Female partner experiences of prostate cancer patients’ engagement with a community-based football intervention: a qualitative study

Background Prostate cancer is often labelled a couple’s disease wherein the partner plays an important role in the man’s illness management and related health promotion activities. The aim of this study was to explore partner experiences of prostate cancer patients’ engagement with a community-based football program. Methods Eight audio-visual recorded semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 39 female partners of men with prostate cancer who participated in a community-based football program as part of the nationwide FC Prostate Community Trial (NCT02430792). Data was managed with the software program Nvivo 11 and analysed inductively to derive thematic findings. Results The four thematic findings were: 1) ‘Hope of a new beginning’ which included stories of hope that football would mitigate the negative effects of men’s prostate cancer treatment [s]; 2) ‘My new partner’ was characterized by attributing connections between physical activity and elevated mood as a by-product of men’s involvement in the program; 3) ‘Football first’ included assertions of the couples mutual commitment to the football program; and 4) ‘Invisible needs’ contrasted insecurity, and unforeseen challenges for partners feeling somewhat neglected. Overall, the results confirm the need for cohesion and flexibility amongst couple-dyads to ensure partners and men with prostate cancer benefit from their involvement in football programs. Conclusions This study indicates that partners of prostate cancer survivors’ engaging with community-based football align to idealized gender relations, roles and identities. In many instances, these gendered dimensions aided positive dyadic coping and long-term exercise adherence.

When Football Programs Increase the Racial and Gender Diversity at Small, Private Colleges

This research examined if the addition of new small, private college football programs increased the diversity of enrollment on campus and provided opportunities for underrepresented minority students to earn a college degree. The researchers examined enrollment trends at 150 private small colleges: 50 that started new football programs between the years of 1990-2013, 50 that had existing football programs, and 50 without football programs during the same period. The study found that the percentage of small private colleges that experienced high increases in minorities and male students (5% or higher) was higher among the colleges that started a new football program than at institutions with existing football programs or institutions without football programs. The study’s findings provide valuable information for college administrators considering adding a new football program at their institution. The study also contributes new research that explores how adding a new football program impacts the diversity of student enrollment at small, private collegiate institutions. Enrollment management directors must become more aware of the need to hire diverse faculty and staff that can better relate to and serve a diverse student body. In addition, athletic leaders can approach college decision makers with information related to how the addition of a new football program will affect the diversity of student enrollment.

An Examination and Analysis of Division I Football Game Contracts: Legal Implications of Game Cancellations Due to Hurricanes

In recent years, extreme weather events, namely hurricanes, have compromised the college football schedule in the United States. Incidents of extreme weather have caused the cancellation, postponement, relocation, or otherwise alteration of dozens of Division I college football games in recent years. Focusing primarily on hurricanes, this study will present several concerns related to these storms and extreme weather in the US, and contractual law principles of common law defenses and force majeure clauses as they relate to college football game contracts. The purpose of the present study is to begin to better understand the football game contract inconsistencies that can lead to legal disputes faced by college football programs that deal with these storms, and gain a better insight of the contractual considerations made in light of these storms that are becoming increasinglyfrequent and severe. To do so, college football game contracts were obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to select NCAA Division I colleges, internet-based searches, and media exchanges. Analysis of force majeure contract language revealed inconsistent definitions of force majeure events, a limited number of contracts containing specific weather-related force majeure language, and a range of force majeure events leading to the absence of a clear and consistent understanding of how extreme weather-related cancellations would impact the contractual relationships. Recommendations, asa result of the document analysis, are then made for provisionary revision and reconstruction to meet current realistic needs for individual schools. Societal consciousness regarding climate change is adjusting, therefore sport and legal practitioners can reflect this modernization by scrutinizing potential prudent risks.

The Influence of Child-Related Factors on Caregiver Perceptions of Their Child’s Sustained Participation in a Community Football Program: A Study of Children with and without Neurodevelopmental Disorders

This study evaluated the influence of activity preference and involvement on season completion in a community-based football program for children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders. Caregivers (n = 1428) of 1529 children aged 4 to 17 (M = 7.27, SD = 1.85), with (n = 175) and without (n = 1354) neurodevelopmental disorders who were currently participating or had previously participated in a group-based NAB AFL Auskick football program completed an online survey. The survey collected information on their child’s completion of any attempted seasons of the football program, level of involvement during the sessions and preference for football over other sports and activities. Eighty percent of children with a neurodevelopmental diagnosis had completed all seasons of Auskick, compared with 93% of children without a neurodevelopmental diagnosis. Results indicated that children with neurodevelopmental disorders (n = 135) were 3.71 times less likely to complete a football season than their typically developing peers (n = 903). Higher levels of involvement during football sessions and greater preference for football were linked to a higher football season completion rate, irrespective of neurodevelopmental disability diagnosis. This study highlights the influence of child-related factors, in particular, preference and involvement, on children’s sustained participation in community football programs, regardless of neurodevelopmental disability status.

“I Don’t Know How You Get Past That”: Racism and Stereotyping in College Football Recruiting Media

College football programs invest millions of dollars into recruiting top high school prospects. This recruiting process is covered extensively by reporters from sports media outlets. While the players being recruited are predominately Black, the sports media is disproportionately dominated by White men. In this context, the current study reports on data from interviews with 15 participants who work in the college football recruiting media industry. While some participants adopted a color-blind perspective dominated by a belief that racism no longer exists, most reporters expressed an awareness of racial stereotypes in the sports media and felt a need to address racial inequity. Such awareness presents an opportunity for anti-racist training that may help media members avoid racial stereotyping and address racism in the field.

No Excuses: A Brief History of Playing Through Risk in College Football

Celebrations of playing through risk, skepticism of athletes perceived as faking injuries, unregulated training regimens, the mythos of amateurism, and lack of accountability for preventable health harms have long characterized many college football programs. Setting policies that effectively prioritize player health will require taking this history into account.

Does Attending a More Elite School Lead to Better Labor Market Outcomes?

College football prospects in the market for an athletic scholarship face similar career-altering choices as traditional academic students when selecting a college, however, the market they operate in is very different. They are actively recruited by university coaches and closely observed by a college sports scouting industry. Their choice of school is highly anticipated and publicized within college sport culture. College football is no doubt a lucrative industry, particularly for the elite university football programs, but one may want to know if the athletic scholars themselves gain in any career measurable way by attending a more elite university football program. This analysis uses the scouting and coaches screening information to form a baseline control for pre-college ability and then estimates the value-added from choosing a more selective football program by measuring 3 observable football oriented career outcomes: 1) the probability of receiving an invite to the NFL Combine, 2) an objective metric for strength and conditioning, and 3) a player's overall order from the NFL draft. Evidence shows that recruits who choose a more selective university football program have a higher probability of receiving an invite to the NFL Combine. However, once at the Combine, there is no evidence that more selective university football programs produce better athletes based upon standardized strength and conditioning tests. Evidence also suggests that NFL employers utilize the objective information they gain at the NFL Combine in their draft decisions, in which case, the premium enjoyed from the initial Combine invite is attenuated. If NFL teams update the information obtained from the Combine into their draft decisions, then there is no evidence attending a more selective football program generates value-added to a recruit’s ability and thus, their post-college career. Additionally, there is suggestive evidence that highly sought after football recruits are made worse off by the recruiting process in general, holding objective measures of ability constant.

Female Partner Experiences of Prostate Cancer Patients’ Engagement With A Community-Based Football Intervention: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundProstate cancer is often labelled a couple’s disease wherein the partner plays an important role in the man’s illness management and related health promotion activities. The aim of this study was to explore partner experiences of prostate cancer patients’ engagement with a community-based football program. MethodsEight audio-visual recorded semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 39 female partners of men with prostate cancer who participated in a community-based football program as part of the nationwide FC Prostate Community Trial (NCT02430792). Data was managed with the software program Nvivo 11 and analysed inductively to derive thematic findings. ResultsThe four thematic findings were: 1) ‘Hope of a new beginning’ which included stories of hope that football would mitigate the negative effects of men’s prostate cancer treatment[s]; 2) ‘My new partner’ was characterized by attributing connections between physical activity and elevated mood as a by-product of men’s involvement in the program; 3) ‘Football first’ included assertions of the couples mutual commitment to the football program; and 4) ‘Invisible needs’ contrasted insecurity, and unforeseen challenges for partners feeling somewhat neglected. Overall, the results confirm the need for cohesion and flexibility amongst couple-dyads to ensure partners and men with prostate cancer benefit from their involvement in football programs.ConclusionsThis study indicates that prostate cancer survivors’ engagement with community-based football are intricately connected to gender relations, roles and identities. In many instances, these gendered dimensions aided positive dyadic coping and long-term exercise adherence.

Female partner experiences of prostate cancer patients’ engagement with a community-based football intervention: a qualitative study

Background Prostate cancer is often labelled a couple’s disease wherein the partner plays an important role in the man’s illness management and related health promotion activities. The aim of this study was to explore partner experiences of prostate cancer patients’ engagement with a community-based football program. Methods Eight audio-visual recorded semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 39 female partners of men with prostate cancer who participated in a community-based football program as part of the nationwide FC Prostate Community Trial (NCT02430792). Data was managed with the software program Nvivo 11 and analysed inductively to derive thematic findings. Results The four thematic findings were: 1) ‘Hope of a new beginning’ which included stories of hope that football would mitigate the negative effects of men’s prostate cancer treatment[s]; 2) ‘My new partner’ was characterized by attributing connections between physical activity and elevated mood as a by-product of men’s involvement in the program; 3) ‘Football first’ included assertions of the couples mutual commitment to the football program; and 4) ‘Invisible needs’ contrasted insecurity, and unforeseen challenges for partners feeling somewhat neglected. Overall, the results confirm the need for cohesion and flexibility amongst couple-dyads to ensure partners and men with prostate cancer benefit from their involvement in football programs. Conclusions This study indicates that prostate cancer survivors’ engagement with community-based football are intricately connected to gender relations, roles and identities. In many instances, these gendered dimensions aided positive dyadic coping and long-term exercise adherence.