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The practice of benching players or removing playing time is commonly used in sport. Although benching is used to adhere to game rules related to the number of athletes permitted on the field of play at any given time or to provide athletes with rest breaks, athletes have reportedly experienced benching in response to behavioral infractions such as not paying attention, not devoting sufficient effort, or failing to adhere to team rules. The purpose of this study therefore was to explore the use of benching as a behavioral management strategy from the perspectives of youth coaches. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 youth coaches (six men and four women) regarding their views of benching, reasons for use, and alternatives to the practice of benching. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. All coaches reported using benching to manage athlete and team behavior, address conduct detrimental to the team, and reinforce the coach’s position of power. The coaches interpreted benching as punishment or a learning tool depending on the provision of communication and feedback. Future work is needed to address the use of communication and the nature of this communication to ensure that benching practices are associated with learning and not punishment.

Researchers have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on athletes’ experiences, however, there remains a lack of attention examining the impact of the pandemic on coaches’ experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine Ontario sport coaches’ perspectives on the implications of the pandemic on their experiences. As part of a large-scale survey of Ontario coaches’ experiences in sport, an open-ended question was asked regarding the implications of COVID-19 on the coaching population. In total, 591 participant responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. According to participants, most of the cited outcomes of COVID-19 were negative, although some positive aspects were cited. Negative outcomes of the pandemic included adapting coaching methods and practices, insufficient coach supports, declines in coaching confidence and skills, lack of meaningful interpersonal connections, mental health concerns, job and financial instability, unclear guidelines on safe returns to sport, and loss of athletes and athletic programs. Conversely, positive impacts included having time to reflect on their coaching pursuits and alternative interests and to engage in professional development. These findings highlight the importance of understanding coaches’ experiences during the pandemic and may be used to inform recommendations for supporting coaches post pandemic.

In response to numerous highly publicized cases of athlete maltreatment, sport organizations have developed prevention and intervention strategies under the umbrella term of Safe Sport; however, confusion exists about what it does and does not encompass. To better understand what Safe Sport encompasses, this study sought to develop a conceptual framework of Safe Sport, informed by the perspectives of various stakeholders in sport. Using a social constructivist grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with forty-one participants, including athletes, coaches, sport administrators, and researchers. The results are interpreted to suggest that participants’ understanding of Safe Sport are informed by three overarching themes: environmental and physical safety, relational safety, and optimising sport, all of which are viewed as continuously evolving relative to the ever-changing context of sport and broader society. Recommendations are made to optimise sport experiences and thus prevent physical and psychological harms through a safeguarding approach that prioritizes the promotion of human rights.

Despite major technical and genetic advances, more than half of the neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) cases remain undiagnosed. We explored the frequency of non-random XCI in the mothers of male patients and in affected females from a clinically heterogeneous cohort of unsolved NDD cases, negative at FRAXA, chromosomal microarray analysis and Trio Exome Sequencing. We hypothesize that an unbalanced XCI could unmask previously discarded genetic variants on the X chromosome connected both to XCI and NDD. A multiplex fluorescent-PCR-based assay was used to screen the XCI pattern after methylation sensitive HhaI digestion. Trio-based ES re-analysis was performed in families with skewed XCI occurrence. Linkage analysis and RT-PCR were used to further study the X-chromosome inactive allele. X-drop was used to define the chromosome deletion boundaries. We found a skewed XCI (>90%) in 16/186 mothers of affected NDD males (8.6%) and 12/90 female patients (13.3%), far beyond the expected XCI in normal population (3.6%, OR=4.10; OR=2.51). Reanalyzing ES and clinical data, we solved 7/28 cases (25%). These included variants in the KDM5C, PDZD4, PHF6, TAF1, OTUD5, and ZMYM3, and a genomic deletion spanning exons 3-4 of the ATRX gene. The identification of a skewed XCI is an easy assay that can help selecting a subgroup of patients for the re-evaluation of X-linked variants, improving the diagnostic yield in NDD patients, and allowing the identification of new X-linked disorders.

Positive youth development (PYD) research in sport has often focused on the influence of coach and peer relations, yet the PYD research has been criticised for lacking sufficient theory. From a psy...

Despite a vast body of research on youth sport withdrawal, our understanding of youth athletes’ withdrawal experiences is limited by an overemphasis on descriptive-quantitative methodological appro...

The negative consequences associated with punishment, highlighted by researchers in the parenting and education domains, have stimulated a shift toward more developmentally appropriate methods of behavior modification. Despite the reported negative outcomes linked with punishment use, preliminary research in sport indicates that punishment, specifically in the form of exercise, remains a common strategy in this domain. The purpose of this study therefore was to explore interuniversity coaches’ perspectives on the use of exercise as punishment. Semistructured interviews with eight interuniversity coaches (four males and four females) were conducted. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Participant accounts revealed that exercise as punishment was implemented frequently in a variety of forms (e.g., push-ups and sprints). Perceived benefits for the use of exercise as punishment, such as performance motivation and team cohesion, as well as suggested alternative methods of behavioral modification were also reported. Findings are interpreted in accordance with punishment, shaming, and coach education research. Recommendations for future research and practice are suggested.

With increased media scrutiny, public awareness, and research on the prevalence of maltreatment experiences in sport, sport organizations have faced increased pressures to combat unsafe practices in sport. A consequence has been the emergence of the Safe Sport movement whereby organizations including the International Olympic Committee, Safe Sport International, US Center for SafeSport, Sport Canada, and others, have developed policies, initiatives, and education intended to create safer sport environments for all participants. Most of these policies have been implemented using a top-down approach, driven by government officials and sport leaders. However, if safe sport initiatives are to benefit athletes, consideration and incorporation of athletes' perspectives in the development and implementation of initiatives are imperative. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine athletes' perspectives on the challenges and recommendations to advancing safe sport. As part of a large-scale survey of current and retired Canadian National Team Athletes' experiences of maltreatment, open-ended questions were asked about athletes' recommendations and considerations for safe sport. Responses to these questions (n = 386) were analyzed using thematic analysis. According to the participants, barriers and challenges to safe sport included emphasizing performance excellence at-all-costs, normalization and complicity of harm, lack of attention to equity, diversity and inclusion, a culture of fear and silence, and a lack of trust in organizations to handle cases of harm. In an effort to advance safe sport, participants recommended prioritizing holistic athlete development, improving and strengthening accountability measures, implementing an independent 3rd party for disclosure, reporting and support, increased attention to equity, diversity and inclusion, stakeholder education, prohibition of sexual relations between athletes and those in positions of power and authority, and adoption of a broader perspective of harms and perpetrators. Findings are interpreted and critiqued in light of previous literature and recommendations for future research and practice are suggested.

Dropout is the term used by researchers and policy makers when referring to youth leaving or withdrawing from sport participation. To-date, the predominant use of quantitative approaches to researc...

The recent, highly publicized cases of maltreatment of athletes have garnered critical attention by the public at large and stakeholders in sport, alike. For many, these cases threaten popular views that sport contributes in important ways to positive youth development. The growing evidence showing that maltreatment occurs to youth sport participants highlights the need for safe, harm-free sport environments as a fundamental prerequisite for positive developments to be reaped. By unpacking the case study of USA Gymnastics and Dr. Larry Nassar’s abuses in this paper, the authors show that for athlete maltreatment to occur and be sustained across so many victims and so many years, more than a perpetrator is needed. The nature of the environment, from the interpersonal level to organizational policies and societal influences, contributes to the occurrence and perpetuation of athlete maltreatment. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological-systems model, the authors argue for a systemic approach to preventing and addressing athlete maltreatment. Recommendations are posed for safeguarding youth athletes and fostering the sporting conditions in which positive youth development can occur.

This study examined athletes’ experiences of punishment in competitive hockey and the potential influence of these experiences on their decisions to cease participation in the sport. Semi-structure...

Objectives Anecdotal evidence suggests that youth may experience negative outcomes when benched, such as a lack of fun and intentions to quit (Frank, 2013; O' Sullivan, 2015). In the sport of ice hockey, it is speculated that amongst position players, including goalies, forwards, and defenders, the negative effects of benching may be exacerbated for goalies, presumably due to the public manner in which the benching takes place (Hertz, 2010, 2013). The purpose of this study therefore was to examine competitive youth ice hockey goalies' experiences of benching as a result of not playing well during a game. Methods Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of seven male competitive youth ice hockey goalies between the ages of 13–15 years. Data were analyzed using a thematic narrative approach (Riessman, 2008; Smith, 2016). Results Participant stories suggest that benching can be detrimental to an athlete's feeling of self-worth and relations with coaches and teammates when experienced as a form of punishment. Across all of the goalies' stories, notions of feeling like an outcast on their team after experiencing benching were articulated. Four overarching narratives were developed from their stories: the skate of shame, the banished bench, the lonely locker room, and the silent celebration. Conclusions This study advances current youth sport literature as it is one of the first to examine youth athletes' benching experiences empirically. Recommendations for future research and practice are suggested.

The educational benefits of embedding hands-on experience in higher education curriculum are widely recognized (Beard & Wilson, 2013). However, to optimize the learning from these opportunities, they need to be grounded in empirical learning theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of internships in Ontario colleges and universities, and to assess the congruence between the components of these internships and Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning framework. Information from 44 Ontario universities and colleges, including 369 internship program webpages and 77 internship course outlines, was analyzed. The findings indicated that internship programs overemphasize the practical aspect of the experience at the expense of linking theory and practice. To optimize experiential education opportunities, recommendations include establishing explicit learning activities consistent with each experiential learning mode, including practice, reflection, connecting coursework and practical experience, and implementing creative ideas in practice. Resume Les avantages educatifs de l’integration d’une experience pratique au sein du curriculum de l’education superieure sont grandement reconnus (Beard et Wilson, 2013). Toutefois, afin d’optimiser les occasions d’apprentissage, celles-ci doivent etre basees sur des theories d’apprentissage empiriques. Le but de cette etude etait d’examiner les caracteristiques des stages dans des colleges et universites de l’Ontario, ainsi que d’evaluer la correlation entre les composantes de ces stages et le cadre de travail de l’apprentissage par l’experience selon Kolb (1984). L’information provenant de 44 universites et colleges ontariens, incluant les sites Internet de 369 programmes de stage et les plans de cours de 77 stages, a ete analysee. Les resultats indiquent que les programmes de stage insistent trop sur les aspects pratiques de l’experience plutot que de lier la theorie a la pratique. Afin d’optimiser les possibilites educatives d’apprentissage, les recommandations comprennent l’etablissement d’activites d’apprentissage explicites qui soient compatibles avec chaque modele d’apprentissage par l’experience, incluant la pratique, la reflexion, des travaux lies a l’experience pratique, et la mise en œuvre d’idees creatives dans la pratique.

This study examined the use of punitive coaching strategies in youth sport and the nature of these experiences for youth athletes. Semistructured interviews and concept maps were conducted with 12 competitive male and female hockey athletes 11–13 years of age. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results revealed that punishments occurred in competitive youth hockey, in the forms of benching, yelling, exercises, cleaning up equipment, and alternating positions. Findings are interpreted to suggest that punishments hindered developmental needs of youth athletes, including a positive sense of self and positive relationships with others. Implications for healthy youth development are discussed.

An interest in the validity and importance of religion has led some social scientists to try to change some of the common assumptions of their discipline. In doing so, they have made statements, such as “Religion is true,” which invite analysis and response from the context of the traditional Ontological Argument. Recasting the argument in the vocabulary of the social sciences also sheds new light on traditional discussions of it.

The growing popularity of courses which use autobiographical materials as an introduction to the study of religion signals a changing cultural perception of what religion is. Whereas before religion was thought of in terms of faith in a supernatural being, now we are beginning to see that religion is any attempt to integrate our lives. This changed perception has important consequences for the Christian faith.