Copyright by David William Walsh 2014 The Dissertation Committee for David William Walsh certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: "SPORT AS A RESOURCE CARAVAN": EXAMINING THE ROLE AND EFFICACY OF SPORT AS A RESOURCE PROVIDER FOR ADULTS IN TRANSITION Committee: B. Christine Green, Co-Supervisor Carole Holahan, Co-Supervisor Thomas Hunt Tracie Harrison Matthew Bowers __________________________________ Jessica Cance "SPORT AS A RESOURCE CARAVAN": EXAMINING THE ROLE AND EFFICACY OF SPORT AS A RESOURCE PROVIDER FOR ADULTS IN TRANSITION by David William Walsh, B.A. Ed.; M.S. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August 2014 Dedication To my loving family! First, to my beloved son, Kian. You make life worth living everyday and I'll always remember listening with you to your favorite song Find Yourself from the movie, Cars. It is emblematic of this educational journey, as I have questioned myself through twists and turns along the way. But, through you, I always find myself when I get lost. Through you, I am illuminated and blessed to know my purpose. To my grandmother, I promised this to you long ago....I am fulfilling this promise to you and will do for the rest of my life. I miss our bond, but I know that this career will forever connect us. To my mom and dad, your belief, support, and encouragement are unwavering. You are the rocks in my life and two role models that I look up to and admire every day. Your grace, intelligence, and class in so many situations are inspiring. I do not respect and learn from anyone more than the both of you and for that, I cannot thank and love you enough. To my Uncle Rich, you provided memories of summers full of joy, influential sport experiences, and a pure love of New England. You showed me what a great lifestyle and rewarding experience an educator career can bring...I'm glad to follow your footsteps. To my sister...keep your head up and allow this to be proof to you that if I can do this, you certainly can do anything. You are incredibly loving, sweet, and empathetic to everyone around you...continue to be positive and good things will become magnetic. Finally, to my beautiful and caring wife, Alicia...simply put, I could not have accomplished this without you, both literally and figuratively. We, too, have had an interesting journey, but you always know the best road to take, even when I do not like asking for directions! Thank you for allowing me to follow my dream and loving me for who I am. I love you...always will! Acknowledgements Henry David Thoreau wrote about one of the most pleasurable activities a person could embark upon: walking. A journey that takes a person away from their comfortable abode, both figuratively and literally, to return to the "wildness" of Nature in which one is part and parcel. He states in his essay, Walking: It is true, we are but faint-hearted crusaders, even the walkers, nowadays, who undertake no persevering, never-ending enterprises. Our expeditions are but tours, and come round again at evening to the old hearthside from which we set out. Half the walk is but retracing our steps. We should go forth on the shortest walk, perchance, in the spirit of undying adventure, never to return, prepared to send back our embalmed hearts only as relics to our desolate kingdoms. If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friends, and never see them again — if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled all your affairs, and are a free man — then you are ready for a walk. (Thoreau, 2010, p. 1-2) Ironically, the motif throughout this dissertation as well as my Ph.D. experience emulates a journey away from my own comfort zone. Of course, preparing for the journey is done with the best intentions and eagerness. Along the way, you find out how pointless it all was as your naiveté rears its ugly head. Nevertheless, adjusting from the ups and downs, experiencing the flashes of brilliance and the moments of ineptitude, or managing the ebbs and flows of motivation is essentially a xenolithic and "wild" experience. In the end, I realized how much different the resulting destination could have been. But the journey is never about the end result, nor is it anything that you could have imagined in the first place...the outcome truly does not justify the means. The quality of the experience and where you eventually end up rests upon the people you encounter along the way and the relationships you build. Now, I am illuminated on just how incredible (and lucky) my experience was and how proud I am of the end result because of them. A new ventured "walk" will begin soon for me and the journey will never cease. vi But, in order to prepare my continuance, it is my duty to "pay my debts and settle my affairs" with those who have invested in me. Thus, it is my pleasure to introduce and "repay my debts" through acknowledging my classmates, dissertation committee members, and teachers/colleagues who are (and will continue to be) my mentors, motivators, comedians, "sherpas," teammates, and very good friends. First, my classmates who were essential to my development and integral to my experiences as a Ph.D student were: Ted Burden, Dr. Matthew Katz, Dr. Amy Rundio, Jeff Graham, George Kioussis, Ryan Kim, Tolga Ozyurtcu, Natalie Smith, Seth Kessler, and the rest of the UT sport management and sport studies crew. Each of you are admired and respected far more than you know....thank you for guiding me through this process with your caring support, inspiring talent, and stress-relieving comic relief. I have learned something different from everyone, contributing toward this wonderful journey. I am very proud and honored to be associated with you as my Longhorn brethren. Hook 'em! Second, my dissertation committee is an eclectic group of incredible scholars, intellectuals, and compassionate role models: Dr. Matthew Bowers, Dr. Jessica Cance, Dr. Tracie Harrison, Dr. Thomas Hunt, and my co-advisors Dr. Carole Holahan and Dr. B. Christine Green. Dr. Bowers--you were one of the first people to encourage me to "get on the bus" and delve into the depths of sport development. Every step of the way you have believed in me and my creative message. I have unwavering respect for your talented abilities as both a researcher and educator. Your support has been and will continue to be a source of structure and meaning. Thank you! Dr. Cance--I first learned how amazingly brilliant and dedicated you are during class, and I said to myself, "I have to have her on my committee!" Your assistance, vii knowledge, tough love, and ultimate belief in me gave me the confidence I needed to finish this but also to know how to overcome any challenge in the future of my career. For that, I'm forever grateful and I hope I can continue to learn and work with you in the future. Dr. Harrison--I never knew that someone so sweet and kind could be so intellectually intimidating. I finally can speak to you without stumbling over my words trying to impress you, because I realized now how compassionate, patient, and faithful you constantly give to me and all your students. Thank you for allowing me to stumble, get up, and continue to reach for my dream. Dr. Hunt--When I first came to UT, the reputation you had as a great scholar was inspiring and motivational. It was difficult to realize how approachable you would be, but I now realize that your selfless and humble attitude is but one reason why you are so successful. In addition, every student needs some comic relief and realistic perspective to finish, and I cannot express enough in words how appreciative I am of those traits. Dr. Holahan--Without your adult development class, I would not be writing this dissertation. I am in awe of your accomplishments, but more importantly, I am in disbelief of how much you have taught me throughout this process. I am inspired and feel very lucky to have you as a mentor and confidant. Thank you so much for constantly being there when I needed you and I am obliged to return the favor to you! Dr. Green--Your legend with me grows every day. I am incredibly fortunate for you to have given me the chance to learn under your tutelage. It is quite difficult to match your keen insight, depth of knowledge, or breadth of achievements. But, your message has never been about replicating others or chasing extrinsic rewards....it has always been about being unique, blazing my own path, and creating substantive difference. You taught me that this requires independence, originality, patience, integrity, viii creativity, and resolve. No doubt, I would not have become illuminated without your support and constant education. I always look forward to and cherish the time I spend with you because I learn so much...and I will make sure this continues. Again, thank you for believing in me and pushing me to take my own route....I am much better and prepared because of that...and because of you. Finally, to some of the incredible people who have helped along the way and inspired me to understand what it takes to be a great scholar and colleague: Dr.