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Exploring the impact of sport
Researching well-being, social change, and innovation
CEHD faculty are pioneering groundbreaking research on how sport can improve athlete well-being, promote gender equality in media, empower underserved athletes, and create positive global impact.
Photo by iStockphoto.com
Sport as a force for good
The overall aim of Assistant Professor in Sport Management Mitchell McSweeney’s research is to examine and understand how sport organizations and individuals intentionally use sport and other physical activities to achieve nonsport goals (e.g., social inclusion, gender equality) at local, community, regional, national, and international levels. “In other words, sport for development and peace, the international field that my research takes place within,” he says. “As part of this aim, my research focuses on how organizations, particularly nonprofits, engage in social entrepreneurship and innovation to achieve their social missions.”
Research into the use of sport for development and peace (SDP) is important as sport holds tremendous value to people around the world, McSweeney explains. “While sport traditionally is related to high performance and elite level sport, such as enhancing athletic abilities to better compete, sport has potential to contribute to other social aims beyond just the physical abilities needed to play,” he says. “This research is critical to be able to assess and critique how and in what ways sport might contribute to specific development aims, and the management and organizational structures and processes that are most effective for positive development outcomes to result from SDP.”
One of McSweeney’s past research projects highlighted the role of emotions in the use of SDP. “We were interested in understanding how emotions play a critical role in driving and informing SDP work that seeks to challenge social inequalities that refugees experience,” he says.
Displacement and relocation often put refugees into a negative emotional state. This results in SDP organizations using sport as a tool to combat these negative emotions. “Emotions within specific SDP practices are central to enable a more positive emotional state of refugees and undermine the social inequality they experience,” McSweeney says. “Participating in SDP activities can divert refugee’s negative emotions to instead contribute to experiencing happiness and de-stressing.”
Currently, McSweeney is working in partnership with the SDP organization PeacePlayers USA to examine the impact of its leadership development program, a sport-for-employability program operating in Brooklyn and Detroit, and how the program, if at all, builds human capital of Black youth. “This study will significantly advance the SDP field due to limited research into the specific conditions that lead to positive economic outcomes, such as increased human capital, that can be attributed to sport-for-employability programs,” he says.
In general, McSweeney believes that SDP holds a prominent place in promoting the public good. “While sport might hold potential to contribute to social aims such as social cohesion, gender equality, and conflict resolution, the management processes and organizational structures of SDP programs are just as important to ensure that positive social outcomes are achieved,” he says. “The need to partner and work with SDP organizations is critical to ensure research is used for policy and practical impact. By working with organizational partners, my research focuses on central questions and issues important to communities, as well as seeks further understanding of how sport, SDP, and physical activity can make a difference in people’s lives.”
Through the lens of media
Dunja Antunovic, an associate professor in sport sociology, has two main research interests. One pertains to the relationship between women’s sports and the media and the other is on how broadcasters approach Olympic and Paralympic coverage in different countries.
“These are important to study because when it comes to the Olympic and Paralympic games, most of us experience these events through media coverage,” she explains. “We get selective insight into the athletes, lives, and their stories, and our experiences of these events might really depend on where we are and which media organizations we follow.”
In a recent study, Antunovic observed that there is an increased availability of the Paralympic games on broadcasters’ platforms, but depending on the media outlet, audiences might have to pay for that content. “And there is still only an emphasis on certain sports,” she says. “With limited resources dedicated to Paralympic games, broadcasters have to rely on content from governing bodies and from athletes as opposed to sending their own journalists to create original content.”
She says audiences play an important role in signaling to broadcasters the content they want to see. “Certainly, the quality of coverage and the availability of coverage of the Paralympics has expanded dramatically, but people need to know where to look to access that content,” she says. “Depending on the country, access to Paralympic content is still very inconsistent and we’re hoping to see some changes in that.”
For media coverage of women’s sports, there has been an unprecedented growth in viewing interest, especially over the last five years. “Women’s sports are breaking records in terms of viewership audiences, and of course Minnesota has been at the center of that,” Antunovic says, pointing to the Lynx basketball team, the Frost hockey team, and the Aurora soccer team, which have had successful seasons recently. “It’s important to examine how these changes are shaping the operations of women’s sports teams and journalists’ everyday work.”
In the past, journalists have said that women’s sports are not interesting, and audiences are not excited to read about or watch them, Antunovic explains. “But of course that’s changing,” she says. “And we’re seeing a shift in how journalists are talking about women’s sports.”
This new environment has opened a new line of research into identifying the factors that drive local coverage and what barriers still exist. “We also are making sure that we’re not just talking to journalists who are in major media markets, but also in smaller markets,” Antunovic says. “Journalists who cover high school sports almost exclusively have a very different type of job than a journalist who is dedicated to covering professional sports in a large media market. We want to understand the nuances and the differences in journalist roles in relation to women’s sports coverage. The reason why this is important is because we know there is a sort of decline of resources in local media and journalists are having to work with limited staff and funding and still cover a lot of sports and a lot of teams in order to serve their communities.”
Antunovic also notes that a lot of journalists she talks to tell her that covering women’s sports is not part of their assignment. “They do it because they care,” she says. “Journalists are really trying to do their best in adjusting to this new environment.”
Research labs and centers
The School of Kinesiology is home to many labs and centers devoted to researching sport, movement, and physical activity:
• Center for Clinical Movement Science
• Disability and WELLness Laboratory
• Global Institute for Responsible Sport Organizations
• Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory
• Human Sport Performance Laboratory
• Integrative Cardiovascular and Exercise Physiology Laboratory
• Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology
• Lifestyle Activity to Advance Cancer Equity
• Media Analysis Research in International Sport
• Movement Intelligence in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Laboratory
• NeuroRehabilitation Across the Lifespan
• Skeletal Muscle Plasticity and Regeneration Laboratory
• Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Laboratory
• Sports Medicine Psychology Laboratory
• Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport
Meet our CEHD Gophers
Quote from Isabella McCauley
“OLPD has prepared me for that by teaching me basic principles and skills about business – like Excel data analysis, project management, and marketing campaigns – skills I will need for the rest of my life,” she says.
Isabella McCauley was introduced to golf by her dad when she was six years old. “He wanted me and my sister to love the game as much as he did,” she says. “He made it so much fun for us with candy and games, and then as we got a bit older, we eventually loved the game for ourselves.”
Her favorite aspect of the sport is how you constantly meet new people and make friendships, even with competitors. “It’s unlike any other sport in that way,” she says. “I also love how you can see hard work pay off. It’s fun to know that the time and effort I put in will improve my game and make me better.”
Her proudest moment as a Gopher was co-winning the Big Ten Championship last year and qualifying for the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which took place in April.
She enrolled in OLPD because she wanted to gain skills in business and leadership. “I knew that OLPD shared a similar vision of emphasizing leadership and personal interactions with people,” she says. “I wanted to be a part of a school and major that was going to give me skills I can use in my future, and OLPD has done that.”
After her golf career, McCauley would love to get into marketing, and one day own her own business. “OLPD has prepared me for that by teaching me basic principles and skills about business – like Excel data analysis, project management, and marketing campaigns – skills I will need for the rest of my life,” she says.
Photo courtesy of Gopher Sports
Quote from Timothy Stapleton
The sports management program has allowed me to continue to learn about all things business while placing an emphasis on the world of sports, which has been a perfect fit for me. That, alongside the great professors, real-world experiences offered, and the first-class network that the school can provide made it a no-brainer for me to enroll in this program.
Timothy Stapleton’s family had very little exposure to the sport of wrestling before him, so he didn’t know what to expect when he was asked to try it out and showed up to his first practice at the age of five. “We played a fun game at the beginning of practice, and I assumed that was what wrestling was all about,” he says. “Before I realized that there was more to wrestling than the simple games within practice, I had already formed great friendships, seen some successes within the sport, and grown to love it – so I was hooked!”
Stapleton’s favorite part about wrestling is the bonds you create with your teammates. “It is an individual sport, but there is no way to deny that everything about it is hard,” he says. “From pushing your body to its limits in training to going out on the mat alone against another individual in a theoretical ‘fight for control.’ The sheer difficulty within the sport creates relationships like no other because you are enduring the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with the rest of your teammates.”
He is most proud of the growing success his team has seen during his time as a Gopher. “Throughout the last five years, there has been no shortage of obstacles, but my career was capped off this year as the team had our best finish at the national tournament since 2013, finishing fifth in the country,” he says.
Stapleton says he cannot speak more positively about the effects that wrestling has had on his academic career and his life as a whole. “It has helped foster my work ethic like nothing else I have ever done, taught me how to set tangible goals as a member of a team and as an individual, work towards those goals, and most importantly it has taught me how to win and lose with grace,” he says. “In life, there will always be trials and tribulations, but knowing how to overcome failure, learn from it, and continue moving towards your goals is something I will always be grateful that wrestling has taught me.”
He enrolled in the sports management MEd program in the School of Kinesiology after completing his undergad in business. “I decided to pursue this route because sports have always been one of my greatest interests, and I have always had a passion for working with other people within the business world,” he says. “The sports management program has allowed me to continue to learn about all things business while placing an emphasis on the world of sports, which has been a perfect fit for me. That, alongside the great professors, real-world experiences offered, and the first-class network that the school can provide made it a no-brainer for me to enroll in this program.”
Stapleton says his career goals are not as conventional as most. “The core goals of my career would be to treat everyone I work with with respect, never stop seeking out knowledge by surrounding myself with great people that I can learn from, and lastly to work as hard as possible, doing the best work that I am capable of doing,” he says. “CEHD has helped initiate all three of those ideals, while also giving me a great network of alumni, businesses, and UMN supporters that can help propel my future career into action!”
Photo courtesy of Gopher Sports
Quote from Mckenna Wucherer
The school offers a really broad and open degree program – it can take me in many different directions, whether that’s coaching or working for a professional sports team. I love the variety it offers me.
Mckenna Wucherer started playing volleyball when she was around six or seven years old. “My mom, who passed away from breast cancer when I was three, played this sport throughout high school,” she says. “Growing up, I always wanted to be like her because I never really knew her that well personally. And I also have two older sisters. They both played club volleyball, so once they started playing, I wanted to do the same thing. It was kind of a family affair.”
The sisters were also Division I players. One went to Northern Kentucky and finished her fifth year at Minnesota. The other played at Southern Utah. “I just wanted to be a lot like them,” Wucherer says.
Her favorite part of her sport is the team aspect. “I’m not a fan of playing an individual sport,” she says. “I love being able to rely on teammates, and obviously you can’t win a volleyball game unless everyone’s all bought in. I can’t kill a ball if I don’t get a pass or I don’t get a set. We’re always relying on each other.”
When asked about her fondest memories of U play, she points to two matches. One was in her freshman year. Her team swept Wisconsin at home in front of a sold-out arena. “That atmosphere was probably the most loud and bought-in crowd I’ve ever been a part of,” she says. This past fall, she went to Milwaukee and played at Fiserv Forum, a pretty big deal since she is originally from the area. “Being able to go home and play at the Bucks arena growing up a huge fan – I never thought I’d be able to do that,” she says. “We ended up beating Texas, who was the number one ranked team at the time, in five sets. “Being able to do that in front of all my family and friends and being able to do that in Milwaukee, in my hometown, is super, super special.”
Wucherer’s immediate plans after graduation are to play professional volleyball. After that, she believes her kinesiology degree will help her secure a position in the field she loves so much. “The school offers a really broad and open degree program – it can take me in many different directions, whether that’s coaching or working for a professional sports team. I love the variety it offers me,” she says. “It allows me to stay in the sports world which obviously my whole life has revolved around.”
Photo courtesy of Gopher Sports
Harnessing innovative technology
Assistant Professor in Sport Management Bo Yu studies the impact of innovative technology on athlete holistic development. “My research explores the use of innovative technology to enhance athlete personal and legacy branding, transform fan behavior and engagement, and support athlete well-being and holistic development,” he says.
His interest in this topic originated from his personal career transition into sport management due to a positive role model influence he received as a fan from his favorite athlete—star Asian tennis player Li Na. “This role model effect of athletes on their fans is really important for both the sports industry and academics,” he says. “With the emergence of innovative technology, how technology contributes to transforming the relationship between fans and athletes and supports underserved athletes for their personal development and well-being have become important research topics.”
In his dissertation, Yu explored how the intersection of esports and social live streaming services such as Twitch may empower professional athletes from traditional sports with alternative opportunities to develop their personal brands, create a positive brand image, and foster a positive relationship with fan communities. “Findings suggest that innovative technology has provided professional athletes with unique real-time self-presentation opportunities and automated communication using customized emojis and chatbots,” he says.
In a recent project, Yu examined how innovative technology may be adopted to bridge the gaps faced by underserved athletes; their name, image, and likeness (NIL) needs; and mental wellbeing. Under a grant, Yu developed a mobile game PAL and an open-access website, Athlete Branding Academy (athletebrandingacademy.com). “Findings from this project suggested that most student-athletes have a welcoming attitude toward the NIL policy and viewed it as a responsible action from the NCAA,” he says.
Despite the generally welcoming attitude, however, Yu observed inequality in opportunities, resources, and support for student-athletes across different divisions.
Yu’s newest research project is exploring how innovative technology may help close the gaps for fans to interact with underserved athletes, such as those retired and deceased. “Innovative technology such as virtual reality could establish and extend the social presence of deceased and retired athletes, providing them with legacy branding opportunities and allowing fans to continue to bond with athletes after their brand decline or exit,” he says. “For this project, I am looking to build a model of athlete legacy branding to contribute to theoretical development in the f ield of athlete branding.”
Optimizing athletes' well-being
Candace Hogue, an assistant professor of sport and exercise psychology, researches how we can optimize the experience and motivation of athletes with the hope that they get the most out of their sporting experiences. “The way I do that is to try to understand how the climate that coaches create impacts athlete well-being, their motivation, and their stress responses. As you can imagine, there’s quite a bit of stress in sport,” she says. “Can we set athletes up to thrive in that they’re able to manage that performance stress and have a positive experience? And, can they take all those skills they’re learning and then apply them in their lives outside of sport?”
Hogue says there’s so much to gain from our sport experiences. “It isn’t just about the enjoyment of sport,” she says. “There are so many skills that we can learn through that experience that can help us thrive in life too—to learn how to work well on teams, realize what we’re truly capable of, and understand the value of hard work.”
One of Hogue’s research projects was examining the type of climate that coaches create. “Great coaches will often create a caring, supportive environment where athletes are made to feel that they really matter as people and are respected as individuals—they’re treated with kindness, and coaches do their best to highlight their strengths and give them the tools they need to succeed and develop, no matter their ability level,” she explains.
When Hogue has run experimental investigations that have shown that when athletes are exposed to those contexts, it elicits protective physiological responses and helps them better manage performance stress. “We’ve seen the levels of cortisol and inflammation decrease in response to being exposed to these environments, which can be very protective for anybody, in particular for athletes,” she says.
In contrast, ego-involving climates where the coach’s primary concern is all about winning, athletes are punished for making mistakes even when they’ve given it their all, and the most talented or best performing athletes are given the majority of praise and positive recognition, can trigger concerning physiological and psychological stress responses in athletes. “We see a significant rise in cortisol and inflammation,” Hogue says. “We see greater levels of shame, self-consciousness, lower levels of motivation, and not feeling as capable.”
Hogue’s current line of research is looking at whether a resilience-based mental skills training program can help protect athletes against that more concerning stress response in athletes. “We’ve shown that when athletes make an effort to support one another and to focus on the controllables such as giving it their all and improving their skills, this can be protective even when they’re immersed in these ego-involving climates,” she says.
In our heart of hearts, we want to be treated well, to be respected, to be valued, and to be recognized for our efforts, Hogue says. “When we do that, it brings out the best in our athletes. It brings out the best in everyone,” she adds. “It optimizes the athletes’ motivation and it sets them up for success.”
As a final thought, Houge adds how enthused she is to be part of the research community at CEHD. “This is such an exciting environment to be in at the University of Minnesota when it comes to research because there are so many different specialties here and there’s so much opportunity to collaborate,” she says. “There’s a lot of great work being done.”
This is why I give: Karen Seashore This is why I give: Karen Seashore
The Seashore fellowship benefits graduate students with an interest in broad social issues.
