Suchergebnisse

The purpose of the current study was to examine how head coach–player racial dissimilarity was associated with negative treatment from the head coach. Data were collected from 212 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I women's basketball players (124 Whites, 88 African Americans). Results indicate that racial dissimilarity was associated with greater incivility when the head coach was White, but not when the head coach was African American. In addition, incivility was negatively associated with players' commitment to the team. The authors discuss theoretical contributions and practical implications.

With a focus on African American male athletes as product endorsers, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of activism type and level of racial identity on perceptions of trustworthiness and athlete-product fit. Participants ( N = 73 White undergraduate students) participated in a 2 (activism type: anti-obesity, anti-war) × 2 (level of racial identity: low, high) experimental study. Results indicate that perceptions of trustworthiness were highest when the athlete was engaged in non-controversial activism and had a strong racial identity. These perceptions were significantly associated with endorser-product (i.e. New Balance shoes) fit, even beyond the effects of activism type, level of racial identity, and athlete attractiveness. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.

Despite the predominance of Black athletes in much of collegiate athletics today, Black coaches constitute a small proportion of the total coaching population. To this end, we posited that the deficiency could be attributed to the notion that Black coaches leave the profession sooner than do White coaches. In taking an institutional theory perspective, the purpose of this study was to examine possible differences between Black and White assistant coaches for affective occupational commitment and intent to leave the coaching profession. Results of multiple hierarchical regression analyses indicate that normative isomorphic pressures are significant predictors of professional socialization, which in turn predicts commitment to the profession. Finally, there is an inverse relationship between affective occupational commitment and intent to leave the profession. Findings from the study supported the theory to explain the paucity of Black coaches in the NCAA by demonstrating that the deficit could be attributed to the fact that more Black coaches intend to leave the profession than do White coaches. This is true regardless of the fact that Black coaches perceived greater professional socialization than Whites and similar feelings of affective commitment. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Due to the importance of volunteers within the sport industry, there have been increased efforts to determine the motivation behind these acts of volunteerism. However, most research has focused on volunteers with professional sporting events and organizations, and very few studies have investigated volunteer motivations behind sport-for-development initiatives. The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivation of volunteers who chose to take part in the World Scholar-Athlete Games, a multinational sport-for-development event, and to identify factors related to their retention. This qualitative study was guided by the functional approach to volunteer motivation. Results revealed volunteers were motivated by values, social, understanding, career and self-enhancement factors. In addition, volunteers whose initial motivations for volunteering were satisfied continued to donate time to the event year after year. Implications for theory and practice, as well as future research directions, are discussed.

What does it mean to be gay, lesbian—or anyone else considered a sexual "other"—in the arena of competitive sports? With what consequences? The authors of Sexual Minorities in Sports shed light on the dynamics of sexual prejudice in venues ranging from high school athletics to the Olympics and the major leagues. Case studies of the experiences of LGBT athletes, coaches, and administrators also take account of the important role of race. Empirically rich and full of theoretical insights, the book concludes by pinpointing opportunities for confronting prejudice and empowering individuals across the lines of both gender and sexual orientation