Browse

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 1,629 items for :

  • Physical Education and Coaching x
  • Sport and Exercise Science/Kinesiology x
  • Refine by Access: All Content x
Clear All
Restricted access

Analysis of Jogai During Judo Matches for Athletes With Visual Impairments: Impact on Referee Decisions and Outcomes

Rafael Lima Kons, Kleydson Ferreira de Almeida, Yan Furtado Carpinelli, and Daniele Detanico

This study investigated how jogai frequency influences referee decisions and match outcomes in judo athletes with visual impairment during official competitions. Video analysis of 268 matches revealed 1,395 instances of jogai, with 211 matches experiencing jogai and 57 without. Associations were carried out between jogai occurrences and match duration, sport classes, sexes, weight categories, and referee decisions post-jogai using chi-square tests (p < .05). Significant associations were found between jogai and match duration (χ2 = 39.08, p < .001) and competition phase (χ2 = 29.43, p = .043), particularly with frequent match stoppages (mate) within the first minute across all phases. These findings suggest a need for further research and potential adjustments in judo rules, informed by the new evidence-based classification, to enhance the equity and safety of matches for athletes with visual impairments.

Restricted access

Examining Axiological and Ethical Assumptions in Physical Activity Intervention Research involving Individuals With Intellectual Impairments: A Review

Dineo Tshosa and Nancy L.I. Spencer

Adapted physical activity has been critiqued for its lack of attention to assumptions underlying both research and practice. In response to these critiques, the purpose of this paper was to perform a secondary analysis of a recent systematic literature review to examine the axiological and ethical assumptions of physical activity intervention research involving adults with Down syndrome since 1990 in light of the possibilities of critical disability studies. Findings revealed the dominance of normative movement ideologies and a focus on physical activity performance. Participants were not afforded research roles beyond that of subjects, and there was no evidence of results being communicated to them. In future, we hope scholars will consider the use of emancipatory frameworks where power is situated within the community involved and more inquiry that expands our understanding of the benefits of physical activity for individuals with intellectual impairment that decenters the focus on normative ways of being.

Restricted access

Military Sports Recovery Athletes’ Perspectives on Role of the Coach in Athletes’ Well-Being: The Importance of Supporting Basic Psychological Needs

Nicola Jordan, Stephen Macdonald, and Justine Allen

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of athletes in a competitive military sports recovery program with a specific focus on the extent to which coaches supported, or frustrated, athletes’ basic psychological needs. Eight military veteran athletes competing in parasport took part in semistructured interviews. The accounts of their experiences of working with coaches in this context and their influence on their psychological needs and well-being were thematically analyzed. Results demonstrated that coaches’ behaviors that support basic psychological needs can have positive effects on athletes’ well-being and support their wider rehabilitation. Furthermore, frustration of these needs through controlling behaviors contributed to psychological ill-being. Findings suggest practical implications to help inform coaching practice to support optimal recovery and an environment that promotes well-being.

Restricted access

Assessing the Use of Recommended Practices in Adapted Physical Activity/Education Experiential-Learning Programs

Layne Case, Joonkoo Yun, Megan MacDonald, Bridget E. Hatfield, and Samuel W. Logan

This study investigated the use of recommended practices in university-based experiential learning associated with adapted physical activity and education (APA/E) undergraduate courses. Participants (N = 165) were instructors of APA/E courses with an experiential-learning component and/or professionals involved in APA/E experiential-learning programs at their university. Participants completed an online questionnaire designed to describe program characteristics and evaluate the use of two sets of practices, including those recommended for involving students and people with disabilities. Findings highlight low proportions of the use of practices recommended for people with disabilities and indicate that significantly more practices recommended for students were implemented (Z = −10.45, p < .001). Findings from this study have several implications for evaluation and intervention in APA/E experiential learning, such as including the disability community in planning and designing programming to benefit both students and people with disabilities. Instructors should aim to increase their implementation of practices recommended for involving people with disabilities.

Restricted access

Volume 41 (2024): Issue 4 (Oct 2024)

Restricted access

Examining the Effects of a 24-Week Exercise Program on Functional Capacity, Cognitive Capacity, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Miguel Jacinto, Raul Antunes, Diogo Monteiro, Filipe Rodrigues, Nuno Amaro, Maria João Campos, José Pedro Ferreira, and Rui Matos

This study investigated the effects of two physical exercise programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Twenty-one participants were assigned to an indoor group (IG, n = 7; 24-week gym intervention with machine), an outdoor group (OG, n = 7; 24-week outdoor intervention with low-cost materials) or a control group. The outcomes assessed included quality of life, dementia, and functional capacity. The IG significantly improved physical well-being compared with the control group (p = .017). There were no significant differences in dementia score between groups and moments. Postintervention, the IG showed improvements compared with the control group for the 30-s sit-to-stand test (p = .03), timed up-and-go (p = .00), and 6-min-walk test (p = .033) and between moments in the IG for 30-s sit-to-stand test (pre ≠ post; p = .007) and 6-min-walk test (pre ≠ post; p = .007). Outdoor interventions appeared effective for physical well-being, while indoor interventions using weight-training machines benefited functional capacity. No significant effects were observed for dementia/cognitive decline.

Free access

APAQ at Forty: Publication Trends

Jeffrey J. Martin

The purpose of the present study was to analyze Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly (APAQ) publications over the journal’s fourth decade (2014–2023) and compare them with previous documentary analyses of the first 3 decades. Consistent with prior documentary analyses, publications were coded and analyzed based on the use of theory, research participants, topic, whether the study was an intervention, first-author country affiliation, and research method. The total number of published research papers increased substantially (n = 61) from the third to the fourth decade. Similar to prior documentary analyses, most of the research was quantitative (n = 140; 57.5%), followed by qualitative research (n = 96; 39.5%). There were far more qualitative-research publications in the fourth decade compared with the third decade (n = 34). This may reflect the continued acceptance and growth of qualitative research compared with 10–20 years ago. It may also reflect the value of rich in-depth exploratory research using small samples. Additional trends included more review papers and meta-analyses, possibly reflecting the increased knowledge base in particular areas requiring synthesis. The diversity of topics also increased, with papers on dignity, classification, coaching, and the Paralympics playing more prominent roles. The number of international publications also grew substantially. In brief, the current paper outlines both similarities and differences in APAQ’s published research over the 4 decades of its existence.

Restricted access

Socialization Into and Through Doctoral Programs in Adapted Physical Activity

Paul R. Malinowski, Wesley J. Wilson, Paul H. Warner, Alyssa M. Trad, Peter Rifenburg, and Kevin Andrew Richards

This study examined doctoral students’ occupational socialization experiences in U.S. adapted physical activity doctoral programs. Twenty-eight doctoral students were recruited and participated in semistructured, in-depth interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed through a collaborative qualitative analysis, which resulted in the construction of four themes: (a) early socialization experiences foster a positive, but limited impression of physical education and physical activity; (b) doctoral education is pursued to have a greater impact on the disability community; (c) relationships with socializing agents provide support during doctoral education; and (d) coursework and learning in the community facilitate preparation for faculty roles. The findings indicate that there are several similarities between doctoral students and their peers in other doctoral degree programs. Some of these similarities point to issues that may concern prospective doctoral students and faculty members in adapted physical activity terminal degree programs.

Restricted access

Reflexivity and Change in Adaptive Physical Activity

David Adams

Restricted access

Evaluating the Impact of Seated Pilates on Functional Outcomes Among Those With Mild, Moderate, and Severe Multiple Sclerosis Impairment: A Pilot Feasibility Trial

Brynn Adamson, Keston G. Lindsay, Layla Almasri, Meghann Koppele Duffy, Stacy Kirkpatrick, and Manuel E. Hernandez

This pilot study assessed the feasibility and functional benefits of a twice-weekly, 12-week, virtual, seated, group-based Pilates program in persons with mild to severe multiple sclerosis (MS). Participants were randomized into either a Pilates-only group or a Pilates group, which also incorporated hip and shoulder-cuff activation exercises. Process, management, and scientific-feasibility metrics were analyzed descriptively. Functional outcomes, physical activity, and MS-related outcomes (impact, fatigue, and quality of life) were measured pre- and postintervention and analyzed using mixed-effects models, analysis of variance, and cluster analysis. Twenty-two participants completed baseline testing. Sixteen completed the intervention and postintervention testing. Collapsed across groups, analyses demonstrated improvements in the Timed 25-Foot Walk (36%), Timed Up-and-Go (13%), and the Berg Balance Scale (10%, statistically significant). Neither between-groups differences nor physical activity or MS outcome changes were significant. Participants reported high satisfaction. Findings suggest that virtual, seated Pilates is feasible and may confer balance benefits to individuals with MS.