This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (DII) women's soccer coaches during preseason. A two-pronged conceptual framework that includes path-goal leadership theory and sensemaking theory guided the inquiry, and data was collected through…

Intercollegiate athletics has become a business enterprise which exists and thrives on higher education campuses. As the growth of intercollegiate sport has continued, women have been noticeably absent from leadership roles in this extremely male-dominated profession. With the passage of Title IX there was hope and expectation that women would be…

This dissertation assesses the self-representation and representation of ten elite collegiate women athletes during the first year of the NCAA's new 'name, image and likeness' policies. Building on theories of representation, gender performance, self-presentation and intersectionality, this study explores how women athletes reproduce notions of…

The purpose of this study was to center the experiences of National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I (DI) first-generation student-athletes within a predominantly White institution and explore how they define and experience "success" as it pertains to their collegiate careers. Narratives of diverse student-athletes were…

In 1971, female professional physical educators in higher education formed the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) to govern women's college athletics. The AIAW presidents gathered at the University of Iowa in July 1980 for a five-day conference: "AIAW... A Decade of Progress: Presidential Review" to create a…

Signed into law in 1972, Title IX of the Education Amendments was designed to eliminate gender discrimination throughout the American educational system. Title IX applied to all educational programs at any level of schooling including admissions, financial aid, academic programs, and social organizations. However, Title IX has primarily been…

The purpose of the study was to determine high school administrators' perceptions of the future of women as athletic directors in the state of Missouri. Superintendents, high school principals, athletic directors (ADs) in Missouri completed a Likert survey in an effort to understand perceptual context as to why more women are not in positions as…

Since the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) took control of women's intercollegiate athletics from the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), female athletic administrators have searched for their role and place in the athletics department and in higher education. In the 1980s, the NCAA developed the title of…

The major topic considered for this qualitative research study was the identification of the factors that encourage women, according to the female athletes themselves, to make the four- season commitment as players on an intercollegiate sports team at the Division III level (D-III). More specifically, this study focused on the reasons that caused…

Title IX's legislation has been in place since 1972 and has affected female participation in a positive form towards gender equity. However many institution sill have difficulty complying with the standards mandated by Title IX. Gender equity is established by meeting substantial proportionality, continued expansion, or full accommodations prongs…

This exploratory study contributes to the research on athlete leadership and team effectiveness in college sports. Athletic departments and sports coaches could benefit from a study about athlete leadership and team effectiveness in order to assist their student-leaders with leadership development and explore additional means to help improve team…

Title IX, a federal law that was passed in 1972, ensured equitable treatment for women in any federally funded program. It affected educational institutions at every level (elementary, high school, higher education) and included areas such as admissions, facilities, financial assistance, and, most notably, athletics programs within those…

The purpose of this study was to examine the history and analyze the influence of the women's track and field team at the historically black college, Tennessee State University located in Nashville, Tennessee. The study was divided into three major sections. The first part examined the founding, early development and growth of the TSU women's…