American Press, JSAEDS Contents 2022& Abstracts

Journal of Student-Athlete Educational Development and Success
Contents & Abstracts, Volume 4, 2022

ISBN 978-0-89641-620-8
$55.00 (Includes shipping)

The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Routines, Academic Success, and Mental Health of College Students and Student-Athletes — Jessica K. Brougham, Rebecca M. Achen — The purpose of this study was to identify how the coronavirus pandemic impacted the academic success, mental health, and routines of students and student-athletes. Questionnaires were collected from 87 college students in the United States. Results showed GPA was not affected by living environment, perceived stress, satisfaction with life, gender, or athlete status. Significant changes in students’ satisfaction with life and perceived stress were found. Significant differences in perceived stress after the pandemic and hours spent on activities were noted between students and student-athletes. Qualitative data suggests living situation had a negative impact on student success and mental health and the lack of a sport routine had a negative impact on student-athlete success and mental health. The short-term impacts on academic success as measured by GPA were non-existent, however, impacts on stress and life satisfaction could lead to long-term impacts on student success and mental health. (1-26)

Cancellation of Competition: The Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic with Well-being and Generalized Anxiety among In-Season Division III Student-Athletes — JoAnne Builard — The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education into a period of adjustment leading to the closure of campuses and transitions into distance learning formats in the spring of 2020. Many institutions continued to persist in offering this format in the fall which led to struggles with academic performance and mental health. Furthermore, many fall athletics seasons were canceled leaving a void for most athletes at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institution and putting students at an elevated risk for mental health distress. The purpose of this study was to examine the mental distress of NCAA Division III student-athletes who participated in fall sports teams during the ongoing pandemic. Anxiety was assessed using the GAD-7 scale. Results suggested that both genders experience some level of anxiety related to perceived challenges, being away from teammates, and academic resource availability. Findings suggest a common theme among both genders regarding an emotional response related to the cancellation of the fall season. The need to understand these concerns is necessary to provide appropriate modalities while navigating through this pandemic. Keywords: intercollegiate athletics, mental health, COVID-19, student-athletes, anxiety (27-54)

Exploring the Influence of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Participation of Leadership and Post-Graduate Career Development — Pete Helm, Sarah Stokowski, Daniel L. Springer, Lisa M. Rubin, Michael T. Miller — The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is comprised of student-athletes that provide insight on their experiences, influencing policies that affect rules and regulations at the institutional, conference, and national level(s). SAAC participation allows student-athletes to transfer the skills learned on the playing field into a professional setting. These skills are a foundational component for athletes’ character and moral development. Despite the proliferation of SAACs across the NCAA membership institutions, there is a dearth of empirical studies examining these committees and the outcomes they achieve. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of SAAC participation on post-graduate career development. Using a phenomenological approach to research, semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted with eight former SAAC student-athletes to discover the impacts of their SAAC experience. Throughout the data, two major themes appeared, career preparation and future leadership preparation. Ultimately, the participants indicated that participating in SAAC translated into various leadership skills, helping this population prepare for post-graduation endeavors, and explore their self-concept beyond the athletic realm. Keywords: career development, leadership development, programming, SAAC, student-athletes (55-79)

A Systematic Review: Interpersonal Communication Skills—Division III Athletes — Hope Baylow — Purpose: This systematic review summarizes the literature addressing interpersonal communication skills of the coach-team unit, the coach-athlete dyad, or the coach-athletic trainer-athlete triad with Division III student athletes and the impact of effective communication to the collegiate training environment and on the mental and physical well-being of the athlete. Method: Recommendations specified by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were followed. A literature search using a OneSearch database was performed. Studies were evaluated for inclusion and exclusion criteria and each study evaluated for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Results: Fourteen studies were included in this systematic review. Main findings indicated that athletes prefer a democratic coaching philosophy in comparison to an autocratic coaching style; however, it is the communicative mechanisms employed by the coach or the athletic trainer that ultimately are impactful. Seven out of the 14 studies were judged to be valuable, five were judged to be somewhat valuable, and two were not measured as they were quantitative in nature. Conclusion: The coach’s and/or athletic trainer’s ability to use effective communication strategies including metacognitive abilities becomes a critical skill set having direct linkage to both individual effectiveness, athlete/team performance, and organizational success. Keywords: student athletes, physical well-being, mental health, division iii, coaching, interpersonal communication skills (80-107)

Gowns and Goal Lines: Embracing Athletic Identity in the Classroom — Shannon C. White, John C. Hill — There is no denying colleges and universities have placed a heavy burden on student-athletes. The cost of this lifestyle is two significant identities: academic and athletic, presenting many challenges. These challenges include student-athlete stereotypes held by peer, faculty, and community members. These external attitudes can have detrimental implications on a student-athletes ego, self-concept, motivation, and self-esteem. Research Questions: 1) How can the phenomenon of student-athlete identity be further explained? 2) How can student-athletes improve their self-efficacy in regard to their academic identity? We discuss potential improvements for student-athletes within the context of their academic identities. This includes drawing upon their previous experiences in sports for advice and strategies which can be utilized in the context of academia. Keywords: student athletes, identity, ego defense, mindset, flow. (108-140)

Academic Clustering within Collegiate Athletes — Douglas Chace — When student-athletes become college students for the first time, they have to make decisions about their future. These decisions could be choosing a major, as well as figuring out their plan after graduating from college. Academic clustering occurred when a certain percentage of athletes on a team declared the same academic major or takes the same classes when compared to the non-student-athlete body (Goodson, 2020). This percentage typically did not align between student-athletes and the non-student-athlete body, meaning there were more student-athletes in a given major than there were non-student-athlete (Goodson, 2020). This theory has been studied many times over a variety of colleges with different demographics, and in different regions. Although academic clustering has been studied extensively, it still leaves many questions unanswered. Research had not been able to answer why academic institutions choose to cluster student-athletes, the extent of academic clustering occurring in academic institutions, and which sports were more likely to use academic clustering. However, it was clear academic clustering occurred within the athletic institutions across the United States. Keywords: Academic clustering, student-athlete. (141-149)

College Athletes’ Perspectives on How Their Role as an Athlete Impacts Their Mental Health — Reeti Douglas, Christine McConnell, Rachel Alles, Kameron Forrister, Ansley Janes, Matthew Phifer, Kelly Peyer, Sydney Sullivan — College athletics place high demands on student athletes to perform at an intense level on the field and in the classroom. The academic and athletic responsibilities as a young adult may influence the mental health of student athletes, yet there is minimal research to evaluate the athlete’s perception on the impacts on their well-being. The well-being of an individual can be identified in many ways. This research study evaluated the psychosocial, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being of collegiate athletes at a NCAA Division II university. The aim of this research study was to identify the impacts college athletics have on an athlete's well-being. When comparing males and females, results indicate athlete’s well-being impacted as noted by females showed more frequent perceptions related to sadness and anxiety. When comparing years in school, the dimensions of well-being (psychosocial, psychological, emotional, and spiritual) decreased after freshman year. Spring sports showed higher perceptions of their ability to manage academic and athletic responsibilities when compared to fall sports. The results of this study support the need to improve student athlete’s experience at their university to optimize their well-being in their role as an athlete and student. Keywords: college athlete, mental health, psychosocial well-being, student athlete (150-173)

Embedding Mindfulness in Academic Class to Enhance Collegiate Athletes’ Well-being and Performance — Zeljka Vidic — Collegiate athletes represent a unique population facing a number of challenges which can potentially result in detrimental effects on their health, well-being and performance. This study examined the effects of a wellness-based academic course with a mindfulness component measuring collegiate-athletes’ stress, athletic coping skills, resilience, mindfulness and self-efficacy in a non-randomized, two-group pre-test and post-test study design. Participants included a total of 29 collegiate athletes, ages 18-25. An independent sample t-test revealed statistically significant results on stress and resilience scores, with the experimental group reporting greater decreases in stress and greater increases in resilience compared to the control group. These findings provide potential support for interventions that are a part of an academic course as a way of assisting collegiate athletes. Keywords: Collegiate athletes, mindfulness, well-being, stress, coping, resiliency, self-efficacy (174-198)

BOOK REVIEWS

Finding Intangibles How to Uncover the Hidden Traits that Drive Elite Performers and Championship Teams, Reviewed by Thomas W. Toalston amd Veronica Snow (199-202)

Coaching Women Athletes to Excellence, Reviewed by Warren K. Simpson (203-204)

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