Performance Psychology

Graduate Students

Shelby Assmus

ShelbyAssmus

Hometown: Fargo, North Dakota

Undergraduate: B.S. Exercise Science, North Dakota State

 

Rachel Bowden

Rachel Bowden

Hometown: Bloomington, Illinois

Undergraduate: B.S. Exercise Science, Monmouth College

 

Dwayne Hagenow

Hometown: Kiel, Wisconsin

Undergraduate: B.S. Athletic Training, Western Illinois University

  

Ryan Krzyzkowski

Ryan Krzyzkowski

Hometown: Franklin, Wisconsin

Undergraduate: B.S. Psychology, Lakeland College

 

 

 

Philip Nickols

Rocky Sweep Logo

Hometown: Two Rivers, WI

Undergraduate:B.S. AthleticTraining, UW-Oshkosh

 

Trevor Paulsen

 Trevor Paulsen

Hometown: Bank of the Swanee, MS

Undergraduate: B.S. Exercise Science, Western Illinois University

 

 Merri Schmidt

Merri Schmitt

Hometown: Evansville, IN

Undergraduate: B.S. Athletic Training, University of Evansville

 

Danielle Thompson

Hometown: The Flatlands, IL

Undergraduate: B.S. Psychology, Central Michigan University

 

Marloes van Eijkelenburg

Marloes van Eijkelenburg

Hometown: The Hague, Netherlands

Undergraduate: B.S. Sport Management, Haagse Hogeschool Den Haag, NED

 

Track and field coaching style variations across NCAA competitive divisions

By exploring the training beliefs, protocols, theories, and methods used by track and field coaches, we can identify and better plan periodization strategies within the science of coaching to ultimately lead to peak performance in athletes. This study will be able to determine (a) if coaches coach the way the way they were taught/coached, (b) if coaches utilize research supported training methodologies, and/or (c) if coaches have developed their own training methods that could be further researched.

 

 

 

 

 

Endurance effects of concurrent strength and endurance training programming

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of pairing resistance training with endurance training in endurance athletes. I hypothesize that the resistance and endurance training group performance will be greater than the endurance training group.

 

 

 

 

The Changing Model of Athletic Training Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Athletic Trainers (GAATs) have been a viable option of healthcare for intercollegiate athletic programs for some time. GAAT carry the full responsibility of a full-time athletic trainer in the same position, with the only difference being salary and hours due to GAATs' academic responsibilities.  In 2020 a mandate for a minimum of a Master’s degree to sit for the BOC exam begins, effectively eliminating the GAAT within the following 10 years.  Colleges and universities need to explore alternative models of GAATs providing medical care of their athletes. A number of options to replace GAATs currently exist (e.g., assistant athletic trainers, internships, fellowships/residencies) yet little research has queried stakeholders about their interests and ideas. The purpose of this thesis is to assess stakeholder opinions on the most viable alternatives to GAATs following the implementation of the athletic training entry-level master's.

 

Understanding the athletic identity of student-athletes during the injury experience

With the increased interest and revenue in college sports, more focus has been given to understanding the psychological well-being of athletes. The majority of sport psychology research focuses on physically healthy athletes who can impact their team right away. There is a lack of understanding of the identity of an injured student-athlete. Re-injury anxiety and rehabilitation outcomes, all part of the injury experience, must be explored in alternative methodologies that expand the research and provide a richer understanding to this complex phenomena (Wadey, Evans, Hanton, & Neil, 2012a). Only a few studies focus on the psychosocial influence of participation (Geyh et al., 2012).The psychological well-being of student athletes may very well differ based on their health status.  

Passport to Recovery: Helping Athletes Surmount Injury

 

 

 Underreporting of concussions in college soccer players

With an increasing knowledge about concussions, and more importantly the risks associated with them, accurate recognition and management by players, coaches, and health care providers is critical. Since many symptoms of a concussion are subjective by nature, understanding the thoughts and actions of athletes at risk for these injuries can lead to better care and enhanced safety in sports. The purpose of this study is to investigate the phenomena of self-reported concussions in collegiate male soccer athletes. 

 

 

 

 Passport to Recovery: Helping Athletes Surmount Injury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploring the minds of senior triathletes: A qualitative study of training motivations

According to Grand’Maison (2004), triathlons attract people that are passionate, obsessed, focused, ambitious and sometimes compulsive. For any triathlete, it is difficult to sustain a high level of motivation (Grand’Mainson, 2004). Triathlons push the limits of human endurance and demands considerable amount of focus throughout the training process (Schofield, Dickson, Mummery, & Street, 2002). Although there have been studies on motivations of master triathletes, there is little research on the oldest of triathletes, the senior triathlete (ST). The purpose of the study is to better understand the motivations of senior triathletes to continue participating and training. By understanding their motivations to train for triathlons, one can apply the knowledge to the average aging population to help initiate and maintain physical activity.

 

 

Passport to Recovery: Helping Athletes Surmount Injury

Traveling the Yellow Brick Road: Career Transition Programming for Retiring Collegiate Student-Athletes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passport to Recovery: Helping Athletes Surmount Injury

Traveling the Yellow Brick Road: Career Transition Programming for Retiring Collegiate Student-Athletes