United States Sports Academy - "America's Sports University"

Abstract

The Professional Golf Association Tour (PGA Tour) currently ranks its
players according to their overall Total Driving performance by adding
together individual ranks for their average driving distance and for their
driving accuracy percentage. However, this widely used and reported measure
is inappropriate because it is based upon the addition of two ordinal-scaled
measures in which the underlying differences between successive ranks
are not equal. In this paper, we propose a new method for ranking golfers
in terms of their overall driving performance. The method eliminates the
drawbacks of previously reported measures, including the one used by the
PGA Tour. Using the new methodology, we re-rank all PGA Tour golfers for
the 2005 season and compare these ranks to the “official” ranks reported
by the PGA Tour. In some cases, large differences in players’ rankings
existed. The reasons for these differences are then discussed.

Abstract

This paper investigates whether or not the DNF’s (those who ‘did
not finish the race’) due to early life critical part failures are
higher than would be expected in NASCAR vehicles. The hypothesis is that
early life critical part failures are, in fact, higher than would be expected
in NASCAR vehicles. This hypothesis is based on the fact that NASCAR teams
have sizeable budgets and use only highly specialized components. In addition,
the extensive mileage typically associated with commercial vehicles is
not required of these parts. This paper develops a reliability model to
test whether the average time of failure for these critical components
is higher than what would be expected of high performance critical components.

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of modern marketing strategies upon martial
arts activity in the United States. The concentration of the inquiry is
twofold. How has marketing effected the economic activity of the martial
arts business industry? How has marketing effect the martial arts culture?
This paper begins with a historical analysis of the evolution of martial
arts as a business practice involving the use of marketing to gain customers.
Martial arts marketing practices have proven most effective when they
are personal due to the geographic location of specific schools or the
instructor-client relationship. Internet marketing is a synthesis of personal
and mass marketing, providing readily available information in a client’s
home while offering to the martial school the potential audience of a
large mass marketing campaign. Marketing has generated sufficient commercial
interest in the field, transforming martial arts into a thriving business.

Abstract

The Athletic Coping Skill Inventory (ACSI-28) was completed by twenty-six
collegiate baseball players. Performance statistics were collected, including
batting average (BA), number of errors committed (ERR), and earned run
average (ERA) for pitchers. Regression analysis was carried out using
the seven areas of the ACSI-28 (peaking under pressure, freedom from worry,
coping with adversity, concentration, goal setting and mental preparation,
confidence and achievement motivation, and ‘coachability’)
as the independent variables, and the current season’s performance
statistics as the dependent variables. Correlation coefficients revealed
significance between concentration, confidence, and ERA, while there were
no significant relationships with BA or ERR and any of the psychological
variables. Many of the psychological variables were highly related. While
sequential linear regression did not reveal statistically significant
relationships between the performance statistics and the psychological
variables, large effect sizes indicated a strong degree of practical significance.
Specifically, peaking under pressure and ‘coachability’ appeared
to be strong predictor variables for ERA, concentration for ERR, and ‘coachability’
for BA.

Abstract

An important theme in sponsorship literature involves its definition and its place in marketing theory. With regards to the latter, differing opinion exists as to whether sponsorship is a subset of advertising or whether it is a distinct member of the promotional mix. This research adopts a case study approach to argue that sponsorship should be viewed – both in marketing theory and in business practice – as a distinct and legitimate member of the promotional mix. The subject of the case is KMAC, a sports marketing agency specializing in sponsorship. Results support sponsorship’s inclusion in the promotional mix and outline future research.

Abstract

Mention the s-word -- strategy -- and thoughts go immediately to business issues and the boardroom. Strategy is easily used in the business context but it is just as easily ignored, forgotten, or possibly not even considered in the sports environment. If the s-word -- strategy-- is mentioned in sports, typically it is in reference to upper management or the owners. Then, the objective is dollars and cents -- maximizing gate receipts, holding costs in line, and returning profit on investment. Yet, strategy can be applied on the field/on-court/on-ice; the tactics of strategy are just as relevant in the sports arena as in the business arena.

The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement
presents readers with a comprehensive reference guide covering the modern
Olympic movement, including chronologies, dictionary entries, appendixes,
and references.

In a day and age when we are inundated with clichés and superficial
analyses about sports, Learning Culture through Sports: Exploring
the Role of Sports in Society is a refreshing, thought-provoking
departure from the sociobabble presented by mainstream sports media. The
authors critically evaluate the role of sport in society. They present
a critical view of how several socio-cultural issues are represented in
and through sports.