What does this research mean for the field?

Diocesan Catholic youth athletic associations consistently frame athletics as a formative extension of Catholic education, although there is limited alignment between these stated missions and their formal policy frameworks. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.ESTABLISHES_NEW_DIRECTION.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine the organizational structure of US diocesan youth athletic associations and evaluate how they articulate Catholic mission and identity through formal governing documents.

August 22, 2026Catholic education/Catholic education (Dayton, Ohio. Online)Open Access

Faith, Formation, and Sport: How Diocesan Athletic Associations Articulate Catholic Mission

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Authors

SNSamuel NaabUniversity of Oklahoma

Discussion

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Implication

Text analysis reveals distinct mission framing between school- and parish-based diocesan athletic associations in the United States, highlighting gaps between stated values and athletic policies.

Key Points

To examine the organizational structure of US diocesan youth athletic associations and evaluate how they articulate Catholic mission and identity through formal governing documents.
Analyzed 81 mission-oriented statements from publicly available handbooks, bylaws, and policy manuals across 51 US diocesan athletic associations.
Employed structural topic modeling alongside exploratory descriptive analyses to compare mission themes and examine their relationship with playing time and talent distribution rules.
Mission-oriented language consistently positioned youth athletics as an intentional, formative extension of Catholic education rather than an extracurricular activity.
Organizational orientation drove topic variation: parish-based associations emphasized explicitly Catholic language, while school-based associations emphasized interscholastic athletic structures.
Exploratory analyses showed limited alignment between stated values-based mission themes and formal policies regarding talent distribution and playing time.

Cite This Study

Samuel Naab (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a895facca7ade938187e889 https://doi.org/10.15365/joce.2902072026

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Implication

Text analysis reveals distinct mission framing between school- and parish-based diocesan athletic associations in the United States, highlighting gaps between stated values and athletic policies.

Faith, Formation, and Sport: How Diocesan Athletic Associations Articulate Catholic Mission

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Faith, Formation, and Sport: How Diocesan Athletic Associations Articulate Catholic Mission

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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