Forming an Identity: First Year College Athletes Group ...



Forming an Identity: First Year College Athletes Group ProposalCampbell Query and Nate KapsalBowling Green State UniversityForming an Identity: First Year College Athletes Group ProposalAthletes across the world are part of a special population, especially collegiate athletes. Athletes in universities are generally held to very high standards. They have to maintain a certain GPA, they have to compete in games, and practice every day all the while knowing that their every move is being monitored by someone. Even when out of season athletes must still maintain a certain acceptable GPA and participate in out of season training. This could create high levels of stress. The difference from high school to college is such a drastic change that many first year athletes struggle with the transition. This struggle in many cases is within the development of the athletes identity.Stress is a natural feeling when it comes to being in college and in life. Everyone feels stress at some point. McGrath and Beehr (1990) defined stress by stating “we regard stress as a multiple-stage process involving the interplay of some social unit (individual, group, organization) and some conditions or events within the (physical, social, and/or technological) environment of that social unit” (pg. 93). As a student-athlete there exist many different identities/social units where stress can arise and create a conflict within that identity. For example, when a student is in the classroom they take on an academic identity. Any particular assignment, test, or project can affect the role of the student within that identity. The same goes for their athletic identity, any event within the athletic realm can have an impact on their role/identity as an athlete. The stress level of an incoming college student is different than that of a returning college student due to the adaptation to the college environment (Earnest & Dwyer, 2010). This stress can impact the perception of their identity for a student-athlete. Many athletes experience role confusion and conflict, that is, they over identify themselves as an athlete and not as a student-athlete (Harris, Altekruse, & Engels, 2003). An overidentification with an athlete role can have many negative consequences. Such as the neglect of academic elements that lead to being an unsuccessful student and difficulties transitioning out of the sport (Brewer & Cornelius, 2001). Sage and Loudermilk (1979) define role conflict as being present when an individual perceives or experiences their role expectations as being incompatible. For example, their might be a conflict for a female athlete participant that has a conflict between her role as a female and her role as an athlete. This conflict occurs at some point within all athletes. Student-athletes experience role conflict when expectations as a student interfere with the expectations as an athlete (Lance, 2004). As a first year student-athlete the balance and transition into these roles can be overwhelming and difficult. Athletes who remain in sports over a long period of time develop a prominent athletic identity where they strongly identify with an athletic role (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1997). This identification can be both positive and negative. In general, self-esteem, role confusion, and overidentification are something that occurs within most first-year collegiate athletes. The abilities to handle the stress of this transition into college are what are most difficult for first year student-athletes and the development of a positive identity.Consideration of Leadership Styles and PreferencesBeing versatile is the best way to be an effective leader. When working with athletes it is important to use a leadership style that will effectively cater to the specific needs of the group members while at the same time allowing the group members the opportunity to meet those needs on their own. A leader-directed approach would probably be suited best for incoming freshman athletes because if it were left up to them to determine the direction and content of the sessions the purpose and goals may not be met. A commonality among collegiate athletes is a drop in self-esteem (Armstrong & Oomen-Early, 2009). This drop in self-esteem could be due to any number of factors. The intrapersonal style of leadership is better for group members at gaining an understanding of certain issues that are likely to arise (Jacobs, Masson, Harvill, & Schimmel, 2012). As leaders working with athletes it is important to stay focused on the goals of the group. Using the intrapersonal style is better suited for working with athletes because the leaders can directly address specific common issues that have likely arisen for the first year athletes. If you wait for the issues to emerge the focus of the group may become lost. As we continue on in our development and practice within a group setting it is important to consider how we may try to approach our group and how we actually approach the group. While it is easy to say we need to be leader-directed and take an intrapersonal approach it is very easy for beginning group counselors to let the group members deviate away from the plans. The muddy area is deciding whether or not this deviation is having a positive effect on the group or if the leaders have lost contact with the group during that session. Flexibility is important to have as a leader but deciding on how flexible may be a challenge for us as beginning counselors. Focus and Goal of the GroupThe purpose of the group is to focus and explore building an identity within academics and athletics for first year college athletes. In many cases when an athlete enters into college academics will get pushed aside. This is when overidentification as an athlete takes place. The goal of the group is to cultivate this athletic identity beyond just athletics. Group InformationThe group would ideally be publicized at orientations. The group leaders would also ideally be in contact with coaches at the institution and its athletic teams. The group meetings would be held in an academic building on campus. The screening of members would take place before the first session. The group is specifically directed at first year college athletes, the age is unspecified because of the wide range of age possibilities at the Division I level. There are no specific sport or gender requirements, only that they are a member of a varsity team. The group numbers will be small, having 6-7 group members. The thought behind the small group was that the group leaders could lead several different groups of athletes in the future. The initial group would take place 6 weeks into the fall semester. The thought was that athletes will have adjusted enough to the college life in this amount of time and made some realizations of the struggles of transitioning and role confusion. The meetings will be every Wednesday night and last approximately 90 minutes. It will be a 6 week group. Session PlansThe following is session plans for the 6-week group working with first year athletes on self-awareness and identity formation.Session 1: OpeningPurpose: To get to know each group member and for group members to become more comfortable. Also, to discuss future topics within the group, what to expect, rules, fears, questions, and the content of the group.Opener: Notable name enhancement with ‘I’ve never done..’. Each group member will state their name with two adjectives that start with the same letter of their first name followed by something that they have never done but always wanted to do. Example: ‘I am sarcastic silly Sally and I have never ridden a horse in the ocean but I would like to give it a try.’Activity: Pre-Group - Rosenberg Self-Esteem TestProcedure: The group will be given the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Test and asked to answer the questions on this test honestly. They will be told that the results of this test are confidential and, only at their discretion, will they be shared. The results of the test will not be discussed during this session, but may be discussed among the group in future session. Finally, the group leaders will not use the information provided on the test will not be used in an inappropriate manner (purposely vague yet reassuring) within the group setting.Main Activity: Sentence Completion. Procedure/Goal: The purpose of this activity is to see what goals and expectations each group members has coming into the group. The question may start out as ‘I am expecting to get __________ out of this group’ and evolve if several of the same answers arise. The goal of this activity is to show similarities among group members and form a trusting atmosphere within the group. Possible Questions:What are some similarities that we are all expecting out of this group?Has anyone’s opinions changed since the beginning of this session?Where is the comfort level of the group?Closing: Ask if there are any questions or areas that need clarification. Session 2: External PressuresPurpose: Some of the members in this group will be under the intense spotlight of athletic competition for the first time while others may have experience being in the spotlight. Either way, the pressures that are included with being a student-athlete at the college level will be a new and intense experience for all of the members of this group. The purpose of this session is to explore the external pressures that are placed on these first year college athletes. These pressures may come from coaches, parents, teammates, professors, or sport fans. They could also develop from the external rewards of a scholarship.Opener: The opener will be a 5-minute deep breathing activity designed to get the group members relaxed and ready to focus on the group session.Activity: Personal Board of DirectorsProcedure: Group members will be given a pen and a blank sheet of paper. The members will be asked to draw a long rectangle that represents a table. They will then be instructed to put the names of the people who are on their “board of directors” as names around the table. The people can be alive or dead. Typically these are people with whom you consult to help make big decisions or make big decisions for you without your consultation.Processing Questions:Who runs the meeting?Where are you at the table?If you aren’t running the board, then what is your role?Are there individuals that you would like to fire from your board? How would you like your board meeting to change?What impacts does this board have on your life? Are they positive or negative impacts?What does this board of directors tell us about you?What does the board of directors expect from you?Closing: Ask group members each to create a name of the company for which their board of directors represents.Session 3: Personal ExpectationsPurpose: The purpose of this session is to move on from the previous session of what others expect from the group members and explore what the group members expect from themselves.Opener: The opener will be a 5-minute progressive muscle relaxation activity designed to get the group members relaxed and ready to focus on the group session Activity: Expectations in a HatProcedure: The group members will be given a small sheet of paper and a writing utensil. They will be asked to write on that sheet of paper one expectation that they have for themselves for this coming year. On the other side, they will write down an expectation that they have for themselves for the next 5 years. The sheets of paper will be folded and placed in a hat. The group will then pass the hat and select one piece of paper. Each member of the group will then read one of the expectations from the paper. The group will then ask them questions about this expectation and the member who read the expectation will answer the questions as if it is their own. Once everyone in the group has taken a turn, the activity will be processed.Processing Questions:What was it like to act out someone else’s expectation?How does it feel to hear other’s expectations of themselves?Which of these expectations are driven by our board of directors?How would it feel to not meet these expectations?Who would like to discuss what expectations they have for themselves?Closing: Discuss the expectations they have for themselves for the rest of the week.Session 4: Self-EsteemPurpose: A large part of self-awareness and personal identity is tied to self-esteem. The purpose of this session is to explore the self-esteem of these first year college athletes. This session is meant to be the deepest session of the whole group. Thus, it is designed to be less structured and more attentive to personal needs.Opener: The opener will be to take the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Test for the second time and then learn how to self-score it.Main Activity: Once the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Test is taken, it will be processed within the group.Procedure: The group will be supplied with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Test and a writing utensil. The will be given the same instructions as the first session when they took this test. Processing Questions:Which of the questions were difficult to answer?Which were easy to answer?Are you unhappy with your score and wish that you could change it?Are you unhappy with one of your answers and wish you could change it?How does it feel to have a self-esteem score?How would it feel if your self-esteem score were posted for everyone in the group to see?Do you feel like those closest to you could guess what your Self-Esteem score is?How would you be different if your score was different?Closing: Discuss with the group that the number this test provides is not meant for comparing two separate individuals to each other because of various personality factors. It is meant to compare one individual to themselves over a period of time. Session 5: Dealing with Stress and AnxietyPurpose: The purpose of this second-to-last group is to prepare the group for termination while still discussing a therapeutic topic. This session is not designed to increase the depth of the group, but to help them discover the applicable aspects of the first 4 session. There will be mini-lectures within this session that are separated by processing sessions.Opener: The opener will be a guided imagery centralized around building confidence.Activity: What Stresses Do You Experience? What Gives You Anxiety?Procedure #1: The session will start with a mini-lecture on stress and how this word is actually a neutral word neither positive nor negative). It will highlight the existence of eustress and distress. The reactions to stress will also be discussed.Processing Questions:What type of eustress do you experience?What are some distressing aspects of your life?How do you think you would feel if all of your distress disappeared?What are some common reactions to stress?What are some feelings associated with those reactions?Procedure #2: The second part of this session will start with a mini-lecture on the origin of anxiety and its negative effects in the classroom, during sport, and in social situations.Processing Questions What does anxiety look like for you?How does being anxious feel?When are you most anxious?Were you ever anxious in this group?Closing: Prepare the group for termination after next week through group discussion.Session 6: Closing, BalancePurpose: The purpose of this final session is to make one last impact on the group with an activity as well as to process what this final session means to the group members.Opener: Balancing ActProcedure: The group members will pair up for this activity. There will be a 2X4 on the floor of the room. In pairs, one group member will stand on the wood balance beam while holding two empty bags out to their sides. The other group members will be given rocks to place in each of the bags. The directions for each pair is to label each bag as either person or athlete, then they will label each rock that is placed in the bag with a role that they play in their life. For example, the bag on the balancing member’s right side can be labeled person while the bag on the left can be labeled athlete. The member who is not balancing will grab a rock to put in the left bag. They decide together that this rock represents them as a basketball player. They will then put a rock in the right bag that is labeled as being a son/daughter. The goal is to show the importance of balancing these two parts of their lives.Processing Questions:How hard was it to balance the two bags?Is there ever a time when your bags aren’t balanced and you feel like you are going to fall?Activity: Post-Group - Rosenberg Self-Esteem TestActivity: Closing Processing Questions:Are there any feelings associated with this being the end of the final group?What were your experiences within this group?What did you get out of this group?Are there any additional comments, questions, or concerns?Possible Group ChallengesWithout a doubt the biggest challenge that this group will face is attendance. The NCAA says that student-athletes cannot be required to put in more than 20 hours of total practice and game time per week. However, these 20 hours do not include travel time, mandatory study hours, and “voluntary” team activities. Needless to say, this population has a tight schedule, so attendance will be an issue not due to lack of motivation, but due to a lack of time. Due to the busy schedules of the targeted group members, the leaders should be aware that they may be adding more distress to the group members due to the added responsibility of coming to the group every week.Evaluating the Group The two ways in which this group will be evaluated are the pre- and post-Rosenberg Self-Esteem Test as well as a short evaluation at the end of the group. Average change scores for the Rosenberg Test could be calculated rather easily and give an idea of how self-esteem changed over time as the group members became more self-aware. The assumption would be that as self-awareness increased so too would self-esteem with a positive correlation. If this assumption is true then positive change scores on the Rosenberg would indicate an increased self-awareness as it relates to identity within the group while also giving feedback on the success or failure of the group. The short, qualitative evaluation would also be used to measure the success or failure of the group and its leaders. Questions such as, “what would you change about this group, or what did you enjoy about the group, and what did you get from this experience” would give a good understanding of the group members perceptions of the RMED CONSENT—GROUP COUNSELINGWelcome to your group experience!Group counseling can be a powerful and valuable venue for healing and growth. It is the desire of your group facilitator(s) that you reap all the benefits group has to offer. To help this occur, groups are structured to include the following elements:- A safe environment in which you are able to feel respected and valued as you work- An understanding of group goals and group norms- Investment by both your facilitator(s) and members to produce a consistent group experience A Safe EnvironmentA safe environment is created and maintained by both the facilitator(s) of a group and its members. Primary ingredients are mutual respect and a chance to create trust. Another primary ingredient for a safe environment has to do with confidentiality. Your group facilitator(s) are bound by law to maintain confidentiality, as group members are bound by honor to keep what is said in the group in the group. We realize that you may want to share what you are learning about yourself in group with a significant other. This is fine as long as you remember not to talk about how events unfold in group or in any other way compromise the confidentiality of other group members. LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY:- If you are a threat to yourself or others (showing suicidal or homicidal intent), your facilitator(s) may need to report your statements and/or behaviors to family or other appropriate mental health or law enforcement professionals in order to keep you and others safe.- There are a broad range of events that are reportable under child protection statues. Physical or sexual abuse of a child will be reported to Child Protective Services. When the victim of child abuse is over age 18, reporting is not mandatory unless there are minors still living with the abuser, who may be in danger. Elder abuse is also required to be reported to the appropriate authorities.- If a court of law orders a subpoena of case records or testimony, your facilitator(s) will first assert “privilege” (which is your right to deny the release of your records although this is not available in all states for group discussions). Your facilitator(s) will release records if a court denies the assertion of privilege and orders the release of records. Records may also be released with your written permission. Records will include only your personal progress in group—not information about other group members.- Facilitators may consult with other professionals regarding group interactions. This allows a freedom to gain other perspectives and ideas concerning how best to help you reach your goals in group. No identifying information is shared in such consultations unless a release has been obtained from you as a group member.OTHER SAFETY FACTORS:- Members of a group may not use drugs or alcohol before or during group- Members of a group should not engage in discussion of group issues outside of group - Members of group should remember that keeping confidentiality allows for an environment where trust can be built and all members may benefit from the group experience- Your group facilitator(s) will monitor discussions and maintain a respectful environment to keep safety and trust a priorityATTENDANCEYour presence in group is highly important. A group dynamic is formed that helps create an environment for growth and change. If you are absent from the group this dynamic suffers and affects the experience of you and other members of the group. Therefore, your facilitator(s) would ask that you make this commitment a top priority for the duration of the group. The group facilitators are aware that athletic events will take precedence over group meeting times and that absences may occur because of athletics. It is understood that occasionally an emergency may occur that will prevent you from attending group. If you are faced with an emergency or sudden illness, please contact your facilitator(s) before group begins let them know you will not be present. Because it usually takes several group sessions for clients to "settle in" and receive the full benefits a therapy group provides, we ask incoming members to make a 6-week commitment when they join a group. WHAT TO EXPECTGroup time consists of both teaching and processing time. Processing may revolve around an issue one member of the group is working on with time for structured feedback and reactions by other members of the group. At times the group may focus on a topic with all members verbally participating. In either case, the group dynamic offers a place where you can experience support, give support, understand more clearly how you relate to others, and examine your own beliefs about yourself and the world around you. These dynamics provide a very powerful environment for change. Remember, the more you give of yourself during the sessions, the more you will receive. The more honest and open you are, the more you allow for insight and growth.CONSENTPlease fill out the top and bottom of this form. The bottom portion of the form is foryour records and the top portion of the form will be kept in your file. Thank you!Group Consent Form—Name of Group:_______________________________________________I have read the above information, understand the information, and agree to the terms of groupparticipation.Signature of Group Member/Guardian:_________________________________________________________Printed Name of Group Member (include printed name of Guardian, if applicable):_________________________________________________________Date: _________________Signature of Facilitator(s):_________________________________ _________________________________**************************************************************************CLIENT’S COPYI have read the above information, understand the information, and agree to the terms of group participation.Signature of Group Member/Guardian:_________________________________________________________Printed Name of Group Member (include printed name of Guardian, if applicable):_________________________________________________________Date: _________________Signature of Facilitator(s):_________________________________ _________________________________ReferencesArmstrong, S., & Oomen-Early, J. (2009). Social Connectedness, self-esteem, and depression symptomology among collegiate athletes versus nonathletes. Journal of American College Health, 57(5), 521-526. Brewer, B, Van Raalte, J., & Linder, D. (1997). Athletic identity: Hercules muscles or Achilles heel? International Journal of Sports Psychology, 24, 235-254. Brewer, B., & Cornelius, A. (2001). Norms and factorial invariance of the Athletic Identity Scale. Academic Athletic Journal, 15, 103-113. Ernest, D.,& Dwyer, W. (2010). In their own words: An online strategy for increasing stress-coping skills among college freshman. College Student Journal, 44(4), 888-900.Harris, H., Altekruse, M., & Engels, D. (2003). Helping freshman student athletes adjust to college life using psychoeducational groups. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 28(1), 64-81.Jacobs, E., Masson, R., Harvill, R., & Schimmel, C. (2012). Group Counseling: Skills and Strategies. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.Lance, L. (2004). Gender differences in perceived role conflict among university student-athletes. College Student Journal, 38(2), 179-190.McGrath, J. E., & Beehr, T. A. (1990). Time and the stress process: Some temporal issues in the conceptualization and measurement of stress. Stress Medicine, 6(2), 93-104. Sage, G., & Loudermilk, S. (1979). The female athlete and role conflict. Research Quarterly, 50,88-96. ................
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