High-performance sport,learning and culture: new horizons for sport pedagogues?

Background: Research in sport coaching and sport pedagogy including studies published in this special issue bring to the fore the relationship between learning and culture in contexts of high-performance sport. This paper acknowledged that how learning, culture and their relationship are conceptualised is a crucial issue for researchers and professionals in high-performance sport.

Purpose and approach: This paper arises from a theoretical analysis of the research studies presented in this special issue. The analysis undertaken focused on the understanding and representation of the concepts of learning and culture and critically examined the methodological application of particular conceptualisations. The intention was to extend insight into both theoretical and methodological issues associated with understanding and researching athlete and coach learning, and high-performance sport settings.

Findings and discussion: This paper identifies tendencies for separatist and reductionist thinking about learning and culture in high-performance sport settings. A relational perspective is identified as critical to extending research and professional practice that is directed towards learning and/or culture. Researchers are urged to avoid identifying either athlete or coach learning (only) with specific events or experiences, and similarly avoid positioning culture as something that sits apart from athletes’ and coaches’ participation and learning in elite sport settings. The dual notions of ‘learning practices as cultural practice’ and ‘cultural practice as pedagogical practice’ are proposed as a basis for holistic thinking about learning and culture in high-performance sport settings. The extent to which such thinking is reflected in the various contributions to the special issue is considered. Attention is then directed to the methodological challenges that researchers face if they are to reflect a conceptualisation of learning as both embedded and embodied in cultural practices. Challenging and extending the underlying vision of learning that researchers, coaches and athletes have is revealed as a critical consideration in regard to research design, data collection and ways in which participants are variously positioned, represented and ‘involved’ in research. Embodied perspectives are identified as particularly worthy of greater attention in contemporary research that seeks to extend understanding of athlete and/or coaches’ learning and lived experiences within and amidst elite sporting cultures. Recent scholarship focusing on the body and lived experience is identified as providing theoretical and methodological insights that can extend future research and practice.

Conclusions: Foregrounding a relational perspective is fundamental to extending the understanding of learning and culture in high-performance sport. Future research also needs to clearly embrace the methodological challenges presented by new conceptualisations.     

Psychosocial development through Masters sport: What can be gained from youth sport models?

Although sport participation is encouraged throughout the lifespan, little research has been conducted on the role of sport in development later in life. This qualitative study explored adults’ experiences of development within the context of Masters sport. We interviewed 14 adults (nine men and five women) aged 46–61 years involved in Masters sport. Data was interpreted drawing upon frameworks from youth sport (i.e., Personal Assets Framework for Sport; Côté, J., Bruner, M., Strachan, L., Erickson, K., & Fraser-Thomas, J. (2010). Athletes’ development and coaching. In J. Lyle & C. Cushion (Eds.), Sport coaching: Professionalism and practice (pp. 63–83). Oxford, UK: Elsevier, Côté, J., Turnnidge, J., & Evans, M. B. (2014). The dynamic process of development through sport. Kinesiologia Slovenica, 20(3), 14–26, Côté, J., Turnnidge, J., & Vieerima, M. (2016). A personal assets approach to youth sport. In K. Green & A. Smith (Eds.), Routledge handbook of youth sport (pp. 243–255). New York, NY: Routledge; 4/5Cs of positive youth development; Lerner, R. M., Fisher, C. B., & Weinberg, R. A. (2000). Toward a science for and of the people: Promoting civil society through the application of developmental science. Child Development, 71(1), 11–20. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00113; Vierimaa, M., Erickson, K., Côté, J., & Gilbert, W. (2012). Positive youth development: A measurement framework for sport. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 7(3), 601–614. doi:10.1260/1747-9541.7.3.601), combined with past research on mid-life and older athletes. Six key themes emerged as contributing to adults’ personal development through sport: competence and confidence, character, commitment, connection, cognition, and challenge. Masters sport contexts appeared to facilitate changes in assets (i.e., 6Cs) similar to those within youth sport, but assets often held different meanings within the context of later life. Applying frameworks from youth sport and developmental psychology to Masters sport contexts appears useful. The current findings support the modification of existing models and highlight their potential in identifying lifelong developmental outcomes of sport participation.     

Can international elite sport success trickle down to mass sport participation? Evidence from Danish team handball

Many scholars do not find evidence of a trickle-down effect from elite sport success to mass sport participation. Contrary to what is assumed by the trickle-down effect “theorem”, successful elite sportspeople do not seem to inspire amateurs to take up sport themselves. However, recent studies present evidence that elite sport can have an influence. In this article, we apply regression models on time series data from one of the most successful Danish sports, team handball. Our findings are mixed, but lean towards supporting scholars who argue that trickle-down effects are not necessarily an inherent part of international sporting success. Further studies should examine more sports to identify where trickle-down effects occur and why.     

Organisational culture in sport – A systematic review

The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the study of organisational culture in sport. The choice of research paradigms, methods, interests, perspectives, and definitions and operationalisation of organisational culture used in 33 studies was examined. This highlighted the variety of ways that culture has been studied in sport and the range of interests explored in the research, including informing athlete development, the link between the strength of culture and organisational performance and understanding the forces driving organisational diversity. Unlike the wider organisational culture literature, there has been a preference in sport to assume that culture was a variable to manipulate in an organisation. The opportunity to widen approaches to study organisational culture in sport is discussed, such as broadening the methods used to conduct studies, including both coaches and athletes in the population studied and using the fragmentation perspective, where ambiguity and conflict are considered in understanding culture.     

The moral disengagement in sport scale–short

Abstract

A scale has recently been developed to measure moral disengagement in sport (Boardley & Kavussanu, 2007 Boardley, I. D. and Kavussanu, M. 2007. Development and validation of the Moral Disengagement in Sport Scale. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29: 608–628. [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). It consists of 32 items that measure the eight mechanisms of moral disengagement proposed by Bandura (1991 Bandura, A. 1991. “Social cognitive theory of moral thought and action”. In Handbook of moral behaviour and development: Theory, research, and applications, Edited by: Kurtines, W. M. and Gewirtz, J. L. Vol. 1, 71–129. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.  [Google Scholar]). In the present study, we aimed to: (a) examine whether a subset of these items could form a short version of the scale; (b) provide evidence for the construct validity of the short version; and (c) test its measurement invariance across sex and sport type. A total of 992 football, rugby, hockey, basketball, and netball players from three different samples completed the long version of the scale. Data analyses indicated that the short version of the scale consisted of eight items and had high internal consistency. Construct validity of the scale was evidenced via correlations with sport moral disengagement and prosocial and antisocial behaviour. Multisample confirmatory factor analyses established measurement invariance across sex and partial measurement invariance across four team sports. In conclusion, the short version of the scale is a reliable and valid measure of moral disengagement in sport.     

Exploring sport participants’ event and destination choices

ABSTRACT

This study explored the relationship between destination and event elements and an individual’s motivation to travel for sport events. Investigators surveyed participants who were planning to travel or had recently travelled to at least one running, cycling, or triathlon event in the current competitive race season. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, regression, cross-tabulation, and ANOVA. The findings provide empirical evidence that travel behaviours vary by athlete type (runner, triathlete, and cyclist). The results of this study not only add to the push/pull theoretical framework but also provide strong practical implications for both event managers and destination marketers to better package destination attributes and event elements specific to athlete type.     

How do sport clubs recruit volunteers? Analyzing and developing a typology of decision-making processes on recruiting volunteers in sport clubs

Effective strategies for recruiting volunteers who are prepared to make a long-term commitment to formal positions are essential for the survival of voluntary sport clubs. This article examines the decision-making processes in relation to these efforts. Under the assumption of bounded rationality, the garbage can model is used to grasp these decision-making processes theoretically and access them empirically. Based on case study framework an in-depth analysis of recruitment practices was conducted in nine selected sport clubs. Results showed that the decision-making processes are generally characterized by a reactive approach in which dominant actors try to handle personnel problems of recruitment in the administration and sport domains through routine formal committee work and informal networks. In addition, it proved possible to develop a typology that delivers an overview of different decision-making practices in terms of the specific interplay of the relevant components of process control (top-down vs. bottom-up) and problem processing (situational vs. systematic).     

sport教育模式及其目标的考察和分析

sport教育实践模式已经在多个国家试验和展开.在此基础上,研究对sport教育模式的理论研究的一部分,进行分析和概括,分析了体育、sport及sport教育等概念的不同点,进而,对Daryl Siedentop的sport教育的目的和目标进行了分析,认为sport教育是一个很好的体育理念,建议在我国能够大范围的开展和普及,使得我国的体育教学研究和国际接轨的同时,接近和超过国际的最新研究.     

‘Brand Israel’: hasbara and Israeli sport

Until relatively recently, the state of Israel was preoccupied with its military security and paid little attention to cultural politics. However, the emergence of other ‘battlegrounds’ has seen a shift to ‘soft power’ in an attempt to generate a more benevolent global image. This paper spotlights an international sporting event which ordinarily attracts very limited interest from the mainstream media. However, when held in Israel, it created much greater interest. The paper identifies the UEFA’s Men’s U-21 tournament, held in Israel in 2013, to assess how different groups responded to the event: celebratory by the host nation and its supporters, the Israeli Football Association and UEFA; critical amongst Palestinians and their supporters in the international community. The paper identifies how the Israeli state is using ‘hasbara’ in an attempt to arrest its deteriorating international image and shows how the concept is empirically operationalized (‘hasbara in action’).     

From ‘philosophy of sport’ to ‘philosophies of sports’? History,identity and diversification of sport philosophy

My goal in this article is to give a portrait of how modern sport philosophy, which started in 1972, developed from relatively narrow paradigmatic borders to become a diverse and multi-paradigmatic international discipline. This development has included several changes but also some continuity. I identify three main tenets that may be viable in the future. One is to focus on the traditional sport philosophical paradigm, which had an ambition to identify the essence of sport. A second option is to develop more specific approaches, focusing on single sports or types of sport, like football or climbing. A third alternative is to develop a philosophy, not only of sport but of ‘homo movens’, studying the moving human being in different environmental and socio-cultural contexts. All three options are viable and should be welcomed.     

Doping in sport: Whose problem is it?

In the last few years there has been a significant increase in the number and scope of social science research into doping in sport. However, despite this apparent progress, the field remains a disparate body of work and lacks both direction and leadership. Whilst sport management is a discipline that is well suited to provide such leadership, scholarly research into this controversial topic has not been published widely in sport management journals. This special issue redresses this gap by bringing together a range of scholarly articles that represent a variety of perspectives by authors from North America, Europe and Australia. The issues and challenges covered are varied, but each paper brings a common theme: the implications for the management of doping in sport. The six papers in this Special Issue of Sport Management Review are a significant addition to the slowly growing body of sport management scholarly work on doping in sport. It is hoped that future research will be prompted with this Special Issue and the discipline of sport management will recognize and respond to the challenges presented by doping.     

"斯泡特"(sport)概念的界定

从"斯泡特"词义的演变历程、概念发展的哲学轨迹,以及界定标准、划分等方面作了分析,认为它是为了娱乐、消遣和健身,通常在户外开展,按照一定规则进行的一种有竞争性、挑战性、不确定性和自明性的身体活动.进而告诫人们"斯泡特"不是一个可以、可能囊括一切的体育词汇.     

Canadian sport and state control: Toronto 1845–86

The popular noations that the ancient Greek athlete was more 'well rounded' than ours is wholly false, nor was there every any Greek ideal to achieve or pursue both intellectual and bodily excellence. Earlier Greeks judged excellence in either category invaluable, but an increasiingly vocal minority of intellectuals, apparently jealous of the athletes' great rewards, denigrated athletes and bodily achievement. Mind, they said, was superior to body. By later antiquity, some authors even asserted that athletes were as stupid as animals, and their achievements no greater. Christianity welcomed the philosophers' depreciation of the body, and mediaeval ascetism carried it to the extremes that de Coubertin and others called "hatred of the flesh." The latter part of the paper explains how the rebirth of athletics dealt with these matters, and how false notions of the Greeks entered popular belief.     

Residents’ perceptions of mega sport event legacies and impacts

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of local residents prior to the public referendum for the 2024 Hamburg Olympic bid and to assess their level of support for the bid. The representative survey conducted amongst Hamburg residents reveals a high level of support but also a strong perception of negative legacies. A comparison between the perceived positive and negative legacies shows that the negative legacies outweigh the positive legacies. When examining factors that influence support, statistical analysis reveals the perception of positive legacies as the strongest predictor of support. The survey also indicates that residents attach great importance to the costs of the Games and feel no personal benefit from hosting them. The findings suggest that Games organizers and authorities should mostly rely on positive legacies while negative legacies ought to be mitigated.     

Kinematically mediated effects of sport shoe design: A review∗

One prominent pattern emerging from a review of the literature on sport shoes and biomechanics is the observation that many effects are the indirect result of shoe‐induced adjustments in movement, i.e. a particular shoe characteristic elicits a kinematic adaptation which in turn has secondary consequences on kinetics and on injury and performance. For example, in addition to its variable effects on peak forces, cushioning system design has been shown to alter electromyographic patterns and to affect knee flexion during foot strike and affect indirectly the economy of running. Mediolateral stability as measured by rearfoot kinematics is strongly influenced by shoe design features such as heel lift, and sole hardness and geometry. The frictional properties of the shoe and surface interface have also been shown to affect kinematics in a way that in turn affects the recorded frictional forces themselves. Such kinematically mediated responses are the most provocative result of studies of the biomechanical effects of footwear. It is becoming apparent that the shoe can be a powerful tool for manipulating human movement. The abundance of shoe design possibilities coupled with the body's tendency to adjust in predictable ways to shoe mechanical characteristics have given us a new way to manipulate human kinematics and kinetics, as well as a convenient model for studying biomechanical adaptation.     

Moral communication in elite sport – forms,functions and effects

This contribution examines the use of morality in the communication between coaches and athletes in elite sport. Here, moral communication is constructed as a social fact from a systems theory perspective in order, under the light of this construction, to analyse concrete examples of it from the sports of team handball and field hockey and to reflect on its functions and effects. The findings of the analysis are incorporated in recommendations for coaches which advise a cautious use of morality since careful consideration must be given to the polemogenic nature of moral and moralizing communication.     

Female athletes,women's sport,and the sport media commercial complex: Have we really “come a long way,baby”?

The 2012 London Olympic Games were heralded as the “Year of the Woman” as every delegation sent a female athlete to compete in the games, and nearly 45% of all athletes were women. Indeed, sport participation amongst girls and women is currently at an all-time high, and these sportswomen deliver remarkable athletic performances. However, female athletes and women's sport still receive starkly disparate treatment by the sport media commercial complex compared to male athletes and men's sport. This review documents these qualitative and quantitative differences and discusses the negative impact this differential coverage has on consumer perceptions of women's sport and female athletes. Additionally, the author examines explanations for these differences. The review concludes with suggestions for future research and strategies for change.