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Athletic trainers are often on the front line of providing psychological support to collegiate athletes during injury rehabilitation. However, research has yet to examine how collegiate athletes view athletic trainers in this role. Thus, the current study aimed to understand what kind of psychological support collegiate athletes look for from athletic trainers throughout injury rehabilitation. Demographics, sport and injury history, and overall student athlete well?being were assessed via online survey. Following the survey, participants completed a 30-minute zoom interview answering open-ended, qualitative questions regarding psychological well-being during injury rehabilitation. Results culminated into four main themes: 1) Ranges of Emotional and Psychological Reactions; 2) Impact of a Positive Mindset; 3) Process of Healing Matters; and 4) Environments Conducive to Healing. Recommendations for athletic trainers and sports medicine departments on how to effectively respond to student athletes’ psychological needs during injury rehabilitation are provided, including maintaining a positive relationship with athletes, fostering positive mindsets, mutual dedication to return-to-play, and creating a supportive athletic training room environment.

Thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.

A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.

ObjectivesEffectively supporting the mental health of elite athletes and coaches requires validated tools that assess not only individual-level factors but organisational-level influences. The aim of this study was to develop a bespoke scale assessing perceived psychological safety within high-performance environments.Methods337 elite athletes (M=24.12 years) and 238 elite-level coaches and high-performance support staff (HPSS; M=41.9 years) identified via the Australian Institute of Sport provided data across a range of mental health and well-being domains. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n=169 athletes) with parallel analysis identified the Sport Psychological Safety Inventory (SPSI) factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated the identified structure in separate validation subsamples of athletes (n=168) and coaches/HPSS (n=238).ResultsEFA identified the 11-item, 3-factor SPSI. Factors assessed domains of the Mentally Healthy Environment, Mental Health Literacy and Low Self-Stigma. All scale items loaded strongly on their specific domain. CFA model fit indices validated scale structure for athletes and coaches/HPSS. Internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity were evident. Logistic regression indicated that incrementally higher Mentally Healthy Environment scores reduced the likelihood of athletes scoring in the ‘moderate’ range of general and athlete-specific distress, with a stronger endorsement of the Low Self-Stigma subscale reducing the likelihood of being identified for athlete-specific distress.ConclusionPsychometric properties of the SPSI support scale utility among athletes and coaches/HPSS in elite sports settings, though further psychometric efforts are needed. This brief measure may support benchmarking efforts across elite sporting contexts to improve mental health culture and broader well-being among athletes and coaches/HPSS.

Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Allied Health, Human Services, and Sport, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.

Presented at the The British Psychological Society Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Annual Conference 2021, 29 - 30 November, Crowne Plaza Liverpool, UK Objectives: This project attempted to shed light on how concussion and physical pain impact mental health, cognition, and quality of life. Method: Participants self-reported whether they had sustained concussion (control vs. post-concussed). The CESD and STAI recorded symptoms of depression and anxiety respectively, while the SF-12 measured quality of life. A cognitive battery assessed areas of memory and executive function. Results: Study 1 (concussed, n=32 & non-concussed, n=35) revealed that concussion led to higher depressive symptoms whereas pain was responsible for both this and lower quality of life. Study 2 (concussed, n=56 & non-concussed, n=46) further highlighted that pain may be more responsible for poorer mental health and lower quality of life than concussion history. Study 3 (concussed n=45 & non-concussed n=39) suggested that pain may be responsible for poorer mental health and reduced quality of life whereas concussion history explains impaired cognition. Conclusions: Much of the literature in this area does not account for physical pain when assessing the effects of concussion, despite the prevalence of them co-occurring. This project reveals the impacts that the two factors have on three broad outcomes, mental health, cognition, and quality of life. Understanding this allows us to better protect sportspeople.

Within the sport, exercise and health science domains researchers and practitioners interested in understanding factors and processes associated with competent and effective practice have steadfastly advocated the value and contribution of reflective practice. In spite of this, there remains a lack of empirical evidence to support these contentions, which has potentially stifled the acceptance of reflective practice throughout the applied practice community. To address this limitation, this thesis provided an in-depth examination of reflective practice for enhancing the effectiveness of allied health practitioners’ service delivery and development of a therapeutic alliance with support seeking clients. Utilising a mixed methods approach that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry, the thesis comprised three separate studies that collectively aimed to: (a) examine the journey of allied health practitioners towards aligning their theoretical orientations and applied practice; (b) develop an empirical evidence base to support the purported benefits of reflective practice noted within the wider literature; (c) examine the developmental nature of reflective skills as an outcome of reflective practice; (d) determine the relationship between reflective skills and practitioner effectiveness measures; and (e) investigate whether engaging clients receiving support-services with reflective practice has a positive impact on their health endeavours. To gain a greater depth of knowledge and understanding of reflective practice and its associated skills, the author’s personal journey as an applied practitioner was explored during Study 1. Specifically, the contribution of reflective practice for facilitating his professional philosophy and aligning techniques and interventions with personal values and beliefs were illuminated. The insight gained from this formative study provided the foundation for the construction of subsequent reflective practice interventions in Study 2 and Study 3. Study 2 utilised a crossover design to support the effectiveness of a reflective practice intervention for developing reflective skills (i.e., processes) that facilitated positive changes (i.e., outcomes) to the service delivery characteristics of applied allied health practitioners working with Emirati National Service recruits. Follow-up social validation interviews indicated that reflective practice led to improved self-awareness and an enhanced ability to consider alternative approaches to service delivery that were cognisant to clients’ needs. An emerging theme from Study 1 and Study 2 was the potential for reflective practice principles to be incorporated into service delivery programmes that engaged clients in the process. As a result, in Study 3, a reflective practice intervention was developed and delivered by participants from Study 2 to health support seeking clients (e.g., National Service recruits). Findings indicated that developing reflective skills (i.e., processes) of clients has the potential to improve the ability to self-regulate health related behaviours leading to a positive impact on overall health status (i.e., outcomes). Further, the empirical evidence generated and the adoption of reflective practice into existing health-support programmes should enhance professionals within the allied health community’s confidence regarding the value of reflective practice for bringing about meaningful changes to both their own applied practice endeavours and their clients’ circumstances. Therefore, the findings of this thesis have the potential to direct future developments to training and education programmes aimed at applied health practitioners, with the intention of supporting pathways towards being competent and effective service providers.

© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Coaches are an integral part of talent identification in sport and are often used as the “gold standard” against which scientific methods of talent identification are compared. However, their decision-making during this process is not well understood. In this article, we use an ecological approach to explore talent identification in combat sports. We interviewed twenty-four expert, international-level coaches from the Olympic disciplines of boxing, judo, and taekwondo (age: 48.7 + 7.5 years; experience: 20.8 + 8.3 years). Findings indicated that when coaches identify talent they rely on “gut instinct”: intuitive judgements made without conscious thought, used to direct attention to particular athletes or characteristics. Our analysis revealed four major contributors to coaches’ intuition: experiential knowledge, temporal factors, seeing athletes in context, and what can be worked with. Our findings demonstrate that i) athlete selections may be influenced by the coaches’ perceived ability to improve certain athletes (rather than solely on athlete ability); and ii) “instinctual” decisions are the result of years of experience, time spent with the athlete, and the context surrounding the decision. Based on these findings, we recommend that future research focuses on the duration and conditions that are required for coaches to confidently and reliably identify talented athletes.

The current study examined differences in the cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength components of physical fitness among college students with and without ADHD. We hypothesized that college students with ADHD would be less physically fit in these domains than their peers without ADHD. Students with ADHD were expected (a) to have significantly lower VO2 max as an indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness following a 3-minute step test and (b) to demonstrate less strength in a handgrip dynamometry test compared to their peers. There were 63 participants in this study between the ages of 18 and 25, both male and female. Approximately half of the participants were in the ADHD group (n = 31), and half were in the non-ADHD group (n = 32). To test cardiorespiratory fitness, a 3-minute step test was completed with a 15-second heart rate taken after. Information including heart rate, age, and sex was then used in a validated step test equation to estimate VO2 max. To test muscular strength, participants completed three trials of a handgrip strength test using a dynamometer, and the highest of the three trials was recorded. Descriptive results of independent sample t tests indicated that estimated V02 max in the ADHD group (M = 38.62, SD = 6.96) was lower compared to the non-ADHD group (M = 40.34, SD = 7.05). Results for handgrip strength also showed less strength in the ADHD group (M = 79.75, SD = 26.74) compared to the non-ADHD group (M = 83.80, SD = 27.29). However, these differences failed to meet statistical significance (p = .334 , p = .554, respectively). These findings do not support that college students with ADHD are less physically fit in the cardiorespiratory and muscular strength domains of physical fitness than their peers. However, the effect sizes were small (d = .25, d = .15, respectively), and the study was not powered to detect small effects (only large), suggesting that results should be reevaluated when a larger sample size is attained.

The regular performance of physical activity (PA) is associated with global health benefits, both physical and mental. However, most adults are not physically active. Furthermore, among the adults that do become physically active, most do not maintain this activity level over time. Increasing the pleasure associated with an activity increases the likelihood of maintaining that activity long-term. One possible way to make physical activities more pleasant is to create programs or activities based on characteristics that participants anticipate being most pleasurable instead of characteristics that bring the most health benefit.To date, manipulating PA intensity is known to significantly affect the pleasure of being physically active. However, the effect of other PA characteristics on pleasure remains uninvestigated. The overall purpose of this dissertation is to develop a better understanding of the factors that are believed to impact the anticipated pleasure of potential PA experiences.Specifically, this dissertation aims to: (1) provide a comprehensive literature review of previous pleasure-related PA research, including a review of the methodology used in the current study (conjoint analysis and audience segmentation), and (2) present an empirical investigation into the relative impact of selected characteristics (activity intensity, physical context, and social context) on the anticipated pleasure of potential PA experiences and how the impact differs by audience segment based on PA involvement. The findings from this study will provide a basis from which experimental manipulations of PA characteristics may be tested in order to maximize pleasure associated with PA, and how these manipulations can be customized for individuals that vary in terms of their level of PA involvement.

Through a previous project my goal was to research and understand cultural identity. Through that project I found I wanted to help as many people as I can and it became a goal to research the adolescent age group. The purpose of this project was to review existing literature and come to a conclusion about proper warm-up components and techniques in adolescent sports and physical activity that help lower the chance of injuries. The leading cause of injury in adolescents is sports, so the focus is to help decrease the amount of injuries in adolescent sports. Articles used in this review include those with both females and males participating in diverse sports, recreational and intermediate level sports, as well as physical education class level of activity. A structured dynamic warm-up led by an adult is the most beneficial warm-up for preventing adolescent injuries. The warm-up should consist of stretching, strengthening, balance, sport-specific agility, and landing techniques. This will prepare the body for the specific sport or exercise. The literature on this topic is a good foundation but much more research focused on gender differences and different level of competition still needs to be completed.

Many older adults report that they do not regularly engage in physical activity, highlighting the need for the creation of interventions that are more conducive to promoting sustained behavioral engagement. Physical activity intervention development should first begin with the identification of modifiable factors that are related to the behavior and the conditions under which these factors do and do not impact physical activity, as well as the validation of instruments to measure these factors. Enjoyment of physical activity, satisfaction with physical activity, self-determination, and physical activity identity have been theorized as four “maintenance motives” necessary for health behavior maintenance. The purpose of this dissertation research project was to identify which of these theory-based motives are associated with the maintenance of physical activity for older adults (≥ 55 years of age) and to test the robustness of measures of motive assessment. This dissertation consists of several studies detailed in five chapters. Chapter 2 reports the findings of two studies that examined older adults’ beliefs related to their physical activity maintenance through both a free-response format and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Chapters 3 and 4 describe a systematic review and meta-analysis that explored the relations between enjoyment, satisfaction, self-determination, and identity and older adults’ physical activity maintenance. The following two chapters include two studies that investigated the robustness of measurement instruments assessing self-determined regulatory styles for physical activity (i.e., self-determination) and physical activity identity (Chapter 5) and physical activity enjoyment and satisfaction (Chapter 6). Together, findings suggest that these four motives are related to the maintenance of physical activity for older adults, with more evidence supporting the relation between self-determination and maintenance. Findings provide insight as to for whom (e.g., older adults with health conditions) and in which context (e.g., re-engaging in physical activity after time away) motives may exert their influence on behavior. Moreover, this dissertation project reports psychometric properties of new and modified measures that can be used to assess the maintenance motives in future studies. This dissertation contributes to the literature by enabling researchers to more accurately and confidently choose and measure proposed mechanisms of change and thus provides a foundation upon which future physical activity intervention development can expand.

A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science (HMASR) to the La Trobe School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.

Military veterans that are wounded, injured, and/or sick (WIS) face significant physical, mental, and social challenges following discharge from their military service; often leading to mental health issues and suicidal ideation. The principal aim of the research reported in this thesis was to develop a better understanding of physical activity behaviour among veterans that are WIS, and provide practical recommendations by which it can be increased, through the development, implementation, and evaluation of a community-based physical activity intervention. To achieve this, the United Kingdom Medical Research Council (UKMRC) Complex Intervention Development and Evaluation Guidance and the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) were utilised as guiding frameworks. An evidence base was established related to the likely effects of a physical activity intervention through a systematic review, which identified a number of positive psychosocial effects for the target population. Following the identification of the evidence-base, the BCW was used to inform two separate, yet related studies. Firstly, a qualitative semi-structured interview methodology explored the perceived barriers to, and benefits of physical activity among a sample of veterans that are WIS (N=9). A range of perceived barriers and benefits were identified in this study. In particular, physical capability, psychological capability, physical opportunity, and reflective motivation were prominent barriers to physical activity engagement. The second study was designed to overcome the limitations of the first study by developing and distributing a questionnaire based upon the themes identified in the first, qualitative study, to a larger sample of veterans that are WIS (N= 105). In contrast to the findings of the qualitative study, quantitative statistical analyses revealed that physical activity self-efficacy was the key barrier to physical activity engagement. Based on these findings, a walking group intervention was designed to overcome low physical activity self-efficacy barriers while providing an environment where physical activity self-efficacy could be developed. Unfortunately, despite the researcher’s best efforts in planning and preparation, the intervention did not commence due to the COVID-19 public health crisis. However, the intervention design was evaluated for acceptability and feasibility and found to be highly acceptable among participants who had expressed interest in participating in the walking group intervention (N=10). These findings were compared to a similar acceptability and feasibility evaluation of an existing group-based exercise intervention (N=5) which led to the refinement of the walking group intervention and the development of eight recommendations for future practice and intervention design. The findings stemming from research reported within this thesis provided several novel contributions to knowledge. Most notably, the research is the first to apply the UKMRC guidance and BCW in relation to a physical activity intervention aimed at military veterans that are WIS. In combination with knowledge from the wider literature, research findings reported in this thesis can help inform the design of future physical activity interventions, leading to increased physical activity behaviour among veterans that are WIS.

This chapter reviewed the body of research that has sought to understand why homophobic language is used by male athletes in order to contextualise the findings from the National Rugby Leagues internal audit of player behaviour.

Background: The challenging and stochastic nature of military operations require combatants to operate at a high level whilst coping with numerous physical (e.g. load carriage) and cognitive challenges (e.g. decision making). Purpose: To investigate the effect of military specific physical activity (MSPA) on relevant parameters of physical and cognitive performance.Research Design: 1) Developing a representative MSPA protocol and physical and cognitive performance measures. 2) Quantifying the physical demands of the MSPA protocol. 3) Establishing the reliability and validity of the cognitive performance measures. 4) Quantifying the MSPA protocol’s effect on the physical and cognitive performance. Research Progress: A combined load carriage and fire and manoeuvre task was selected as the representative MSPA based on criticality and frequency of completion during military operations. Three physical performance measures well correlated military performance were selected 1) medicine ball throw, 2) weighted counter-movement jump 3) maximal isometric voluntary contraction. To assess cognitive performance a shoot/don’t shoot task and auditory n-back task were chosen based on the importance of working memory during military operations.Military Relevance: The proposed research design should increase the understanding of physical and cognitive function pre-, during-, and post-MSPA and for the development and assessment of mitigation strategies.

This thesis explores methods to improve the identification of sports related concussion in Australian football. At the professional level, differences in head impact exposure between the sexes were identified. The wearable accelerometer technology, however, was not sufficiently reliable to augment current best practice in concussion screening, which encompasses match review by medical personnel utilising advanced video technology. In community Australian football, monitoring of observable concussive signs with the Head Injury Assessment form, represents a rapid and real-time method to identify players with possible concussion in the absence of experienced physicians, which could be incorporated into training programs for community clubs.

In 2019, VicHealth commissioned researchers within the Faculty of Education at Monash University to conduct a market analysis examining the work that has been undertaken to date, and current activities in the state of Victoria, Australia, focused on promoting LGBTI+ engagement and participation in sport. This document provides an overview of the programs, interventions, reports and education undertaken in the sport and LGBTI+ inclusion space across the last 20 years. Furthermore, the report details some of the findings of key academic literature and evaluation reports examining the impact of LGBTI+ sporting initiatives delivered in Australia and overseas. In particular, it details contemporary knowledge regarding approaches to LGBTI+ inclusion and perceived impact of interventions. The report is structured to respond to several key questions: 1. What does current research tell us about the experiences of LGBTI+ people in sport? 2. What work has taken place within Victoria to support LGBTI+ inclusion and reduce discrimination? 3. Which organisations are operating in Victoria to promote LGBTI+ inclusion and how have these connected with sport? 4. What work are State Sporting Associations undertaking to support LGBTI+ Inclusion and what support would they like moving forward? 5. What recommendations have emerged from existing LGBTI+ in sport reports and evaluations? The report concludes by pointing towards potential areas for further investment to enhance LGBTI+ inclusion within sport.

Thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to the Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND:Given children's low levels of physical activity and high prevalence of obesity, there is an urgent need to identify innovative physical activity options.OBJECTIVE:This study aims to test the effectiveness of exergaming (video gaming that involves physical activity) to reduce children's adiposity and improve cardiometabolic health.METHODS:This randomized controlled trial assigned 46 children with overweight/obesity to a 24-week exergaming or control condition. Intervention participants were provided a gaming console with exergames, a gameplay curriculum (1 h per session, three times a week) and video chat sessions with a fitness coach (telehealth coaching). Control participants were provided the exergames following final clinic visit. The primary outcome was body mass index (BMI) z-score. Secondary outcomes were fat mass by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and cardiometabolic health metrics.RESULTS:Half of the participants were girls, and 57% were African-American. Intervention adherence was 94.4%, and children's ratings of acceptability and enjoyment were high. The intervention group significantly reduced BMI z-score excluding one control outlier (intervention [standard error] vs. control [standard error]: -0.06 [0.03] vs. 0.03 [0.03], p = 0.016) with a marginal difference in intent-to-treat analysis (-0.06 [0.03] vs. 0.02 [0.03], p = 0.065). Compared with control, the intervention group improved systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (all p values

Summer camps have been conventionally associated with the positive development of individual character through the promotion of recreational ‘fun.’ However, popular narratives obscure more critical questions concerning the power-knowledge relations that have shaped the provision of summer camp fun as a significant site of child development in Canadian culture. In this article we examine how camp counsellors mobilise particular discourses about the benefits, or ‘good’, and ‘fun’ of camp to govern themselves and the campers that are in their care. We draw on Foucauldian notions of governmentality to problematise that which is often assumed as the ‘truth’ of camp experiences. We discuss how the ‘good’ of camp often draws on psy-discourses and those of entrepreneurial selves to improve or add value to campers’ lives. Additionally, ‘fun’ discourses and practices can work to produce manageable and docile campers. We conclude the article by identifying the implications of the research for developing a critical approach to the management of young staff who work to provide a broad range of recreational experiences where benefits and fun are promised. Baker, M., Fullagar, S., & O’Brien, W. (2018). All in good fun: governing camp experiences through discourses of ‘good’and ‘fun’. Leisure Studies, 1-14.

Sports have a dominating presence in cultures around the world, but how can psychologists explain the mass interest in winning races, scoring goals, and hitting home runs? A number of evolutionary psychology hypotheses attempt to address why men play sports and are supported by strong empirical evidence, but these same hypotheses fail sufficiently to explain why women participate in sports. To address this gap, a survey investigating sports and exercise motivations, self-perceived mate value, and social dominance orientation was distributed to athletes and non-athletes at Carnegie Mellon University. We compared results from athletes to non-athletes as well as athletes on a team and individual sport. Key findings include males were more motivated to exercise for social reasons where females were more motivated by improving their appearance. Additionally, athletes on a team sport reported a greater motivation to win and a higher mate value where athletes on an individual sport reported greater social motivations for exercising. Ultimately, these results support an evolutionary-based explanation for why we play sports.

The provision of free, open, and online content is a relatively new phenomenon through which education providers are exploring innovative new business models to bring their content to a global audience. Learning materials that are openly licensed and readily accessible have the potential to transform educational delivery and present learning and psychological growth opportunities for all. However, there is little consensus as to how best design and deliver open online courses, where barriers to access are low and dropout rates are high. With its strong focus on autonomy and high quality motivation, self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) provides an ideal frame of reference to approach the design and development of open online courses. The present research describes the design and evaluation of an open online course titled Elite Sport Performance: Psychological Perspectives, being the first of its type in the world. Three related studies were conducted, each building on the next: Study 1 provides an evaluation of a first iteration of the course run in 2013, which was deemed unsuccessful. The course was evaluated mainly using web analytic criteria and provided useful insights to support a completely new iteration of the course. Study 2 articulates a redesign of Elite Sport Performance: Psychological Perspectives that addressed supporting the three basic psychological needs of self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and relatedness, with a view to fostering intrinsic motivation to engage learners and optimise learning outcomes. A step-by-step approach using best practice techniques is provided. Study 3 presents an empirical evaluation of Elite Sport Performance: Psychological Perspectives that was released to a global audience in late 2015 with 1007 registrations from 73 countries. The final study includes engagement data derived from web analytics, self-determination theory metrics (e.g., satisfaction of basic psychological needs), and qualitative feedback from participants. Additionally, data are presented around continuance intention and reasons for non-engagement to better contextualise motivational dynamics in an open online course environment. In general terms, when taken together, the second iteration of the course was successful and supported the design approach taken. The implications of the findings of the present research suggest that designing for open online courses is a unique context in which the needs of the learner need to be carefully considered. A set of recommendations to enhance the design of open online courses such as Elite Sport Performance: Psychological Perspectives are provided. Suggestions for further research, particularly surrounding the potential benefits to well-being and eudaimonic flourishing offered by open online courses are speculated.