Physical Education Sport

Background: The argument in this paper is founded on two related premises. First, we claim that the moral imperative of sport is derived not from specific rules or laws associated with it but from its intrinsic nature. As engaging in sporting practices inevitably require us to be pre-occupied with central principles such as fairness (and therefore justice), our encounters with notions of ‘fair play’ and of a ‘level playing field’ provide practical examples of where sport and the moral inherently coexist. Though such encounters are contextualised through particular sporting environments, they nonetheless require sportspersons to acquaint themselves, contemplate and act upon moral principles, and elsewhere challenge and confront those whom they suspect do not. Sport, therefore, provides the context and wherewithal to ‘explore the contours of morally relevant possibilities’ and is why it can be considered a ‘moral laboratory’. The second premise we establish is that the coach plays a central role in influencing the moral terrain within contemporary sports practices. The coaching session, the training field, the changing room, the game, are all environments where children (and older athletes), alongside the presence of the coach, develop and test the moral dimensions of their evolving characters. Purpose: Our argument is that the coach, having a central role in this process, ought to positively influence what is happening, endeavouring to ensure that the moral encounters possible within the coaching context go well rather than badly. Like it or not then, we argue that coaching is to be recognised and conducted as a moral enterprise. Interventions: Drawing on the philosophical principles of virtue ethics we attempt to illuminate and make more explicit what has often been muddy and implicit with regard to the positive moral influence and role of the coach. We do this by identifying three distinct normative questions and suggest some practical implications for coaching practice based on critical reflection. First, we assess what kinds of person a coach should be. Second, we consider how a coach should behave and act. Third, we deliberate on what should be the purpose of coaching. Throughout the article we provide examples to illustrate our arguments. We suggest ways in which change to individual coaching practice and the wider institutional structures in which coaches operate can overcome actual socio-cultural and political barriers that currently prevent a more fruitful sporting environment for all.

Background: Past research has revealed the positive impact that interest development can have on achievement outcomes with early-adolescents in physical education (PE). Interest is considered a psychological state of engaging and willingness to reengage in specific content that develops over time; however, little work to date has examined interest development over time using methods that obtain in-depth perspectives of students and intimate knowledge of the context. Purpose: To examine the factors early-adolescent students report to have an impact on the development of individual interest in PE and explore how students view the relationship between individual interest and learning in PE. Participants: A total of eight students from one middle school class in the Midwestern United States were purposefully sampled based on their different levels of individual interest toward PE. There was an even split between males (n = 4) and females (n = 4) and students were mostly Caucasian. The setting consisted of a traditional multi-activity curriculum that stressed large-sided team sports and recreational games. Data collection: Formal and informal interviews, field note observations, and survey data were collected over an 18-week period. Data analysis: Data were analyzed from a naturalistic perspective using inductive analysis and constant comparison. Multiple procedures were used to establish trustworthiness of the data including triangulation, peer debriefing, searches for disconfirming evidence, and an extended period of time in the context as a non-participant observer. Findings: Opportunities to practice and perceived competence were the main factors that students deemed as important ingredients to developing individual interest. Students viewed learning as an integral component for developing individual interest, but suggested that meaningful learning did not often take place during the semester. Characteristics of the curriculum and pedagogy were central to the students’ reports and are discussed further in relation to individual interest. Conclusions: Results from this study build on past interest motivation research in many ways. First, while past studies have identified actual skill as an important component for building individual interest, the students of this study reported that perceived competence is also essential. Furthermore, findings revealed how traditional multi-activity curriculum can create barriers to creating individual interest. Finally, students discussed learning as a crucial element in developing individual interest, but did not view their PE class as an environment where meaningful learning occurred. Moving toward longer and more meaningful curricular units of instruction such as Sport Education could enhance the development of individual interest with early adolescents.

IntroductionWilliam James (James, 1890) proposed one of the earliest descriptions of movement control, known as response-chaining or reflex-chaining hypothesis. The James hypothesis was an open-loop theory, in which attention is focused only on initiation of the first action of a movement. Each subsequent action was thought to be automatically triggered by response-produced feedback. In this hypothesis, ongoing movements cannot be modified according to unexpected changes occurring in the environment, and feedback is suitable only to regulate the movement chain (i.e. timing of subsequent actions) and is not compared to internally generated references for error checking.The role of feedback is quite different in the motor control model proposed by Adams (Adams, 1971). Adams' closed loop motor control model has its focus in feedback-based error correction, throughout a continue comparison between memory trace and perceptual trace. In this model, memory trace results from practice a...

The purpose of the research: to determine methodological approaches to pedagogic control over motor and functional fitness dynamic of 14-16 years' age girls. Material: in the research 14 years' age (n=31), 15 years' age (n=26) and 16 years' age (n=28) girls participated. Results: for pedagogic control over motor and functional fitness dynamic of 14-16 years' age girls the most informative were the following tests: for 14 years' age girls: "Serkin's test" (0.854), "Shuttle run 4х9 m" (0.833), "Genchy's test" (.814), "Pressing ups in lying position" (.762); for 15 years' age girls: "Hanging on bent arms" (.967), "Jumps with additions" (.964), "Serkin's test" (.928), "Strange's test" (,927); for 16 years age girls: "Jumps with additions" (.959), "Long jump from the spot" (.959), "Genchy's test" (.945), "Strange's test&quo...

IntroductionAt modern stage of world society elite sports is an integral part of life activity of any country. Sports impacts way of people's life, dictates fashion, influences on national relations, social position, ethic values. Of special importance sports practicing is for people with different problems in physical condition. For person with physical problems sports help to cultivate confidence in own potentials and forces. Disabled sportsmen defend interests of their countries at the largest international competitions. That is why working out of technologies for training of disabled sportsmen is of special importance. Such approaches shall, on the one hand, coincide with technologies of healthy sportsmen's training and, on the other hand, differ.As on to day, there has been a number of scientific researches, in which problems of training and competition functioning of healthy sportsmen are regarded (Aziz, Chia, Singh, & Wahid 2011; Adashevskiy et al. 2014; Podrigalo, Ie...

Boxing is a combat sport characterized by High intensity movements during limited rounds, with short breaks are insufficient for full recovery. Physiologists should be conscious of the physiological and biochemical changes that might cause by boxing exercises. The aim of the study is to assess the effects of boxing exercises on physiological and biochemical responses of Egyptian elite boxers. Seventeen Egyptian elite male boxers (age range 18-23 years) registered in the Egyptian boxing federation, volunteered to participate in the study. Physiological and biochemical measures were obtained at baseline and at the end of boxing training programme. Student's (T) test was followed out to examine pre- and post-test values. Data noted that boxing exercises were associated with significant decreases (p < 0.05) in resting heart rate (HRrest), recovery heart rate after 1 minute (RHR1st), recovery heart rate after 2 minutes (RHR2nd), recovery heart rate after 3 minutes (RHR3rd), respir...

IntroductionAutism is defined as a developmental disability that impairs a person's ability to communicate, form relationships, socially interact, and respond appropriately within a given enviromnent (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The deviating stereotypical and self-stimulating behaviors and the fixations are evident trait of children with autism (Heflin & Aliamo, 2007). In the last twenty years, the prevalence of autism lias grown significantly, 1 in 88 children up to 8 years displays some kind of form of autism. In comparison, the prevalence is higher in boys (1:54) than girls (1:252) (Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). A diagnosis of autism can take place between the second and the third year of life of a child (Kleimnan et al., 2008).Persons with autism usually display low levels of physical fitness (Auxter, Pyfer, & Huettig, 1997), deficits in sensorimotor development (Piek & Dyck, 2004), in gross (Emck, Bosselier, Beek, & Doreleijers, 2009) and fin...

The purpose of the research is to determine features of motor preparedness' classification of 11-13 years old boys considering level of physical exercises' mastering. Material and methods: in the research 11 years old boys (n=58), 12 years old boys (n=76) and 13 years old boys (n=93) participated. The following methods of a research have been applied to solve the tasks: analysis of scientific and methodical literature, pedagogical testing and methods of mathematical statistics. Testing program includes well known tests. Results: Standardized coefficients of canonic discriminant function permit to determine correlation of variables' contribution to function's result. The first function explains variation of results by 80,1% (p<0,001), the second-by 19,9% (p<0,001). It witnesses that it is possible to classify age distinctions of 11-13 years old boys on the base of testing of their motor preparedness considering level of physical exercises' mastering. Discrim...

IntroductionPhysical activity and sport practice during leisure time have been offered as an efficient mechanism to reach a personal and social development, due to the positive conception society has about them and also due to its attractiveness and its potential ability to convene, especially among adolescents (Escarti, Gutierrez, Pascual, & Marin, 2010; Ginesta, 2007; Menendez & Fernandez-Rio, 2016).Nevertheless, the orientation and dimensions of this practice are not always fruitful to reach these aims: if sport practice lacks of an adequate orientation, its practisers can be deprived of an appropriate and integral personality development as well as they can receive negative values that suppose an incentive to participate in socially reprehensible conducts (Garrido, Zagalaz, Torres, & Romero, 2010; Gomez-Marmol, & Valero, 2013).Sport is especially interesting during these ages because of its potential capability to educate in values and social rules (Lee, Whitehead, Ntoumanis, & ...

The school, after the family, is found to be the first educational agency to accommodate the children in developmental age. .The main purpose is the full and harmonious development of personality of the children for their overall education. We chose to implement a project on the body, because we believe that the body is the privileged tool to explore, learn and interact with the environment, and other items. The body is an expression of personality and is a condition relational, communicative, expressive and operational. Each child's experience (both cognitive, sensory, emotional) through the experience of the body, so you should appreciate every situation that will see the protagonist and create contexts in which to build significant and diverse paths. It 'important to establish a positive environment stimulating and emotionally, the availability of structured materials and not allowing the trial, allowing time to live in that context, depending on how you feel and at your ...

IntroductionSocial development during childhood is considered one of the greatest challenges in today's education. Although the school environment can tremendously influence student social development, the efforts for the achievement of this goal appear to be unsuccessful or incomplete. As a result, many countries raise concern about the ongoing student problem behaviours (De Jong, 2005), and report high bullying in elementary school (Wong, Lok, Lo, & Ma, 2008). Recent studies in Cyprus provide similar evidence about student problem behaviours (e.g., Stavrinides, Paradeisiotou, Tziogouros, & Lazarou, 2010) as well as their relation with the increasing ethnic diversity (e.g., Zembylas, Michaelidou, & Afantintou-Lambrianou, 2010).Researchers realized that social skills development can affect, in short and long terms, the life of students (Gulay & Akman, 2009), and since 1970s, focusing attention towards prevention, suggested that they should be addressed systematically at early ag...

Introduction: Involvement in sports is an experience that often leads to adaptive (e.g. enjoyment) or maladaptive (e.g. burnout) feelings. Burnout is a popular syndrome recognized in sport settings since mid-80’s and it can be proved a highly dangerous state for many professionals. Research has shown evidence that sport burnout recognizes a variety of symptoms similar to the general burnout concept, like, exhaustion, change of moods, lack of interest and more. Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine a conceptual model of personal/situational variables, perceived stress and burnout in Greek track and field coaches in order to propose their relationship. Methods: 164 track and field male coaches responded to the following questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Sport Competition Anxiety Test, Coaching Issues Survey, Social Support Questionnaire, Cognitive Hardiness Scale, Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire. Results: The results showed that the c...

IntroductionBasketball is characterized as predominantly anaerobic, with elite athletes often subjected to more than 2,700 actions of intermittent characteristics, which involve walking, running, sprinting, and jumping (Scanlan, Dascombe, & Reaburn, 2011). From the point of view of high-intensity actions, time-motion studies have reported that 28.49%-49.06% of the actions are sprint (Abdelkrim, Fazaa, & Ati, 2007; McInnes et al., 1995), which is considered as one of the most required actions to the athletes. By observing repetition of intermittent efforts in basketball, power endurance appears to be an imperative component of athletic fitness, as the ability to sustain the greatest power during various efforts can be crucial at decisive moments in the game (Taylor et al., 2015).The ability to perform successive sprint efforts is termed as repetitive sprint ability (RSA) and is characterized by short high-intensity (Despite the anaerobic predominance in efforts of this nature, previo...

IntroductionIntegration of people with disabilities into the society, their social protection and support is one of the most important political priorities of in every developed country of the world, because human attitude to people with disabilities is largely a measure of a civilized democratic state structure (Shyyan, Slyvka, Turchyk, 2014). The studies of A.I.Kravchenko and V.I. Honcharenko (2008) in particular are devoted to the issues of work rate rehabilitation in football players with disabilities by mean of acupuncture. G.M. Boyko (2005, 2007) and O.M. Maksimova (2005) investigated theoretical and methodological aspect of medical and psychological classification of athletes belonging to all nosological groups. The specificity of autonomic regulation of cardiovascular system in basketball players with lesions of the spinal cord by means of physical rehabilitation was investigated by O.Romanchuk and M. Sorokin (2005). The role of physical training and sports in physical rehab...

In basketball game the young players involved with the sport, should be discriminated by particular anthropometric characteristics and technical skills. The aim of the present study was to confirm the relationship between anthropometric characteristics, handgrip strength and selected technical skills and mainly to establish a simple prediction model of these technical skills through the most significant anthropometric parameters. Due to this purpose 106 young basketball players 13-14 years old with minimum training experience of two years were measured in six longitudinal measures (body height, stretched arms' length, upraised arms' length, upper arm's length, forearm's length and hand's circumference), body mass, handgrip strength and four basketball skill tests of speed dribble, obstacle dribble, speed spot shooting and free throws performance. The results of the regression analysis and the canonical correlation analysis indicated significant predictability of ...

Powerful straight punches create strategic advantage for boxers. However, there is discrepancy in theoretical and practical understandings of how to deliver powerful straight punches. This paper attempted to investigate the role of trunk rotation in straight punches. Trunk rotation was suggested as a critical component in delivering straight punches. However, no research has yet to address the importance of trunk rotation in straight punches. Three professional boxers who competed regularly in Muay Thai and boxing were recruited in this study. Both kinematic and kinetic analysis were performed. Straight punches were dissected into stages using ground reaction force. The result showed straight punches had 3 stages, i.e., (1) starting position, (2) lead toe off, and (3) lead toe in. The results suggested that the final stage, lead toe in, was the most important in delivering powerful straight punches, and boxers used trunk rotation to transform vertical ground reaction force to horizo...

The aim of the article is an empirical study of the influence of dispositional optimism on the psychological meaning parameters of the athletes'competitiveness of women's youth handball teams Study participants: women's youth handball teams (n = 61) The handball players are representatives of five national teams from different regions of Ukraine They are regular participants in the competitions of the Championship of Ukraine (Junior League) Methods Standardized and adapted psychodiagnostic methods, correlation analysis, comparative analysis using f - Fisher's angular transformation criterion are applied Results The components of competitiveness of young female handball players are determined and grounded: motivational, regulatory, personal It is established that the average viability indicators in the group of women's handball players exceed the average normative values, which points out at the ability to overcome difficult, stressful situations in training and c...

IntroductionIn the evaluations and statistical analyses presented here, it is examined to what extent the various reasons for quitting activity in a gym are age-dependent. In other words, are the motives for quitting this activity different in older people than in younger people? According to the life stages, do other aspects, e.g. priorities in life, health problems or other family and professional requirements, affect the decision and, if so, how strong is their effect?High drop-out rates in sports programs are no exception. The long-term commitment of sport active people poses a problem. This also applies to fitness training in studios, as about half of the members end their training prematurely (Rampf, 1999). The question concerning the reasons for dropping out hasn't, so far, been studied in Germany, so the knowledge about it is only incomplete. Problematic therefore is also the indication of average drop-out rates in German fitness studios because they are not recorded or ...

This study examined the relation between grit, competitive levels, and athletic events in Japanese athletes (N = 496, 428 men; mean age = 20.6 years, SD = 0.6). The results indicated that consistency of interest was marginally positively associated with competitive levels in closed-skills sports, but a negative association existed between the two in open-skills sports. In contrast, the interaction of athletic events and perseverance of effort were not significantly associated with competitive levels. These findings suggest that the combination of grit and participation in athletic events has a different relation to competitive levels.

This paper is intended to highlight the biomechanical characteristics of double back somersault on floor at the level of junior gymnasts aged 12 to 15. This scientific approach led to the organization of a scientific pedagogical experiment conducted throughout the period of three national competitions in 2012, 2013 and 2014 with a group of 13 junior gymnasts aged 12 to 15, members of the Olympic junior team. The biomechanical analysis has been performed by means of Kinovea and Physics Toolkit programs and the method of movement postural orientation; it pointed out the key elements of sports technique of the double back somersault on floor. The results of the study highlighted the anthropometric and biomechanical indicators necessary for the biomechanical analysis of double back somersault on floor at the level of junior gymnasts aged 12 to 15. The comparative biomechanical analysis of double back somersault showed the influence of the kinematic and dynamic characteristics on the tec...

The purpose of the present study was the evaluation of elderly people participants or non-participants in a Greek dances program. In the research participated voluntarily one hundred and twelve healthy people, women and men, 65-88 years old, members of Centers of Old People’s Open Protection from the city of Thessaloniki. The subjects were separated in two groups, experimental and control, with criterion the participation or nonparticipation, respectively, in a program for learning and performing Greek dances at least for the last two years. For the evaluation of physical health, questions/items from a study of Ransford and Palisi (1996) were used. For data analysis were used descriptive analysis, as well as Analysis of Variance and Multivariate Analysis of Variance for between groups differences, from the SPSS version 18 for windows. From the results, it was proved that a significantly greater percentage of subjects of the experimental group, who attend a Greek dances program, dete...

The aim of this study was to compare the skin temperature (Tsk) of old and young women, both physically active, using thermography, and observe the Tsk variation between body sides of each group evaluated. Sixty physical active women, thirty young Physical Education students (young group = YG; age: 21.8 ± 2.3 yrs.) and thirty older women (aged group = AG; age: 71.0 ± 7.5 yrs.) were selected to participate in the study. Tsk was measured using an infrared camera in 22 regions of interest (ROI). The results showed that in 15 of 22 of ROI compared, the older group had higher skin temperature than the people of the young, representing 68% of the analyzed areas. Regarding the differences between contralateral sides of the body, in 10 of the 20 analyzed ROI were obtained significant differences (p<0.05). In conclusion, regardless of age group there is a bilateral thermal symmetry usually less than 0.5°C both in young and elderly women. Elderly women show higher Tsk values than young wom...

In judo, the moments of approach and gripping are relevant for defining the next actions of athletes. In understanding these action phases, the coach can plan the training according to the specific patterns of each weight division. Therefore, this study analyzed the time spent in approach and in performance of different types of gripping by athletes in all male weight divisions in world judo matches. For this, we analyzed 548 combats, with time-motion analysis performed through a previously-validated protocol. The main results indicate a significant effect, in which lighter athletes are more differentiated in the approach and in the gripping types, and heavier athletes spent more time on gripping phase with more defensive grips. There was a significant correlation between anteroposterior positioning of the right and left foot (p≤0.05) with the all gripping attempts, except right sleeve, left dorsal, left and right sleeve, right dorsal and right sleeve, and left dorsal and left sleev...

Problem: executive functions refer to the subject's ability to engage in goal-oriented behavior, performing voluntary, independent, self-organized and goal-directed actions, indeed, the general physical training, and the sports can enhance this functions, studys to determinate the effect of martial arts upon the executive functions in childrens are rare. Objective: to identify if the Karatekas has best executive functions that non karatekas. Methods: 66 volunteers were selected, including 36 male karatekas and a comparison group consisting of 30 non Karateka and non regular physical activity, with a mean of age of 11.26 + 0.95 years. The reaction time test and Stroop Test were used. The analysis of variance ANOVA TREE WAY with Dunnett’s Post Test set up at 5% was used. Results: in reaction time for all ages, the Karatekas performed better; however, for selective attention and problem solving, 11-year-old karate children did not perform better, while for the other ages, the karat...

There is a strong theological background supporting sports participation in Islam. Despite this background, there is still a gap between the theoretical teachings and actual participation in sports among Muslim students in the universities and the general Muslim community. The religious rationale for encouraging Muslims to participate in sports is based on the broad range of benefits accrued from such participation. The purpose of this study was to find out the level of participation and the influence of Islam on gender participation in sports among Muslim students in Kenyan public universities. The study was a survey. Factors under investigation were: gender as independent variables while level of participation and faith specific factors were the dependent variables. The target population was Muslim students from the public universities. A twelve item questionnaire was constructed on a five - point likert scale and then used to collect data. Stratified random sampling was used to g...

Coaches’ verbal aggressiveness is an influential behavioral trait that influences athletes’ perception and feelings. Similarly, coaches’ leadership behavior affects athletes’ perceptions, feelings and performance. Examining behavioral patterns independent from each other is a descriptive approach. Extracting profiles as combinations of such patterns is expected to be more explanatory and insightful. The aim of the present study was: a) to explore the perceived leadership style and verbal aggressiveness profile of coaches and b) to examine differences in athletes’ satisfaction and achievement goal orientation based on the perceived coaches’ leadership style and verbal aggressiveness profile. The findings of a two-stage cluster analysis supported two profiles of coaches. The first profile depicts coaches exhibiting a low autocratic, high democratic and low verbal aggressive behavior. The second profile includes coaches presenting a high autocratic, low democratic and high verbal aggre...

The aim of this study was to evaluate sex-mediated differences, and the correlations, between anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities of university students performing various motor tests. The study was conducted between 2000-2018 on 4956 first-year full-time female students and 4551 male students (20.0±1.0 years total for both sexes). The participants’ body mass and height were measured, and their BMI was calculated. Motor abilities were evaluated in 13 motor skill tests. The recorded values of body mass, height and BMI were significantly higher in men than in women (percentage values: 22.8%, 8.9% and 6.8%; Sexual dimorphism indicator (SD): 1.96, 2.56 and 0.53). The greatest differences in the values of the SD indicator were observed in the 12-minute rowing ergometer test: (37.6%, SD 3.53), medicine ball backward and forward throws (37.77 and 37.48%, SD – 2.28 and 2.27), and standing long jump (23.98 %, SD 2.51). In both sexes, BMI was significantly (p<0.001) negative...

The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the push-up exercise of the upper extremities in respect of biomechanics, to compare the muscle function, while changing the position of performance and to examine the torso’s inclination during the exercise. Eleven young males participated in the research (n=11). All of them exercised systematically. The subjects performed three sets of the exercise in six different positions in the following order: 1) standard push-up position, 2) hands-apart position, 3) close hand position, 4) elevating the feet above the hands position, 5) knee push-up position and 6) elevating the hands above the feet position. There was a one-minute break between each position. The measuring instruments that were used to record and collect data were: a) a dynamometry system which recorded the vertical forces and the shift of the Centre of Pressure (COP), b) an electromyographer which recorded the myoelectric signal of the biceps brachii muscle, the long head...