Contemporary Sports Issues – Page 8

Canadian Women’s Hockey: Concerns and Concerns

Submitted by Marianna Catherine Locke1*, George Karlis PhD2*

1* Marianna Catherine Locke, Ph.D. Student, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario

2* George Karlis, Ph.D, Full Professor, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario

Abstract

For Canada hockey is not merely a sport, a game, or a pastime, rather it is a way of life that millions of Canadians are absorbed in. Each year hundreds of Canada’s most talented athletes leave Canada to play hockey in the NCAA. The routine loss of these dynamic individuals not only effects Canadian women’s hockey, but more significantly it impacts Canadian society. The paper provides the current state of condition of the mass exodus of Canadian women’s hockey players to the NCAA while also addressing concerns and challenges. Roughly 400 Canadian women’s hockey players currently play in the NCAA (The Canadian Press, August 21, 2014). The concern is that this number will continue to grow in the future based on the benefits offered by playing in the NCAA versus the CIS. The challenge will undoubtedly become greater for Canada to maintain its top Canadian women’s hockey players in Canada, not only for the betterment of Canadian hockey but also to help sustain cultural pride through its national winter sport.

Key Words: Canada, Women’s Ice Hockey, NCAA, CIS, Nationalism (more…)

U.S. Sports Academy2020-06-02T11:54:29-05:00May 29th, 2015|Contemporary Sports Issues|Comments Off

Determinants of NBA Player Salaries

Submitted by Dr. Robert Lyons Jr.1*, Dr. E. Newton Jackson Jr.2*, Dr. Aaron Livingston3*

1* Associate Professor, Sport Management, Queens University of Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

2* Professor, Sport Management, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL

3* Assistant Professor, Sport Management, Hampton University , Hampton, VA

Abstract

Determining the factors that influence National Basketball Association (NBA) owners to pay players is of great importance in light of financial constraints such as the NBA salary cap. The purpose of this study was to identify the performance variables i.e. scoring, assists, and fouls that significantly contributed to determine a NBA player’s salary. It was hypothesized that scoring performance variables such as points per game; field goal, free throw, and three point percentage would be significant contributors to player salaries. The authors utilized multiple regression to analyze the 2013-2014 salaries of 243 NBA players and their career performance variables. Results indicated that points per game, rebounds, and personal fouls contributed significantly to a player’s salary. Implications of these findings are discussed in this investigation.

Keywords: National Basketball Association, salary cap, player salaries

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U.S. Sports Academy2018-07-13T08:49:03-05:00May 29th, 2015|Contemporary Sports Issues|Comments Off

Ethical Considerations of Genetic Manipulation in Sport

Submission by Dr. John T. Ehrbar1*

1* Student of doctoral studies in sports management at the United States Sports Academy

ABSTRACT

New technologies are currently being developed that will enable medical professionals to modify genes for medicinal purposes. As the process continues to be refined, the emergence of a controversial new use for this technology has ignited some serious debate. Scientists have submitted that genetic modification could potentially be used as a method of performance enhancement in sport. There are different schools of thought on this type of performance enhancement, and researchers and theorists have argued the advantages and disadvantages of using such a technology. These arguments are discussed in the present review. Though the ethical debate on this matter is in its infancy, a general consensus is that the allowance of genetic modification for the purpose of enhancing performance in sport will most certainly create a new look, along with new concerns, for sport in the future.

Key words: ethics, gene doping, sport, performance, enhancement (more…)

U.S. Sports Academy2015-05-28T10:08:23-05:00May 27th, 2015|Contemporary Sports Issues|Comments Off

Swing Kinematics Described in Division I Female Softball Players

Submitted by Cassie Reilly-Boccia1*, Travis Ficklin2*, Robin Lund3*

1* Director of Research and Development at Athletes Warehouse in Pleasantville, NY

2* Assistant Professor of Movement and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Iowa

3* Associate Professor of Movement and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Iowa

Cassie Reilly-Boccia is a former member of the National Champion University of Alabama softball team and is the Director of Research and Development at Athletes Warehouse in Pleasantville, NY. Travis Ficklin is an Assistant Professor of Movement and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Iowa. Robin Lund is an Associate Professor of Movement and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Iowa.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to describe basic kinematic variables of the swing and the relationships that exist between these variables in Division I female softball players. These variables included bat velocity (BV), bat quickness (BQ), and bat acceleration (BA). Video data were collected for all swings during a 15-game softball tournament in which six NCAA Division I teams played. High-speed video cameras recording at 300 Hz were located along the first and third base lines recording every pitch. Data from 1,099 swings were analyzed for bat velocity (BV), bat quickness (BQ), and bat acceleration (BA). BQ and BV were calculated by video analysis and digitization. All swings were rank ordered by BA and assessed for relationships among BV, BQ, and BA. Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD) were calculated for all swing kinematic variables. Pearson product moment correlations were used to examine relationships among the swing kinematic variables. Alpha was set at (p<0.05) for all tests. Mean BV for all swings was 28.77 ± 4.94 m/s, mean BQ for all swings was 0.208 ± 0.042 s, and mean BA for all swings was 144.39 ± 38.44 m/s². When observing correlations of all swings, BV and BQ unexpectedly had an inverse relationship. When grouping swings into homogenous strata based on BA, BQ, and BV proved to have a significant positive correlation.

Key words: softball, bat velocity, bat quickness, bat acceleration

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U.S. Sports Academy2018-10-25T10:22:24-05:00May 20th, 2015|Contemporary Sports Issues|Comments Off

Daily Self-Monitoring of Physical Leisure Activities and Health Practices, Self-Concept, and Quality-of-Life

Submitted by Jennifer Kwak1 MA*, Michael Amrhein2*, Harald Barkhoff2*, and Elaine M. Heiby1*

1* Department of Psychology, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

2* Department of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Hilo

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Being physically active during leisure time is a positive contributor to overall physical and mental health, while sedentariness is a risk factor for several diseases. Minority students are at-risk of physical inactivity during leisure time and more research is needed to better understand how this affects health outcomes and its dynamical nature.

Methods: Computer Assisted Mobile Interview (CAMI) cell phone technology was used to prospectively collect daily self-monitoring of physical leisure activity and the outcomes of six health practices (eating habits, feeling hassled, mood, alcohol and cigarette consumption, and use of sun protection) and mental health indicators of self-concept and quality-of-life, over four months with 28 multi-ethnic college students in Hawaiʻi, U.S.

Results: Correlational and multiple regression analyses yielded significant positive relationships among daily physical leisure activity, self-concept, and feeling less hassled. Daily sedentary leisure activity was significantly associated with poorer health practices. Very-Physically-Active participants reported significantly more positive self-concept than Not-Very-Physically-Active participants. Self-concept and quality-of-life were significantly related to more positive daily health practices.

Conclusions: These results provide preliminary evidence for the positive and dynamical effects of active physical leisure activity on health practices and mental health indicators, and demonstrate cell phones as an effective tool for daily self-monitoring.

Applications in Sport: Health professionals, coaches, and educators may better understand the temporal health effects of physical leisure activities in student minorities. The use of cell phone technology, particularly text-messaging, can be an effective tool to self-monitor daily activities to improve health and fitness during leisure time.

Key words: physical leisure activities, health practices, self-monitoring, self-concept, quality-of-life

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U.S. Sports Academy2015-05-11T09:00:09-05:00May 11th, 2015|Contemporary Sports Issues, Sports Nutrition|Comments Off