Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Project (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 19). Also available via the Internet.

The goal of many institutions of higher education is to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful citizens of society. For college student athletes an athletic coach can play a vital role in the collegiate experience. The thesis, Coach's Influence On The Career Development Of Student Athletes, examined the extent, if any, an athletic head coach influenced the career planning process encountered by college student athletes. The study was original in nature as it attempted to investigate a head athletic coach's influence on a student athlete's career development. The participants of the study were 163 male and 92 female student athletes attending a Midwestern, NCAA division 1, mid-sized, public university. The 40 question, scaled, survey instrument was created by the researcher and field tested before the actual administration of the instrument. Significant findings were found for male head coaches influencing the career development of male student athletes. Other significant findings are also discussed. Recommendations of the study direct coaches and athletic administrators to be aware of the career-related challenges faced by college student athletes, and to create an environment that promotes healthy career choices. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

Thesis (MS) University of Montana, 2008. / Title from author supplied metadata. Contents viewed on May 19, 2010. Includes bibliographical references.

This study seeks to determine the effectiveness of the Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success (CHAMPS)/Life Skills program at the University of North Texas, as perceived by the student athletes who participate or participated in this program. The study attempts to measure the extent to which the student athletes feel that the program had value; if they received helpful information to support them through their college career to career transition; if the student athletes felt that the program provided them with skills to encourage better self-esteem; and if they believed that the CHAMPS/Life Skills program provided them with leadership and character education. The study, conducted in the Fall of 2003, had 163 respondents. An instrument was developed to determine student athletes' perceptions of the effectiveness of the CHAMPS/Life Skills program at UNT. The instrument consisted of 30 questions using a Likert-type scale. A Mann-Whitney U, a non-parametric t-Test, was utilized to analyze the data. This type of t-Test was used because it is specifically designed to compare the means of the same variable with two different groups and account for non-homogeneous groups. The lack of homogeneity was very likely influenced by the unequal group sizes. Generally, all aspects of the CHAMPS/Life Skills program at UNT were found to be positive by each subgroup. Student athletes found value in the CHAMPS/Life Skills program at UNT. In three of the four components studied, males had a statistically stronger feeling than females. Minority status had no statistically significant impact on the results in any of the four components studied. For the variable measuring the number of years in the program, a significant difference existed in three of the four components studied. The study shows that if a student athlete was involved in the program for more than two years, the CHAMPS/Life Skills program at UNT was more valuable for them than those enrolled for a shorter period of time.