The College Athelete
The College Experience of the Athlete: Exploring First Generation Effects
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Robert Wallace, Samuel Ferguson
Recent scholarship indicates the influence of social class origins on college adjustment and the overall collegiate experience. In particular, students who are first in their family to attend an institution of higher education, are less likely to participate in academic and extra-curricular activities. The consequence of these outcomes for first-generation students is that they can have a sense of “never quite measuring up” and place limits on their “opportunity to cultivate social and cultural resources.” The intent of this paper is to explore if first-generation college athletes exhibit these patterns as well. In 2006, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conducted a survey covering the “growth, opportunity, aspirations, and learning of students.” The study included nearly 20,000 Division I, II, and III athletes. Fortunately, the athletes were asked about the education level of their father and/or mother, so whether or not they are first-generation can be determined. The survey instrument also has dependent measures of the college experience regarding academic and extra-curricular activities. For instance, respondents were asked a series of questions ranging from how often they “participate actively in class” to working with a faculty member on a research project. Outside the classroom, the NCAA athletes answered items about their involvement in student government and attendance at concerts, plays, etc. These measures will be combined to establish scales of academic and extra-curricular activities. Statistical analysis of the independent, dependent, and select control variables will then be conducted to explore the first-generation effects of the college experience of athletes.
Transforming Intercollegiate Athletics: Servant Leadership and the Cultivation of Self-Actualization in Division I Student Athletes
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ashley Davis
To determine how servant leadership is espoused by the Division I head coach in and out of the practice setting and how those behaviors affect student athlete growth towards self-actualization, 20 Division I women's soccer student athletes and their head coach were interviewed and observed for four weeks during the Fall 2018 season. To corroborate the qualitative data, a survey gauging the degree to which student athletes felt their head coach espoused servant leader behavior, was also deployed to all student athletes within this particular Division I athletic department. Findings indicate the student athlete preference for a head coach that truly cares for them beyond their athletic identity, serving their needs as a person and not just a student athlete. In addition, findings also indicate that it is the head coach who creates an environment fostering peak experiences for the student athlete, allowing them to further identify their needs in and out of the practice setting. Ultimately, servant leadership in Division I athletics is demonstrated through an intricate process of head coach balance between harder and softer approaches, identity balance, and the accommodation of student athlete needs, impacting the student athlete’s overall university experience and their journey to personal fulfillment. Findings are presented as a cultural portrait, incorporating views of the participants and the observational impressions from the researcher in an effort to understand how the student athletes under study find growth and personal fulfillment through head coach servant leader behavior.
Varsity Greens: Uncovering How and Why Canadian University Athletes Use Cannabis
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alec Skillings, Bryan Hogeveen
Cannabis is the most commonly consumed substances amongst Canadian university athletes after alcohol and caffeine, yet little is known about how and why these athletes use it. We will present initial findings from exploratory qualitative interviews with cannabis-using Canadian university athletes. These findings are generated from the questions; How, why and when do university athletes use cannabis? How has the federal legalization of cannabis changed the perceptions and patterns of cannabis use amongst Canadian university athletes? What consequences and stigmas are associated with cannabis use as Canadian university athletes?
Enhance Student Athlete Collegiate Choices with Data and Analytics
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Peppi Browne-Armstrong
"MyBrakt" allows student-athletes to have access to an algorithm to quickly review and pre-select any college in North America that has an intercollegiate sports program and provides the best fit for their individual needs and goals. Information selected and analyzed by the program is specific to the student-athlete, improving their odds of navigating the collegiate recruiting process. Currently, most other college/university search programs do not truly consider many of the student-athlete factors that go into making a college/university selection. Furthermore, many college/university search programs do not have the goal of leveling the playing field for all student-athletes and seeks to push through those willing to pay more for the system. Our goal is to make available relevant and intelligent student-athlete specific data to all student-athletes. As the student-athlete's interests or related information changes, so do the potential college/university selections. This system can be used at any time when a student-athlete seriously begins to consider using their craft as an asset to help get a higher education. Our goal is to provide this system in any language for anyone around the world who wishes to play a sport while attending college/university. Due to the clear globalization of sports this is going to be a significant part of this presentation. In this presentation we will also discuss the need to shift the access to important and necessary student-athlete data down to those who need it the most.
