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Purpose: Framed by nostalgia marketing, this research draws upon lessons from ParticipACTION, a Canadian non-profit health promotion organization, to examine one of their most well-known campaigns, Body Break with ParticipACTION, in order to assess the potential role for nostalgia-based marketing campaigns in sport participation across generational cohorts. Design/methodology/approach: Exploratory sequential mixed methods involving two studies were completed on behalf of ParticipACTION, with the authors developing the research instruments and the collection of the data undertaken by research agencies. Study 1 was the secondary analysis of qualitative data from five focus groups with different demographic compositions that followed a common question guide. Study 2 was a secondary data analysis of a pan-Canadian online survey with a sample (n= 1,475) representative of the overall adult population that assessed awareness of, and attitudes toward, ParticipACTION, Body Break, physical activity and sport participation. Path analysis tested a proposed model that was based on previous research on attitudes, brand and loyalty. Further, multi-group path analyses were conducted to compare younger generations with older ones. Findings: The results provide direction and understanding of the importance of nostalgia in marketing sport participation programs across generational cohorts. For instance, in the four parent-adult focus groups, unaided references as well as frequent and detailed comments regarding Body Break were observed. Similarly, Millennials reported that Body Break was memorable, Canadian and nostalgic, with a mix of positive and negative comments. The importance of nostalgia was supported sequentially via results from the national survey. For example, while 54.1% of the 40–54 age-group associated ParticipACTION positively with Body Break, so did 49.8% of the 25–39-year age group, most of whom were not born when the promotion ran. Further, brand resonance was found to explain 4% more variance in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), the proxy for sport participation, for younger people compared to older people. Practical implications: Results provide direction to brands, properties and agencies around the use of nostalgia in sport marketing campaigns and sponsorship efforts. For brands seeking to sponsor sport properties to alter their image with potential consumers in a new market, associating with a sport property that many view as nostalgic could improve the impact of the campaign. On the sport property side, event managers and marketers should both identify existing assets that members or fans are nostalgic about, as well as consider building nostalgia into current and new properties they develop. Originality/value: This research is valuable to the sport marketing and sponsorship literature through several contributions. First, the use of nostalgia marketing, and nostalgia in general, is novel in the sport marketing and sponsorship literature, with future research in nostalgia and sponsorship recommended. Second, the potential to adopt or adapt Body Break to other sport participation and physical activity properties is empirically supported. Finally, the finding that very effective promotions can have a long-lasting effect, both on those who experienced the campaigns as well as younger populations who only heard about it, is notable.

ABSTRACTDespite the growing body of literature in the field of athletes’ self-compassion over the past decade, studies with a focus specifically on men athletes are limited. In addition, although previous research suggests that differential representations of masculinities may impact men’s self-compassion uniquely, the link between men athletes’ self-compassion and masculinities is understudied. With masculinity-based negative evaluations being the source of many difficult experiences for men athletes, perhaps self-compassion can mitigate the impact of men’s challenges in sport. Thus, our research purpose was to explore men athletes’ lived experiences of self-compassion through the lens of masculinity. We recruited 16 men athletes (Mage = 21.4 years; SD = 3.7) to participate in two semi-structured interviews with a reflexive photography task between interviews. The results of our study are framed within two overlying categories (i.e., masculinity, self-compassion), with multiple themes in each category. Our findings suggest that the men athletes in our study generally represent a version of masculinity that is accepting of non-traditional representations of masculinity (e.g. homosexuality), and they were open and willing to accept and embrace self-compassion, particularly if it helps them improve their sport performance. We conclude that self-compassion can be a useful resource for men athletes, and future research should focus on developing and evaluating the effectiveness of a self-compassion intervention, with considerations given to the potential role of masculinity in men’s difficult sport experiences, tailored specifically for men athletes.

ABSTRACTSport participation can be a highly rewarding experience for young women. However, it can also involve unpleasant experiences such as failing to meet performance goals and threats to body image, which may detrimentally impact athletes’ well-being. Body image is salient for women in sport and can also be a source of suffering/challenge. Treating oneself with compassion has been suggested as a resource to buffer against negative outcomes of failure and inadequacy in sport. Bodyself-compassion may be especially relevant in sport as it consists of a kind and non-judgmental attitude towards the body despite perceived physical imperfections. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of body self-compassion in adolescent women athletes’ performance perceptions and emotional well-being. Seven women athletes (14–17 years old) participated in two, one-on-one semi-structured interviews and a journaling activity. Interviews and journal data were analyzed using a holistic approach to thematic analysis. Four themes were developed that capture the athletes’ perceived role of body self-compassion: (a) Compassion for and confidence in my body, (b) “Their’ thoughts and my body, (c) I will play to my potential, and (d) My strength is in my emotions. The women athletes explained that body self-compassion allows them to respect and treat their bodies with kindness; thus, positive emotions such as satisfaction with the body were strengthened and an adaptive focus placed on performance. These findings are consistent with the conceptualization of self-compassion and body self-compassion and suggest that being body self-compassionate may regulate emotions and sport performance perceptions.

AbstractSelf-compassion represents a shift in how to support performance and well-being in sport, and there has been recent attention directed toward the construct in both research and applied domains. To inform next steps in research and practice, we have reflected on self-compassion intervention and practice based on the current state of the literature and present key considerations for progressing understanding of self-compassion in sport. For the potential of self-compassion in supporting performance and well-being to truly be understood and harnessed, it is necessary to be strategic in addressing remaining fundamental questions.

AbstractSport participation can foster a wide range of positive psychosocial outcomes for women, including feeling empowered and self-sufficient, as well as gaining confidence, determination and self-respect. These well-documented potential benefits stem from research with non-Indigenous athletes, yet there is little published research to support an in-depth understanding of Indigenous women’s unique sport experiences. Such understandings are necessary for meaningful sport programme implementation, health optimisation and sport policy development. The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of flourishing in sport for Indigenous women athletes. Two Indigenous community sport advisors were instrumentally involved throughout the study. Sixteen Indigenous women athletes (Mage = 21.5 years; 10 First Nations, 6 Métis) from urban, rural and remote communities in a mid-Western Canadian province participated in sharing circles and symbol-based reflection to share their meanings and experiences of flourishing in sport. A four-step phenomenological structural analysis was used to analyse transcribed data. Four essential components and one facilitating component emerged as the general structure of flourishing in sport: (1) Multidimensional Community Support (having support from and for one’s family, home and sporting community); (2) Personal Accomplishments (setting and attaining individually tailored goals); (3) Persistent Growth (constant self-betterment); (4) Wholistic Athletic Excellence (excelling as a whole; physically, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally); and, (5) Humble Recognition (being acknowledged; a facilitating component). Nurturing Indigenous women athletes’ flourishing in sport requires athlete-specific attention and collaborative community engagement.

AbstractAlthough physical activity is valued in Aboriginal communities, an in depth understanding of the physical activity experiences among urban Aboriginal people in Canada is absent from the literature. The primary purpose of this study was to explore First Nations students’ physical activity experiences on a university campus. A secondary purpose was to identify ways to create and promote positive physical activity experiences for First Nations university students. Five First Nations students (ages = 18–28 years) engaged in a talking circle and one-on-one interviews. Three main themes emerged from the students’ narratives: (1) we are similar but unique, (2) a longing for tradition, and (3) extending a personal connection with physical activity. The participants’ stories included challenges with physical activity on campus, some of which were unique to the First Nations student experience (e.g. lack of traditional activities) and grew increasingly complex as their narratives unfolded (e.g. experiencing racism). The participants shared strategies they use to deal with challenges related to physical activity, including self-talk, incorporating significant others, and attempting to integrate traditional beliefs and practices. Changes made at the institutional-level were also considered as ways to manage personally difficult physical activity experiences. Further research and collaborative approaches are needed to: (1) develop university initiatives that generate more physical activity options as well as enhance the quality of physical activity for Aboriginal students, and (2) explore culturally-relevant resources that might be useful for Aboriginal students dealing with difficult physical activity experiences.

Self-compassion is a healthy way of relating to the self when experiencing emotional pain, personal failure and difficult life experiences. However, there is limited research to date in the area of self-compassion and sport even though recent investigation shows it might act as a potential buffer to painful emotions for athletes. The purpose of this study was to explore and present narratives of six young women athletes (15–24 years) from a variety of sports about their experiences of emotional pain and self-compassion. Each woman took part in two individual semi-structured interviews, one of which involved reflexive photography. They were asked to reflect on a difficult experience with a personal failure in sport, followed by discussions around the potential role of self-compassion in their experiences. The interviews, combined with reflexive photography, helped build rich narratives organised around the following themes: (1) Broken bodies, wilted spirits, (2) why couldn’t it have been someone else? (3) I should have, I could have, I would have and (4) fall down seven, stand up eight. Their narratives also suggested that while self-compassion can potentially be beneficial for athletes if developed and learned properly, concerns were expressed that being too self-compassionate may lead to mediocrity. Further research is needed on young women athletes’ difficult emotional experiences in sport, and more specifically on the role that self-compassion plays as both a potential facilitator and barrier to emotional health and performance success in sport.

In the horse during high-speed running, partial collapse of the unsupported nasal airways may contribute to elevated inspiratory resistance. This effect would be expected to increase respiratory muscle work and augment negative intrapulmonary pressure swings which in turn might exacerbate exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). To investigate this issue, six Thoroughbreds and one Quarter Horse were evaluated while running at high speed (12±1 m/s) under control conditions (C) and wearing an external nasal dilator (ND) in individual, randomly ordered trials two weeks apart. Whole-body gas exchange (oxygen uptake, V̇O2, carbon dioxide output, V̇CO2), arterial blood gases, acid-base and blood temperature were measured. Compared with C, ND significantly reduced V̇O2(C, 59.9±5.3; ND, 56.4±5.0 L/min, P < 0.05) and V̇CO2. However, neither arterial blood gases, acid-base, blood temperature nor plasma lactate were changed significantly. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) revealed a 33% (P < 0.05) reduction in EIPH (quantified as red blood cells/ml BAL fluid) in the ND trial. These data demonstrate that nasal dilation can lower whole body V̇O2and reduce EIPH. It is possible that these effects are secondary to a decreased inspiratory resistance, lowered inspiratory muscle work and altered intrapulmonary pressures.