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The purpose of this study was to determine which NCAA Division I universities have an eating disorder policy specific to collegiate athletes. Demographic factors were also assessed for their relationship to whether or not a university has a specific policy. An additional goal of the study was to examine currently existing policies, assess common themes between them, and determine which themes are most appropriate and beneficial for future policies. The study used both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Participants of the study were the 128 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision universities. The research design involved a documentary analysis to determine which universities currently have a policy specific to athletes with eating disorders. An online search for policies yielded 13 official policies, primarily found through a general Google search. For the universities in which an online search did not provide results, athletic department personnel were contacted by email requesting the status of their policies in relation to athletes with eating disorders. Of the 115 universities that were contacted, 50 universities replied. Through analysis of the email responses, the researcher found an additional 20 universities with a specific policy regarding athletes with eating disorders. In total, the researcher found 33 of the 128 universities (26%) to have an official policy specific to athletes with eating disorders. Existing policies were analyzed and coded into themes. The researcher found 16 major themes that were recurring throughout existing policies. Each theme was analyzed individually to determine recurring patterns. The researcher found between four and six recurring patterns per major theme. / Kinesiology

Coaches' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about mental health – the construct of mental health literacy (MHL) – affects teams' mental health (MH) climates and the early detection, referral, and treatment of athletes' MH concerns. Thus, assessing collegiate coaches' MHL, and the factors related to its presence, is critical. Using the Mental Health Literacy Scale, I surveyed 1,571 NCAA coaches (Mage = 37.5 years, SD = 11.8; 51.4% cisgender female; 85.9% White) regarding their MHL and related demographic and MH-experience factors, including their belief regarding MH and sport performance. Overall, 99.9% of the coaches believed that athletes' MH affected their sport performances. Through hierarchical regression analyses, I found that coaches' exposure to MH treatment, their perceived helpfulness of MH treatment, their gender (i.e., woman), number of years coaching (i.e., fewer years), and NCAA Division in which they currently coach (i.e., DIII) were related significantly to their MHL, explaining 15.5% of variance. Coaches' race/ethnicity was not related to MHL. These findings provide insight on hiring and educating coaches, and hiring appropriately trained and licensed MH and sport psychology professionals. Specifically, coach education should be focused and practical: signs and symptoms of common MH concerns disorders; the ubiquity of MH concerns among athletes; how to talk to athletes about MH and suicide; and how to make timely, efficient, and respectful referrals following that system's specific procedures. Such education would be particularly beneficial for male coaches or those who have been coaching longer.

This study used semi-structured interviews of athletic directors to present a descriptive narrative of academic support provided to student athletes in five Southern California high schools. These interviews highlighted what supports were provided as well as structures that would better support student athletes. The impetus of this study was the mixed findings regarding the academic performance of student athletes in comparison to their non-athlete peers. While high school students must satisfy academic requirements to remain eligible to participate, California high schools are not required to provide academic support to their student athletes (California Interscholastic Federation, 2017). Without an obligation to provide academic support, some schools may not (or cannot) invest in the resources needed to ensure that student athletes remain academically eligible, causing further disparate outcomes. The purpose of this research was to investigate what academic supports were being provided by five Southern California high schools to ensure that all student athletes were eligible to play their sport while achieving academic success. Additionally, the study further uncovered what structures athletic directors believed would better support their student athletes. This study applied the Total Person Program (TPP), a framework utilized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), as a basis of holistic supports for student athletes. Through analysis of the interviews, the researcher curated strategies that were being used to support the academic performance of student athletes and synthesized the ideas about structures that would better support student athletes. The results revealed that a collaborative approach is needed to implement various academic supports. The athletic directors identified that structures need to change to address the variance in academic performance and support student athletes with applying to college. Findings also point to the leadership capacity of athletic directors.

This study explored the preparation methods, qualifications and criteria that both university and athletic directors deemed necessary when searching for athletic directors. Participants completed a survey via Qualtrics online software. Two different populations were sampled for this study: 651 university presidents and 651 athletic directors whose schools compete in either Division I or II in the NCAA, resulting in 96 and 150 usable responses respectively. Participants in both groups were primarily white males with mean ages of 62 for presidents and 52 for the athletic directors. The study provided demographic information, educational history, professional experience, and prior careers of athletic directors. The rankings of the athletic were compared to the rankings of the presidents and identified consistencies of opinions. The respondent groups were in agreement on the qualities and ranking of many dimensions of leadership in this role. The top seven, for both groups, in order, were ethics, budgeting and finances skills, fundraising, communications, sport leadership, strategic management and policy, and athletic administration. This information could be used as a guide for people who want to strategically maneuver up the ranks in athletics administration. Presidents might use the information as they prepare to hire candidates for the athletic director position.

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Collegiate athletic programs at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institutions in the United States serve a two-fold purpose. They offer aspiring student athletes access to college and opportunities to play competitive college sports. Consequently, student athletes at Division II institutions experience personal and institutional pressures to compete for championships while achieving academic success. Increasing demands on today’s college student athletes’ athletic participation and performance has a multitude of consequences that could influence their academic performance and success in college. Simultaneously, these institutions and athletic programs are also witnessing another phenomenon – a transformation in their student population. Latino college student athlete matriculation continues to increase every year, mirroring their non-student athlete counterparts in higher education. Their increased enrollment on these college campuses necessitates higher education researchers to better understand this understudied population. In furthering that endeavor, this inquiry sought to illuminate an overarching research question: how does a Latino college athlete’s racial identity influence their academic success and athletic performance? Guided by Gloria Anzaldúa’s Theory of Borderlands (Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, 2012), this two-part qualitative study invited seven Latino college student athletes’ to examine their racial-ethnic identity, their academic success, and their athletic participation in Division II competitive sports. Through 12 semi-structured open-ended interviews, the researcher examined the intersections between Latino student athletes’ motivation to do well in their respective sport and their motivation to perform well academically. Among the major findings of this study, participants strongly identified themselves as Nepantleras – border crossers who possessed an intrinsic ability to seamlessly cross the world of academics and the world of athletics. Their movement across these dual world realities, in addition to balancing the expectations of their Latino familias y culturas, resulted in the participants rejecting the idea of one or the other (student or athlete) and claiming a singular identity: Soy Estudiante Deportista. Understanding and engaging with Latino college student athletes’ academic and athletic experiences at Division II institutions is vital for college faculty, athletic directors, coaches, student affairs professionals, and institutional administrators invested in their success. This study offers these institutional agents recommendations to best support their student athletes.