Becoming a ‘good coach’

The purpose of this paper was to gain insight into how coaches problematized their coaching practices and the process in which they engaged to become what they perceived to be better coaches using a course based on critical reflective practice. We assumed that constant critical self-reflection would enable coaches to move closer to their individual idea of a ‘good coach.’ Scholars and coaches collaborated to develop course content. The course was built on principles of rational-emotive education. We drew on Foucault's conceptualization of self-constitution or modes of subjectivation and confessional practice and Knaus' approach to teaching for our analytical framework. Thirty-five coaches participated in this study. The data consisted of semistructured interviews, field notes, open-ended questionnaires and focus group. The results are presented per mode of change or transformation. We explored how coaches wanted to transform their coaching practice (ethical substance), how they defined a good coach (mode of subjection), how they worked on change (ethical work) and how they transformed themselves (telos). To gain further insight into this process, we also examined narratives of three coaches as they described why and how they changed. The practice of critical reflection seemed to meet the needs of the coaches involved in the study. They used it to continually examine their behavior and their normalized taken-for-granted beliefs and to transform themselves in the direction of their idea of a ‘good coach.’ Ontological reflection was seen as a tool and a process that requires continual practice.     

Position statement: Testing physical condition in a population – how good are the methods?

Abstract

A poor physical condition – expressed as physical inactivity and poor physical fitness – is associated with the development of chronic diseases and premature death. Our aim was to evaluate the methods currently available for measuring physical activity and physical fitness in the general population.

Physical activity is determined by duration, frequency, and intensity and derives from many different domains, making it difficult to assess over long periods and no feasible general criterion measure exists. Both objective and subjective methods are available. Of the objective methods, accelerometry is the most attractive technology, and is well enough developed for general use in large populations. The advantage of accelerometry is that it is not dependent on the memory of the individual, but its main disadvantage is that it grossly underestimates energy expenditure, due to the lack of registration of certain activities. This may be overcome to a certain extent by combining accelerometry with heart rate monitoring, although this still does not measure activity in different domains. Of the subjective methods, self-report questionnaires are inexpensive and easy to administer. Many questionnaires have been developed, but we require (1) consensus on which measures to use for validation and (2) further development of internationally standardized questionnaires for use in different settings and to address different scientific questions. Many questionnaires correlate well with biological markers and development of chronic diseases, but subjective measurement will always entail a certain degree of misclassification. Furthermore, unstructured physical activity such as housework and gardening may be subject to recall bias. No method appears better to any other, and the choice of instrument will depend on the research question being asked. Future research should combine information from both objective and subjective methods.

Physical fitness comprises several components, including cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle strength and endurance. Direct measurement of oxygen consumption is the criterion measure for cardiorespiratory endurance. As regards muscle strength and endurance, only test–retest reliability is available. Hand-held dynamometers greatly facilitate field testing for maximal isometric muscle strength assessment, while force plate measurements can be used for the lower extremities. For endurance, simple tests such as push-ups and sit-ups are reliable.     

An examination of father types and the subsequent framing of coach–father relationships in English youth football through the eyes of an expert coach

The 2014 FIFA World Cup produced a poor performance by England which reinforced the view of Gary Lineker, former England captain turned media pundit, that the youth development system was failing and that a ‘parental cultural revolution’ was a necessary element for future improvement. This paper researches fathers in English youth football from the perspective of an expert coach with two aims in mind. Firstly, the paper will identify more father types than the one Lineker based his revolution on. Secondly, the paper will discuss how different father types subsequently frame different coach–father relationships. The paper concludes by recommending that the UEFA Coach Accreditation system embeds knowledge of different father types and the subsequent different coach–father relationships in their courses to assist future coaches. Lastly, there is a call for further research to be carried out into father/parent types in youth sport, especially from the perspective of coach.     

Do accelerometers mounted on the back provide a good estimate of impact loads in jumping and landing tasks?

Artistic gymnasts are frequently exposed to both low- and high-magnitude loads through impacts with the apparatus. These impact loads are thought to be associated with the high injury rates observed in gymnastics. Due to the variable apparatus and surfaces in gymnastics, impact loads during training are difficult to quantify. This study aimed to use triaxial accelerometers mounted on the back to assess impact loading during jumping and landing tasks. Twelve participants were fitted with an accelerometer on their upper and lower back, before performing a continuous hopping task, as well as drop landings and rebound jumps from various heights (37.5, 57.5, and 77.5 cm) onto a force platform. Peak resultant acceleration (PRA) was low-pass filtered with four cut-off frequencies (8, 15, 20, and 50 Hz). Filtering of PRA with the 20 Hz cut-off frequency showed the highest correlations between ground reaction force (GRF) and PRA. PRA recorded at the upper back, filtered with a 20 Hz cut-off frequency, appears to provide a good estimate of impact loading for continuous hopping and rebound jumps, but less so for drop landings since correlations between GRF and PRA were only significant when landing from 57.5 cm.     

Am I just not good enough? The creation,development and questioning of a high performance coaching identity

While the career experiences and trajectories of various sports workers have received increased scholarly attention, those of professional coaches have, in comparison, received scant consideration. This paper focuses on the career experiences of Maeve (a pseudonym), a high performance coach, and the critical incidents related to the creation, development, and, ultimately, questioning of her professional identity. Data were collected through a series of narrative-biographical interviews and were subject to a process of iterative data analysis. The results indicated that her significant investment into her coaching self, combined with the vagaries and uncertain nature of work in high performance coaching, led her to experience a biographical disruption that interrupted the narrative coherence of her coaching life. The findings add further credence to recent critiques of only understanding and representing coaching careers in a linear and chronically staged fashion.     

Exercise makes you feel good, but does feeling good make you exercise?: an examination of obese dieters

Whereas exercise-induced mood enhancement has been well documented, the relationship between mood and exercise participation is less well understood. Mood states influence evaluative judgments that could plausibly influence a decision to exercise. Further, most exercise-mood research is limited to normal weight adults in response to a single exercise session. The current investigation examines the influence of (a) morning mood on exercise, (b) exercise intensity/duration on mood enhancement, and (c) daily change in mood on exercise days compared with nonexercise days in obese behavioral weight loss program (BWLP) participants. Participants (N = 36) recorded morning, evening, and pre-and postexercise mood, as well as the type, duration, and intensity of exercise. Within-person analyses indicated that (a) morning mood was associated with an increased likelihood of exercising, (b) mood ratings were higher following exercise of greater intensity and duration, and (c) daily mood enhancement was associated with greater exercise initiation and greater exercise intensity. Measuring mood before and after exercise may yield important clinical information that can be used to promote physical activity in obese adults.     

Greed is good 地精炼金术士6.78c火热攻略

地精炼金术士在重做了2技能后就成为了比赛中的大热门英雄,在而后的数个版本中,它的实力虽然有起有伏,但依旧保持了很高的水准。在比赛中,拥有地精炼金术士的一方可以围绕他施展各种战术变化;而在路人局中,一个基本功过硬的地精炼金术士玩家可以轻松主宰整场比赛。     

Change is good——虚空掠夺者卡兹克攻略

虚空掠夺者卡兹克(以下简称卡兹克)与荒漠屠夫雷克顿、傲之追猎者雷恩加尔等英雄一样拥有技能强化的设定,每次升级大招时都可以进化一个技能使其得到加强。一般英雄只需要考虑普通技能加点的顺序就可以了,而卡兹克由于有技能强化的概念,还要考虑进化技能的顺序,玩法算是比较多变。虽然6300金币的价格不菲,但玩家能享受到多种玩法的乐趣,也算是物有所值。     

From father to son: A review and demographic analysis of the Australian Football League's Father–Son rule

The Australian Football League's (AFL's) Father–Son rule is a unique player drafting rule that allows sons of former players to be selected by their father's club. The rules that determine eligibility have undergone numerous changes since its introduction in 1949, including rules for new teams from outside of the traditional Victorian-based clubs that had no history of fathers from which Father–Son selections could be derived. The observed number of Father–Son selections to each club is markedly different between the Victorian-based clubs, and between the Victorian and non-Victorian-based clubs. In this paper, a demographic model and player data from the AFL and the state leagues are used to estimate the annual number of available sons to each of the AFL clubs. Results show that the observed number of selections can largely be explained by the number of available sons. The model can also be used to predict the number of available sons into the future, and so can be used to guide management decisions regarding competitive balance if further modifications to the AFL's Father–Son rule are required.     

Weekday–weekend variations in mother-/father–child physical activity and screen time relationship: A cross-sectional study in a random sample of Czech families with 5- to 12-year-old children

This study assessed the associations between these factors in a random sample of Czech families with preschool and school-aged children. A nationally representative sample comprised 185 families with preschool children and 649 families with school-aged children (dyads; both parents and child n?=?365, mother and child n?=?730, and father and child n?=?469). The participants wore Yamax Digiwalker SW-200 pedometers at least four weekdays and both weekend days and completed family logbooks (anthropometric parameters, daily step counts (SC), and screen time (ST)). When a parent (fathers at weekends and mothers both on weekdays and at weekends) achieved 10,000 SC per day, their children were also significantly (OR?=?2.93–6.06, 95% CI?=?2.02–9.26) more likely to meet the daily SC recommendation. On the contrary, the involvement of fathers in organized leisure-time PA reduced their children's odds of meeting the SC recommendation on weekdays (OR?=?0.53, 95% CI?=?0.31–0.89) and at weekends (OR?=?0.41, 95% CI?=?0.24–0.72). The excessive ST of parents at weekends reduced the odds of their children meeting the SC recommendation (mother–child dyads: OR?=?0.44, 95% CI?=?0.26–0.72; father–child dyads: OR?=?0.63, 95% CI?=?0.37–1.06). High levels of parents’ PA contribute to the achievement of the recommended daily PA in children on weekdays and at weekends. Excessive weekend ST of parents reduces their odds of their children achieving the recommended daily PA; however, the influence of parents’ PA on their children’s achieving the recommended daily PA is stronger than the inhibitory effect of ST.     

Is three-dimensional anthropometric analysis as good as traditional anthropometric analysis in predicting junior rowing performance?

Abstract With the use of three-dimensional whole body scanning technology, this study compared the 'traditional' anthropometric model [one-dimensional (1D) measurements] to a 'new' model [1D, two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) measurements] to determine: (1) which model predicted more of the variance in self-reported best 2000-m ergometry rowing performance; and (2) what were the best anthropometric predictors of ergometry performance, for junior rowers competing at the 2007 and 2008 Australian Rowing Championships. Each rower (257 females, 16.3?±?1.4 years and 243 males, 16.6?±?1.5 years) completed a performance and demographic questionnaire, had their mass, standing and sitting height physically measured and were landmarked and scanned using the Vitus Smart? 3D whole body scanner. Absolute and proportional anthropometric measurements were extracted from the scan files. Partial least squares regression analysis, with anthropometric measurements and age as predictor variables and self-reported best 2000-m ergometer time as the response variable, was used to first compare the two models and then to determine the best performance predictors. The variance explained by each model was similar for both male [76.1% (new) vs. 73.5% (traditional)] and female [72.3% (new) vs. 68.6% (traditional)] rowers. Overall, absolute rather than proportional measurements, and 2D and 3D rather than 1D measurements, were the best predictors of rowing ergometry performance, with whole body volume and surface area, standing height, mass and leg length the strongest individual predictors.     

It''''s a small world

┌────┬────┐ ┌─┐ │舅 │l巍馨瓤.│ │蕊│ │幸后 │颧共 │ └─┘ │摧撰 │ │ └────┴────┘ ┌───┐┌───┬─────┐ │杯竺! ││露 │省 │ │截呀} │┌────┐│嗯盛 │ │ │矍 ││…颤黝 ││么映吵│ │ │ │└────┘│片考 │ ┌───┤ │ ││理邃 │ │「,. │ │ ││月澎旦│ ├───┤ │ ││.尸拓 │ │ │ │ ││匕‘日│ │ │ │ │└───┴─┴───┘ └───┘It's a small world~~…     

Physiological load associated with a Zumba® fitness workout: a comparison pilot study between classes and a DVD

The objectives were to compare the metabolic load elicited by Zumba^® classes and DVD workouts and link the physiological responses to participants’ psychological characteristics. Fifteen women (25.4 ± 4.3 years old; 164.9 ± 5.1 cm; 56.9 ± 5.8 kg; 23.9 ± 4.9% body fat) performed three Zumba^® classes and three Zumba^® DVD workouts using a repeated measure design. Energy expenditure was assessed by extrapolating oxygen cost from heart rate (HR) using regressions from a preliminary incremental running test. Differences between Zumba^® classes and Zumba^® DVD workouts were assessed by Student’s T tests and repeated measures analysis of variance and correlations between physiological and psychological variables by the Pearson’s coefficient. Results showed that Zumba^® classes allowed greater energy expenditure compared to Zumba^® DVD workouts (6.8 ± 0.9 vs 5.6 ± 0.9 kcal · min^?1, 95% confidence interval (CI) limits: 0.3–2.1, P = 0.016), with significant differences in the time spent with a HR above 85% of HR reserve (14.7 vs 1.7%, 95% CI: 5.6–20.4, P = 0.021). Furthermore, women with a greater autonomy score showed a smaller difference between DVD and class (r = 0.511, P = 0.048), while greater differences were shown in women with greater interpersonal skills (r = ?0.563, P = 0.028). The results suggest that while both types of workouts are suitable to maintain fitness Zumba^® classes allow greater energy expenditure.     

Soccer and integrating Europe’s Muslim minorities: the good,and bad and the ugly

Drawing from recent debates about Muslim immigrants’ lack of integration into European societies, the current article advances a main argument regarding the nexus between soccer and Muslim immigrants’ integration within their host European societies by reviewing dominant theoretical models and focusing on elite European male Muslim soccer players. Considering the growing recent debate about the role of Muslim immigrants in their European societies, soccer has the potential to assist European countries to increase Muslims’ integration level. Elite Muslim soccer players are among the most influential immigrants in European societies. Muslim soccer players could contribute to increase understanding and community unity between different social groups within European societies as many of them prove that identity hyphenation and combining ethnicity and European nationality is possible for Muslim immigrants. Soccer could give more confidence to the generation of young Muslims about being accepted by European majorities.     

Tensions in stakeholder relations for a Swedish football club – a case study

Swedish football is an industry not yet being as commercial as the big leagues and is regulated in terms of ownership of clubs. This implies a need for management of stakeholder relations for a Swedish football club. This paper identifies important stakeholders in Swedish football and discusses the multitude of – sometimes conflicting – objectives in managing these relations. The empirical base of the study is founded in a case study of Malmö FF, one of the dominant clubs in Sweden, with a qualitative single case research approach. Data are collected by means of semi-structured interviews and participant observations. The results of the study show a number of tensions as paradoxes for stakeholder management, suggest management dispositions to reconcile these paradoxes and suggest areas for further research.     

Ski-jumpers’ performance in a laboratory setting: a 29-year longitudinal study

This study assesses the longitudinal changes in anthropometric and motor parameters of ski jumpers. Male ski jumpers (n = 329) at various competitive levels participated in this study. These competitors were divided into two groups by age (18 years and younger, and over 18 years), and then divided into seven even intervals within those groups. Basic anthropometric parameters, maximal relative isometric knee extensor force, reaction time, knee extension time, and vertical jump height were measured. The conditions, instruments, and systems of measurement were consistent throughout the study. A reduced body mass index (BMI) in the adult jumpers was significant (P < .01) in the first three (1982–1993) and in the last three (1998–2010) intervals. Adults had an increase of maximal relative isometric knee extensor force (P < .01) in the last three intervals (1998–2010). They had greater maximal relative isometric knee extensor force (with exception of the first interval, 1982–1985) and vertical jump height than younger competitors (P < .01). Both young and adult jumpers exhibited the increase of strength and power in the lower limbs and a decrease in BMI during the whole observed period.     

SHEN,a good-hearted association

本期学生来稿的稿件是由来自法国巴黎东部马恩河谷大学(Paris-Est Mame La Vallee)的学生Boulom Sengkham提供,介绍的是"申"社团,这究竟是个什么样的组织?且看下文。     

Elite refereeing structures in England: a perfect model or a challenging invention?

The structure employed in England for referees and elite referees is something which has evolved as the game of Association Football has developed over time. This referee promotion, support and management system has changed more rapidly since the inauguration of the Premier League and latterly since the introduction of ‘full-time’ or ‘professional’ referees. The change in the promotion and support for elite referees has necessitated changes to that management structure at the elite level in particular. This article has utilized historical research to analyse the changes to these structures alongside semi-structured interviews as a means of analysing this evolving network for elite referees. Findings indicate that support for the changes which have occurred in elite refereeing regarding the establishment of ‘full-time’ referees are opposed, with alternating views also encompassing the current structure employed for managing elite referees in England and the pathways utilized for referee promotion.