Abstracts of published articles and presentations:

Borland, J.F. (2006) Interacting with Head Coaches and Student-Athletes: A Qualitative Examination of Assistant-Coach Experience at a Division I University. Presented at the Eastern District Association Convention, March 3, 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine the assistant-coach experience at a successful Division I school by listening to assistant coaches in a variety of sports talk about their interactions with their head coaches and student-athletes and discuss some of the dissatisfying and satisfying elements of their jobs. An end goal of this research was to understand better how the assistant-coach experiences translates into assistant coaches becoming the leaders of tomorrow in sport. There has been little previous qualitative research on the experiences of assistant coaches. Quantitative sociological studies on coaching have focused on role conflicts, coaches as agents of socialization, leadership behavior, coaches' self-efficacy, coaches' status in an occupational subculture and the job satisfaction experienced by coaches. However, most of those studies dealt with the experience of head coaches. The roles of graduate assistant coaches received some attention from Dunn and Long (1997) when they learned that the experience gained while serving as a graduate assistant coach is crucial to the career development of those who aspire to become full-time coaches. The current research used 10 individual interviews from assistant coaches in women's soccer, men's ice hockey, women's volleyball, women's track and field and women's lacrosse to explain the experiences of being an assistant coach at a successful Division I school. Some of the notable themes that emerged were: 1) More than 90 percent of the assistant coach's time was spent recruiting student-athletes to the school; 2) Trust and loyalty were mentioned often as important bridges between coach and assistant coach; 3) The most satisfying element of the job for most assistant coaches was being a part of a student-athlete's growth and success; and 4) Many mentioned head-coach aspirations but realized that being an assistant at a large Division I university brought certain fringe benefits that being a head coach at a smaller university would not bring.

Clark, B.S., Dover, K.M., Bruening, J.E. (2006) Husky Sport: Adolescent Female Development through Sport and Physical Activity. Presented at the Eastern District Association Convention, March 3, 2006

Youth development programs have transitioned from being prevention-centered to "identifying important predictors of problem behaviors" (Catalano, R., Berglund, L., Ryan, J., Lonczak, H. & Hawkins, J, 1998, p. 1). Even more recently, youth development programs and research have found that those youth will become more engaged and can benefit from a model that incorporates them as decision makers and contributors. Power sharing and participation can help bridge the gap between simply preventing problems to promoting development and encouraging engagement (Pittman, et al., 2002).

Based in both theories of engagement and free-choice learning, the current research focused on a "thoughtfully developed relationship-based program" (Rhodes, Grossman, & Roffman, 2002, p. 9) combining sport, life skills, and mentoring focusing on promoting a healthy life choices for African American adolescent girls. Four collegiate student-athletes conducted a program with eight adolescent girls at an urban community center that entailed spending two hours a week (1 visit) for twelve weeks sharing a sport and/or physical activity session, a life skills lesson and subsequent discussion, and dinner. The girls were exposed to sport and other physical activities planned collaboratively by the athletes and the participants (e.g., double dutch, kickball). Life skills programming included topics again collaboratively planned by the mentors and the participants such as the value of education, drug/alcohol resistance, conflict resolution, and peer pressure. Nutrition lessons occurred during a snack at the beginning of each session and continued, along with additional discussion of the events of that day's sessions, over dinner. Data collection included participant and student-athlete journals, individual interviews with the participants, their parent/guardian, and the recreation center staff responsible for oversight of the program twice during the program's duration (at 6 weeks and 12 weeks). Results are organized around the following themes: self-esteem and feelings of self-worth, accountability and responsibility for self, connections to a community and a sense of belonging, knowledge and acquisition of health and life skills, application of those skills, and active participation in planning and recognizing one's own influence in making a difference for self and others (Pittman, et al., 2002).

Kane, G.M., Bruening, J.E. (2006) The Impact of Dual NCAA Championship Basketball Wins on Campus Culture. Presented at the Eastern District Association Convention, March 3, 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine organizational culture and the impact of dual men's and women's NCAA championship basketball wins on organizational effectiveness and culture. A team of investigators telephone interviewed 16 coaches and administrators from the University of Connecticut (UConn) and 16 coaches and administrators from institutions outside the University of Connecticut about their feelings of the impact these games on the college athletic culture, their professional roles, and effects on the university. The results from the interviews indicate that professionals outside of the University of Connecticut feel that these games will improve recognition for UConn, UConn will become a model for success for universities, and applications as well as enrollment rates will increase. Results from the UConn professionals indicate that the wins will improve student connection to the university, increase admissions applications and enrollment, and significantly change their daily activities.

Bruening, J.E. & Lee, M.Y. (2006, in press). Case Study. The University of Notre Dame: An Examination of the Impact and Evaluation of Brand Equity in NCAA Division I-A Football. Sport Marketing Quarterly.

The purpose of this case study is to examine the impact of Tyrone Willingham's tenure as head football coach on the brand equity of the University of Notre Dame. Brand equity is traditionally viewed as a cyclical phenomenon (Gladden, Milne, & Sutton, 1998) with longitudinal examinations being the preferred method of evaluation. This case study focuses on a three-year time period for reasons grounded in the literature and, as in this particular case, the practical consideration that Tyrone Willingham's tenure at the University of Notre Dame lasted three years. Brand equity can be intensified locally and expanded globally (i.e., beyond Notre Dame) given the long-standing tradition of Notre Dame football and, as of the beginning of the 2004 season, his being one of only five African American NCAA Division I-A football coaches. The team, the football program, the University of Notre Dame community (including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni), and the community beyond the Notre Dame campus are evaluated as part of this brand equity equation.

Burton, L.J. & Bruening J.E. (2003) Methodology and Technology Intersect in the On- Line Focus Group. Quest, 55 (4) 315-327.

Online focus groups are being utilized in social science research and may provide a new tool for research conducted in sport science settings (e.g., psychology, sociology, management, physical education, and recreation). Benefits of online focus groups include the ability for people in multiple locations to respond synchronously via chat rooms or asynchronously via discussion software. Additional benefits include increased equality of participation, greater participant diversity, the matching of research design with research environment, researcher interaction, and the elimination of transcribing. Disadvantages include under representation of non-Internet users, lack of face-to-face contact, potential participant no-show rate as well as the difficulty of completely securing data on the Internet. Sport science scholars are encouraged to examine this emerging method as related to their specific research aims and, if applicable, consider using online focus groups to further their research and enhance the knowledge base in the field.

Bruening, J.E. (2004) Coaching difference: A case study of four African American female student-athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.18 (2),242-251

The purpose of the present investigation was to describe the experiences of African American women student-athletes and the role that coaches play in those experiences. This study profiles four women who participated in NCAA Division I cross-country, crew, track and field, and volleyball. Utilizing data gathered through the qualitative methods of document analysis, background questionnaires, focus groups, grounded surveys, and in-depth individual interviews, the results of the study are focused on how coaches affect individual student-athletes and most specifically a particular segment of the athletic world that tends to be overlooked: the African American female. Results are organized according to the following themes that emerged through the collection of data: (1) The involvement of coaches in African American female student-athletes’ exposure to racism through stereotypes. (2) Coaches as significant influences on African American women becoming involved and remaining involved in sport. (3) Power structures in sport and society impacting African American women as a form of institutional racism. A practical applications section follows the results.

Bruening, J.E. (2004, in press). Strategies for change in the sport participation patterns of African American Females. Contemporary Athletics.

The current study involved focus group and individual interviews with twelve African American female collegiate student-athletes concerning participation patterns of African American females in sport. Based on the experiences of these women from the time they were youths becoming involved in sport through their experiences as collegiate student-athletes, the findings are focused on the key areas of role models and exposure and access. The results are followed by a discussion including examples of successful programs at the youth and collegiate levels, as well as sport employment programs. Lastly, a practical implications for educators section is included.

Bruening, J.E., Armstrong, K.L, & Pastore, D.L. (2004, in press). Listening to the voices: The experiences of African American female student-athletes. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport.

Women of color . . .have historically been silenced in society and sport. (Smith, 1992, p.228)
Black women occupy a place in America in which their “experiences resemble others” but also “remain unique.” (Collins, 2000, p. 35) Since gender is not the “sole determinant of (a Black) woman’s fate,” African American women sit “collectively at the bottom of the . . . ladder . . .[with an] overall social status . . . lower than that of any other group” (hooks, 1984, p. 14). As such, African American women’s perceptions and constructions of their place in society undoubtedly inform feminist (modern, traditional, or otherwise) ideologies. Therefore it is crucial to provide the opportunity for these women to have a voice and to share how their “lived experience may shape [their] consciousness in such a way that [their] world view differs from those who have a degree of privilege” (hooks, 1984, p. 15).
This study examined the sport participation patterns of twelve African American female collegiate student-athletes using qualitative methods. Data was collected at a large Midwestern University during the 1998-1999 academic year. One of the emergent themes was the effect of silencing by the media, athletic administrators, coaches, and other student-athletes on the experiences of African American female student-athletes. The findings are presented in the following order: the theoretical framework for the study, an introduction to silencing, an overview of the research analyses, a description of the research setting, and a presentation of the data surrounding the theme of silencing as told through the voices of the participants. Following these sections is a discussion and suggestions for future research.