Experiences Of Student-athletes Research Articles

Experiences of a controlled early exercise intervention following a sport-related concussion: A qualitative study of rugby union student-athletes

BackgroundEarly aerobic exercise is associated with improved outcomes following recovery from sport-related concussion (SRC) and is now recommended in guidance for clinicians managing athletes return-to-play. ObjectivesTo explore student-athlete experiences of a novel early aerobic exercise intervention. DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviews. SettingLoughborough University, UK. ParticipantsTen rugby union university aged student-athletes (6 men) that had been medically diagnosed with an SRC sustained playing rugby. ResultsThree themes divided into eight supporting subthemes were generated. Main findings were: 1) Experience: despite some apprehension over the novel approach, most had a positive experience, 2) Adherence: Participants suggested reasonably good overall adherence to the prescribed exercises but intrinsic and extrinsic factors for non-adherence were identified, 3) Outcomes: the intervention was perceived to help rehabilitation, improve confidence, support retention of athletic identity and, for some, influenced more cautious attitudes toward brain health. ConclusionsThe novel early exercise intervention was reasonably well received and adhered to. Unintended benefits included supporting retainment of athletic identity and encouraging precautious health behaviours. As early exercise protocols are refined, these findings will help inform the design and delivery of future interventions, particularly in relation to intensity and diversity of exercises and supporting education.

Ready for transition: understanding the experiences of student-athletes’ participation in intercollegiate sports

Background: Various studies have examined the transitional experiences of student-athletes from specific sports; however, there is a scant amount of literature analysing how student-athletes dealt with the transition from high school to intercollegiate sports participation in the Philippine context. Research Objective: This study aims to examine the transition of student-athletes from high school to intercollegiate sports participation. Methods: This study explored the beneficial experiences of six athletes at the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology in the transition from high school to intercollegiate sports participation. The study used an explanatory, descriptive qualitative design with data obtained through semi-structured interviews. Finding/Result: The results of the study found challenges in managing the transition: focus and commitment, and the coach-athlete relationship. Additionally, this study has identified a support system that has had a significant impact on their overall athletic performance: it increases motivation and boosts morale. The study found the differences between the transitions in terms of training, dealing with coaches, and working with fellow athletes; the effect of the transition on the overall performance of student-athletes; the support system from different people and organisations; and the impact of the support system on the arrangements of student-athletes. The study’s results emphasise the importance of support systems in mitigating the challenges experienced in the transition from high school to intercollegiate sports participation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the transition and support systems have a substantial influence on the development of athletes. The findings showed that the participants exhibited a preference for prioritising their academic pursuits over attempting to balance academic and sports careers. This study provides quality results that could help the university develop its sports programme.

Dual career through the eyes of university student-athletes in the Republic of Kosovo.

The successful combination of a sports career and education, known as the dual career, requires cooperation and a multi-dimensional approach. Although extensive research has been conducted on dual career programs and services in developed countries, there is limited information available on the dual-career phenomenon in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the dual career experiences of university student-athletes in the Republic of Kosovo. A 30-item online survey was distributed to student-athletes, addressing various aspects of the dual career. A total of 121 student-athletes (males: 63.6%; females: 36.4%) voluntarily participated in the survey. These student-athletes represented 13 different sports, with 102 (84.3%) participating in team and 19 (15.7%) in individual sports. Between individual and team sports no significant differences were found regarding university and sports engagement, and the time required to travel from the university to the training venue, whereas a significant difference (p = 0.019) emerged for the time needed to travel from home to the training venue. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between university majors in terms of sports engagement. The present findings highlight a lack of familiarity with dual career programs among student-athletes (89.3%) and the need for dual-career policies at the university (16.5%), sport (9.9%), and national (13.2%) levels. Student-athletes faced various challenges, mainly related to limited leisure time (62.8%), academic overload (60.3%), frequent absence from classes (59.6%), and financial uncertainty (35.5%). Recommended improvements included increased financial support (66.1%), the availability of sports facilities at or near the university (48.8%), greater educational flexibility (26.4%), tutoring services at the university (25.6%), and sports clubs (19%) levels, as well as improved communication regarding existing initiatives and legal aspects (53.7% and 47.1%, respectively). The study also identified parents (98.3%), coaches (86%), and siblings (60.3%) as important sources of support for student-athletes at personal, sports, and university levels. In conclusion, to enhance the potential of future student-athletes in the Republic of Kosovo, relevant stakeholders in sports and higher education should collaborate closely and implement programs and services based on international best practices for dual-career support.

Muslim Collegiate Student-Athletes' Experience With Fasting During Ramadan While Participating in Sport.

As colleges and universities continue to focus on creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments, it is important to gain more knowledge on the experiences that Muslim student-athletes have while fasting during the month of Ramadan. Although previous researchers have investigated the physical effects of fasting on the body, little is known about the challenges or support Muslim student-athletes experience while fasting and participating in sport during Ramadan. To explore the experiences of Muslim collegiate student-athletes regarding fasting during Ramadan while participating in sports. Qualitative research study. Individual video interviews. Twelve Muslim collegiate student-athletes (4 women, 8 men; age = 19.9 ± 1.4 years) from 7 universities across 7 states were interviewed. A semistructured interview guide consisting of questions pertaining to the Muslim student-athletes' beliefs, challenges, experiences, and feelings was developed to gather perceptions of fasting during Ramadan while participating in sport. Data were analyzed by a multianalyst research team and coded into common themes and categories via a multiphase consensus process. Four major themes emerged from the interview process: the significance of fasting and Ramadan (familial influence, religious belief, and introspection and spiritual growth), intrinsic challenges (physical challenges, mental and emotional challenges, and time constraints), extrinsic challenges (lack of available resources, knowledge and curiosity of others, and lack of understanding by others), and various types of support (sport-specific support, community support, and desired support) that affected athletes' experiences with fasting during Ramadan while participating in sport. The athletic community should seek to better support Muslim student-athletes and respect the importance of fasting during Ramadan. Parties interested in the success of these athletes in sport should improve their understanding regarding Ramadan and the desired support of Muslim student-athletes during fasting.

Take It or Leave It: The Lived Experiences of Student-Athletes on Feedback During Training and Games

Take It or Leave It: The Lived Experiences of Student-Athletes on Feedback During Training and Games

Beyond the scoreboard: school-based sport experiences and high school student-athlete well-being

ABSTRACT With an estimated seven million high school student-athletes in the United States participating in school-based sports each year, opportunities exist to examine how recent changes in education and sport are affecting this generation of student-athletes. The COVID-19 pandemic, school cancelations, and emergent trends related to recruiting, name, image, and likeness policies, sport specialization, academic pressures, and adolescent mental health concerns are current factors influencing school-based sports. To examine associations between the United States education and sport environment and student-athlete well-being, this qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of high school student-athletes in this era of sport. Seven focus groups were conducted with 50 high school student-athletes in diverse school districts in one large Midwestern state. Emergent themes indicated structural, contextual, and psychosocial factors are shaping student-athlete experiences and affecting multiple domains of their well-being. Notably, student-athletes overwhelmingly wanted to perform at high levels as they returned to school and sport as COVID-19 restrictions were lifting, yet felt they were struggling to meet these demands. Findings contribute to an important conversation about the needs of high school student-athletes in the United States and can inform future interventions, coach training programs, and school policies.

Impact of COVID-19 Sport Cancelations on the Self-Identity and Psychological Distress of High School Student-Athletes

The stay-at-home measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic led to sudden changes in the lives of individuals worldwide. For high school student-athletes, these changes meant transitioning to online schooling, heavily reducing their social activities, and enduring the cancelation of sport activities. Scholars have expressed concerns related to the potential consequences of these changes on adolescents’ self-identity and psychological distress. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively explore how the changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic affected high school student-athletes’ self-identity and psychological distress. Twenty-two Canadian high school student-athletes were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. Transcripts were subjected to a reflexive thematic analysis, leading to the creation of four central themes: (a) Pre-COVID Identity; (b) COVID Identity Confusion; (c) COVID Psychosocial Distress; and (d) Learning to Dance in the COVID Rain. This study sheds light on the pandemic-related experiences of high school student-athletes in relation to sport cancelation measures and provides insights into how stay-at-home restrictions impacted self-identity and psychological distress levels. These results can help inform interventions aimed at supporting the well-being of high school student-athletes now that school sport programs have resumed operations.

Dual sport career experiences of student-athletes studying in South Africa and the USA

Background: Institutions of higher education are hubs for student-athletes pursuing dual careers, in sports and higher education. The concepts of dual careers, transition models and support systems for student sports provide the conceptual framework for this study.Objectives: The study investigated the dual sports career experiences of South African track and field student-athletes who studied at universities in South Africa and the United States of America (USA). Objectives determined satisfaction in terms of student-athlete support systems in their chosen localities.Method: This qualitative study used a purposive sample of 12 participants from a general population of South African junior track and field athletes who pursued dual careers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews.Results: The respondents found the US National Association Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports system superior to the South African sports system. The dual-career student-athletes transitioning through the last two stages of the South African Long-Term Athlete Development model reported a lack of support that negatively impacted the success of their dual career balance.Conclusion: The South African context of student sport is not generally conducive to creating and enabling a dual sports–academic career environment because of insufficient contextual, processional and sports-specific factors. The participants perceived the NCAA system of student sport as holistic and supportive of their dual-career development.Contribution: This study adds to the limited pool of knowledge relating to the dual-career development of student-athletes, and provides a base line for future research studies.

Racism and black male student-athlete experiences in a Canadian University

ABSTRACT This study investigates anti-Black racism and the experiences of Black male student-athletes. Specifically, using counter-stories we examine Teshawn’s experiences as a Black male former student-athlete on the varsity football team. In doing so, we also draw on the experiences of other Black student-athletes through a publicly commissioned report detailing incidents of anti-Black racism at the same university. The first composite counter-story ‘Get Out of the Drill!’ highlights racism by the white coaches and the implications for Black student-athletes in their current and future athletic opportunities. The second story, ‘Don’t Listen to Them. Block the Noise!’ highlights racism by the white coaches and white teammates and the negative implications it has on the Black male student-athletes’ academic success. Finally, the third story ‘Racist Jokes and Slurs are Never-ending’ emphasizes the declining mental health and fatigue of Black male student-athletes as reports of racism are ignored and mishandled by the institution.

Living your best life: The mindful pursuit of student-athlete thriving

Thriving, or the concurrent experience of healthy well-being and high-level performance, may serve as a valuable construct when studying the optimal student-athlete experience. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to positively impact well-being and performance, yet these interventions rarely use thriving as an outcome variable with athletes. The purpose of the present study began to examine the impact of an MBI for improving student-athlete experiences of thriving via a quasi-experimental longitudinal design. College athletes from the United States (n = 55) from three sports were randomly assigned to either a control or a 7-session MBI. While comprehensive measures of thriving did not yield significant change for those in the MBI relative to the control, multiple thriving characteristics and outcomes were improved after the intervention compared to the control group. MBI participants reported significant improvement for subjective performance satisfaction, mindful awareness, and the use of mindfulness to regulate emotions. Exploratory analysis revealed those in the MBI, relative to the control, experienced improvements of optimism and a sense of meaning and purpose. Student-athletes qualitatively reported sport and life benefits related to thriving (e.g., self-regulation, focus, awareness, vitality, intentional actions) while also suggesting improving MBIs with systematic reminders to meditate, more meditation opportunities within the sport environment, and autonomy-supportive instruction. These preliminary data support the use of MBIs to facilitate characteristics and outcomes of thriving, while also offering suggestions for practical improvements when implementing MBIs with student-athletes.

A Mixed-Method Study of Athletes’ Experiences With Mindfulness Across Stages of Readiness

Existing mindfulness literature in sport primarily focuses on manualized mindfulness protocols, while less is known about athlete experiences with mindfulness outside of interventions. The purpose of the present study was to explore student-athlete experiences with and readiness to practice mindfulness. Using convenience and snowball sampling, 205 collegiate athletes completed a mixed-method survey that assessed readiness, trait mindfulness, social support for mindfulness practice, and mindfulness’ perceived effect on performance. Participants were invited to comment on benefits, barriers, or adverse experiences during their practice. Athletes with long-term experience had significantly higher mindfulness scores than those with less experience; they also perceived that mindfulness had significantly greater effects on performance than those not practicing. Various benefits and barriers were expressed across stages of readiness, though roughly 6%–10% of participants reported an adverse effect of mindfulness practice. It is thus important for practitioners to consider readiness levels and previous experiences in implementing mindfulness interventions.

Pac-12 Health Analytics Program: An Innovative Approach to Health Care Operations, Data Analytics, and Clinical Research in Intercollegiate Athletics.

The objective of this study was to describe the purpose, methods, and effects of the Pac-12 Health Analytics Program (HAP) approach on sports medicine informatics, research, analytics, and health care operations. Sports injury-surveillance initiatives have been supporting the clinical research community in sports medicine for nearly 4 decades. Whereas the initial systems tracked only a few sports, current surveillance programs have expanded to include entire professional and elite athlete organizations, providing important statistics on sports injury risk management. The HAP is a conference-wide data-sharing and-analytics program. It collects authorized, deidentified clinical data, encompassing multiple domains of sports medicine injury management, including sports injuries and illnesses, concussions, risk exposure, and COVID-19 testing elements. The HAP provides clinicians with access to curated data to inform evidence-based practice and support local health care operations with respect to emerging sports injury trends. The HAP supplies approved research groups with access to a data repository that describes a homogeneous, elite intercollegiate athlete sample, thereby supporting nonresearch clinical initiatives as well as contributions to peer-reviewed research that can improve the health and well-being of Pac-12 student-athletes. The HAP is a novel approach to sports injury epidemiology and surveillance that has allowed the Pac-12 Conference to meet larger objectives regarding improving the student-athlete experience and clinical research among its member schools. Data quality control has improved the accuracy of the data and value to clinical athletic trainers within the conference. Curated dashboards displaying aggregated project data offer clinicians data-driven decision-making tools that help inform sports injury risk management. As of 2021, the HAP had supported more than 3 dozen data requests. These investigations have resulted in numerous peer-reviewed research contributions to the sports medicine community with findings that have great potential to improve the health and well-being of Pac-12 student-athletes.

A Study on Negative Human Rights-Related Experiences of Female College Student Athletes in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to describe negative experiences related to human rights among female college student athletes in South Korea. For this purpose, qualitative research methods were used in this study. A total of 10 female college athletes participated in in-depth interviews, and the interview was conducted from March 1 to September 1, 2021. The main research results are as follows. First of all, most female college athletes who participated in the interview revealed that they had experienced physical or psychological harassment and abuse since elementary school. Second, female college student athletes experienced pressure with respect to their freedom and self-determination. It was found that life as an athlete is controlled by way of limiting the athletes’ right to self-determination including restriction on appearance, being excluded from various college activities and restrictions on socializing due to curfews. Third, participants demonstrated that the perpetrators were senior athletes and coach. Therefore, the study indicated that it is a fact of life at college level that female college athletes have experienced physical and verbal violence in sport. As such, human rights education and policies are needed to promote the human rights of female college students.

Academic Identity, School Belongingness, Athletic Identity, and Athletic Expectations as Predictors of Academic and Athletic Time Use of College Athletes

Abstract Time demands are among the primary challenges for college student-athletes. They have to attend to classes and study halls as well as athletic-related activities such as training and competition. Both academic and athletic tasks require tremendous amount of time. Thus, it is argued that academics and athletics compete for the student-athletes’ attention. This research examined the impact of academic and athletic factors on student-athletes’ time use in academics and athletics using a subset of the 2015 United States National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) GOALS data. The relationships of academic identity, school belongingness, athletic identity, and athletic expectations with academic time use and athletic time spent were tested. Differences on the variables of interest according to race, gender, and division level were also investigated. Our findings revealed that academic identity is a positive predictor of academic time use and a negative predictor of athletic time use, while athletic identity is a positive predictor of athletic time spent. We also determined a contrasting influence of athletic expectations in time commitments. Lastly, we likewise found significant effects of race, gender, and division level on the academic and athletic engagements of college athletes. Our findings have implications on the development of programs for athletic department to optimize the academic and athletic experiences of college student-athletes.

The experiences of female bisexual student-athletes in China: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Many scholars have explored the participation of LGBTQ individuals in sports. However, these studies have either categorized homosexuality and bisexuality together or focused only on lesbian, gay, or transgender individuals. There is a lack of research in the literature on bisexual individuals' sports participation and an even more significant lack of Asia perspectives. Therefore, this qualitative study is aimed to explore the experiences of female bisexual student-athletes in China. Semi-structured interviews with four female bisexual student-athletes were conducted and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three themes and eight sub-themes were identified. Theme 1. what bisexual identity means, and sub-themes: a struggling journey, emotional attraction, and gender role for female bisexual student-athletes; Theme 2. invalid identity, and sub-themes: lesbian mask, unrecognized identity; Theme 3. perceptions of sports context, and sub-themes: the influence of the sports context on sexual fluidity, relative inclusion, and perceived rejection. This study provides new insights into understanding the experience of female bisexual student-athlete. In addition, the results highlight the importance of the need to study bisexuality as a distinct identity.

The Career Transitions of High-Profile Student-Athletes: Identity, Role Engulfment, and Psychological Well-Being

The purpose of this study is to build upon previous literature on the stages of career preparation of college student-athletes by examining identity, role engulfment, and psychological well-being as it relates to preparation for ‘post-playing days’ life. More specifically, the authors endeavored to examine the relationship between role engulfment and psychological well-being and how it affects post-athletic career transitions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 former Division I college football student-athletes who were previously student-athletes at 14 different Division I institutions. Utilizing identity, role engulfment, and psychological well-being as conceptual frameworks, this study discusses the how and why behind the experiences of high-profile student-athletes as they transition from athlete to their post-playing careers.

체육고등학교 학생 선수들의 영어 학습경험에 관한 근거이론 연구

The purpose of this study was to investigate English learning experiences of student athletes in a physical education high school and to identify the situations of English learning, which they have faced. A total of 5 student athletes from D city were selected through the purposive sampling. convenience sampling method. Data was collected through participant in-dept interview and it was analyzed by a grounded theory. The findings were 9 categories and 34 concepts They were categorize into : i) core phenomenon: a difficult challenge of learning English, ii) causal conditions: combining exercising with studying and a lack of basic learning ability, iii) contextual condition: a change of their attitudes regarding learning, ⅳ) intervening conditions: worried about future career and choosing both exercising and studying ⅴ) strategies: A perception on the necessity of learning English, and ⅵ) core phenomenon: Having a confidence through learning English.

WINNING IT BOTH: STORIES OF SECONDARY ACADEMIC ACHIEVER STUDENT-ATHLETES

Learners’ experiences at school should not only be limited to performing academic tasks, but should also focus on physical activities since the main goal of education is to develop a child holistically. The study explored the experiences of academic achiever student-athletes and how they excelled in academics and sports fields. Qualitative research using multiple case studies was used as its design. Eight key informants who were academic achiever student-athletes from five secondary schools in the division of Eastern Samar were purposively selected as study key informants. Results of the study revealed that in order to cope with the pressure brought about by being an academic achiever and an athlete at the same time, the student-athlete should manage well his/her time spent studying and training. Also, goal setting was the key to all their sports and academic-related tasks. Further, social media applications were used by student-athletes in catching up with their missed lessons while in training. Parents’ involvement was also identified as another factor in achieving both academics and sports. It is recommended that a strong support system from the school and parents be in place.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0452/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

“Of Course I Was the Only Black Girl”: Unpacking the Academic Experiences of Black Women Student-Athletes at PWIs

There is still much to be understood about the intersections of race and gender and how Black women student-athletes experience and navigate various academic and classroom environments and situations, particularly at predominantly White institutions. Using critical race feminism and narrative inquiry, this study unpacked the academic experiences of Black women student-athletes at predominantly White institutions. The findings reveal challenges navigating academic and athletic roles, responsibilities, and priorities; experiences of being the only Black girl in the classroom; and aspects of preparing for life after sports. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The International Student-Athlete Experience

This article discusses a research study undertaken in order to better understand what the NCAA, institutions, administrators, and coaches can do in order to enhance the experiences of international student-athletes (ISAs). Quantitative and qualitative primary survey data was gathered from a sample of ISAs representing several countries and a wide range of sports. One of the key findings was that when provided with a platform from which to express their opinions, the respondents highlighted concerning issues such as discrimination, negligence, and a lack of support and/or guidance. Significant findings were also reached regarding steps to be taken in order to improve the transition process, and the specific challenges that are not currently being met by the NCAA, institutions, staff, or coaches. It is recommended that the NCAA carefully considers the results found in this study and undertakes further investigation to help stakeholders in the college sport experience better meet the needs of their ISAs.