ARRPA Contents & Abstracts, Volume 4, 2014

ISBN 978-0-89641-537-9

SECTION 1: RESEARCH ARTICLES
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    Youth Sport Coaches’ Backgrounds and Perceptions of the Usefulness of a Statewide Coach Training Program — Robert J. Barcelona, Karen E. Collins — Improving the quality of youth sports coaching has long been a goal of youth sport advocates, researchers, and administrators. While coaches themselves are beginning to recognize the importance of training in key areas related to youth sports, there have been few published studies that have attempted to assess coaches’ perceptions following attendance at a basic coach training program. In this study, 446 recreational youth sport coaches completed a survey after attending a coach training program (CoachSmart). Results indicated that the majority of attendees were head coaches, male, between the ages of 36-45, had completed at least some college, had a child who played on their team, and had coached their sport for at least two years. Almost 70 percent of workshop attendees had never attended a coach training workshop in the past. Strong majorities found basic coach training to be useful to them and planned to use the skills and techniques that they learned in the workshop. Oneway analysis of variance tests revealed no significant differences between coaches in their assessment of the usefulness of coach training, regardless of their background. In addition, approximately two-thirds of coaches stated that they wanted additional training opportunities and resources. Qualitative analysis of 214 written comments revealed that coaches wanted more information or resources pertaining to dealing with parents, sport-specific skill development, the “development approach” to teaching sport skills, working with “problem athletes”, and general coaching management strategies. The high levels of satisfaction with coach training by a broad range of coaches, regardless of their background, has implications for others who are interested in offering similar training programs for their communities. (1-30)

  • The Concussion Conundrum: Youth Football’s Attempt to Save the Game Caroline Faure — Youth football leagues across the country are facing a crisis. As attention mounts on the catastrophic outcomes associated with sports-related concussion, participation numbers in youth football programs are dwindling. Educational programs designed to teach coaches how to confront concussion are plentiful. Rule changes aimed at making the game safer are also being implemented, but some of these rule changes come with controversy. There are also equipment concerns, with some critics contending football helmets don’t make the game safer for kids. Nationally, there is call for the culture of football to change, and proponents say it must start at our youngest levels. This article examines the effects of the concussion crisis on the sport of youth football and how educational programs, rule changes, and equipment considerations are affecting the culture—and the future—of the game. (31-48)

  • An Exploratory Study of the Motivations Intramural Indoor Soccer Participants Using Self-Determination Theory Ali Palmer, Joel Whitty, Scott Forrester — The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivations of college students participating in collegiate intramural indoor soccer and to compare these motivations across different demographic groups. The theoretical basis for this study was Self-Determination Theory (SDT) developed by Deci and Ryan (1985). Motivational factors were measured using the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995) which is widely used to measure different types of motivation proposed by Self-Determination Theory in the context of sport. Data collection occurred during the winter 2013 semester at a research comprehensive university in Canada. While there were no significant differences between males and females in their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and amotivation, there were differences between freshmen and seniors. Recommendations for campus recreation professionals are presented based on the findings of this exploratory study. (49-67)

  • Recreational Facility Visits Lead to First-Year Retention Thomas Brandenburger, Jo Ann Sckerl, John Baumgardner — This study was constructed to investigate the relationship of students’ use of the recreational center on retention. Similar historical studies have been completed using survey data. Now identification cards and scanner technologies allow observational visitation data to be gathered. This study used five years of student data from the recreational center and the student records database. Analyses were performed to see if visitation is a strong predictor for first-year retention even when confounding variables are considered. Results showed that early involvement at a campus recreational facility is a strong predictor for first-year retention. Therefore university administrators and students should consider recreational facilities a powerful tool for supporting students’ academic success. (68-90)

  • Assisting Children with Sensory Processing Disorder while Engaged in Physical Activities John M. Fitzpatrick — no abstract (91-96)

  • Sport and Community Development in Africa: The Role of the African Sport Management Association Dennis Floyd Jones, Dorie J. Gilbert — Sport in today’s Africa is primarily centered on international games and sport associations, leaving many gaps to be filled in country-specific sport infrastructure and sport education development. The recently established African Sport Management Association, an international consortium to develop sport programming, education and management in Africa, is well positioned to respond to economic and community development of many African countries through building on and improving sport programming and sport management education and training. In this article, we report on the establishment and current objectives of the African Sport Management Association (ASMA). We then discuss a new area for ASMA future initiatives—youth development. The authors conclude with overall implications for ASMA, sport and sport management in Africa and ASMA’s potential impact on economic, community, and youth development. (97-119)


SECTION 2: PROGRAM EXCHANGE ARTICLES
  • Focused Perspective on Outdoor Apparel Carlea Ulrich — no abstract (120-124)

  • Exercising and Aging Juliane Vieira — According to the Ageing Division for Social Policy and Development, in (2009) an estimated 737 million persons were aged 60 years or over, nearly two thirds of whom lived in developing countries. By 2050, this number is projected to increase to 2 billion. In addition, the world population has experienced dramatic increases in longevity. Since 1950, life expectancy at birth has gained more than 20 years to reach its current level of 68 years. In consequence of this impressive population increased number, there are a lot of health issues being emphasized along with exercise benefits for the elderly population that need to be discussed to improve health, functional activity, quality of life and independence of this population (Mazzeo & Tanaka, 2001). Research has showed that physical activity can help prolong life and delay changes that will occur to the body as people age (Crandell, 2008). Once an exercise program is created and barriers are addressed, physical activity participation will increase (Dergance, 2003). Barriers can be greatly reduced by medical history, physical examination, risk stratification, close supervision and education (Chou et at., 2012). (125-132)

  • Military Youth Camp: Not Your Average Summer Camp Joe Duerksen — no abstract (133-138)

  • Students Uncover Hidden Tools for Noteworthy Career: Closing the Gap between Theory and Practice Peter Titlebaum, Amy Szymaszek — Students enrolled in college programs today learn about resume development and job interviews in some form, yet research suggests employers do not believe candidates can communicate or demonstrate proficiencies in resumes/
    portfolios. The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the hiring process from the perspective of the human resources (HR) professional by establishing a methodology for activating student knowledge regarding job requirements. Current research regarding resumes, networking, and portfolio development include key ideas about format and appearance, but minimal scholarship exists regarding what HR looks for in a candidate. Understanding the HR perspective, this article will summarize current research, identify the gap, and provide information on how to employ the five areas of influence: networking, portfolio development, resume drafting, professional development, and self-branding. A methodology regarding these five areas of influence will be discussed, with the intent of bridging the gap between the theory of job applications and successful career attainment.(139-155)

  • Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Concussion Syndrome: A Proactive Approach for Recreational Professionals Gerard Lyons — no abstract (156-162)

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