Search

Expectations in sport cause many athletes to struggle with their performance. Athletes enter competitions with high expectations and when things don't go as planned, frustrations happen, and performance suffers. To improve performance and increase enjoyment, athletes need to learn to manage their expectations. This article uses golf science to help an athlete better manage their expectations.

Helping athletes perform at their best is an ongoing challenge for coaches. It is essential that coaches prepare their athletes to cope with uncontrollable factors that affect performance that occur during game or event competition.

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.

Mental toughness in athletes is a difficult concept to explain but essential for long-term success in sport. Fostering mental toughness requires both physical and mental challenges. In sport, this is most often executed during practice sessions. This article defines the concept of mental toughness and provides ideas on the role of coaches in establishing mental toughness in their athletes.

Helping athletes become their best is a constant challenge for all coaches. Having a model or blueprint for teaching skills and correcting errors is essential for quality coaching. The article explores the concepts associated with deep, deliberate, purpose practice and presents a model for teaching sport skill that we call DP2.

This article discusses what we currently know about overuse arm injuries, current recommendations and guidelines that are in place, and proposed universal guidelines for number of pitches, days of rest, and post-pitching positional play for youth baseball players through the age of 18 in the United States.

In the 21st century, the need for curricula and student-centered inquiry to be authentic, meaningful and transformative is widely accepted by the primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. To achieve this, participation of high-school students in university curricula is an approach that should be considered, as it could extend the education and societal opportunities typically available. However, so far there exists a shortage of literature discussing this approach or evaluating its long-term impacts. The island state of Tasmania (Australia) is a small embryonic-regional-economy in which the youth are often held back from navigating their way into prosperous adulthood by long-established societal and financial challenges, including seventh (7th) generation unemployment, the highest youth suicide rate in the country, an inert labor market, reduced numbers of fulltime jobs, an increasingly growing dependence on welfare, and one of the country's highest school drop-out rates. Combined, these issues appear overwhelming. Since 2014, the state's only university, education department and local industry have collaborated to deliver deeper learning to senior secondary students. Data suggest the "deeper" approach has been meaningful because it meets the immediate and longer-term needs of those the pre-tertiary and tertiary education systems are attempting to serve. Given the collaboration and longer-term needs, a university 100 level Sport & Recreation Management (SRM) course delivered to senior secondary school students (years 11 and 12) through the lens of a community of emerging practice has merit because the university is well placed to facilitate complementary thinking for sophisticated phenomena.

The current study described physical education teacher education (PETE) programs at institutions located within the Central District of the United States (CDAAAHPERD). Of the 72 institutions invited to participate, 44 institutions completed the survey (58% response rate). The purpose of this study was to describe the general profile/practices of undergraduate PETE programs and to provide an overview of their similarities and differences among the colleges and universities located within the CDAAAHPERD. The 61-item survey included topics related to basic program information, curricular items incorporated into each program, and coverage of various areas of course content. (Contains 3 tables.)

Golfers are constantly looking for ways to make golf easier, understandable, and consistent in efforts to lower their score and improve their game. Course management is essential for success in golf and is the name given to making smart decisions as one works their around the course. PEER refers to a four-part process (plan, evaluate, establish, recover) that golf coaches can use to help prepare their golfers to play better golf.

The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) data was used to describe relationships between activity intensity and frequency and obesity for US adult men (n = 7428) and non-pregnant women (n = 8140). Compared with active men and women, inactive and partially active men and women are at increased risk of obesity (OR = 1.41, inactive men; OR = 1.73, partially active men; OR = 1.61, inactive women; OR = 1.26 partially active women) and abdominal obesity (OR = 1.53, inactive men; OR = 1.62, partially active men; OR = 1.61, inactive women; OR = 1.51 partially active women). Inactive women had the highest body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist to hip ratio (W:H) measures (28.1, 93.7 cm, 0.89. respectively) compared with partially active and active women (P less than 0.05). WC (93.7 cm) and W:H (0.94) measures were lower for active men compared with inactive and partially active men (P less than 0.05). Active US adults had more favorable anthropometric measures and reduced risk of obesity than both partially active and inactive adults. (Contains 3 tables.)

Almost 30 years ago Eitzen (1988) stated, "American sport is plagued with problems. Coaches engage in outrageous behaviors but if they win, are rewarded handsomely. Gratuitous violence is glorified in the media. Some athletes take drugs. Many athletes in their search for a competitive edge cheat. Sports organizations take advantage of athletes" (p. 17). In many respects, not much has changed in the past 30 years and the issues of ethical practice, wrongdoing, and sportsmanship continue to be discussed (Doty, 2006; Garbin, 2010; Garner, 2013; Harrison-Dyer, 2011; May, 2001; Robbins, 2004; Rudd & Mondello, 2006; Ryska, 2003).

Effective coaches have the ability to recognize and use their athletes' strengths while at the same time finding ways to improve their weaknesses. An essential part of coaching effectiveness and expertise is a coach's ability to be introspective and reflective with an "open mind" that allows him or her to critically look back at past experiences, recognize weaknesses, and revise techniques when necessary. This article presents eight concepts of open mindedness that can help a coach to develop expertise.

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.

Youth sport leaders must not ignore the influence parents have on creating a positive developmental experience for young athletes. Therefore, expectations involving parental involvement and conduct must be addressed prior to athletes' participation. This article aims to examine the importance of creating mandatory parental training programs for youth sports. It explores research regarding what parents should learn, how to implement training programs, and how to hold parents accountable. Requiring parental training could be an important step toward changing the often negative sideline culture that has become prevalent in youth sports today.

In recent years, there has been extensive examination and scrutiny of the education system and teacher education programs, more specifically, physical education teacher education (PETE) programs. Lawson (1991) and Mitchell (2006) believed that PETE faculty are critical to the future of the physical education profession and play a pivotal role in the reproduction and transformation of work practices in physical education. Bahneman (1996) stated that the quality and nature of the physical education programs depends on the professionals responsible for the curricular decision making. The purpose of this study was to develop a status report of PETE faculty located at colleges or universities in the Central District (AAHPERD). Of the 223 faculty members invited to participate, 118 faculty members, from 62 colleges and universities completed the demographic survey (53% response rate). The 32-item survey included questions related to teaching experience, coaching experiences, presentations, publications, and professional organization involvement. Results indicated that a hybrid participant would be a 50-year-old assistant professor. This faculty member would hold a doctorate, have about 24 years of total teaching experience (K-12 and higher education), about 17 years of higher education teaching experience, and some coaching experience at the higher education level. Over his/her career, this hybrid faculty member has averaged about six and a half publications, 18 professional presentations, and is a member of a national or state physical education professional organization. The findings from this study provided a general demographic profile which provides insight about the features of current PETE faculty in the Central District. (Contains 6 tables.)

Survey examined practices in colleges and universities to prepare physical education teachers. Over half recommended or required field-based coaching. Equal numbers of peer teaching experiences occurred in skill and pedagogy courses. Pre-student teaching field experiences generally occurred in urban sites. Students teachers received approximately five site visits from university supervisors. (SM)

At a recent American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Leadership Development Conference, presidents-elect representing state, district, and national AAHPERD associations were asked to describe in one sentence why they do what they do. The 67 responses were entered into wordle.net that generated the 20-item word cloud shown in Figure 1. From that word cloud, the nine most frequently cited words are the basis for this reflection on why we do what we do.

Because the lifestyles of college students can often lead to unhealthy consequences, campus wellness programs can be instrumental in encouraging students to improve their health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of campus wellness programs and centers. A web-based survey was developed and emailed to wellness representatives at 241 colleges and universities in the nine states that make up the Central District Association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (CDA-AAHPERD). Findings indicated that 64.7% of two-year institutions and 78.9% of four-year institutions had a wellness program. In addition, 68.6% of two-year institutions and 84.0% of four-year reported having a wellness center. The type of institution had no significant difference to the prevalence of wellness programs or centers. The prevalence of wellness centers may be increasing on college campuses. Respondents reported that they will be expanding or building new wellness facilities in the next five years. Twenty-seven percent of two-year institutions and 33.3% of four-year institutions will be expanding their wellness centers in the next five years. Building wellness centers also appears to be a development on college campuses as 16.7% of two-year institutions and 22.2% of four-year institutions reported that they have plans for new wellness centers within the next five years. Two-year institutions were compared with four-year institutions concerning the services, associations, and activities provided by wellness programs. Chi-square analysis and Fisher's exact test were performed and found more similarities than differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research exists on the effectiveness of pre-surgery -wellness programs onpost-surgical health behaviors for bariatric surgery candidates. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a pre-bariatric surgery wellness coachingprogram on levels of physical activity (PA), dietary habits, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Questionnaires were distributed to all patients who underwent bariatric surgery and/or participated in a twelve-week weight loss -wellness coaching program during the years 2009 to 2012 (n = 782). From the 118 returned surveys (15.0%), 102 participants (age = 51.43 ± 12.98 years, BMI = 29.34 ± 5.72 kg m2) were placed in either the -wellness coaching group (intervention, n = 44) or surgery only group (control, n = 58) on the basis of whether they participated in, and completed, the twelve-week program. Wellness coaching participants who elected not to have surgery were excluded from this study (n = 16). Weight (self-reported), -weight loss (self-reported), PA (7-day IPAQ-short), exercise motivation (BREQ-2), dietary adherence, a pre- and post-caloric comparison, and HRQoL were analyzed. Although researchers recognize self-reported weight, weight loss and PA via the IPAQ-short may have limitations in this population, significant differences werefound. Pre-surgical body mass index (45.97 ± 7.56 v. 45.52 ± 6.67kg m2, t(100) = -0.32,p = .75) and time since surgery (28.05 ± 15.53 v. 34.87 ± 20.96 months, t(100) = 1.82, p = .07), were not statistically different between groups. Compared to controls, participants in the wellness coaching group had significantly more weekly vigorous PA time (264.14, ± 472.33 v. 100.17 ± 163.95 min, t(100) = -2.46, p = .02) and total minutes of moderate to vigorous PA time (501.30 ± 544.87 v. 293.88, ± 445.50 min, t(100) = -2.11, p = .04), and total weekly PA energy expenditure (4759.58 ± 5454.9 v. 2877 ± 3043.14 MET min., t(100) = -2.22,p = .03). Significant differences were also found for identified regulation (2.87 ± 0.79 v. 2.22, ± 0.98, t(100) = -3.06, p <.0001); intrinsic regulation (2.39 ± 0.93v. 1.69 ± 1.15, t(100) = -3.33, p = .001); and vitality scores (67.05 ± 20.72 v. 55.17±23.77, t(100) =-2.64, p = .010). Participation in a pre-surgery wellness coaching program produced higher PA, exercise motivation, and HRQoL following bariatric surgery compared to not having received coaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the principles of thinking fast and slow as presented by author Daniel Kahneman via his book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" and mentions how 'thinking speed' impacts leadership and decision-making in many dimensions.

Nonverbal communication is a very important part of communication. There are six forms of nonverbal communication: Physical Appearance, Posture, Gesture, Body Position (proxemics), Touching, and Facial Expressions. Coaches need to make sure they are communicating the same message with their body as they are with their voice. Little changes in their nonverbal communication could go a long way with the message that is portrayed by players and fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaching in youth sports is a call to serve as a leader of young men and women. As such, coaches are challenged to live up to a set of values that model that which society most desires and that which will guide the young people under their charge to become people of character and integrity. This article describes the positive impact that can result from striving to embody ten core facets of professionalism in interactions with young athletes. Suggestions for how to increase one's capacity to live up to these ideals are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated gamesmanship beliefs of high school athletes. Two hundred and seventy-three athletes in grades 9-12 from 16 schools participated in this study with comparisons drawn between gender and grade level. Participants completed a 25 statement voluntary survey. Results indicated that females displayed different attitudes towards gamesmanship than males. Significant statistical differences (p < .05) by gender were found for 17 of 25 statements. No significant difference of opinion for athletes in grades 9-12 was found with only one statement for grade level showing a significant statistical difference (p < .05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a history of organized youth sports in the U.S. It mentions that the growth of sports in the country has been shaped by historical, societal and cultural events and affirms that approximately 44 million girls and boys are participating in sport events which is backed by state-sponsored and privately-funded educational institutions. It offers information on developments in organized sports from the 1800s to 1900s.

Objective: Although diet is a modifiable lifestyle factor to reduce abdominal obesity risk, the relationship between the Health Eating Index (HEI) and waist circumference (WC) has not been studied. The present study aimed to describe relationships between the HEI and abdominal obesity among adults. Design: Secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional national survey, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The HEI data, including the total HEI score and HEI component scores, were collected with a 24 h recall. WC measures were taken during a physical examination. Abdominal obesity was defined as WC≥102 cm for men and WC≥88 cm for women. Other covariates were collected during an interview. Subjects: In total 15 658 US adults, men (n 7470) and non-pregnant women (n 8188). Results: The odds of abdominal obesity was 8·3% (95% CI 1·8, 14·9%, P=0·014) lower for women and 14·5% (95% CI 6·8, 21·9%, P≤0·001) lower for men with each 10-unit increase in total HEI score (HEI scale, 0-100). For each point increase for the fruit score, abdominal obesity risk decreased by 2·6% (95% CI 0·8, 4·4%, P=0·007) for women. Abdominal obesity risk decreased for men with each point increase in saturated fat and variety scores, by 3·1% (95% CI 0·1, 6·0%, P=0·042) and 4·0% (95% CI 0·1, 7·7%, P=0·043) respectively. Conclusions: Dietary consumption that follows the HEI is associated with a lower risk for abdominal obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines why pre-student teaching practicum experiences should not be left to chance. Importance of teachers getting early field experiences during sophomore and junior years; Advantages and disadvantages of pre-student teaching practicums; Problems observed; Recommendations for cooperative teachers, college supervisors.