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Female Collegiate Ice Hockey Players and their Continued Involvement in Hockey beyond College

Female Collegiate Ice Hockey Players and their Continued Involvement in Hockey beyond College. Heather Muir Doctoral Student University of Northern Colorado Scholarly Conference on College Sport Chapel Hill, NC April 17, 2009. Overview. Introduction Purpose/Application Methodology

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Female Collegiate Ice Hockey Players and their Continued Involvement in Hockey beyond College

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  1. Female Collegiate Ice Hockey Players and their Continued Involvement in Hockey beyond College Heather Muir Doctoral Student University of Northern Colorado Scholarly Conference on College Sport Chapel Hill, NC April 17, 2009

  2. Overview • Introduction • Purpose/Application • Methodology • Analysis • Theoretical Model • Passages from Interviews • Future Research • References

  3. Introduction • Number of women playing ice hockey increasing • Number of female collegiate head coaches and referees declining (USA Hockey, 2005 & 2007; NCAA, 2007 & 2008; Acosta & Carpenter, 2008) • Who has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and desire to fill these positions? • Former women’s collegiate hockey players

  4. Purpose/Application • To understand what motivates female ice hockey players to continue their involvement in the sport beyond college • Organizations such as USA Hockey can provide links between groups with openings to be filled and retiring collegiate players seeking to stay involved with the sport • Percentage of female coaches and referees should increase over time with the influx of highly-skilled and experienced retired collegiate players

  5. Methodology • Grounded Theory • To explain the phenomenon of female ice hockey players continuing their involvement in hockey beyond college • Also to ascertain players’ beliefs about men coaching women • Theory and model built upon data gathered from participants (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) • Theoretical Approach • Feminist theoretical framework looking at gender roles and opportunities within the sport (Crotty, 1998)

  6. Methodology • Personal Stance • I grew up in Minnesota and have been a fan of hockey at all levels • Recently learned to skate and briefly played on a women’s league • Completed an internship with a youth hockey league • Master’s thesis looked at motivation factors of fans of women’s college ice hockey • I believe that more women should be coaches and referees for girls’ and women’s ice hockey

  7. Methodology • Participant Selection • All six participants were former female collegiate hockey players who continue to be involved with hockey as players, administrators, coaches, or refs • Chosen via a combination of methods • Convenience • Snowball • Maximum variation • Purposeful sampling including former players from: • College club teams (1 participant) • NCAA Division I teams (1 participant) • NCAA Division III teams (4 participants) (Merriam, 1998)

  8. Participants • “Amanda”(age 34) • Played club hockey in college; former DI head coach and assistant coach; current rec player, administrator, youth hockey coach, and hockey mom • “Becky” (age 25) • Played DIII hockey; current rec player, works for NHL team • “Christy” (age 28) • Played DIII hockey; former high school and youth hockey coach; current rec player, administrator • “Debbie” (age 30) • Played DIII hockey; former youth and high school referee; current referee for DI, DIII, and international women’s hockey • “Erica” (age 25) • Played DI hockey; former high school assistant coach; currently runs her own hockey camp, assistant coach for DI team, player and captain for her national team • “Fran” (age 31) • Played DIII hockey as a goalie; current rec player

  9. Participants • Many participants were the “first” to do something: • Played in the very first girls’ state high school hockey tournament in Minnesota • Played on the inaugural team at her high school and her college • Scored the very first goal in her college’s history • First head coach for a new Division I college team

  10. Methodology • Setting • Central Minnesota – Mankato and Twin Cities metropolitan area • Region has strong programs for girls’ and women’s ice hockey • Interviews in meeting rooms at local colleges • Data Collection • Personal hockey histories completed in advance • Semi-structured, one-on-one, in-person interviews • Why are you still involved with hockey? • Should men coach women? • Interviews digitally recorded • Field notes taken during interviews (Merriam, 1998)

  11. Trustworthiness • Multiple data sources: interviews, transcriptions, personal hockey histories, field notes • Compared transcriptions to digital recordings for accuracy • Shared transcriptions with participants to verify accuracy • Constant comparison of model with various data sources • Sought feedback from participants regarding the theoretical model • Sought feedback from a classmate (who is an elite athlete and is also studying elite female athletes) regarding the theoretical model (Creswell, 2007)

  12. Analysis • Transcription of interviews • Use of pseudonyms for participants • No personally-identifiable information • Coding of phrases • Open • Axial • Selective (Strauss & Corbin, 1990)

  13. Analysis • Generated list of categories • These groupings emerged: • Personal contexts • Social contexts • Factors impacting participation • Multiple roles in sports

  14. Analysis • Looked for relationships between categories: • Core category: Why am I involved? Hockey is a big part of who I am • Personal and social contexts helped shape this identity • Conditions: Under what conditions are you involved? • Factors promoting involvement • Factors inhibiting involvement • Outcomes: How am I involved in hockey? • Variety of roles • Multiple roles simultaneously • Theoretical model with graphical representations

  15. Model Explaining Continued Involvement in Ice Hockey after College for Female Athletes Personal and Social Contexts Actions and Outcomes (+) Conditional Path (+) (+) (+) (+) (+) Why am I Still Involved? Hockey is a Big Part of Who I Am (Core Category) Factors Impacting Involvement Promote (+) or Inhibit (-) (Conditions) How am I Still Involved? Many Possible Roles, Fill More Than One (Outcomes) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

  16. Why are You Still Involved?

  17. Why are You Still Involved? • Christysaid, “because it [hockey] was such a big part of my life…that it’s just a given that it will always be a part of my life.” • Fran echoed this sentiment, hockey is “such a great sport and so much a part of who I am and it’s a part of who my family is.” • Likewise, Amanda felt the same way about the role of hockey in her life: “It’s been a part of my everyday life. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Probably the worst time in my life was when I didn’t play hockey.”

  18. Why are You Still Involved? • Beckyexpressed a passion for hockey, “I felt that I had put a lot of heart and soul into the game.” • Passion was a theme for Erica as well: • It’s kind of where my heart is. I wake up every morning and I enjoy going to the rink, I enjoy spending time with my teammates…at the rink and away from the rink. I enjoy everything about the game. There’s just so much about playing a sport and that happens to be hockey for me which is my passion. It’s just a thing where I have fun doing it. It’s just fun for me, I enjoy doing it, and so that’s why I love it.

  19. Why are You Still Involved? • Debbiealso talked about her friends in hockey: • It’s so social to me. I mean it’s like my entire social life… I feel like my friends are still involved, but maybe I’m friends with them because of it [hockey]. • Beckymentioned her personality and how hockey is a match for her job with a professional hockey team: • “I’m in sales where I have to be competitive, aggressive, and out-spoken…just like in hockey.”

  20. Model Explaining Continued Involvement in Ice Hockey after College for Female Athletes Personal and Social Contexts Athletic Identity Personality Traits Emotions Why am I Still Involved? Hockey is a Big Part of Who I Am (Core Category) Been Playing My Whole Life Leader in Sport Others Identify Me With Sport Role of Influencers Social Life

  21. Under What Conditions are You Involved?

  22. Conditions Impacting Involvement • When asked what differentiated her from others who did not stay involved, Debbie suggested “ask the people involved in hockey and not involved in hockey about what they do during the day.” • Debbie and her hockey friends have taken jobs during the week that allow them the flexibility to be involved with hockey at night and on the weekends.

  23. Conditions Impacting Involvement • Amandaspoke about “burn out”: • Some of them never put the skates back on. Literally they don’t do an open hockey…they just are done with it…they get burned out. They practiced four to five days a week and go to games…and I think that at the Division I level with that much pressure to just constantly be working on your physical attributes. • At that last point where it’s like…oh, I don’t have to be someplace right now…don’t have to be on the bus…I don’t have to go to the rink…I don’t have to go to the weight room…I don’t have to go to the team meal…I’m so glad that I can just sit on my couch and watch TV.

  24. Model Explaining Continued Involvement in Ice Hockey after College for Female Athletes Personal Desire & Passion (+) Conditional Path Flexible Work Schedule (+) Awareness of Opportunities (+) Supportive Family (+) Friends Involved (+) High Skill Level (+) Factors Impacting Involvement Promote (+) or Inhibit (-) (Conditions) Lack of Personal Desire & Passion (-) Burnt Out with Sport (-) Inflexible Work Schedule (-) Career-Oriented (-) Unaware of Opportunities (-) Family Priorities (-) Friends Not Involved (-) Low Skill Level (-)

  25. How are You Involved?

  26. How are You Involved? • I assumed that my participants filled just a single role; they were just a coach or just a player or just a youth hockey board member. • Each participant filled multiple roles simultaneously. • Many filled leadership roles in college and during post-collegiate careers.

  27. How are You Involved? • Amanda’s Leadership Roles • College: • Organized club team • Coached team • Played on team • Post college: • Served as head coach for a Division I team • Served as an assistant coach for another Division I team • Coaches several youth hockey teams • Serves on youth hockey board • Coordinates outreach program to recruit young girls • Coordinates academic achievement program for youth hockey players

  28. How are You Involved? • Debbie’s Leadership Roles • College • Helped team transition from club level to NCAA Division I level • Captain of team for junior and senior years • Post college • Coached a high school team • Ran a development program in Salt Lake City following the 2002 Winter Olympic games • Served as a board member on a hockey association • Coordinated the evaluation process for a hockey association • Coordinated camps for girls’ and women’s referees • Served as a mentor for up-and-coming male and female referees

  29. How are You Involved? • Erica explained her role as an advocate: • Right now I do [feel a need to be an advocate] just because I would love to see women’s hockey grow so much and I think it’s capable…I do feel that I’m in a position, with my name recognition and being a coach now, to step out in the community and be an advocate or talk to little girls…that’s definitely a role that I’m in now.

  30. How are You Involved? • Debbieexplained she feels an obligation to influence future players: • I’m more comfortable right now being an influencer because I feel like everybody else influenced me and I would be doing a disservice to the future of hockey if I didn’t begin to start influencing people.

  31. Model Explaining Continued Involvement in Ice Hockey after College for Female Athletes Actions and Outcomes Player Coach Leader Organizer How am I Still Involved? Many Possible Roles, Fill More Than One (Outcomes) Advocate Development Hockey Mom Referee Work for NHL Team Mentor Influencer

  32. Model Explaining Continued Involvement in Ice Hockey after College for Female Athletes Personal and Social Contexts Actions and Outcomes Personal Desire & Passion (+) Athletic Identity Player Conditional Path Flexible Work Schedule (+) Coach Awareness of Opportunities (+) Personality Traits Supportive Family (+) Leader Friends Involved (+) Emotions Organizer High Skill Level (+) Why am I Still Involved? Hockey is a Big Part of Who I Am (Core Category) Factors Impacting Involvement Promote (+) or Inhibit (-) (Conditions) How am I Still Involved? Many Possible Roles, Fill More Than One (Outcomes) Advocate Been Playing My Whole Life Development Leader in Sport Lack of Personal Desire & Passion (-) Hockey Mom Others Identify Me With Sport Burnt Out with Sport (-) Referee Inflexible Work Schedule (-) Work for NHL Team Role of Influencers Career-Oriented (-) Unaware of Opportunities (-) Mentor Social Life Family Priorities (-) Influencer Friends Not Involved (-) Low Skill Level (-)

  33. Should Men Coach and Referee Women’s Ice Hockey?

  34. Should Men Coach Women? • Beckysaid: • I prefer a male coach. Hands down. I’ve experienced both and I just don’t think women are ready. I think that girls should definitely be assistant coaches. It’s great to have that balance, but as far as the head coaches go I think that the men are doing a great job. Girls have a little thing called emotions…and sometimes the women coaches let their emotions get the best of them.

  35. Should Men Coach Women? • Ericafelt that the roles of players, referees, and coaches are genderless: • I look at it like I look at myself…I’m a hockey player, not a female hockey player or male hockey player. They’re my coach, they’re not a female or a male. If they know their stuff and they can motivate and teach…quality, definitely, it doesn’t matter what gender they are if they do a good job and help their teams be successful, I don’t see a difference.

  36. Should Men Coach Women? • Debbieargued that quality is key and gender secondary. But she also felt that if all things are equal, then the woman should get the job for a woman’s team. • I just look at who is qualified for that particular position and if there’s an equivalent woman available, I think she should get the opportunity. I don’t think I should get opportunities because I’m female, but if I’m just as good as a man, I should get the opportunity because it’s a female’s game.

  37. Should Men Coach Women? • But Debbie was also hopeful about the future of the game: • Finally a wave of women who are prepared, have the skills, and have the knowledge to become head coaches in the future. • Many current and former Olympians (Natalie Darwitz, Julie Chu, and Jenny Potter) have competed on girls’ and women’s teams throughout their careers and have learned from the best male coaches. • I hope they’re all going to stay committed if they want to. We’re going to be in trouble if we don’t have those good leaders and see how good of leaders they can be and that the sport needs.

  38. Future Research • Pilot study for dissertation • Subjects: Women who play ice hockey • Involvement Profiles (Why) • Attraction • Centrality • Social Bonding • Identity Expression (to self) • Identity Affirmation (to others) • Leisure Constraints (Conditions) • Experience • Psychological • Time • Finance/Access • Lack of Opportunities • Behavioral Profiles (How) • Participation – yes/no • Frequency • Duration • Intensity • Continuation • Roles • Player • Administrator • Coach • Referee • Volunteer • Participation-Related Purchases • Participation-Related Media Use

  39. References Acosta, R. V., & Carpenter, L. J. (2008). Women in intercollegiate sport: A longitudinal study, national study; Thirty one year update, 1977-2008. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from: http://www.acostacarpenter.org/2008%20Summary%20Final.pdf Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Crotty, M. (1998). The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. National Collegiate Athletic Association. (2007). Participation: 1981-1982 – 2005-2006:NCAA sports sponsorship and participation rates report. Retrieved July 8, 2008, from http://www.ncaa.org/library/research/participation_rates/1982-2006/1982_2006_participation_rates.pdf National Collegiate Athletic Association (2008). Women’s ice hockey. Retrieved July 8, 2008, from http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=57 Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. New York: Sage. USA Hockey. (2005). 2004-2005 season final registration reports. Retrieved October 14, 2006, from http://www.usahockey.com/servlets/FileServlet/relatedDocuments/0C50CFCE11163066E0440003BA5FE009/Complete%2004-05%20Final%20Reports.pdf USA Hockey. (2007). 2006-2007 season final registration reports. Retrieved July 8, 2008, from http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/Menu_Membership/Menu_Membership_Statistics/0607%20final.pdf

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