Planning,practice and performance: the discursive formation of coaches' knowledge

This paper takes as its starting point that coaches' efforts at planning their athletes' training are a complex practice involving so many variables that the logic of how they all ‘fit together’ to produce a peak performance is never obvious or clear. However, many coaches operate as if their athletes' training programmes can be assembled in a coherent, rational manner, or as if ‘systems’ exist to make planning an orderly sequence of steps or stages. Drawing on the work of Foucault, and his call to problematise the development and formation of dominant practices, I examine in this paper the discursive construction of contemporary planning practices used by middle- and long-distance running coaches. Further, I discuss how coaches' knowledge of planning is enmeshed within relations of power, that weaved in discourses, and imprinted on athletes' bodies and bodily practices, attempt to assert the ‘truth’ about the practice of planning.     

Making a career in PESP in the corporatized university: reflections on hegemony,resistance, collegiality and scholarship

This lecture considers how it might be possible to make a career as a university scholar at a time when the university is becoming increasingly corporatised. Consistent with the intent of the Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy (PESP) Special Interest Group (SIG) Scholar Lecture, I draw on personal experiences from my own career as a university teacher, researcher, teacher educator and leader to consider the extent to which the hegemony of corporatisation might be challenged and subverted, the kinds of resistance that can and should take place, and the central importance of collegiality and scholarship to the sustainability of the university as an institution of higher learning. I will consider more specifically what it means to develop a career as a scholar in a practical and marginalised field such as PESP, and the possibilities that exist to secure the future of the field of research and praxis.     

Metabolic response to 6-week aerobic exercise training and dieting in previously sedentary overweight and obese pre-menopausal women: A randomized trial

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare 6 weeks short-term moderate intensity aerobic exercise and dieting on serum metabolomics and cardio-metabolic risk factors in pre-menopausal women.MethodsNinety previously inactive overweight and obese (BMI 25–35 kg/m²) women (age 41.5 ± 7.6 years) were randomized to either a 6-week Nordic walking exercise program (EX, n = 45) or dietary counseling group (DI, n = 45). Body composition, serum glucose, insulin and lipids were measured. Serum low-molecular-weight metabolites and lipid constituents were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Measurements were done at baseline and 7 days after the last training session.ResultsSix weeks aerobic exercise program yielded reductions in serum free fatty acids (−34.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI), −50 to −18, p < 0.001), glucose (−9.6%, 95%CI, −15 to −4, p < 0.001) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (−28.7%, 95%CI, −48 to −10, p = 0.005) without changes in body weight or fat mass. Diet counseling resulted in loss of body weight (1.5%, 95%CI, −2.3 to −0.7, p = 0.001) but no changes in free fatty acids, fasting glucose, or HOMA-IR were found.ConclusionOur results indicate that small weight loss does not produce measurable health benefits, whereas short-term regular aerobic exercise can improve glucose and lipid metabolism even in the absence of weight loss in previously sedentary overweight and obese women.     

Comparing the effects of low and high load resistance exercise to failure on adaptive responses to resistance exercise in young women

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of 6 weeks of resistance training to volitional failure at low (30% 1 repetition maximum (RM)) or high (80%1RM) loads on gains in muscle size and strength in young women. Thirteen women (age: 29.7 ± 4.7years; height 166.7 ± 6.4cm; weight 64.2 ± 12.2kg) completed 2 training sessions per week for 6 weeks and muscle strength (1RM), muscle thickness (ultrasound) were measured before and after training. Training comprised 1 set to volitional failure of unilateral leg extensions and bicep curls with each limb randomly assigned to train at either 80% 1RM or 30% 1RM. Increases in muscle thickness [arms: 6.81 ± 3.15% (30% 1RM), 5.90 ± 3.13% (80% 1RM) and legs: 9.37 ± 5.61% (30% 1RM), 9.13 ± 7.9% (80% 1RM)] and strength [arms: 15.4 ± 12.2% (30% 1RM), 18.26 ± 12.2% (80% 1RM) and legs: 25.30 ± 18.4 (30% 1RM), 27.20 ± 14.5 (80% 1RM)] were not different between loads. When resistance exercise is performed to volitional failure gains in muscle size and strength are independent of load in young women.     

Young Muslim women's experiences of Islam and physical education in Greece and Britain: a comparative study

Previous research suggests that Muslim women can experience particular problems when taking physical education (PE) lessons, for example with dress codes, mixed-teaching and exercise during Ramadan; and they can face restrictions in extra-curricular activities for cultural and religious reasons. The area is under-researched and there is little evidence of comparative studies that explore similarities and differences in cross-national experiences, which is the aim of this paper. Two studies conducted in Greece and Britain that explored the views of Muslim women on school experiences of physical education are compared. Both studies focused on diaspora communities, Greek Turkish girls and British Asian women, living in predominantly non-Muslim countries. Growing concerns about global divisions between ‘Muslims and the West’ make this a particularly pertinent study. Qualitative data were collected by interviews with 24 Greek Muslim women, and 20 British Muslim women.

Physical education has national curriculum status and a similar rationale in both countries but with different cultures of formality and tradition, which impacted on pupils’ experiences. Data suggested that Greek and British groups held positive views towards physical education but were restricted on their participation in extra-curricular activities. For the British women religious identity and consciousness of Islamic requirements were more evident than for the Greek women. Differences in stages of acculturation, historical and socio-cultural contexts contributed to less problematic encounters with physical education for Greek Muslims who appeared more closely assimilated into the dominant culture.     

对我国青年女足队员自信心的初步研究

运用心理问卷方法，对我国24支青年女足队员进行了自信心测试，结果表明，她们的自信心水平普遍较高，24支队伍中八一队自信心水平略显偏低，与排名首位的广东队有显性差异，比较了不同位置，年龄段运动员自信心，认为它们不存在明显差异，随着年龄的增长，女足队员自信心水平呈逐渐增高的趋势。     

Special educational needs in mainstream secondary school physical education: learning support assistants have their say

Learning support assistants (LSAs) gained more political and academic attention in Britain after Estelle Morris announced that schools of the future would include more trained staff to support learning to higher standards. LSAs, thus, should form an integral part of the culture of all school departments in Britain, including physical education (PE). The paper uses Antonio Gramsci's concept of hegemony to explore the processes and practices that shape the views and experiences of LSAs and ultimately the extent to which they facilitate an inclusive culture in PE. A web survey gathered the views and experiences of LSAs vis-à-vis the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream secondary school PE in North-West England. A modified version of the tailored design method participant contact strategy resulted in 343 LSAs starting the web survey, with 154 (45%) following it through to completion. All quantitative data were analysed using Microsoft Excel whilst qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. This entailed the identification of recurring themes and patterns present in the data. The findings highlight the hegemonic status of English, maths and science when it comes to the allocation of SEN resources, which most LSAs support and often reinforce. PE is particularly disadvantaged in this hierarchy of subject priority. The majority of LSAs have not received PE-specific training, which brings into question their ability to facilitate inclusion in PE. Moreover, many schools do not appear to value the involvement of LSAs in the planning of differentiated lessons, which could have a negative impact on the PE experiences of some pupils with SEN given that LSAs are perhaps most aware of the specific learning needs of the pupils they support.     

Empowerment and women in adventure tourism: a negotiated journey

Women’s participation in adventure tourism is growing, yet few studies have explored this group of tourists. This conceptual paper seeks to extend our understanding of female adventure tourists by examining the empowering journey women can take through constraint negotiation to enjoy the benefits of adventure tourism. Using content analysis to review the literature on women’s adventure experiences in tourism and recreation settings reveals prominent themes that have been consolidated to propose constraint, negotiation and benefit categories. A conceptual model is presented that illustrates the opportunities for women’s empowerment within these categories and examines the interrelationships and interdependency between them. The model shows that constraints, negotiations and benefits can be experienced simultaneously, at different points in a woman’s adventure tourism journey and used as a vehicle for empowerment. Women will also re-evaluate these categories before, during and after their adventure tourism experience. Therefore, the categories are not fixed and evolve each time a woman participates in adventure tourism throughout her life. Suggestions are made for further study in this under-researched area.     

Multiple-joint exercises using elastic resistance bands vs. conventional resistance-training equipment: A cross-over study

Previous studies indicate that elastic resistance bands (ERB) can be a viable option to conventional resistance-training equipment (CRE) during single-joint resistance exercises, but their efficacy has not been established for several commonly used multiple-joint resistance exercises. Thus, we compared muscular activation levels in four popular multiple-joint exercises performed with ERB (TheraBand^®) vs. CRE (Olympic barbell or cable pulley machines). In a cross-over design, men and women (n?=?29) performed squats, stiff-legged deadlifts, unilateral rows and lateral pulldown using both modalities. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression analyses of main and interaction effects, and subsequent post hoc analyses were used to assess differences between the two resistance-training modalities. CRE induced higher levels of muscle activation in the prime movers during all exercises (p?<?.001 for all comparisons), compared to muscle activation levels induced by ERB. The magnitude of the differences was marginal in lateral pulldown and unilateral rows and for the erector spinae during stiff-legged deadlifts. In squats the quadriceps femoris activations were substantially lower for ERB. The differences between ERB and CRE were mostly observed during the parts of the contractions where the bands were relatively slack, whilst the differences were largely eliminated when the bands became elongated in the end ranges of the movements. We conclude that ERB can be a feasible training modality for lateral pulldowns, unilateral rows and to some extent stiff-legged deadlifts, but not for the squat exercise.     

Cytokine responses to resistance training in people with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Exercise for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been shown to improve cardiovascular function, increase strength and endurance, and reduce fatigue. The impact of exercise on immune function in the disease, however, remains mostly unexplored. Ten female MS patients participated in an 8 week programme of twice-weekly progressive resistance training, with pre- and post-training assessment of serum concentrations of cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, CRP, TNF-α and IFN-γ. After training, IL-4, IL-10, CRP and IFN-γ showed statistically reduced resting concentrations in blood, while TNF-α showed non-significant reductions and IL-2 and IL-6 remained unchanged. These results suggest that progressive resistance training may have an impact on cytokine concentrations in individuals with MS and should be confirmed in studies with stronger statistical power. The impact of these changes on overall immune function in MS and on disease status and prognosis remains to be determined.     

Exposing athletes to playing form activity: outcomes of a randomised control trial among community netball teams using a game-centred approach

This study evaluated whether exposing junior netball players to greater amounts of competition relevant activity (playing form activity) had an effect on game play outcomes and session involvement. A group-randomised controlled trial in one junior netball club in the Hunter Region, NSW, Australia. Ninety female athletes (mean age = 9.04 years, SD 1.53) were randomised by team (n = 11) into the intervention (n = 41) or 9-week wait-list control (n = 49) condition. The Professional Learning for Understanding Games Education into Sport (PLUNGE into Sport) programme was undertaken in the first half of nine training sessions (9 × 30 min). The intervention exposed athletes to playing form activity through a coach development programme within training sessions. Athletes’ decision-making, support and skill outcomes during a small-sided invasion game, and session involvement (pedometer step/min), were measured at baseline and 9-week follow-up. Linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time intervention effects (P < 0.05) for decision-making (d = 0.4) and support (d = 0.5) during game play, and in-session activity (d = 1.2). An intervention exposing athletes to greater levels of playing form activity, delivered via a coach education programme, was efficacious in improving athlete decision-making and support skills in game play and increasing athlete involvement during sessions.     

Acute intraocular pressure responses to high-intensity interval-training protocols in men and women

We aimed (1) to test the acute impact of two high-intensity interval-training (HIIT) protocols differing in the level of effort on intraocular pressure (IOP) responses, and (2) to elucidate whether the IOP responses differ between men and women. Twenty-four physically active collegiate (12 men and 12 women) performed three protocols: low-fatigue HIIT (eight 30-m sprints with 60-s of rest), high-fatigue HIIT (eight 30-m sprints with 30-s of rest), and control (walking). IOP was taken at baseline, after sprints and recovery by rebound tonometry. Our data revealed an acute IOP reduction during both HIIT protocols compared to the control condition (effect size [ES]:0.81–1.65). The differences between both HIIT protocols were generally negligible (ES<0.30), however, the reduction of IOP was moderately higher for the low-fatigue HIIT protocol after the 7th (ES: 0.67) and 8th (ES: 0.74) sprints. Women showed a more prominent lowering effect on IOP during the control condition (ES: 0.42–1.02), and during the two first sprints of both HIIT protocols (ES: 0.54–1.03). These findings highlight that a time-efficient HIIT protocol may acutely reduce IOP levels, while low-fatigue HIIT protocol could be recommended since it induced a higher reduction on IOP than the high-fatigue HIIT protocol.     

Spatial characteristics of professional tennis serves with implications for serving aces: A machine learning approach

This study sought to determine the features of an ideal serve in men’s professional tennis. A total of 25,680 first serves executed by 151 male tennis players during Australian Open competition were classified as either aces or returned into play. Spatiotemporal (impact location, speed, projection angles, landing location and relative player locations) and contextual (score) features of each serve were extracted from Hawk-Eye data and used to construct a classification tree model (with decision rules) that predicted serve outcome. k-means clustering was applied to the landing locations to quantify optimal landing locations for aces. The classification tree revealed that (1) serve directionality, relative to the returner; (2) the ball’s landing proximity to the nearest service box line and (3) serve speed classified aces with an accuracy of 87.02%. Hitting aces appeared more contingent on accuracy than speed, with serves directed >5.88° from the returner and landing <15.27 cm from a service box line most indicative of an ace. k-means clustering revealed four distinct locations (≈0.73 m wide × 2.35 m deep) in the corners of the service box that corresponded to aces. These landing locations provide empirically derived target locations for players to adhere to during practice and competition.     

High-frequency resistance training does not promote greater muscular adaptations compared to low frequencies in young untrained men

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of resistance training (RT) frequencies of five times (RT5), thrice- (RT3) or twice- (RT2) weekly in muscle strength and hypertrophy in young men. Were used a within-subjects design in which 20 participants had one leg randomly assigned to RT5 and the other to RT3 or to RT2. 1?RM and muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) were assessed at baseline, after four (W4) and eight (W8) RT weeks. RT5 resulted in greater total training volume (TTV) than RT3 and RT2 (P?=?.001). 1?RM increased similarly between protocols at W4 (RT5: 55?±?9?Kg, effect size (ES): 1.18; RT3: 51?±?11?Kg, ES: 0.80; RT2: 54?±?7?Kg, ES: 1.13; P?P?2, ES: 0.54; RT3: 22.0?±?4.6?cm², ES: 0.19; RT2: ES: 0.25; 23.8?±?3.8?cm²; P?2; ES: 0.69; RT3: 23.6?±?4.2?cm², ES: 0.58; RT2: 25.5?±?3.7?cm²; ES: 0.70; P?2; RT3: 21.2?±?4.0?cm²; RT2: 22.9?±?3.8?cm²). Performing RT5, RT3 and RT2 a week result in similar muscle strength increase and hypertrophy, despite higher TTV for RT5.     

Gender,photography and women’s football in England: the Portsmouth Ladies FC, 1916–1918

ABSTRACT

Founded in 1916, the Portsmouth Ladies FC were one of many women’s football teams active during the First World War. Building upon the work of Jean Williams, Patrick Brennan and Ian Nannestad, this article seeks to broaden our knowledge of the development of women’s wartime football. Its principal sources are images held by National Football Museum, the Pompey History Society, along with newly digitised newspapers. This article explores two aspects of the club’s history. Firstly, it presents an overview detailing the team’s origins, playing record, the types of games they played, including games against male teams, and the role of Councillor Tom Langdon in organising and promoting their activities. Secondly, it will explore the significant photographic coverage afforded to the team, in particular by the Portsmouth Evening News photographer Joseph Stephen Cribb. It will be argued that the club’s history helps develop the chronological development of women’s football in World War On. It will also be argued that visual depictions of the team show both an increasing interest in the women’s game, and also the limits and gendered nature of that interest.     

从福建医大女生体育教学现状谈普通高校体育教学改革

普通高校体育教学内容的改革是体育教学整体改革的核心。我校在女生体育教学内容改革中,着重体现其兴趣性、实用性、指导性及终身性的特点,进行了实践尝试,并将实施过程中的反馈信息作了阐述和分析,指在进一步完善高校女生体育教学。     

Scandinavian women’s football: the importance of male and female pioneers in the development of the sport

ABSTRACT

The importance of female and male pioneers in the development of women’s football in Scandinavia is in focus, where some of the female pioneers’ experiences presented. Sif Kalvø from Western Norway was the first known Scandinavian female football player who played abroad in Italy in 1971, and she was one of the pioneers. She was dependent on door openers in Norway and abroad. The door openers role, in making professional football possible; how the professional contracts came through; and why the Scandinavian female footballers went global in the early phases, discussed. To study this the Norwegian Mother of Women’s football, Målfrid Kuvås, and other female pioneer footballers are in-depth interviewed. Kuvås’ large collection of scrapbooks with media coverage, letters and other correspondence from the 1960s to 2000s are also studied. Qualitative in-depth interviews carried out, with five of the early professionals and five of the leaders involved in the migration processes. Secondary sources are academic literature and sport media. The dream about playing professional football, and to be able to live from football brought female players across the globe. Due to this, migration research is of interest when studying women’s football, and ‘push’- and ‘pull’- factors in migration are discussed.     

Implementing technical refinement in high-level athletics: exploring the knowledge schemas of coaches

This paper explores the approaches adopted by high-level field athletics coaches when attempting to refine an athlete’s already well-established technique (long and triple jump and javelin throwing). Six coaches, who had all coached multiple athletes to multiple major championships, took part in semi-structured interviews focused upon a recent example of technique refinement. Data were analysed using a thematic content analysis. The coaching tools reported were generally consistent with those advised by the existing literature, focusing on attaining “buy-in”, utilising part-practice, restoring movement automaticity and securing performance under pressure. Five of the six coaches reported using a systematic sequence of stages to implement the refinement, although the number and content of these stages varied between them. Notably, however, there were no formal sources of knowledge (e.g., coach education or training) provided to inform coaches’ decision making. Instead, coaches’ decisions were largely based on experience both within and outside the sporting domain. Data offer a useful stimulus for reflection amongst sport practitioners confronted by the problem of technique refinement. Certainly the limited awareness of existing guidelines on technique refinement expressed by the coaches emphasises a need for further collaborative work by researchers and coach educators to disseminate best practice.