Almost all we know about student-athletes and their college experience comes from research on NCAA student athletes. However, there is a sizable portion of student-athletes competing at non-NCAA collegiate levels that we know very little about. Additionally, few studies have looked at how certain stressors relate to sport enjoyment, and none have…

The following executive summary provides high level findings of a student-athlete mental health program (SAMHP) at a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I mid-major university. Various elements of the SAMHP were evaluated to create a well-rounded understanding of the program to determine sustainability, goals, and stakeholder…

Sleep is a vital element of human life, health, and wellbeing. It plays a critical role in cognitive function, physiological processes, regulating emotions, physical development, and in one's overall quality of life. Knowledge of sleep behaviors, as well as the attitudes and perceptions surrounding sleep in collegiate student-athletes may serve as…

In the USA, over 600,000 student-athletes participate in nationally organized intercollegiate sports and occupy socially prominent spaces on college campuses. Although their athletic accomplishments often garner much attention, there is growing interest in collegiate student-athletes' academic achievement and its precursors. One set of factors…

The researcher attempted to explore the relationships between student-athletes and their coaches at a Division-III Community College to determine what factors can impact the coach-athlete relationship. This study holds significance for individuals interested in understanding the dynamics of the coach-athlete relationship and its impact on…

Student-athletes have many commitments during their college experience. Their role as student-athletes impacts their career readiness. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) promotes the fact that most student-athletes will not become professional athletes. However, they do little to help prepare student-athletes for life after…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference in student-athletes' resilience by whether they attended religious or secular higher education institutions. The study utilized data from the 2018 Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL) survey, which was completed by 8,163…

Limited research is available on transfer students who are athletes and on student-athletes from non-NCAA institutions. This study sought to determine if Tinto's theory of student departure can be applied to transfer student-athletes at smaller institutions. A mixed-methods approach was chosen to gain a more in-depth understanding of the…

The purpose of this study was to explore community college athletic departments and how they connect and facilitate messages to their stakeholders. With limited resources, it's important to understand how the athletic departments are applying best strategies and principles of relational management. Therefore, the goal and importance of this…

The expanding opportunities to implement sport science frameworks in elite-level basketball environments coincide with the sport's increasing global prominence. Concomitant to these opportunities is the continual growth of the sport technology market (e.g., wearables, force plates) and computational power (e.g., data management tools, coding…

This dissertation examines the self-perceived career goal achievement capabilities of African-American former Division I basketball players through the lens of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE) and its impact on their post-athletic career decisions. Through a phenomenological approach, this study aims to contribute a nuanced…

Objective: Determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student-athletes. Participants: Participants (n = 238) were Division III student-athletes (18-24yrs) enrolled at a Pennsylvania State University campus during the Fall 2020 semester. Methods: Student-athletes were emailed a link of a 43-question survey which was deployed using Qualtrics®.…

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal financial assistance, including college athletics programs. Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing Title IX by investigating complaints, negotiating agreements with colleges to address concerns, and monitoring agreements. US…

Optimizing diet quality is an important concept for college athletes. Purpose: To evaluate dietary quality of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletes. Methods: Total 94 college athletes (n= 21 male, 73 female) from 19 different varsity teams at a single university completed a 24-hour dietary recall using the Automated…

Previous studies have examined the basic psychological needs (BPNs) among student-athletes in dual careers (DCs), however, motivational profiles regarding the BPNs have not yet been investigated extensively. The present study aimed to investigate DC profiles based on the perceived BPN support. Cross-sectional analyses examined the relation between…