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Athlete-centred coaching is proposed to enhance performance (Lyle, 2002), develop life skills (Kidman & Lombardo, 2010), and prevent athlete maltreatment (Kerr & Stirling, 2008). Despite the consistent recommendation, very little is known empirically about athlete-centred coaching, the extent to which it is implemented, or athletes’ experiences with this style of coaching. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine recently retired elite athletes’ perspectives on their most athlete-centred coach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight male and female recently retired Olympians. The findings of this study provided mixed evidence for coaching behaviours characterized as athlete-centred coaching as defined within the literature. Specifically, at least half of the coaches did not use stimulating questions, one of the most central athlete-centred tenets. Explanations for the mixed findings are discussed and a continuum of athlete-centred coaching is proposed. Lastly, suggestions for future research and practical implications are presented.

Within Canada, high school sport is the most popular extracurricular activity (Statistics Canada, 2008). Previous research has found that teachers who take additional roles may increase their chances of role conflict and occupational dissatisfaction (Richards & Templin, 2012). Little research has examined the motivations teacher-coaches have for taking on a dual-role. Further, researchers assert that high school sport can facilitate positive youth development (Camiré, & Trudel, 2010). The purpose of this thesis was to gain a more in-depth understanding of this dual-role as well as perceptions related positive youth development. Results of the research are presented in two articles. The first article examines teacher-coaches motives for taking on a dual role position. The second article examines the perceptions teacher-coaches have related to the impact of participation in high school sport. Overall, the results produced rich insight into the world of volunteer teacher-coaches and student-athlete development in high school sport.

Neuromuscular (NM) fatigue can be defined as an exercise-induced decrease in skill-based performance and/or capacity that originates within the NM system (i.e. between activation of the primary motor cortex to the performance of the contractile apparatus (Bigland-Ritchie, 1981)) (Boyas & Guével, 2011). NM fatigue is a fundamental component of athlete training and competition, required for both optimal adaptation and performance. However, in the short-term, NM fatigue can decrease performance and increase injury risk, whilst its accumulation can produce long-term deleterious performance and health consequences. Consequently, athlete fatigue monitoring is recommended for precise management of athlete training adaptation and recovery practices. Regular NM function measurement is a key component of athlete fatigue monitoring; still the best means of assessing fatigue-induced effects on NM function is presently unclear. A broader understanding of the most suitable NM testing methods, and associated NM constructs, would therefore be of value to sport practitioners. As elaborated below, this dissertation aimed to first identify the most suitable NM function test, and then develop the testing technique to better determine the NM responses associated with acute fatigue, an accumulation of exercise stress (i.e. accumulated fatigue), and post-exercise recovery. A secondary aim was to provide a greater understanding of the NM responses elicited by fatiguing exercise. First, the suitability of four NM function tests (e.g. countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), drop jump (DJ), 20-m sprint (SPRINT)) for the regular measurement of NM fatigue was examined. Assessment of test repeatability (mean coefficient of variation for various measures of force, velocity, power, impulse and flight time; SPRINT: 1.2%; CMJ: 3.0%; SJ: 3.5%; DJ: 4.8%) and sensitivity to NM fatigue (substantial post-exercise changes observed up to; SPRINT: 0-hr post; SJ: 24-hr post; CMJ & DJ: 72-hr post) revealed the CMJ test to be the most suitable, with it highly repeatable and sensitive to fatigue-induced changes immediately following fatiguing exercise and during post-exercise recovery. Subsequent investigations further explored the use of CMJ testing for NM fatigue detection. Second, CMJ responses to acute NM fatigue and during post-exercise recovery were examined in recreational athletes. As part of this process, two analytic approaches, anticipated to decrease measurement error and improve test sensitivity through the examination of CMJ mechanics, were utilised. Fatiguing exercise resulted in a biphasic recovery profile. Immediate decreases were evident in most CMJ variables (i.e. small-to-moderate changes), followed by mechanical changes indicative of NM fatigue (i.e. small changes in CMJ time- and rate-based variables) at 72-hour. Observation of mechanical changes at 72-hour, supported the use of the two adopted CMJ analytic approaches. Third, the developed methodology was used with elite snowboard-cross athletes to examine fatigue- and training-induced changes in NM function. Compared to concentric CMJ variables (i.e. peak/mean power/force/velocity), mechanical CMJ changes were more marked following both the fatiguing protocol (ES: moderate-to-large vs. small-to-moderate) and the 19-week training block (large-to-extremely large vs. small-to-very large). The more apparent mechanical changes observed in this highly-trained population (vs. the recreational athletes in Chapter 3) indicated that CMJ mechanical analysis may be of particular value in athlete populations. Fourth, the CMJ testing techniques were used to examine NM changes associated with accumulated fatigue (i.e. an accumulation of exercise and/or non-exercise stress) in a highly-trained population. Alongside increased training loads and decreased wellness, substantial changes in CMJ mechanics (e.g. time to peak force, force at zero velocity) and jump outcome (e.g. flight time, peak displacement) were observed, thereby supporting the inclusion of mechanical CMJ assessment for the monitoring of accumulated NM fatigue effects. This series of investigations support the use of CMJ testing for athlete NM fatigue monitoring, and highlight that NM fatigue can manifest as alterations in the mechanical strategies used to accomplish a task. These changes appear evident in response to acute fatigue (Chapters 3 and 4), alongside increases in training load (Chapters 4 and 5) and during post-exercise recovery (Chapter 3). Practitioners should therefore incorporate analyses of CMJ mechanics to provide a more comprehensive assessment of fatigue- and training-induced changes in NM function. / Graduate / gatherco@uvic.ca

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.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 110 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2006. / "UMI number: 3254234." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 111 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-120). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-120). Also available on the Internet.