The Token Female: Women’s Experiences as Division I Collegiate Head Coaches of Men’s Teams

Fifteen women who coach NCAA Division I men’s teams were interviewed about their experiences coaching men. Six themes emerged after a comprehensive analysis of the interview transcripts: 1) Gender barriers experienced by women coaching men, 2) Obtainment of their position coaching men in unique ways, 3) Women coach only men’s minor sports, 4) Characteristics contributing to their success coaching men, 5) Reasons for a lack of women coaching men, and 6) Strategies for change. Findings confirm previous research on women coaching men (i.e., Kane & Stangl, 1991) and point to the tokenism and marginalization that women coaching men experience. Unique findings of this study included that women have to be decorated athletes or coaches to coach men, many of the women in this study were unaware of the opportunity to coach men, and athletic director support is key in the success of women who coach men

The potential psychological benefits of Active Video Games in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries and deficiencies: A narrative review of the literature

Background: Recent literature suggests that Active Video Games (AVGs) may offer potential psychological benefits during the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries and their corresponding deficiencies. Objectives: To review existing literature regarding the potential psychological benefits of AVGs within the context of rehabilitation from musculoskeletal injury or debilitation. Method: A narrative review of the literature that used the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes PICO method was conducted. The literature review included studies that discussed and/or investigated potential psychological benefits of AVGs during musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Of the total 163 papers that were identified, 30 met the inclusion criteria. Results: The Nintendo® WiiTM (Nintendo Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Japan) was the most commonly-used games console that was employed in AVG interventions (15 out of 21), and these studies that investigated potential psychological benefits were typically conducted with elderly populations. These studies reported that using AVGs in musculoskeletal rehabilitation resulted in a number of positive psychological effects (e.g., enjoyment, effects on self). However, most studies lacked a clear theoretical framework, and varied greatly in their designs and methodologies. Conclusion: Despite encouraging findings of AVG use, insufficient evidence exists to reliably verify or refute the potential psychological benefits of AVGs in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. It is recommended that future studies in this area contain a theoretical framework to ensure greater consistency in the methodology used and the execution of the intervention. The potential findings of such investigations may result in the development of optimal, client-tailored rehabilitation programmes