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There is no unique definition of circus pedagogy; however, "scholars agree that such a discipline could provide a valid alternative to learn and deepen various mobility contents". This article aims to provide strategies for implementing an elementary physical education Circus Unit. An overview of how to design three basic routines of a circus program (balances, manipulatives, and clowning) is included, along with a description of how to execute a final performance. Lastly, a description of how the unit aligns with National Standard goals is provided. Now is the time for you to dip your foot into the circus world and make it come alive for your students.

This study analyzed the effect of Physical Best (PB) Curriculum on activity levels of children in physical education class. Activity levels of elementary school students (N=92, males = 50, females = 42) were recorded throughout six normally scheduled physical education class periods. Students participated in both traditional and PB curriculums and were asked not to change any physical activity and performance behaviors during data collection. Activity levels were recorded with movement tracking bracelets and heart rate monitors; which, provided averages for steps and time-in-target-zone (TZ) per class period. Paired sample t-tests were used to compare steps and TZ between the two groups. Overall, students did not record as many steps or time in target heart rate zone while participating in lessons that began with a PB warm-up. The differences of average steps and TZ recorded between PB and traditional curriculums were significant (p< 0.05) for all grades and gender, except third grade girls. The elementary school students in this study recorded, on average, fewer movements and spent less time in their target heart rate zone during PB activities than in their traditional activities. However, student knowledge of their own fitness outcomes may motivate them to be physically active outside of class.

Background: Project Fit America (PFA) curriculum was initiated in 1990 with a mission to provide opportunities for all American children to be fit with unique lessons and outdoor fitness equipment. Purpose: In this study, the physical education (PE) fitness testing scores of elementary school students were examined to determine the effect of PFA curriculum inclusion. Methods: A total of 72 (M= 31, F=41) 4th and 5th grade students participated. Students were divided into one of four groups: males experiencing (EM) or not experiencing (NEM) the PFA curriculum and females experiencing (EF) and not experiencing (NEF) the PFA curriculum. At this school, fitness testing was completed twice a year as part of regular PE assessment and included the following activities: cadence push-ups, cadence curl-ups, sit and reach, and the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test. Findings: The EM group showed significant increases in their post-test scores for both curl-ups (t(20) = -2.348, p = 0.029) and PACER (t(19) = -2.806, p = 0.011) while the EF group showed significant increases for average sit and reach (t(25) = -2.518, p = 0.019) only. The NEM group showed significantly greater post-test scores for curl-ups (t(9) = -2.427, p = 0.038). The NEF group showed no significant increases for any of the four tests. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that PFA inclusion serves to improve student's physical fitness measures.

Although high school coaches are encouraged to obtain certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillators (AED), and first aid (FA), there is no national and few state mandates for coaches to maintain adequate knowledge regarding emergency care for youth athletes. As youth participation in organized events continues to grow, the incidence of injury and sudden death has subsequently increased. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school coaches' knowledge of basic FA, CPR, and AED. Coaches (N= 89, 21.3% females, 78.2% males) at a high school coaches' association state conference completed a demographics questionnaire and 20-question, multiple-choice survey about emergency medical care. Although 87.6% of coaches who participated were FA certified and 91% were CPR certified, results of the survey indicated a lack of knowledge of basic skill-related questions in the topics of youth CPR and AED. Based on the results of the current study, coaches did not retain adequate knowledge to act competently in the event of an emergency of cardiac origin. National standards for specific emergency care education and recertification should be implemented for all high school coaches (paid or volunteer); standards that would require coaches to stay current on emergency medical interventions.

Daily physical activity (PA) benefits children's and adolescents' overall health while reducing the likelihood of obesity. Elementary school physical education (PE) classes provide opportunities for children and adolescents not only to participate in PA but also to build the knowledge and skills needed to be physically active across their lifetime. Physical Best (PB) is one program physical educators might use to develop students' physical literacy and skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of PB program inclusion on elementary PE students' PA levels and health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK). Three activity games were paired once with a PB fitness concept-based warm-up activity and once with a traditional warm-up activity for six lessons. PA levels of elementary school students (n = 75, 30 males, 45 females) were recorded with both movement tracking bracelets and heart monitors during these six PE lessons. Means were calculated for movements and time in and above target heart rate zone (TZ) by warm-up type (PB vs. traditional), sex, and grade level. An HRFK assessment given to students pre- and postintervention assessed changes in fitness knowledge. Repeated-measures analysis of variances were utilized in the comparison of sex and grade level differences in relation to movements, TZ minutes, and HRFK assessment scores. Overall, children had significantly more movements in the PB lessons compared with traditional lessons (p < 0.05), while there was no difference in TZ minutes. HRFK assessment scores increased from pre- to postintervention (p < 0.05). Children accrued more movements in PB warm-up lessons than in traditional warm-up lessons but exhibited no difference in PA intensity. Children also increased HRFK from pre- to post-PB experience.

Youth in sport programs are not only gaining skills in sport techniques but also observing and learning ethical attitudes such as how to treat others in competition or whether to play in accordance with sport rules. Youth sport coaches influence youth directly through the provision of guidance and feedback and indirectly through the behaviors they model and attitudes they reflect. In the sport context, gamesmanship is any in-game misconducts that stay within the boundaries of the rules but still are ethically controversial and may lead to a competitive advantage. In this study, the gamesmanship beliefs of youth sport coaches across multiple sport disciplines were analyzed. The participants of this study were 109 youth sport coaches of a variety of sports. A 20-question gamesmanship beliefs survey was used in data collection for this study in which youth sport coaches were asked to determine their opinion of the identified conduct and respond with a rating on a 4-point Likert scale. Responses of youth sport coaches in this study suggest that only a small portion of them are inclined to instruct players to act in a way that utilizes gamesmanship practices. This study's examination of whether formal coaching training or years of coaching experience influence attitudes toward gamesmanship found that there appeared to be little effect on coaches' attitudes. As gamesmanship situations are typically present in the youth sport context, this study provides value in understanding how youth sport coaches think about gamesmanship and their awareness of ethical concerns.

The National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education's (NAHKE) efforts to connect professionals to share our strategies and passions for success within kinesiology are more valuable than ever before and developing emotionally intelligent leaders and administrators is very important. For the 30th Delphine Hanna Commemorative Lecture, the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) is explored. EI can be understood most simply as one's ability to recognize the emotions of themselves and others to help motivate themselves or others, which lends the ability to manage emotions and relationships. Within this lecture, definitions, components, and competencies are presented in an attempt to bolster our human development and our performance in the kinesiology higher education profession. Compared to our intellectual capacities, which are somewhat inherent and difficult to improve upon, EI can be regarded as a set of skills that continue to develop with practice. Thus, an analysis of various practices that may help individuals improve EI abilities is also presented.

A small portion of American children, adolescents, and adults are affected by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a chronic mental condition that includes a variety of symptoms. The brain activity of individuals with ADHD is abnormal in its characteristics of neurotransmitter activity during tasks that require attention. Symptoms are often treated with medication that stimulates attention levels. For individuals diagnosed with ADHD, these pharmaceutical interventions are often paired with structured social and behavioral support as well as dietary modifications for further remediation of symptoms. In addition, physical activity (PA) interventions present additional nonpharmaceutical opportunities that reduce ADHD symptoms. This article presents an extensive literature review assessing the notion that neuroactivation and attentional performance of children and adolescents with ADHD can be optimized with interventions of PA. Overall, research has suggested that PA interventions that are free of cost and do not rely on health care professionals can be easily adapted into a daily schedule for individuals with ADHD and effectively prepare individuals for bouts of attentional effort., Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects children, adolescents, and adults and includes a variety of symptoms. ADHD symptoms often include some combination of inactivity, hyperactivity, and [...]

The Project Fit America (PFA) curriculum was initiated in 1990 with a mission to create and provide quality opportunities for American school children to be active, healthy, and fit. This study assessed the effect of the PFA curriculum and outdoor fitness equipment on fitness testing scores of elementary school students. Participants were 4th- and 5th-grade students including 62 females and 54 males. Students were divided into one of four groups: males experiencing (EM) or not experiencing (NEM) the PFA curriculum and females experiencing (EF) and not experiencing (NEF) the PFA curriculum. Students were tested once in the fall and once in the spring for the following activities: cadence push-ups, cadence curl-ups, sit-and-reach, and the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test. EM and EF groups showed significant increases in their pushup, t(33) = -2.088, p = 0.045, and t(28) = -2.783, p = 0.010, and curl-up, t(33) = -2.866, p = 0.007, and t(28) = -3.08, p = 0.005, posttesting scores. Additionally, NEM showed significant increases in their PACER, t(19) = -2.202, p = 0.04, posttesting score. The results of this study indicate the implementation of the PFA curriculum may assist in increasing elementary student muscular strength and endurance fitness testing scores.

Using whole child approaches and promoting the development of social and emotional learning skills are educational priorities in today's K-12 schools. SHAPE America's heath.moves.minds. program helps school and community personnel address these priorities via movement-based lessons. PETE faculty can address several national standards and competencies by embedding this new curriculum and fundraiser within their existing curriculum while fostering teacher candidates' knowledge and skills to address whole school approaches in their future career settings. This article describes how faculty at one PETE institution has progressively integrated heath.moves.minds. throughout its program.

Physical education class is undoubtably unique; the monotony of sitting in a desk is broken as students can move, learn sports concepts, and participate in activities. Physical education teachers implement warm-ups, cool-downs, and games to push students toward their goal of sixty minutes of physical activity per day. How do physical education teachers assess and teach student recognition of the value in participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity? Do the students in physical education classes value why they do the activities?

An elementary classroom teacher (ECT) has a busy day. The teachers teach their class, prepare class materials, and may supervise the lunchroom or the playground at recess time (Daily Physical Activity in School, 2005), attend meetings with parents and perform a number of other responsibilities. For this reason planning time is a very important component for the ECT. Planning time for the ECT is usually taken when students are in elementary physical education. This study investigated how elementary physical education can assist the ECT in their planning time. In this study 219 ECT from three states and 18 different schools participated in this study. The ECT was given a short survey to fill out regarding how, or if, planning time helps or benefits the ECT. The results found that the ECT appreciated the planning time that it was needed in order for them to be successful in the classroom and because of planning time the students would benefit. The results also showed a great respect from the ECT for elementary physical education, which can be beneficial for principals and other school administrators.

While the basic foundations of organizational and coaching strategies are very important to the development of a youth sports team, it is imperative to expand further on what makes a true team. A great team is not created overnight, it usually takes several years. Yet, with the proper mindset, the right coach can quickly turn a youth program into a great team. The use of the strategies presented in this article will provide effective leadership and managerial skills for coaches to fulfill the responsibilities that accompany the coaching of youth traveling teams.

In today's competitive world, many young people are getting involved in organized sports at an early age. Every single child deserves a coach who will consider the influence he or she has on the lives of their players and their love of the game. These young athletes need a mentor who leads with character and is committed to teaching them about the fundamentals of sport and, more importantly, the fundamentals of life. An effective coach has an enormous impact on the participation, skill-development, and attitudes of youth in organized sport. This article provides effective strategies for the leadership, managerial and strategic responsibilities that accompany the coaching of youth traveling teams.

We live in a rapidly changing world with technology as an essential part of our lives and an important component in contemporary education. Preparing teachers for the future requires that university professors understand what it means to teach and learn in the digital age. Teacher preparation programs need to create intentional learning environments where teacher candidates can study contemporary issues that are relevant in today's schools, develop pedagogies that are effective for the current generation of students, and develop expertise to design and facilitate meaningful learning for the future. Educational stakeholders, especially teacher educators, need to change how they approach and use instructional practices, change the routines, change how they and the teacher candidates think about teaching and learning, and change the pedagogical approach. The purpose of this article is to provide an example of a physical education teacher preparation program that has addressed the need for a new model in teacher preparation.

Sports are popular across the nation and youth sport participation is at an all-time high, yet children are quitting youth sports at an alarming rate. If this trend is going to change, several areas of concern must be addressed. The climate created on youth teams can be polarizing, having the potential for significant positive or negative developmental effects. Therefore, the authors explore achievement goals, motivational climate and personal development, and TARGET descriptions. They offer suggestions for coaches, such as creating a mastery climate or fostering a more positive environment, so this negative trend can hopefully be curbed. Creating a mastery climate presents an environment in which children feels competent and successful and could be the key important factor in their continued participation in youth sport.

Physical educators have long proclaimed that physical education class is an important academic discipline to a students' education. With learning objectives taking place in the affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains. Yet, physical education has been marginalized in today's society. One way to gain support of physical education is getting support from other educators. The literature suggests that teacher's need to promote their programs to gain support and lose the marginality tag that has been place on physical education. For this study the researchers surveyed elementary classroom teachers (n=219). The survey consisted of seven questions, and of the five questions the classroom teachers were asked to further explain their responses to the survey question. The purpose of this study was to obtain and better understand elementary classroom teacher's attitudes and perspectives regarding elementary physical education. Generally, elementary classroom teachers attitudes were positive towards elementary physical education. (Contains 2 tables.)

Children are living more sedentary lifestyles today than ever before in America. Physical education teachers need to be our leaders for change by promoting the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind in today's youth and promoting life-long physically activity. This article helps to shape the mind of a physical educator and gives them a "don't" list to make sure are not happening in their classes, if they want students to have a positive PE experience and potentially go on to be life-long physically active learners. From not letting the students pick their own teams to not playing games that eliminate them from competition, the role that the PE teacher plays in shaping students life-long beliefs about the joy of exercise is substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology today is changing continually and physical educators need to learn to utilize it. Handheld devices and apps are being used by students and parents in almost every aspect of their lives. Rather than fight their use, should we not use them to enhance the physical education experience? This article explores the different types of technologies available to physical educators in order to enhance their classes and better relate to their iGeneration students. From devices that monitor heartrates and steps taken, to apps to break down skill analysis, this article aims to introduce teachers to alternative learning styles through the use of technology that their students and parents will appreciate and embrace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. Performed at all different levels of expertise, it is played by men, women, and children of all ages (Stolen, Chamari, Castagna, & Wisloff, 2005). Development starts at an early age, and continues as players enhance their ability. Early sport development can have both positive and negative influences on youth regarding psychomotor, cognitive, and psychosocial development. This article is designed to assist coaches in developing an academy season. An academy season runs for a total of six weeks, meeting three times a week. Each session is designed to provide a positive environment for youth players. To accomplish a positive youth development, visual cues, anticipation, memory recall, and situational probabilities are all essential (Ward & Williams, 2003). Several skills are developed both physically and mentally for youth in the game of soccer. As a coach, it is more important to focus on the individual's needs then it is winning and losing. As long as activities are appropriate for the child's mental and physical ability, they will benefit both physically and cognitively by participating (Fleck, Quinn, Carr, Buren, & Stringfield, 2005). Different techniques are used to help the effectiveness of this approach. Coaches need to develop a program or season that will help players reach their highest goals while providing a positive and rewarding experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the aspects to consider in running a football camp for adolescents. Topics mentioned include the need for the organizer to get the proper staff, equipment, and facilities to ensure safety for the participants, a detailed nutritional plan for nourishment, hydration, and food, as well as the detail of the schedule of the program.

The article offers ways on how to establish and govern an effective soccer camp for adolescents ages 6-14. It mentions that a soccer camp is often design for youth attending classes in public schools in the U.S. It also cites the different activities undertaken in a soccer camp, which include dribbling, shooting, passing, and receiving.

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The purpose of this study was to establish what effect music has on students PACER test performance as well as their enjoyment of the test and perceived workload. Subjects were 72 boys and girls, age 9-11. Subjects completed the 20 meter multi-stage (progressive) cardiovascular fitness test known as the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) on three consecutive regularly scheduled class periods. At the conclusion of each test, students filled out a Self-Rated Performance survey answering a number of questions about their perceived enjoyment as well as performance level. Each time the test was performed a different version was used, including a mild tempo, a higher tempo music as well as one with no music at all. Results indicated that the fewest participants regardless of gender attained their best score with the non-music version of the test [boys=8 (22%) and girls = 9 (28%]. The boys scored their highest scores on the mild tempo (n=17; 46%) while girls scored highest with the high tempo (n=13; 41%). When comparing test results to SRP scores, significant differences between each of the music versions compared to the non-music version existed (for no music versus mild, P=0.031; for no music versus faster, P=0.025). To conclude, students perform better cardiovascular when music is present. Boys perform better with milder tempo music while girls perform better on the higher tempo. Boys and girls also both enjoy the test more and perceive themselves to have worked harder when music is present as opposed when it is not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]