StudentSupport-Female Athetes Final Report

You might also like

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 31

RunningHead:FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES

FocusonFemaleCollegeAthletes:BehindtheCreationofSupportingFemaleAthletes

TracyMontgomery,HilarySwinning,&GretchenWhitman

KentStateUniversity

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES2

FocusonFemaleCollegeAthletes:BehindtheCreationofSupportingFemaleAthletes
Introduction
Anygivencommunityismadeupofsmallercommunitieswithinitsconstruct,anditis
nodifferentinthefieldofhighereducation.Moreandmorecollegesareexpressingthenecessity
anddesiretonotonlyfosteracommunityoflearning,butalsoacommunitythatembraceseach
studentasanindividual,andasanindividualwhoisamemberofsmallercommunitiesthatall
playapartinthecampusasawhole.Studentaffairspersonnelcontinuetofindwaystoaddress
thisneedbyrecognizingthesmallercommunitiesthatmakeupthewhole,includingstudents
withvariousacademicbackgrounds,religions,sexualorientation,andnationalities.One
communitymostcollegesrecognizeistheathleticcommunity,butthequestionwasraisedabout
howmuchresearchexiststorecognizethiscommunityinregardstotheirstudentdevelopment,
ratherthanjustthetypicalrecognitionoftheirperformance.Afterreviewingliteraturethat
addressesparticularaspectsofstudentdevelopment,theissueofstudentdevelopmentinregards
tofemaleathletesversusmaleathletesstoodoutasasubcategoryofcollegeathletesasawhole.
Thisissueinspiredbrief,butvaluablequalitativeresearch,involvingvaluableinterviewswith
femalecollegeathletesfromthreedifferentinstitutionsandthreedifferentsportsteams.The

commonthemesinspiredthecreationofSupportingFemaleAthletes,aprogramthataddresses
theneedsandissuesdiscoveredfromcommonthemesfoundinbothliteratureandinterviews,all
comingtogethertocreateapositiveimpactonthestudentdevelopmentoffemaleathletes.
LiteratureReview
Therehavebeennumerousstudiesontheeffectsofcollegelifeoncollegeathletes,howit
maydifferfromthatofnoncollegeathletes,andtheacademicpotentialofthesestudents

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES3

(Coffey,2009HowardHamilton&Sina,2001Lyons&Turner,2015McCarthy,2011Robst
&Keil,2000Sedlacek&AdamsGaston,1992Woodruff&Schallert,2008).Thisworkhas
ledtoagreaterunderstandingofhowuniversitiescansupporttheacademicandsocialneedsof
thisparticularpopulation.Whilesomestudiesfocusmoreononeaspectofstudentdevelopment,
suchascognitivedevelopmenttoseehowacademiaisaffected,othersaddresspsychosocial
developmenttodiscoverhowparticularenvironmentsaffectstudentathletesidentity,and/orthe
collegestudentasawhole.
CognitiveDevelopment
Cognitivestructuraltheoriesincludemoraldevelopment,intellectualdevelopmentand
epistemologicaldevelopment.Ofparticularinterestisthestudyofcollegeathletemotivationby
WoodruffandSchallert(2008).Theycloselystudiedninediversestudentathletesfromalarge,
DivisionIresearchuniversity.Therewerefivemenandfourwomen,allofwhomwere
attendingtheuniversityonscholarship.Thepurposeofthisstudywastobetterunderstandthe
uniqueacademicandathleticdemandsthesestudentsfaced.Basedonclassroomobservations
andinterviewswiththeparticipants,WoodruffandSchallertdevelopedamodeltoillustrate
studentsacademicandathleticmotivationsinrelationtotheirdevelopingsenseofself.The
modelshowshowcloselyidentityandmotivationarelinked,andalsoidentifiesthreecategories
ofstudentathletemotivation.Participantswhowereintrinsicallymotivatedtoengageinan
activity,eitheracademicorathletic,weresortedintoacategorycalledloveit.Thosewhofelt
thattheactivitieswerevaluableandwouldhelpthemintheirfuturesfellintotheboughtintoit
category,whilethetalkedinto/gettingsomethingfromitcategorywasreservedforthosewho
wereextrinsicallymotivated.

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES4

Accordingtothefindingsofthestudy,participantsmotivationalchangesoccurredprior
toanychangesintheirsenseofself.Whilethestudydidnotaddressthereasonwhyparticipants
chosetomakethesechanges,itshowedthecloserelationshipbetweenmotivationandsenseof
self.Dependingontheirmotivationlevels,theparticipantshadeitherastrong,medium,orweak
senseofself.Regardlessofthesmallsamplesizeofthisparticularstudy,itprovidesinformation
thatcouldbegeneralizableamongalargerpopulationofstudentathletesandcouldprovideclues
forallcollegestudentsfacedwithjugglingtheresponsibilitiesofschoolandlife.
AnothersignificantstudybyLyonsandTurner(2014),focusedonmoralreasoning.The
studysetouttocomparethemoralreasoningofstudentathletesascomparedtononathletes
however,itwasultimatelydeterminedthatthegreatestdifferenceinmoralreasoningwasbased
ongender,notathletics.ThestudytookplaceatalargeMidwesternuniversityandinvolved213
collegestudents,106ofwhomwereathletes.Thirtytwooftheseathleteparticipantswere
female.StudentswererecruitedforthestudythroughacampusChristianathleticassociation.
UsingtheHahmBellerValuesChoiceInventory(HBVCI),whichprovides16moraldilemmas
forparticipantstorate,LyonsandTurnerfoundthatthefemaleparticipantsshowedgreater
cognitiveawarenesswithregardtoissuessuchasresponsibilityandjustice.Thedifferencesin
moralreasoningbetweenfemaleathletesandfemalenonathleteswerenegligible.Thiswas
likelyduetothesmallsampleoffemaleparticipantsinthestudy.
Whiledifferencesinmoralreasoningamongmaleathletesandnonathleteswere
insignificant,thestudyfoundthattheiroverallmoralreasoningskillswereunderdevelopedas
comparedtothefemaleparticipants.Asaresultofthisstudy,theauthorssuggestedthat
universitypersonnelresponsibleforworkingwithathletesshouldinitiateprogramsaimedat

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES5

moraldevelopment.Inaddition,itwassuggestedthatsuchprogramsbedifferentformale
athletesversusfemaleathletes.
PsychosocialDevelopment
Althoughmotivationandmoralreasoningwereaddressedinstudiesfocusingmoreonthe
cognitiveaspectofstudentathletes,theymayalsoblendintoresultsofstudiesthatleantoward
psychosocialdevelopmentaswell.Lockhart,Black,andVincent(2012)studiedwhether
DivisionIfemaleathleteswouldhaveamuchdifferentperceptionofselfworth,comparedto
thatofDivisionImaleathletes.Thisstudyshypothesiscamefromgeneralizationsmadefrom
factsregardinghowmalecollegiatesportstendtoreceivemoremediaattention,money,and
popularity,therefore,likelyresultinginfemaleathletesofthesamelevelnotretainingthesame
selfesteemastheirmalecounterparts.Theinvestigatorsassessed176DivisionImaleand
femaleathletesfromBrighamYoungUniversityusingtheWorthIndex.Thequestionswere
basedona7pointscaleandmeasuredpersonalsecurity,performance,basichumanworth,and
physicalself.TheresultsledtotheconclusionthatDivisionImaleandfemaleathletesdonot
differintheirperceptionsofselfworth.Giventhatnosignificantdifferenceswerefound,the
hypothesiswasrejected.Theauthorstooktheirresultsastepfurtherwhenpointingouthowtheir
studyshowedthathighlycompetitivefemaleathleteshaveastrongerbodyimagecomparedto
otherfemalestheirage.
Incomparisontootherliteraturereviewed,mostofwhichindicateddifferencesbetween
maleandfemaleathletesinvariouscontexts,Lockhart,Black,&Vincent(2012)mayseemto
curvetheargumentthatcollegesshouldbemoreconscientiousinaddressingthespecificneeds
offemaleathletes,especiallyatthehigherlevel.However,severalfactorsfromthisstudymust

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES6

beconsidered.First,itshouldbenotedthattheseathleteswerepredominantlyCaucasian,and
fromasingleuniversity,versusawidespreadpollofdiverseDivisionIathletesfromvarious
universities.Also,notallsportswererepresented.Forexample,somefemalebasketballplayers
werepolled,butnomalebasketballplayers.Thestudysrationalereferstothegreatamountof
attentionpaidtomalesports,especiallybasketballandfootball,yetdidnotassessanymale
athletesfromeitheroneofthosesports.Itwouldbeadisservicetosimplyconcludethatfemale
andmaleathletesdonotdifferinregardstoselfworth,justbecausealimitedgroupatone
universitydidnotdifferfromoneanother.Itmay,however,provebeneficialtoseehowmuch
otherliteraturesupportssimilarresults.
Mastroleo,Scaglione,Mallett,andTurrisi(2013)notedthevastresearchthathasbeen
donetoexaminehigherdrinkinglevelsamongcollegeathletesincomparisontocollege
nonathletes,and,unlikeotherresearchatthattime,wantedtoseeifdrinkingbehaviorswere
connectedtopotentialpersonalitydifferences,suchassensationseeking,risktaking,and
impulsivity(Mastroleo,etal.,2013).Theauthorshypothesizedthattheincreasedlevelofall
threepersonalitytraitswouldplayafactorinheavierdrinkingepisodesamongcollegeathletesin
comparisontononathletes.Theresultsindicatedthatathleteshadsignificantlyincreasedlevels
ofsensationseekingandrisktaking,butdidnotseeadifferenceregardingimpulsivityin
comparisontononathletes.Notonlydidathletesshowincreasedrisktaking,butalsomore
significantconsequencesfortheiractionsincomparisontononathletes.Allthesefindingledto
theconclusionthatindividualizedinterventionthataddressesacademic,social,and/orpersonal
needs,isabetterfitthanacommunityintervention,consideringthatdifferentneedsthatwould
needaddressedwithjustpersonalityalone.

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES7

AlthoughMastroleoetal.addressedmajorpersonalitydifferencesbetweencollege
athletesandnonathletes,theydidnotaddressgenderdifferenceswhichcouldhavemanyeffects
onanystudentathleteasawhole.Amajorfactorthatmayhaveimpactedthefindingswasthat
althoughitwasdonebyawidervarietyofathletesthantheLockhartetal.findings,theresearch
findingswerestilllimitedinhowmanycollegesitrepresented.Eventhefactthattheresults
camefromawidevarietyofsportsmayprovetobealimitation.Perhapstheresultswouldvary
significantlyviaparticularsports,ormaybetheywouldvarybasedongender.Furtherresearch
connectingthesepersonalitytraitsamonggenderscouldpotentiallyserveasanaidinfuture
interventionandpersonalizedacademicendeavors.
IdentityDevelopment
Withallthevariouscognitiveandpsychosocialfactorsthatplayintothedevelopmentof
studentathletes,itmaybeassumedthatidentitydevelopmentwouldbesignificantlydifferent
fromthatofnonathletestudentsandbetweengendersorsex.Itisimportanttostartlookingat
researchforhowathletesversusnonathletesandgenderdifferencescometogethertopresentan
issueofmalestudentathletesidentityversusfemalestudentathletesidentity.AndreaPaloian
(2012)addressedthecomplexitiesforfemaleathleteswhenitcomestodevelopinganidentity
thatembracesbothathleticismandfemininity.Shereferredtothisidentityissueasthe
female/athleteparadox.FocusingonviewsofWesterncultures,shebeganherarticleby
addressingthestereotypesandmindsetsregardingfemininityfromthepast,andacknowledging
thewaysinwhichtheseviewshavemademanypositivestrides,yetstillhavesuchalongwayto
go.Thestrugglewasillustratedbythestatment,femaleathletesarefacedwiththetaskof
learningtobalancehegemonicfemininityandathleticismbothonandoffthefield,ring,orcourt

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES8

inordertobeacceptedinWesternculture(Paloian,2012,p.2).Femaleathletes,especially
thoseinsportsthatarenotseenasparticularlyfeminine(basketball,martialarts,soccer,etc.),are
treatedasdeviantsinsociety,astheyfacethebipolarconstructsoffemininityandmasculinity.
Paloian(2012)addressedseveralstudiesthattouchedonhowtheseconstructsaffecttheidentity
developmentoffemaleathletes,includinghowfemaleathletescopewiththenegativefeedback
thattheyoftenreceivefromthepublic.Asaresultofvariousstudies,itseemsasthoughmore
femaleathletesthannotaredevelopingpositivecopingmechanismswhenfacingthechallenges
ofthefemale/athleteparadox,anddemonstratingmoreofasenseofselfacceptance,pride,and
appreciationfortheirathleticcompetence(Paloian,2012,p.6).Theauthorconcludedthatitis
theverylabelofdeviantthatgivespowertofemaleathletestochallengeWesternculturesidea
ofhegemonicfemininity,bybothparticipatingandsucceedinginathletics.Shealsoexpressed
theneedtodomoreresearchregardingfemaleathletesperceptionsofthemselvesandsociety,
sothatinterventionscanbeputinplacewherenecessarytoassistfemaleathletestryingtofit
intothisfemale/athleteparadox,asitisaninitialsteptowardsredefininghegemonic
femininity(Paloian,2012,p.9).
MillerandHoffman(2009)conductedastudythatsetouttodeterminetheexistenceofa
dividewithinathleticidentity,separatingoutthosewhowouldconsiderthemselves,orbe
consideredbyothers,asajock.Thisideawasalsorelatedtotheoverallmentalwellbeingof
collegeathletesinrelationtodepression,suicidalfeelingsandattempts.Theythenlinkedthese
issuestoidentityassociatedwithterminologyrelatedtoparticularstereotypes.Thetwoterms,
jockandathlete,seemtobedifferentiatedonlyinculturalcontexts.Forthepurposeofthestudy,
astudentathletewasdefinedasdisciplinedandoverachieving,whereasajockwasdefinedasan

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES9

individualwhowouldpartakeinriskysocialbehaviors,beegooriented,andsociallygregarious
(MillerandHoffman,2009).Thekeyfindinginthisstudyisthatthosewhoidentifiedasa
studentathleteseemedtoshowlesssignsofdepressionandsuicidaltendenciesascomparedto
theirjockcounterparts.Thisstudyalsoreinforcedtheideathatmenfeelorexperiencemuch
morepressureintheathleticworldthantheirfemalecounterparts.Itisimportanttonotethatof
allthestudiesdiscussedandreadthatthemajorityfocusedonhowalcoholplayedkeyrolesina
studentathletesdevelopmentaswellasgender/sexdifferences.Thisshouldbenotedasamajor
limitationwhenlookingatathleteidentityastheinformationisbasedoffalimitedquantityof
research.
Method
Inanattempttoshedmorelightonthelivesoffemaleathletes,interviewswere
conductedwiththreefemaleathletesfromthreedifferentcollegesintheOhioPennsylvania
region.ThetwoNCAADivisionIIIschools,HeidelbergUniversityandWestminsterCollege,
aresimilarinsizewith1,300studentsandbothofferabout19varsitysports.(Heidelberg
University,n.d.WestminsterCollege,n.d.).OhioUniversity,aDivisionIIIschool,hasa
considerablylargerstudentpopulationat17,000andoffers21varsitysports(OhioUniversity,
n.d.).Allparticipantswerecaucasianfemalesintheirjunioryearofstudyandhadbeeninvolved
inathleticssincechildhood.Participantswereidentifiedthroughvariouspersonaland
professionalconnectionswiththeschoolsandtheindividuals.Priortotheinterviewprocess,the
participantswereinvitedtoengageinfacetofaceinterviewsconsistingofopenendedquestions
(seeAppendixA).Participantswereaskedtosignconsentformstomakesuretheyunderstood
thattheiridentitieswouldbeprotectedandthattheircommentswouldonlybeusedforthe

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES10

purposeofarequiredresearchprojectinacollegestudentdevelopmentclassatKentState
University.
Aftertheparticipantswerefullyawareoftheproceduresandagreedtothetermsby
signingconsentforms,interviewslastingonehourtooneandahalfhourswereconducted.Two
ofthethreeparticipants,JaneandStacy,interviewedinpersonwhilethethird,Allison,
interviewedviaSkype.Interviewswererecordedsothatparticipantsresponsescouldbestudied
andanalyzedforthepurposeofidentifyingcommonthemes,aswellasdifferences,regarding
theircollegeexperienceascollegiateathletes.
Findings
Interview1
Allison,thestudentathleteplayingsocceratHeidelberg,wasmajoringinbiologywitha
minorinchemistryandwasattendingtheuniversityonascholarshipthatwasbasedonboth
academicsandathletics.Inadditiontoplayingsoccer,AllisonparticipatedintheChemistry
ClubandScrubs,anorganizationforpremedstudents.
WhenpromptedtotellwhyshechoseHeidelberg,Allisonstatedthat,AssoonasI
steppedontocampusIjustkindofknewitwastheplaceforme.Thecampusisbeautifuland
offersalotofopportunities.Thisstatementsupportstheoriesofcampusecologythatfocus
attentiononthetheoreticalandpracticalmattersattendinghowindividualsareattractedtoand
reacttoparticularcampusesandcampussubcultures(Evans,Forney,Guido,Patton,&Renn,
2010,p.172).
IndescribingherstudentexperienceatHeidelberg,Allisonfocusedmainlyonher
academicexperiencesasopposedtohertimeasanathlete.Whileshesaidthatsheenjoysbeing

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES11

onateamandcontinuingwithasportsheloves,shewasmostanimatedwhentalkingabouther
professorsandroommates,Itisagreatplacefilledwithalotofopportunitiesandprofessors
whoactuallycareaboutyouasastudentandaperson.
Withregardtoherexperienceasavarsityathleteinparticular,Allisonappreciatedbeing
abletocompeteinhersportatahigherlevelandimprovinghergame.Allisonnotedthather
bondwithhercollegeteammatesismuchgreaterthanthebondshehadwithherhighschool
teammates,creatingmuchmoreofafamilyatmosphere.Whenaskedhowvaluedshefeltasa
femalesoccerplayershesaid,Ithinkwomenssoccerismorethanlikelyoneoftheleastvalued
sportsoncampusasidefromtrackorcrosscountry.
Astins(1999)theoryofstudentinvolvementsuggeststhatthemostprecious
institutionalresourcemaybestudenttime(p.522).Thisislikelythecaseforstudentathletesas
well.Allisonwasfrustratedwiththelackoftimeshehastobemoreinvolvedoncampus.Time
management,shesaid,iskeytokeepingherheadabovewater.Sheexpressedtheconcernthatif
itwerenotforsoccer,shewouldhavemoretimetobuildupherresume.Inspiteofher
frustrationregardinglackoftime,however,shecreditsherinvolvementonthesoccerteamfora
smoothtransitionfromhome.ThissenseofbelongingthatAllisonderivesfromhersoccerteam
providessupportforhereventualidentitydevelopment.AccordingtoChickeringandReissers
workoutlinedbyEvansetal.(2010),meaningfulrelationshipsanddiversestudentcommunities
inwhichsharedinterestsexistandsignificantinteractionsoccurencouragedevelopmentalong
allsevenvectors(p.7071).
TheintentionoftheinterviewwithAllisonwastolearnmoreaboutherexperienceasa
studentathlete,however,theconversationseemedtofocusmoreheavilyonheracademic

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES12

experienceasapremedstudent.WhileAstinstatesthatbeingacademicallyinvolvedis
stronglyrelatedtosatisfactionwithallaspectsofcollegelifeexceptfriendshipswithother
students(p.525),inAllisonscaseherstrongacademicfocusisoffsetbyherinvolvementin
sports.Herinvolvementwiththesoccerteamseemstobeasocialsupportsystemforherwhile
sheembarksonaverydifficultacademiccourseofstudy.
Interview2
Jane,thefemaleathletefromWestminsterCollege,wasavolleyballplayerandwith
BusinessAdministrationmajor,andminorinHumanResources.Shehasenjoyedhertimesofar
atWestminsterCollege,bothasanathleteandasastudent.Shedescribedherteammatesasher
family,andsaidthatwithoutthemshedoesntthinkshewouldbewhosheistoday.Janesaid
thatherfavoriteaspectaboutbeinginvolvedincollegiateathleticsisthecompetitive
atmosphere.Janealsowentontomentionthatshefeltthatifshewerenotapartofathletics
duringcollege,thatshewouldnothavenearlyasmanyfriends,sincethemajorityofherfriends
areotherathletes.Shesaidthatmovinginearlyforthestartoftheseasonandmeetingher
teammatesatthattimewasveryawesomeforhertransitionintocollege,aswellashersocial
life.Besidesvolleyball,anotherreasonshechoseWestminsterCollegewasbecauseofthesmall
classsizes.Janesaidthatwithinhersmallclassesshelovesallofthehandsonlearning
opportunitiesthatshehas.Asidefrombeingapartofthevolleyballteam,Janeisonlyinvolved
inoneotherorganization.ThisorganizationisStudentAthleticAdvisoryCommittee,orSAAC.
Whilepickingacollege,JanewaspressuredbyherfamilytoattendPennStatesince
mostofherfamilywentthere.Despitetheirwishes,shestillchosewhatfitbestforher.This
relatesverycloselytoChickeringsfifthvector,movingthroughautonomytoward

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES13

interdependence.WhenJanechosetomakeadecisionbaseduponherownneedsasopposedto
whatherfamilywantedhertodo,sheprogressedintothisvector.
JanesharedthatherfavoriteaspectsaboutWestminsterCollegesathleticsprogramare
thatathletesareallviewedasstudentsfirst,andthatallsportsteams,mensandwomens,are
viewedasequals.Shefeelsthatthisiswhatisencouragingtoherandmakesherexcitedabout
beingastudentathleteonhercampus.
Interview3
ThethirdinterviewwaswithafemalerunnerfromOhioUniversitynamedStacy.When
askedabouthermajor,Stacylaughed,andimmediatelyreplied,Running.Imajorinrunning.
And,itsagoodthingIdo,becausethatswhatIspendmostofmytimedoing.Buttechnically,I
majorinexercisescience.ShesaidshefellinlovewithOhioUniversity,andAthens,Ohio,in
general,assoonasIsteppedfootoncampus,becauseitissimplybeautiful.LikeAllison,
Stacyscommentsreflectedtheimpactofcampusecologyonastudentsdecisiontoattenda
specificcollege(Evans,Forney,Guido,Patton&Renn,2010[MB1]).

Stacytalkedopenlyabouttheshockoftransitioningfromhighschooltoacollegeofthat

size.Afterpausingforafewseconds,shetooknoteofthemaindifferencesthatmusthavestood
outtoher.Iwasusedtohavingthishighschoolcoachwhowasverypersonalwitheveryone
andeveryonehaddifferentworkoutplans.WhenIcamehere[OhioUniversity],itwastotally
different.Shediscussedthelackofpersonalattentiontoworkoutdetailsandgoalsin
comparisontohighschool.

Whenaskedaboutfriendsandhersociallifeateachschool,shegrinned,andsaid,Im

sorry.Didyousaysociallife?Couldyoudefinethatforme?Iaskedhertoelaboratealittle

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES14

moreaboutherstudiesandsociallifecurrently,wonderingifmaybeitwaseasiertofindbalance
nowthatsheisolderandmorematurethanwhenshefirstfeltoverwhelmedacoupleyearsago.
Surprisingly,shesaidthatthebalancegotbetter,butthattimewasscarcerthaneverbefore.

WhenaskedabouthowshewasshownsupportduringhertimeatOhioUniversity,Stacy

immediatelymentionedadifferencebetweenthesupportsofferedataDivisionIcollegevs.
DivisionIII.AtOhioWesleyan,whereshehadbrieflytransferred,shesaidthatnothingwas
requiredattendancewise,butthateverythingwasalreadymorepersonalbecauseofthesmall
sizeoftheschool.AtOhioUniversity,however,thereseemedtobemoreresourcesandmore
faculty,butitislesspersonalingeneral.Whenpromptedfurtheraboutanyadultsshefelt
comfortabletalkingtoaboutanystruggleshewashaving,shesaidtherewerenotanyadultsshe
sawregularlyenoughoncampustodevelopthatkindofrelationship,butthatiswhatmakesher
andherteammatessoclosetheycanrelatetoeachother.

Fornow,however,Stacyisproudofhowfarshehascomebothacademicallyand

athletically.Shealsonotedthateventhoughsheisnotgettingthestereotypicalcollege
experienceofpartiesandatonoffriends,sheissatisfiedwiththetruefriendsshehasinher
teammates.Maintaininga3.75,running80milesaweek,andcarefullytakingcareofherbody,
sheiswellonherwaytoaccomplishinghergoals.
DiscussionofInterviews
Analysisofthethreeinterviewsrevealedthreemainthemes.Thefirstthemeidentified
wastheimportanceofteammatestotheparticipants.Therelationshipthateachparticipanthad
withherteammateswassoclosethattheteamwasreferredtoasfamily.Allisonstatedthatin
collegeyoubecomemoreofafamilywithyourteammates.Likewise,Janeindicatedthather

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES15

teammateswerelikeherfamilyandshewouldnotbethesamepersontodayifitwerenotforher
relationshipwiththem.Andthatshewasconsideredthemomofthegroup,aroleshetook
veryseriously.Stacyalsomadethecomparisonbetweenfamilyandteam,sayingthather
involvementontheteamwaslikeanewfamily,andthatherteammateswereverysupportive
whenshetransferredschools.Thecommitmenttotheteamandtheclosenessthateach
participatingathletefeltwiththeirteammateswascrucialtotheirpsychosocialdevelopment.As
indicatedbyErikson,anindividualsidentitydevelopmentcanbebasedontheinfluenceofthe
externalenvironmentaswellasinternaldynamics(Evansetal.,2010,p.48).Inparticular,the
participantscommitmenttotheirteamindicatesamovetowardEriksonssixthstageof
developmentinwhichadultsworktowardintimacy,orestablishingcommittedrelationships
withothers,suchasfriendships,intimaterelationships,orparticipationasaproductivemember
ofacommunity(p.51).Likewise,ecologicalapproachestocollegestudentdevelopmentsuch
asWalshssubcultureapproach,illustratetheimportanceoftheteamenvironment.The
subcultureapproachemphasizestheenvironmentelementofthepersonenvironmentinteraction,
assumingthatindividualswillenterintosubculturesthatmatchtheirvaluesandcharacteristics
(p.169).Theinteractionwiththeteamreinforcesthegroupsvalueswhiletheindividual
participantsstruggletodefinethemselvesastheymovethroughEriksonsstagefive,identity
versusidentitydiffusion,towardstagesix,intimacyversusisolation.
Anotherclearthemegleanedfromtheinterviewswasthatoftime,orlackthereof.
Allisonsaidonmanyoccasionsthatshefeltshedidnothaveenoughtimetobebothanathlete
andastudent.Inparticular,shecomplainedaboutthelackoffreetime,betweenasportand
classesitrequiresalotoftimemanagement.Jane,too,indicatedthatsheonlyhadtimeto

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES16

becomeinvolvedinoneextracurricularactivityoncampus,theSAAC.Stacyhadthesame
concernsaboutlackoftime,usingitasanexcusetoexplainhernothavinganysignofalove
life.Allthreeparticipantsnotedthattheirstatusasanathletedidnotallowthemtofully
participateinallfacetsofcollegelife.Allisonlamentedthefactthatshedidnothavetimetodo
moretobuildupherresume,whileStacysaidthatshewouldnevergettobeapartofGreek
lifeorbeapartofanyofthegazillionstudentclubsoncampus.Asmentionedearlier,akey
understandingoftheseparticipantsexperiencesoncampusrelatetoAstins(1999)theoryof
involvement,whichstatesthatstudentinvolvementreferstotheamountofphysicaland
psychologicalenergythatthestudentdevotestotheacademicexperience(p.518).
Thethirdcommonthemefoundacrosstheinterviewswasthelevelofcompetition
experiencedbyeachoftheathletes.Acrosstheboard,theparticipantsrecognizedthatthelevel
ofplayismuchhigherincollegethanthelevelofplaytheyexperiencedinhighschool.Allison
indicatedthatherteammatesincollegewerethebestsoccerplayersontheirhighschoolteam
whereasherteammatesinhighschoolwerejustlookingtobeactiveorhavesomethingtodo.
Janealsomentionedthattheincreasedcompetitioniswhatsheenjoysmostaboutplayingcollege
volleyball.Stacyappreciatedthewaybeingonateampushedhertoachieveherownpersonal
runninggoals.SinceshehadtransferredtoOhioUniversityfromOhioWesleyan,shenotedthat
forheritwasimportanttobethelittlefishinthebigpond,notthebigfishinthelittlepond.
Whilethisfindingisnotsurprisingandmaybeselfevident,itisimportanttomentionbecauseit
affectsparticipantsselfconcept,selfconfidence,andstresslevel.Seeingthemselvesasathletes
competingatanelevatedlevelisimportanttotheiridentitydevelopmentasindicatedby

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES17

Eriksonsstagefive,identityversusidentitydiffusion.Theseathletesmaybestrugglingwith
developingtheircoresenseofself,valuesbeliefs,andgoals(Evansetal.,2010,p.50).
Thestudentathletesinterviewedshowedhighinvolvementwithbothacademicsandtheir
respectivesports.AccordingtoWoodruffandSchallert(2008),theseparticipantswouldidentify
withtheloveitcategoryofstudentmotivation.Theseathletesarehighlyinvolvedinthese
aspectsoftheircollegeexperiences,andappeartobeintrinsicallymotivatedbytheir
involvement.Thefemaleathletesinterviewedforthisstudyappeartohaveastrongsenseof
self.Whileitwasunclearbasedonourfindingswhetherornotourparticipantshaveastrong
personalbodyimageorhowtheirselfesteemcomparedtothatoftheirmalecounterpartsasin
thestudyauthoredbyLockhart,Black,andVincent(2012),therewassomeindicationthatthe
femaleathletesinthisstudyfeltthattheirsportwasnotvaluedashighlyasthoseofmen.
Allisoncommentedduringherinterviewthathersport,soccer,waslikelyoneoftheleastvalued
sportsalongwithcrosscountry.
Implications
Studentaffairsacrossalllevelsofhighereducationcouldbenefitgreatlyfrominterviews,
literature,andresearch,intheareaofbestpracticesconcerningstudentathletes.Thefocuswith
theseinterviewsinparticular,dealtwithhowbestpracticesmaybeaffectedwhenconsidering
notonlytheneedsofstudentathletes,butalsopotentialgenderspecificneedsofstudentathletes.
Oneimplicationthatmaybedrawnfromtheinterviews,isthattimeisamajorfactor
whenworkingwithstudentathletes.Studentaffairsoftenjumptothedevelopmentofanew
programinwhichstudentsparticipateinordertoaddressspecificneeds.Developingsucha
programforthisparticularstudentpopulationwouldproveselfdefeatingandpotentially

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES18

harmful.Ifamainconcernandstruggleforathletesistime,studentaffairsshouldconsiderbeing
morecreativeintheirapproacheswithstudentathletes,thinkingofwaystoassisttheathletes
withoutcostingthemanymoretime.Additionally,studentaffairsstaffneedtocooperatewith
athleticstaff,athleticacademiccounselors,athleticlearningspecialists,andanyotherstaff
regularlyinvolvedwithstudentathletes,forthepurposeoftheoverallwellbeingoffemale
athletes.
Anotherimplicationthatcanbedrawnfromtheseinterviews,isthatcollegesseemto
lackconsistencyregardingsupport,bothacademicallyandotherwise.Whilemostcollegesnow
incorporatesometypeoffirstyearexperiencecourseforenteringfreshman,perhapscolleges
needtofindawaytoaddressfirstyearcollegiateathletes,tomakethemawareofsupportand
resourcesofferedthatarefittingfortheirparticularneeds.Inordertodothis,however,student
affairsshouldstronglyquestionthecurrentpracticesofacollegetoseeiftheydohaveanysuch
resources.Forexample,whilemostcollegesoffercounselingtostudents,perhapsparticular
counselorscouldbearesourceforstudentathletes,or,betteryet,aspecificcounselortrained
especiallytodealwithgenderspecificissues,andissuespertinenttothatparticularcampus
(issuesthatmaydifferfromcampustocampusbecauseoflevelofcompetition,size,location,
currentissuesparticulartothearea,etc.).Providingsuchspecificsupportwouldsendamessage
tostudentathletesthatthecollegeunderstandshowtheyhaveacommunityandcultureoftheir
own,andthecollegecaresaboutaddressingtheirspecificneeds.Thesameideacouldspreadinto
manyotherfacetsofstudentaffairs,suchasfinancialaffairs(i.e.stafftrainedspecificallytodeal
withfinancialsituationsinvolvedwithathleticscholarships),residencelife(i.e.trainingstaffto
beawareofparticularneedsandissuesprevalenttothatstudentpopulation),academicadvising

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES19

(i.e.speciallytrainedadvisorsthatconsidertheissueoftimewhenlookingatschedules),and
manyotherareas.
Acoupleoftheparticipantsinterviewedindicatedthatsomeacademicandathletic
trainingsupportisalreadyofferedtostudentathletes.Theliteraturereviewed,alongwiththe
interviews,impliesaneedthatthesupportalreadyprovidedconsidergenderspecificneeds.For
example,allintervieweesindicatedtheirlackoftimetobeabletoparticipateinvarious
activities,andhowitmayhighlyaffecttheirsociallives.Maleathletesmaylookatmissingout
onasociallifeinregardstopartyingontheweekends,whilefemalesaremoreupsetaboutnot
havingthetimeorchancetohavesomekindoflovelifebothhavepotentialtoaffect
selfesteem.Athletesmaytakeadvantageofthesupportofferediftheyknewitwassupport
specifictotheneedsofthecollegiateathleteculture.
Ifstaffthatareincontactwithathletesregularlyweretrainedongenderspecificneeds
accordingtovariousstudentdevelopmenttheories,andfindingsfromvariousresearchand
literature,studentathleteshaveachanceofbeingmuchmoresuccessfulwiththeircollege
experience,seeinghowitisvastlydifferentfromthatofnonathletes.
ProgramDevelopment
Femalecollegiateathletesareoneofakind.Theyhavetofacethesamestrugglesasthe
averagecollegestudent,suchasadjustingtolivingoncampusversuslivingathome,balancing
academicsversussociallife,andlearningnecessarytimemanagementskills.Inaddition,though,
theyalsohavetofacestrugglesthattendtobemoreparticulartoathletes,suchasphysical
conditioning,uniqueteamwork,consistentexposuretoacompetitiveenvironment,andtimefor

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES20

practicesandcompetitions.Femalecollegiateathletesstrivetomaintainsuccessinboththe
academicworldandtheathleticworld.
TargetAudience
Thetargetaudienceforthisstudentservicesprogramismadeupofvariouscoaches,
athletictrainers,academicadvisors,andprofessors.Itisconceivablethatmanyofthese
participantswerecollegeathletesthemselves.Duringthattimetheymayhavebeenexperiencing
thestrugglewithduality,oraworldviewthatseesjustgoodbad,rightwrong,blackwhite
(Evans,Forney,Guido,Patton&Renn,2010,p.86)asoutlinedbyPerrystheoryofintellectual
andethicaldevelopment.InheraddresstotheAnnualSymposiumonDevelopmentaland
RemedialEducation,Sparent(1988)suggestedthatmanycollegeathleteslivedinaclassical
dualisticenvironmentwithitsrigidschedule,littleopportunityforexpandedsocialinteraction,
strongemphasisonauthorityfigures,anddirectiveapproachtoleadership(p.9).Whilethe
coacheshavelikelyprogressedawayfromthisdichotomousviewoflife,theywillremember
theircollegeyearsandbeabletorelatetothestrugglesoftheathletesintheircare.The
professorsattendingthedevelopmentprogramwillhaveamoredifficulttimerelatingtothis
viewsincetheyhavespenttheircareersatsomelevelofPerrysRelativisticstage,[and]are
abletoseeeducationandtheirownpartinitasanonauthoritariannondirectiveprocess,
workingfromthemodeloftheclassroomasacommunityoflearners(Sparent,1988,p.14).
TheoryBasedLearningOutcomes
Learningoutcomeone.Asaresultoffaculty/staffmembersparticipatinginthe
SupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsession,theywilllearnthethoughtsandopinionsofcurrent
femaleathletesatKentStateUniversityregardingbothtimemanagementandsupportservices.

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES21

Theywillthenlearnsuggestionsforhowtheycanusetheirindividualrolestohelpmeetthe
uniqueneedsoffemaleathletesatKentStateUniversity,andarticulatetwowaystomeetthe
needsoffemaleathletesintheirprospectiveroles
Theorybasis.TheissuesaddressedinthislearningoutcomemaybelinkedtoAstins
(1999)theoryofstudentinvolvement,especiallyinregardstotimemanagement.
Learningoutcometwo.Asaresultoffaculty/staffmembersparticipatinginthe
SupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsession,theywilllearnhowcurrentfemaleathletesatKent
StateUniversitydevelopmeaningfulrelationships,howvitalitmaybetotheathletesidentity
development,andhowtheirroleasafaculty/staffmembercanaffecttheiridentity
development.Theywillarticulatetheirknowledgebywritingdownspecificwaysinwhichan
athletesidentitymaysufferiftheirneedsarenotmet.
Theorybasis.Chickeringstheoryofidentitydevelopmentemphasizestherolethat
meaningfulrelationshipsplayinthelivesoffemaleathletes.Thislearningoutcomestemsmostly
fromthevectorsdevelopingmatureinterpersonalrelationshipsandmovingthroughautonomy
towardinterdependence(Evansetal.,2010,p.68).
Learningoutcomethree.Asaresultoffaculty/staffmembersparticipatinginthe
SupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsession,theywilllearnhowtheathleticteamatmosphereis
asubcultureofitsown,andhowitaffectsfemaleathletesbothonandoffthefield.
Theorybasis.Withinthesubjectofcampusecology,Walshpresentedthesubculture
approachwhichemphasizestheenvironmentelementofthepersonenvironmentinteraction,
assumingthatindividualswillenterintosubculturesthatmatchtheirvaluesandcharacteristics
(ascitedinEvansetal.,2010,p.169).

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES22

Learningoutcomefour.Asaresultoffaculty/staffmembersparticipatinginthe
SupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsession,theywillreflectonhowtheirindividualrolesat
KentStateUniversityhaveplayed,orwillplay,apartinthelivesofathletestheyhavebeen,or
willbe,incontactwithonaregularbasis.Theywillwritedownthesethoughtsanonymously,
shouldthepresentersdecidedtocollectforresearchormeasurementpurposesattheendofthe
academicschoolyear.
Theorybasis.Thislearningoutcomeisaresultoftheculminationofthethreetheories
addressedinthefirstthreelearningoutcomes.
Learningoutcomefive.Asaresultoffaculty/staffmembersparticipatinginthe
SupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsession,theywillusetheinformationprovidedduringthe
presentationandtheirpersonalreflectionstocreateindividualgoalsforhowtheymayhelp
improvethelivesoffemaleathletestheycomeintocontactwithonaregularbasis,andshareat
leasttwogoalswiththerestoftheattendees.
Theorybasis.Thislearningoutcomeisalsoaresultoftheculminationofthethree
theoriesaddressedinthefirstthreelearningoutcomes.
ProgramDetails
Rationale.Aliteraturereviewofresearchaboutthedevelopmentofcollegiatestudent
athletespointedoutseveraldifferencesnotonlybetweenathletesandnonathletes,butalso
betweenmaleathletesandfemaleathletes.Acollegiateathleticdepartmentshouldaddresssuch
differences,especiallybecauseitplaysaroleinthedevelopmentofathletes.Thesamerationale
forthisprogramcateringtothespecificneedsoffemaleathletes,couldalsojustifythecreation
ofaparallelprogramdesignedwiththespecificneedsofmaleathletesinmind.Developinga

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES23

programparticulartotheneedsoffemaleathletes,ratherthanathletesingeneral,willbetter
equipstafftoworkwiththisparticulargroup.
Afterinterviewingseveralfemalecollegiateathletes,theathletesallsharedacommon
themeregardingthetimedemandsrequiredofstudentathletes.Inordertodevelopaprogram
thatwouldpotentiallyimprovethequalityofthecollegeexperienceforfemalestudentathletes,
itwouldbeselfdefeatingtocreateaprogramthatwouldrequirethemtoaddyetanother
commitmenttoanalreadypackedschedule.Itseemsfittingtodevelopaprogramthatwould
benefitthestudentathletes,withouttakingupanymoreoftheirtime.Instead,theprogramwould
beforstaffwhocomeintoregularcontactwiththeathletes.
Thisprogramisintendedtobemandatoryforallstaffwhocomeintoregularcontactwith
femaleathletes(athleticacademiccounselors,athleticlearningspecialists,coachingstaff).Itis
mandatoryforthembecausetheyalreadyholdaregularroleinthebusylivesofstudentathletes,
sotheyhavethegreatestpotentialtohaveapositiveimpactonthestudentathletes.Inadditionto
thenamedstaff,otherstaffthatmayinteractwithfemalestudentathleteswouldbeencouragedto
attend,butwouldnotberequired.Theywouldbeencouragedtogosothatthey,too,canhavea
positiveimpactonfemalestudentathletesbysimplyknowingmoreabouttheirspecificneeds,
alongwithsuggestionsforhowtoaddressthoseneeds.Therationalebehindmakingit
mandatoryforsomestaff,butnotothers,isbecausethosewhoaremandatedtoattendarealready
presentandactiveintheathleticenvironmentinwhichthestudentathletescommitmuchoftheir
time,andbecausetheyarethesamestaffthattheirteammatesknow,unlikeotherstaff(suchas
professors,academicadvisors)thataredifferentforeachathlete.

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES24

ThemaingoalbehindtheSupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsessionistoinformstaff
ofthethoughts,opinions,andneedsofcurrentfemalestudentathletesatKentStateUniversity,
sothatthesestaffmembersarebetterequippedtodealwithspecificneedsoffemalestudent
athletes,andimprovetheoverallenvironmentsuitableforpositivestudentdevelopment.
SupportingFemaleAthletesTrainingSession
Pretrainingsession.Beforeholdingthetrainingsession,allfemalestudentswillbe
askedtocompleteasurveydesignedtoaddressvariousissues.Forexample,somequestionswill
addresswhattheyknowand/orhowtheyfeelaboutcurrentsupportservicesofferedatKentState
University,whileotherquestionswilldealwithpersonalissuesabouttimemanagement,
interpersonalrelationships,andconfidants,tonameafew.Conductingsuchasurveywouldbest
bedoneattheendofatraditionalschoolyear,sothesessioninstructorshavetimetosort
throughtheresults,andcreateaprogramfittoaddresstheneedsandissuesprevalentorimplied
inthesurveyresults.Conductingthesurveyatthistimewillalsoallowplentyoftimetoprepare
thesession,advertise,andinformstaffofthetrainingsessioninadvancesotheycanplan
accordingly.
SupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsession.SupportingFemaleAthleteswillbea
onedayprogramthattakesplacewithinacoupleweekspriortothenewacademicschoolyear.
Thedaywillbedecidedafterlookingatthescheduleoftheathleticteamswhichhavealready
startedtheirFallseason.Becausethepreparationforthetrainingstartedattheendofthe
previousacademicschoolyear,theadvertisingcouldstartatthebeginningofsummer,with
reminderstofollow.Itwillalsoallowenoughtimetofigureouthowmanypeoplemaybe
attendingaftersettingaregistrationdeadline.Then,theproperlocationmaybechanged,if

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES25

necessary(i.e.morestaffregisteredthanoriginallyanticipated).Additionally,dependingonhow
manystaffregisters,theprogrammayadjustpresentations.Forexample,ifthemorepeople
attendthananticipated,presentersmaywanttoaddmorepresentersofthesametopicsoasto
breaktheprogramupintosmallersizegroups,especiallyforthereflectionsectiondiscussed
later,makingtheprogrammorepersonalized.Attendeeswillreceiveaprogramoutliningthe
scheduleforthedayuponarrival.Tostartthetraining,attendeeswilltakeatrue/falsequiz(or
similaractivity)thatteststheirpriorknowledgeofthesessioncontent.Thegoalofthisactivityis
thatitwillbedesignedinawaythatattendeeswillbecuriousorshockedbysomeofthe
statementsorfacts,therefore,takingmoreinterestinthetrainingsessionthanwhattheymay
havehadotherwise.
Aftertheattentiongetter,theinstructorwillexplaintherationalebehindSupporting
FemaleAthletes,whilestressingtheimportanceandpotentialimpactthatsuchtrainingmay
provideforfemaleathletesatKentStateUniversity.Thecontentofthetrainingsessionwillthen
beorganizedaroundthelearningobjectives,addressedintheordertheyappearedearlierinthis
paper.ThepresentationwilluseeitheraPreziorPowerPointpresentationasavisualthroughout
thetraining,andconsistofanonymousquotesfromcurrentfemaleathletes,alongwithany
relevantfactsandstatisticsthatpertaintomeetingthelearningobjectives.Atsomepointsinthe
training,theinstructormaybrieflyaddresssometheoriesaboutstudentdevelopment,inorderto
supporttherationaleandimportanceoftheprogram.Attendeeswillbeofferedseveralplanned
opportunitiesforquestionsandanswersafteramainpointhasbeenaddressed,andwillallowfor
anyclarificationthatmaybeneededbeforemovingontoanotherpoint.Theinstructormayalso
incorporatesmallgroupactivitiestoenforceparticularobjectives.Forexample,whilepresenting

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES26

theimportanceofmeaningfulrelationshipstoastudentsidentity,theinstructormayaskthatthe
audiencedivideintosmallgroupstobrainstormhowdevelopingmeaningfulrelationshipsis
differentforfemalestudentathletesthanfemalestudentnonathletes.Or,theinstructormayask
theaudiencetodivideintosmallgroupstobrainstormideasofhowstaffcouldassistfemale
studentathletesinthisarea.
Thefinalpartofthetrainingsessionwillconsistofculminatingactivitiesthatfocuson
personalreflectionandgoalsettingthataimtoimprovethecollegelifeexperienceforKentState
Universityfemaleathletes.
ProgramAssessment
Similartothesurveytakenattheendofthepreviousacademicschoolyear,current
femalestudentathleteswill,again,takeacomparablesurveyattheendoftheacademicschool
year.Hopefully,theresultsofthatsurveywillshowimprovementintheareasofissuesand
concernsaddressedintheSupportingFemaleAthletestrainingsession.Theinstructorsofthe
trainingsessionshouldanalyzetheresultsofthesurvey,combinedwithfeedbackfrom
followingupwithattendees,toaddressanyissuesthatmaystillneedaddressed,ortolookatany
newissuesthatmayappearforonereasonoranother.Thistypeofassessmentallowsfor
adjustmentsfromyeartoyearinordertostaycurrent,andtoaddressthespecificneedsofKent
StateUniversitysfemalestudentathletes,astheirneedswillinevitablychange.
Insum,theprogramisdesignedtobeaversatile,studentdrivenprogramthatwillbenefit
bothstudentsandstaff.Groundedinliteratureaswellasqualitativedata,theprogramservesto
addressthetimeconstraintsfacedbyfemaleathletesandtosupportteamdynamicsasthe
athletesstrivetoanswertheeternalquestion,WhoamI?

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES27

References
Astin,A.W.(1999).Studentinvolvement:Adevelopmentaltheoryforhighereducation.
JournalofCollegeStudentDevelopment,40(5),518529.
Brewer,B.W.,VanRaalte,J.L.,&Linder,D.E.(1993).Athleticidentity:Herculesmuscles
orAchillesheel?InternationalJournalofSportPsychology,24,237254.
Coffey,S.R.(2009).Doubleteamed.NewEnglandJournalofHigherEducation,24(1),1415.
Evans,N.J.,Forney,D.S.,Guido,F.M.,Patton,L.D.,&Renn,K.A.(2010).Student
developmentincollege:Theory,research,andpractice(2nded.).SanFrancisco,CA:
JosseyBass.
HeidelbergUniveristy(n.d.).AboutHeidelberg.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.heidelberg.edu/about
Hildebrand,K.M.,Johnson,D.J.,&Bogle,K.(2001)Comparisonofpatternsofalcohol
usebetweenhighschoolandcollegeathletesandnonathletes.CollegeStudentJournal,
35,358365.
HowardHamilton,M.F.&Sina,J.A.(2001).Howcollegeaffectsstudentsathletes.New
DirectionsforStudentServices,2001(93),3545.
Leichliter,J.S.,Meilman,P.W.,Presley,C.A.,&Cashin,J.R.(1998).Alcoholuseand
relatedconsequencesamongstudentswithvaryinglevelsofinvolvementwithcollege
athletics.JournalofAmericanCollegeHealth,46,257262
Lockhart,B.D.,Black,N.,&Vincent,W.J.(2012).DivisionImenandwomenathletesdonot
differonperceptionsofworth.Perceptual&MotorSkills,114(2),507513.

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES28

Lyons,V.&Turner,B.A.(2015).Examiningtheinfluenceofgenderonathleteslevelsof
moralreasoning:acomparisonofintercollegiateathletesandstudents.JournalofIssues
inIntercollegiateAthletics,8,2849.
Mastroleo,,.P.,Scaglione,,.M.,Mallett,,.P.,&Turrisi,,.P.(2013).Canpersonalityaccount
fordifferencesindrinkingbetweencollegeathletesandnonathletes?Explainingtherole
ofsensationseeking,risktaking,andimpulsivity.JournalofDrugEducation,43(1),
8195.
McCarthy,J.J.(2011).Exploringtherelationshipbetweengoalachievementorientationand
mindfulnessincollegiateathletics.JournalofClinicalSportPsychology,5(1),4457.
Miller,K.E.,&Hoffman,J.H.(2009).Mentalwellbeingandsportrelatedidentitiesin
collegestudents.SociologyofSportJournal,26,335356
Nelson,T.F.,&Wechsler,H.(2001)Alcoholandcollegeathletes.MedicineandSciencein
SportsandExercise,33,4347.
OhioUniversity.(n.d.).AboutOU.Retreivedfrom:https://www.ohio.edu/focus/
Paloian,A.(2012).Thefemale/athleteparadox:Managingtraditionalviewsofmasculinityand
femininity.OnlinePublicationofUndergraduateStudies.Retrievedfrom:
steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2012/fall/female
Robst,J.,&Keil,J.(2000).Therelationshipbetweenathleticparticipationandacademic
performance:EvidencefromNCAAdivisionIII.AppliedEconomics,32,547
558.
Sedlacek,W.E.&AdamsGaston,J.(1992).Predictingtheacademicsuccessofstudentathletes
usingSATandnoncognitivevariables.JournalofCounseling&Development,70,724

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES29

727.
Sparent,M.E.(1988).Thestudentathleteintheclassroom:developmentalissuesaffecting
collegeathletesandtheirimpactonacademicmotivationandperformance.Annual
SymposiumonDevelopmental/RemedialEducation,1719April1988(pp.123).
Albany,NY.
Wechsler,H.,Davenport,A.E.,Dowdall,G.W.,Grossman,S.J.,&Zanakos,S.I.(1997).
Bingedrinking,tobacco,andillicitdruguseandinvolvementincollegeathletics.Journal
ofAmericanCollegeHealth,45,195200.
WestminsterCollege.(n.d.).AboutWestminster.Retrievedfrom:
http://www.westminster.edu/about/
Woodruff,A.L.&Schallert,D.L.(2008).Studyingtoplay,playingtostudy:ninecollege
studentathletesmotivationalsenseofself.ContemporaryEducationalPsychology,
33(1),3457.

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES30

AppendixA
InterviewQuestionsforStudentAthletes:
Basicdemographicinfo:
Age:
Gender:
Race/Ethnicity:
University:
Major:
Expectedgraduationyear:

Openendedquestions(bold,promptstokeepconversationflowingnotinbold):

1)PleasedescribeyourexperienceasastudentatHeidelberg.

Inwhatsport(s)doyouparticipate?
Howlonghaveyouparticipatedinthissport?

Otherthanathletics,whatotheractivitiesdoyouparticipatein?

Whatotherschoolsdidyouconsiderattending?

Whydidyouchooseyourcurrentschool?

Howwouldyourfriendsdescribeyou?

Aremostofyourfriendsotherathletes?

Doyouhaveasignificantother?

2)Howdoesyourexperiencecompetinginyoursportdifferincollegefromwhenyou
wereinhighschool
Whatdoyouenjoymostaboutbeinginvolvedwithanintercollegiatesport?

WhatarethebestthingsaboutbeingastudentatHeidelberg?

Whatarethemostfrustratingthingsaboutyourexperienceasastudentathlete?

Doyoufeelthatyoursportisvaluedashighlyasothersportsormenssports?

3)Howdoyouthinkyourcollegeexperiencewouldbedifferentifyoudidnotparticipate
insports?
Ifyoucouldchangeonethingaboutyourexperienceasastudentat___Universitywhat
woulditbe?
Whatareyourplansaftergraduation?

4)Describethesupportsystemsavailabletoyou.(Academic,Social,MentalHealth?)

Describethefacilitiesandequipmentmadeavailableforyoutouse.

Howoftendoyoumakeuseofthesesystems?

Pleasedescribeanydiversitytrainingthatyoumayhavehadasanathlete.

Describeanysexualharassmenttrainingyoumayhavehad.

Whatdoyoufeelismissing?

FOCUSONFEMALECOLLEGEATHLETES31

You might also like