There has been a great deal of research conducted which examines the development of student-athletes on college campuses. However, there has been limited investigation into how the institutional logics (i.e. the belief structures and related practices) within an athletic department may affect the manner in which athletic administrators and coaches perceive and approach the development of their student-athletes. The purpose of this study was to understand the institutional logics of an NCAA Division II athletic department and how those logics may affect student-athletes. In order to address the purpose and research questions of this study, I conducted a qualitative case study at a private university where I interviewed thirteen members of the university including eight members of the athletic department and five university faculty members and administrators. Additional data were obtained through various documents such as the university's mission statement and the NCAA Division II Handbook. It was found that the athletic department operates under certain institutional logics wherein they are expected to foster student-athlete development. These include the academic, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of their development. Additionally, the athletic department is expected to enhance the university by building community and promoting the mission and vision of the university. Finally, winning athletic competitions is an important expectation of members of the athletic department. Further exploration of the data reveals that certain aspects of these logics may conflict. Primarily, the participants acknowledged that they were expected to foster the development of their athletes in other aspects beyond athletics; yet their primary job performance evaluations were based on wins and losses. Additionally, the logic of enhancing the university may also contend with the academic development of the student-athletes. This is significant because research has suggested that conflicting institutional logics within an organization may lead to confusion as to which logics are paramount. Though the specific findings of this research may be contextually bound, this provides insight into how the institutional logics of an organization may influence the actions of its members and key stakeholders who are influenced by the processes within that organization.

Student-athletes' and athletic administrators' perceptions of available and accessible social support in the athletic department are explored. Interviews were conducted with three athletic administrators whose job responsibilities are most focused on student-athlete welfare and 13 student-athletes from a NCAA Division I University from the Pacific Ten Conference in the Northwestern United States chosen from a purposive sample based on demographic characteristics and nominations. Interviews were conducted with participants until informational redundancy was achieved. The university was chosen based on diversity of student-athletes, proximity to researcher, and access granted to student-athletes for interviews. Interview questions were based on the psychosocial model of development. Data from interviews were analyzed thematically using five dimensions of social support to examine the differences and similarities between the types of support identified as available and accessible by student-athletes and athletic administrators. From the 13 student-athletes and three athletic administrators that were interviewed, 38 categories were identified in the themes of emotional support, instrumental support, informational support, appraisal support, and lack of support. Student-athletes identified 29 categories in the five themes and athletic administrators identified 19 categories in the five themes. Similarities between student-athletes and athletic administrators were found in 14 categories. Student-athletes identified 13 categories that athletic administrators did not and athletic administrators identified six categories that student-athletes did not. Implications of the results for student-athletes and athletic administrators are discussed.

The intent of this study was to determine if men’s football and men’s basketball coaches at the university or college level utilize an assessment instrument when recruiting and evaluating potential student-athletes. Specifically studied through interviews were the characteristics that these coaches look for in successful and unsuccessful student-athletes, how they currently collect information during the recruitment period and the importance of collecting data on student-athletes. Swanson’s Performance Diagnosis Matrix and Human Capital Theory framed the research. The population for this study consisted of current Division IA men’s football and men’s basketball coaches in the Big 12 Conference. Prior to contacting the Big 12 coaches a pilot study was conducted at two Division IA Universities and with a former head football coach at a Big 12 Conference University. These interviews were instrumental in the final development of the questions used to interview the Big 12 Conference coaches. The participants were sent a letter asking for their participation in the study and then were contacted by phone to set up an interview. The interviews were conducted in the months of July, August, and September 2006 by phone. This study found that most coaches do not have or utilize an assessment instrument. Significant data showed coaches believe that the evaluation process of student-athletes is the most difficult and critical part of their job. Using emergent category designation I found seven themes (characteristics) of successful student-athletes, as indicated by the coaches: competitive, a hard worker, has a supportive family, is a leader, has good character, and is honest. I also found the themes (characteristics) of an unsuccessful student-athlete to be: undisciplined, lacks character, has an unstable family and is not competitive. The study helps to define through research and development an assessment instrument to more effectively define the needs of student-athletes prior to entering universities and coaches will have additional data for meeting the needs of student-athletes.

A sample of 98 student-athletes at one southern Arizona high school completed a survey that examined their personal characteristics, athletic goals, knowledge about the college recruiting process, and the role of the school counselor in that process. Results revealed that the majority of student-athletes were not well informed about the college going process. However, there was a significant increase in recruiting knowledge of students who definitely want to participate or possibly want to participate in college athletics between 9th and 11th grade and between 9th and 12th grade. The majority of participants felt "slightly comfortable" or "very comfortable" coming to their school counselor to discuss this information. However, they would feel more comfortable if the counselor were knowledgeable about college athletics. Results show that high school counselors need to be better prepared to assist student-athletes with the college going process.

The purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives on the personal development of student-athletes through interuniversity sport participation. More specifically, the ways in which coaches understand and facilitate athletes’ personal development were explored. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female head coaches of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) programs. A qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive analysis of the data revealed: coaches’ difficulty in defining personal development and articulating the ways in which they facilitate opportunities for athletes’ personal development through sport; a lack of clarity of the methods used to measure athletes’ personal development; and the ensuing ramifications of university sport model reviews which are moving towards a high performance model of sport on athletes’ personal development. Findings from this study contribute knowledge and understanding of a previously little studied phenomenon – the personal development of student-athletes – and the perspectives from a relatively un-explored population, university head coaches.

The purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives on the personal development of student-athletes through interuniversity sport participation. More specifically, the ways in which coaches understand and facilitate athletes’ personal development were explored. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female head coaches of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) programs. A qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive analysis of the data revealed: coaches’ difficulty in defining personal development and articulating the ways in which they facilitate opportunities for athletes’ personal development through sport; a lack of clarity of the methods used to measure athletes’ personal development; and the ensuing ramifications of university sport model reviews which are moving towards a high performance model of sport on athletes’ personal development. Findings from this study contribute knowledge and understanding of a previously little studied phenomenon – the personal development of student-athletes – and the perspectives from a relatively un-explored population, university head coaches.

This study investigated the relationship between public stigma, self-stigma, and help-seeking attitudes in a sample of undergraduate student-athletes. Student-athletes appear to be at increased risk for developing mental health issues compared to their non-athlete counterparts (Etzel et al., 2006). However, student-athletes appear to underutilize available mental health services for fear of being labeled as mentally ill as well as other factors (Pinkerton, Hinz, and Barrow, 1989). The purpose of the current study is to explore two facets of stigma as a potential explanation for negative attitudes toward help-seeking and thus the underutilization of these mental health services. Sixty-six student-athletes completed a 10-minute paper-pencil survey. The survey included measures of self-stigma, public stigma, help-seeking attitudes, demographic variables, and an open-ended question regarding barriers to help-seeking. Results indicated that self-stigma mediated the relationship between public stigma and help-seeking attitudes, which replicates the mediated model found in Vogel et al. (2007). Self-stigma appears to explain how negative stereotypes about those who seek help are internalized to form negative attitudes toward help-seeking for student-athletes. Further, student-athletes noted barriers to help-seeking such as lack of time or knowledge of resources as well as fear of being labeled as mentally ill. Implications for research and practice are delineated.

There is a population of student-athletes who are in need of deeper understanding and additional support. Community college transfer student-athletes face different challenges than their non-athlete and non-transfer peers. Given these differences, this qualitative study was focused on understanding the experiences and perceptions of community college transfer student-athletes. More specifically, this study aimed to describe the preparation to transfer, the transfer process, and the recommendations for successful transfer as each relates to academics, athletics, and personal factors. For this qualitative study, data were collected through individual interviews, a focus group, as well as observation and reflection. Fourteen themes emerged through coding and analysis. These themes answered the three research questions as well as increased the literature on an under-researched population. Key implications for future research surrounding community college transfer student-athletes emerged including a focus on a need for academic clarity, earlier recruitment, strong relationships, and excellent time management skills.

The subject of the presented thesis is a business plan of agency, which the owner founded in February 2005 after having successfully passed university in United States of America as a student-athlete receiving full athletic scholarship. This is recruiting type of agency working with student-athletes in Czech Republic and US coaches at universities. The agency is trying to find athletic- scholarships for athletes as well as great education and sport opportunities for them. I can divide this business plan into three basic parts; part one focus on introducing the agency, her objectives, mission, and present situation. Another part concentrates in determination of the present position of the agency (position on the market, clients, skills, characteristics) and it consists of a detailed strategic analysis of external factors (STEP, Porter, Market Research) and internal factors. The conclusion of the analytic part is closed by a SWOT analysis. Finally, an essay represents the last part of the thesis where the specific business plan of the agency’s future for next five years is formulated. For further expansion of the agency, specific proposals in the key areas have been made. Lastly I have focused on risk evaluation, recommendation and conclusion.

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