ARCAA Contents & Abstracts, Volume 35, 2020

ISBN 978-0-89641-593-5
$50.00 (includes shipping)

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    An Examination of College Athletes’ Motivation and Athletic Scholarship Status — Sarah Stokowski, N. Shelby Hutchens, Landon T. Huffman, Alison Fridley, Chris Croft — Understanding sport motivation and the different com-ponents of motivation (intrinsic, extrinsic, amotivation) heightens athletic performance and allows coaches and athletic administrators to proficiently develop and retain college athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine sport participation motivations of NCAA Division I col¬lege athletes and investigate the relationship between motivation and athletic scholarship status. Division I col-lege athletes (N = 475) were administered the Sport Moti-vation Scale (SMS). The data demonstrated college ath¬letes were intrinsically motivated and scholarship status did not influence motivation. Results of this study showed that college athletes were not involved in sport for monetary gain, but rather the participants found self-fulfillment in intercollegiate athletics participation. Prac¬tically, this study can assist stakeholders in better under¬standing what motivates college athletes and how to keep this population intrinsically motivated. keywords: college athletes, self-determination theory, scholar¬ship, motivation (1-26)

  • CliftonStrengths® in Collegiate Sport: An Exploration of NCAA Coaches’ Perceptions — Angela Marie Robles — More than 21 million individuals around the world have completed the CliftonStrengths assessment and more than 600 higher education institutions across the United States have begun to embrace strengths-based ap¬proaches in education (Gallup Strengths Center, 2019). Despite the growing momentum of strengths-based ap¬proaches in higher education, little research exists that ex¬plores the utilization of the CliftonStrengths assessment in collegiate sport. This is the first research study de¬signed to explore collegiate coaches’ perceptions of the CliftonStrengths assessment. Fourteen NCAA Division I and II athletic teams completed the online Clif-tonStrengths assessment, participated in a strengths de-velopment workshop, and responded to a follow-up sur-vey. Using qualitative research methods, electronic sur¬veys were emailed to both head coaches and assistant coaches who previously completed the online CliftonStrengths assessment and participated in a 3-4 hour strengths development workshop. The author attempts to bridge the gap in literature by exploring the coaches’ per¬ceptions of CliftonStrengths and its utilization in colle¬giate sport. Thematic analysis revealed that the coaches found the CliftonStrengths assessment significantly val¬uable. Coaches found personal value in discovering their individual strengths as it related to their own coaching efficacy. Coaches also recognized the potential of utiliz¬ing CliftonStrengths to help the team gain confidence and increase cohesion. Keywords: CliftonStrengths; StrengthsFinder; coaching; strengths-based; student-athlete; NCAA; relationship building; confidence; team cohesion (27-58)

  • Coaches’ Perceptions of Protective Face Mask Use in Interscholastic Girls’ Fastpitch Softball: A State Study — Kassandra M. Spindler, John J. Miller — Previous studies have indicated the number of participants incurring facial, or neck injuries resulting in traumatic brain injuries in competitive fastpitch softball may exceeds the level of football or baseball players. This exploratory study aimed to discover the current perceptions of high school fastpitch softball coaches in one state regarding the use of protective facemasks by infielders in their program. The majority of coaches revealed the three most common types of significant injuries incurred by their players were concussions, eye injuries, and head injuries. Yet, more than 70% did not require their infielders to wear protective facemasks. The results indicated younger coaches supported players wearing protective facemasks. (59-78)

  • Female Coaches’ Perspectives: Joys and Challenges — Janna LaFountaine, Sam Johnson — Sizable data on college coaches exists, but there is a paucity and clear need for research on coaches at the high school level. The goal of this study was to highlight perceived challenges and barriers of being a female high school coach, as well as shed light on some of the many joys of coaching.This study used an anonymous survey comprised of open-ended and Likert scale questions sent to female high school coaches. Results included feeling a general lack of respect from parents, administrators, officials, and peer coaches. Additionally, dealing with the old boys’ club, as well as honoring family commitments were identified as major coaching challenges. Still, coaches provided extensive comments about positive aspects of coaching such as being a good role model, sharing a passion for the game, teaching life lessons, and empowering young women. Our research showed that while there are clear and significant challenges for women coaches, there are also powerful positive aspects that often outweigh the negative. (79-113)

  • A Mixed Methods Approach to Identifying Decision-Making Issues Pertinent in Interscholastic Sports — Eric W. Forsyth, Warren A. Whisenant, Michael Fraina, James E. Johnson, Gibson W. Stoffer — The purpose of this study was to investigate three questions: a) What are the decision-making issues most pertinent to interscholastic athletic directors in the post-recession era, b) How important are those decision-making issues, and c) What are the potential implications of those pertinent decision-making issues? Interscholastic athletic administrators (n = 170) from the United States participated in the study while attending their respective sectional meetings during the annual National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator’s (NIAAA) conference. The ten issues identified as most important were framed within four categories: Competitive classification (the ability to move up or down within the classifications); Financial (resources, funding, haves vs. have nots, need for more money, and rising cost for competing); Title IX (equality of competition); and Tournament play (consolation brackets, seeding format, and tournament format). (114-145)

  • Examination of High School Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification Prevalence and Relationshi to School Characteristics — Timothy G. Coffey — The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of certifications for high school S&C coaches based on school type, enrollment, and location. A survey was sent to 316 public and private high schools and responses (n=133) indicated that 96.24% of schools had a S&C facility/space and 72.93% employed a S&C coach. A Chi2 analysis revealed significant differences between public and private schools for the presence of a S&C coach (p=0.0043), a certified S&C coach (p=0.0004), and a CSCS coach (p<0.0001), as well as differences for rural schools hiring a certified S&C coach (p=0.0056) and a CSCS coach (p=0.0404). Key Words: High School Athletes, Injury Prevention, Credentials (146-163)

  • History of Specialization and Injuries of Collegiate Softball Players — Alec Weaver, Dani M. Moffit — The purpose was to investigate the relationship between high school sport specialization and injury history of collegiate softball players. Specialization is thought to increase the likelihood of being successful in the sport, but evidence has shown this practice can lead to long-term physical and mental problems. Participants included softball players from NCAA DI (n = 6) and NJCAA (n = 17) schools located in Idaho. Participants completed a four-part online survey: (a) high school specialization patterns, (b) high school injury history, (c) collegiate injury history, and (d) demographics and specialization perceptions. Participants were classified into low, moderate, or high specialization groups using a 3-point system. Collegiate injury history was examined to find trends amongst the three specialization classifications. Seventy percent (n = 16) of the participants classified as high specialization in high school; the moderate specialization players sustained the highest average number of injuries (1.8) during their collegiate career. Young athletes should be educated in their decisions regarding single sport specialization and understand the potential positive as well as negative outcomes of specialization. Keywords: specialization, high school, college, softball, injuries (164-177)

  • Anthropometric Characteristics and Physical Abilities of Israel Male Junior and National Handball Players—The Influence of Playing Position — Yaniv Ashkenazi, Rotem Kislev-Cohen, Michal Arnon, Alon Yehiel, Maya Cale-Bonzoor, Gail Dar, Sachar Haver, Roy Davil Samuel, Sarah Cancellario Dalena — The aim of the current study was to evaluate anthropometric characteristics and physiological attributes of the national junior Israeli handball players, to quantify any differences according to player position, and to compare the results with Norwegian national team and 1st division players. The sample of participants consisted of 35 handball players from the Israel Junior (U20) national team the array of tests included: anthropometric measures (height, body mass, fat%), countermovement jump (CMJ), 5m and 20m sprint, 3000m run, 1RM squat, 1RM (repetition maximum) bench, and the LESS test. Wing players presented better performance abilities (p<0.05) in the 5m and 20m sprint, CMJ, and 3000m run compared to other players’ positions. The findings demonstrated the varying on-court demands and the different physiological characteristics reflecting each playing position. Keywords: anthropometric, physiology, physical tests, physical abilities, relative strength. (178-204)


    • COACHES' CORNER

  • Does Any Good Come from A Coach Who Yells? Reflective Experiences from Former Athletes — David Barney, Alema Tauiliili, Teresa Leavitt — Yelling in society is unfortunately a common occurrence. Sometimes parents yell at their children, bosses yell at their employees, and coaches yell at their athletes. In many cases the yelling coach vocalizes very personal statements that are unkind and loud in nature. The purpose of this study was to better understand the perspectives of former athletes regarding their thoughts and experiences of their coaches yelling at them. For this study, yelling will imply making loud, unkind, personal comments towards the athlete. One hundred and twenty-four former athletes were surveyed regarding their experiences with a yelling coach. Generally, it was found that the former athletes did not like or appreciate their coaches yelling at them, and in many cases, the coaches lost credibility with their former athletes. The implications of this study were that coaches should try a self-controlled, calm approach when attempting to motivate or support their athletes.Key Words: Coaches, Yelling, Reflective Experiences (205-222))

  • A Feasibility Study for Hosting a Collegiate Cross-Country Festival — Stephen Picucci, Steve Shih-Cia Chen Bruce Kelvin Grace — This study explored and evaluated the potential possibility of using the festival format to host cross-country races in order to generate revenue that makes a significant financial impact for the program. Studies on the financial viability and profits of cross-country competitions were rare. Using the existing model of two cross-country festivals, Greater Louisville Classic and the Chile Pepper Festival, the researchers conducted a breakdown analysis to project expenses and income associated with a cross-country competition. Researchers also evaluated the figures of various level of sponsorship among existing cross-country competitions. The findings suggested a well-organized and operated cross-country festival could be a profitable event, when the number of teams reached 40 or more. With registration fees covering the operational costs, the projected income coming from the sponsorship (about $40,000) would like to be extra net profits for the event host. Researchers’ recommendation is to host large-scale festivals at the university/college campus in order to keep facility costs low and maximize profits. Keywords: cross-country, collegiate athletics, race, festival (223-247)

  • Creating a Legacy at Ram University — Veronica Snow, Rachel Rockwell, Peter Titlebaum, Maria Harrigan, Amelia J. Reeves — The prospect of fundraising is daunting for many who do not have the formal training or skills honed to complete such an endeavor. Those who find themselves tasked with raising funds must overcome several hurdles, many of which are psychological. This paper explores the ways education systems can escape from short-term fundraising solutions and work toward long-term goals. At Ram University, a class of 20 students and their professor used 16-weeks, and a solid vision, to raise over $20,000. Zero class members thought this was possible at the beginning of the semester. This case study is an overview of how the class utilized resources readily available at all institutions and collaborated with other stakeholders to achieve their goal. Throughout the process, students were immersed into fundraising efforts through collaboration, communication and an efficient process. The vision involved the creation of a legacy to their program director in the form of an endowed scholarship which will benefit students for lifetimes to come. Key Words: Fundraising, Legacy, Entrepreneurial, Perpetuity (248-266)


    • BOOK REVIEWS

  • The Ultimate Guide to: Getting Hired in College Sports Reviewed by Dr. Warren K. Simpson (267-268)
  • Coach Education Essentials, Reviewed by Warren K. Simpson (269-270)

  • A Call for Papers and Subscriptions (271-274)
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