This dissertation is comprised of three main sections. The first chapter is a historical overview of the coach-athlete relationships literature within sport. The review was conducted to consider as much empirical evidence as possible concerning coach-athlete relationships. This chapter examines and provides a comprehensive overview of past and current literature examining the coach-athlete relationship. Historical origins, contemporary models, other influences on the relationship, and coach-athlete interactive behaviours were examined. The second chapter is a qualitative study, guided by a phenomenological method of research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded with 10 of the most successful team sport coaches within Canadian Inter-university Sport (CIS) from 2002-2012. Following in depth coach interviews, interpretive research and bracketing and themes were used to identify key components from the interviews. A final thematic structure disclosing five major dimensions contributed to common factors the role relationships play in coach-athlete success, identified as: recruitment, communication, caring, culture, and trust. Findings resulted in the creation of a tool that assists in visualizing the reciprocal relationships between revealed dimensions and themes within a coach-athlete relationship (R-CART; Reciprocating Coach-Athlete Relationship Tool). Finally a qualitative longitudinal case study was conducted examine the evolution of the CAR over a season and to assess the impact of a visual tool to help guide coaches in enhancing the CAR. Two post-secondary teams and head coaches were chosen, one female and one male. The process of the study included an initial modification process of the R-CART, initiating the R-CART through a multiple qualitative case study, data analysis of case studies and further amendment of the R-CART. Team athletes were provided with an 11-item Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) and additional comments to evaluate the coach-athlete relationship. Results from the CART-Q were considered and cross-referenced with the R-CART, coach interviews and interventions ensued based on the student-athlete feedback. The findings suggested subtle amendments to the model and the R-CART potentially is a trustworthy tool for coaches developing, maintaining, and repairing the coach-athlete relationship. Collectively, this dissertation has expanded the current knowledge of coach-athlete relationships, providing coaches with a prospective tool for advancement in the area of coach-athlete relationships. Future research should aim to examine the role coach-athlete relationships in different context, such as grassroots sport, and look at the potential impact of the R-CART in those areas. / Graduate / 2017-04-21

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The purpose of this study was to determine if NCAA Division I-A football program success had a relationship to student-athlete graduation rates. Graduation rate data for 2001 were obtained from the NCAA and cumulative five-year records of selected NCAA Division I-A football programs determined winning percentage for the years 1996-2000. The data were examined by correlating the two variables of winning percentage and graduation rate. The findings show no significant correlation at a probability level of .05. The results of this study indicate the success of a football programs do not have any relationship to low football team graduation rates. Therefore, other factors such as athletic department ideals, commercialization of sport, or the preconceived notion that collegiate football athletes are only enrolled to compete in football may play a factor in graduation rates among NCAA Division I-A football players.

This study examined the engagement of male, college basketball players within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The literature review shows a connection between engaging in educationally purposeful activities and student retention. Because some student athletes, male collegiate basketball players in particular, struggle to graduate at the same rate as their fellow student athletes, student engagement offers one lens to examine the educational experiences of basketball players. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was used to collect levels of engagement along four identified variables. These four variables, part of Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles for Good Undergraduate Education, were relevant to the study as they were factors student athletes could control. These factors included: active learning, cooperation among students, interaction with faculty, and time on task. Student athlete responses were analyzed by three factors including NCAA athletic division, race, and highest level of parental education. This study found no significant difference in levels of engagement among the NCAA’s three athletic divisions. Additionally, no significant differences in engagement were found based on the highest level of education reached by the student athlete’s parents. Last, ethnic background presented only one significant difference within the active learning variable. The other three variables showed no significant difference based on race. The lack of statistical differences is iv meaningful as it signifies the strength of the basketball culture. The culture of this sport permeates all divisions of college basketball and transcends the background of its players. Thus, players who should display different levels of engagement based on institutional or background characteristics display similar levels of engagement

Over the past 2 decades, mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) in sport have grown from a niche application for performance excellence into a mainstream intervention for performance enhancement and well-being among athletes. The Mindfulness Meditation Training for Sport 2.0 intervention has contributed to the growth through its initial empirical support. Open trials and feasibility studies have shown encouraging results in several student-athlete populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a MBI in sport, MMTS 2.0, through the lens of a mixed methods quasi-experimental design examining specific psychometric correlates related with performance enhancement and well-being and a sport-specific outcome measure. The aim is to provide a more in-depth understanding of student-athletes’ experience completing Mindfulness Meditation for Sport 2.0 (MMTS) and demonstrate the opportunity for performance enhancement and holistic development through a MBI in sport. Participants were 60 student-athletes from two Division III collegiate men’s soccer teams who competed a sport-specific performance marker and seven psychometric measures at two time points (pre-intervention and post-intervention). One team (n=30) was selected as the experimental group who received the MMTS 2.0 intervention, and another team (n=30) was selected as the control group (no-treatment). In contrast to the hypothesis, the experimental group showed no significant difference in the performance marker and the seven psychometric measures when compared to the control group. Though, exploratory additions showed significant improvement for the MTMS 2.0 experimental group in self-compassion from pre-intervention to post-intervention, while no change was found with the control group. The study offers promising results that indicate the MMTS 2.0 increase student-athletes scores of self-compassion. While the statistical findings are limited, the qualitative responses from the participants (n=9) suggest that the MMTS 2.0 had a strong impact on their performance as a student and athlete. These findings provide insight into how the delivery of mindfulness and self-compassion skills in a time-limited environment help male athletes combat competition distress. Recommendations for new mindfulness and self-compassion scales to capture impact of a time-limited intervention are offered.

For most student-athletes, the termination of an athletic career is inevitable and coincides with graduation and transition into a non-sport career. Many student-athletes are unprepared for the transition and experience psychological and emotional difficulties that may interfere with mental health, wellbeing, and career development. The purpose of this study was to explore former NCAA student-athletes’ experiences of career development and transition into life after sport, with the aim to increase our understanding of the athletic transition experience, as well as the factors influencing the quality of transition. In addition, this study sought to contribute to practical recommendations for supporting student-athletes in transition. Using a convergent, exploratory, mixed-methods design, this study collected: 1) online survey data completed by recently graduated NCAA student-athletes (n=175), and 2) interview data from a subsample of survey participants (n=11). The online survey included measures of the constructs of athletic identity, transition quality, and career satisfaction, as well as participant demographic information. Semi-structured interviews were guided by questions concerning participants’ identity and career development in college, athletic transition experiences, and recommendations for supporting student-athletes. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data analysis procedures were guided by Creswell and Plano Clark (2017) and Braun & Clarke (2006). A synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative results revealed three convergent findings related to the overarching interests of this study: 1) Highly Salient Athletic Identity May Negatively Influence the Quality of Athletic Transition, 2) Prevalence of Suboptimal Transition into Life and Work After Sport, and 3) Need for Increasing Transition Preparation and Career Development Support for Student-Athletes. A discussion of practical implications, significance of the findings, study limitations, and future directions for research were presented.

In the United States, there are currently over seven million high school athletes, all of whom are required to take four years of core classes as well as elective classes. Core subject areas consist of math, science, social sciences, and English language arts. Of the four core subject areas, both national and state education committees place emphasis and scrutiny on English language arts. The research within this thesis, conducted in the form of an interview, is meant to explore English language arts teachers' possible attitudes and expectations of their student athletes in concern to their writing abilities. Special emphasis will be placed on secondary English language arts teachers' perceptions of student-athletes' use of the standard conventions of English, such as spelling, punctuation, syntax, and grammar, within their writing. The results of four interviews with secondary English language arts teachers revealed that these secondary English language arts teachers did not hold different perceptions of their student-athletes writing abilities as compared to their non-athlete peers. All four participants revealed that they believe that the student-athletes in their classroom have the same writing abilities as non-athletes, and that being labeled as a student-athlete does not give way to either positive or negative perception of their writing. This exploratory study is beneficial to both student-athletes and English language arts teachers, as it may have the ability to affect change in the way that teachers approach and teach their student-athletes.

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