External (EL) and internal (IL) load are commonly used methods used to quantify training load in team sports. Playing time and playing position may influence the training loads for specific athletes throughout a season. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of athlete playing status and individual in-season practices on EL and IL across a collegiate women’s basketball season. Female basketball athletes were classified as high-minute (HMA; ≥15 min/game) or low-minute (LMA; <15 min/game) and wore microsensors during 53 practices for a total of 583 data points. EL was obtained via an inertial measurement unit (IMU) device that contained a triaxial accelerometer to obtain three-dimensional positioning data. IL and strength training (ST) load were determined via session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) to create a daily summated value. Descriptive statistics indicate that athletes experienced individual differences in EL, ST, and IL throughout the season. A growth model showed that HMAs experienced higher EL than LMAs at the start of the season for practices (90.21 AU). Across all athletes, IL increased across the season (40.11 AU) and for each 1 unit of change in EL, IL increased by 1.04 AU. Repeated measures correlations identified a large relationship between IL and EL (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). A location-scale model indicated that the within-person variability of IL across all athletes was 3.29 AU but was not due to athlete playing status. It is recommended to base in-season training on individual loads and game demands to promote athlete readiness and improved sport performance.

Abstract Brown, FSA, Fields, JB, Jagim, AR, Baker, RE, and Jones, MT. Analysis of in-season external load and sport performance in women’s collegiate basketball. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): 318–324, 2024—Quantifying and monitoring athlete workload throughout a competitive season is a means to manage player readiness. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to quantify practice and game external loads and to assess the relationship between such loads and basketball-specific performance metrics across a women's collegiate basketball season. Thirteen National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women basketball athletes (age 20.08 ± 1.55 years) wore Global Positioning Systems sensors equipped with triaxial accelerometers for 29 games and 66 practices during the 2019–20 season. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to assess differences in external load between high- and low-minute players and across quarters within games (p < 0.05). Bivariate Pearson correlation coefficients were run to determine relationships between external loads and metrics of basketball performance. Findings indicated that high- and low-minute athletes experienced different loads during games and practices (p < 0.001). External loads differed by quarter, such that player load (PL) was highest in Q4 (p = 0.007), PL·min−1 was highest in Q1 and lowest in Q4 (p < 0.001), and explosive ratio (i.e., ratio of PL and explosive efforts) was lowest in Q3 (p = 0.45). Relationships existed between PL·min−1 and field goals (r = 0.41; p = 0.02) and between the explosive ratio and free throws (r = 0.377 p = 0.04). These results can be used to inform design of training sessions with the intent to prepare athletes for the demands of the competitive season. It is recommended that future research continue to explore the relationship of sport-specific performance metrics and athlete external load.

Faculty are increasingly expected to participate in activities that bring additional revenue and prestige to their universities. Engaging in entrepreneurial activities can achieve this mission, as well as afford considerable benefits to the faculty member. This essay outlines the financial constraints that have moved universities to embrace entrepreneurship, discusses entrepreneurship in the context of sport management, outlines the benefits of pursuing entrepreneurship, describes considerations in a campus environment, and provides key considerations and a road map for navigating opportunities. The essay concludes with a call to action for sport management faculty and administrators to embrace an entrepreneurship model.

Sport continues to demonstrate an important role in bolstering the development of diplomatic, peace-building efforts through sport for development and peace (SDP) initiatives. Although many have claimed strong outcomes from their programs, these assessments rely on largely anecdotal evidence to support these claims. In particular, the literature has provided evidence of effectiveness for SDP programs, yet lacked the capacity to link specific active or passive program components to the outcomes and to frame those outcomes both theoretically and practically. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct a theoretically guided case study of an SDP program and its activities to help support the analysis of mechanisms and processes toward program effectiveness. Based upon this analysis, theoretical implications and suggestions for future research and practice are discussed.

The focus of this study is a specific SDP programme, entitled Sports Visitors, executed in partnership between George Mason University and the U.S. Department of State. The purpose of this programme evaluation was to examine a subset of Latin American and Caribbean groups to ascertain the immediate, short-term impact of an intervention programme on the attitudes of participants relative to programme objectives. Nine groups comprised of 150 sport visitors participated in this investigation over a five year period. After the data were cleaned, 143 valid responses remained for analysis. The findings are based upon descriptive and effect size outcomes of quantitative survey data supplemented by qualitative comments provided by participants. The overall total mean for all seven items combined yields a very large effect size of 1.43. The results indicate that a) positive change occurred among LAC participants across all objectives measured, and b) changes were consistently reflected across each type of LAC participant group based upon gender, role, and gender with role.

This qualitative case study examined student perceptions of video communication with their instructor in an online research and writing course for sport and recreation graduate students. All students participated in two personalized Skype video calls with the instructor and received two video and text feedback critiques of their written projects. Eight students were interviewed following the course. Despite minor technological and scheduling concerns, students found that their Skype calls helped form a relationship with their instructor and improved their confidence in the course. Students found that video feedback recordings on their written projects were elaborate and friendly, while text feedback comments tended to be more convenient, efficient, and concise. However, all students reported that the advantages of video feedback outweighed the advantages of text. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and for online instructors who wish to effectively blend these forms of communication.

This study examined the perspectives of sport management academicians regarding their experiences supervising international graduate students. Fifteen experts were interviewed and provided their perspectives on practices used in international student involvement-specifically, student identification, recruitment, acceptance, orientation, progress, and retention, and the inherent challenges and benefits. The primary challenges cited by the majority of participants were language and cultural differences in learning; however, all participants concurred that the benefits of supervising international students far outweighed the challenges. These benefits included, but were not limited to, bringing international and global perspectives into the learning environment, which was positive for both students and professors. Findings from this study may provide program administration with insights on key factors affecting the quality of delivery of sport management education to international students. Consequently, high-quality programs can be developed to meet the needs of students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds.

The purpose of this study was to utilize data analytics as means to classify National Football League offensive play types. The open source software R was employed to create a logistic regression based on data for the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers from 13 recent seasons. The regression is based on all first, second, and third downs within regulation play, totaling 26,310 data points. The initial algorithms classify rush or pass for each offense. Revealed through differing coefficients of the independent variables, each team shows a slightly different approach to play selections in response to in-game situations. Identifying the driving factors to play selection is possible by isolating each attribute within the regression. Further examination could yield improved precision to control for changes in head coach, offensive coordinators, player personnel and other factors such as weather because these may influence play type. Logistic regression shows promise as an in-game aid to determining opponent behavior. Specifically, Cleveland's offensive play selection algorithm was correct for 66.4% of plays versus 66.9% for Pitts-burgh. Use of open source software and logistic regression of NFL play selection could be beneficial in aiding future game decisions. Further research is recommended to explore possible improvement of the algorithm accuracy.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the immediate, short-term effectiveness of a specific SDP program, the sport diplomacy initiative, relative to established program goals. Thirty-six groups comprised of 554 individuals participated in the SportsUnited Sport Visitors program over the course of 39 months and were given the opportunity to complete both a pre-test and post-test survey consisting of two essential demographic items (e.g., gender, role as coach or athlete) and seven items measuring core concepts associated with participation. After the data were cleaned, 520 valid respondents remained for analysis. The overall total mean for all seven items combined yields a large effect size of 1.27. Effect sizes indicate that the program is having a strong positive impact on participants as a whole. While all seven items yielded significant gains, there were no significant differences based upon measured demographics.