The Effects on Team Culture of Prevalent Alcohol Consumption in Collegiate Student-Athletes

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between team culture and drinking behaviors, particularly how teammates influence one another to drink; it also takes into account team leadership, particularly captains, and the amount of control they have over their teams. Qualitative data was collected and analyzed from 32 participants using a grounded theory design. Responses were collected through a written survey with nine open-end questions, distributed via email to four different teams in a Google Fonn. The survey responses confirmed many previous study findings including the link between team culture and drinking. Further research should consider particular roles and personalities that contribute to this team culture. The findings of the study indicated the viability of a social norms campaign to address dangerous drinking behaviors in the collegiate athletic community.