This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (DII) women's soccer coaches during preseason. A two-pronged conceptual framework that includes path-goal leadership theory and sensemaking theory guided the inquiry, and data was collected through…

There is a lack of information regarding strategic planning within athletic departments at the NCAA Division II level. A survey of all 306 NCAA DII athletic directors was implemented in an attempt to provide up-to-date data. The investigation focused on the prevalence of strategic plans within athletic departments at the NCAA DII level and a…

This qualitative study investigates the development of coaching expertise within Division I college football, conceptualizing the coaching staff as Mission Critical Teams (MCTs) within a situated learning framework. Through phenomenological analysis of 27 semi-structured interviews with current and former Division I head football coaches, this…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of communication based simulated patient experience in graduate-level athletic training students and athletic training educators and clinical practitioners serving as mentoring coaches. This mixed methods study included the evaluation of the perceived confidence of athletic training students…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) coaches on name, image, and likeness (NIL) to examine the effect NIL has on the NCAA dual mission of amateurism and education. The research questions were: (1) What were the perceptions of coaches regarding NIL in NCAA schools? (2)…

This dissertation assesses the self-representation and representation of ten elite collegiate women athletes during the first year of the NCAA's new 'name, image and likeness' policies. Building on theories of representation, gender performance, self-presentation and intersectionality, this study explores how women athletes reproduce notions of…

This study investigates the attitudes and perceptions of head coaches towards the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's college sports, considering the impact of education and interaction. Despite increased visibility and advances in transgender rights, transgender athletes continue to face significant barriers in sports, rooted in societal…

Identifying leisure constraints in various leisure settings has been the topic of investigation for over thirty years; however, more research needs to focus on on-campus recreation program areas and race and gender-related constraints. This study used Shifman et al.'s (2012) quantitative instrument used to measure interpersonal, intrapersonal, and…

Intercollegiate athletics has become a business enterprise which exists and thrives on higher education campuses. As the growth of intercollegiate sport has continued, women have been noticeably absent from leadership roles in this extremely male-dominated profession. With the passage of Title IX there was hope and expectation that women would be…

In this grounded theory research study, current/former collegiate softball players were surveyed using the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS), followed by 13 open-ended questions, designed to solicit participants' preferences in character traits, behaviors, and strategies of a softball coach as they apply to individual and team performance, team…

The dynamics between athletic coaches and their players have been widely studied with leadership as the focus. The problem was that there is limited literature on the differences in perceptions of high school student athletes regarding their coach's leadership behaviors. The purpose of this group comparison study was to examine the differences in…

A leadership gender gap exists in politics, business, and higher education, and there appears to be one in collegiate esports. Researchers have conducted studies on some aspects of esports; however, we know little about women's experiences leading collegiate esports programs. The purpose of this qualitative study--a descriptive (transcendental)…

Modern leadership styles such as transformational and transactional leadership are well documented and practiced within the intercollegiate athletic industry. Although the case, inequities and historic scandals have continued to negatively impact the industry. As a result, practitioners and scholars alike have advocated for a reexamination of…

Successful coaches seek different methods and strategies that allow student-athletes to reach their peak performance levels. The problem addressed in this study is Generation Z student-athletes are now in high school, and coaches may not be adapting their behaviors to the characteristics of this generation given that little research exists on how…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto research study was to determine if, and to what extent, a difference existed in the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of African American NCAA D1 FBS football student-athletes for those who had a head coach turnover versus those who did not in the United States. Complex…