“One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives

The increase in research related to intercollegiate athletic coaching, athletes, and leadership continues to be of note within the sport management field. However, less is known about the position of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) despite t...

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Main Authors: Allison Smith, Robin Hardin, Elizabeth Taylor, Jessica Siegele, Kelsie Saxe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Kansas Libraries 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Intercollegiate Sport
Online Access:https://journals.ku.edu/jis/article/view/21564
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author Allison Smith
Robin Hardin
Elizabeth Taylor
Jessica Siegele
Kelsie Saxe
author_facet Allison Smith
Robin Hardin
Elizabeth Taylor
Jessica Siegele
Kelsie Saxe
author_sort Allison Smith
collection DOAJ
description The increase in research related to intercollegiate athletic coaching, athletes, and leadership continues to be of note within the sport management field. However, less is known about the position of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) despite their important role to serve as a liaison between the academic and athletic units on their campuses. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine NCAA FARs perceived mattering, role satisfaction, relationship between the two variables, and the experiences and interactions that affected their perceptions of mattering. Three hundred and two NCAA FARs participated in the survey and results demonstrated that overall FARs perceived they mattered and had high satisfaction in their role. Open-ended responses expanded this sense of mattering by situating it within recognition for service, contributions to decision-making and communication with leadership, and aiding student-athlete success. However, when mattering was not felt, it was due to exclusion from leadership, lack of power, and a lack of compensation. Thus, practical and managerial implications are provided to ensure the role of the FAR is furthering the goals of both academic and athletic communities alike on their campuses.
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publisher University of Kansas Libraries
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series Journal of Intercollegiate Sport
spelling doaj-art-4df12c2602a642cb889b0babe38be1cd2025-08-20T03:11:57ZengUniversity of Kansas LibrariesJournal of Intercollegiate Sport1941-63421941-417X2025-02-0118110.17161/jis.v18i1.21564 “One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic RepresentativesAllison Smith0Robin Hardin1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6638-2246Elizabeth Taylor2Jessica Siegele3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0976-2883Kelsie Saxe4Georgia State UniversityUniversity of TennesseeTemple UniversityUniversity of North Carolina-PembrokeUniversity of Tennessee The increase in research related to intercollegiate athletic coaching, athletes, and leadership continues to be of note within the sport management field. However, less is known about the position of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) despite their important role to serve as a liaison between the academic and athletic units on their campuses. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine NCAA FARs perceived mattering, role satisfaction, relationship between the two variables, and the experiences and interactions that affected their perceptions of mattering. Three hundred and two NCAA FARs participated in the survey and results demonstrated that overall FARs perceived they mattered and had high satisfaction in their role. Open-ended responses expanded this sense of mattering by situating it within recognition for service, contributions to decision-making and communication with leadership, and aiding student-athlete success. However, when mattering was not felt, it was due to exclusion from leadership, lack of power, and a lack of compensation. Thus, practical and managerial implications are provided to ensure the role of the FAR is furthering the goals of both academic and athletic communities alike on their campuses. https://journals.ku.edu/jis/article/view/21564
spellingShingle Allison Smith
Robin Hardin
Elizabeth Taylor
Jessica Siegele
Kelsie Saxe
“One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives
Journal of Intercollegiate Sport
title “One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives
title_full “One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives
title_fullStr “One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives
title_full_unstemmed “One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives
title_short “One of the Most Satisfying Parts of the Job”: The Perceived Mattering and Role Satisfaction of NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives
title_sort one of the most satisfying parts of the job the perceived mattering and role satisfaction of ncaa faculty athletic representatives
url https://journals.ku.edu/jis/article/view/21564
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