Research – Page 3 – The Sport Journal

COVID-19 Challenges and Associated Impact on the Design of a Coach Education Research Study in Rugby Union: A Research Report

Authors: Kevin Smith¹, Con Burns¹, Cian O’Neill¹, Nick Winkelman², Matthew Wilkie², Edward K. Coughlan¹

¹Department of Sport, Leisure & Childhood Studies, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland

²Irish Rugby Football Union, 10 Lansdowne Rd, Dublin 4, Ireland

Corresponding Author:

Kevin Smith

Department of Sport, Leisure & Childhood Studies, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland

kevin.smith1@mycit.ie

+353 85 73 29 326

Kevin Smith is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sport, Leisure & Childhood Studies at Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland. His area of research focuses on the evaluation of a coach education framework in school and club settings in rugby union.

Dr. Con Burns is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sport, Leisure and Childhood Studies at Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland. His areas of research include coaching science, sport science and physical activity promotion.

Dr. Cian O’Neill is Head of the Department of Sport, Leisure & Childhood Studies at Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland. His areas of research include coaching science, sports performance analysis, human performance evaluation and the broad sports science domain.

Dr. Nick Winkelman is the head of athletic performance & science for the Irish Rugby Football Union. His primary role is to oversee the delivery and development of strength & conditioning and sports science across all national (Men and Women) and provincial teams (Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster).

Matthew Wilkie is the national high performance coach development manager for Rugby Australia. He previously worked as the head of coach development for the Irish Rugby Football Union.

Dr. Edward K. Coughlan is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sport, Leisure & Childhood Studies at Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland. His areas of research include skill acquisition, practice-transfer, deliberate practice, sport science and coaching science.

COVID-19 Challenges and Associated Impact on the Design of a Coach Education Research Study in Rugby Union: A Research Report

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to many conventional aspects of sport and research with government lockdowns, social-distancing and sanitisation protocols significantly impacting everyday life. The purpose of this report is to outline how a coach education research study in rugby union was adapted, methodologically and procedurally, in response to government health guidelines due to COVID-19, while striving to stay true to the original research design. This design sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a coach education intervention in a practical setting by recording and examining coach’s (n = 5) behaviours, inclusive of their perceptions of relationships with the athletes (n = 68) they coach, and vice-versa, pre- and post-intervention. Prior to lockdown, participants had completed the pre-intervention phase and education intervention, leaving the post-intervention observation phase incomplete. To ensure study completion, this phase transferred online to comply with health regulations. Coaches received video footage and behavioural data from their previously recorded sessions as a surrogate for the planned live observations and were instructed to self-assess their performance using a bespoke mobile application designed by the research team. Numerous challenges were faced in continuing the research study, however, the technology-based methodological adaptations highlighted could provide future researchers with agile solutions, should similar unforeseen pandemic-type restrictions return.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-12-14T16:47:50-06:00December 23rd, 2022|Research, Sport Education|Comments Off

Understanding High School Females’ Perceptions of Physical Education Through Attitude Theory

Authors: Heidi Miller Crone

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Corresponding Author:

Heidi Miller Crone, Ed.D.
6518 Trammel Dr.
Dallas, TX, 75214
croneheidi@gmail.com
972-977-9990

Dr. Heidi Miller Crone is a physical education teacher and coach at the Hockaday School in Dallas, TX.

Understanding High School Females’ Perceptions of Physical Education Through Attitude Theory

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aimed to explore high school females’ perceptions of physical education through semi-structured, one-on-one interviews.

Methods: Qualitative data collection methods were utilized for this research to gain insight into high school females’ perceptions of physical education. This study conducted in-depth interviews with ten high school girls from a private school. NVivo data analysis software was employed, as well as coding data by hand. Greater trustworthiness of the findings and credibility of the data analysis were further enhanced by utilizing an additional researcher during the coding and analysis process.

Results: Four themes emerged from the interview transcripts, which include (a) students want their voices to be heard, (b) social factors significantly affect the physical education experience, (c) students find physical education to be useful, and (d) there is a broad spectrum of feelings toward physical education.

Conclusions: The findings from the research are significant because there is a lack of qualitative studies that specifically focus on high school girls’ perspectives regarding physical education. The results indicate that students want variety and autonomy within physical education, and they need physical educators who understand the impact of social factors. Additionally, they believe physical education is valuable, and they have a wide array of feelings toward physical education.

Applications in Sport: Identifying factors that shape students’ perceptions of physical education will be helpful for practitioners and researchers. An excellent starting point for current practitioners is to survey the students and work toward creating a more student-centered curriculum to help improve high school females’ perceptions of physical education.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-11-18T12:14:16-06:00December 9th, 2022|Research, Sport Education|Comments Off

A Phenomenological Exploration of Neck Brace Use in Motocross

Authors: Danielle N. Broman, Alana N. Seaman

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Corresponding Author:

Alana N. Seaman, Ph.D.

601 S. College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403-5956
910-962-7568
SeamanA@uncw.edu

Danielle Broman graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Master of Science in Athletic Training in May 2022. Licensed as both a Certified Athletic Trainer and a Certified Surgical Technologist, she now works at Emerge Ortho in Wilmington, NC.

Dr. Alana Seaman is an Associate Professor of Tourism, Recreation, & Sport at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her research centers on popular culture, cultural trends, and heritage particularly as related to sport, food, place, and/or tourism.

A Phenomenological Exploration of Neck Brace Use in Motocross

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Despite the evidence indicating a decreased risk of cervical injury with the use of neck bracing in motocross, the frequency of usage appears limited. Given that little academic attention has been focused on the perception and prevention of these injuries, it is unclear why athletes have not more widely adopted the practice of wearing this safety device. This study sought to understand why.
Methods: A phenomenological approach was employed, and semi-structured interviews conducted with riders during three random weekend motocross practices at one track in the southeastern U.S.
Results: Themes surrounding physical discomfort and mental distraction; personal experiences; skepticism about the efficacy of neck braces; and an exceedingly few external influences emerged from the data set.
Conclusions: Regardless of which camp riders subscribed to, most indicated a strong opinion on and adherence to their choice to use or not use a neck brace during motocross. Flow was central to this decision.
Applications in Sport: A clear understanding of why athletes decide to wear or not wear neck braces in motocross would help various stakeholders identify barriers to device use, develop better methods for encouraging its adoption, and improve the overall safety of athletes participating in the popular but understudied sport.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-11-30T10:30:48-06:00December 2nd, 2022|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

Expanding Expected Goals Methodology in Field Hockey

Authors: Bret R. Myers¹, Andrew M. Daly²

¹Department of Management and Operations, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
²Department of Athletics, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Bret R. Myers, Ph.D.
1039 Smithfield LN
Downingtown, PA 19335
bret.myers@villanova.edu
(804) 357-5876

Bret R. Myers, Ph.D. is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Management and Operations in the Villanova School of Business. His research interests focus on sports analytics, specifically, in the areas of team evaluation and managerial decision-making. He is also an Analytics Consultant for the Columbus Soccer Club of Major League Soccer.

Andrew M. Daly is MIS and Business Analytics Major at Villanova University. He is also an analyst and student manager for the Villanova Field Hockey team. In this role, he has both video and data analysis responsibilities and reports directly to the coaching staff.

Expanding Expected Goals Methodology in Field Hockey

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the value of the overarching expected goals methodology in the sport of field hockey by examining performance data in NCAA Division I Field Hockey. Expected Goals (xG), a metric used to represent the likelihood of a shot being a goal, has grown in popularity across multiple sports. The expected goals methodology involves model building through logistic regression. Specifically, two metrics are created through this technique: 1) The standard expected goals model (xG) based on characteristics of the scoring opportunity before the shot is taken and 2) Post-shot expected goals (xGOT) which is updated to reflect whether or not the shot is on target.

Results: In terms of development, the logistic regression models used for the development of the xG and xGOT models both yield high levels of significance for fit (p-values of 4.13e-26 and 2.78 e-16 respectively). In terms of application, the xG and xGOT metrics both have high correlations to goals scored when aggregating on a game-by-game basis (0.76 and 0.77 respectively). Furthermore, the metrics can enhance insights gained from matches, evidenced by additional visualizations provided in this study.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-11-18T10:20:14-06:00November 18th, 2022|Research, Sports Management|Comments Off

Ensuring the Business Sustainability of Minor League Baseball After the COVID Global Pandemic

Authors: Mark Mitchell, Jacob Voegel, and Sara Nimmo

Corresponding Author:

Mark Mitchell, DBA
Professor of Marketing
Associate Dean, Wall College of Business
NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR)
Coastal Carolina University
P. O. Box 261954
Conway, SC 29528
mmitchel@coastal.edu
(843) 349-2392

Mark Mitchell, DBA is Professor of Marketing at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.

Jacob Voegel, PhD is Assistant Professor of Management at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.

Sara Nimmo is a 2022 Honors Graduate of Coastal Carolina University. She served as a Marketing Intern during the 2021 season of minor league baseball, the first season after the 2020 cancelled season.

Ensuring the Business Sustainability of Minor League Baseball After the COVID Global Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The COVID global pandemic greatly impacted the sports industry as leagues had drastic budget cuts and were forced to compensate for the lost revenues. The purpose of this study is to examine the strategies used by Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams and leagues to ensure their survival in the short-term and to sustain their operations in a post-COVID environment. Consultation with officials of a local minor league team, in addition to extensive information search, identified the strategies used by teams and leagues. A cluster analysis was then performed to classify the strategies into categories of similar topics. The results suggested teams and leagues took an “Income Statement Approach” to ensuring their survival. That is, they focused on: (a) maximizing revenue and finding new revenue sources; while (b) finding ways to reduce operating expenses. Minor league baseball teams navigated the loss of the 2020 season and the adjusted operations of the 2021 season to return to more-normal operations in the 2022 season. Lessons learned during the COVID period were applied to streamline their operations in the short-run and to ensure the sustainability of their business in the long-run. Coaches seek to develop an ‘adjust-and-adapt mentality’ in their athletes. The COVID global pandemic forced all of society to adopt this approach. Minor league baseball leagues and teams adopted this approach and they successful sustained their operations. Today, the industry continues to be a vital source of family entertainment and community pride while concurrently serving as the primary development path for the Major League Baseball (MLB) players of the future.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-10-14T15:02:26-05:00October 28th, 2022|Research, Sports Management|Comments Off