Academic Stereotypes of African American Female Student-Athletes: A Qualitative Study

Greendorfer (1993) described stereotypes as "extremely powerful and potent" fonns of discrimination (p. 5). This study examined how stereotypes affected 12 African American female collegiate student-athletes at a large Midwestern university. Data were collected through both focus group and individual interviews during the 1998-1999 academic year. One of the central themes identified by the participants was academic stereotypes and within theme, two subthemes emerged. The first subtheme was labeled overlooking and lowered expectations (Perlmutter, 2003) and further defined as "attending college only because of athletics." The second subtheme was labeled isolation and further defined as "being the only African American in your classes" with additional isolating effects of gender and racial stereotypes also discussed

From Rhetoric to Reality: NCAA Division I Athletic Department Mission Statements and Student-Athlete Community Service Efforts

With the growing emphasis in higher education on developing character and social responsibility, the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program commitment to service is of interest as it encourages the development of well-rounded student athletes. In framing the current study, the researchers focused on how the communication of an athletic department’s mission impacts the community service activities for athletes. Mission statements are used to communicate the central purposes of organizations (Bart, 1996) to various internal and external audiences. Through website content analysis, this investigation reveals the importance placed upon service across athletic departments through the mission, and determines the effect of such goals on opportunities provided and action taken by members of the athletic department. The findings suggest a connection between the mission and action in regard to community service but indicate that the amount of service performed is not always a reflection of the mission statement in regards to community outreach

The Impact of a Sport-Based Service Learning Course on Participants’ Attitudes, Intentions and Actions Toward Social Change

Framed in the context of a sport-based service learning program that engages in interdepartmental university partnerships (including athletics), the current study focused on addressing the need to analyze the long-term impacts of service learning on students’ intentions and actions toward social change. Service learning courses have been shown to facilitate positive outcomes such as increased cultural competency and future intentions toward civic engagement (Bruening et al., 2010, 2014). Building on this knowledge, the current study used in-depth interviews to investigate the social justice-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of alumni of a college service learning through sport course. Individual interviews (n = 22) with participants who had completed at least one semester in the course indicated that the course was influential in developing their ability to recognize social inequities. Furthermore, participants indicated future intentions and current involvement in initiatives that address social inequities in their given areas of life. Theoretical and managerial implications for effective academic and intercollegiate athletic partnerships, helping to increase impactful civic engagement and learning opportunities for student-athletes and non-student-athletes, are provided

Identification of a BRCA2-Specific modifier locus at 6p24 related to breast cancer risk

Common genetic variants contribute to the observed variation in breast cancer risk for BRCA2 mutation carriers; those known to date have all been found through population-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS). To comprehensively identify breast cancer risk modifying loci for BRCA2 mutation carriers, we conducted a deep replication of an ongoing GWAS discovery study. Using the ranked P-values of the breast cancer associations with the imputed genotype of 1.4 M SNPs, 19,029 SNPs were selected and designed for inclusion on a custom Illumina array that included a total of 211,155 SNPs as part of a multi-consortial project. DNA samples from 3,881 breast cancer affected and 4,330 unaffected BRCA2 mutation carriers from 47 studies belonging to the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 were genotyped and available for analysis. We replicated previously reported breast cancer susceptibility alleles in these BRCA2 mutation carriers and for several regions (including FGFR2, MAP3K1, CDKN2A/B, and PTHLH) identified SNPs that have stronger evidence of association than those previously published. We also identified a novel susceptibility allele at 6p24 that was inversely associated with risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers (rs9348512; per allele HR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.80-0.90, P = 3.9×10−8). This SNP was not associated with breast cancer risk either in the general population or in BRCA1 mutation carriers. The locus lies within a region containing TFAP2A, which encodes a transcriptional activation protein that interacts with several tumor suppressor genes. This report identifies the first breast cancer risk locus specific to a BRCA2 mutation background. This comprehensive update of novel and previously reported breast cancer susceptibility loci contributes to the establishment of a panel of SNPs that modify breast cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers. This panel may have clinical utility for women with BRCA2 mutations weighing options for medical prevention of breast cancer

Positive youth development: Minority male participation in a sport-based afterschool program in an Urban environment

Purpose As there is little research that investigates the experiences of minority boys participating in youth development programs (Fashola, 2003), the current research focused on a sport-based youth development program for early adolescent Black and Latino boys in Hartford, CT. Specifically, the present study explored (a) what attracted minority boys to participate in youth development programs, (b) what kept them involved, and (c) whether their involvement translated into positive developmental outcomes. Method The study used semistructured individual interviews to collect data from 8 participants and their parents. The research team deductively coded interviews in accordance with the a-priori framework of the Five Cs and Sixth C of youth development (i.e., competence, character, caring, confidence, connection, and contribution; Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2003). In addition, interviews were deductively coded to investigate why participants became involved in the program and why they continued participation. Results Findings from the study indicated that participants became involved with the Sport Hartford Boys (SHB) program mainly due to its emphasis on sport-related activities. Moreover, findings related to the youths\u27 continued involvement revealed their value for the SHB program as a safe place that kept them out of trouble and provided experiences that led to positive personal development. Furthermore, results indicated that participation in the program facilitated the development of each C of youth development. Conclusion By promoting positive relationships and providing opportunities for self-exploration in a safe and trusting environment, afterschool programs can cultivate positive youth development in minority boys, at least in the short term. Copyright © AAHPERD