Trauma-Sensitive and Responsive Coaching

This chapter discusses the prevalence and impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on today's youth. Information related to the impact of previous trauma and sports-related trauma on youth athletes is discussed. The benefits of sports and physical activity in combatting the effects of trauma are presented. Information about trauma-informed models, pedagogies, and coaching practices are presented in order to highlight the importance of awareness and implementation of trauma-sensitive coaching pedagogies to help youth athletes including those who have been impacted by trauma or ACEs thrive.

Leisure Time Use and Adolescent Mental Well-Being: Insights from the COVID-19 Czech Spring Lockdown

Background: As leisure—one of the crucial life domains—was completely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, our study aimed to investigate how adolescents spent their leisure time during the Spring 2020 lockdown. Secondly, we aimed to investigate the associations between the perceived changes in leisure time use, the leisure activities adolescents engaged in, and the associations with well-being during the Spring 2020 lockdown in Czechia. Methods: Data from 3438 participants were included in this study (54.2% girls; mean age = 13.45, SD = 1.62). First, the initial number of items measuring leisure, electronic media use, and sports was reduced through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Multivariate linear regression models tested the associations between leisure domains and mental well-being Results: The amount of leisure time, together with socially active leisure and sports and physical activity, formed the strongest positive predictors of mental well-being, whereas idle activities and time spent on electronic media acted as negative predictors. The amount of time spent doing schoolwork was unrelated to mental well-being. Conclusions: Overall, our results support the idea that leisure as a promoting factor for well-being is not just a matter of its amount but rather of engagement in meaningful and fulfilling activities.

Life-long sports engagement enhances adult erythrocyte adenylate energetics

Regular physical activity reduces age-related metabolic and functional decline. The energy stored in adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP, and AMP) is essential to enable multiple vital functions of erythrocytes and body tissues. Our study aimed to predict the rate of age-related changes in erythrocyte adenylate energetics in athletes and untrained controls. The erythrocyte concentration of adenylates was measured in 68 elite endurance runners (EN, 20–81 years), 58 elite sprinters (SP, 21–90 years), and 62 untrained individuals (CO, 20–68 years). Resting concentrations of ATP, total adenine nucleotide pool, and ADP/AMP ratio were lowest in the CO group and highest in the SP group. The concentration of erythrocyte ADP and AMP was lowest in the EN group and highest in the CO group. In all studied groups, we found a significant increase in the concentration of most erythrocyte adenylate metabolites with age. For ADP and AMP, the trend was also significant but decreasing. Our study strongly suggests that lifelong sports and physical activity participation supports erythrocyte energetics preservation. Although the direction and the predicted rates of change are similar regardless of the training status, the concentrations of particular metabolites are more advantageous in highly trained athletes than in less active controls. Of the two analyzed types of physical training, sprint-oriented training seems to be more efficient in enhancing erythrocyte metabolism throughout adulthood and old age than endurance training.

12 A qualitative study of factors that helped prepare athletes for Special Olympics sport programs

Primary Subject area Developmental Paediatrics Background Special Olympics (SO) is working to introduce more child and youth programs provincially and improve currently available programs. To date, there is little research published surrounding the experiences of SO athletes. Given the aim of SO to improve and grow the experience and health of youth, the present study explores the experiences of SO athletes and caregivers to understand what prepares athletes for SO programs and competition. Objectives 1. To describe the experience of SO athletes and caregivers and understand what best prepared them for their involvement in organized sport and physical activity. 2. To offer evidence-based strategies for creating an inclusive and encouraging environment for sports and physical activity for healthy active living and/or preparation for SO involvement. Design/Methods Both athletes and caregivers participated in semi-structured, conversation-based interviews. Eight English-speaking athletes involved in a variety of sports from around the province were interviewed, and four of these interviews included caregivers. Interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Results Five themes were identified throughout these interviews. The importance of a supportive environment emerged as a strong theme. Athletes valued the support of caregivers, coaches, and other players and felt this helped them improve and garner more enjoyment from their sport. Many athletes and caregivers discussed what motivated them to get involved and stay involved in SO. Common motivators included: a healthy, active lifestyle, friendships, and social skills. Barriers to involvement also were commonly discussed and included parental support, transportation, dissemination of information, and health concerns. Additionally, many athletes and caregivers felt that early involvement, starting with the basics, was important for developing skills to help transition to sports and competition. Finally, types of programming, including non-specialized vs. specialized activities, were discussed. Advantages of non-specialized activities included more time for practice and integration into society. Conclusion It is important that programs create a supportive environment, as this helps athletes improve and leads to further enjoyment. There is benefit to participation in non-specialized activities. Future programs could consider the addition of inclusive activities, or promotion of these activities. The motivators for involvement should be encouraged, including friendships/social skills and a healthy/active lifestyle. The barriers identified should be addressed when developing programming. Early involvement and learning basic motor skills play an important role in preparing athletes for sports, and competition and may lead to further involvement in sports. Early participation should be encouraged, and programs should find ways to reach more of this population, possibly through schools or physicians.

Peculiarities of training specialists in the field of physical education and sports in higher education institutions of modern Romania

The article considers the peculiarities of training in the field of physical education and sports at specialized faculties on the example of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. Iasi, highlighted and characterized the main provisions of the charter of the faculty, curriculum and study programs, etc. It is determined that the faculty provides training in the specialties "Physical Education and Sports", "Physical Therapy" and "Sports and Physical Activity" (bachelor); "Fitness and body aesthetics", "Leisure and extreme sports", "Therapeutic physical training in sports traumatology", "Physiotherapy in sports traumatology" (Chisinau, Republic of Moldova) and "School physical education and sports" (master's degree) future teachers of physical education and sports, coaches, physiotherapists, sports instructors, etc. The content and structure of syllabuses for the preparation of licensees / bachelors and masters are analyzed, the topics of lectures, seminars and practical academic classes are published, the hourly distribution is determined.

Well-being and its relationship with sports and physical activity of students during the coronavirus pandemic

The main goal of this correlational study is to examine the changes in the amount and type of physical activity of students of various study programs during the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the motives for these changes as well as their relationship with general well-being are investigated. Therefore, 243 students (sport science, humanities, natural sciences) answered questions concerning (a) the amount and type of their physical activity before and during the pandemic, (b) their well-being and (c) their optimism/pessimism. The main result of the study is that the type and the motives for sports and physical activity changed for the study participants during the coronavirus pandemic: Team sports and swimming decreased, while individual sports and physical activity not associated with a sports club/business and with digital media increased. In this study the difference in sports and physical activity seemed to be related to well-being, especially for the students of sport science and humanities. To conclude the study indicated that a change occurred in the type of sports and physical activity as well as change in the motives for physical exercise in students during the pandemic.

Key performance indicators of cooperative planning processes: Case study results from German sport science and physical activity promotion projects

Objective The aim of this study was to map the phases and individual steps of the cooperative planning process, a specific participatory approach frequently used in German sports and physical activity promotion, and to explore facilitators, barriers, and challenges experienced by those leading its implementation in selected projects. Background More than half of the global population is not physically active enough. Therefore, the demand for more effective physical activity programs is growing. Participatory-based interventions, using the cooperative planning process, offer the potential to plan new programs that match population group and setting characteristics. This approach was extensively applied in German sports and physical activity fields, serving as a mechanism to develop and implement specific measures to change the population’s behaviour. We analysed four German empirical projects promoting sports and physical activity to identify how the approach was adapted to each project, which phases were considered, and which key performance indicators enhanced (facilitators), exacerbated (barriers), or challenged the process. Methods This study used a mixed-methods approach, including a systematic analysis of documents (n = 10) and in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n = 4) with the empirical projects’ scientific members. Results The cooperative planning process was shaped across its phases by several facilitators, challenges, and barriers. Diverse assessment procedures and recruitment tools can facilitate preparation of the process, while moderation requires particular attention during the development phase. Identifying a champion in the transition subphase and providing ongoing scientific counselling can assure the implementation of an action plan with tailored measures for sports and physical activity promotion. Conclusions This study contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of the cooperative planning approach and, therefore, flexibility in sports and physical activity promotion projects. Many preparation actions, several challenges in the planning process, and a critical transition in implementation responsibilities should be considered by future projects intending to adopt the approach.

A Social-Ecological Analysis of Barriers to Sports and Physical Activity for Female University Students in China

<p>Female university students’ participation rates in sports and physical activity have been low for decades in China. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that impact female university students’ participation in sports and physical activities. This study is grounded in the theoretical underpinnings of a social-ecological model of influences on participation in sports and physical activity. The study was conducted in China and focuses on an identification of the factors that impact the participation rate of female university students aged 18 to 22. Questionnaires were distributed to 2000 female university students between the ages of 18 and 22 in 11 cities. The study yielded several interesting findings. First, female university students who infrequently participated in sports and physical activity primarily experienced strong intrapersonal barriers, whereas those who often engaged in sports and physical activity were more likely to encounter greater environmental barriers. Second, the factors examined using a social-ecological model that most affected female university students’ participation in sports and physical activity included personal physiological factors, participation and the support of people around them, site and natural environmental factors, and a lack of female sports facilities and exercise opportunities for women.</p>