Perceptions Of Student-athletes Research Articles

National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletic Trainers’, Head Coaches’, and Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Professional Titles Used in Sport PsychologyA

The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods study was to explore National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletic trainer (AT), head coach, and student-athlete perceptions of three commonly used sport psychology professional titles in the United States: Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), mental conditioning coach, and sport psychologist. Participants included 73 ATs, 79 head coaches, and 76 student-athletes. Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed their previous exposure to these professionals, the services they believed these professionals could provide, their confidence in sport psychology consultation from these professionals, and their stigma tolerance of these professionals. A series of Friedman tests found that ATs and student-athletes perceived significantly more confidence in the services of a sport psychologist compared to a CMPC and a mental conditioning coach. A series of Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed that student-athletes perceived significantly more stigma in using services from all three professionals than head coaches and ATs. Participants reported that sport psychologists could provide mental performance and mental health services, while CMPCs and mental conditioning coaches primarily provided mental performance services. However, short answer responses from many ATs and head coaches about CMPCs demonstrated some doubt and misunderstanding of this professional title.

Student-Athlete Non-Academic Performance in Sport Faculty

The purpose of this study is to examine student-athlete non-academic performance in the sports faculty. Research on the topic has highlighted the complex interplay between student athletes' identities as athletes and scholars. The author surveyed 319 student-athletes in the sports faculty environment of the Indonesia University of Education. The survey was conducted using the non-cognitive factors affecting student-athlete performance, which include three major indicators such as perceptions of student-athletes from faculty, peers, and the student-athletes themselves; academic experiences of a student-athlete; and awareness of influencing factors. The results show that student-athletes' non-academic performance is in the fair category. The three dimensions show a grade point average of 3.08 for the academic experiences of a student-athlete dimension, 3.19 for the awareness of influencing factors dimension, and 3.14 for the perceptions of student-athlete indicators from faculty, peers, and the student-athlete. Regression analysis shows the contribution of each dimension of non-academic performance of student athletes, showing a relative contribution of 35% perceptions from faculty, peers, and the student athlete, 30% academic experiences, and 35% awareness of influencing factors. The study's findings demonstrate that student athletes' nonacademic performance in sports faculties has negative effects. This condition becomes a challenge for educational institutions to create a special academic arrangement for student-athletes; the continuity of a non-academic situation must be designed to support their academic performance. Keywords: Student-athlete, Non-Academic Performance, Sport Policy

Team Identification and Perceptions of College Athletes

College campuses are unique spaces, with college towns having their own distinctive culture. However, attendance at intercollegiate athletic events has declined in recent years. Long-term strategies for building faculty fanbases are uncommon, yet, faculty maintain high organizational identification, positively impacting brand loyalty and purchase intentions. As such, university faculty may be an ideal target market for athletic departments through relationship marketing. Utilizing Allport’s (1954) Intergroup Contact Theory, this study examined faculty motivation to attend university athletic events regarding their university identification, perception of college athletes, and motivation for sport consumption. Two hundred and thirty-eight faculty members at Power Five institutions completed the Motivation Scale for Sport Consumption, the Points of Attachment Index, and the Perceptions of Athletic Departments Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics suggested that faculty are motivated differently than other fans, as the physical skills of athletes served as the strongest motivator for faculty. The multiple regression analysis provided evidence to conclude higher levels of both faculty university athletic team identification and their perceptions of student-athletes contributed to increased athletic event motivation scores. Based on the results, in order to increase faculty motivation to attend athletic events, marketers should consider designing innovative marketing efforts specifically for faculty members and utilizing marketing techniques to increase faculty’s perceptions of college athletes.

Perception of Virtual Learning Among Student Athletes: Differences by Gender and Age

Aside from sports practice, student athletes are required to study on campus, sometimes learning was carried out online. Surabaya State University develops online learning and is named Virtual Learning Surabaya State University, abbreviated as Vinesa. The application of Vinesa needs to get a response from users, one of whom is a student athlete. Therefore, this study aims to determine student athlete perceptions of Vinesa. A cross-sectional approach was used in this research. A total of 125 student athletes were involved in this study (86 male, 39 female, age range of 19–24 years). The research instrument used was the Vinesa perception scale. The data analysis technique uses descriptive statistics. The calculation produces 5 categories, namely very good, good, moderate, less, and very less. The results show that majority of student-athlete perceptions of Vinesa are at a moderate level, namely 45.6%. There was no difference in perception of vinesa in the adolescent and early adult age groups also between male and female student athlete. Based on these results, the Vinesa development team needs to make improvements to the server to make it more accessible. In addition, it is necessary to complete the application usage guide so that it is easier for Vinesa users to understand.

중학교 학생선수의 학습권 보장에 대한 인식과 인식 형성에 미치는 영향에 관한 탐색적 연구

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of student-athletes regarding the guarantee of their right to study, and to identify the factors that have influenced their perception formation. Through this, we intend to find the fundamental data necessaryto construct an institutional policy to reinforce and/or improve the student-athletes’ consideration of the right to study.BR Method: In this study, using purposeful sampling, six male student-athletes with different characteristics were selected from the student players who belong to the baseball club of a middle school located in the Chungcheong province. For data collection, various qualitative data were collected and analyzed through in-depth interviews, personal documents from open questionnaires, and focus group interviews. In order to analyze the collected data, inductive category analysis was performed through constant comparison, following the procedures of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. In order to ensure the accuracy of the collected data and to enhance the validity of the resulting research findings, triangulation was conducted using various data sources, including individual in-depth interviews, personal documents, and focus group interviews. Also, among the strategies to increase the validity suggested by Merriam (1998), various techniques, such as peer review and member check, were employed.BR Results: The results of this study were classified into three major categories: ‘the meaning of study for me,’ ‘my view on learning,’, and ‘factors affecting the formation of considerations of the right to study’. In the ‘meaning of studying for me’ classified into the first broad category, both positive and negative perceptions about guaranteeing the right to study appeared. In the second major category, ‘my view on learning’, the participation attitudes in the period approaching the competition and the off-season period were different. It is likely that it does not occur in normal classes. Third, ‘factors related to educational context’ and ‘factors related to the educational system’ appeared in ‘factors affecting the formation of consideration of the right to study’. In the factors related to the educational context, parents and instructors had a positive effect, while in the factors related to the educational system, the minimum academic achievement system and e-school system had a negative effect.BR Conclusion: There is a need for the interest of parents and instructors and more effective institutional improvement to help student athletes form awareness of the significance of right for learning.

Virtual reality-based tabata training: a professional method for changing levels physical fitness and psychological well-being on student-athletes

Background and Study Aim. Physical fitness and psychological well-being of student-athletes had decreased significantly and became the main problem in this study. This study aims to investigate the effect of virtual reality-based Tabata training to increase the level of physical fitness and psychological well-being through a mixed method.
 Material and Methods. This study used a mixed method. The participants involved in this study were student-athletes (n=40) at Singaperbangsa Karawang University (Indonesia). Quantitative instruments used to measure physical fitness include 20 m shuttle run, 30 m sprint run, horizontal jump and leg dynamometer. While the qualitative instrument used to measure student-athlete perceptions through in-depth interviews for 30 minutes. Quantitative statistical analysis through IBM SPSS was used to find the mean and standard deviation. Independent samples t-test was used to test the difference in values between the experimental and control groups before and after the experiment. Meanwhile, the Paired samples t-test was used to investigate the effect of this training, both in the experimental and control groups. Qualitative statistical analysis was carried out qualitatively thematically, namely the results of in-depth interviews were coded and categorized into three themes.
 Results. There were several finding in quantitative research. First, there was no difference in physical fitness or psychological well-being between the experimental and control groups before the experiment (p>0.05). Second, there were differences in the values of physical fitness and psychological well-being between the experimental and control groups after the experimental program (p<0.05). Third, there was a significant effect in the experimental group on the level of physical fitness and psychological well-being (p<0.05) and the control group also showed an effect on changes in physical fitness and psychological well-being but smaller than the experimental group (p<0.05). In Qualitative research, student-athletes provided positive perceptions about virtual reality-based Tabata training which was easy, efficient and effective, fun and encouraged them to be more active. Negative perceptions were not all student-athletes and universities were equipped with virtual reality facilities. It must carried out in a location or place that was completely safe or far from vehicles.
 Conclusions. Our mixed study confirms that virtual reality-based Tabata training had positive effect to change the level of physical fitness and psychological well-being among student-athletes.

An HBCU track-and-field student-athlete perspective on the role of the pharmacist and physical therapist in sports

BackgroundPharmacy is a profession with the capacity to provide services in a variety of venues, including sports and sporting events. The physical therapy profession is often involved in treating the injured athlete; however, direct interactions with collegiate sport teams is limited and inconsistent. A literature review showed a limited and inconsistent role of the pharmacist and physical therapist in sports, especially at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). ObjectiveTo examine collegiate track-and-field student-athlete perceptions related to the role of the pharmacist and physical therapist. MethodsA cross-sectional study using a convenience sample was conducted to assess the perceptions of NCAA track-and-field student-athletes from a HBCU. A survey utilizing modified Likert-scale and open-ended questions was administered electronically to fifty-four student-athletes via email. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18 years old and a current track-and-field student-athlete. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. ResultsThis study, one of the first to examine an HBCU student-athlete population, yielded a 100% response rate. About 80% want to discuss the directions for use and side effects of certain medications or dietary supplements with a team pharmacist. Over 75% of student-athletes desired to consult with a physical therapist about injury management and prevention. Overall, most respondents felt that pharmacists (81.5%) and physical therapists (78.8%) should have a role with NCAA sports to benefit student athletes. ConclusionInterprofessional collaboration and communication among healthcare professionals is essential to improve student-athlete health knowledge and performance. The student-athletes expressed interests in receiving consultation and educational sessions from pharmacists and physical therapists.

Determining Intention to Provide Culturally Responsive Clinical Mental Health Care to Collegiate Student-Athletes

Mental health care providers’ cultural responsiveness related to athletics is crucial to their clinical care provision for student-athletes on college campuses. However, little research has been conducted in applying a theoretical framework to explore providers’ intentions to provide culturally responsive clinical care to this specific student population. Understanding providers’ perceptions of student-athletes is integral in assuring clinical care provision that is responsive related to the culture of athletics. The purpose of this study was to test a conceptual model that adapted the Theory of Planned Behavior to explore the determinants of providers’ intention to be culturally responsive to the unique needs of collegiate student-athletes. For this study, cultural responsiveness was defined as the cumulative level of a provider’s self-efficacy related to communicating with student-athletes, empathy specific to student-athletes, positive attitudes toward the culture of athletics, and knowledge related to the culture of athletics. Data were collected using an online survey method, and the responses from 153 participants were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that all survey scales were stable and reliable on which to base our data analysis results. Additionally, results suggested that the adapted TPB can be a useful framework in predicting mental health care providers’ intention to be culturally responsive to student-athletes’ unique needs. Implications for research are discussed.

E-스쿨 프로그램에 대한 고교 학생선수 인식

The purpose of this study is to examine the actual conditions and perceptions of student athletes from the perspective of responsible education in the e-school program developed and operated to guarantee student athletes' academic deficits and right to study. The research method applied the case study method, and 14 student athletes in S area were finally selected using intentional sampling and convenience sampling. As a result of the study, first, the study participants were simultaneously conducting and solving the e-school program by mobilizing their families. Second, the study participants perceived the current e-school system as a public authority performed by the state with high school graduation and participation in competitions as collateral rather than educational effects. Therefore, in order to prepare for the implementation of the high school credit system, it is necessary to review a plan to reduce the scope of the school policy to elementary and middle school students subject to the current compulsory education. In addition, training (practice) should also be applied and reorganized by the current level of the physical education high school curriculum or the establishment or expansion of optional subjects(student athletes).

Social media engagement, perceptions of social media costs and benefits, and well-being in college student-athletes

Objective: The present study investigated the association between social media engagement and factors related to well-being (e.g., depression, anxiety, sleep, loneliness, self-esteem). Participants: A sample of 1120 college student-athletes (338 males, 777 females, 5 identified as non-binary) from nine universities participated in this study. Method: Data were collected through self-report measures and screen shots of participants’ screen time in the previous week. Results: Overall screen time taken from devices was not associated with self-reported well-being, whereas use of social media during daily activities was related to worse well-being across domains (e.g., lower self-esteem, higher fear of missing out, stress, anxiety, depression). In addition, student-athlete perceptions that social media interfere with their lives were related to worse well-being. Conclusions: The implications of these findings, including the possibility of using protective behavioral strategies (PBS) to reduce negative impacts of social media in college students, are discussed.

Youth Athletes' Parents' Perceptions and Knowledge of the Athletic Training Profession.

Parents have unique roles in advocating for their child's health and safety. Such advocacy can improve student-athletes' access to athletic trainers (ATs), yet few researchers have investigated the perceptions of student-athletes' parents regarding athletic training. To explore parents' perceptions of athletic training and evaluate their knowledge regarding the AT's role. Concurrent mixed-methods study. Web-based questionnaire. Parents affiliated with USA Football representing 36 states (n = 316: men = 53.5%, women = 46.1%; average age = 45.6 ± 6.2 years [age provided = 291]) were included. An online questionnaire was developed and distributed via Qualtrics. The questionnaire contained demographic questions, quantitative items assessing perceived value and knowledge of athletic training, and open-ended questions to provide opportunities for expansion. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the demographic data. Quantitative measures were presented as count and percentage responses. Open-ended responses were analyzed using the general inductive approach, and overall perceptions were supported with participant quotes. Of 10 763 parents, 390 completed the questionnaire (3.6% response rate, 74.8% completion rate). Of the 390, 316 had a child in high school. Approximately 67% (n = 213) of respondents considered an AT a trusted source of medical information and "extremely valuable" to student-athletes' health and safety. The questionnaire response injury prevention was frequently recognized (n = 307, 97.2%) as a skill ATs perform, followed by first aid/wound care (91.8%) and therapeutic interventions (82.3%). Parents highlighted the AT's role in immediate care and attributed peace of mind and feelings of comfort to having a health care professional readily available for their children. When asked directly and when discussing their effect on student-athlete health and safety, parents valued ATs. Though various qualifications of ATs were recognized, parents emphasized the importance of having someone immediately available to provide care if and when needed. Educational efforts should focus on ATs as the most qualified health care professionals to provide comprehensive medical care to student-athletes in both urgent and nonurgent situations.

Academic Success: Perceptions of Student-Athletes, Learning Specialists, and Academic Advisors

The current study explores how academic success is defined and perceived by student-athletes and athletic academic support staff professionals, specifically learning specialists and academic advisors. Using qualitative methods, one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants from six “Power 5” programs to establish overarching themes. Academic advisors identified academic achievement and personal development as academic success. Learning specialists identified academic success as maximizing individual potential. Student-athletes identified meeting grade-based standards and work ethic resulting in reaching personal goals as academic success for themselves. Student-athletes also perceived that their advisor would identify eligibility and effort as academic success, and that their learning specialist would view academic success as building academic skills and work ethic.

공부하는 학생선수 육성에 대한 학원스포츠 운영주체의 인식

The purpose of this study is to understand the perceptions of student athletes, parents, and coaches, who are the subjects of school athletic sports about fostering studying-student-athletes. To achieve this purpose, 3 student athletes, 3 coaches, and 2 parents were selected as research participants. The data were collected by in-depth interview, and the collected data was analyzed by textual analysis. As a result, there were three major perceptions of the school athletic sports operator on fostering studying-student-athlete. The first was ‘the absence of a practical element capable of realizing the structure’. The gap between policy and reality was producing negative perceptions about fostering studying-student-athlete. The second was ‘dichotomous thinking based on false success discourse’. The false discourse of success about sports stars fixed the belief that exercise is the only way to success. This served as a driving force for solidifying the dichotomy between study and exercise. The third was ‘the narrow gaze at the student athlete and the tacit avoidance of schoolwork’. The skeptical questions and reactions to the student athletes who are studying acted as a mechanism for implicit avoidance of schoolwork for the student athletes.

Resilience for the Rocky Road: Lessons Learned from an Educational Program for First Year Collegiate Student-Athletes

Student-athletes in the United States encounter a myriad of academic, athletic, and social challenges as they transition into their first year of college sport and life. During this transition, strengths-based, psychological skills programming can provide valuable skill-building education as well as awareness and development of social support resources. The purpose of this paper is provide an overview of the development and implementation of a resilience-based educational program to support student-athletes during the transition from high school into their first year of college, explore student-athlete perceptions of the program, and identify lessons learned for sport psychology practitioners.

To act or not to act? Student-athlete perceptions of social justice activism

Issues related to social justice and activism have always permeated sports, but recently, due to the high profile cases of several elite-level athletes (i.e., Colin Kaepernick, Megan Rapinoe), these issues have become much more prominent in the contemporary sporting climate. Even though these highly visible actions are publicized in today’s media environment, little is known about how collegiate student-athletes perceive engaging in social justice activism. Therefore, the current study surveyed 2,092 collegiate student-athletes on their attitudes toward activism engagement using a theory of planned behavior framework with particular attention paid to how gender and ethnicity/race influenced these relationships. A series of MANOVAs indicated that female student-athletes, in relation to male student athletes, and student-athletes of color, in comparison to White student-athletes, held higher perceptions on most of the subscales related to activism. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms were significant predictors of athletes’ intention to engage in activism. In addition, interactions of the three predictors with race and gender influenced the final regression model indicating the strength of each predictor was impacted by athlete race and gender. Future research directions and implications for programming in relation to study findings are discussed.

High school student-athletes’ perceptions and experiences of leadership as a life skill

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to gain student-athlete perceptions of: (1) the definition of leadership for high school student-athletes; (2) the process of leadership development in high school sport; and (3) the factors that have helped or hindered leadership transfer between high school sport and other life domains. DesignThis study was grounded in an interpretivist ontological perspective and used focus group interviews to gather insights of student-athletes’ leadership experiences. MethodPurposeful sampling identified 33 high-school student-athlete leaders who were members of student advisory councils for high school state athletic associations in the United States. The 15 females and 18 males participated in focus-group interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data was then conducted. ResultsResults revealed that student-athlete leadership was viewed as a skill-set and a mindset, driven by individual agency. As an on-going developmental process, student-athletes gained awareness of leadership skills, increased self-expectations and self-confidence in their use and application of leadership skills, and developed a transformational leadership mindset, as they encountered and engaged with critical learning opportunities in high school sport and gained support from coaches and peers. Leadership application outside of sport was a multidimensional psychological process, including both conscious and implicit elements, and facilitated or constrained by environmental opportunities and social influences. ConclusionsHigh school sport offers a unique context where self-agentic youth leadership development in sport and life can occur through experiential learning opportunities. To this point, future research directions and recommendations for practitioners will be provided.

“It’s more than just a game”: NCCAA Division II student-athletes’ perceptions of coach caring

The construct of care within the coach–athlete relationship has only recently been examined. However, this research has yet to include athletes’ perceptions of caring coaching practice. Thus, the primary purpose of the current study was to examine self-described Christian student-athletes’ perceptions of coach caring practices. Therefore, the guiding research questions were: (a) in what ways do student-athletes feel that their coaches demonstrate care? (b) In what ways have student-athletes’ religion/spirituality shaped the way they understand and perceive care? (c) Does proximity to a caring coach practice—that is, those who are still competing versus those who have graduated—influence the ways in which student-athletes view coach caring? Eleven current and former student-athletes (mean age = 26 years; seven males, four females) from four different sports (basketball, cross country, soccer, and tennis) at one NCCAA school were interviewed. Data analysis was conducted by a six-person research team using Consensual Qualitative Research. Five domains were constructed to represent Christian University 1 student-athlete perceptions of: (I) how they learned coach caring, (II) how they defined a lack of coach caring, (III) how they defined coach caring, (IV) how they perceived the expression of the caring climate, and (V) how they perceived the expression of the Christian caring climate.

Student Athlete Perceptions of Athletic Trainers’ Competence Based on Appearance and Dress

Student Athlete Perceptions of Athletic Trainers’ Competence Based on Appearance and Dress

Academic Success: Perceptions of Student-Athletes, Learning Specialists, and Academic Advisors

The current study explores how academic success is defined and perceived by student-athletes and athletic academic support staff professionals, specifically learning specialists and academic advisors. Using qualitative methods, one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants from six “Power 5” programs to establish overarching themes. Academic advisors identified academic achievement and personal development as academic success. Learning specialists identified academic success as maximizing individual potential. Student-athletes identified meeting grade-based standards and work ethic resulting in reaching personal goals as academic success for themselves. Student-athletes also perceived that their advisor would identify eligibility and effort as academic success, and that their learning specialist would view academic success as building academic skills and work ethic.

O Desenvolvimento Positivo e as Life Skills de Jovens estudantes por meio do esporte

The article aims to analyze the perceptions of student-athletes about learning life skills through sport, including identify the goals and strategies used by teachers/coaches during practices. This study included 61 high school athletes (16.15±0.79) and six teachers/coaches of team´s finalists of Jogos Estudantis Cuiabanos in 2018. The instruments used: Life Skills Scale for Sport – LSSS and semi-structure interview about Positive Youth Development (PYD) through sport. To analysis quantitative data, the ANOVA of repeated measures and the student´s t test were used, and thematic analysis for qualitative data. When compared life skills dimensions, teamwork and goal setting presented higher levels (p<0.05). Teachers/coaches seek to promote life skills dimensions to prevent risk behaviors. According to their perceptions, whether students/athletes as well teachers/coaches, there are possible life skills transfer in sport context, specially teamwork and goal setting. This study indicates that teachers/coaches use sport to promote active citizenship of their students/athletes.