Tesi sul tema "Male college athletes – Fiction"

The purpose of this study was to gain a rich understanding of successful African American male student-athletes' perspectives on factors that supported their academic success in California community colleges. Using phenomenological methods, 13 African American male student-athletes from a large suburban single-campus community college were interviewed. Twelve of the 13 student-athletes participated in intercollegiate football, and one played basketball. The interview sample was comprised of students with ages spanning from 19 to 23 and grade point averages varying from 2.12 to 3.57, with most of the students above a 2.5 grade point average. The results of this study provide a unique look into the lives of African American male student-athletes as they describe their individual journeys that have led to their academic success. The young men discussed the effects of family, finances, relationship negotiation, academic resources, academic integration, and racial issues that served as a support to their success rather than as a barrier. This study raises awareness of the struggles Black student-athletes encounter in college and their resiliency in overcoming challenges by utilizing the barriers they face as motivation to succeed in both their athletic and academic endeavors. Additionally, this study provides insights that administrators, program developers, and educational leaders can use to ensure inclusiveness and to enhance programs and academic pathways that intentionally support first-generation, underrepresented, underserved students.

This generic qualitative study investigated the experiences of male football and basketball student-athletes entering a military college. The intent of this study was to address the gap in literature present in student-athlete experiences at a unique college environment, like a military college. Criterion sampling was used to gain rich data from male football and basketball student-athletes of various ages that could accurately reflect on their experiences attending a military college. Fully structured interviews were completed with each participant. Findings revealed 3 key themes that attributed to the experiences attending their first year at a military college: Theme 1: Academic Self-Efficacy; Theme 2: Social Acceptance; and Theme 3: Emotional Responses. There were also 11 associated patterns to support each key theme. Identifying these themes could be helpful in orienting future student-athletes to having a successful transition.

Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and systematically describe the essence of the experience of two-year college female basketball athletes coached by male and female coaches.

Methodology. A phenomenological design was used to explore two-year college female basketball athletes’ experiences being coached by male and female coaches. The researcher interviewed 10 two-year college female basketball athletes from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties in southern California. The researcher chose the hermeneutic approach because it was grounded in interpretation. As defined by Wojnar and Swanson (2007), “hermeneutic phenomenology is the interpretation of the structures of experience and with how things are understood by people who live through these experiences” (p. 173).

Findings. Transcripts from interviews were reviewed and common themes emerged from statements made by the participants. Four major themes emerged from the interpreted meanings, and supported by the participants. The essence of the two-year college female basketball athletes’ experiences of being coached by male and female coaches was described.

Conclusions. The results of the study supported previous findings on this topic. However, the results explored an underrepresented group of two-year college female basketball athletes. The key themes that emerged were fundamental basketball (being taught the rudiments of the game, discipline, and structure); perceived authority; coaching preference (male coaching qualities viewed more positively than female coaching qualities), and coaching characteristics (fostering relationships and building trust).

Recommendations. Future studies could involve more participants, random sampling, or other qualitative or quantitative methods that would provide results more generalizable to a larger population. This study was performed after two-year college female basketball players completed their first year of sports eligibility and required the athletes to recall their past experiences. Further phenomenological research could be conducted looking at two-year college, high school, travel ball (AAU), and four-year college female players in different regions. Finally, the researcher recommended exploring the male and female coaches’ backgrounds in basketball to explore their experiences and training methods, and how those played into the coaching relationship.

The academic deficits of African American males are sadly well documented. National test data show African American male students falling woefully behind in reading and math. Only 12% of African American males scored proficient in reading on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress and only 13% scored proficient in Grade 8 math. African American males are also consistently absent from school which further impacts academic performance and the likelihood of graduating from high school. However, research indicates that students who participate in school-sponsored activities were more likely to persist in school. African American male students who participated in sports not only attend school more regularly, but also increased their grade point averages.

Long Beach Poly High School, the “Home of Scholars and Champions,” has a long-standing tradition of successfully preparing student athletes to accept athletic scholarships from colleges and universities. Many African American males who participate in high school sports, especially football and basketball, dream of earning athletic scholarships to play their sport in college. In hopes of replicating this experience for student athletes in other urban high schools, this qualitative case study was driven by one central research question: What systems of academic support does Long Beach Poly High School provide for African American male student athletes who aspire to earn Division 1 scholarships? Addressing three sub-questions, this study explored academic structures, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and the extent of systems implementation. Operationalizing critical race theory as a framework, the researcher interviewed seven academic and athletic staff members and a focus group of five student athletes to understand the systems in place at Poly.

The findings illustrate how Poly has intentionally constructed an academic system of support for any student athletes’ aspirations. This system began with the student athlete’s undeniable commitment to his academic program, whereby the academic and athletic staff, work collaboratively with teachers, support personnel, and parents to share accountability with the student athlete. With multiple opportunities for tutorials and additional assistance, student athletes delay gratification. They sacrifice today for a dream that will be born tomorrow. The mystique of being a “Jackrabbit,” and a rich history of academic and athletic excellence merited studying the unique environment of Long Beach Poly High School. Further recommendations for policy, practice, and research are presented and discussed.