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This study investigated the impact of Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions on perceived health and wellbeing of young Australian sport and physical activity participants. A survey was conducted during the first COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns in Australia (May-June 2020). Health measures were tabulated against five respondent characteristics, including settings and modes of sport and physical activity, and comparisons made with chi-square tests. Findings indicate that male youth were significantly more likely to report better physical (p = 0.001), general (p = 0.014), and mental (p [less than or equal to] 0.001) health compared to female youth. Individuals involved in both team and individual sport reported significantly better general (p = 0.022) and physical health (p = 0.003) compared to those involved in individual only sports or physical activity. While it is unclear if this is dose-related, team-based sport may encourage increased time in physical activity (i.e., dose) or social interactions, or a combination of both factors, which potentially buffers against declining health outcomes due to pandemic restrictions.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the follow-through on thrown ball velocity, potentially justifying inclusion of the follow-through in Roberton's five critical components. Method: Seventy-eight University students participated in the overarm, dominant hand, throwing task, which involved throwing a standard tennis ball with maximum force three times. Each throw was filmed by two cameras placed behind and to the open side of the thrower to assess the throwing technique. The velocity of the throws was recorded with a radar gun. Results: Results indicated that, after accounting for the effects of gender, age, and throwing experience, there was a significant effect of follow-through level on throw velocity. Analysis of covariance also revealed a significant gender effect, with males throwing significantly faster than females. Results indicated the follow-through had the second largest impact on thrown ball velocity of all six components. Discussion: These findings provide preliminary support that the follow-through should be added to Roberton's developmental levels. The inclusion of the follow-through component could assist teachers and coaches to facilitate learner and athlete development and could also improve the accuracy of throwing development assessment.

Our article was commissioned by AONTAS, The National Adult Learning Organisation in Ireland. Using a critical and independent 'outsider' perspective, we analyse and examine the contents of The Adult Learner journal (ALJ), published in Ireland by the Adult Education Organisers' Association (AEOA) and later with AONTAS1 between 1985 and 2017. We also include an analysis of an antecedent journal, A Review of Adult Education, first published by AONTAS in 1971 and briefly reissued in 1979-80. As well as identifying trends in content and authorship in all 39 journals across almost five decades, our analysis also provides a window into the establishment of AONTAS, its journals, editors and editorial boards. Like the 50-year retrospective review of the Australian Journal of Adult Learning (Harris and Morrison, 2011) this review sought to identify evidence in the journal of recurrent and changing issues in adult education in the context of massive political, economic and social changes that have swept across the island of Ireland, and the increasingly interconnected and networked world during this period. It also sought to identify suggested methods of addressing these issues through policy and practice developments. Whilst we identify some things that are well known to AONTAS, journal readers and sectoral insiders, other less obvious trends emerge through our systematic, longitudinal, comparative and critical qualitative and quantitative analysis.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on older adults' perceived health and well-being according to different types of participation in sport and physical activity by gender and region. A survey was implemented during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Australia (June 2020) and information collected on demographics, sport and physical activity patterns pre-COVID-19, and health and well-being outcomes during lockdown and compared to 1 year earlier. During COVID-19 lockdown, older adults who participated in both club sport and informal activities had significantly better general health, physical health, and resilience than those who participated solely in a single setting. Those participating in both team and individual activities reported better general well-being. Older adults who were active in a range of settings and modes had improved health and well-being. Social support is especially important for older adults to become and remain active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way individuals want to consume sport during their leisure time has changed dramatically over past decades. In order to meet sport participant consumer needs, it is important to understand their motivations to play and how these may differ between different demographics. The aim of this study was to investigate the motivations to play sport across: age, gender, residential location and the settings, modes and level of participation. An online survey of sport participants asked about age, gender, residential location, type of sports and physical activities participated in, frequency and duration of play, and motivations for playing organised club-based sport. Survey respondents (N = 4,395) were aged between 13–92 years. The Self-Determination Theory, Fun Integration Theory, and relevant sport motivation research were used to develop the motivations for playing organised sport in the survey and the results are described and discussed based on this information. The main motivations were fun/enjoyment, physical health/fitness, performance/competition and social reasons. Motivations differed between demographic groups and across the lifespan. Sport policy makers and managers should focus on developing flexible and inclusive sporting opportunities that centre, on friendship, fun and skill development, and those diverse intrinsic motivations that better align with participants’ desires to play sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increase in supraspinatus tendon thickness (STT) resulting from swimming practice has been observed in those with a history of shoulder pain. The magnitude of change in STT after a swimming session and its rate of recovery may be an indicator of future shoulder pain incidence. Hypothesis: The supraspinatus tendons that demonstrate a greater increase in thickness as a result of swimming practice will have an increased likelihood of future shoulder pain in a cohort of competitive swimmers over a period of 6 months. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Level of Evidence: Level 2b, individual cohort studies. Methods: A cohort of 50 nationally qualified swimmers aged between 14 and 22 years, from 3 open National Swimming Programs in Victoria, Australia, were recruited for this study. Ultrasonographic measurements of swimmers' STT was obtained of both shoulders, before, immediately after, and 6 hours after a single swimming practice session. Data were recorded of any significant interfering shoulder pain at 3 and 6 months after the initial testing session. Results: Stepwise logistic regression models indicated that significant predictors of the likelihood of experiencing significant interfering pain were sex [significant at 6 months; odds ratio (OR) 4.2] and the extent of change in STT immediately (OR 2.3 and 1.3 per mm at 3 and 6 months, respectively) and 6 hours postpractice (OR 1.9 and 1.5 per mm at 3 and 6 months, respectively). Conclusion: The current data suggest larger increases in tendon thickness after training are associated with an increased likelihood of future shoulder pain. Clinical Relevance: These data may be valuable for monitoring training load and identifying athletes who may have an increased likelihood of shoulder pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important role of a Physical Education (PE) teacher is to assist students to develop the fundamental motor skills (FMS) that will allow them to participate in physical activities with competence and confidence. Thus, PE teachers require the knowledge and skills to carry out this crucial task. In the crowded curricula of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs, there are limited opportunities for pre-service PE teachers to learn how to analyze and perform a large list of motor skills. Our purposes in this study were to determine whether a single session peer-teaching intervention could improve pre-service PE teachers' short-term non-dominant hand overarm throwing performances and to examine these students' perceptions of the interventions. We allocated 47 pre-service PE teaching students (24 males; 23 females) to one of three experimental groups: a Video Analysis Group (VAG; n = 17), a Verbal Group (VG; n = 19), and a Control Group (CG; n = 11), based on the class in which they were enrolled. VAG and VG participants worked with a partner of their choice in reciprocal peer-teaching to improve each other's non-dominant hand throwing technique. VAG and VG interventions were identical except that VAG participants accessed video analysis technology. CG participants completed unrelated course work that involved no overarm throwing activities. A single 20-minute session of peer teaching with video analysis feedback during practice led to rapid enhancements in non-dominant hand overarm throwing skills. While all three groups improved their performance by retention testing, participants in the VAG group improved most quickly. Participants in both the VAG and VG groups reported that their respective interventions improved their throwing and Qualitative Movement Diagnosis (QMD) skills. Based on these results, we suggest that PETE programs integrate peer-teaching and video analysis sessions into fundamental movement courses to accelerate students' motor skill acquisitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning and development (L&D) practitioners draw on a distinctive range of knowledge, skills and techniques in their work. Over the years, there have been attempts to capture this range and identify typical L&D roles. The research presented here was undertaken to identify characteristic areas of expertise (AOEs) of L&D practice in Australia, and to collect data about roles and organizational settings in which these AOEs are deployed. The research was commissioned by the Australian Institute of Training and Development. Literature relating to L&D was consulted, and Australian L&D experts were interviewed to draft a list of L&D AOEs. Responses to a survey by 589 Australian L&D practitioners were used to appraise the model. A principal components analysis of perceptions of the importance of the different types of expertise revealed that practitioners tended to rate one of three "clusters" as important to their work: a strategy and analysis cluster, a learning facilitation cluster and a design and systems cluster. This analysis raises the question of contemporary L&D roles with implications for strategic HRD policy and professional associations. The typology may be utilized to target professional L&D activities, and provides impetus for further research to investigate the internal relationships between cluster components.

In light of the importance attributed to the presence of positive role models in promoting physical activity during adolescence, this study examined role models of adolescent girls and their influence on physical activity. Seven hundred and thirty two girls in Years 7 and 11 from metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions of Victoria, Australia, were surveyed regarding whether they had a role model (in general, not limited to sport), and if they did, the gender, age, type and sporting background of that individual. Participants were also asked about the amount of physical activity they did. Descriptive statistics and a series of generalised estimating equations, one-way ANOVAs and a chi-square analysis were conducted to analyse the data. The majority of participants nominated a family member, peer or celebrity sportsperson as their role model who was female, played sport and was less than 50 years of age. Non-metropolitan-based adolescent girls, and Year 11 adolescent girls, were more likely to select a role model who they knew played sport than metropolitan-based adolescent girls and Year 7 girls respectively. In the first two years of the study girls whose role models played sport were significantly more physically active than girls whose role models did not play sport. It is recommended that family members, peers and sports people are included as role models in programmes designed to increase physical activity.

In Australian Football, set shot goal kicking is when a player has a shot at goal after taking a mark (i.e., catching a kicked ball) or receiving a free kick (i.e., penalty from an opposing player). In the past two decades, Australian football has improved in nearly all aspects of the game, yet set shot goal kicking accuracy has declined. The purpose of the current pilot study was to investigate whether pressure acclimatization training improves Australian football goal kicking under pressure. Twelve football players assigned to either an experimental (EG) or a control group (CG) completed a pre-intervention test, intervention, and post-intervention test. During the pre-intervention and post-intervention tests, participants attempted 10 goal kicking trials under low pressure (LP) and high pressure (HP) conditions. After five attempts, participants completed an anxiety questionnaire. During the intervention period, the EG practiced under HP, while the CG practiced under LP. These pilot results indicated a significant increase in participants ' anxiety from LP to HP for both groups and a significant decrease in accuracy from pre-intervention to post-intervention. In the post-intervention test, the CG was more accurate under HP than the EG, indicating no significant advantage by practicing under pressure and contradicting other acclimatization studies. These results may ignite a debate about the benefits of acclimatization training, but caution should be exercised when interpreting the results considering the pilot nature of the study. Larger sample sizes should be used to further explore these effects. Future research in acclimatization training is discussed., Australian football is the pre-eminent sport in Australia. Played between two teams of 22 players, with 18 players on the field at any given time, the main way to score [...]