Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-200).

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Introduction: The majority of University of the Western Cape coaches believe that in most sport codes, many female and male athletes get injured at least once a season. Consequently, occurrence of injuries signifies many set-backs in any team sports. University of the Western Cape sports injury intervention and rehabilitation strategies are relatively under-developed, and have not been systematically implemented, despite their proven effectiveness. However, due to intensive training, local and national league competitions, the number of injured athletes at University of the Western Cape has increased, and so delays of athletes’ recovery are caused. Thus, it is assumed that University of the Western Cape efforts may have lack of the necessary injury precautions on prevention and rehabilitation such as proactive injury treatment, paying special attention to the therapeutic process, including other necessary mechanisms. The current study has explored facilitating factors and some of the barriers on the implementation of injury prevention strategies, and determined the effectiveness of rehabilitation within University of the Western Cape sport teams in views of athletes, coaches, and medical staff. Methods: This study used a sequential exploratory design which entailed an initial phase of quantitative data collection and analysis, followed by a phase of qualitative data collection and analysis. This study used a close-ended survey and semi-structured interviews to identify the barriers and facilitators associated with the implementation of injury prevention strategies among sports clubs at the University of the Western Cape. Results: Data were collected on the general knowledge of players and team coaches about injury prevention as well as their sources of information regarding injury prevention. Football players were 49.5% while 15.8% were basketball players in this study. Cricket players were 10.9% while rugby players were 9.9%. Sources of players’ knowledge of injury prevention included doctor/physiotherapist, coaches and the media. Sources of coaches’ knowledge of injury prevention included doctor/physiotherapist, media and seminars. Most players and coaches agreed that there is a greater chance of sustaining an injury during a competitive match than during training. Players and coaches also agree that the risk of injury is reduced by wearing preferred protective clothing and thoroughly warming up and stretching prior to training or competition. Barriers to the implementation of an injury prevention strategy include not having enough time, being too tired after training, no advice given on such techniques, the notion that nobody else does it and lack of proper equipment. Facilitators of an injury prevention strategy include availability of medical staff (doctors and physiotherapists), players’ understanding of the coach’s instructions, and injury prevention facilities at University of the Western Cape, services accessibility and quality, injury discovery and follow-up, and injury prevention policy at University of the Western Cape. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made: (i) Intervention directed at players and coaches in the form of health promotion programmes through education to increase their knowledge and support in implementation of all prevention strategies either in training or in competition; (ii) Governing bodies at University of the Western Cape should develop and disseminate written sports safety policies and guidelines and supervise clubs in their development programmes.

<p> The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has Division I, Division II, and Division III athletic levels, and the role responsible for the athletic programs at Division I, II, and III colleges and universities are the Athletic Directors (ADs). The title of ADs is the same at all three levels, but research shows that the job description of the ADs at all three levels remains different. From the number of programs offered to the amount of tuition a student athlete is allowed to receive, there are many differences that the AD must be cognizant of because these stipulations can have an impact on the success of the student-athletes. Research on roles and job descriptions of the ADs at all three levels has been limited in regards to providing pertinent information. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to compare the roles of the ADs at the Division I, Division II, and Division III level of the NCAA and the effects on student athletes. This study included a minimum of 10 ADs from an eastern state in the U.S. who are engaged in the daily programs and procedures of an athletic department within the past year. Through interviews, ADs were interviewed to gain further insight on how the various levels of the NCAA structure effect the ADs and student athlete experiences and the effect on the school sports programs. In addition, curriculum writers for institutions will need to understand the differences of the athletic directors&rsquo; role at each level and adjust their coursework accordingly. School administrators and the NCAA need to understand the differences in the roles of the athletic director at each level and the potential impact these roles will have upon the success of student athletes that attend the schools that correspond to the three levels of NCAA competition.</p>

The staging of many sport events ranging from small to mega-events, increasingly rely on the availability of a workforce of unpaid helpers. Whilst much research has been carried out in the past regarding the reason why people decide to volunteer at sport events, little is known about how this type of volunteering is experienced by the individual. Adopting an experiential focus, this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge and enhances the understanding of this particular form of volunteering by exploring the question ―What it is like to be a sport event volunteer?‖ Using different strands of the concept and theory of role to serve as parameters for this study, the lived experiences of volunteers who assisted at the World Firefighters Games 2008 are analysed and discussed. The research approach that was adopted for this study draws from the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer in form of hermeneutic phenomenology which is an interpretative approach towards collecting and analysing data about a specific phenomenon. Incorporating the hermeneutic circle that advocates the idea that understanding of a phenomenon is co-created by both the researcher and the research participants, hermeneutic phenomenology is concerned with exploring rather than merely describing contextual aspects and structures of lived experiences. A total of eighteen semi-structured interviews involving volunteers who helped with the World Firefighters Games 2008 in Liverpool, were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using the approach of Van Manen towards analysing the collected data, a number of themes and subthemes emerged which are presented in the thesis in manner that reflects the nature of the hermeneutic circle. Besides providing a working definition of the term ―sport event volunteering‖, the findings of the study critically evaluate the meaning that the volunteers attach to the role and how they make sense of their role as helpers involved in staging large sporting events. The interpretation of the collected data suggests that the enactment of the volunteer role is informed by individuals expectations and needs, e.g. with regards to role allocation, trust, recognition and reciprocity, and the experience of anti-climax and loss after their volunteer engagement has come to an end. Furthermore, the critical synthesis of how the individual manages his/her volunteer role suggests that sport event volunteers can be understood as ―bricoleurs‖ who craft rather than merely take and perform this particular role. Beside contributing to existing research on sport event volunteering with these findings and by identifying further research avenues relating to sport event volunteering that can be explored in future, the findings of these studies might inform the work of practitioners in the respective research fields.

The aim of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences of long distance runners. An etlmographic research design was adopted to understand the nature of the social world of long distance runners through interviews and observations which were thematically analysed. The sample comprised twenty five international informants. The key theme emerging from the data was the strength of identification that participants had with the activity of long distance running. This theme was linked to the search for a running identity amongst participants, exploring how meaning was created through engagement with the long distance running social world. In doing so, the study also explored the enduring benefits of the activity and the high levels of effort, perseverance and commitment displayed. A number of other themes emerged that were seen as consequences of this sense of identification. These included the central role of training and preparing to run, and how this contributed towards participants sense of running identity. This theme included feelings of pain and suffering, confronting problems of injury, and the role of time and space within the participants training regimes. The extraordinary and authentic experiences at long distance running events was a dominant theme incorporating the conflicting emotions of failure and glory, and the importance of travel within the long distance running social world. Feelings of escape and an exploration of the role long distance running fulfilled as a 'third place" outside of the home and work environment were explored, incorporating ideas linked to social relations within the distance running social world. Similarly, the desire to embrace a healthy lifestyle was a central concept, exploring themes linked to seeking self esteem through participation, negative aspects associated with exercise addiction, and the role of the 'running body'. This study provided a series of linked themes exploring the culture of long distance running, and in doing so developed a deeper. understanding of the participants running experiences, contributing towards the body of knowledge on the unique social world of the long distance runner

<p> Tanking, the incentive for a sports team to lose game(s) at the end of the regular season to secure a favorable draft position, is a researched problem in multiple major sports leagues. Attempts to diminish the incentive to tank have been implemented through draft lottery policies in leagues such as the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). NHL game outcomes from gambling market money lines and game characteristics from the 2005-2006 through 2015-2016 seasons are analyzed using a multinomial logit model. Results show that tanking is taking place in the NHL with teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention having a higher probability of a loss outcome and a lower probability of a win outcome, relative to other outcomes. International implications of the research on tanking can be applied to sports markets world-wide to maintain league integrity, fan interest, and maximize revenue.</p>

<p> The study utilized the logic model evaluation to ascertain the effectiveness of the Student-Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS) unit at a NCAA Division I research university located in the Western United States. The logic model evaluation provided a process to determine the extent to which the unit achieved its purpose and outcomes. The logic model evaluation can be tailored to the exact unit based on the short-term and long-term goals of the program. Based on the tenets of flexibility and adaptability, the logic model evaluation was selected as an appropriate tool for the study. Overall, the SAASS unit was perceived to be effective by its key constituent groups. The evaluation highlighted the importance of the athletic academic advisor in keeping students on track to graduation and communicating issues to administrators, coaches, and professors. Recommendations are provided to potentially improve the SAASS unit under study.</p>

No description available.

D.Econ.

M.Tech.