Teamwork in secular and faith‐based organizations

The word teamwork has become a favorite of corporate leaders; however, many employees view teamwork as a word devoid of meaning. Part of the problem is that teamwork has an entirely different meaning to people at various levels in an organization, and this prevents individuals and different departments within a company from moving forward with a single vision. Another factor is the issue of fair compensation. Traditional managerial views emphasize individual incentives or piecework compensation as the key to employee motivation, while more modern managerial theory contends that giving workers autonomy and showing them appreciation is just as important as financial incentives. There is also a growing trend of mixing religion and business principles to create a harmonious work environment. This article examines research and best practices around key factors that contribute to a team‐based work environment and also explores whether employees at faith‐based organizations are more willing to embrace the team concept than their secular counterparts.     

Solving the Self-Transformation Puzzle: The Role of Aspiration

If the received views on self-transformation in philosophical literature are correct, then either self-transformation (1) is caused by forces beyond oneself and beyond one's control, (2) is not rational to pursue, or (3) does not ever really happen. In this essay, James Gordon highlights the philosophical puzzle known as the “self-transformation puzzle,” as raised by Ryan Kemp, who suggests that transformation of the sort educators are interested in cannot be self-caused: it is either something that happens to a person, or something that, if agent guided, is not full-fledged transformation. Next, Gordon turns to an alternative take on the puzzle that tries to recast the conceptual terrain and offer a new way of thinking about self-transformation, namely, the “aspirational” account of self-change offered by Agnes Callard. He argues that Callard's aspirational account of transformation shows that at least one of the premises of Kemp's argument is false. Finally, he suggests several ways that those interested in transformative education might appeal to the concept of aspiration to revise their educational practices.     

Can fast-twitch muscle fibres be selectively recruited during lengthening contractions? Review and applications to sport movements

Literature examining the recruitment order of motor units during lengthening (eccentric) contractions was reviewed to determine if fast-twitch motor units can be active while lower threshold slow-twitch motor units are not active. Studies utilizing surface electromyogram (EMG) amplitude, single motor unit activity, spike amplitude-frequency analyses, EMG power spectrum, mechanomyographic, and phosphocreatine-to-creatine ratio (PCr/Cr) techniques were reviewed. Only single motor unit and PCr/Cr data were found to be suitable to address the goals of this review. Nine of ten single motor unit studies, examining joint movement velocities up to 225 degrees/s and forces up to 53% of a maximum voluntary contraction, found that the size principle of motor unit recruitment applied during lengthening contractions. Deviation from the size principle was demonstrated by one study examining movements within a small range of low velocities and modest forces, although other studies examining similar low forces and lengthening velocities reported size-ordered recruitment. The PCr/Cr data demonstrated the activation of all fibre types in lengthening maximal contractions. Most evidence indicates that for lengthening contractions of a wide range of efforts and speeds, fast-twitch muscle fibres cannot be selectively recruited without activity of the slow-twitch fibres of the same muscle.     

A kinematic analysis of rugby lineout throwing

To characterize rugby union lineout throwing technique, three experienced male rugby players performed throwing trials under varying conditions of distance and trajectory. Motion analysis permitted the recovery of joint centre coordinates at 120 Hz and the construction of a three-dimensional linked segment model for calculation of joint angle and centre of mass time histories. All participants exhibited greater accuracy at shorter throwing distances, although the accuracy decrement was less in players of higher standard. Participants demonstrated different alterations in technique when performing throws of longer distances, either showing increased magnitudes of upper-body joint angle velocities (less accurate thrower) or lower-body joint velocities (more accurate thrower). The most elite thrower exhibited greater consistency in timing of peak joint angle velocities, with an overall standard deviation of 0.008 s compared with 0.027 s for the least accurate thrower. Data from participants of lesser ability suggest that changes are made to both magnitudes and timing of joint kinematics, which leads to increased variability in performance. The implications for players and coaches include the need to develop core strength to permit limited changes to the timing and magnitude of upper-body joint actions while allowing sufficient end-point velocity to be imparted on the ball.     

The great leap backward: changes in the jumping performance of Australian children aged 11−12-years between 1985 and 2015

Previous data have indicated relative stability over time of paediatric jumping performance, but few data exist since the early 2000s. This study quantified the 30-year secular changes in jumping performance of Australian children aged 11?12-years using data from the Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey (1985, n = 1967) and Growing Up in Australia’s Child Health CheckPoint (2015, n = 1765). Both cohorts measured jumping performance (standing long jump distance), anthropometric and demographic data. Secular changes in jumping performance means and quantiles were examined using multivariable linear and quantile regression. Between 1985 and 2015, jumping performance declined by 16.4 cm or by 11.2% (standardised change 0.66 SD, 95%CI 0.60 to 0.73). Adjustment for body mass reduced the effect by 32%, although the decline remained (absolute change – 11.1 cm, 95%CI ?12.5 to ?9.7; percent change 7.7%, 95%CI 6.7 to 8.6; standardised change 0.51 SD, 95%CI 0.44 to 0.57). This decline was evident across all quantiles. The jumping performance of Australian children aged 11?12-years has declined between 1985 and 2015, with body mass changes accounting for only part of the decline. Efforts should continue to promote paediatric muscular fitness, reduce adiposity, and aim to reverse this decline in jumping performance.     

The Effect of In-Season Traditional and Explosive Resistance Training Programs on Strength,Jump Height,and Speed in Recreational Soccer Players

Purpose: Resistance training is often performed in a traditional training style using deliberate relatively longer repetition durations or in an explosive training style using maximal intended velocities and relatively shorter repetition durations. Both improve strength, “power” (impulsivity), and speed. This study compared explosive and traditional training over a 6-week intervention in 30 healthy young adult male recreational soccer players. Method: Full body supervised resistance training was performed 2 times a week using 3 sets of each exercise at 80% of one repetition maximum to momentary failure. Outcomes were Smith machine squat 1 repetition maximum, 10 meter sprint time, and countermovement jump. Results: Both groups significantly improved all outcomes based on 95% confidence intervals not crossing zero. There were no between-group differences for squat 1 RM (TRAD = 6.3[5.1 to 7.6] kg, EXP = 5.2[3.9 to 6.4] kg) or 10 meter sprint (TRAD = ?0.05[?0.07 to ?0.04] s, EXP = ?0.05[?0.06 to ?0.03] s). Explosive group had a significantly greater increase in countermovement jump compared to the traditional group (TRAD = 0.7[0.3 to 1.1] cm, EXP = 1.3[0.9 to 1.7] cm). Conclusion: Both the traditional training and explosive training performed to momentary failure produced significant improvements in strength, speed, and jump performance. Strength gains are similar independent of intended movement speed. However, speed and jump performance changes are marginal with resistance training.     

Perceptual changes to progressive resistance training with and without blood flow restriction

The purpose was to examine changes in the perceptual responses to lifting a very low load (15% one repetition maximum (1RM)) with and without (15/0) different pressures [40% (15/40) and 80% (15/80) arterial occlusion pressure] and compare that to traditional high load (70/0) resistance exercise. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and discomfort were measured following each set of exercise. In addition, resting arterial occlusion pressure was measured prior to exercise. Assessments were made in training sessions 1, 9, and 16 for the upper and lower body. Data are presented as means and 95% CI. There were changes in RPE in the upper body with condition 15/40 [?2.1 (?3.4, ?0.850)] and 15/80 [?2.4 (?3.6, ?1.1)] decreasing by the end of training. In the lower body, RPE decreased in condition 15/40 [?1.4 (?2.3, ?0.431)] by the end of the training study. There was a main effect of time in the upper body with all conditions decreasing discomfort. In the lower body, all conditions decreased except for 15/80. For arterial occlusion pressure, there were differences across time in the 15/40 condition and the 15/80 condition in the upper body. Repeated exposure to blood flow restriction may dampen the perceptual responses over time.     

Bend sprinting performance: new insights into the effect of running lane

Athletes in inner lanes may be disadvantaged during athletic sprint races containing a bend portion because of the tightness of the bend. We empirically investigated the veracity of modelled estimates of this disadvantage and the effect of running lane on selected kinematic variables. Three-dimensional video analysis was conducted on nine male athletes in lanes 8, 5 and 2 of the bend of an outdoor track (radii: 45.10, 41.41 and 37.72 m, respectively). There was over 2% (p < 0.05) reduction in mean race velocity from lane 8 (left step 9.56 ± 0.43 m/s, right step: 9.49 ± 0.41 m/s) to lane 5 (left step: 9.36 ± 0.51 m/s, right step: 9.30 ± 0.51 m/s), with only slight further reductions from lane 5 to lane 2 (left step: 9.34 ± 0.61 m/s, right step: 9.30 ± 0.63 m/s). Race velocity decreased mainly because of reductions in step frequency as radius decreased. These unique data demonstrate the extent of the disadvantage of inner lane allocation during competition may be greater than previously suspected. Variations in race velocity changes might indicate some athletes are better able to accommodate running at tighter radii than others, which should have implications for athletes’ training.     

Speaking Truth to Power: Du Bois as Educator and Community Activist

This article uses W. E. B. Du Bois's work as an education and community activist to discuss race, oppression, and speaking-back to power in this time of racialized policies enacted by the Trump administration. This article centers a comparative discussion of the racialization of democracy by presidents Wilson and Trump to show the ways Du Bois was responding to similar political issues and how his work can be used to speak to the current political moment.