University of Kansas.

Emily Gruver is an Honors Student at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

From Gold to Glory: An Analysis of U.S. Olympic Boxers in the Professional Ranks

ABSTRACT

The uncertain connections between Olympic and professional success in boxing lead us to question just how significant Olympic medals are in determining whether an Olympian will win a professional world title. We analyzed all U.S. male boxers that competed through the 2012 Olympic Games, with the exceptions of 1980 and 1904.  We then developed a multivariate logistic model determining the probability of Olympians winning professional championships; a comparison of the probability of winning a professional world title between those who won a medal versus those that did not and differences among medal winners.   Further, we examined the time it took for medalists/non-medalists to win professional world championships.  Our results demonstrate that American Olympic boxing medalists are significantly more likely to win a professional world championship than those who participated in the games but did not win a medal.   A gold medal effects the probability of winning a world championship the most among medal winners, slightly more so than silver medalists, while bronze medalists cannot be distinguished from non-medalists in the likelihood of achieving a pro title.     In terms of time to winning a professional title, American Olympic medalists are three times more likely to win professional world titles than non-medalists, and they take significantly less time to do so.

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2020-06-02T16:19:00-05:00March 28th, 2019|General|Comments Off on From Gold to Glory: An Analysis of U.S. Olympic Boxers in the Professional Ranks
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How NCAA Division I, II, and III Men’s College Basketball Coaches Perceive Themselves as Leaders

Authors: Matthew Raidbard

Corresponding Author:
Matthew Raidbard, Ed.D.
9501 South King Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60628
mraidbard@gmail.com
847-826-2827

Matthew Raidbard has been a men’s college basketball coach for the past twelve years. He has also served for the past three years as a senior level college athletics administrator. His research focus is determining the best leadership style and leadership behaviors for athletic coaches to practice in order for them to be successful.

College Basketball Coach Leadership Perception: A Review and Recommendations

ABSTRACT

A quantitative design was used by this study to determine how Division I, II, and III men’s college basketball head coaches perceive themselves as leaders. A leadership survey was emailed to all Division I, II, and III men’s college basketball head coaches, and the head coaches who chose to complete the leadership survey comprised the population for this study. The head coaches who met the study’s definition of a successful head coach were sorted into a separate sub-population. Data analysis was conducted on the data collected from the completed leadership surveys and the best leadership style and leadership behaviors for athletic coaches to practice were determined based on the head coaches’ responses. This study determined that transformational leadership was the best leadership style for athletic coaches to practice when the autocratic leadership behavior that athletic coaches should centralize their authority and be the sole decision-makers was also practiced. Additional analysis conducted on the data determined that there was a small degree of correlation between the perceived and actual leadership styles of the head coaches who completed the leadership survey, which indicated that athletic coaches could benefit from leadership training that taught them the best leadership style and leadership behaviors to practice, and how to practice them.

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2019-03-22T11:22:33-05:00March 22nd, 2019|Leadership|Comments Off on How NCAA Division I, II, and III Men’s College Basketball Coaches Perceive Themselves as Leaders
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