Sports Management – Page 2 – The Sport Journal

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

Financial Budgets of Collegiate Athletic Training in South Carolina: A five-year review

Authors: Bradley, Robert & Bruce, Scott L.

College of Nursing and Health Professions, Arkansas State University

Corresponding Author:

Robert Bradley, EdD, LAT, ATC
PO Box 910
Arkansas State University, AR. 72467
rbradley@astate.edu
870-972-3766

Robert Bradley is the program director of the master of athletic training program at Arkansas State University. He is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing and Health Professions and the curriculum coordinator for the Arkansas Athletic Trainers Association.

Scott L. Bruce is a research faculty member for the master of athletic training program at Arkansas State University. He is an assistant dean for research and an associate professor in the College of Nursing and Health Professions

Financial Budgets of Collegiate Athletic Training in South Carolina: A five-year review

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To compare financial patterns of collegiate athletic training budgets in South Carolina over a five-year span in order to determine if athletic training budgets meet or exceed changes in national economic trends and university athletic spending.

Methods: This longitudinal study of South Carolina colleges and universities to determine if gaps or excesses in the athletic training budgets demonstrate a trend that could be affecting the level of care. Additionally, to compare the change in resources and spending with inflation, college athletic department spending and medical spending per athlete and then provide the data on the patterns of collegiate athletic training financial resources to inform college athletic trainers on the trends over time. We mailed surveys to head athletic trainers or athletic directors at the thirty-two institutions that host intercollegiate athletics in South Carolina then compared the data to the 2014-2015 data already recorded.

Results: Ten schools returned surveys (N=10) for a 31% return rate. All athletic training budgets grew at a rate slightly higher rate (1.8%) than the annual inflation rate of 1.6%. Comparatively for the same five-year span, the average athletic department budget growth exceeded 7.8%. Spending for athletic training salaries increased by 20% to an average of $43,800. Total spending on or for athletic training costs rose from $307,438 in 2014 to $335,260 in 2018-2019. Combined with the total number of student-athletes to care for, athletic training spending average increased from $894 to $1119 spent per student-athlete in 2019.

Conclusion: Collegiate athletic training budgets are increasing over time slightly lower than the cost of inflation and much lower than the overall athletic department spending. Athletic training salaries are increasing over time. Athletic training budgets do outpace inflation but fails to match the overall growth of athletic department budgetary increases.
Application in Sport: Financial resources for athletic training at the collegiate level need to match the spending behaviors of the overall parent athletic department to provide adequate medical care to intercollegiate athletes. Failure to understand the patterns of change to an athletic training budget may place the ability of athletic trainers to care for student-athletes in jeopardy.

Key Words: budget, college athletic training, financial resources, salaries, spending

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Vandy Pacetti-Donelson2023-03-17T16:08:29-05:00March 17th, 2023|Leadership, Sports Management|Comments Off

Expanding Expected Goals Methodology in Field Hockey

Authors: Bret R. Myers¹, Andrew M. Daly²

¹Department of Management and Operations, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
²Department of Athletics, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Bret R. Myers, Ph.D.
1039 Smithfield LN
Downingtown, PA 19335
bret.myers@villanova.edu
(804) 357-5876

Bret R. Myers, Ph.D. is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Management and Operations in the Villanova School of Business. His research interests focus on sports analytics, specifically, in the areas of team evaluation and managerial decision-making. He is also an Analytics Consultant for the Columbus Soccer Club of Major League Soccer.

Andrew M. Daly is MIS and Business Analytics Major at Villanova University. He is also an analyst and student manager for the Villanova Field Hockey team. In this role, he has both video and data analysis responsibilities and reports directly to the coaching staff.

Expanding Expected Goals Methodology in Field Hockey

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the value of the overarching expected goals methodology in the sport of field hockey by examining performance data in NCAA Division I Field Hockey. Expected Goals (xG), a metric used to represent the likelihood of a shot being a goal, has grown in popularity across multiple sports. The expected goals methodology involves model building through logistic regression. Specifically, two metrics are created through this technique: 1) The standard expected goals model (xG) based on characteristics of the scoring opportunity before the shot is taken and 2) Post-shot expected goals (xGOT) which is updated to reflect whether or not the shot is on target.

Results: In terms of development, the logistic regression models used for the development of the xG and xGOT models both yield high levels of significance for fit (p-values of 4.13e-26 and 2.78 e-16 respectively). In terms of application, the xG and xGOT metrics both have high correlations to goals scored when aggregating on a game-by-game basis (0.76 and 0.77 respectively). Furthermore, the metrics can enhance insights gained from matches, evidenced by additional visualizations provided in this study.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-11-18T10:20:14-06:00November 18th, 2022|Research, Sports Management|Comments Off

Ensuring the Business Sustainability of Minor League Baseball After the COVID Global Pandemic

Authors: Mark Mitchell, Jacob Voegel, and Sara Nimmo

Corresponding Author:

Mark Mitchell, DBA
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.

Jacob Voegel, PhD is Assistant Professor of Management at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.

Sara Nimmo is a 2022 Honors Graduate of Coastal Carolina University. She served as a Marketing Intern during the 2021 season of minor league baseball, the first season after the 2020 cancelled season.

Ensuring the Business Sustainability of Minor League Baseball After the COVID Global Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The COVID global pandemic greatly impacted the sports industry as leagues had drastic budget cuts and were forced to compensate for the lost revenues. The purpose of this study is to examine the strategies used by Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams and leagues to ensure their survival in the short-term and to sustain their operations in a post-COVID environment. Consultation with officials of a local minor league team, in addition to extensive information search, identified the strategies used by teams and leagues. A cluster analysis was then performed to classify the strategies into categories of similar topics. The results suggested teams and leagues took an “Income Statement Approach” to ensuring their survival. That is, they focused on: (a) maximizing revenue and finding new revenue sources; while (b) finding ways to reduce operating expenses. Minor league baseball teams navigated the loss of the 2020 season and the adjusted operations of the 2021 season to return to more-normal operations in the 2022 season. Lessons learned during the COVID period were applied to streamline their operations in the short-run and to ensure the sustainability of their business in the long-run. Coaches seek to develop an ‘adjust-and-adapt mentality’ in their athletes. The COVID global pandemic forced all of society to adopt this approach. Minor league baseball leagues and teams adopted this approach and they successful sustained their operations. Today, the industry continues to be a vital source of family entertainment and community pride while concurrently serving as the primary development path for the Major League Baseball (MLB) players of the future.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-10-14T15:02:26-05:00October 28th, 2022|Research, Sports Management|Comments Off

The relation of achievement goals to sense of community in an adult recreational sports league: A multi-level perspective

Authors: Eric Legg¹, Mary S. Wells², John P. Barile³

¹School of Community Resources & Development, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
²Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
³Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, HI

Corresponding Author:
Eric Legg, Ph.D.
411 N Central Ave; Suite 550
Phoenix, AZ 85015
eric.legg@asu.edu
602-496-1057

Eric Legg, Ph.D. an Associate Professor in the School of Community Resources & Development at Arizona State University in Phoenix, AZ. His research focuses on recreational sports, and community development.

Mary S. Wells is an Associate Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, & Toursim at the University of Utah. Her areas of research focus on creating sport and recreation that help youth and adults develop positively

John P. Barile is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa in Honolulu, HI. His research focus on health, quality of life, and quantitative methods.

The relation of achievement goals to sense of community in an adult recreational sports league: A multi-level perspective.

ABSTRACT

Psychological sense of community (PSOC) has important positive associations with a number of other indicators of quality of life. One community where PSOC may develop is in adult recreational sports. Indeed, voluntary “communities of interest” appear to be replacing traditional geographic communities as places where individuals experience PSOC. Despite the possibility of PSOC developing within adult recreational sports, however, limited research has explored specific elements in this setting which may lead to PSOC. This study addresses that gap by assessing the relation of both individual and team-level achievement goal orientations to PSOC. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between achievement goal orientations at both the individual and group levels to PSOC. Researchers collected data from 155 participants, nested within 40 teams. Questions were related to achievement goal orientations and feelings of PSOC. Results suggest that individuals with individual ego orientation are less likely to develop PSOC (p=.031); however, individuals on teams with high task-orientations are more likely to develop PSOC (p=0.047), and further, the negative impact of individual ego-orientations is moderated when participating on a team with an overall high task-orientation (p=.032). No significant relations were detected between individual task-orientation (p=.051), team-level ego orientation (p=.087), individual income (p=.449), or the number of years a participant had played on a team (p=.852) and PSOC. Results extend our understanding of the impact of achievement goal theory and PSOC, by recognizing the role of collective (team) goal orientations.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-07-22T08:20:47-05:00July 22nd, 2022|Sports Management|Comments Off