Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The purpose of this study was to explore Team Support, an in-school youth development program designed to facilitate high school student-athletes' acquisition of personal and social responsibility by using physical activity. The first research question sought to determine the fidelity of Team Support to Hellison's Personal and Social Responsibility model, the model it purported to implement. The second research question assessed if Team Support was perceived to be an appropriate intervention for teaching personal and social responsibility to the student-athlete participants. For the first research question, a protocol adherence rating scale was created to gather quantitative and qualitative data on approximately 110 student-athletes and 19 advisors. For the second research question, qualitative data were gathered through 2 focus groups of 8 student-athletes each, 12 individual interviews with student-athletes, 9 individual interviews with advisors, and participant observer notes to explore student-athletes and advisors' perceived social, emotional, and academic outcomes of student-athletes' participation in Team Support. The study employed descriptive statistics and thematic analyses to answer its research questions. The results of the investigation yielded short term and long term implications to urban youth, sport practitioners, school counselors, users of Hellison's model, school administrators, and other educators. / 2999-01-02

The primary aim of this research was to assess Saudi Arabian male athletes' attitudes toward seeking sport psychology services and determine their previous experience using mental skills. As a part of the study, an Arabic version of the Sport Psychology Attitudes – Revised form (SPA-R) was developed. Transcultural translation procedures (e.g., back translation) were used to translate the SPA-R into Arabic version. Saudi male athletes (N = 222) ranging from 17 to 25 years of age with various individual and team sport experiences completed the Arabic version of SPA-R survey twice over two-weeks. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the original theoretical structure of the phenomena existed in the version created for Arabian athletes. Follow-up analyses revealed that Saudi male athletes had high sport psychology consultant confidence and personal openness, moderately high cultural preferences, and low in stigma tolerance. Although the Arabic version of SPA-R may be useful for assessing Saudi male athletes, further research is needed with different Arab populations to verify the factor structure of the observed constructs.

Research has shown that when athletes engage in preretirement planning and address various factors associated with leaving sport (e.g., voluntariness of retirement, shifting identity away from that of an athlete, preretirement planning, personal development, career development, social support), they had significantly better cognitive, emotional, and behavioral adaptation to life after sport. The NCAA is one of the largest sport institutions in the world and they provide limited guidelines to member institutions regarding preparing student-athletes for retirement from sport, and as a result, different schools are developing their own programs. This study explored what NCAA athletic departments do to prepare their student-athletes for their graduation and transition out of sport. Participants were athletic department administrators, and they completed a survey that assessed for current preretirement planning practices and available campus resources for student-athletes who are transitioning out of sport. I used frequencies, t-tests, and chi-square analyses to assess trends across divisional levels (DI vs. DII/DIII). Analyses show that significantly more DI than DII/DDIII institutions have preretirement planning programs. Additionally, there is no significant difference between the topics that are covered across divisional level. The degree to which participants agreed that athletic departments have an ethical/moral responsibility and their perception of who is in charge of planning to prepare athletes varied significantly across divisional level. Implications of the findings, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

ABSTRACT Title: Relative Energy Deficiency in Female Collegiate Track & Field Athletes. Background: Energy deficiency and its consequences have long been studied in female athletes because of it’s potential for increasing risks of illness and injury. Sustaining an energy deficient diet while training and during competition may result in muscle loss and reduction in performance. Studies suggest that athletes competing in sports focusing on appearance or a lean physique are at high risk for energy deficiency. In 2014, the IOC developed the concept of ‘Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport’ (RED-S) to include new components not previously included in the Female Athlete Triad. A study has not yet been completed applying the RED-S paradigm in collegiate track and field athletes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of RED-S in female collegiate track and field athletes. It was hypothesized that the majority of collegiate track and field athletes experience RED-S. It was also hypothesized that a greater percentage of distance runners experience RED-S than other track and field athletes, including throwers, jumpers, and sprinters. The components of RED-S assessed were menstrual function, bone health, and energy expenditure. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study, obtaining data through the use of a questionnaire and a relative energy expenditure index on a population of 12 female collegiate track and field athletes. Data were obtained through the use of a LEAF-Q questionnaire, a three-day food and exercise recall, and body composition analysis. Results: The 12 athletes were a combination of distance runners (n=5), throwers (n=2), and sprinters (n=5). Average subject characteristics were: age (20.6 ±1. 44 years), height (165.6 ±7.5cm), weight (63.58 ± 16.97kg), and body fat percentage (20.9± 7.2). Average energy intake over three days was 2146 kcal (±627), and the average predicted energy expenditure was 2380 kcal (±458). Average hours spent in a catabolic (52.8 ± 24.0), highly catabolic (37.5 ± 25.0), anabolic (19.2 ± 24.0), and highly anabolic state (12.4 ± 21.0). Subjects were in a negative energy balance state the majority of the days analyzed, and 75% of the population had at least one day of dietary recall below 45 kcal/kg FFM/day. Spearman’s rho analysis found a significant inverse correlation between Day 1 hours spent in optimal energy balance (± 400 kcal) and body fat percent (p=0.024, rs= -0.643), and significant positive correlation between Day 1 hours spent in optimal energy balance (± 400 kcal) and fat free mass percentage (p=0.03, rs=0.625). Spearman’s rho analysis also found an inverse correlation between Day 1 hours spent in an energy deficit (s= -0.626), and a positive correlation between Day 1 hours spent in an energy deficit and body fat percentage (p=0.026, rs=0.636). Seven out of twelve participants scored ≥ 8 on the LEAF-Q putting them at risk for RED-S. Conclusion: The study highlights the misleading effect of averaging multiple days of dietary recall on energy balance. When participant’s dietary recalls were assessed day by day the majority of hours were spent in a catabolic state, however when the three days of the recall were averaged the severity of the hours spent in a catabolic state lessened. The associations in this study are consistent with previous studies evaluating the relationships between energy balance deficits and body composition, indicating that longer duration spent in an energy deficit is associated with lower lean and higher fat mass. The findings from the LEAF-Q show that 58% of participants were at risk for RED-S, and half of all participants had or were experiencing menstrual dysfunction.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to compare training and physiological variables in performance-matched 10 km female and male athletes in order to identify those factors allowing females to compensate for their lower haematocrit and higher % body fat, both of which are disadvantageous to performance. Eight well-trained competitive female runners and eight well-trained competitive male runners participated in the study. They were matched by performance in a controlled 10 km time trial in the field (TT10). Training was monitored in each athlete for seven consecutive days using heart rate monitoring and training diaries. Each athlete gave a muscle biopsy for histological and biochemical analysis. Four maximal tests, two flat and two gradient (8%), were completed by each athlete in order to determine V02max, maximum heart rate and peak treadmill speed (PTS) under each condition. Each athlete also completed two submaximal tests (one flat and one gradient) and a ten minute race pace test, in which the pace was determined by their TT10 performance. These allowed fractional utilization of V02max, HRmax and PTS to be determined, as well as economy. Training data revealed a much greater training volume, both distance run and duration of training, in female athletes (p < 0.05 for distance; p < 0.01 for duration). V02max expressed per kg body mass was significantly higher in males (p < 0.05), however, when expressed per FFM, no difference was found between genders. Female athletes had a significantly greater percent composition of type I fibres and males had significantly more type IIX fibres, possible explanation of gender difference in PTS and contributing factor to equal TT10. The relationships between training, performance and biochemical variables in either gender were very different. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om die oefening en fisiologiese veranderlikes in 10 km vroue en mans atlete, wat afgepaar was volgens prestasie, te vergelyk om die faktore te indentisifeer wat vroue toelaat om te kompenseer vir hulle lae haematokrit en hoë persent liggaamsmassa, wat albei nadelig is tot prestasie. Agt mededingende vroue hardlopers en agt mededingende mans hardlopers het aan die studie deelgeneem. Hulle was gepaar volgens prestasie in 'n gekontroleerde padwedloop (TTlO). Oefening was gemonitor vir elke atleet vir sewe opeenvolgende dae deur gebruik te maak van harttempo monitors en oefeningsdagboeke. Elke atlleet het 'n spierbiopsie gehad wat histologies en biochemies geanaliseer was. Vier maksimale toetse, twee met 'n gradiënt van 0° en twee met 'n gradiënt van 5° (8%) was deur elke atleet voltooi om V02maks,maksimale harttempo en piek trapmeulspoed (PTS), vir beide situasies te bepaal. Hulle het ook almal twee submaksimale toetse gedoen (een teen 0° gradiënt en een teen 5° gradiënt) sowel as 'n tien minuut wedlooppas toets. Fraksionele benutting van V02maks,HRmaksen PTS was hiervan bepaal asook die ekonomie van elke atleet. Oefeningshoeveelheid ten opsigte van afstand en duur van oefening was baie hoër in vroue atlete (p < 0.05 vir afstand; p < 0.01 vir duur). V02maks uitgedruk per kg liggaamsmassa was aansienlik hoër in mans atlete (p < 0.05), maar uitgedruk per vetvrye massa (FFM) was daar geen verskil tussen geslagte. Vroue atlete het 'n merkwaardige hoër persentasie tipe I spiervesels gehad terwyl mans atlete 'n merkwaardige hoer persentasie tipe IIX spiervesels 'gehad het. Dit mag dalk 'n mootlike verklaring vir die geslagsverskil in PTS en 'n bydraende faktor tot gelyke TTlO wees. Verskillende verhoudings tussen oefening, prestasie en biochemiese veranderlikes was in die twee geslagte gesien.

Athletes may be at increased risk for developing disordered eating and pathogenic weight control behaviors due to pressure for their bodies to look a certain way and perform at a high level (Sundgot-Borgen & Torstveit, 2004). Petrie and Greenleaf (2013) proposed a psychosocial model to explain the development of athletes’ disordered eating behaviors. Specifically, they suggested that unique weight/body pressures of the sport environment, general societal pressures about attractiveness, internalization of societal appearance ideals, body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, negative affect, and dietary restraint combine and contribute to the development of bulimic symptomatology. The aim of the current study is to test the Petrie and Greenleaf model in a large, nation-wide, diverse sample of male collegiate athletes. Participants were male collegiate athletes (N = 731; Mage = 19.91, SD = 1.50) representing 17 sports and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisions I, II, and III. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and measures designed to assess their experiences of the above constructs. Structural equation modeling was used to test the pathways proposed in the Petrie and Greenleaf (2013) etiological model. Results suggest that sport pressures, such as those from coaches and teammates about weight, the importance of appearance, and looking good in a uniform, are significant factors in understanding disordered eating among male collegiate athletes. These pressures were related directly to all other variables in the model, including increased body dissatisfaction, experiencing more negative emotions, restricting caloric intake, and engaging in behaviors to increase muscularity. In the end, it was these variables – negative affect, drive for muscularity, dietary restraint, and body dissatisfaction– that explained over 30% of the variance in the athletes’ bulimic symptomatology.

This study was designed to determine if differences exist between the personalities of injured and non-injured athletes, injured and non-injured athletes in individual sports, and injured and non-injured athletes in team sports. Subjects were forty-three female athletes selected from six intercollegiate teams. The test instrument was the Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the two-way analysis of variance. Alpha was .05. Conclusions of the investigation were that the personality of injured athletes does not differ from the personality of non-injured athletes, that non-injured athletes in individual sports are more self-assured than non-injured athletes in team sports, and that the personality of athletes in team sports does not differ from the personality of athletes in individual sports.

Athletic trainers (ATs) are professionals who are most directly responsible for athletes’ health care in a sport environment. ATs work with athletes on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of athletic injury; it is through these interactions that put ATs in an ideal position to recognize the psychological and emotional distress that athletes may suffer. Consequently, the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) has called for ATs to be competent in implementing psychosocial strategies and techniques (e.g., goal-setting, imagery, positive self-talk), recognizing basic symptoms of mental disorders, and identifying and referring athletes in need of psychological help. I explored ATs’ ability to recognize, diagnose, and provide a referral for collegiate athletes who were presenting with symptoms of depression across three different scenarios. The study examined factors that may impact ATs’ abilities in these areas, including AT gender, athlete gender, and type of presenting problem (e.g., athletic injury, romantic relationship, or sport performance issue). Overall, female ATs were better at recognizing depressive symptoms than male ATs, though both were equally proficient at diagnosing depression. Regardless of gender of the AT, gender of the athlete, and presenting problem, ATs were most likely to refer the athletes to a counselor/psychologist, and to a lesser extent sport psychology consultant (SPC). ATs viewed referrals to an SPC as most appropriate for presenting problems related to sport (i.e., performance problem or injury). The results highlight a possible bias in referrals to an SPC, in that SPCs may not be considered an appropriate referral source for romantic relationship problems. Implications for ATs and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The main purpose of this study is to deepen the knowledge of elite athletes termination of their sport careers. The study also tries to understand the reasons behind where the former elite athletes position themselves in the labor market. The empirical data consists of interviews with 8 former elite atheltes, who all ended their careers within the last five years. The data was analyzed in light of Pierre Bourdieus theory, cultural capital and the related field concept. Based on Bourdieu's concept of capital, we understand elite athletes careers as a capital accumulation by something we call the elite sports capital.   The results of this study indicates that the termination of´a sports career is a complex process, where it proved important to have the decision to terminate into their own hands. We have also been able to show differences in capital compositions between those who experienced anxiety about life after their sporting careers and those who did not. In cases where the termination of career was associated with feeling anxious, we could show that the level of concern was dependent on informants' equity compositions, in which the resource-poor tended to experience more anxiety than them with strong resources.   Common to those who stayed in the clear sports related careers after own sporting careers, was their capital composition. Their assets are mainly in elite sports capital, which refers to the exact position in the sports field. For those who positioned themselves outside the sports field, made up of their resources above all a cultural capital along with elite sports capital.

The purpose of the present investigation was to compare the psychological factors related to drug use by college athletes on seven drug categories. A questionnaire was given to male and female Division I college athletes asking them about their use of drugs. The frequency, intensity and duration of use/non-use was used to divide subjects into high and low/nonuser categories. Dependent measures included the Profile of Mood States, Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and questions assessing athlete stress. A multivariate analysis of variance(MANOVA) was conducted in a 2 x 2 (alcohol high/low, non-user x male/female) design to distinguish significant differences on the POMS and stress questions followed by univariate ANOVA's. A separate ANOVA was run on Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory. Results indicated that high alcohol users scored significantly higher on anger, fatigue and vigor than low/non-users. Significant differences were found between males and females on the pressure felt from coaches to perform well.