Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
This study examined the Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) program's effect on first-year athletes at SUNY Geneseo. Before attending each mentoring session, participants completed an online survey to self-report their adjustment in four areas: academic, athletic, emotional, and social. Four waves of data were collected in fall from two cohorts: 2023-2024 (n = 143) and 2024-2025 (n = 142). The study addressed two research questions. First, the association between the number of mentoring sessions attended by mentees and their end-of-semester GPA. A bivariate correlation illustrated a statistically significant positive association between students’ fall GPA and the number of mentoring sessions attended (r (285) = .170, p <.01). Further analysis of individual cohorts showed that this correlation has a stronger association with the 2024-2025 cohort (r (142) =.256, p < .01). Second, how a student athlete’s season affects their adjustment during their first semester. A one-way ANOVA was calculated evaluating target week-specific composite scores, which revealed Target Week #1 (F(4, 263) = 2.523, p = 0.041,η p 2 = 0.037) and Week #3 (F(4, 210) = 3.205,p = 0.014,η p 2 = 0.058) had a significant difference in mean-level adjustment scores. Post hoc tests indicated mean differences between Fall and Spring athletes at the first (MD = .4119) and third (MD = .5734) target weeks. Results from this investigation offer evidence for the positive impact of a peer-mentoring program on first-year student-athlete adjustment. The practical implications of this research, as well as additional analyses, limitations and future research, will be discussed.
Recommended Citation
Olejniczak, Hannah, "250 - Student-Athlete Mentorship: An Analysis of First-Year Athlete Adjustment" (2025). GREAT Day Posters. 77.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2025/posters-2025/77
250 - Student-Athlete Mentorship: An Analysis of First-Year Athlete Adjustment
This study examined the Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) program's effect on first-year athletes at SUNY Geneseo. Before attending each mentoring session, participants completed an online survey to self-report their adjustment in four areas: academic, athletic, emotional, and social. Four waves of data were collected in fall from two cohorts: 2023-2024 (n = 143) and 2024-2025 (n = 142). The study addressed two research questions. First, the association between the number of mentoring sessions attended by mentees and their end-of-semester GPA. A bivariate correlation illustrated a statistically significant positive association between students’ fall GPA and the number of mentoring sessions attended (r (285) = .170, p <.01). Further analysis of individual cohorts showed that this correlation has a stronger association with the 2024-2025 cohort (r (142) =.256, p < .01). Second, how a student athlete’s season affects their adjustment during their first semester. A one-way ANOVA was calculated evaluating target week-specific composite scores, which revealed Target Week #1 (F(4, 263) = 2.523, p = 0.041,η p 2 = 0.037) and Week #3 (F(4, 210) = 3.205,p = 0.014,η p 2 = 0.058) had a significant difference in mean-level adjustment scores. Post hoc tests indicated mean differences between Fall and Spring athletes at the first (MD = .4119) and third (MD = .5734) target weeks. Results from this investigation offer evidence for the positive impact of a peer-mentoring program on first-year student-athlete adjustment. The practical implications of this research, as well as additional analyses, limitations and future research, will be discussed.
Comments
Sponsored by Nicholas Palumbo