Student Population Project

The Female Student Athlete

Tracy, Gretchen & Hilary

Literature Review

The Literature Review was done in three sections

Cognitive Development:

Psychosocial Development:

Motivational changes occur

prior to any changes in sense of
self.

College female athletes sense

of self worth is higher than
college female non-athlete
counterparts but is equal to
their college male athlete
counterparts, if not higher.

Moral development is more so

based in gender/sex rather than
athletes vs. non-athletes.

Identity Development:

The team/family
relationship and sense of
worth.
Preconceived notions of
athletes

Results of Literature Review

Focus

Female Student Athletes

Issues

Body image
social labels
personal motivation

Which adjectives are stereotypes

associated with college female athletes?
E
N
I
L
U
MASC
DA
IN

TY
L
A
U
X
E
S
O
R
E
ET

DYKE

R
E
K
A
WE
FEMINI
NE

N
A
M
G
N
H
I
T
A
H
R
E
D
PUSHY
N
E
L
S
E
U
Q
S
E
L
E
D
O
L
M
A
U
X
E
S
TONE
O
M
D
HO
BUTCH

FEMALE/ATHLETE PARADOX
It is essential for researchers to
examine and explore this gap in order
to resolve the conflicts female athletes
experiences, regardless of their
racial/ethnic background, SES, or
essential orientation.
-Andrea Paloian

Female Athletes
Heidelberg University

Westminster College

Ohio University

Caucasian

Caucasian

Caucasian

Junior

Junior

Junior

Soccer

Volleyball

Runner

Pre-med Student

Business Major

Exercise Science Major

It is a great place filled

with a lot of
opportunities and
professors who actually
care about you as a
student and a person.

I love all of the hands

on learning
opportunities.

Running. I major in
running. And, its a good
thing I do, because thats
what I spend most of my
time doing.

Interview Themes
Team = Family
In college you become
more of a family with your
teammates.
Without them (team) I
dont think I would be who
I am today.
If your heart is in your
sport, you will get your
sport, and a new family
while youre at it.

Time Constraints

Competition

The most frustrating is

the lack of free time,
between a sport and
classes it requires a lot of
time management.

But in college you are

playing with people who were
the best player on their team
in high school.

Aside from her athletics

team she is only involved
in one organization

Her favorite thing about

being involved in collegiate
athletics is the competitive
atmosphere.

The biggest time

consumer is that I am
running 80 miles a week.

I think I need to be the little

fish in the big pond and not
the big fish in the little
pondI thrive off of trying to
catch people and trying to
work my way up.

From Themes to Theory

Team = Family
Eriksons Identity

Development Theory
influence of
external
environment +
internal dynamics

Walshs Subculture
Approach
Person to

environment
interaction
subculture
matches ones
values

Time Constraints

Astins Theory of

Involvement
involvement =
physical and
psychological
energy

Competition
Eriksons Stage Five
Identity versus
Identity Diffusion
developing their own
values and goals

g
n
i
k
r
o
w
n
o
n
a
l
o
s
p
,
r
y
e
a
v
e
w
n
y
y
n
a
a
m
n
i
s
?
c
i
e
You
t
r
e
a
l
c
h
t
u
a
o
y
d
l
with
u
o
h
s
y
wh
r
e
h
g
i
H
h
t
i
w
o
d
o
t
e
v
a
h
s
i
h
t
s
e
o
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d
n
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o
a
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h
a
W
Educ

Supporting the Female Athlete

What: A one day workshop
Rationale: Time constraints &
Responsibility
Demographics of college: adaptable
Participants: Anyone
*Mandatory for all athletic staff*
When: Prior to start of academic school
year

Supporting the Female Athlete

Staff will learn the thoughts and
opinions of current female athletes at
Kent State University regarding both
time management and support services.
*Astin Theory*

Em

pha
s

The most frustrating is the lack of

free time, between a sport and classes
it requires a lot of time management.
The biggest time consumer is that I
am running 80 miles a week.
**Neither told nor encouraged to
attend anything as an athlete or
student regarding issues such as
diversity or sexual harassment

ize
sen
con sitivi
stra ty to
ints
tim

Supporting the Female Athlete

Participants will learn how current female
athletes develop meaningful relationships,
how vital it may be to the athlete's identity
development, and how their role as a
faculty/staff member can affect their
identity development.
*Chickering*

MEANINGF

UL RELATIO

In college you become more

of a family with your
teammates.
Without them (team) I dont
think I would be who I am
today.

NSHIPS

They will learn how the athletic team

atmosphere is a subculture of its own,
and how it affects female athletes
both on and off the field.
*Walsh*

If your heart is in your sport,

you will get your sport, and a
new family while youre at it.

ATHLETIC CU
LTURE

Supporting the Female Athlete

What role have I personally
N
IO
T
C
E
played in the student
L
F
E
R
ONAL
development of female

PERS

athletes?

N
O
I
T
A
Z
I
N
Action Plan: What can I do
A
G
R
O
&
L
A
differently this year to assist
N
O
S
R
E
P
female athletes
GOALS
GOALS: How can our university
better meet the needs of our
female athletes?

Supporting the Female Athlete

ASSESSMENT

SURVEY
is the key ...

+Use survey results to discover

specific needs
+Focus workshop training
around survey results
+Use end-of-year survey as a
measurement tool of previous
year
+The end-of-year survey will
serve to discover any new
needs in preparation for next
years training

Flyer

References
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