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Dissertation
A phenomenological study: using athletics as activity-based transition programming to help facilitate the transition to high school
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
18 Jun 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011009
Abstract
Transitioning from middle to high school is one of the most challenging periods in a child's life and can be a significant source of stress, potentially leading to mental health issues that affect both social and emotional well-being. Athletics offers a supportive community to help students navigate this transition. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to understand the lived experiences of students participating in the Freshman Football Program as a context for a transition intervention and its impact on their mental health, specifically in facilitating their transition to high school at a private, urban institution. The central question of this research study is, in what ways did participation in the Freshman Football Program aid in the transition to high school? The goal is to gain insight into the effects of utilizing athletics, particularly the Freshman Football Program, as a source of support for students moving from grade school to high school. The researcher interviewed 10 students who participated in the program from 2016 to 2019 and conducted a focus group with five students who participated in the Freshman Football Program in 2017, who graduated from high school, to better understand their lived experiences. Five key themes emerged from the findings: (1) stress caused by the transition; (2) shared difficult experiences; (3) brotherhood; (4) a landscape for success; and (5) personal growth. Using this information alongside existing literature, the researcher identified four outcomes that emphasize the stress associated with the transition to high school; the shared difficult experiences that provide space for friendship and a sense of belonging; how friendship in this setting fostered a landscape of success; and how this landscape of success offered opportunities to cultivate a growth mindset. The Freshman Football Program exemplifies a blend of a summer bridge program and a freshman academy, creating a sense of belonging by allowing participants to make friends and bond before school starts, thereby alleviating the stress that comes with the transition to high school. Through participation in a challenging yet supportive environment, participants developed a growth mindset and qualities that will benefit them throughout their lives. This research will guide educational practices, as such activities remain underutilized as transition support and means to enhance a student's sense of belonging while fostering a growth mindset, thereby easing their transition to high school and improving their mental health. The findings of this study are corroborated by existing literature. However, further research is essential to explore additional activity-based transition programming that incorporates other activities as transition supports and as contexts for implementing transition interventions. Future studies should investigate various types of high schools and colleges worldwide, using programs like the Freshman Football Program to bridge cultural differences. Such information could further inform school leaders, coaches, teachers, and students about the advantages of activity-based programming as a model for transition programming, ultimately reducing the stress associated with moving into new environments. Utilizing activity-based transition programming, such as the Freshman Football Program, can help alleviate the stress associated not only with transitioning to high school but also with entering other new environments, thereby enhancing mental health and promoting a growth mindset. Key Words: High School, Transition, Activity-Based Programming, Stress, Ninth Grade, Freshman Transition, College Transition, Athletics, Growth Mindset, Mental Health.
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Details
- Title
- A phenomenological study
- Creators
- Joseph F. Hendrzak
- Contributors
- Cameron Kiosoglous (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xv, 162 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022058937404721