This study investigated the sportsmanship attitudes of coaches across the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Data analysis looked for significant differences between the mean scores of various demographics including gender, age, experience, title or position, gender of the team being coached and type of sport (contact or non-contact) coached. Subjects of the research (N=97) were RMAC coaches with various backgrounds, representing different sports. These participants were asked to complete the McMahan Sportsmanship Attitude Scale, a survey consisting of 21 hypothetical sports related situations.
Data was collected via the mail, as surveys were sent to 294 coaches across the RMAC. These surveys included demographic information and were then returned to Adams State College. The return rate was 36% ( I 07 returned surveys). Ten surveys were eliminated due to being incomplete.
Analysis indicated that there was a statistical difference between the sportsmanship scores of the means of age groups, head coaches, assistant coaches and graduate assistants and coaches who coach contact and non-contact sports (p<.05). There was no statistical difference between the means of men and women, groups of varying years of experience and the gender of the teams that are coached (p>.05). Thus, this research concluded that sportsmanship in the RMAC does vary based on important demographics.
