Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Physical Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the manner in which interscholastic athletics became a part of the extra-curricular offering of the schools and the political and social forces that impacted the implementation, as well as to provide the perceptions of athletic participants regarding theirEducational experience, personal character development and community impact. The research questions that guided this study where: (1) Would the development of interscholastic athletics in high schools display the fostering of beneficial lifelong attributes among participants, contribute positively to theEducational process and have a favorable impact on communities? (2) Would athletic participation help develop strong moral, social, and personal character traits among participants by serving asEducational agents? and (3) Would there be displayed among athletic participants such positive attributes as school attendance, lower discipline rates, good study habits, and better grades that contribute to theEducational mission? This study examined how different generations of one family viewed the personal growth experience of participation in interscholastic athletics in terms of character attributes, moral reasoning and social development. The family members interviewed included grandfather, Dayton Merrell, son Ted Merrell and granddaughter Katie Merrell, with reference to the life experiences and written material associated with athletic participation of deceased great-grandfather, Russell Merrell. The four generations from the birth of Russell to the current age of Katie covered 100 years and the entailing entry, growth and development of interscholastic athletics in secondary school offerings during that century. In addition, the views of participants from three key eras of sport in the 20th century were researched. Subjects provided insight into the evolution of interscholastic athletics from the turn of the century to the mid 1930s, the period through the 1960s and on through the beginning of the 21 st century. Included among those who shared their insight were John Wooden, who provided a look at the early days of high school sports as a youth in Martinsville, Indiana, through to his record 10 Division I, NCAA national championships as a basketball coach. Coach Wooden was 96 years young at the time of this study and offered insight not only into his philosophy of how sport should positively affect the lives of participants, but also a panoramic view of the century of growth and affect on schools. Mr. Smith served as the pseudonym for the subject who experienced an extremely successful playing career and shared the perspective of an African American athlete during the period of large growth of high school sports in the mid 1900s. He offered insight into the struggle to overcome segregation during this very prosperous time of interscholastic growth and popularity. This college player of the year at a major Midwest university was also a multiple year All Star in the National Basketball Association and played high school basketball at a historically strong Midwestern school. His high school was among the first segregated schools in the United States to win a state basketball championship. And, Judi Warren provided a look at the struggle for female participation later in the century. Judi was a pioneer in girls' sports taking root and flourishing in the state of Indiana. She played on the Warsaw Tiger basketball team that won the first girl's state championship and was named the first "Miss Basketball" commemorating the finest basketball player on the Indiana All Star team. Judi Warren has been an educator for 26 years and served as a girls head varsity basketball coach for 14 years after her four years of college play. The qualitative study of a number of individual findings showed common beliefs in regard to participation strengthening the development of positive personal character traits, enhancing theEducational experiences and success, and favorably drawing community and theEducational mission together. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

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