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Scientists have a responsibility to engage with and inform the public about new challenges and discoveries that impact the health of society. However, most scientists do not have formal training in how to communicate scientific information to nonscientists. In this paper, I describe how the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology at Michigan Technological University incorporated science communication into its undergraduate and graduate curriculum. I also discuss the impact, benefits, and lessons learned from this initiative. My hope is that this paper will inspire other kinesiology programs to provide distinct opportunities for their students to develop science communication skills so that they can better connect with the public and world around them.

Creating opportunities for undergraduate students’ personal and professional development including advocacy for social justice is a relevant topic for kinesiology faculty and administrators. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach to promote self-awareness, behavior change, and social justice in kinesiology, the purpose of this article is to share and discuss high-impact practices and strategies to infuse ethical leadership, inclusive excellence, and community engagement within the kinesiology curriculum. Principles from kinesiology, public health, sport psychology, leadership studies, pedagogy, and human resources are integrated to help kinesiology faculty facilitate and enhance students’ future professional practices. Frameworks for behavior change for social justice in kinesiology include the decolonizing kinesiology ethics, inclusive excellence, stages of change, and effective communication. Readers are encouraged to “take back to their departments” practices and strategies that can be further modified and integrated into their own kinesiology curriculum.

The purpose of this paper is to share how the American Kinesiology Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee envisioned, planned, and created an opportunity to show how inclusive excellence can be implemented as a strategy for transformation and change. This was achieved by listening to and intentionally responding with positive outcomes to students who voice their lived experiences in an institution of higher education. The Viewpoints on Inclusive Student Experiences (VOISES) model of student/faculty engagement is explained, along with reflections from two faculty members who participated in VOISES panels—one as an audience member and the other as a panel moderator. The discussion includes suggestions for incorporating student voices generally and the VOISES model specifically as part of a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy.

The Danish Christmas Seal Homes offer a 10-week residential stay for socially vulnerable children. We aimed to examine the effects on body composition and cardiometabolic fitness variables of the standard program (SG) and whether substituting physical activity sessions with sessions from a football-based health education program is beneficial for the participants (“11 for Health”; SG+). Three hundred and nine children participated in SG (12.4 [1.6] y) and 305 in SG+ (12.4 [1.4] y). Fat percentage was lowered by 6% for females (from 37% to 31%) and 8% for males (from 36% to 28%), with no between-group differences. We observed improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (3 and 5 mm Hg, respectively), resting heart rate (10 beats/min), aerobic fitness, jump performance, and relative muscle mass with no between-group differences. Furthermore, there were between-group differences in insulin levels for females (1.7 pmol/L; 95% CI, 0.3 to 3.0) and postural balance for males (1.0 s; 95% CI, 0.0 to 2.0), both in favor of SG+, and covered distance in the Andersen test for females (26 m; 95% CI, 3 to 49) in favor of SG. In conclusion, a 10-week stay at the Danish Christmas Seal Home resulted in clinically relevant improvement in fat percentage and cardiometabolic fitness in socially vulnerable children, regardless of the program type.

The stiffness of the supporting leg may alter the energy transfer to the trunk and lower extremities of the kicking leg, which may affect kick performance. This study aimed to clarify whether the stiffness of the supporting leg affects the trunk kinematics during kicking and kicking performance in soccer players. Twenty-two male collegiate soccer players participated in the study. The data for the stiffness properties of the supporting leg and trunk kinematics were obtained and calculated using a 3-dimensional motion analysis system. The results showed that a greater leg stiffness of the supporting leg was associated with a lower trunk rotation angle during kicking. There were no significant correlations between the maximum swing speed and the stiffness of the supporting leg (P < .05). These results suggest that stiffness of the supporting leg may restrain trunk rotation during the kicking motion. However, the lack of a relationship with swing speed indicates the need for further investigation into its effects on kicking performance.

Purpose: Different studies indicate that female players in team sports such as soccer tend to have a lower change-of-direction (COD) deficit (CODD) than their male counterparts and that players who performed better in linear and curved sprints tended to have a worse CODD, suggesting that maximum speed does not equate to a faster COD. This study assessed how performance variables related to speed and jumping influence the variability of %CODD among adult highly trained female soccer players. Methods: Fifty-two highly trained female soccer players (age 23.1 [3.25] y; height 163.6 [5.49] cm; weight 59.7 [5.71] kg) participated in this study and performed 180COD, 40-m sprint, countermovement jump, and standing broad jump tests. Results: Significant correlations were found between 180CODL, %CODDR, %CODDL, and between-limbs standing broad jump asymmetry (r = .28–.74). A very large correlation existed between %CODDR and %CODDL (r = .91). Regression analyses indicated a strong inverse relationship between the 10-m sprint time and %CODDR and %CODDL. No predictive models were found for 180COD in either limb. Differences in performance variables such as 180CODR, 180CODL, and asymmetry %CODD were significant between the high- and low-%CODD groups, with moderate to large effect sizes. Conclusion: The present study suggests that specific physical-performance variables, particularly acceleration and unilateral horizontal jumping, are vital to improving COD in highly trained female soccer players, highlighting the need for specific training interventions.

Low back pain is a highly disabling health condition that generates high costs for patients and healthcare systems. For this reason, it is considered a serious public health problem worldwide. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of a future randomized controlled trial (RCT) by evaluating adherence to treatment, contamination between groups, satisfaction with treatment, and understanding of the exercise instructions provided by the physiotherapist. Additionally, we sought to identify and implement necessary modifications to the exercise protocol for better suitability in older people. We conducted a prospective, registered pilot RCT comparing an 8-week group-based exercise program with a waiting list in older people (≥60 years old) with chronic low back pain. Sixty participants were recruited through social media, pamphlets, and invitations at community referral centers. The study demonstrated the feasibility of a full RCT. Participants reported high satisfaction with the treatment (i.e., 100% indicated willingness to return for future services) and a high understanding of the exercise instructions (i.e., 81.8% reported “very easy” comprehension). Adherence to the exercise program exceeded the average reported for group exercise interventions in older adults (i.e., 82.58%). Dropout was associated solely with preexisting physical activity levels. The exercise protocol was successfully adapted to better suit the needs of the older adult population. This pilot RCT demonstrates the feasibility of a full-scale RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of group exercise in improving pain intensity and disability in older adults with chronic low back pain. The implemented adjustments to the exercise protocol and overall study approach strengthen the methodological foundation and expected accuracy of the future RCT.