Category: Sports Research

Rikishi Smith-Rey, faculty fellow of the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute and assistant professor in Clemson University’s Department of Communication, recently founded Sport PhD, a service that seeks to make academic research centered around sports more accessible for athletes.

Smith-Rey is a former Division I athlete and youth soccer coach with extensive research experience in the sports communication and health communication fields. During her coaching years, she was able to apply her academic research to her youth athletes in a very tangible way.

“To me, translational research is so important,” Smith-Rey said. “If our research is just sitting in journals, it’s not helping those that we mean it for. I get a lot of worth out of seeing my research help.”

Smith-Rey was inspired by a former athlete she coached to form Sport PhD, saying, “I still have not seen something that breaks down the knowledge that’s out there for athletes.”

Despite the extensive research on sports, Smith-Rey feels that this research is not accessible enough to athletes, especially those at the youth level. Areas of sport such as recruiting, sleep, nutrition, psychology and mental health are all topics that Smith-Rey seeks to promote to athletes in an accessible way.

Smith-Rey’s founding of Sport PhD was inspired in part by conversations with Brandon Boatwright, Ph.D., another assistant professor in the communication department at Clemson. Clemson women’s soccer student-athlete Ally Lynch has also worked as an intern with Rey this semester, and the pair have done extensive work on starting Sport PhD from the ground up.

Smith-Rey is excited to continue the work of Sport PhD as she works to widen the reach of the company.  

“Sports gave me everything,” Smith-Rey added. “If I can give a little bit back to athletes so that they can understand their sport a little better, that would be super meaningful to me.”

 Those interested in following the development of Sport PhD can find them on LinkedIn and Instagram.  

The Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute was thrilled to host United Row on March 26 for a sports science lecture in Freeman Hall, where two Clemson alumnae spoke to students, faculty and community members about their upcoming 2,800-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean. 

At the lecture, Jenny D’Anthony and Anna McLean, former members of the Clemson rowing team, previewed their row across the Pacific. Attendees of the lecture were able to hear what exactly goes into the estimated 60-day trip and the challenges and thrills that come with it.

Competing in the World’s Toughest Row competition in June, D’Anthony and McLean discussed the equipment they use on their boat, their food and water systems and the mental fortitude it takes to complete the challenge. 

“We felt so welcomed and taken care of during our stay and really appreciate everything the Institute did to make it a success,” D’Anthony said. “Everything was well organized and done professionally, really speaking to the nature of work the Institute does.”

At the end of the lecture, RHBSSI Interim Director John DesJardins presented United Row with a $5,000 check to sponsor the team. D’Anthony and McLean have already said that the money will go toward SAT phones and a BGAN device for the June expedition. In return, the Institute will have a sticker on United Row’s boat during the journey across the Pacific. 

“The institute was excited to bring to campus two remarkable young alumni, to share their Clemson journey, and engage us in their remarkable challenge to row across the Pacific,”  DesJardins said. “Anna and Jenny define the Clemson spirit in their pursuit of excellence, and we are proud to support their cause.”

“We hope to continue to promote and share the great work at the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute,” D’Anthony added. “We are incredibly excited to see where it goes and thrilled to be a part of it.”

Along with students and faculty in attendance, Clemson rowing head coach Stephen Frazier Wong and IPTAY Assistant Director of IPTAY Major Gifts Jordan Roper were also present. Partnered with IPTAY and the Hear Her Roar Campaign, United Row has worked closely with Roper to raise awareness and financial support for Clemson’s women student-athletes.

“As a fund raiser, who’s also a former student-athlete, being able to work with Anna and Jenny and United Row, and them deciding to choose Hear Her Hoar as the campaign that they want to fundraise for, is special,” Roper said at the lecture.

The morning of the lecture, D’Anthony and McLean visited Clemson rowing practice as the sun rose earlier that day and later partnered with the Clemson Department of Bioengineering for a lunch and learn. 

McLean and D’Anthony were members of Clemson’s rowing team beginning in 2014 until they graduated from Clemson in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In 2022, McLean, from the United Kingdom, and D’Anthony, from the United States, formed United Row.

Those interested in supporting United Row may visit the team’s website. Any sponsorship or donation will go directly to supplies for the boat or fundraising efforts for the Hear Her Roar Campaign. D’Anthony and McLean will begin their journey across the Pacific on June 8.

Clemson Formula SAE (CUFSAE) is a student-run organization dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and competing with a formula-style race car. Clemson FSAE competes on an international level through events hosted by SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers. Each year, they design and build a new vehicle from the ground up that meets the competition rules and pushes for innovation. The summer and fall are spent designing the new vehicle, which is then built in the spring. Throughout the year, the team also travels to different competitions to compete against other teams from all over the world.

From engineering to marketing to financial planning to graphic design, CUFSAE strives to provide students from all backgrounds with hands-on and real-world experiences. The team is broken down into six divisions, including business, aerodynamics, chassis, electrical, powertrain, and suspension, that collaborate in a fluid and integration-focused manner to create the finished product. The business division gives students the opportunity to gain experience running a small business by dealing with recruitment, sponsorship relationship management, and finances. On the engineering side, the aerodynamics division is responsible for the car components that harness the air around the moving vehicle; the chassis division is responsible for the chassis of the vehicle, as well as the ergonomics and braking subsystems; the electrical division is responsible for the electrical components, mainly the electrical harness; the powertrain division is in charge of the vehicle’s engine and all of the subsystems that harness the power it generates; and finally, the suspension division is responsible for how the car handles and controlling the interactions between the tires and the ground.  Working closely with Clemson’s Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Science, Graphic Communications Department, and the Facilities Department, CUFSAE provides students with the tools to learn relevant skills while exploring the possibilities of employment in the automotive industry.

The Competitions

During the competitions, each team is judged on their engineering skills and ideas as well as production quality through a design review. The design review is hosted by a panel of industry engineers specializing in a variety of automotive fields. The vehicle must go through a rigorous technical inspection along with tilt, sound, and brake testing before it is allowed to compete. The drivers must also prove they have all the required safety gear and the ability to egress the car quickly. The dynamic portion of the competition includes acceleration, skidpad, autocross, and endurance events. Lastly, each team is scored based on their vehicle cost report as well as a business marketing presentation. Each competition is an incredible experience showcasing the preparedness and camaraderie it takes to compete in the automotive world.

The Formula SAE series was developed as a way for student’s to put their classroom knowledge into motion. The competitions are primarily engineering-based but have expanded to include all aspects of racing, including the business side.

Finding Success

The Clemson Formula SAE has found much success this year. In November, the CUFSAE team traveled to Kennesaw State University in Barnesville, GA, for the Barnesville Shootout. Among the four competing teams, Clemson FSAE emerged victorious, securing a well-deserved 1st place. Bringing both of their cars, the Tiger 22 and 23, to the competition, they were able to  showcase their dedication and craftsmanship from the past two years. The event not only celebrated success on the track but also served as a platform for new drivers to gain valuable experience during the driver trials competition. With 35 members, a mix of seasoned veterans and eager newcomers, the team demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill, making this competition a standout moment in their racing season.

Season highlight performances:

In October, the Clemson FSAE team secured another victory at Michelin’s first-ever Formula SAE event, the Michelin Formula SAE Shootout. They came in 1st out of 6 teams in the Internal Combustion (IC) Class and also won 1st place overall. Additionally, back in September of this year, the team competed at the Pittsburgh International Raceway in the 2023 Pittsburgh Shootout, placing 7th out of 30 for the IC-class. The CUFSAE team is still in the process of testing and refining their car in preparation for the premier competition, the Formula SAE Michigan, taking place on May 8-11, 2024.

Additional highlights:

2018 Pittsburgh Shootout – 3rd Place
2018 Barnesville Match Race – 1st Place
2019 Formula South – 1st Place
2019 Michigan Int. SAE – 18th Place
2022 Formula South – 1st Place
2022 Michigan Int. FSAE – 36th Place
2023 Michigan Int. FSAE – 39th Place

Behind the scenes, the success of the Tiger 23 is largely attributed to the unwavering support of sponsors who have played a crucial role in shaping the car’s capabilities. The team has expressed heartfelt appreciation for these sponsors, including the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute. Their success has not only showcased their skill on the track but has also highlighted the collaborative spirit and dedication that fuels a winning team in automotive engineering. We congratulate the Clemson FSAE team on the success they have accomplished so far and wish them luck with the rest of their competition season!

Be sure to follow the Clemson Formula SAE team on Facebook and LinkedIn @ClemsonFormulaSAE to stay up-to-date on the amazing things they are doing.

By: Dr. Jasmine Townsend, CTRS, CARSS-I, Associate Professor, Clemson University

My introduction to adaptive sports occurred at the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah (www.discovernac.org). They are a community recreation organization that provides adaptive sports and recreation activities like mountain biking, sled hockey, river rafting, handcycling, and waterskiing, among others, to individuals with a variety of physical and cognitive disabilities. People come from all over the United States, at all times of the year, to participate in their programs. I spent my time helping kids and adults learn new skills, push the boundaries of their abilities, and generally just have a great time in the mountains, lakes, and deserts of the Mountain West. It was the best job ever. We had tons of fun, and I developed lasting friendships with many of my coworkers.

My work in adaptive sports over the last decade has continued through both direct service provision and research activities. In all my interactions with participants across these various experiences, I have heard statements like “Adaptive sports have changed my life” ;or “My son/daughter has changed so much since they started playing wheelchair basketball”; or “I’m more confident in my abilities, and I have a sense of purpose now.” It was quite fulfilling as a health and recreation professional to know that what we were doing had such impact. I absolutely believe it changed lives, because I saw it happen. However, the researcher in me wanted to know more.

The Clemson Adaptive Sports and Recreation lab aims to provide evidence that informs decisions about adaptive sport programming and enhance outcomes associated with involvement in those programs. This mission is perfectly geared to examine the transformative nature of adaptive sports for individuals with disabilities. Recent research (Duerden, et al., 2018) has provided definitions of a continuum of general experience types ranging from ordinary, to memorable, meaningful, and finally transformative. Other research has also identified adaptive sport participation as transformational to participants’ self-identity (Lundberg, Taniguchi, McCormick, & Tibbs, 2011).

No research, however, has used a reliable measure to gauge the impact of adaptive sport experiences. Furthermore, no research has connected program characteristics to the experience types, leaving program administrators with little systematic and reliable information with which to intentionally design programs to facilitate growth and development among individuals with disabilities participating in adaptive sport.

In January 2021, and in collaboration with colleagues at Brigham Young University, my students and I will embark on a study to determine the impact of adaptive sport experiences using the Experience Impact Measure (EIM). This will be the first study to use this measure in an adaptive sport context and will contribute to validation of the instrument. We will also explore a variety of program characteristics that may prove important for each type of experience (ordinary to transformative). Such information will be useful to various stakeholders in their efforts to understand the impact of adaptive sport programs but will also help in efforts to refine the design and implementation of these programs.

While anecdotal evidence from participants is meaningful in the moment and powerful as a testimonial, a systematic and data-driven understanding of the impact of adaptive sport participation is needed. This project will provide that understanding, and we feel it perfectly complements the aims of the Robert H. Brooks Sport Science Institute.

References:

Duerden, M. D., Lundberg, N. R., Ward, P., Taniguchi, S. T, Hill, B., Widmer, M. A., & Zabriskie, R. (2018). From ordinary to extraordinary: A framework of experience types. Journal of Leisure Research, 49(3-5) 196-216.

Lundberg, N. R., Taniguchi, S., McCormick, B., & Tibbs, C. (2011). Identity negotiating: Redefining stigmatized identities through adaptive sports and recreation participation among individuals with a disability. Journal of Leisure Research, 43(2), 205-225.

By: Dr. Virginia S. Harrison, Assistant Professor, Clemson University

Christen Buckley, Ph.D. Candidate, Pennsylvania State University

On October 18, 2019, the New York Times released a list of 42 minor league baseball teams across the United States that were slated for elimination by Major League Baseball (MLB) after the 2020 season. The news shocked minor league team officials (Sanchez, 2020), who launched communications campaigns aimed at showing the importance of the teams to their local communities. One such campaign included the Save Our Spikes campaign in State College, PA, pictured here. Through tactics like holding local rallies with media or displaying signage, teams encouraged fan advocacy as critical parts of their campaigns. The outlook turned particularly bleak when COVID-19 shut down the minor league baseball season for all of 2020, leaving the 42 teams in limbo.

Our study seeks to understand the dynamics of the fan advocacy and team communication efforts behind the Save Our Spikes campaign and those like it across the minor leagues. Given the unprecedented nature of this announcement coupled with COVID-19, we want to know how fans engage in and view advocacy as part of their fandom. Additionally, how are teams’ strategic communications departments motivating fan advocacy? Advocacy literature typically focuses on nonprofit actions and work toward a specific cause (e.g., Corning & Myers, 2002), and our study takes a new direction with scholarship by applying these nonprofit principles to sport.

We also want to understand how fans feel about their local minor league teams. Unlike relationships with major professional teams, minor league fan affiliations are unique and often tied to community identity (Wear & Heere, 2019; Wegner, Delia & Baker, 2018). While research exists on the impacts of professional sports teams moving to new towns (Mitrano, 1999), little research focuses on this connection for minor league professional teams. The current situation is a unique opportunity to look at the ways that fans show support for their teams when their existence is threatened.

We are conducting a three-pronged methodology to tackle this issue: interviews with fans and team officials, fan survey, and social media content analysis. We are still looking for interview participants and would love to hear from you if you are a fan of a minor league baseball team or employee of a minor league baseball team. Please reach out to Dr. Virginia Harrison, vsharri@clemson.edu, or Christen Buckley, clb5344@psu.edu, to see if you are eligible for the study. We look forward to sharing the results of our work with you in a future post!

References

Corning, A. F. & Myers, D. J. (2002). Individual orientation toward engagement in social action. Political Psychology, 23(4), 703-729. DOI: www.jstor.org/stable/3792364.

Mitrano, J. R. (1999). The “sudden death” of hockey in Hartford: Sports fans and franchise relocation. Sociology of Sport Journal, 16, 134-154.

Sanchez, R. (2020, May 19). “Minor league baseball in crisis.” Sports Illustrated. Accessed https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/05/19/minor-league-baseball-is-in-crisis.

Wear, H. & Heere, B. (2019). Brand New: A Longitudinal Investigation of Brand Associations as Drivers of Team Identity Among Fans of a New Sport Team. Journal of Sport Management. Advanced publication doi: 10.1123/jsm.2018-0204.

Wegner, C. E., Delia, E. B., & Baker, B. J. (2018). Fan response to the identity threat of potential team relocation. Sport Management Review. Advanced publication doi: 10.1016/j.smr.2019.01.001

The Saturday before Thanksgiving in 2018, my family and I settle into our living room to watch the Clemson Tigers play the Duke Blue Devils. I was lucky to be able to fly home a little before the break began and was thrilled to be able to watch the football game with my family. My mom prepared for the occasion, filling the coffee table with snacks usually reserved for our Super Bowl watch party. As the camera pans to the Tigers making their run down the Hill as part of the most exciting 25 seconds in college football, my brother only makes one comment: “Oh, Duke is running down the Hill!”

Of course, it wasn’t Duke. There is no way an opponent would run down the Hill at a Clemson home game. But lo and behold, it appeared that way. Clemson’s purple jerseys donned to celebrate Clemson’s “Purple Out” football game in honor of its Military Appreciation Day, appeared navy blue on the screen, a similar shade to Duke’s team colors. And it wasn’t just our TV; Clemson looked to be wearing navy blue across broadcast footage and television screens. My dad and brother had a field day, cracking jokes about how Duke was playing themselves in Death Valley.

This is not a problem limited to Clemson. This brand color discrepancy is also apparent with other teams when they play, such as the Dallas Cowboys, where their silver pants appeared green during a broadcasted game. And what is a sports team without their team colors? Unfortunately, trying to correct the brand colors means all the colors in the frame would suffer. Environmental lighting and post-production color adjustments affect the entire frame of the broadcast feed. So, while the brand color could be adjusted to appear correct, the rest of the frame would be adjusted as well, ruining other colors at the expense of fixing one.

Enter Dr. Erica Walker, a Graphic Communications professor at Clemson University, who brought together a team that asked whether the frame could be adjusted so these colors appear to brand specification, but not at the cost of the rest of the frame being adjusted as well. She partnered with the Watson in the Watt Creative Inquiry run by Dr. Hudson Smith and Dr. Carl Ehrett to work with undergraduate students to develop an AI-based solution. I ended up being one of those undergraduate students. I was thrilled to get involved with research about AI but was even more excited by this problem we would be solving, remembering that this was something my own family had commented on weeks before.

Once a week, as the ColorNet research team settles into their meeting room in the Watt Family Innovation Center and exchanges what their week looks like, Dr. Walker comes into the team room with a big smile on her face. “Hey y’all, how’s it going?” she says as she sets down her bag. It always starts the weekly meetings on a good note and the team can’t help but be excited about what they will accomplish that day.

And accomplish great things we did. With the efforts of Dr. Walker, ColorNet was developed, a patent-pending artificial intelligence (AI) technology that takes a live video feed and adjusts it frame-by-frame, pixel-by-pixel, in real-time to ensure brand color accuracy. This convolutional neural network, a type of machine learning model, was trained on numerous clips from Clemson’s football games that were manually color corrected using Adobe Premiere Pro. ColorNet learns what areas of the frame are considered brand colors and how to shift those pixels so that they appear to visually match Clemson’s brand colors without losing the distinctions between highlights and shadows and without changing the non-brand color areas.

After training the model to color correct Clemson’s orange, Pantone 165, it was time to test it. All testing took place in Littlejohn Coliseum, allowing the technology to be tested on a standard jumbotron and within the current infrastructure of a live event. The alpha test involved streaming one of Clemson’s home football games into Littlejohn and onto the jumbotron to determine if ColorNet would catch the various spots of Clemson orange in each frame and adjust these areas to be the recognizable color fans know and love. With some adjustments to the program and support provided via pizza from Dr. Walker, the alpha test proved to be a success.

The beta test took place during a live women’s basketball game, where we ran ColorNet on the jumbotron feed during the basketball game in front of a live audience of fans. The goal was to determine if ColorNet was truly targeting areas of brand color and was able to be extended to other sports or broadcast arenas. The technology proved itself once again! It correctly picked out the women’s jerseys and the splashes of Clemson orange found on the spectators in the arena. I remember walking the arena with Dr. Walker, both of us looking up at the jumbotron in wonder at what we had accomplished with ColorNet.

Our work is by no means over. The goal is to make it where we can color correct any team’s colors, not just Clemson’s. While we were able to expand ColorNet’s capabilities so it can also color correct Clemson purple along with orange, the goal is to generalize the application of the model so that it can color correct to a given color based on user input. Are we playing Alabama? Let’s correct for Crimson Tide red as well. LSU? Let’s adjust for their purple and gold. While COVID-19 makes it hard to meet and collaborate in person towards this development, the meetings are still opened the same. And the same excitement for where ColorNet will go next is tangible even through the screen, thanks to the passion of Dr. Walker.