‘Some people treat you like an alien’: Understanding the female athlete experience of belonging on campus

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. Slaten ◽  
Jonathan K. Ferguson ◽  
Hayley A. Hughes ◽  
Dominick A. Scalise
Keyword(s):  
Female Athlete ◽  
College Athletes ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Athletic Department ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Team Culture ◽  
Athletic Team ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes

AbstractCollege athletes across north America are often known on their respective college campuses for their athleticism, and spend a considerable amount of hours weekly engaging in their respective sport through practices, meetings, travelling and meals, to name a few. It is no wonder it is difficult for these students to feel fully engaged and connected on university campuses as students. Female college athletes in particular, who often are not athletes in revenue-generating sports, often feel left behind as students and isolated as athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine female collegiate athletes’ experience with belonging in a university setting. This qualitative inquiry utilised consensual qualitative research to explore 14 female student athletes’ experience of belonging on a university campus. The results of the data analysis yielded the following domains or themes: athletic team culture, athletic department culture, campus support and involvement, female athlete identity, and individual athlete experience. The most salient finding was that these female athletes suggested that their sense of belonging on campus was almost exclusively related to their experience as an athlete and their athletic team.

Analysis of Sport Orientation of Female Collegiate Athletes

1998 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 647-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mel E. Finkenberg ◽  
F. Michael Moode ◽  
James M. DrNucci
Keyword(s):  
Women Athletes ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Sport Orientation

Scores on three subscales of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire were analyzed to assess whether competitive orientation of 40 female athletes differed from that of 36 nonparticipants and whether competitive orientation differentiated among athletes participating in different sports. Intercollegiate women athletes from three sports (basketball = 12; Softball = 16; and volleyball = 12) and a control group of 36 women who did not participate in athletics were respondents. Scores on Win and Competition significantly discriminated among groups. Scores of the control group were significantly lower than those of each group of athletes. No other comparisons were significant.

Collegiate Athletes’ Gendered Perceptions of a Hypothetical Male and Female Coach

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-55
Author(s):  
Lori Rittenhouse-Wollmuth ◽  
Cindra S. Kamphoff ◽  
Jon Lim
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Head Coach ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Head ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Female Coaches

Historically, the world of sport is considered a masculine domain characterized by power, aggression, and physical contact (Hall, 1996). The exclusionary elements of the male culture of sport have created gender inequities in participation (Birrell & Theberge, 1994), and a gendered perception of male and female coaches (Frankl & Babitt, 1998; Weinberg, Reveles, & Jackson, 1984). The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of male and female collegiate athletes of a hypothetical male and female coach, and to determine if female coaches are more accepted compared to Weinberg et al.’s study investigating male and female athletes’ perceptions of a hypothetical coach. The Attitudinal Questionnaire (Weinberg, Reveles, & Jackson, 1984) was utilized to determine athletes’ attitudes about a hypothetical coach. A 2 × 2 MANOVA indicated a significant interaction between the gender of a hypothetical head coach and the gender of an athlete, and a significant main effect for gender. Univariate ANOVA results indicate that males and females differed in their attitudes and perceptions of both a hypothetical male and female head coach. The female athletes, compared to male athletes, were more likely to be accepting of coaches regardless of the coaches’ gender. Furthermore, male athletes were less accepting of female coaches. In addition, when comparing the means of the current study to Weinberg et al.’s (1984) study, results indicate that female coaches were not more accepted than in 1984.

Female Athletes in Retirement: A Test of a Psychosocial Model of Bulimic Symptomatology

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 490-499
Author(s):  
Stephanie L. Barrett ◽  
Trent A. Petrie
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Division I ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Psychosocial Model

Although researchers have examined eating disorders in female athletes, few such studies have been done with athletes who are retired, and even fewer have been quantitative. Thus, the authors empirically tested an established eating disorder theoretical model with 218 former NCAA Division-I female collegiate athletes who had been retired for 2–6 years. In retirement, participants completed measures of general sociocultural pressures related to body and appearance, thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, negative affect, and bulimic symptomatology. Through structural equation modeling, the authors examined the direct and indirect relationships among the latent variables while controlling for body mass index and years since retirement. The model fit the data well, supporting the hypothesized direct and indirect relationships among the variables and explaining 54% of the variance in bulimic symptomatology. Despite no longer being exposed to sport pressures that contribute to eating disorders, female athletes experience such symptoms long into retirement.

Lower Extremity Kinematics of a Single-Leg Squat with an Orthotic in Male and Female Collegiate Athletes

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Joseph ◽  
Kristin L. Holsing ◽  
David Tiberio
Keyword(s):  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Knee Injuries ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Frontal Plane ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Ankle Eversion ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Single Leg Squat

Kinematic differences have been linked to the gender discrepancies seen in knee injuries. A medially posted orthotic decreases frontal and transverse plane motions in the lower extremity during ambulation, squatting and landing. This study investigated the effect of a medial post on amount and timing of lower extremity motions during a single-leg squat in male and female athletes. We hypothesized there would be differences in these kinematic variables dependent upon sex and post conditions. Twenty male and female athletes performed single-leg squats with and without a five degree full-length medial post. Maximum joint angles were analyzed using a two-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance to determine if the differences created by post condition were statistically significant, whether there were gender differences, or interactions. Differences in maximum motion values and the time at which they occurred were found between men and women at the hip, knee and ankle. The post decreased all frontal plane measures in both sexes and resulted in earlier attainment of maximum ankle eversion and delayed maximum knee valgus. A medially posted orthotic may be beneficial not only in limiting motion, but in affecting the time in which stressful motions occur.

Osteoporosis Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Female Collegiate Athletes

2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 482-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori W. Turner ◽  
Martha A. Bass
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Dairy Product ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Dietary Calcium ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Osteoporosis Knowledge ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Behaviors

Female athletes often engage in harmful dietary and weight control practices that can impair bone health and hinder performance. To promote related positive health behavior practices, nutrition educators may be more effective if they understand the osteoporosis knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among female athletes. A questionnaire including items related to osteoporosis and dietary calcium knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral practices was administered to 114 female collegiate athletes (19.6 ± 1.4 years). Self-reported intakes of dairy product consumption were also obtained; subjects were asked how many times per week they drank milk and ate cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. The mean score for osteoporosis knowledge was 7.1 ± 1.9 (out of 10 items). The mean score for favorable responses to attitude items was 2.1 ± 0.8 (out of 3 items). Correct responses to dietary calcium knowledge items were 2.2 ± 0.7 (out of 3 items). On average, subjects consumed 2.4 ± 1.6 servings of dairy products per day; 31% of subjects consumed the recommended 3 or more servings per day. Osteoporosis knowledge, osteoporosis attitudes, and dietary calcium knowledge were not correlated (p > .05) with dairy product intake. Because of the importance of achieving a high peak bone mass to prevent osteoporosis, our data suggest that further research is needed regarding other factors that might influence dairy product intake among female athletes.

scholarly journals Are Women Coached by Women More Likely to Become Sport Coaches? Head Coach Gender and Female Collegiate Athletes’ Entry into the Coaching Profession

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matea Wasend ◽  
Nicole M. LaVoi
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Division I ◽  
Head Coaches ◽  
Head Coach ◽  
Entry Rate ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Female Head ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes

A plethora of research on barriers facing women in the coaching profession exists, but less attention has been devoted to female student-athletes’ transition into coaching. Some research suggests that female athletes who are coached by women are more likely to become coaches. In the present study, existing research is extended by examining the relationship between collegiate female basketball players’ post-playing career behavior and the gender of their collegiate head coach. Two research questions are addressed: (1) Are female collegiate Division-I basketball players who are coached by female head coaches more likely to enter the coaching profession than athletes who are coached by men? And; (2) If female basketball players do enter coaching, are those who were coached by women more likely to persist in coaching? Collegiate head coach gender did not emerge as a significant predictor of athletes’ likelihood to enter coaching, but logistic regression indicated that athletes who did enter coaching were 4.1-times more likely to stay in coaching if they had a female head coach. This study extends the scarce and outdated body of research on the potential salience of same-sex coaching role models for female athletes and provides baseline data on collegiate athletes’ entry rate into coaching, lending support to advocacy aimed at reversing the current stagnation of women in the sport coaching profession.

scholarly journals A Pilot Intervention to Increase Calcium Intake in Female Collegiate Athletes

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn S. Mehlenbeck ◽  
Kenneth D. Ward ◽  
Robert C. Klesges ◽  
Christopher M. Vukadinovich
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Calcium Intake ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Calcium Supplementation ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Adolescent And Young Adult ◽  
Mineral Density ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Total Body

Calcium intake in adolescent and young adult female athletes often is inadequate to optimize peak bone mass, an important determinant of osteoporosis risk. The purpose of this study was to determine if calcium supplementation in eumenorrheic female collegiate athletes increases intake to recommended levels and promotes increases in bone mineral density (BMD). Forty-eight eumenorrheic female athletes from several college teams (15 soccer, 7 crosscountry, 8 indoor track, and 18 basketball) were randomized at the beginning of a competitive season to receive either an oral calcium supplement (1000 mg calcium citrate/400 I.U. Vitamin D) or placebo daily throughout the training season (16 weeks). Self-reported daily pill intake was obtained every 2 weeks to assess adherence. Calcium intake was evaluated using the Rapid Assessment Method, and total body and leg BMD was measured at pre-, mid-, and postseason using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA; Hologic QDR-2000). Pre-season calcium intake was lower than national recommendations for this age group (12), averaging 842 mg/d (SD = 719) and was lower in the placebo group compared to the supplemented group (649 ± 268 vs. 1071 ± 986 mg/d, respectively; p = .064). Adherence to supplementation was good, averaging 70% across the training season. Supplementation boosted total calcium intake to a mean of 1397 ± 411 mg/d, which is consistent with recommended levels for this group (37). Supplementation did not influence BMD change during this 16-week intervention. Across teams, a small increase of 0.8% was observed in leg BMD. Change in total body BMD was modified by team, with a significant increase of 1.5% observed in basketball players. These results indicate that providing calcium supplements of 1000 mg/d is adequate to boost total intake to recommended levels during athletic training. Longer intervention trials are required to determine whether calcium supplementation has a positive effect on BMD.

Disorders of the Female Athlete Triad among Collegiate Athletes

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine A. Beals ◽  
Melinda M. Manore
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Female Athlete ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Female Athlete Triad ◽  
Menstrual Irregularity ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Eat 26 ◽  
Or Team

This study examined the prevalence of and relationship between the disorders of the female athlete triad in collegiate athletes participating in aesthetic, endurance, or team/anaerobic sports. Participants were 425 female collegiate athletes from 7 universities across the United States. Disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, and musculoskeletal injuries were assessed by a health/medical, dieting and menstrual history questionnaire, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and the Eating Disorder Inventory Body Dissatisfaction Subscale (EDI-BD). The percentage of athletes reporting a clinical diagnosis of anorexia and bulimia nervosa was 3.3% and 2.3%, respectively; mean (±SD) EAT and EDI-BD scores were 10.6 ± 9.6 and 9.8 ± 7.6, respectively. The percentage of athletes with scores indicating “at-risk” behavior for an eating disorder were 15.2% using the EAT-26 and 32.4% using the EDI-BD. A similar percentage of athletes in aesthetic, endurance, and team/anaerobic sports reported a clinical diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia. However, athletes in aesthetic sports scored higher on the EAT-26 (13.5 ± 10.9) than athletes in endurance (10.0 ± 9.3) or team/anaerobic sports (9.9 ± 9.0, p < .02); and more athletes in aesthetic versus endurance or team/anaerobic sports scored above the EAT-26 cut-off score of 20 (p < .01). Menstrual irregularity was reported by 31% of the athletes not using oral contraceptives, and there were no group differences in the prevalence of self-reported menstrual irregularity. Muscle and bone injuries sustained during the collegiate career were reported by 65.9% and 34.3% of athletes, respectively, and more athletes in aesthetic versus endurance and team/anaerobic sports reported muscle (p = .005) and/or bone injuries (p < .001). Athletes “at risk” for eating disorders more frequently reported menstrual irregularity (p = .004) and sustained more bone injuries (p = .003) during their collegiate career. These data indicate that while the prevalence of clinical eating disorders is low in female collegiate athletes, many are “at risk” for an eating disorder, which places them at increased risk for menstrual irregularity and bone injuries.

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