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Volume 21 (2024): Issue 11 (Nov 2024)
Volume 38 (2024): Issue 6 (Nov 2024)
Volume 13 (2024): Issue 4 (Nov 2024): 2024 American Kinesiology Association Leadership Workshop: Addressing Social Justice Imperatives—Exemplars of Inclusive Excellence
No “Failures of Kindness”
David K. Wiggins
Results From the First Para Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents With Disabilities in Chile
Nicolas Aguilar-Farias, Sebastian Miranda-Marquez, Marcelo Toledo-Vargas, Kabir P. Sadarangani, Jessica Ibarra-Mora, Pia Martino-Fuentealba, Fernando Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Carlos Cristi-Montero, Matías Henríquez, and Andrea Cortinez-O’Ryan
Background: Global initiatives have been put in place to attain a thorough understanding of worldwide variations in physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. Yet, there is limited knowledge about PA-related indicators, specifically for children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD). To bridge this data gap, the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards (PRCs) of CAWD initiative was established to address the scarcity of information on PA for this population globally. The purpose of this manuscript is to summarize the results of Chile’s First PRC on PA for CAWD. Methods: Chile’s PRC included 10 core PA indicators common to the Global Matrix of PRCs. Evidence from scientific articles, reports, and databases available or released from 2018 to January 2022 was included for each indicator. A scientific committee collected and analyzed the data, assigning letter grades (A–F) based on benchmarks. Results: The grades assigned were as follows: Overall PA, D−; Organized Sports and Physical Activity Participation, C−; Active Play, INCOMPLETE; Active Transportation, D−; Sedentary Behavior, F; Physical Fitness, INCOMPLETE; Family and Peers, D+; School, C+; Community and Environment, D+; Government, B−. Conclusions: Chile scored low in most indicators. Although some efforts have been made in the last decade in terms of policies, these have not been reflected in PA and related behaviors in CAWD. The results underscore that maintaining the current situation is inadequate for addressing the widespread problem of physical inactivity among CAWD in Chile, emphasizing the urgency for substantial changes and a comprehensive approach to effectively combat this crisis.
Social Comparison, Social Indispensability, or Both? On the Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Effort Gains in Swimming Relays
Ann-Kathrin Torka, Joachim Hüffmeier, Sebastian Fischer, and Claudia Braun
Members of swimming relays often show effort gains in relays (i.e., more effort and faster swimming times in the relay vs. the individual competition). The weakest relay members typically exhibit the most pronounced effort gains. However, the underlying psychological processes are unclear. Prior research suggests social comparisons with stronger fellow relay members, perceived social indispensability, or a combination of both processes as plausible mediators. In Study 1, using linear mixed model and regression analyses on N = 239 observations from 222 elite U.S. college swimmers, we found empirical support only for the social indispensability hypothesis. Study 2, a survey among N = 46 German national team swimmers, substantiated the results, because the athletes most often mentioned processes related to social indispensability as motivating them. Our findings offer theoretical conclusions for expectancy × value models on team member effort expenditure and practical implications for coaching and selecting the weakest members for swimming relays.
Erratum. Interview With Rui (Blanca) Qi, Content Creator, Internet Celebrity, and Chinese Football Journalist in Europe
International Journal of Sport Communication
A Multilevel Model to Explain the Opportunities for and Experiences of LGBTQ+ People in Elite American Football
George B. Cunningham, Kelsey M. Garrison, and Umer Hussain
American football holds immense cultural significance, from its impressive youth participation rates to the coverage of professional football. However, the reach of American football extends beyond cultural significance, as societal values and norms are frequently mimicked or even amplified in major sport settings. American football is a context that highlights the privileges of heterosexuality and cisgender people, effectively discouraging people from disclosing their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) status. Because LGBTQ+ inclusion has received less attention in the American football context, and bias against LGBTQ+ people is common in sport, this paper aimed to explore LGBTQ+ inclusion in American football. Drawing on our related scholarship in this area, we present a multilevel framework, highlighting macrolevel (i.e., societal), mesolevel (i.e., organizational), and microlevel (i.e., individual) factors that shape LGBTQ+ inclusion in American football. The discussion includes strategies to implement LGBTQ+ inclusion in American football, as well as a call for further research.
The Relationship Between Cold-Water-Immersion Activities, Mental Health, Self-Efficacy, Resilience, and Mental Toughness
Annmarie Mullooly and Dylan Colbert
While a breadth of literature has asserted the potential physiological benefits of cold-water-immersion (CWI) activities (such as sea swimming, ice baths, and cold showers), analyses on their possible psychological effects is more limited. The current analysis (N = 164) aimed to explore the relationship between CWI and a number of psychological variables pertaining to mental health and psychological fortitude by comparing those who engage in CWI via various modalities (n = 120) and at various levels of frequency to those who do not (n = 44). When controlling for levels of daily stress, engagement in cold-water activities was found to be associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as higher levels of resilience, self-efficacy, and mental toughness. Furthermore, analyses suggested a “dosage effect” as more frequent CWI was associated with significantly more positive levels of mental toughness and self-efficacy.
A Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Intervention Focusing on Flow State: A Samatha-Based Training
Daliang Zhao
Currently, there is no empirical research on second-generation mindfulness training in the field of sport psychology. This study designed Samatha-based training (SBT) according to the principles of Samatha (a Buddhist practice) and preliminarily tested its influence on flow state. A total of 22 martial-arts-routine athletes were divided into two groups: the SBT group (n = 10) and the wait-list group (n = 12). The 7-week intervention demonstrated that SBT significantly enhanced the scores in present-moment attention, awareness, and flow state. These results support the effectiveness of SBT as a novel second-generation mindfulness-based intervention. Furthermore, the concept of mindfulness is discussed from the Samatha perspective, and subsequently, the reason that SBT promotes flow state was explored from a new perspective.