Research – Page 8 – The Sport Journal

Environmental Sustainability Practices in Minor League Sports [EARTH DAY PUBLICATION]

Authors: Mark Mitchell¹, Melissa Clark¹, and Sara Nimmo²

¹Wall College of Business, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, USA

²University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Corresponding Author:

Professor of Marketing
Associate Dean, Wall College of Business
NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR)
Coastal Carolina University
P. O. Box 261954
Conway, SC 29528
mmitchel@coastal.edu
(843) 349-2392

Mark Mitchell, DBA is Professor of Marketing at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.

Melissa Clark, PhD isProfessor of Marketing at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.

Sara Nimmo is a 2022 Honors Graduate of Coastal Carolina University. Nimmo currently works in Sports Marketing at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and previously served as a Fan Engagement Assistant with MiLB’s Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Environmental Sustainability Practices in Minor League Sports

ABSTRACT

Recently, there has been heightened attention on what businesses are doing to sustain the environment. This trend has also impacted minor league sports. Many teams have developed and implemented strategies to lessen the environmental impact of their operations. Consultation with officials of a local minor league baseball team, in addition to extensive information search, identified the strategies used by teams and leagues to improve the environmental sustainability of their part of the sports industry. A cluster analysis was then performed to classify the strategies identified into categories of similar topics. To date, the main areas where minor league sport teams have focused their efforts on environmental sustainability are: (1) facility-related matters (i.e., sustainable certificates, renewable energy, and changes in water and fertilizer usage); and (2) waste reduction (i.e., recycling, paperless ticketing, digital publications). Many of these sustainability initiatives were introduced during the COVID global pandemic as teams and leagues sought to play games while concurrently lower costs and limiting contact among fans and staff. Since their introduction, many of these practices, particularly those dealing with waste reduction, have become standard operating procedures. As fans become more aware of the need to reduce the environmental impact of business operations, they will apply those expectations to minor league sports teams and leagues. Teams and leagues are responding driven by the concurrent desire to sustain their business and to lower the environmental impact of their operations.

Key words: minor league sports, environmental sustainability, facilities, waste reduction

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Vandy Pacetti-Donelson2023-04-20T15:01:13-05:00April 21st, 2023|Research, Sports Facilities, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

Exploring the mental health needs of university student-athletes during COVID-19

Authors: Nathan D. Grimm¹, Krista K. Fritson¹, John Duff², Micah Stall², and Christopher Waples¹

¹Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE, USA

²Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE, USA

Correspondence:

Nathan D. Grimm
1011 Hope St
Mankato, MN 56001
ngrimm.1224@gmail.com
(402) 719-1967

Nathan D. Grimm was an undergraduate psychology student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney during the completion of this study and is now a graduate student in the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology program at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Krista K. Fritson, PsyD is a professor of Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She serves as the university’s psychologist with athletes. Krista’s areas of research interest include self-efficacy, therapy outcomes, effects of journaling on student learning/engagement/wellness.

Micah Stall, MS, LAT, ATC is an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

John Duff, MA, ATC, LAT. is an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Christopher Waples, PhD is an associate professor of Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. His recent research interests involve quantitative methods, psychometrics, performance feedback, and the recruitment and retention of talent.

Exploring the Mental Health Needs of University Student-Athletes During COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect on the world of athletics. At the beginning of the pandemic, factors like strict health measures and protocols, social isolation, and uncertainties about the future negatively affected athletes’ well-being. The present study explores if student-athletes’ mental health, specifically depression, anxiety, and reactions to competition has improved as the pandemic restrictions/impact decreased. Additionally, we examine the impact that participation in team meetings with a psychologist had on these factors.

Methods: To research this, 166 student-athletes (18-24 years old) attending a Division-II University from the Midwest completed three different questionnaires, the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and SAS-2, across three successive semesters.

Results: Two mixed factorial MANOVA were conducted in this study. The first MANOVA revealed a significant decrease in anxiety (F(2,318) = 11.08, p < .001, η_p² = 0.07) and depression (F(2,318) = 19.79, p < .001, η_p² = 0.11) symptoms among the sample athletes as pandemic restrictions decreased. The second MANOVA revealed athletes involved in team meetings reported higher levels of worry (F(1,162) = 11.94, p < .001, η_p² = 0.07), concentration disruption (F(1,162) = 20.46, p < .001, η_p² = 0.11), and somatic anxiety (F(1,162) = 4.22, p = .042, η_p² = 0.03).

Conclusions: Possible explanations for these findings are discussed. Identifying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic can further assist professionals in developing strategies to boost student-athlete mental well-being and performance during major disruptions to their lives.

Applications in Sports: This study provides evidence of the trends seen in the mental health and resilience of student-athletes as the pandemic progressed and their overall needs from coaches and administrators.

Keywords: sports, college, pandemic, anxiety, depression, reaction to competition

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Vandy Pacetti-Donelson2023-04-20T14:03:39-05:00April 20th, 2023|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

Age, regional distribution, and fighting styles of elite mixed martial arts athletes

Authors: Chenghao Ma

School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China

Corresponding Author:

Chenghao Ma
2001 Longxiang Blvd.,
Shenzhen, China 518172
machenghao@cuhk.edu.cn

Chenghao Ma is now at the School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

Age, regional distribution, and fighting styles of elite mixed martial arts athletes

ABSTRACT

This study aims to analyze the age, regional distribution, and fighting styles of 174 top-ranking Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) elite athletes to encourage the long-term success of coaches and athletes in terms of athletic development, talent selection, and training strategies. It uses frequency and descriptive statistical analysis to reveal age, nationality, and differences between fighting styles. A t-test was conducted to identify the age differences of male and female athletes within the same weight divisions, and a one-way ANOVA test was applied to see if there were significant differences between these weight divisions. Results showed that the athletes competed within a wide age range (23-42 years old), with a mean age of 31.82±3.77 years (male: 31.75±3.70; female: 32.00±3.99). There was no significant difference in the ages of male and female athletes or between weight classes, and most athletes were aged between 26 and 35 years, which accounted for 80% of the total number. Athletes represented 33 different countries, with more from the United States and Brazil (58.6%). They displayed 13 different fighting styles, categorized into styles in which either mixed, striking, or grappling were dominant, accounting for 44.9%, 32.7%, and 22.4%, respectively. The resultant data showed that UFC elite athletes compete with mixed fighting styles, with striking styles being more widespread, which is different when compared with the early stages of the event when grappling or wrestling styles were dominant in competition.

Key Words: combat sports; UFC; athletic performance; talent selection; training strategies

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Vandy Pacetti-Donelson2023-04-03T15:54:20-05:00April 7th, 2023|Research, Sports Management|Comments Off

Elite-level Coaches’ Coping: Stress Appraisal and Covid-19

Authors: Maja G. O. Østerås¹, Jan A. Haugan², and Frode Moen¹

¹ Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
²Department of Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

Correspondence:

Frode Moen, PhD
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
Post box 8900, Torgarden, NO-7491 Trondheim
Norway
frode.moen@ntnu.no

Maja G. O. Østerås, MA, is currently doctoral student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Maja’s area of research includes coach education, stress, coping and coach athlete relationship.

Jan A. Haugan is an Assistant Professor of pedagogical psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His research interests focus on development, coping and relationships in school and sports.

Frode Moen, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of pedagogical psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His research interests focus on the coach-athlete relationship, coaching, coach education, athlete-burnout, stress, executive functions and sleep. He also holds a position as a mental trainer for the Norwegian Olympic sport center in middle Norway.

Elite-level Coaches’ Coping: Stress Appraisal and Covid-19

Abstract

The current study investigated 97 Norwegian elite-level coaches’ appraisal of working as a coach during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the predictive outcomes of these cognitive processes. The participants were part of a Norwegian coach education program carried out by the Norwegian Olympic Sport Center (NOSC). The results in the current study show that the coaches appraised their work during the pandemic as controllable-by-self, as a challenge, as controllable-by-others, and stressful. The regression analysis showed that challenge and controllable-by-self were unique and positive significant predictors of the coaches’ subjective performance, and that controllable-by-self was the strongest predictor of the two. Appraising the situation as uncontrollable-by-anyone was also a significant positive predictor of coaches’ subjective performance in the step 2 of the regression analysis, and not coaches’ exhaustion level as hypothesized. Threat appraisals were found to significant predict coaches’ exhaustion level at the first step of the regression analysis, whereas controllable-by-self was the strongest negative significant predictor for coaches’ exhaustion. The results indicate that controllable-by-self appraisals play a particular role in preventing burnout and inducing performance in elite coaches when they face stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Words: elite sports, COVID-19, stress, coping

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Vandy Pacetti-Donelson2023-04-03T14:45:44-05:00March 31st, 2023|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

Strength and Conditioning Practices among NCAA Place-Kickers

Authors: Dr. James A. Reid¹, Todd Schaneville², and Trey Schaneville³

¹Assistant Professor of Physical Education, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, USA
²Physical Educator and Coach, Brevard Public Schools, Viera, FL, USA
³Graduate Student-Athlete, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA

Corresponding Author:

James A. Reid, DA, NSCA, CSCS and CPT
509 Greentree Ter
Auburn, Alabama 36832
jreid@tuskegee.edu
256-690-3581

University. Dr. Reid has been teaching exercise science and physical education in higher education since 2001. Dr. Reid was a place-kicker and punter at Tulane University and Auburn University. He played three years of semi-professional football as well. While serving as Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Tennessee at Martin, he served as a volunteer kicking coach for the football team. Dr. Reid also has worked as a kicking coach with Feely Kicking School in Tampa, Florida.

Strength and Conditioning Practices among NCAA Place-Kickers

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the strength and conditioning practices of NCAA Division I and II starting place-kickers. The hope is that this information will be valuable to football coaches and strength and conditioning professionals who oversee the offseason regiments of kickers. The researchers investigated the strength and conditioning practices over nine different categories of exercises. The instrumentation used was a survey, and the subjects were fifteen starting NCAA place-kickers at the Division I and II levels. The survey format was divided into nine sections, and respondents were asked to indicate any exercise from a list that the athlete performs regularly during off-season training. The findings from this research study show that there are a few exercise categories that seem to be used more frequently than others and that certain exercises provide greater benefits to a place-kicker’s performance. One hundred percent of respondents reported that they utilize the following exercise categories: core strength and endurance, assistance strength and endurance, power lifts, speed and agility, and flexibility. However, for place-kickers, flexibility and plyometric exercises seem to be the most beneficial for this specific type of athlete. This is most likely due to their need for explosive strength and power, as well as improved range of motion during kicking.

Key Words: flexibility, endurance, plyometrics, power, aerobic, strength, core

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