Sports and Community on Campus: Constructing a Sports Experience That Matters
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Date
2013-05
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Authors
Warner, Stacy
Dixon, Marlene A.
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Abstract
Student affairs personnel are often charged with the task of creating a sense of community on campuses. Sports is among the many activities that historically have been used to meet this need for community among students. Yet, how and when a sense of community is created within a sports context has not been appropriately addressed in literature. Utilizing a community psychology theoretical framework for this study, we employed a qualitative approach to uncover the necessary factors for creating a sense of community within a sports club setting. The results revealed that Common Interest, Leadership Opportunities, Voluntary Activity, and Competition were the most critical components to creating a sense of community. The results advance community building theory and suggest practical application for improving the student experience. The implications for sports managers and student affairs administrators are also discussed.
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Citation
Journal of College Student Development; 54:3 p. 283-298
DOI
10.1353/csd.2013.0044