Date of Award

Summer 8-28-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Kinesiology (EdD)

Department

Kinesiology

First Advisor

Brian Serrano

Second Advisor

Stephanie Hamilton

Third Advisor

Masoud Moghaddam

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of familiarization on the strategy, outcome, and kinetic variables of the countermovement rebound jump (CMRJ) and compare these responses with those of the traditional countermovement jump (CMJ) in Division III collegiate athletes. A randomized controlled design was used in which participants were assigned to either a familiarization group that completed five consecutive CMRJ testing sessions or a control group that completed baseline and final testing only. The analyzed variables included rebound ground contact time, rebound stiffness, rebound reactive strength index (RSI), CMRJ jump height, peak propulsive force, and peak braking force. Data were collected using Hawkin Dynamics force plates and analyzed using mixed repeated-measures analyses of variance and within-group repeated-measures analyses. Results indicated significant changes over time for several CMRJ variables, including rebound ground contact time, rebound stiffness, rebound RSI, CMRJ jump height, and peak propulsive force. No significant Group × Session interactions were observed, indicating that the five-session familiarization protocol did not produce greater improvements than the control condition. In the familiarization group, no significant Session 1-to-Session 2 improvements or subsequent performance plateau were identified. The findings suggested that extensive familiarization may not be necessary for Division III collegiate athletes to obtain representative CMRJ performance. The CMRJ provided complementary information regarding reactive performance, movement strategy, and force production beyond traditional CMJ jump height.

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