Description:
Health benefits of children’s participation in physical activity such as reduced risk of obesity and diabetes are promoted to parents. However parents’ perceptions of injury risk in sports and how this perception may affect their choice of sport for their child is unknown. The study surveyed 5385 parents of children from 5 – 17 years in 46 sports. A total of 887 surveys were returned. The Health Belief model was the theoretical framework for the study and the sports were divided into four groups – contact, incidental collision, limited contact and non-contact. Mothers completed the forms in 63% of cases and 52.2% of the children were males. The child selected the sport in 51.6% of` cases and generally parents did not believe that their involvement in their child’s sport choice would ensure their child was safer from injury. In the main parents did not believe the sport their child participated in was less likely to cause injury than other sports and this trend increased as the level of contact increased. Trained coaches were seen as very important in reducing injury risk in sport. Generally modified sport was not seen to positively impact on the parent’s choice of sport and parents did not think that cost of protective equipment was a barrier to providing for their child. Parents generally felt that they could assess the risk of injury in a sport but were not influenced by the risk of injury when allowing their child to play a particular sport.
Description:
Demonstrations of the CFA process in the context of imagery abilities and imagery use assessment are severely lacking. Presently, very few imagery measures from either general or sport psychology have had their factor structure confirmed using structural equation modeling to. Irrespective of the accepted difficulties in the assessment of the imagery process, understanding in the field can only be enhanced through the application of appropriate statistical tools to demonstrate the relationship between measured variables and latent constructs. This paper details the examination of the factor structures of the Sport Imagery Ability Measure (SIAM) and the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ), using structural equation modeling. Confirmatory models of the key characteristics of mental imagery in relation to sport are also discussed. The SIAM is a 48-item self-report measure that uses four sport-related scenes to examine the dimensional, sensorial, and emotional characteristics of generating images. The SIQ is a 30-item self-report measure that examines five characteristics associated with the cognitive and motivational aspects of imagery use. Participants (N = 514) from universities and elite sport groups in Australia, England, and Finland completed the measures. Confirmatory factor analyses of models proposed by the authors of each measure were conducted using AMOS 4.0 software. The SIAM threefactor model was a reasonable to good fit for the data with all fit indices except for the RMSEA (0.12) at or above accepted minima. A five-factor model tested for the SIQ did not result in as many acceptable fit indices, with only the RMSEA (0.07) indicating a good fit. Alternative models for both measures are examined and the implications of these findings in relation to both the evaluation and conceptualization of sport imagery are discussed.
Description:
Children’s activity choices and patterns of activity in the after-school-hours period (between the end of school and dinner) can be important predictors of daily activity levels The Out of School Hours Sports Program (OSHSP) is a state-wide physical activity initiative that provides structured sporting experiences for children in formal out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) involving 17 State Sporting Associations (SSAs) and 70 OSHC services. Participants in the evaluation were 86 children (27 girls and 59 boys) and 86 parents, and 20 deliverers of the OSHSP at various OSHC services. The average age of the children was 7.7 years (SD = 1.6). Measures included surveys, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The OSHSP initiative was evaluated over three years on four levels: reactions of the deliverers, advances in skills and knowledge, attitudes of the deliverers, and success of the initiatives against program objectives. The evaluation suggested that deliverers remained concerned about the requirements of delivering the initiative. Often deliverers did not modify their current practices to match the objectives of the OSHSP, possibly due to a clash between deliverer beliefs and program objectives. The children were having fun (97.5%) and learning new skills (89%). Most participants (76.7%) indicated an intention to continue their participation in the sport being delivered at the OSHSP into club sport participation. Children in the OSHSP were generally very active, with most (88%) already participating in sport outside the OSHSP suggesting that the target population may be difficult to access.
Description:
This study examined the use of imagery according to Paivio's (1985) general analytic framework. The aims were to examine functional differences in imagery use according to the five subscales of the SIQ, to investigate differences in imagery use by competitive level, and to explore the influence on the use of imagery of skills involving a perceptual target (reactive tasks) and without a perceptual target (nonreactive tasks). Participants included 484 individuals (280 male, 204 female), with a mean age of 20.39 (SD = 4.10) from the United Kingdom, Finland, and Australia. The group comprised 84 national, 210 state, 120 district, and 70 recreational level athletes representing 54 sports. Participants completed a demographic information sheet and the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ). Participants were classified according to competitive level and task type. Results indicated that overall participants used more motivational general-mastery imagery. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance revealed that there were significant differences among the four competitive levels on imagery use with the district level participants reporting significantly higher use of motivational general-arousal (MG-A) imagery than state and national level participants and national level participants reporting higher use of cognitive specific (CS) imagery than recreational level participants. There was also a significant difference between tasks with a perceptual target and tasks with no target for motivational-specific imagery, with higher scores for tasks with a perceptual target. The results suggest the continued evaluation of imagery use in relation to competitive level and support that task type may influence the functional use of imagery in sport.
Description:
The after school hours time period is seen as a critical time for encouraging children between the ages of 5-7 to be active and play more sport. Often, existing age-appropriate junior sport programs represent a form of curriculum used in this time period. The curriculum in these programs is based on non-competitive, modified activities to minimise the risk of emotional harm to children and prepare them to play the mature form of the game. This paper uses Marsh and Willis' curriculum continuum to advocate an alternative perspective on addressing the needs of those children wishing to have rules and competition in the games they play as they participate in junior sports development programs. This perspective is supported by an analysis of two of the age-appropriate junior sport programs. Examples are drawn from the comments of Executive Officers, Program Officers, delivers, and parents. Key themes running through the comments were that some children were being discouraged from continued participation in sport due to the removal of competition and a feeling that they were not playing a version of the game they recognised.
Description:
The after school hours time period is seen as a critical time for encouraging children between the ages of 5-7 to be active and play more sport. Often, existing age-appropriate junior sport programs represent a form of curriculum used in this time period. The curriculum in these programs is based on non-competitive, modified activities to minimise the risk of emotional harm to children and prepare them to play the mature form of the game. This paper uses Marsh and Willis' curriculum continuum to advocate an alternative perspective on addressing the needs of those children wishing to have rules and competition in the games they play as they participate in junior sports development programs. This perspective is supported by an analysis of two of the age-appropriate junior sport programs. Examples are drawn from the comments of Executive Officers, Program Officers, delivers, and parents. Key themes running through the comments were that some children were being discouraged from continued participation in sport due to the removal of competition and a feeling that they were not playing a version of the game they recognised.
Description:
Introduction: This study examined the effect of yoga on the state anxiety and mood states of athletes. Yoga has long been practised by athletes but its influence on the mood state of athletes has not been empirically examined. Method: Participants were 15 female netball players, aged between 18 and 27 years (M = 20.97, SD = 3.09) who completed the Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (APOMS) and the state anxiety inventory (A-State) before and after each of six yoga or strength and conditioning sessions completed one night per week. Participants acted as their own controls with all participants completing both treatments. The main hypothesis was that yoga participants would report significantly greater changes in mood state and state anxiety than strength and conditioning participants. Results: A One-Way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) indicated that yoga sessions had significantly greater pre to post test change on overall mood state and state anxiety compared to strength and conditioning sessions. In addition, on the subscales of the APOMS, yoga produced significantly greater pre to post test decreases on confusion and tension than strength and conditioning. Conclusion: Results support the use of yoga to positively enhance mood state and decrease state anxiety in athlete populations.Implications for coaches and athletes are discussed including the potential use of alternative and holistic training methods for the management of mood and anxiety. Future research directions are also discussed including investigating alternative approaches to the management of mood and anxiety in athletes and further investigation into the components of yoga.
Description:
Background: Physical educators are faced with trying to provide motivating and enjoyable experiences in physical education. Sport Education is an instructional model that aims to provide positive motivational sport experiences by simulating the features of authentic sport. Research support for Sport Education is positive, however, the effects on student motivation and the motivational climate are not well understood. Purpose: To investigate the influence of the Sport Education model on student motivation (intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, goal orientations, and perceived motivational climate) in secondary physical education. Setting: Six classes were selected according to teacher and class availability in the sports of soccer, hockey, and football codes in a co-educational government school. Participants: Participants were 115 (male = 97, female = 18) Year-8 students (aged 13-14 years), in a Sport Education condition (n = 41) and a Traditional condition (n = 74).Measures: At pre- and post-test, all participants completed three questionnaires: the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire, and the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire. Intervention: Participants completed either a Sport Education condition or a Traditional condition for one double period (100 minutes) one day per week for 10 weeks (Sport Education condition) or for five weeks (Traditional condition). The Sport Education condition incorporated six distinctive features: seasons, affiliation, formal competition, record keeping, festivity, and a culminating event. The Traditional condition used whole-group instruction led by the teacher. Research design: The study used a non-equivalent control group design with pre- and post-test procedures. The independent variable was teaching condition and the dependent variable was student motivation (assessed by intrinsic motivation, goal orientations, and motivational climate). The groups were already established and selected for convenience purposes. Data collection and analysis: Participants completed pre-test measures and then participated in their pre-established classes. Post-test measures were completed in the last class in each condition. A reliability analysis on measures was conducted using Cronach's alphas. A pre-test manipulation check was performed to check for any initial differences in motivation. To compare the difference in changes between conditions on motivation, a series of 2 × 2 repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted. A comparison of the relationship between motivation measures was conducted using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients. Findings: There was a significant difference between the conditions on changes in perceived competence, task orientation, and mastery climate, with the Traditional condition decreasing significantly from pre- to post-test compared with the Sport Education condition. There were no significant differences on interest/enjoyment, effort/importance, pressure/tension, ego orientation, or performance climate. A mastery climate was positively related to task orientation and intrinsic motivation and a performance climate was related to ego orientation. Conclusions: The Sport Education condition was more successful in maintaining high levels of intrinsic motivation, task orientation, and mastery climate than the Traditional condition. That is, the Traditional condition was associated with a decrease in adaptive aspects of motivation for students, whereas the Sport Education condition maintained existing levels of motivation.
Description:
The effects of different amounts of mental practice on the performance of a motor skill were studied. Research supports the effectiveness of mental practice on performance; however, little is known about how much practice is needed and whether there is an optimal amount for these practice effects. Participants, 209 students ages 18 to 44 years (M=20.5, SD=2.9), completed a pre- and posttest of dart throwing with the nonpreferred hand. In the practice phase, participants completed either 25 (Mental Practice 25), 50 (Mental Practice 50), or 100 (Mental Practice 100) trials of the darts task or 50 trials of a catching task (Catching Task). Performance for all groups improved from pre- to posttest. Improvements for the three mental practice groups were greater than for the Catching Task group; however, there were no differences for the three Mental Practice groups. The findings support the positive effect of mental practice over a control condition and suggest that small amounts of mental practice may be sufficient for performance improvements, at least for a simple motor skill.
Description:
Since the 1970's, when Suinn (1972) proposed early systematic applications of imagery in posrt, including Visuo-Motor Behaviour Rehearsal (VMBR), imagery has been a central focus of research and practice in sport psychology.
Description:
Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are a part of the school curricula, yet many Australian primary-age children are not mastering FMS. One reason may be a lack of perceived self-efficacy of primary teachers to teach FMS. This study investigated the level of perceived self-efficacy of primary school teachers to teach FMS in Victoria, Australia. A cross-sectional survey, based on the Victorian Institute of Teaching Standards of Professional Practice, was used to sample sixty-five pre-service and forty-six in-service teachers. Most primary school teachers were self-efficacious in teaching FMS (67.59 per cent); almost one-third (32.41 per cent) were not. Male teachers had higher perceived self-efficacy than female teachers, and a positive relationship was found between perceived self-efficacy to teach FMS and interest in, and participation in, physical activity (r = 0.52 and r = 0.31 respectively). Implications for practice include providing FMS teaching resources and professional training. Further research should explore the effect of perceived self-efficacy on teaching performance.
Description:
Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are a part of the school curricula, yet many Australian primary-age children are not mastering FMS. One reason may be a lack of perceived self-efficacy of primary teachers to teach FMS. This study investigated the level of perceived self-efficacy of primary school teachers to teach FMS in Victoria, Australia. A cross-sectional survey, based on the Victorian Institute of Teaching Standards of Professional Practice, was used to sample sixty-five pre-service and forty-six in-service teachers. Most primary school teachers were self-efficacious in teaching FMS (67.59 per cent); almost one-third (32.41 per cent) were not. Male teachers had higher perceived self-efficacy than female teachers, and a positive relationship was found between perceived self-efficacy to teach FMS and interest in, and participation in, physical activity (r = 0.52 and r = 0.31 respectively). Implications for practice include providing FMS teaching resources and professional training. Further research should explore the effect of perceived self-efficacy on teaching performance.
Description:
Children’s activity choices and patterns of activity in the after-school-hours period (between the end of school and dinner) can be important predictors of daily activity levels The Out of School Hours Sports Program (OSHSP) is a state-wide physical activity initiative that provides structured sporting experiences for children in formal out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) involving 17 State Sporting Associations (SSAs) and 70 OSHC services. Participants in the evaluation were 86 children (27 girls and 59 boys) and 86 parents, and 20 deliverers of the OSHSP at various OSHC services. The average age of the children was 7.7 years (SD = 1.6). Measures included surveys, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The OSHSP initiative was evaluated over three years on four levels: reactions of the deliverers, advances in skills and knowledge, attitudes of the deliverers, and success of the initiatives against program objectives. The evaluation suggested that deliverers remained concerned about the requirements of delivering the initiative. Often deliverers did not modify their current practices to match the objectives of the OSHSP, possibly due to a clash between deliverer beliefs and program objectives. The children were having fun (97.5%) and learning new skills (89%). Most participants (76.7%) indicated an intention to continue their participation in the sport being delivered at the OSHSP into club sport participation. Children in the OSHSP were generally very active, with most (88%) already participating in sport outside the OSHSP suggesting that the target population may be difficult to access.