|
Areas of specialization
Sport and exercise psychology, youth sport
participation
Research interests
Youth development through sport participation.
Particular interests include the effects of culture on motivation
and the influence of significant others (parents, coaches) on
youths’ psychosocial outcomes and learning of life skills.
Education
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville
- Ph.D., Education, Expected 2008
Advisor: Dr. Maureen R. Weiss
- Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
- M.S., Exercise and Sport Studies, 2001
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
- B.S., Exercise Science and Sport Studies, 1997
Biographical abstract
Jennifer’s training is in sport psychology with
an emphasis in youth development through sport. She received her
bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, where she earned academic
All-American honors playing on the soccer team. After coaching youth
soccer for two years, Jennifer received her master’s degree from
Smith College. She was an assistant soccer coach at Smith College
and the University of Rhode Island before entering the Ph.D. program
at the University of Virginia. While at Virginia, Jennifer
collaborated on research studies and papers on positive youth
development, cultural and parental influence on sport participation,
and issues regarding young athletes. In particular, she worked on
The First Tee grant to longitudinally evaluate the effectiveness of
a life skills program for youth. Jennifer also served as Assistant
Director of the Lifetime Physical Activity program at the University
of Virginia where she managed relationships among several university
departments. She was a volunteer assistant coach for the women’s
soccer team and coached a girls’ premier soccer team for three
years. Jennifer also has experience in the classroom having taught
Introduction to Sport Psychology at American University and Longwood
University. Jennifer has been recognized for excellence in
scholarship and service by being named BIG EAST Conference
scholar-athlete, and earning the Philip Morris Minority Fellowship
and the A.L. Bennett Endowed Scholarship.
Refereed publications
Bhalla, J.A., & Weiss, M.R. (in progress). A
cross-cultural perspective of parental influence on achievement
beliefs and behaviors in sport and school domains. Manuscript to be
submitted for publication, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.
Weiss, M.R., Bhalla, J.A., & Price, M.S. (2008).
Developing positive self-perceptions through youth sport
participation. In O. Bar-Or & H. Hebestreit (Eds.), The
encyclopedia of sports medicine, Vol. X: The young athlete (pp.
302-318). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Science, Ltd.
Weiss, M.R., Bolter, N.D., Bhalla, J.A., &
Price, M.S. (2007). Positive youth development through sport:
Comparison of participants in The First Tee life skills programs
with participants in other organized activities [Abstract].
Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, S212.
Weiss, M.R., Bhalla, J.A., Price, M.S., Bolter,
N.D., & Stuntz, C.P. (in progress). Positive youth development
through sport, I: Learning interpersonal skills; Perspectives from
youth, coaches, and parents.
Weiss, M.R., Bhalla, J.A., Price, M.S., Bolter,
N.D., & Stuntz, C.P. (in progress). Positive youth development
through sport, II: Learning self-management skills; Perspectives
from youth, coaches, and parents.
Service publications
Weiss, M., Price, M., Bhalla, J., & Bolter, N.
(2007, April). Summary report: “More Than a Game:” Longitudinal
effects of a life skills program on positive youth development.
Submitted to parents and coaches who participated in Year 2, 2006,
research.
Weiss, M.R., with Bhalla, J.A., Price, M.S.,
Bolter, N.D., & Stuntz, C.P. (2006, October). 2005 research
summary: Longitudinal effects of The First Tee life skills education
programs on positive youth development. St. Augustine, FL: The
First Tee of the World Golf Foundation.
Weiss, M., Price, M., Bhalla, J., & Bolter, N.
(2006, May). Summary report: “More Than a Game:” Longitudinal
effects of a life skills program on positive youth development.
Submitted to parents and coaches who participated in Year 1, 2005,
research.
Weiss, M.R., & Bhalla, J.A. (2006, February).
Summary report of University of Virginia research: Executive summary
and findings specific to The First Tee of Greater Sacramento.
“More than a Game:” Longitudinal effects of a life skills education
program on positive youth development (Year 1, 2005). Submitted to
The First Tee of Greater Sacramento, CA.
Weiss, M.R., & Bhalla, J.A. (2006, February).
Summary report of University of Virginia research: Executive summary
and findings specific to The First Tee of Phoenix. “More than a
Game:” Longitudinal effects of a life skills education program on
positive youth development (Year 1, 2005). Submitted to The First
Tee of Phoenix, AZ.
Research presentations
Weiss, M.R., Bhalla, J.A., Bolter, N.D., &
Price, M.S. (2008, June). Lessons learned and core values adopted
in a sport-based youth development program: A longitudinal
qualitative analysis. To be presented at the North American
Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)
annual conference, Niagara Falls, ON.
Weiss, M.R., Bolter, N.D., Bhalla, J.A., &
Price, M.S., & Markowitz, E.S. (2008, June). Life skills, youth
development, and sport participation: Retention effects over a
one-year period. To be presented at the North American Society
for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) annual
conference, Niagara Falls, ON.
Weiss, M.R., Bolter, N.D., Bhalla, J.A., &
Price, M.S. (2007, June). Positive youth development through
sport: Comparison of participants in The First Tee Life Skills
programs with participants in other organized activities. Paper
presented at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport
and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) annual conference, San Diego, CA.
Bhalla, J.A. (2007, March). Corroborating
transfer of life skills to other domains: Parents’ perspective.
Paper presented as part of a symposium, Weiss, M.R., Bhalla, J.A.,
Price, M.S., & Bolter, N.D., “More than a game: Impact of The
First Tee life skills programs on positive youth development,
AAHPERD national conference, Baltimore, MD.
Bhalla, J.A. (2006, November). Parental
influence on self-perceptions, task beliefs, and achievement
behaviors in female Anglo and East Indian sport participants.
Paper presented at the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and
Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) annual conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada.
Bhalla, J.A. (2004, September). Culture as a
missing link in understanding social relationships and achievement
outcomes in sport and physical activity. Paper presented as part
of a symposium at the Association for the Advancement of Applied
Sport Psychology (AAASP) annual conference, Minneapolis, MN
Service presentations
Bhalla, J.A. (2008, February). A
cross-cultural perspective of parental influence on adolescent
females’ achievement beliefs and behaviors in sport and school
domains. Presented as a Tucker Table talk at the University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Bhalla, J.A. (2006, November). Game
preparation and imagery. Presented at St. Francis Xavier
University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Bhalla, J.A. (2005, June). There’s no place
like home: Parent influences on youth sport involvement.
Presented at the University of Virginia Sport Psychology Conference,
Charlottesville.
Bhalla, J.A. (2004, June). Effective leaders:
Who are they and how do they lead? Presented at the University
of Virginia Sport Psychology Conference, Charlottesville.
Bhalla, J.A. (2004, January). Modeling a
sport skill. Presented at the Softball Bash (statewide
conference for softball coaches), Richmond, VA.
March 2008
|
