*Note* This scheduling program was not designed by folks who do a lot with APA Style and unfortunately it defaults to listing authors in alphabetical order. We cannot fix this for this online schedule, but the author orders are posted in the order submitted in the printed program available via pdf here.
The positive effects of sport participation are widely accepted. As athletes extend beyond recreational sport and into competitive sport, the effects of sport participation are less known. As athletes advance, the competitiveness and pressure escalate. The collegiate level is particularly conducive to increased athletic stress (Lu, Hsu, Chan, Cheen, & Kao, 2012). Accordingly, college sport participation is known to have juxtaposing effects on athletes (Chen, Snyder, & Magner, 2010). What is known about the direct and post-graduation effects of college varsity sport participation on the student athletes is based on data from male student athletes. There is not comparable literature on college women athletes. In this exploratory study, varsity basketball alumni of Western Washington University’s women’s basketball team provide their perceptions of their college sport experience and its impact on their lives. The study included 25 participants who responded to an emailed request to participate in the online study. The researcher used D’Zurilla, Nezu and Maydeu-Olivares’ Social Problem-Solving Inventory – Revised: Short Form to measure the participants’ social problem-solving tendencies in relation to their college sport experience (2002). Data analysis indicated that number of years as a starting member of the team is positively correlated with both self-confidence and individual skill acquisition. Additionally, participants who primarily played the shooting guard position are distinct from the respondents identifying with other positions. Qualitative data regarding the participants’ open-ended descriptions of their college sport experience, e.g., pros and cons, life skills acquired, will be discussed as well.