Perspective is Key: Insights from SASS Professionals' Perspectives on Support Services Effectiveness

The professional philosophies of individuals working in student-athlete support services (SASS) are shaped by their academic training and institutional affiliations. This study examines how these factors influence decision-making, resource allocation, and perceptions of success within collegiate athletic departments. Building on Foster and Nite’s (2022) findings that commercialized versus human development-oriented academic backgrounds influence professional focus, this research also explores how personal affiliations with collegiate athletics affect resource allocation and programmatic priorities. The study captures diverse perspectives from practitioners across collegiate athletic departments through qualitative surveys and thematic analysis. The findings broaden the scope of examination to include how personal experiences in collegiate athletics influence professional decision-making. Practical experience plays a significant role alongside the degree-specific material gained during their college experience. This research contributes to scholarly literature and offers useful implications for best practices in collegiate athletics.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Collins, Majesty Sharae

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Foster, Sayvon

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

https://www.proquest.com/LegacyDocView/DISSNUM/32791672

OAI record oai:identifier

https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Akuscholarworks.ku.edu%3A1808%2F39652