Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Student-Athlete College Experience

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/1544bx21d

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life for populations all over the world. One population that has been uniquely impacted by the pandemic is the student-athlete population. Over the last two years, universities took safety precautions by first sending students home and moving teaching and learning to a remote format and then instituting safety features for in-person learning. Consequently, there was an abrupt suspension of sport that left student-athletes struggling to adapt to the sudden change in lifestyle. Many factors influence the student-athlete college experience. The present investigation investigated the impact that the COVID-19 global pandemic has had on the student-athlete college experience. Specifically, the current study aimed to determine if the pandemic influenced mental and physical health, and how these key outcomes varied with factors such as attitudes towards academics, athletics, social lives, and the overall college experience of student-athletes. In order to address the variables of interest, I developed and sent out an electronic survey to 340 student-athletes at a large research university in the Pacific Northwest with a response rate of 19%. Results of the multiple regression analyses found that the NCAA GOALS subscales significantly predicted one component of mental health. Men and women varied on all measures of the study, with the most significant difference in scores of wellbeing. Findings reinforce that there are many contributing life factors that impact mental health while highlighting specific factors to pay attention to. These findings have implications for future research and practice, as mental health continues to be a pressing issue in student-athletes and the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population is not yet known. Support systems in the form of mental health, sports performance, and student affairs are necessary to guide athletes during the transitional periods of their college career and especially when uncertainty and crisis ensue.
  • Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, student-athlete, college experience
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  • Pending Publication
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  • 2022-05-05 to 2022-12-06

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