The objective of this study was to investigate the dynamics in the athlete-coach relationship in the course of athletic career, from the perspective of one individual sport athlete and one team sport athlete. The study tried to answer the following questions: (1) How one team sport athlete and one individual sport athlete perceive the athlete-coach relationships at different stages of the athletic career? (2) How the athlete-coach relationships change in the course of the athletic career from the perspective of a team sport athlete and an individual sport athlete? (3) How athletes perceive the characteristics of their most influential coaches? As theoretical frameworks the 3+1Cs conceptualization of coach-athlete relationship (Jowett, 2007), the multidimensional model of leadership (Chelladurai, 1990), and the developmental model on transitions faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004) were used. In-depth narrative interviews were used. One team sport athlete and one individual sport athlete that had been active in their sport for at least 10 years were interviewed. Four analyses were made: sjuzet-fabula analysis, holistic-content analysis, categorical-content analysis, and critical narrative analysis. Poetic representations were used to present parts of the results. The results show that the athletes perceive their relationship to their coach differently in different stages of their career. They perceived the athlete-coach relationship as dynamic in structure. Finally their most influential coach could be found in the developmental stage of their career and this coach was important to them in different ways. The results were discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks and previous research. / Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka dynamiken i relationen mellan idrottare och tränare under idrottarens karriär detta från en lagidrottare och en individuell idrottares perspektiv. Studien försökte svara på följande frågor: (1). Hur upplever en lagidrottare och en individuell idrottare relationen till tränaren under olika stadier av idrottskarriären? (2.) Hur relationen mellan tränare och idrottare förändras under idrottskarriärens gång ur en lagidrottares och en individuell idrottares perspektiv? (3). Hur upplever idrottarna deras mest inflytelserika tränares egenskaper? Som teoretisktramverk användes 3+1Cs begreppsmässighet av relationen mellan tränare och idrottare (Jowett, 2007), den multidimensionella modellen av ledarskap (Chelladurai, 1990), och utvecklingsmodellen för övergångar upplevda av idrottare (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). Djupgående narrativa intervjuer användes. En lagidrottare och en individuell idrottare som varit aktiv i minst 10 år intervjuades. Fyra analyser utfördes: sjuzet-fabula analys, holistisk innehållsanalys, kategorisk innehållsanalys, och kritisk narrativ analys. Poetisk representation användes för att presenterar delar av resultatet. Resultatet visade att idrottarna upplevde deras tränare olika i olika steg i deras karriär. De upplevde relationen mellan idrottare och tränare som dynamisk i sin struktur. Slutligen kunde deras mest inflytelserikaste tränare hittas i utvecklingssteget i deras karriär och tränaren var viktig för dem på olika sätt. Resultaten diskuterades i förhållande till teoretiskt ramverka och tidigare forskning.

The present study examined procedural and distributive justice outcomes of discipline in an athletic team setting. A 2 (Consistency of Punishment: consistent vs. conditional) x 2 (Violation Severity: moderate vs. severe) x 2 (Punishment Severity: moderate vs. severe) x 2 (Decision Maker: head coach vs. team captains) factorial design was used. Participants responded to four of the 16 hypothetical scenarios resulting from the design. Participants included 354 fans in attendance at a several university athletic events and students in psychology courses. The results indicated that consistent punishment was perceived as more fair to the punished athlete, teammates, and fans than was conditional punishment. Consistent punishment was perceived as more likely than conditional punishment to deter future misconduct by the punished athlete and teammates. The findings of the importance of consistency to fairness perceptions are consistent with the organizational justice literature and suggest that principles derived in traditional organizations may apply in athletic team settings. However, the current study did not find that severe punishment was more likely than moderately severe punishment to deter future misconduct by the punished athlete and teammates, which was inconsistent with the research literature on punishment. The present research indicated that inconsistencies in applying punishment based on status likely will have a negative effect on fairness perceptions in an athletic setting just as it does in an organizational setting. Intercollegiate athletics are unique in the sense that there are many outside observers, most notably fans, who pay close attention to athlete misconduct and its subsequent outcome. According to the present results, if coaches are interested in fan perceptions of fairness, punishment should be consistently applied according to team rules for all players regardless of their status on the team.

The University of Texas at Austin has the highest revenue producing college athletic department in the country and routinely contends for national championships in numerous sports. It brings in millions of fans and millions of dollars in profit from hundreds of sporting events each year. This has led the UT athletics program to dominate the Central Texas sports scene. However, there are several professional sports teams, including the Austin Aztex, Austin Toros, Austin Turfcats, Round Rock Express and Texas Stars, in the area. This report shows how these teams attempt to survive in a town where numerous professional sports teams have struggled and finally folded in the shadow of the University of Texas. / text

The sport of women's basketball has evolved into a high profile event. The demands of the job during the competitive season can exceed coaches' ability to cope and endure the stressful profession. Research has shown that hardiness decreases the impact of stress on health by influencing one's coping strategies. Individuals who are low in hardiness have a higher chance of professional burnout, illness, and health problems due to the inability to handle stress The purpose of this study was to identify the hardiness levels and coping strategies of female head women coaches in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The following questions were researched: 1) Are there differences in hardiness between female head women basketball coaches across the NCAA divisions? 2) Are there differences in coping strategies between female head women basketball coaches across the NCAA divisions? One hundred and five coaches participated in the study (n = 29 for division I, n = 38 for division II, n = 38 for division III) by completing the Personal Views Survey II for the hardiness levels and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire for the coping strategies. A one-way ANOVA was calculated to determine if differences existed in hardiness scores across the three divisions. A MANOVA was conducted to determine if differences existed in the three hardiness components as well as with the different coping styles across the three divisions. No significance differences were observed in the hardiness scores, the three hardiness components, or the coping strategies across the three NCAA divisions (p <.05). / School of Physical Education

Within the past three years, men's track and field teams were being eliminated in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Gender equity legislation, namely Title IX, was being blamed for those cuts. By probing the beliefs and opinions of coaches and administrators, a more accurate representation of gender equity could be drawn. The focus of this study was to gain a greater understanding of how gender equity is perceived by Mid-American Conference (MAC) athletic administrators and coaches.Q-methodology was chosen as the most relevant method to achieve the desired outcome. This method would take the subjective opinions and beliefs of the subjects and transform them into numbers that could be analyzed. The resulting information would create factors, or groups,which would help draw some conclusions on the true impact of gender equity legislation in the MAC.The subjects of this study provided two distinct factors labeled: "Title IX Defenders" and "Title IX Amenders." Title IX Defenders felt adamant that Title IX should not be altered. They primarily wanted to protect the integrity of the legislation. Title IX Amenders felt that Title IX should be altered to prevent further damage to men's non-revenue athletes, while continuing to protect female athletes. / Department of Journalism

The purpose of this study was to determine the importance recent recruits of football programs placed on athletic facilities (specifically football facilities) in the selection of a NCAA Division I-A football team. Specifically, the opinions of recruited freshman at selected NCAA Division I-A football programs in the Big Ten Conference were examined.Participants completed a 21 item questionnaire that ascertained the football players opinions of how football facilities influenced their decisions to play football at the institution, their opinions on how the university and the football program influenced their decision to play football at that institution, and a ranking of 11 facility factors. Athletes (N = 88) representing three schools in the Big Ten Conference completed the questionnaire. The most influential factors in the recruiting process were coaching staff (M = 1.65, SD = .98) and the strength and conditioning facilities (1Vi = 2.02, SD = 1.06). Furthermore, this study found that the top five facility factors that NCAA Division I-A football players rank are strength and conditioning facilities, an academic lab, location of facilities, stand-alone facilities, and an indoor turf field. / School of Physical Education

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the perceptions and experiences of individuals involved in peer assisted learning (PAL) in the clinical setting of an athletic training education program. A qualitative research approach was utilized to examine the value of PAL experiences in the clinical education setting, define participants' perspectives on interactions with peers in the clinical education setting, and determine which terms were used most commonly by athletic training students and ACIs in describing educational exchanges amongst peers in the BSU athletic training education program. Data was collected through a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews that pursued the various perceptions and experiences regarding PAL from individuals involved in the BSU athletic training education program. A purposeful sample of 15 participants, consisting of 9 athletic training students, 3 alumni, and 3 ACIs, were asked a set of core questions that explored their perceptions and experiences of PAL within the athletic training program. Data analysis consisted of a coding format which involved the development of themes as a result of the information provided during the interviews. Identified themes were based upon frequency, extensiveness, and significance of comments that occurred through the interview process. The findings suggest PAL activities occur on a regular basis among athletic training students in clinical education experiences and involve informal, active learning situations where students work together to help each other learn. Peers were viewed as individuals having similar knowledge, training, or experiences who help each other with learning, reviewing athletic training competencies and proficiencies, or solving problems within the clinical education setting. Athletic training students involved in PAL at BSU prefer to experience active and informal educational exchanges amongst their peers. Athletic training educators, including faculty, ACIs and even athletic training students, should be aware of the benefits of PAL to learners within athletic training education programs. The use of this type of active, informal learning strategy may significantly impact the success of students involved in athletic training education. / Department of Educational Studies

Tyrimo objektas: Nacionalinės futbolo akademijos U-13 metų jaunųjų futbolininkų skirtingų programų poveikis greitumui lavinti. Aktualumas: Šių dienų sporte dideli sportiniai rezultatai yra pasiekiami gana jauname amžiuje, todėl treneriai priversti gerinti atranką, ieškoti gabių vaikų judamąja veiklai. Vienas iš svarbiausių uždavinių yra moksliškai ištirti ir pagrįsti jaunųjų sportininkų rengimo priemonių ir metodų panaudojimo efektyvumą, pritaikyti juos praktinėje veikloje. Didelių sportinių rezultatų galima pasiekti ne tik kryptingai vykdant atranką, ugdant fizines ypatybes bei mokant technikos veiksmų atlikimo, bet ir žinant kiekvieno iš šių sportininkų rengimo komponentų svarbą ir priklausomybę vieno nuo kito įvairiais jaunojo sportininko rengimo laikotarpiais (Skurvydas, 1998; Girdauskas, 2000). Darbo tikslas: Atskleisti Nacionalinės Futbolo Akademijos U-13 futbolininkų sportinio rengimo programų ypatumus bei parengtumo dinamiką. Uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti prieš sportinio rengimo programą Nacionalinės Futbolo Akademijos U-13 futbolininkų greitumo, bei šuolių aukštį be rankų mosto ir mojant rankomis rezultatus. 2. Nustatyti Nacionalinės Futbolo Akademijos didžiausią poveikį turėjusios programos U-13 futbolininkų greitumo, bei šuolių be rankų mosto ir mojant rankomis rezultatų dinamikai. 3. Palyginti ir įvertinti gautus tyrimo rezultatus su kitų šalių analogiškais tyrimo rezultatais. Tyrimo metodai: • Literatūros šaltinių analizė. • Pedagoginis eksperimentas. • Testavimas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of research: National football academy of U-13 years young players nominal effect of different programs to quickness development. Relevance: Nowadays remarkable results in sports are achieved at a very early age that is why coaches require higher qualifications for new and talented children to take part in motive activities. One of the most important tasks is to explore and justify efficiency of means and methods used in training junior sportsmen and to apply these methods in practice. Impressive results can be achieved not only through thorough selection of sportsmen, not only by developing physical qualities, or by teaching technique of good performance but also by knowing the importance of training components in each sportsman and correlation between these components in different training periods (Skurvydas, 1998; Girdauskas, 2000). The aim of research: Uncover the National Football Academy U-13 soccer sports training program characteristics and dynamics of fitness. Tasks: 1. To estimate effect before sports training program to the National Football Academy U-13 soccer speed, static jump and jump with arm motion results. 2. To estimate which of sports training program had greatest impact to the National Football Academy U-13 soccer players to their speed, static jump and jump with arm motion results. 3. To compare and evaluate these results with those of other countries with equivalent research. Methods of analysis: 1. Analysis of literary sources. 2... [to full text]

[Truncated astract] Talent Identification (TI) in sports begins by mass screening individuals' motor abilities. du Randt (2000) wrote that, as test items from one country might not necessarily suit another, appropriate basic motor skill test items are important for developing a TI mass screening instrument. Three hundred and thirty Malaysian adolescents aged from 12-15 years were tested on three motor skill test batteries: the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND, McCarron, 1982); the Australian Talent Identification Test (AIS, Australian Sports Commission, 1998); and a Balance and Movement Coordination Test which was specifically developed for this project. In the current research, the motor performance data recorded from the adolescents underwent several types of analyses. Principal Component analyses were conducted on the MAND, AIS and BMC motor skill instruments to understand what the three motor skill instruments were assessing globally in the Malaysian adolescents. Then, first-order and higher-order factor analyses were conducted on the 13 parameters making up the AIS+BMC motor skill instrument to examine the concept of general motor ability (GMA). After descriptive analyses of the adolescents' motor skill performances, age and gender differences were examined using two (gender) by four (age) ANOVAs. Finally, stepwise discriminant function analyses were conducted on a combined AIS+BMC motor skill instrument to determine the best sub-set of motor skills that reliably classified the Malaysian adolescents into three levels of motor performance.... Two stepwise discriminant analyses were undertaken to find the best set of motor skills for classifying Malaysian adolescents into three motor coordination groups based on scores on the MAND and three motor ability groups derived from scores on the motoric 'g'. The ability of a combined AIS+BMC motor skill instrument to classify Malaysian adolescents into the three groups was good for those classified as Normal, not so great for those adolescents classified as High, and poor for those adolescents classified as Low. The motor skills consistently reported across both sets of analyses were Balance-Eyes-Open, Balance-Eyes-Closed, Dynamic Balance, Hopping Speed, Quadrant Jump, Hopping-in-Square, Basketball Throw and Shuttle-Run-with-Object. Hence, motor skills assessing static balance, dynamic balance and postural control appeared to reliably discriminate the Malaysian adolescents into three motor performance groups. Finally, an examination of the misclassifications found in the discriminant analyses revealed two things. Those individuals being predicted into a lower group performed a large number of the motor skills to a lesser standard when compared with their correctly classified cohorts. Conversely, those predicted into a higher group performed a number of motor skills to a standard higher than their correctly classified cohorts. Thus, at a global level, certain individuals could be overlooked for further athletic development and is a concern when developing a rigorous TI program. Therefore, practitioners need to be cautious of any single ability score, and how that represents an individual's athletic potential. These results are discussed, limitations noted, and directions for future research provided.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-173). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.