scholarly journals The Coach’s Journal: Experiences of Black Female Assistant Coaches in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Larsen ◽  
Leslee Fisher ◽  
Lauren Moret
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
Black Female ◽  
Division I ◽  
Black Females ◽  
Assistant Coaches ◽  
Women's Basketball ◽  
Female Coaches

In NCAA Division I women’s basketball, Black female coaches make up only a small percentage of the total number of coaches (i.e., 26%; NCAA, 2016) even though the majority of student-athletes are Black (i.e., 51%). Although these discrepancies have recently been recognized in sport studies literature (Borland & Bruening, 2010; LaVoi & Dutove, 2012), sport psychology researchers have yet to explore the underlying structural and psychological issues that lead to the underrepresentation of Black female coaches in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. To this end, we utilized narrative inquiry (Smith & Sparkes, 2009a) in the current study to explore the stories of eight NCAA Division I women’s basketball assistant coaches who identify as Black females. During face-to-face interviews, participants described the roles they are asked to fill and the ways they cope with the multiple oppressions they experience as Black women in coaching. The first and second authors co-constructed four themes, (a) Pregame: Learning to coach; (b) First half: Experiences from the first 10 years; (c) Second half: Experiences from the last five years; and (d) Overtime: Thinking about the future, throughout their thematic analysis of these narratives (Braun & Clark, 2006). It is hoped that these findings will lead to the development of interventions that can empower NCAA Division I Black female coaches as well as challenge current structural ideologies that disadvantage Black female coaches in this context. Further, creating a more inclusive environment at NCAA Division I institutions could enhance the experiences and coaching career aspirations of Black female student-athletes by allowing them to see empowered Black female role models in coaching positions. Implications for certified mental performance consultants (CMPCs) working within NCAA Division I women’s basketball, who are well positioned to contribute to these efforts, are also discussed.

“Do Not Question Authority”: Examining Team Rules in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women’s Basketball

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-325
Author(s):  
Leslie K. Larsen ◽  
Leslee A. Fisher ◽  
Terilyn C. Shigeno ◽  
Matthew P. Bejar ◽  
Melissa N. Madeson
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽  
Division I ◽  
Consensual Qualitative Research ◽  
Athletic Departments ◽  
Organizational Loyalty ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Women's Basketball

While the policies National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic departments have in place regarding social media and drug abuse have been empirically investigated, research on the full battery of rules implemented by NCAA teams is scant. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the written team rules of 41 NCAA Division I women’s basketball teams to better understand the types of rules that are in place and to hypothesize the effects these rules might have on the development of an autonomy-supportive environment. Using Consensual Qualitative Research, the research team constructed seven domains with multiple categories to represent the data. The domains included the following: (a) program expectations, (b) controlled communication, (c) controlled relationships, (d) controlled appearance/attire, (e) controlled social behavior, (f) recommendations for optimal physical performance, and (g) academic expectation. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that NCAA Division I women’s basketball coaches use team rules as a tool for domination rather than a strategy for developing the autonomy of student-athletes. We offer practical suggestions for coach educators, coach developers, and coaches on best practices when creating team rules to develop an autonomy-supportive environment that strengthens organizational loyalty and improves the experiences of student-athletes.

scholarly journals Mental Toughness in Collegiate Strength and Conditioning: Widely Used, Widely Misunderstood

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Stamatis ◽  
Eric L. Robinson ◽  
Grant B. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Division I ◽  
Mental Toughness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Strength And Conditioning ◽  
Women's Basketball

Researchers explored the value of mental toughness (MT) for strength and conditioning coaches (SCC) for women’s basketball of a NCAA Division I conference. Eight SCCs completed a questionnaire and six participated in a semi-structured interview. Results showed that, while there is no agreement whether MT can be developed in student-athletes or about its key attributes, all coaches believe MT is of value. Further, none of the participants reported being aware of or using an instrument to measure MT. Conclusions are that MT is a widely-used but relatively unclear construct. Future research should focus on definition, measurement, and implementation issues.

An Examination of Preferred Coaching Behaviors as Classified by Athletes Gender, Race, and Playing Time

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19
Author(s):  
Trey Burdette ◽  
Barry Joyner ◽  
Dan Czech
Keyword(s):  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
Division I ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Coaching Behaviors ◽  
Women's Basketball ◽  
Sport Leadership ◽  
Playing Time ◽  
Coaching Behavior

The Multidimensional Model for Sport Leadership (MML) (Chelladurai, 1980) posits that an athlete’s performance and satisfaction are functions of the congruency between the preferred leadership of student-athletes, the required behavior of the coach as dictated by the situation, and the actual behavior of the coach. As such, research in sport should examine how appropriate the model is to today’s athletic culture. Gender, one member characteristic, has been researched considerably, with conflicting results, while race and the amount of playing time have been largely ignored with preferential leadership. The purpose of this study was to classify student-athletes’ race, gender, and playing time by their preferred coaching behaviors. NCAA Division-I student-athletes (n = 140) in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, and men’s and women’s volleyball were surveyed using the Revised Leadership Scale for Sport (RLSS). Using discriminant analysis, the authors attempted to predict the student-athlete gender, race, and playing time by their preferred coaching behavior scores. None of the models were significant, indicating a lack of variance between the classification groups. Future research on the importance of preferred coaching predictors is discussed.

Competition-Based Heart Rate, Training Load, and Time Played Above 85% Peak Heart Rate in NCAA Division I Women's Basketball

2018 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel J. Sanders ◽  
Brian Boos ◽  
Jessica Rhodes ◽  
Roger O. Kollock ◽  
Corey A. Peacock
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Training Load ◽  
Division I ◽  
Peak Heart Rate ◽  
Women's Basketball

scholarly journals Not Going Pro: On Seeking Lasting Returns from College Sports

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Horner ◽  
Neal Ternes ◽  
Christopher McLeod
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽  
Collegiate Athletics ◽  
Division I ◽  
Personal Investment

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) clearly states there are many favorable qualities derived from participation that benefit those “who go pro in something other than sports.” However, the ability of collegiate athletics to deliver on the promise of attributable long-term vocational value is rarely questioned. Instead, student-athletes are encouraged to think of their participation as a personal investment with enduring rewards for the investor. In this study involving former NCAA Division I student-athletes, the authors examined whether participation can be regarded as an investment and how student-athletes perceive the returns thus derived. Extending Becker’s (1962) theory of human capital investment to sport participation, the authors probed participants’ experiences for evidence of investment thinking and lasting benefits in corporeal, economic, social, and cultural varieties. The findings support the notion that participation in collegiate athletics can be broadly defined as an investment, but not in accordance with the long-term utility maximizing rationale described by neoclassical economists. Furthermore, the high cost of participation, inherent uncertainty, and unreliable information confound the athlete’s decision-making and blur the distinction between consumption in the present and investing for the future.

The Existence of Sport Psychology Services Among NCAA Division I FBS University Athletic Departments and Counseling Centers

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric W. Hayden ◽  
Alan S. Kornspan ◽  
Zachary T. Bruback ◽  
Michael C. Parent ◽  
Matthew Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽  
Division I ◽  
Counseling Centers ◽  
Athletic Departments ◽  
University Counseling ◽  
University Counseling Centers ◽  
Division I Football

One hundred twenty university counseling centers and athletic-department websites were viewed and analyzed for the provision of sport psychology services specifically to NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I Football Bowl Championship Series (FBS) student athletes. Using content-analysis methodology, the present research identified a fair number of university athletic departments (n = 29) and university counseling centers (n = 6) that provided specific sport psychology services. In addition, most athletic departments and counseling centers that provided sport psychology services had one individual on staff who was listed as the service provider. Results of the study are discussed in relation to providing a current understanding of the extent to which sport psychology is presently being provided to NCAA Division I FBS university student athletes. Future qualitative research is recommended to examine the work of professionals providing sport psychology services in athletic departments and counseling centers to better understand the precise nature of the services provided.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document