Sports Studies and Sports Psychology – Page 4

How the NFL Responded to the Colin Kaepernick Protests in 2016-2017 and How the League Responded to Athlete Protests During the Black Lives Matter Movement of 2020: A Sport Study, Social Phenomenological Approach

Authors: Ben Donahue, MS, MEd

Corresponding Author:
Ben Donahue, MS, MEd
3304 Sierra Meadows Dr.
Bakersfield, Ca. 93313
(425) 359-3248
[email protected]

Ben Donahue has worked for over 25 years in sports at the k-12, college, and professional levels. His experience includes athletic director, game day operations and guest relations, football operations, coach, and baseball scout. Currently, he is a public-school teacher and contributing writer for brownsnation.com and profootballhistory.com.

How the NFL Responded to the Colin Kaepernick Protests in 2016-2017 and How the League Responded to Athlete Protests During the Black Lives Matter Movement of 2020: A Sport Study, Social Phenomenological Approach

ABSTRACT

This study examined the use of social phenomenological research by examining key figures in the National Football League (NFL) after the Colin Kaepernick and George Floyd, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. The author researched several responses from NFL personnel and the NFL commissioner after both events. These responses were divided into statements made in 2016-2017 (Kaepernick protests) and statements made in 2020 (Floyd/BLM protests). Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the author coded the statements into specific themes, and then analyzed and interpreted the themes as relating to phenomenological awareness. This approach used phenomenological analysis to better understand the latent or ‘disguised’ reason for an experience to come to light.

The results of the study show that, while the primary impetus of both protests were the same, the responses from NFL personnel were vastly different for each protest. Key to these responses were the influences of external interests that put pressure on the NFL to respond in a specific way. These external interests included government figures, NFL fans, and the public at large. The conclusions of this study suggest that in the future, the NFL should take greater care to look for the underlying causes of their employees’ concerns before assuming that they implicitly understand those concerns. The applications of the study can be used as a teaching tool for other sports organizations, including coaches and sport administrators, as they work to respond to matters of great concern and importance to their employees.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-11-04T11:08:36-06:00November 24th, 2020|Research, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Well-Being of Division III Student-Athletes

Authors: JoAnne Barbieri Bullard
Department of Health & Exercise Science, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA

Corresponding Author:
JoAnne Barbieri Bullard, Psy.D., CSCS
201 Mullica Hill Road
Glassboro, NJ 08028
[email protected]
856-256-3709

JoAnne Barbieri Bullard, Psy.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Health & Exercise Science Department at Rowan University. She holds her doctorate in Sport Psychology and Performance and is a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She also serves as the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative for Rowan University.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Well-Being of Division III Student-Athletes

ABSTRACT

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused societal impact that has been intense and fast-paced, especially for college students when education was transitioned quickly into a distance learning format during the spring 2020 semester raising numerous health concerns. Spring athletic seasons were cancelled abruptly raising concern about the mental distress student athletes could be experiencing that could impact their future. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) addressed the disruption that COVID-19 has caused and the negative impact it has made on both physical and mental health of athletes (14). The purpose of this research study was to examine the mental distress and programming needs of Division III student-athletes in response to COVID-19. Through the use of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7) and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), anxiety was assessed among participants suggesting that both genders and all academic years have experienced some level of anxiety during this pandemic which deserve to be addressed and explored on a deeper level. Significant findings revealed that female participants were more likely than male participants to effectively manage their schoolwork, use social media at least four hours per day, express worry for the future and the fall 2020 semester related to COVID-19, experience challenges moving home, and to utilize mindfulness practices. Findings also revealed that as compared to other races/ethnicities, white participants indicating experiencing higher challenges regarding social distancing. Mental distress was associated with lack of resources and the absence of available facilities to train for their sport. This setback led student-athletes to experience decreased levels of motivation, increased feelings of stress, and general feelings of helplessness. The need for interventions to be provided both remotely and in-person to provide modalities assisting in coping with anxiety is apparent.

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U.S. Sports Academy2021-01-07T08:38:42-06:00October 7th, 2020|Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

Correlations in Self-efficacy and Participation in Roller Derby

Authors: Margaret Shields¹, Andrea Eklund², and Angelina Williams³

¹Department of Health Sciences, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO, USA
²Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, USA
³Department of Public Health, Charleston Southern University, Charleston, SC, USA

Corresponding Author:
Margaret Shields, PhD, CHES
1000 Rim Drive
Durango, CO 81301
[email protected]
509-929-1914

Margaret Shields, PhD, CHES is an Assistant Professor of Health Sciences at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Her research interests focus on veteran mental health, stress, self-efficacy, and nutrition.

Andrea Eklund, MFA is an Associate Professor of Family and Consumer Sciences at Central Washington University. Her research interests focus on empowerment and body image, sustainable textiles, and innovative fashion design.

Angelina Williams, CHES is a recent graduate in public health from Charleston Southern University. She is currently a family navigator for Americorps in Charleston, SC.

Correlations in self-efficacy and participation in roller derby

ABSTRACT

Roller derby has been connected with self-confidence in participants; however, little is known about the correlation of increased self-efficacy and roller derby. The purpose of this study was to examine correlation in changes of self-efficacy and participation in roller derby, specific to overall confidence, exercise patterns and body image. This study was a primary data analysis collected from a specially designed self-efficacy survey using the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Self-efficacy for Exercise Scale. Participants were asked to give demographic and physical information. Self-efficacy was measured through three categories: exercise, appearance and general statements about daily life. Four hundred and twenty-four international participants completed the survey. Descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed-ranks test were used for the pre- and post-sport data of the participants to assess and compare perceived changes in the individuals. The sample included 412 completed surveys. Participants indicated increased perception of self-efficacy given involvement in roller derby. This included significance in decisions and leadership roles, body image, and exercise. Perceptions of decisions and leadership roles, body image, and exercise routines increased with sport involvement. Participation in roller derby was associated with increased perceived self-efficacy. This is not confined to sport alone but other day-to-day activities that may require similar amounts of resilience, self-perception, and self-reflection. By fostering these feminist beliefs, gender roles, and simultaneously building self-efficacy among women, researchers have noted the higher perception of physical attractiveness, lowered poor body image, and ability to buffer societal pressures. With the vast struggle for improved mental and physical health to curb chronic diseases, it is important to encourage leisure sports and activities such as roller derby. It is vital as a coach or league to urge participants to recognize growth within in the sport, not only while skating but also applying this to career and relationships outside of the sport.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-07-15T11:30:03-05:00October 2nd, 2020|Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

Triadic Relationships Between Interpersonal, Pro/Anti-Social Behaviors, and Moral Disengagement in Team Sports

Authors: Ender SENEL

Corresponding Author:
Ender SENEL, PhD
Mugla Sitki Kocman University Faculty of Sport Sciences
Mugla, 48000
[email protected]
0095062001694

Ender SENEL is the research assistant working on sport psychology, teaching and learning in physical education, and moral behaviors in sport in the Physical Education and Sports Teaching Department at Mugla Sitki Kocman University. He is also a member of Sport Sciences Association.

Triadic Relationships Between Interpersonal, Pro/Anti-Social Behaviors, and Moral Disengagement in Team Sports

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between interpersonal, prosocial/antisocial behaviors, and moral disengagement in team sport athletes. This study provided the triadic and linear relationships between interpersonal, prosocial/antisocial behaviors, and moral disengagement in different structural models. 250 team sport athletes including soccer, basketball, volleyball, handball, American football, korfball, and water polo were recruited for the current study. The athletes responded Interpersonal Behaviors Questionnaire in Sport, Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviors in Sport Scale, Moral Disengagement in Sport Scale-Short. The results showed that athletes’ perception of their coaches’ behaviors can have a significant impact on their moral behaviors in sport.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-07-06T16:26:32-05:00September 4th, 2020|Research, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

Predictive Modeling of 4th Down Conversion in Power 5 Conferences: Football Data Analytics

Authors: Joshua Blinkoff¹, Michael Voeller¹, Scottie Graham² and Jeffrey Wilson³

¹Barrett Honors College, Arizona State University Tempe, AZ
²Arizona State University, Sun Devils Athletics, Tempe, AZ
³Department of Economics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Corresponding Author:
Jeffrey R. Wilson, BA, MS, PhD
Department of Economics CPCOM 465D
Arizona State University/Tempe AZ 85287
[email protected]
480-213-4460

Dr. Jeffrey Wilson is a Professor of Statistics and the Faculty Athletics Representative to the PAC-12 and NCAA. His research includes binary logistic regression models and hierarchical data with random effects.

Predictive Modeling of 4^th Down Conversion in Power 5 Conferences: Football Data Analytics

ABSTRACT

Purpose

In the sport of football, coaches are faced with critical decisions at different times in the game. Often the coach makes the decision based on a gut feeling or the advice of an assistant. However, if each decision can be supplemented with data, it is possible to increase the chances of success. This paper uses data (2015-18) from the games played between the 65 teams in Division I in the Power 5 conferences of the NCAA, to present a prediction model useful for 4^th down determinations.

Methods

A predictive logistic regression model is used in the determination of 4^th down options. In particular, a model based on a logistic regression model with random effects, capable of predicting the likelihood of converting on 4^th down decision is presented. The adequacy of the model is estimated through calibration, discrimination, and bootstrap samples.

Results

Distance-to-go, pass or run, line of scrimmage, and the week of season are significant factors in predicting a successful 4^th down with team as a random effect.

Conclusion

The paper demonstrates the use of analytics to increase the decision-making in football. It increases the precision in decision making by 36% in these data.

Applications in Sport

Teams can use the model to facilitate similar decisions in other parts of the game. This can also be used in the recruiting of players.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-10-06T08:27:33-05:00August 14th, 2020|Research, Sports Management, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off