Intramural Sportsmanship Rating Systems: A Case Study on Participant Knowledge and Perceived Effectiveness

Abstract

This qualitative case study explored the manner by which team captains and intramural players were educated about the Sportsmanship Rating System (SRS) used by their intramural sports program and their perceptions about the SRS. While some form of an SRS is widely used by NIRSA members (Stier et al., 2008), virtually no research has been conducted as to its effectiveness. The site was a medium sized, public, four year institution in the mid-Atlantic region. A total of 31 participants took part in the study. Data collection took place over a six-week time period and included a) observation, b) document analysis, c) interviews, and d) focus groups. The findings revealed that an SRS is mostly ineffective in positively modifying sportsmanship behavior unless the intramural participants are properly educated about the SRS and understand its scoring criteria.