The purpose of this study is to identify which characteristics of student-athletes are most helpful in making administrative decisions about intercollegiate athletic programs, and then to develop a descriptive profile of a group of student-athletes at a particular university. Additional purposes include comparing these descriptive data with other group data and with perceptions of the same group of student-athletes by faculty administrators at the same university. Data were collected in four phases. First, a jury of three experts developed a list of student-athlete characteristics they believed to be helpful in making administrative decisions regarding those athletes. Next, information was gathered to develop a descriptive profile of a selected group of eighteen student-athletes based on the identified characteristics. Next, statistical comparisons were made with available data from other groups of students and from the eight Athletic Council members' perceptions of the study group. Major findings include the identification of useful characteristics, inconsistencies between student-athlete high school ranks in class and SAT scores, high scores in hostility, and accurate perceptions of student-athletes by Athletic Council members.

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M.Comm. / The world-wide professionalisation of sport has created an increasing need for trained sport managers. In the South African context, a variety of Sport Management Programmes exist but guidelines and recommendations for training specifically of the South African school sport manager have neither been set nor implemented. In the view of scarce resources, demands and challenges posed by the holistic development in the new outcomes based education the school sport manager needs to be trained. Therefore, it is necessary that research be done in this area to identify and describe the competencies of the school sport manager. The aim of the study is to describe the competencies of the school sport manager in order to provide guidelines and recommendations for appropriate education and training. To find possible solutions, the historical development (longitudinal) of sport and other means of physical participation as well as the development of children and the role the school plays in that development is explored and described. Different sociological theories informed the conceptual framework for contextual description and analysis. The competencies of the school sport manager, within a commercialized context, are described with reference to its functional components and professional requirements. The methodology includes structured self-administrated interviews, preceded by a self-designed questionnaire that was completed by 12 secondary school representatives. The results indicated that the management of school sport is especially varied, politicized and complex. There is a statistically meaningful difference between the required competencies of school sport managers and what is currently in place. Relative small differences in the requirements of the management competencies of school sport managers exist according to the focus of various sport codes. Various potential shortcomings with varying scope in the competencies of the school sport manager were identified in the survey. It would be possible for the school sport manager to acquire the necessary competencies through fundamental, core and elective contents and learning outcomes during Sport Management training. Guidelines and recommendations for future training are offered.

This dissertation explores elite athletes’ strategic personal brand management on social media. Social media have become a primary platform for personal branding integrated into athletes’ lives and careers. Yet, the psychological and strategic processes underlying personal brand management have lacked scholarly inquiry as extant research tends to focus on consumer perspectives as opposed to decision-making, negotiations, and strategies from the point of view of branded individuals. This has hindered the understanding of how personal branding is managed as a unique type of self-enterprising activity. In this dissertation, I employ a multi-study approach to address three issues pertaining to athletes’ personal brand management on social media, namely: 1) experience of fit in pursuit of personal brand monetization, 2) negotiation of authenticity in self-presentation, and 3) joint effects of brand fit, athlete brand authenticity, and self-disclosure tactics in athlete corporate social responsibility (AxCSR) promotional content. Theoretically, the dissertation advances a view of how athletes, as public personas, manage their personal brands on the verge between their personal concerns and identities, commercial demands, and expectations stemming from sports industry stakeholders. Practically, it delivers insights to athletes, their managers, and sponsors on how to optimize athletes’ personal branding experiences and business outcomes. / Tourism and Sport

<p> The discontinuation of intercollegiate athletics teams at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II, and III institutions has been tracked by the NCAA national office for decades. From 1988-89 through 2014-15, the men&rsquo;s sport with the greatest net loss of teams throughout all NCAA divisions was wrestling. While a body of research exists that examines factors cited by campus and athletic administrators as reasons that lead to the discontinuation of NCAA sports, the actual lived experience of college student-athletes in the wake of sport elimination has garnered little attention. After a sport is discontinued, the NCAA also ceases to examine the academic progress, retention, or persistence to degree of those Division I student-athletes. Retrospective interviews with twelve Division I wrestlers provide insight into their experience and changes in identity following sport elimination. </p><p> The contextual framework includes a review of the role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education, summary of current NCAA structure, discussion of the economics of Division I athletics, overview of the ancient origins of wrestling, and examination of the structure of modern intercollegiate and club wrestling programs. </p><p> First-generation college students negotiate and construct multiple identities while navigating the university experience. Since participation in athletics is commonly used as a springboard for social mobility and access to the cultural capital of higher education, this project explored the experience of both first-generation and non-first-generation NCAA Division I wrestlers. This research privileges the voices of college student-athletes who candidly shared personal insights after the elimination of a sport that provided a significant source of their identity. Research was designed to expand the literature on the experience and identity of first-generation college students, contribute to the development of a robust body of work on the specific experience of first-generation college student-athletes at NCAA Division I institutions, and provide recommendations for campus and athletic administrators considering the elimination of an intercollegiate sport. </p><p> While sport discontinuation is usually considered to be an event (the elimination of a team on a particular date), findings in this study suggest that sport discontinuation might be better viewed as a process with ripple effects that last for years. The decision to eliminate a team requires thoughtful consideration of the effect it will have on the experience and identity of individual student-athletes. To mitigate the short-term and long-term effects of sport discontinuation, it is recommended that institutions establish and maintain support services specifically for the affected student-athletes in the months prior to and years following the announcement of the elimination of the team.</p>

<p> Student nurse athletes may experience difficulties effectively obtaining academic success in nursing programs. Many athletes need extra support and assistance to complete a nursing degree. Some institutions provide general academic courses to enhance the athlete&rsquo;s academic skills and knowledge. There is limited literature addressing success of student athletes in Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators, barriers, and motivators of student nurse athletes that attribute to academic success. A quantitative descriptive comparative study was conducted from September 8, 2014 to October 3, 2014. Data were obtained on sixty-one participants that included athlete and non-athlete nursing students. All participants completed the Demographic-Socio-Economic Questionnaire and the Facilitators/ Barriers Questionnaire. In addition, the athletes (n=18) also completed the Motivational Questionnaire. Results indicated that both groups ranked academics as requiring the highest demand of time. In second rank were athletics (athletes) and family (non-athletes). Both groups ranked time management as first and prioritization second as being critical to academic success. Student athletes identified facilitators as support with time management and prioritization. Barriers were schedule conflicts between classes and clinical days. Motivators were the needs to successfully complete academic and athletic related tasks. This study reinforced the importance of academic support services for student nurse athletes to assist in their academic success. These services can provide time management and prioritization skills which are facilitators needed to assist the student in managing the unique characteristics of being a successful student nurse athlete.</p>

Baseball fans discuss and remember the heroics of Major League Baseball players and managers. However, team executives operate away from the crowds, in the front office to draft, trade for, and sign talented players and managers to construct successful teams. The intent of this thesis is to first rank and analyze these general managers and presidents of baseball operations through finance and baseball statistics. Then, I will examine team statistics to determine what statistics correlate to winning. Two of the general managers, Theo Epstein and Dan O’Dowd, will then be examined more thoroughly to determine how their decisions impacted their respective teams. Ultimately, this paper will conclude with an assertion that the strategic actions of upper level executives in Major League Baseball directly positively and negatively impact the performance of their teams.

Title: Doping and management in elite sport Objectives: The main aim of this diploma thesis is to find the opinions of the cardinal representatives from professional sport, i.e. top sports officials and elite sportsmans, to doping, who may have the different attitudes to this issue from their position and roles. Methods: In this diploma thesis were used two methods for collection of data. Specifically, the method of questionnaires and semi-structured interview method. Mixed type of research was selected due to deeper into the issue. In the diploma thesis was also used the method of analysis or comparison, mostly to gather sufficient information for the development of theoretical foundations of work. Results: Results of mixed research are interpreted in the research of this diploma thesis. The results of this study found the opinion of the cardinal representatives from professional sport, sports managers and the elite sportsmans, to doping. The results can serve as a basis for future research in this area, for example, when comparing the sports company to the general public, as to whether individuals who show more willingness in the use of doping, they have a different attitude to their body and health than individuals who do not want to show this willingness. Keywords: doping, management, sports...

The thesis will analyze the current state of life sports club TJ Handball Jindrichuv Hradec, with an emphasis on economic, organizational and internal and external social aspects. Based on the findings will be formulated recommendations for further development of the sports club.