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Financial barriers often restrict sport participation among children from low-income families. Schools are thought to offer equitable access to programming, including school sport participation. However, pay-to-play school sport models can inhibit participation among students from low-income households. Recognizing the potential benefits of school sport and realizing the financial barriers to participation, the purpose of this study was to understand the extent to which school sport promotes educational experiences and holistic well-being of Canadian youth from low-income families. A case study was conducted with stakeholders who were supported by funding from a non-profit organization to help cover the costs of school sport registration fees. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with low-income students and their parents, teacher-coaches and school administrators. Three overarching themes were representative of the experiences of school sport participation among low-income students: (1) healthy student-athletes, (2) developing student-athletes in school, for life, and (3) supporting student-athletes as a community. The participants perceived that school sport participation offered holistic health benefits, and developed skills and behaviours that support positive educational experiences and foster life skills. Further, our results highlighted the importance of the school community in supporting low-income students to participate in school sport teams and the need to reframe school sport to better support low-income families.

Objective: Sleep deprivation is common among children and schools are ideal settings in which to influence children's sleep. Children spend a significant amount of time at school during key developmental periods, and programmes that influence students' well-being also benefit academic achievement. Comprehensive School Health (CSH) is an approach that prioritises school, home and community partnerships by supporting the development of health behaviours. However, sleep is often unaddressed in the school environment. The objective of this study was to integrate multiple partner perspectives to inform how to strengthen school-based sleep promotion using a CSH approach. Design: A secondary qualitative analysis of student aged 9–11 (n = 45), parent/guardian (n = 24) and teacher (n = 19) interviews from participants representing elementary (Kindergarten – Grade 6) schools and communities in Alberta, Canada was conducted. Data were examined using an a priori framework in alignment with the four components of the CSH approach: social and physical environment, teaching and learning, policy and partnerships and services. Inductive content analysis was used to develop categories followed by subthemes within each CSH component. Results: Subthemes identified within each component were as follows: social and physical environment (culture of healthy sleep habits; students influence each other); teaching and learning (formally integrate sleep-specific learning into curricula; school, teacher and parents/guardian collaboration); policy (sleep-positive classroom policies) and partnerships and services (community partnerships; school–home collaboration). Conclusion: This research identifies recommendations from student, parent/guardian and teacher interviews to inform and strengthen school-based sleep promotion when taking a CSH approach. Findings can support school partner efforts to foster a school culture (or ethos) of healthy sleep habits leading to improvements in student sleep behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the influence of a 4-month intervention on students' motivation in Grade 10 physical education and enrollment in elective physical education. Health Promoting Secondary School Physical Education (HPSS PE) was designed to improve students' psychological need satisfaction in physical education, based on self-determination theory. A matched comparison pre-post design was used with 10 schools (5 intervention, 5 usual practice). Students (N = 373) completed questionnaires that assessed perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and school personnel provided enrollment information. Results indicated that HPSS PE was not effective in increasing participants' psychological need satisfaction; however, female students receiving the intervention were significantly more likely to enroll in elective physical education. Insights contribute to the evidence about creating need-supportive environments in physical education and improving enrollment rates in elective programming.

Previous and current literature tends to overlook the practice of deselecting, or "cutting," athletes from school sport teams. In particular, the perspectives of those directly involved in the cutting process have been largely unexplored in research studies, and the practice of cutting has not been addressed in terms of which methods are best for the athletes involved. This article aims to provide an understanding of the practice of cutting from the perspectives of teacher-coaches, parents and athletes. The authors explored cutting practices and perspectives; the physical, social and emotional effect on athletes; and strategies for best practice. This process involved surveying and interviewing teacher-coaches and athletic directors, as well as interviewing student-athletes who had been cut and their parents -- all with a goal to further understand the varied perspectives and effects of cutting as a practice. Finally, for those coaches who have to cut athletes from their teams, best practices will be shared. These clear and concise strategies and examples will help coaches and athletes cope with what are often difficult decisions for all involved.

Motivation is likely a pivotal factor contributing to sports participation. In India, because of the unsupportive sports/physical education environment, girls participate less in sports and other physical activities than boys. Therefore, embedding a planned healthy environment with good social support may maximize and, consequently, increase their participation in various sports and physical activities. Considering this unabated dialogue and assuming that motivation is a pivotal need for female sports participation, this study examined the differences in motivation to participate in sports among female adolescents across three age categories: early (11–14 years old), middle (15–18 years old), and late (19–21 years old) adolescence. A total of 528 female adolescents from Assam, India participated in the study. Participation in physical education courses was the criterion for the participants, and they were invited to complete the Participation Motivation Questionnaire. A factor analysis with direct oblimin rotation using the maximum likelihood extraction method yielded a 23-item, five-factor structure that exhibited moderate internal consistency. An ANOVA revealed significant differences across all three age categories regarding all the extracted factors. Moreover, t-tests of all sub-factors identified significant differences between the two achievement levels of district-level and inter-district-level athletes. This study provides sound psychometric and comparative results that are useful for education and formative reviews in applied settings and research purposes. It also serves as a measurement tool for embedding motivation to participate in physical activities and sports among female adolescents and the development of strategic ideas to assist female adolescents from less privileged areas to experience healthy growth and a healthy lifestyle.

Background: Comprehensive School Health models offer a promising strategy to elicit changes in student health behaviours. To maximise the effect of such models, the active involvement of teachers and students in the change process is recommended. Objective: The goal of this project was to gain insight into the experiences and motivations of teachers and students involved in a choice-based Comprehensive School Health model--Health Promoting Secondary Schools (HPSS). Setting: School communities in British Columbia, Canada. Design and methods: HPSS engaged teachers and students in the planning and implementation of a whole-school health model aimed at improving the physical activity and eating behaviours of high school students. The intervention components were specifically informed by self-determination theory. A total of 23 teachers and 34 school committee members participated in focus group interviews. The minutes of planning meetings were collected throughout the intervention process. Results: Analysis of the data revealed five themes associated with participants' experiences and motivational processes: (a) lack of time for planning and preparation; (b) resources, workshops and collaboration; (c) teacher control impacts student engagement; (d) teacher job action inhibited implementation of HPSS action plans; and (e) choice-based design impacts participants' experiences. Conclusion: Findings from this study can facilitate future school-based projects by providing insights into student and teacher perspectives on the planning and implementation of school-based health promotion programmes and implementing choice-based educational change initiatives.

The aim of this research was to develop measures to provide valid and reliable representation of the motivational states and psychological needs proposed by the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000) within a physical education context. Based on theoretical underpinnings of self-determination theory, two questionnaires were developed to measure students motivation and psychological need satisfaction in high school physical education: (a) the Physical Education Motivation Scale (PEMS) and (b) the Physical Education Autonomy, Relatedness, Competence Scale (PE-ARCS). Validity and reliability concerning the scales were examined. Exploratory factor analysis supported the validity and test-retest reliability of a 3-factor, 9-item solution for PEMS and a 3-factor, 12-item solution for PE-ARCS. The results provide evidence supporting the validity and reliability of PEMS and PE-ARCS as promising physical education-specific measures of motivation developed within the framework of self-determination theory., It is widely supported and acknowledged that school-based physical education programs present a tremendous opportunity to positively influence the attitudes and patterns of physical activity participation among adolescents (Alderman, Benham-Deal, [...]

School sport can be a valuable contributor to the education and wellbeing of students. However, the school sport context faces numerous challenges. The purpose of the current study was to explore school sport from the perceptions and experiences of school athletic directors and teacher-coaches to better understand context and areas for change. Open-ended questionnaires were completed by teacher-coaches (n = 82) and athletic directors (n = 38) across all 10 provinces and 2 territories in Canada. A qualitative analysis of the data revealed three key themes: (a) shifting the culture of school sport; (b) building capacity to sustain school sport; and (c) club sport placing the future of school sport at risk. This research will provide greater insights into the Canadian school sport context to help inform actions to improve the experiences of those involved in school sport and ensure the sustainability of sport within the school system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]