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.

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.

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.

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Student-athletes have the opportunity for significant development that can enhance their undergraduate experience through participation in intercollegiate athletics. The commercial and cultural influence of professional sports has, however, increasingly challenged the efforts of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to maintain a developmental focus. Some college sports, particularly football and men's basketball, are now relied upon to generate revenue, which requires successful outcomes and accountability to commercial interests. The disproportionate influence of those revenue sports on Division I athletic culture challenges the credibility of all collegiate sports as appropriate components of higher education. This case study examines the women's gymnastics team at a large Division I institution, Big State University (BSU), over the course of the 2010 season. BSU Gymnastics has achieved sufficient competitive success that the coaches were subject to similar pressure to that which their football and basketball colleagues experienced. The study is a qualitative investigation of the leadership and mentoring practices of the coaching staff, particularly in regard to their ability to maintain a focus on student-athlete development in the face of external pressure from various stakeholders to prioritize winning. Using control systems theory and a new typology of sport, the researcher interviewed coaches and student-athletes, analyzed BSU's 2010 season, and found that the coaches consistently prioritized the developmental experience of their student-athletes. A significant additional finding of the study is that coaches play a critical buffering role, sheltering student-athletes from influences that might otherwise undermine the beneficial aspects of intercollegiate athletics participation.

No description available.