The Relationship Between Athletic Identity and Academic Major Chosen by Student-Athletes

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(6): 915-925, 2017. This study examines the correlation between athletic identity and academic major selection among intercollegiate student-athletes. A thorough review of literature focusing on academic clustering, athletic identity, and academic development leads to the development of two hypotheses – 1) student-athletes with stronger athletic identity will have a declared major of decreased academic rigor; and 2) student-athletes with stronger athletic identity will be more likely to be undecided on their major. Data were collected through a survey administered to Division I, II, and III student-athletes recording academic major and their Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS). After analyzing the student responses, Hypothesis I is supported, while Hypothesis II is met with some limitation that leads to a lack of statistical significance. Overall, this study sheds light on a connection between academic choice and athletic identit

Division I College Athletes’ Self-Perception: Investigating the Impact of Race and Discrimination

Self-perception is the level of competency at which individuals evaluate themselves in certain areas or domains (Marsh & Shavelson, 1985). An individual’s self-perceptions contribute to their global self-worth and even predicts performance (Cuellar, 2014; Harter & Neemann, 2012). This study measures self-perception scores, as well as experiences with racial discrimination, of 306 NCAA Division I college athletes using the Self-Perception Profile for College Students (Harter & Neemann, 2012). Scores are compared across race. Findings suggest that White college athletes have significantly higher self-perception scores than college athletes of color - with recent discrimination (within the last year) as a significant predictor of multiple areas of self-perception. The implications of this study suggest that faculty and other campus stakeholders should pursue positive relationships with the college athletes they encounter. Positive relationships between college athletes and faculty may help raise college athlete self-perceptions, and in turn, performance in a variety of areas

Time to Talk About Sport: Creating a Space for Sport Within #LiftingAndShiftingHBCUs

Since their inception, HBCUs have made notable contributions across national and international domains. Their athletic spaces, much like the connected educational institution, have also impacted multiple areas of sport, culture, and society. Understanding this point, coupled with the positioning that sport and higher education serve as social institutions, I argue that HBCU sporting spaces should be understood as such. To achieve this, I conducted three studies – two being theoretical and the final being an empirical study. Article 1 is a critical reconceptualization of HBCU sporting spaces through a Black Critical Theory (BlackCrit) framework. The result of this study shifted discourse and aided in repositioning HBCUs within the broader college sport landscape. The application of this theoretical perspective or lens resulted in key arguments that guided the development of Articles 2 and 3. Article 2 explored the argument that the social stratification and institutional distancing of HBCUs from HPWI programs is a result of the college sport landscape operating as a racialized organization. Implementing a Theory of Racialized Organizations lens, Article 2 explored the role of race and racialization within college sport media, economics, governance, and social discourse – resulting in the marginalization of HBCU athletic spaces. Building upon the argument that HBCU sporting spaces create liberatory experiences for community members, Article 3 consisted of a Critical Discourse Analysis of tweets about the HBCU sporting experience through a Black Liberatory Fantasy framework. This framework resulted in five (5) emergent themes that speak to the unique contributions of the HBCU sporting space from athletic, academic, professional, and social perspectives. The cumulative findings result in shifting from anti-deficit narratives towards critical and liberatory framing. Aligning with this shift in perspective, the empirical findings amplify the role of sport at HBCUs in creating positive and enriching experiences. Broadly, each study extends the understanding of sport as a social institution, along with the role of society on the framing and operation of these spaces. Practically, implications of these studies impact media, governance, and resource allocation by highlighting culturally-responsive and equitable practices. Detailed theoretical and practical implications are explained further within each study

Bridging the Gap: Using College Athlete Support Services as Justification for Human Development in a Commercialized Sport Management

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(6): 934-947, 2022. This study investigates the presence of competing educational foundations within college athlete support service units across the 65 ‘Power Five’ conferences to call for more human development elements within sport management education and training. To determine the orientation of professionals within these units, educational foundation is used as the measure given the role education holds in establishing and communicating norms, values, and rules of practice for professionals within the discipline. Information was gathered through staff biographies and triangulated through secondary sources (university archives and social media accounts – LinkedIn and Twitter). Of the total population of professionals (n = 1095), 910 professionals were verified through the data search. The distribution of educational foundations shows an approximate distribution of 51%, 41%, and 8% distribution of human development, commercially-centric, and specialized educational foundations – respectively. Discussion and implications highlight the growing presence of (non-sport management) human development professionals within college athlete support services and calls for more human development orientation within the field of sport management