Browsing by Subject "College football"
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Item The African American college football player : a holistic exploration of identity, challenges and environment(2012-05) Miller, I Shujaa Keino; Cokley, Kevin O. (Kevin O'Neal), 1969-College football is big business, earning slightly more than $1 billion in profit in the last few years. As a result of its popularity, fans of the game devour massive amounts of information about college teams and their players. Less known are the non-academic challenges college football players face, in addition to the typical concerns shared with their non-athletic peers. Along with academic and cognitive challenges, the ability to effectively navigate non-academic areas - such as personal, social and cultural - is critical to the development and holistic growth of today’s college football players. These factors can affect a student's ability to thrive or persist toward graduation. In this report, I explore the specific challenges of African American college football players at predominantly White institutions. Within this scope, I will examine the growth of college football in addition to the reach and impact it has on African American families. Within these communities, research shows a pervasive focus on playing professional football. Some players believe that college football is a mere stepping stone on the road to a professional career. The reality is that very few college football players are chosen to play professionally – actually less than .2%. This report explores some of the psychosocial issues that can impact the on and off the field success of African American college football players at predominantly White institutions The goal of this work is to lay a foundation and make an argument for counseling and therapeutic support targeted to, but not exclusively for African American college football players. As systems that seek to understand growth and change for optimum mental and physical well-being, the field of counseling and sports psychology present intervention models that can be useful for today’s African American college football players.Item Constructing the framework for mentoring African American male student-athletes at predominately white institutions of higher education(2012-08) Kelly, Darren David; Dixon, Marlene A., 1970-; Hunt, Thomas M.; Green, B C.; Moore, Leonard N.; Harrison, LouisThe goal of this study was to develop a detailed understanding of the academic, athletic, and psychosocial needs and issues of African American male student-athletes attending a predominately White public flagship institution of higher education during their transitional first year and determine if, how, and who were meeting these needs. In addition to the well-known lower graduation rates and academic struggles of African American male football players, there are numerous psychosocial and cultural issues and barriers these young men face during their transition such as commitment, discrimination, and isolation (Hyatt, 2003). Mentoring has been used as a tool for developing organizational members in many different contexts and disciplines such as business (Kram, 1985), higher education (Johnson, 2007), and sport management (Jones, Harris, & Miles, 2009). Further, since African American male student-athletes have an array of academic and psychosocial needs, researchers need to look beyond the traditional model of having one primary mentor and explore the potential of a “critical mass” or network of mentors. Twelve first-year African American male student-athletes participated in semi-structured interviews at the conclusion of the first and second semesters of their first year of college. Additional key institutional stakeholders included four upperclassmen African American male student-athletes, three former African American male student-athletes and four faculty and staff members, also participated in interviews with the researcher to add further insights into the first-year experience. Results indicated that African American male student-athletes went through five major transitions: an academic transition, an athletic transition, an athlete status transition, a transition into a less diverse environment, and a transition away from home. Ideal mentors for these individuals were typically African American men who provided role modeling, promoted critical thinking through interactive dialogue, and gave advice on personal and academic issues. Mentoring networks for this population must at least include African American males from the faculty and staff at the university and professionals in the community along with older teammates. Research findings will be of interest to researchers, administrators (academic and athletic), and practitioners who desire to improve the academic, psychosocial, athletic, and overall college experience of African American male student-athletes.Item Enrollment and fiscal health of small, tuition-dependent private colleges with new football programs(2011-05) Dalton, Brian Francis; Somers, Patricia (Patricia A.); Heilig, Julian V.; Kameen, Marilyn; Vick, Jim; Taylor, CeceliaThe primary focus of this comparative research was to explore the impact of the addition of football programs on the enrollment and fiscal health of 530 small, tuition-dependent private U.S. colleges and universities from 1985 to 2000. The institutions studied represented a group of institutions that are increasingly challenged to manage or improve their enrollments and fiscal health at a time when competitive pressures raise questions as to their long-term viability. In the analysis, institutions were separated into four groups. The first group consisted of 52 institutions that established intercollegiate football programs during that time period. The second group was comprised of six institutions that ended football programs during that time period. The third group involved 172 institutions that had football programs during the entire time span. The fourth group consisted of 300 institutions that had no football program during the entire time span of the study. Data regarding enrollment and fiscal health for all 530 institutions were collected from publicly available sources to account for the 25 years of the study and the analysis was conducted. This study incorporated an interrupted time series design, which allowed for a large series of observations made on the same variable consecutively over time. The results of this study demonstrated that initiating a new football program produces a greater increase in undergraduate enrollment for initiating institutions than for those institutions not initiating a football program. Initiating a football program also produces a greater increase in fiscal health for initiating institutions than for those institutions not initiating a football program. In addition the study confirmed that initiating a football program increases the rate of growth of undergraduate enrollment of initiating institutions compared to those institutions that did not have a football program during the time span of the study. This was not the case for institutions that had a football program during the time span of the study. Finally, starting a football program increases the rate of improvement of the fiscal health of initiating institutions compared to those institutions not initiating a football program.Item Exploitation in college sports : the amateurism hoax and the true value of an education(2019-05) Doane, Bill; Awad, GermineItem Phenomenological study on the racialized experiences of African American assistant collegiate football coaches(2018-06-27) Howe, Jonathan Emmanuel; Hunt, Thomas M.; Kelly, Darren DavidThe dearth of African American football coaches at the collegiate FBS level is evident solely with an eye test. When looking at the numbers, there are only 13 Black head football coaches out of 128 jobs. Additionally, African American coaches represent less than 30% of assistant coaches (Lapchick, Marfatia, Bloom, & Slyverain, 2017). These numbers are shocking especially when considering the amount of coaching positions available at the conclusion of every season. While there have been a number of scholars researching the lack of head football coaches at the collegiate level, not much focus has been placed on the assistant coaches and not enough emphasis has been placed on studies of qualitative nature. The purpose of this study was to analyze and then gain an understanding of the experiences of Black assistant football coaches at the FBS level. This study utilized a Critical Race Theory framework in order to examine the intersectionality of race and sport to provide an understanding in regards to the dearth of African American assistant football coaches and their path, or lack thereof, to becoming head coaches at the collegiate level.Item The one dimensional Black college football player : a mixed methods approach to understanding racial and athletic identity(2017-05) Logan, Alvin DeQuanta, Jr.; Harrison, Louis, 1955-; Moore, Leonard; Brown, Anthony; De Lissovoy, Noah; Cokley, KevinThe complex relationship between sports, representation and power is constantly being documented through modern omnipresent media. Daily inundation of various media images permeates social understanding to the point of realistic expectations. These expectations are often substituted for genuine physical interaction, as is the case for many Black male collegiate football players. Media often scripts Black males as successful by way of their athletic achievements, often misrepresenting their multifaceted potential. As result of that portrayal, many Black males single-mindedly purse athletic careers at the degradation of the many other facets and gifts they possess. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of media consumption and character portrayals on the identity negotiation of Black male collegiate football players. This study employed mixed-methods framework by surveying 226 Black college football players and conducting 16 interviews with Black collegiate football players and athletic administrators. The study found that media portrayal can negatively influence the negotiation of identities priming Black collegiate football players for athletic one-dimensionalism. The data generated five themes; Media Influence, Black College Football Player Politics, Athletic Industrial Complex and Football Culture, One Dimensional versus Multi-Dimensional, and What Schools Can do Better. Quantitatively, Cross Racial identity Scale (CRIS) and the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) were used to gauge identity participant attitudes. Quantitatively, the study affirmed Black college football players have elevated athletic identity and a suppressed racial identity. There was a negative relationship between athletic identity and athletic classification. There was a correlation represented between a racial identity attitude and athletic classification. The implications of this study are to promote multidimensional beings and help elucidate the effects of media portrayals and consumption. The study also contextualizes Black athletes’ experiences at the juncture of sport and social justice. Furthermore, the study is contributing to current and future literature through a nuanced investigation of the experiences and identity negotiation of Black collegiate athletes.