Date of Award

12-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Nobuya Inagaki

Second Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Abstract

Youth sports are viewed as a prime venue for teaching social values and life skills. By virtue of their organizing and leadership positions, adults play a critical role in communicating these lessons. Although there is little debate on the criticality of positive sportsmanship, there has been a serious trend in increasingly unsportsmanlike behaviors at youth events. In response, many organizations have implemented programs designed to increase positive adult sportsmanship communications and pro-social behaviors. While studies have shown that training does result in increased sportsmanship, less information is available on the impacts of such programs beyond increasing the “fun factor.” This study explores the connection between adult education programs and youth participant self-competence. A total of 160 children, ages 8 to 11, from two comparable youth football leagues completed a self-competence assessment following their 2010 season. The study’s primary dependent variable was the presence or lack of a league sponsored adult training program. The results indicate that the presence of adult education programs is likely to have a significant effect on the self-competence levels of participants, and highlight the value of continued implementation of such programs.

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