Research paper, (Qualitative research method) Communication class
WELL BEING OF STUDENT ATHLETES 1
WELL BEING OF STUDENT ATHLETES 16
How the intimate relationships can affect the well-being of student-athletes?
Franck Momo
COMM 380: Qualitative research
Doctor Farmer
April 14, 2021
Introduction
Sport activity is an important dimension of growth in the western world. About 1 million athletes competed in collegiate sports competitions at the Category 1, 2, and 3 stages, according to the Nationwide College Sports Organization. Many as 2.5 million kids are playing in university athletics, and 12.3 million individuals compete in indoor soccer games regulated. A demand exists to make decisions on behalf of college players, as sportsmen are thought to be more concerned about medical complications, disciplinary concerns, as well as social issues such as anorexia nervosa, exhaustion, and drug abuse illnesses. The merging of athletic and cognitive studies resulted in the creation of adaptive sports science, a rapidly expanding field that had been previously solely concentrated on improving athletic success (Shapiro et al., 2014). Conversely, the importance of incorporating primary care management into sports science is becoming more evident. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Need to cite a source here Comment by Farmer, Dean: (Shapiro & Martin, 2014) Two others is not a case for et al
Student-athletes can sometimes have more pressure than a normal student because they have to get results first in school but also on the field if they want to have a chance to play. Sometimes a scholarship has been given to them because of their performance in the sport they practice, which can add even more pressure as to the results they must bring. Universities do their utmost to put student-athletes in the best conditions, especially when we know that they can bring a lot of money and a lot of visibility to the university. However, many of these athletes may sometimes encounter performance problems during their time at university, whether at the sports or school level. Multiple factors can be the cause of these performance impediments that school or sports educators try to overcome with the person concerned. Nevertheless, there is one element that is rarely taken into account, which is the sentimental life. We know that during the university years, students tend to meet people and fall in love. Student-athletes are also among these people. When things do not go well in your love life, it is sometimes difficult to talk about it and get help. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Who is we? Need to cite a relational article here.
Psychotherapists help professional gamers enhance intellectual abilities like meditation, teamwork, and empathy, as well as build objectives, mitigate injury and tiredness, reduce anxiety problems, and resolve conflict. However, participants are wary of collaborating with any of these experts. Analyzing the coach and the athlete partnership will help to change the way medical care is handled in this community. Sports' pre-existing management chart could be a perfect tool for the avoidance and treatment of mental disorders issues (Kuhlin et al., 2020). The coaching staff is also significant father figures for the gamer and has a crucial role in influencing their family, career, and sporting success through their extended period in which they communicate with each other and discuss different aspects of sports. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Use all authors first cite
A circle of individuals surrounds athletes, including their families, mates, mentors, as well as intimate mates. The type of connection or association that players create both in and outside of competition is critical as they can have a tangible effect on their results and general health. The partnership between the athlete and their partners is something that has gained no academic scrutiny but now has gotten a lot of publicity over the decades. There seem to be a host of personal anecdotes showing the impact teammates would have on a player's performance and illustrating how competitors' romantic partnership could be influenced by their full commitment to performance (McLoughlin et al., 2021). The stress factors involved in the partnership's atmosphere determine the consistency of interaction among two individuals. The player's sport becomes a facet of the surroundings to which the partnership of sportsmen with other individuals is connected. The elevated player's existence is always consumed by the sports world, which is automatically full of stressful events that could have a substantial impact on the player's cognitive and psychosocial health (DeFreese & Smith, 2014). Competitors, particularly professional athletes that treat exercise as just a lifelong effort, are obliged to visit team meetings and compete on a consistent basis. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Need citation here Comment by Farmer, Dean: As more than 3 authors, et al ok here
Purpose statement
The aim of this research is to make the link between love and the physical and mental health of student-athletes and thus to see how intimate relationships can affect the well-being of student-athletes. Characterized by behavior that links exaltation and devotion, love resembles, in some respects, addiction to drugs, even obsessive-compulsive disorder. The act of love is not the only one responsible for all these benefits. Empathy, caring, mutual attention, and a sense of security in the emotional relationship play an important role in the physical and mental health of partners. The stress rate decreases, and the immune system strengthens when a person is in love. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Need evidence here.
Literature Review
The short report of Campbell et al. (2016) gives early details of the link between athletic performance (Olympian athlete’s perspective) and love. They suggest that athletic performance and Romantic Passionate Love are both linked with the brain's reward motivation system. After examining the previously described premise, if one domain such as love is activated in an athlete's life, whether it impacts another domain, which is a sport. The triangular theory of love presented by Sternberg will be used to investigate the link between athletes and their love life. During the Games break, they interviewed 30 Olympic athletes who were playing different sports. These players belonged to various countries. Almost 25 athletes reported that their love life improves their performance on the ground, but qualitative research results revealed that advantages were correlated instead of resulting from RPL (Romantic Passionate Love). It suggests that improvement in the athlete's performance is not always linked with their love life. RPL definition is explained clearly to the athletes, and it was making sure that their relationship was totally according to the set criteria; however, interview results showed companionship instead of enthusiastic and passionate love. It is deduced that different cultures' people have a different understanding of RPL. The findings of the study are at the preliminary level, which can be used to refine or elaborate future work on the effect of the intimate relationship on the college athletes' performance. Comment by Farmer, Dean: DELETE Comment by Farmer, Dean: give Comment by Farmer, Dean: not in references – needs to be, with date included here Comment by Farmer, Dean: Needs cite
Beasley et al. (2020) study depicts that student-athletes are vulnerable to depression and stress due to highly competitive in their sports. It has been seen that they involve in violence and other risky physical fights. The aim of the research was to evaluate the HL of student-athletes and their non-athletic pairs from divisions I, II, and III of NCAA colleges, as well as the declining negative health outcomes. The results showed that student-athletes had a lower functional LH and a lower communicative LH than their non-athlete peers while higher critical HL. These results show that other measures could be needed to improve student-athletes self-sufficiency in physical health and performance. Because sports-related social work is an evolving part of the profession, social workers should consider raising their participation in promoting student-athletes by working with teams, coaches and individuals to reduce stigma in seeking healthcare services, addressing the complexities of interrelated components and stressful events in the lifestyles of college athletes in therapy and linking them with resources available for education empowerment. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Use all authors in first cite Comment by Farmer, Dean: What is HL? Don’t abbreviate Comment by Farmer, Dean: What is LH?
In the past, several studies have been carried out to investigate the student-athletes welfare state. Rao et al. (2015) NCAA report discovered that suicide was the 4rth leading reason of death among university athletes. The study further reveals that these same people were the victim of anxiety, personality disorder, and depression. The report combined stokes of mental health problems and depression, which indicated that factors like over-training, performance pressure, sports injuries, academic-related stress, and sleep shortage could be the cause of suicidal activities and thoughts among university students. The research concluded that general and collegiate students of similar age groups have higher suicide rates than NCAA athletes. However, the research provided some shocking revelations, such as female athletes' suicide rate is low as compared to the male NCAA athletes, and football athletes have a greater tendency towards suicide. Comment by Farmer, Dean: athletes’ Comment by Farmer, Dean: fourth Comment by Farmer, Dean: Unclear on the use of this word here
A report by Edward & Froehle (2021) revealed the mental health of student-athletes is critical. The aim of this study was to equate college athletes to non-sports students in terms of mental health evaluation, recovery, and academic success. Anxiety, sleep, alcohol/drugs, extracurricular activities, and injuries were described as major school barriers by the athletes. This study highlights the fact that national data shows that between 17 and 21% of the population suffers from some type of mental illness. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Edward and Froehle (2021) Comment by Farmer, Dean: contend
Studies have already been carried out in the past on the welfare of student-athletes. A 2015 NCAA report found that suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among university athletes. This study shows that these same people could be victims of depression or low mood. The report, therefore, takes stock of depression and anxiety and indicates that factors such as lack of sleep, stress from academics, sports injuries, the pressure to perform, and over-training can be the cause (Rao, A. L., Asif, I. M., Drezner, J. A., Toresdahl, B. G., & Harmon, K. G.). Comment by Farmer, Dean: Considerable research exists analyzing the Comment by Farmer, Dean: (Rao, et al., 2015)
Beasley et al. (2020) showed that student-athletes are a vulnerable group that is exposed to a number of stressors and often engages in risky physical behaviors. In this study, the objective was to evaluate the Health Literacy (HL) of student and non-study athletes in Divisions I, II, and III NCAA. The results showed that student-athletes had a lower functional LH and a lower communicative LH than their non-athlete peers. The results suggested that additional interventions may be needed to help student-athletes take care of their personal physical health (Physical health literacy of student-athletes). Comment by Farmer, Dean: Use this earlier, above. Then you can use HL. Still unclear on what LH is
In another study, the mental health of student-athletes is highlighted. The aim of this study was to equate college athletes to non-sports students in terms of mental health evaluation, recovery, and academic success. Anxiety, sleep, alcohol/drugs, extracurricular activities, and injuries were described as major school barriers by the athletes. This study highlights the fact that national data shows that between 17 and 21% of the population suffers from some type of mental illness (Edwards, B., & Froehle, A). Comment by Farmer, Dean: Edwards and Froehle (2021) highlight the mental health of student athletes. Comment by Farmer, Dean: DELETE
Muzika's (2018) research reveals that college athlete's relationship outside their sports activities has negative and positive impacts on the mental health, relationship, and sports performance outcomes. Available studies emphasize the significance of mentor, family, and athlete - romantic relationships and argue that these partnerships influence the performance of and involvement of athletes in the sport. Limited research, however, studies the impact of intimate interactions on athletes' game results. Based on conflicts and hypotheses about enriching families and jobs, this research examines the moderation impacts of conflicts between sport and enrichment on the partnership between romantic and burnout ties with athletes, depression, game commitment, anxiety, and the romantic partner's perceived appreciation (relationship respect). In the study, the 114 Division I college athletes was chosen, and they are designated to 1 of the two conditions. For relationship conflict, participants were prepared for experimental conditions. However, a neutral prime was allotted to the control condition's participants. Hierarchical linear regression was conducted to generate results that showed that sport-to-relationship moderates the impact of relationship conflict on athlete fatigue. Unanticipated results were obtained on the nature of moderation, with lower burnout levels than control in participants with higher levels of sport-to-relation conflicts being prepared for relationship confrontation. The findings also suggest that sport-to-relation and relationship-to-sport conflicts and enhancement anticipated the exhaustion and sports involvement of athletes. Anxiety and depression were forecast by enrichment of sports-to-relationships, and appreciation for relationships was projected by conflicts and enrichment between sports.
Voth et al. (2018) study depicts that a lot of young adolescents (those between both the age group of 18 and 25) are seriously intimate, and college students regard intimate intercourse as top importance and interest. Confrontation is a particularly important feature of early adult interactions. Claim that in intimate relationships, tension is unavoidable. Marital dispute refers to an obvious disagreement between spouses the spouses identify as a discrepancy or cause of difficulties in the partnership. College athletes face substantial stress factors (for example, pressure to win, balance between various tasks and relationships), which can lead to conflicts of relationships and have a negative effect on them. When not well handled, conflicts of relationships are linked to binge eating, excessive smoking, male gambling, physical pain, heart and leukemia, signs of anxiety and depression, domestic abuse, end of a marriage, and reduced marital satisfaction. Conflict of relationship was often attributed to results related to employment. In their WFC meta-analysis and performance, the relationship/matrimonial conflict and work satisfaction showed a strong negative association between family conflicts. This research shows that the rivalry in romantic partner dyads can be directly linked to work satisfaction. As a result, those with more labor-family strife have a greater chance that they are burnout than those with no such conflict. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Use all three authors first cite – Voth, Schrag, and Edmond (2018)
Chyi et al. (2018) study revealed that college athletes are stressed about their emotional and intimate health. In terms of assessing, recovering, and academic achievements, this research was aimed at equating collegiate athletes to non-sport pupils. Athletes have been identified as major school obstacles depression, fatigue, alcohol/drugs, extracurricular activity, and injuries. These gaps were not important with regard to gender control. Athletes were less interested in recovery than non-athletes irrespective of sex. Athletes recorded significant academic impediments, injuries, anxiety, insomnia, drugs/ alcohol, illegal activities, and violence. The rates of diagnosis of mental disorder were lower for athletes but continued to be an object of gender disparities. However, lower care and academic consequences suggest a continued commitment to mental health remains important for the well-being of students and athletes.
A report by Griffith & Johnson (2002) on earlier studies has shown athletes that focus on the task of athletics, particularly during the transition phase, are at great risk for psychological disorders. When the athlete just identifies the sporting position and ends, he will be exposed to psychological issues. The purpose of the current research was to examine the impact on the various positions of college athletes of the Division affiliation. Division I and Division III track and field athletes have taken steps on sporting personality, self-conception, the value of life functions, and romantic life. Division I was considerably better than Division III athletes for their role in sporting life. However, both classes have put more focus on other tasks in their lives, reflecting a reduced risk of mental illness during the times of sport transformation.
The research of Chen et al. (2015) investigated that the structural characteristics of flexibility and ability growth, as well as the intensely emotionally loaded background of physical exercise, will contribute to intense connections in the trainer and athlete partnership. Spending so much time of their busy schedules with each other would foster emotional bonds, but it could also cause difficulties. Admittedly, the ability to communicate with a large number of people often does not imply that the consistency or effectiveness of the relationship between the trainer and the student is improving. Moreover, the interaction of the trainer with that of the athlete is described as a circumstance wherein the attributions, emotions, and actions of a mentor and a participant are collectively and subjectively interconnected. This description represents the complex and engaging essence of the coach-athlete partnership, as well as the impact of someone's feelings, opinions, and actions on another. Whenever the researchers identified key components that are fundamental to the partnership of the coach and athlete, they created an interconnected framework of relational consistency. Inside the interaction among coach and student, they described connectedness, loyalty, professional and non, and interdependence as major tenets of partnership consistency. The extent of shared confidence, concern, and appreciation between both the participant and the trainer is reflected in their proximity.
Reinboth et al. (2004) studied that the extent to which partnership has formed areas of agreement and mutual course, including establishing joint expectations or priorities, is referred to as co-orientation. Compatibility refers to mentor and player activities that really are mutually beneficial, such as respecting one another's duties and obligations. The coach-athlete esteem is an important part of a player's lifestyle because it affects not just their athletic success but also their health-related behaviors. The coaching staff has repeatedly defined the techniques that their players can use to improve their results. The state apparatus also expands outside health and fitness to include health and lifestyle management, as well as other social communication. Coaching staff determines who might begin, who might participate, and who might stay out by creating workout schedules and scenes (Reinboth et al., 2004). They also serve a part in shaping the success of the individuals for whom they interact, either by providing resources for them or by denying them. In most cases, the interaction between a trainer and an individual is crucial to the athletes' personal, social and psychological success. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Use al three authors in first citation
Research Question and Hypothesis Comment by Farmer, Dean: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DOES NOT INVOLVE HYPOTHESES
The current study intends to learn about intimate relationship effect on the well-being of college athletes; to discover and define the way they perceive their love-life and influence it on their athletic performance. Therefore, this study aims to acquire more about the romantic relationship of the student-athlete. It will emphasize the mental, physical state, and sports performance of the college athlete. The explicit research question guiding current research is: How do student-athletes distinguish and experience themselves during their intimate relationship, or what is the impact of the intimate relationship on the well-being of student-athletes? The research hypothesis is that If college athletes are involved in an intimate relationship, it affects their performance and mental health. Comment by Farmer, Dean: We are not interested in hypothesis testing. Just use the RQ that precedes and DELETE this.
Methodology
My goal to study the issue will be to survey a small number of student-athletes from all sports within our university, Campbell University, which is in NCAA Division I. The objective will be to see if there is a link between romantic relationships and the athletes' performances. The approach will be to build a relationship of trust through the fact that I am a student-athlete myself and to open up to them so that they can, in turn, open up to me. Ask simple questions, as a grand tour question, and then ask more specific questions. Comment by Farmer, Dean: NO. A qualitative design here focuses on interviews. You aren’t surveying anything.
My main interest will be to ask open-ended questions in order to have more precision on the substance of their thinking. Many studies on the mental health of university athletes are questionnaires, which do not offer many answers and therefore are not specific enough. The goal will then be to interpret the results and see if there is similar reasoning between the participants. It will be interesting to see if a design emerges with this new idea that intimate relationships can have an impact on the lives of university athletes, and that will therefore have to be taken into account in future research.
The nature of the research is qualitative, and the phenomenological inquiry method will be used due to the research question's nature. I will study the small number of student-athletes from Campbell University, which is included in the NCAA Division I. These athletes will be taken from individual and team sports that have any kind of intimate relationship. The inclusion criteria will be a) in an intimate relationship, b) any duration of married and dating, c) any sport, d) any gender, and e) any age group. The demographic questions will be formulated for this research to make the sample diverse. Participants will be asked to give basic information regarding their relationship status, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, race, number of years they have been playing the sport, number of hours in a week they spend on the ground, sport type, number of children they have, duration of their current relationship. Such questions will make it possible to observe the wideness of the phenomenon studies; it will potentially provide easiness to transfer the findings. It will provide a better understanding of the students from different communities. Comment by Farmer, Dean: Need to cite your source of methodology. Creswell and Poth will suffice here.
References
Beasley, L., Hoffman, S., & Andelin, R. (2020). Physical health literacy of student–athletes. Health & Social Care in the Community.
Campbell, K., Hosseini, C., Myers, K., & Calub, N. (2016). Does love influence athletic performance? The perspectives of Olympic athletes. Review of European studies, 8(2), 1.
Chen, L. H., Kee, Y. H., & Chen, M. Y. (2015). Why grateful adolescent athletes are more satisfied with their life: The mediating role of perceived team cohesion. Social indicators research, 124(2), 463-476.
Chyi, T., Lu, F. J. H., Wang, E. T., Hsu, Y. W., & Chang, K. H. (2018). Prediction of life stress on athletes’ burnout: the dual role of perceived stress. PeerJ, 6, e4213.
DeFreese, J. D., & Smith, A. L. (2014). Athlete social support, negative social interactions, and psychological health across a competitive sport season. Journal of sport and exercise psychology, 36(6), 619-630.
Edwards, B., & Froehle, A. (2021). Examining the incidence of reporting mental health diagnosis between college student athletes and non-athlete students and the impact on academic performance. Journal of American College Health, 1-7.
Griffith, K. A., & Johnson, K. A. (2002). Athletic identity and life roles of Division I and Division III collegiate athletes. Journal of Undergraduate Research, 5, 225-231.
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MacIntyre, T. E., Walkin, A. M., Beckmann, J., Calogiuri, G., Gritzka, S., Oliver, G., ... & Warrington, G. (2019). An exploratory study of extreme sport athletes’ nature interactions: From well-being to pro-environmental behavior. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1233.
McLoughlin, E., Fletcher, D., Slavich, G. M., Arnold, R., & Moore, L. J. (2021). Cumulative lifetime stress exposure, depression, anxiety, and well-being in elite athletes: A mixed-method study. Psychology of sport and exercise, 52, 101823.
Muzika, K. C. (2018). College Athletes and Romantic Relationship Conflict: The Moderating Effects of Sport-Relationship Conflict and Enrichment.
Rao, A. L., Asif, I. M., Drezner, J. A., Toresdahl, B. G., & Harmon, K. G. (2015). Suicide in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes: a 9-year analysis of the NCAA resolutions database. Sports health, 7(5), 452-457.
Reinboth, M., Duda, J. L., & Ntoumanis, N. (2004). Dimensions of coaching behavior, need satisfaction, and the psychological and physical welfare of young athletes. Motivation and emotion, 28(3), 297-313.
Shapiro, D. R., & Martin, J. J. (2014). The relationships among sport self-perceptions and social well-being in athletes with physical disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 7(1), 42-48.
Voth Schrag, R. J., & Edmond, T. E. (2018). Intimate partner violence, trauma, and mental health need among female community college students. Journal of American college health, 66(7), 702-711.