“Will the Crested Cranes Be There in the Future?” an Exploration of the Ugandan Senior Women's National Football Team
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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2016 “Will the Crested Cranes be there in the future?” An exploration of the Ugandan Senior Women’s National Football Team Alicia Jane Johnson University of Tennessee - Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Sports Studies Commons Recommended Citation Johnson, Alicia Jane, "“Will the Crested Cranes be there in the future?” An exploration of the Ugandan Senior Women’s National Football Team. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2016. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/3759 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Alicia Jane Johnson entitled "“Will the Crested Cranes be there in the future?” An exploration of the Ugandan Senior Women’s National Football Team." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Sport Studies. Lars Dzikus, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Leslee A. Fisher, Tricia Redeker Hepner, Chris Holmlund Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) “Will the Crested Cranes be there in the future?” An exploration of the Ugandan Senior Women’s National Football Team A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Alicia Jane Johnson May 2016 ii Copyright © 2016 by Alicia J. Johnson All rights reserved. iii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the many people who have grabbed a paddle to help me navigate rough waters and a bucket when it seemed that my boat was sinking. It is dedicated to Majidah Nantanda, who has inspired me through her selfless service to girls and women in her country and her unwavering commitment to increasing access to sport and education for girls in all regions of Uganda. She is an inspiration to people all around the world. This dissertation is also dedicated to my parents, Jeff and Jane, who continuously support and encourage me while I chase my dreams. I have never forgotten their courage to move off the farm and start over so their children could pursue the life they want. Lastly, this dissertation is dedicated to Stephanie Hanna, who, even after death, has reminded me that life is what I make it. She always said to “play your hardest because you never know when it will be your last.” I live my life in her honor. iv Acknowledgements There were many times throughout my ten years of higher education when I could have never imagined I would earn a doctoral degree. Yet my strong network of support never let me lose faith in my abilities, or myself, and for that I am eternally grateful. I am also thankful for the people who have joined me in celebrating my successes along the way. Committee Members Dr. Lars Dzikus: I remember sitting in a grant-writing workshop in my first year at the University of Tennessee (UT) and you telling me that it was great to have a kindred spirit at UT. Later that year you took a chance on me and accepted me into the socio-cultural studies specialization. I am grateful for your belief in me and truly appreciate your continued advocacy and support. Thank you for making me a better scholar, teacher, colleague, and human. Dr. Leslee Fisher: I first met you in 2009 at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology annual conference in Salt Lake City. I had already decided that I wanted to pursue my PhD at UT because of your work in cultural sport psychology. Dr. Cindra Kamphoff facilitated our introduction because I was too intimidated to walk up to you on my own. Looking back, that seems like a silly thought because you are so welcoming and caring. Thank you for choosing to work with me and for continuing to mentor and support me after I switched specializations. I am glad to have you in my corner. Dr. Tricia Redeker Hepner: When I first got to UT, many people told me to seek you out because they thought I would enjoy your work. They were right! While I lost count of the number of times I cried in your classes due to the heavy topics (e.g., torture, gross human rights violations), I always admired your willingness to open yourself emotionally to advocate for the many groups of people who are too often silenced through physical, psychological, and societal ways. I am excited to complete this dissertation so I can begin tackling the many questions that arose while in your classes! Thank you for the many ways you have contributed to my professional and personal development. Dr. Chris Holmlund: While I was intimidated to sign up for your theory class, I am so thankful I did. You challenged me to read and think through concepts that I would have never had the courage to approach. My interactions with you and the authors we read helped me reach another level of thinking. Thank you for continuing to challenge me through the dissertation process. I am very grateful for your willingness to serve! Emma Ayiro: While you are not an official member of my committee, I am appreciative of your willingness to provide me with feedback on the study and to serve as a peer debriefer. Thank you for your investment. I look forward to our future collaborations! v Participants I deeply and sincerely thank each and every participant in this study for their time and willingness to trust me with their stories. I feel privileged and a great responsibility to know your stories and I will work to turn the stories into action. Network of Support: Family: My mom and dad rarely missed any athletic event while I was growing up and through college, not even daylong cheerleading competitions. They have continued their unwavering support throughout my many years of higher education. This includes driving hundreds of hours across the country to help me move and to visit me. I am so thankful for their unconditional love and I couldn’t have gotten across the finish line without them. I also want to thank my younger brother, Lucas, his fiancé Courtney, and the most adorable nephew ever, Chevy Lee. The many messages and Snapchats of encouragement helped get me through. Also, thank you to all of my wonderfully supportive extended family members. Friends: To Liz and Catie, thank you for cheering me on and for supporting me through my self doubt. Your friendship means the world to me and I can’t wait to celebrate with you when I am back in Minnesota. To Leslie and Penny Larsen, thank you for loving me and for knowing exactly what to say in every moment, especially those incredibly difficult moments that have come up over the last year. I wouldn’t be here, in school or in life, without you. To the Hanna family, thank you for your continued friendship and care. To my hometown girls – Tiffy, Onika, and Amanda – thank you for the many pep talks and your friendship over the last two-plus decades. To Rachael Johnson-Murray, thank you for challenging me to face my prejudices and privileges as an undergraduate. Your friendship has transformed my life. To my VS crew – Jen, Leah, Lindsey, Becca – thank you for your ongoing encouragement. Lastly, to Kerrie Byrd, thank you for living with me for all four years of my doctoral study and for being quite gracious during my emotional rollercoaster. I love you all! Colleague/Friends: To Anna-Marie, we started this graduate school journey together and I am so glad we are crossing the finish line in the same year. Your positivity has helped get me through! To Meredith, thank you for wanting to collaborate with me and spend several weeks sharing a room in Uganda. Working with you has made an incredible impact on me and I am so glad to also have you as a friend. To Leeja, Becky, and Samaya, each of you have been there for me through many ups and downs and I am so grateful to have you in my life as colleagues and friends. Minnesota State, Mankato: To Drs. Cindra Kamphoff and Suzannah Armentrout, thank you for introducing me to research and for inspiring me to pursue my PhD. I am fortunate to have you as strong female role models. To Dr. Bob Pettitt, thank you for supporting me in the path I chose and for helping me find ways to make that path a reality. To Jen vi Myers, thank you for your mentorship during my internship and your continued support. Finally, thank you to all of my cheer loves. Tucker Center: Thank you to Dr. Nicole LaVoi for choosing me to be a summer research intern and for continuing to mentor me long after the conclusion of the internship. I also want to thank other Tucker Center crewmembers, including Dr. Mary Jo Kane, Dr. Austin Stair Calhoun, Dr. Chelsey Thul, Alyssa Norris, Katie Wurst, and Torrie Hazelwood. Springfield College: To Dr.