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When compared with other disciplines, sport management educators are more likely to encounter student-athletes in their classrooms. While faculty mentoring is a key to student success for all, better understanding of this mentoring dynamic between sport management faculty and student-athletes is important to advancing pedagogical knowledge within the discipline. And perhaps, even more importantly, it can aid in creating a pathway for faculty advocacy and dispelling stigmas related to student-athletes. Consequently, the Mentor Role Instrument was used to determine if faculty mentorship of student-athletes differs by function type (RQ1) and if this was impacted by gender or faculty appointment (RQ2). An online survey of 88 sport management educators indicated that a significant difference was found, F(8, 783) = 44.16; p < 0.001, among mentoring function type. Friendship and Acceptance were the most prevalent mentoring functions, while Protection was the least frequent. Results did not indicate that gender or faculty appointment impacted faculty mentorship styles toward student-athletes.

This case study helps students better understand barriers to youth sport participation that low-income families face and then offer solutions to alleviate some barriers and create a more inclusive sport community. The case focuses on the struggle that many sport organizations face when trying to increase diversity and inclusiveness, regardless of socioeconomic status. Greenville Recreation and Parks Department Development Intern Sarah identifies issues with the department's current financial assistance program and collects parents' feedback detailing community needs that are not being met. This case provides an opportunity for students to (a) examine how sport organizations unintentionally create barriers for some community members and (b) find innovative ways to reduce barriers to youth sport participation and create more inclusive systems.

The aim of the present article is to outline a heuristic model that facilitates movement toward an integrated understanding of the youth sport system. We define the youth sport system as the set of interdependent persons and contexts that influence and are influenced by an athlete in youth sport. Our model builds directly from a systems perspective, and its tenets of holism, feedback loops, and roles. Specifically, we argue that the persons and contexts that surround an athlete in youth sport should be examined collectively, self-correct over time, and take on certain functions that are negotiated over time. The model extends past contributions toward integration by outlining how proximal and distal processes within youth sport can be studied in a more unified way. Looking forward, research designed to capture the nuanced ways persons and contexts influence and are influenced by one another in youth sport will be best positioned to impact theory and practice in meaningful ways.

Previous researchers have indicated that a sense of community and social support are vital to referee retention; however, little is known about the connection between specific characteristics of sports officials' networks and retention. To better understand the sports officiating shortage, researchers explored the social support networks of 116 referees utilizing egocentric network analysis. The authors suggest that retention of sports officials depends on the interpersonal ties and network structures within which the referees are embedded. Specifically, resulting hierarchical models confirmed that retention relationships among officials are a multilevel phenomenon, and that outside communication and community were vital network characteristics that fostered retention relationships. Network size, tenure, and the officiating level also were significant when considering an official's network and its impact on retention. Areas for future research and suggestions for referee managers are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article emphasizes the importance of integrating research and experiential learning in sport management education. It discusses the benefits of undergraduate research, such as improved student retention and academic performance, increased campus engagement, and enhanced practical experience and professional development. The article proposes a pedagogical strategy that combines participatory action research with an experiential learning opportunity at a major sporting event, like the Super Bowl. It outlines the implementation of this strategy, including the selection process for students, the structure of the course, and the learning objectives. The article also presents a course module that incorporates a research component into a sport management curriculum, allowing students to engage with research, develop proposals, collect and analyze data, and reflect on their experiences. Student feedback indicates that the research component was valuable in enhancing their understanding of the event and its implications, as well as preparing them for future research endeavors. The authors argue that incorporating research into sport management coursework can bridge the gap between research and practice and provide valuable learning opportunities for students. [Extracted from the article]

Athletes may be especially primed to become referees; yet, we do not know what former athletes think about this career choice. To address the worldwide referee shortage, it is important to better understand athletes' perceptions of refereeing. From a Career Contingency Model framework, it is evident athletes' perception would influence their decision to consider refereeing. This study's aim was to examine athletes' perceptions of the refereeing environment (RQ1) and identify referee recruitment barriers (RQ2). Utilizing a descriptive phenomenological approach, 23 current and former athletes took part in semistructured interviews based on their lived experience as an athlete. The participants identified the officiating environment as a high-stress environment with financial instability, while time and lack of knowledge and support were identified as recruitment barriers. The results contributed to the burgeoning line of research attempting to address the global referee shortage and provide both theoretical and practical implications for sport managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporting culture often celebrates mental toughness and chides weakness, which can stigmatize mental health issues. While some sport organizations have prioritized addressing mental well-being, referees have been ignored. Referees work in high-pressure environments; thus, the need to understand, destigmatize, and normalize the conversation around mental health within the referee community and the larger sporting system is important. Because the prevalence of stress-related issues is greater for women, this study focused on female referees' well-being, interviewing 20 female U.S. basketball referees via a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Participants represented various geographical regions in the United States and officiated at levels ranging from high school to professional. Findings revealed Gendered Aggressions negatively impacted the referees, mental health issues are Stigmatized, and more Resources and Support are needed. Results also indicated that officiating can be Cathartic. Suggestions for addressing the referee shortage and improving the officiating experience are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ), Social Networking Analysis (SNA) has emerged as a promising approach to measuring team cohesion. However, little to no research has simultaneously used both measures to compare and contrast their unique benefits. Using a multilevel theoretical approach, this study examined the relationship between SNA (friendship and efficacy) and the GEQ, and their relationships with team performance, over a playing season for four volleyball teams (N = 49). Findings indicated that the GEQ and SNA are likely measuring different constructs. While the GEQ was a better global measure of team cohesion, SNA was able to offer a multilevel perspective and unique insight into the evolution of the teams over the season. The SNA networks revealed that the team with fewer friendship connections was more successful in terms of team performance. The results further position SNA and the GEQ as important, yet unique, tools for understanding the functioning, or lack thereof of teams. Practical applications, theoretical implications, and recommendations for future research are provided., Throughout history, people have joined together in groups to accomplish an array of goals. In order to understand the factors that facilitate group success, it is important to investigate the [...]

Worldwide, sport and physical activity rates of women generally lag behind those of men. One reason for this could be the way that sport cultures typically frame and value competition. This study provides an examination of the meaning and impact of "competition" on the sport participation experiences of men and women. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, individual and group interviews were conducted with 76 current and former male and female collegiate athletes from both varsity and club sports regarding the impact of competition on their sport experiences. Results revealed that women and men tended to view and interpret competition differently, which strongly impacted their sport experiences. Sport programming that embraces a balance of cooperation and competition may be valuable for attracting and retaining both male and female participants.

As the popularity of sport continues to grow, more community developers, planners, and leaders are recognizing the ability for sport to foster community. Similar to other community contexts, understanding the structure and management of sport remains central to community building. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explain how sport system structural variations affect the sense of community experienced by those in and around sport. Eight focus groups were conducted with 39 sport participants from both formal and informal sport settings across 19 different sports. The results highlight the seven factors (administrative consideration, common interest, competition, equity in administrative decisions, leadership, social spaces, and voluntary action) that were particularly important in building a sense of community within two sport settings and how the factors are manifest within each of the structures. This research demonstrates the opportunities that sport holds for fostering community when designed and implemented appropriately. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

This case focuses on the Little League Softball World Series and the potential interest and growth of youth softball. The case outlines current trends and highlights potential opportunities to grow the game after a 2020 decision to move the Little League Softball World Series from Portland, Oregon, where it had been hosted for over 25 years, to Greenville, North Carolina. This case challenges students to (a) examine how sports organizations must be intentional about growing a sport, (b) develop new solutions to involve the local community, and (c) find new and effective ways to promote a girls' sport (and an international event at the local level) in a manner that advances women in sport. It is intended for use in strategic management, event management, and/or contemporary sport issue courses. The case provides instructors with the opportunity to highlight the importance of advancing diversity in youth sport, with an emphasis on community impact, and effective strategies to promote women in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-4580.2009.00240.x Byline: Stacy Warner (1) Author Affiliation: (1)University of Connecticut and City University Graduate Center for Worker Education, Brooklyn College Article note: Stacy Warner, CUNY Graduate Center for Worker Education, 25 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York 10004 NY. Tel.: 011-212-966-4014; Facsimile: 011-212-966-4038. E-mail: swarner68@gmail.com

Building on the current sport officiating research, this study puts forth the Referee Retention Scale. Through a three-phase process, the researchers developed a valid and reliable scale to predict sport officials' job satisfaction and intention to continue. The first phase consisted of instrument development, whereas the second phase included field testing of referees (n = 253). After exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis, the resultant refined scale from Phases 1 and 2 was then administered to 979 referees in Phase 3. Phase 3 results using confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the seven-factor, 28-item Referee Retention Scale was a valid and reliable tool for measuring and predicting referee retention. The results highlight the importance of considering a variety of factors associated with the referee experience, which include administrator consideration, intrinsic motives, mentoring, remuneration, sense of community, lack of stress, and continuing education. A discussion on how the Referee Retention Scale can help administrators manage and retain sport officials is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing need to support college athletes has increased drastically as many athletes are experiencing events outside their normal routine. Despite efforts from athletic administration to provide academic and social support for athletes, many athletes feel that more effort is needed to address their well-being. The purpose of this study was to identify the solutions athletes believe that their head coaches could provide to promote athletes' willingness to seek help. Using a qualitative design approach, the researchers analyzed open-ended survey data from 288 current NCAA Division I athletes. Survey respondents indicated that Coach-Athlete Communication, Athlete Referrals, Education & Awareness of Resources, Healthy Open Environment, and Genuine Concern were the key themes that promoted athlete help-seeking. Results suggest practical implications for how sport organizations can work with coaches on moving towards de-stigmatizing mental health issues and both valuing and managing mental health and wellbeing. This work highlights the vital role that head coaches play in ensuring that mental health is embraced by sport individuals and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While greater consideration has been given to college athlete well-being, understanding effective social support practices carried out by athletic administrators is limited despite its clear relevance. Using a sport development framework, specifically the retention stage, as a lens to understand elite athlete development, how athletic department leadership and staff facilitate socially supportive cultures at their universities was empirically examined. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 athletic administrators at 10 universities. We identified the themes Developing Trusting Relationships, Intentional Support, Reprioritizing Athlete Well- Being, and Adapting to Athlete Needs as vital best practices to supporting and retaining college athletes. Based on the results, we put forth several practical recommendations, focused largely on how human resources are utilized and the organizational culture in athletic departments. By highlighting the benefits of social well-being, this study draws attention to the importance of holistic athlete development that must be deliberately sought to support the modern high-level athlete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-4580.2008.00203.x Byline: Stacy Warner (*) Author Affiliation: (*)At Brooklyn College Article note: Brooklyn College Graduate Center, City University of New York, 25 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004, USA. Telephone: 212-966-4014. Fax: 212-966-4038. E-mail: Swm3@nyu.edu.

The relationships among athletes can result in an environment that supports transgressive behavior. Sport has often been praised for the positive consequences of the community it fosters, but few researchers have discussed how community can foster antisocial behavior. This study explored the impact college athletes' sense of community has on transgressive behavior. Three hundred and eighty-nine intercollegiate NCAA Division I and recreational (i.e., club and intramural) athletes were asked about their transgressive behaviors and perceptions of sense of community. The results demonstrated that males scored higher for all transgressive behaviors as well as reported a stronger sense of community. There was a significant relationship between sense of community and general deviance, violence towards partners, and doping attitudes. Recreational athletes showed higher sense of community and intercollegiate athletes demonstrated higher scores for moral disengagement, violence towards partners, and doping attitudes than recreational athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As scholars conduct more research on the social benefits of community sport, the need for an instrument to measure sense of community is increasingly necessary. Utilizing previous grounded theory research specific to sport and community building, the purpose of this study was to test previous sport and sense of community theory through the creation and validation of a measurement scale to gauge sense of community. The authors tested a 21-item tool comprised of 6-subscales (i.e., Administrative Consideration, Common Interest, Competition, Equity in Administrative Decisions, Leadership, and Social Spaces) among samples of young sport participants using the three-phase method of item generation, confirmatory analyses, and concurrent validation. The resulting analyses yielded a valid and reliable instrument to measure sense of community in sport. This research suggests refinement to previous sport and sense of community theory and provides needed utility for this theory that has been grounded in the sport experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referees are key sport personnel who have important responsibilities both on- and off- the field. Organized competition would not survive without referees, yet little is known about what cause referees to discontinue in the role. This research examines the experiences of former referees so that managers may better understand strategies that might encourage more referees to be retained. Fifteen previous basketball referees were interviewed about their refereeing experience. Ten themes emerged that were related to the sport development stages of referee recruitment, referee retention, and referee advancement. The results indicate that issues experienced during the retention phase (Problematic Social Interaction, Training/Mentoring, and Lack of Referee Community) and then at the advancing stage (Lack of Administrator Consideration, Administrator Decision Making, and Sport Policies) are linked to eventual departure from the role. Interestingly, off-court factors were reported as more influential in the decision to leave. Managerial strategies and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many cases, athletics department spending has been spurred by a desire to field more competitive athletics programs, and it has been assumed that spending more would result in greater on-the-field success for the athletics program. However, little empirical evidence exists to support this assumption, and few studies have explored financials trends related to cost-benefit of intercollegiate athletics program. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between on-the-field success and spending while also exploring current trends. The authors drew longitudinal data from EADA reports and then examined the association with Directors' Cup rankings at the end of these respective seasons. The results indicated that a relationship between overall expenses and on-the-field success does exist, and points to operating expenses, rather than coaching salaries and recruiting expenses, as having greatest influence on this relationship. The cost-benefit analysis and trends over time are also explored and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has consistently revealed that team cohesion is positively related to team performance under certain conditions. In response to the need for understanding this relationship more fully, and because of the promising new insights that can be garnered with the use of social network analysis (SNA), this study employs SNA as a tool to explore a case study of the structural cohesiveness of two women's collegiate basketball teams. Members of the two teams completed online roster-based surveys related to different types of structural cohesion levels at four points during the season. This case study revealed that the higher performing team showed improved structural cohesion in the efficacy network over the four phases, and highlighted the movement of key players in the different networks (friendship, trust, advice, and efficacy) over time. These patterns demonstrate the potential for SNA to function as a diagnostic tool for organizations and researchers to generate testable hypotheses even in instances where statistical inference may be precluded by sampling constraints. In short, SNA was found to be a valuable new tool for exploring, depicting, and informing explanations about the individual relationships that impact team dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport programs are often charged with creating a sense of community (SOC), and it is thought that doing so will benefit participants on and off the field of play. Since SOC is specific to the setting (Hill, 1996) and most research has been conducted outside of sport, the literature has not yet fully demonstrated how and when SOC is created within a sport context. Utilizing a grounded theory and phenomenological approach, this study investigated the mechanisms for creating SOC within a sport setting. Twenty former US college athletes were interviewed regarding their sport experiences. The results revealed that Administrative Consideration, Leadership Opportunities, Equity in Administrative Decisions, Competition, and Social Spaces were the most salient factors that fostered SOC. The results contribute to community building theory, and provide practical solutions for enhancing the participant experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]