Basketball Program Research Articles

Optimizing athletic engagement and performance of obese students: an adaptive approach through basketball in physical education

IntroductionObesity in adolescents is associated with reduced physical activity and athletic engagement, highlighting the need for tailored physical education programs. This study evaluated the effects of a 7-week adapted basketball program on the performance and athletic engagement of students with obesity.MethodsSixty-two students with obesity (23 boys, 39 girls, aged 15-17) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG, n = 30; 11 boys, 19 girls) participating in adapted basketball sessions or a control group (CG, n = 32; 12 boys, 20 girls) attending standard basketball lessons. Both groups completed 52-minute sessions twice weekly. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included a questionnaire evaluating perceptions of physical education and athletic performance during final matches.ResultsThe EG showed significant improvements in interest, motivation (p < 0.05), perceived competence (p < 0.001), and reduced exercise difficulty (p < 0.001). Perceived fitness levels increased significantly only in EG girls (p = 0.013). In contrast, no significant changes were observed in the CG before and after the intervention for any of the parameters. During matches, the EG outperformed the CG, with more successful shots (girls: p = 0.0004; boys: p = 0.012), fewer missed shots (girls: p = 0.033; boys: p = 0.046), and more successful passes (p = 0.032, η² = 0.042).DiscussionThese results demonstrate that adapted physical education programs can serve as effective interventions for improving physical activity and promoting inclusion among adolescents with obesity while also serving as a preventive measure against obesity.

Basketball-Based Physical Education on Students’ Physical Fitness in a Selected Technical Vocational College, Fujian, China

The role of basketball-based physical education in enhancing students' physical fitness has been extensively documented, with numerous studies highlighting its benefits. In China, where sports and physical education are integral components of the educational curriculum, the importance of understanding the specific impacts of basketball-based physical education cannot be overstated. This study focuses on the technical vocational college setting in Fujian, China, aiming to fill a crucial research gap and address the need for tailored physical education programs. Basketball has been widely promoted and accepted in major universities across China, garnering broad support from both students and faculty. Wang (2024) emphasizes that with its increasing incorporation into university physical education programs, basketball significantly impacts students' physical fitness and athletic abilities. The current educational reforms in China necessitate the continual optimization of teaching methods and approaches to establish a solid foundation for the physical and mental development of students. Sui (2024) explores the impact of community basketball programs on high school students' physical and mental health in Guangzhou, highlighting improvements in physical fitness, social skills, and mental well-being. This study underscores the broader benefits of basketball beyond mere physical health, emphasizing its role in fostering social interaction and emotional resilience. Additionally, Shao et al. (2022) examine the individual characteristics of physical and mental development and their connection with regular physical exercises when playing basketball. Their findings suggest that basketball enhances motor fitness, moral, volitional, and mental qualities, as well as creativity and decision-making skills in rapidly changing circumstances. This holistic development is crucial for students, particularly in a competitive and fast-paced society like China. Butenko (2023) presents the effectiveness of a comprehensive use of sports games, including basketball, during extracurricular activities for high school students. The study found significant improvements in physical performance, physical qualities, and health indicators, demonstrating the high potential of integrating sports games into physical education programs to enhance students' overall fitness and health. As a teacher and coach in a technical vocational college in Fujian, China, the researcher has observed the transformative impact of sports, particularly basketball, on students' lives. Professional experience has shown that students engaged in basketball not only develop better physical fitness but also exhibit improved teamwork, leadership skills, and emotional resilience. These observations have fueled the researcher's passion for integrating basketball into the physical education curriculum and inspired a systematic exploration of its broader impacts. The researcher's personal motivation stems from a deep-seated belief in the power of sports to shape character and foster holistic development. Having been a basketball player, the researcher has experienced the discipline, dedication, and camaraderie that the sport instills. These values are essential for students, especially those in technical vocational education, as they prepare for their future careers and personal lives. Despite the known benefits of basketball-based physical education, there is a significant gap in research specifically targeting technical vocational colleges in China. Most existing studies focus on general high school or university settings, leaving a void in understanding how basketball impacts students in technical vocational education, who may have different needs and challenges. This study addresses this gap by focusing on a technical vocational college in Fujian, China. It aims to provide evidence-based insights into how basketball-based physical education influences various aspects of students' physical fitness, including physical attributes development, motor skills enhancement, cardiovascular fitness, strength and power development, flexibility and agility, coordination and balance, mental and emotional benefits, social interaction and teamwork, skill development and performance, and health and fitness awareness. By filling this research gap, the study seeks to inform policy and practice in physical education, providing valuable recommendations for optimizing physical education programs to enhance the health and fitness outcomes of vocational students.

The Effects of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) Mode Adopted in A College Basketball Program

Basketball, as one of the most popular sports courses in Chinese colleges and universities, has always been taught in a traditional ball teaching method, which has caused many problems in students’ learning effects, such as poor basketball tactics, weaker physical fitness and so on. Therefore, it is imperative to reform the basketball courses in colleges and universities. Accordingly, this paper is aimed to explore the effects of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) method in basketball courses on male students from the Class of 2023, a university in Shanghai, China, in terms of their basketball tactics and physical fitness. The study sampled 60 students randomly selected from 1850 students who took the optional basketball courses. The selected students were divided into two classes, either with 30 students: the experimental classes taught with the TGFU method and the control class taught with the traditional method. The data were collected from the pre-tests and post-tests of both classes and analyzed by the tool Statistic Package for Social Science (SPSS 24.0). Including the calculation of average values and standard deviation for T-test. It is found that the TGFU adopted in the basketball courses has significantly improved students’ basketball tactics and physical fitness, and that this method is advised to apply in college courses for students of all grades.

Duties and Obligations of Basketball Trainers among Their Players in Selected Universities in China

The study investigates the relationship between basketball trainers' duties and their obligations to players at four universities in Guilin, China. Using a descriptive-comparative approach, data from 30 athlete respondents were analyzed quantitatively. Results indicate a significant correlation between trainers' duty in coaching games, training sessions, leading the team, and managing performance, and their obligation in terms of professional conduct. However, no significant relationships were found regarding legal obligations and health and safety. Trainers' performance of duties significantly impacts their adherence to professional conduct obligations. Notably, coaching games and managing performance emerged as particularly influential aspects. The study underscores the importance of trainers' roles in fostering professional conduct among players. Findings suggest areas for improvement in aligning trainers' duties with legal obligations and health and safety concerns. This research contributes to understanding the dynamics between trainers and players, informing strategies for enhancing player development and well-being within basketball programs.

A Culturally Humble Approach to Designing a Sports-Based Youth Development Program With African-Australian Community.

This article draws on the concept of cultural humility, to describe and analyze a decolonizing approach to co-designing a primary prevention basketball program for young African-Australian people in Melbourne, Australia. We explore the potential for genuine collaboration and power-sharing with a culturally diverse community through collaboratively developing the co-design process and resultant program design. This article highlights the central role of UBUNTU in the co-design process, prioritizing African ways of knowing, being, and doing within a Westernized social work and design context. Through reporting on the stages of program design, we offer an example of how Indigenous knowledges and philosophies such as UBUNTU might be incorporated into co-design through cultural humility. We suggest this allows for a transformation of design tools and processes in ways that undermine oppressive and marginalizing power imbalances in design and social work.

The Role of the Community Basketball Program on the Cultivation of Physical Fitness and Psychosocial Well-Being of High School Students in Selected Middle Schools

This study aims to explore the impact of community basketball programs on the physical and mental health of high school students in Panyu Middle School and Zhongyuan Middle School in Guangzhou. Fills a research gap in the existing literature by providing insights into the relationship between high school students' participation in community basketball programs and their physical, mental, and emotional health. The research covers major variables such as physical fitness level and psychosocial health of high school students, and determines the direction and goals of the research through a series of specific questions and hypotheses. Specifically, the study will investigate high school students' physical health indicators such as aerobic endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, and coordination, as well as social and psychological health indicators such as achievement motivation, social skills, self-awareness, and moral development. The study will use quantitative research methods, collect data through questionnaires, and cover high school students from Panyu Middle School in Guangzhou and Zhongyuan Middle School in Guangzhou to ensure representation and diversity. It also gives opinions on the physical health and mental health of high school students. Through an in-depth discussion of the impact of physical activities on the physical and mental health of adolescents, this study is expected to provide useful insights and suggestions for physical education and community basketball projects.

Fab five: pioneering sociocultural influence within the culture of basketball and American society.

Dating back to when the inventor of the game, James Naismith, developed a mentoring relationship with John McClendon one of the African American pioneers in basketball (founder of the "fast-break"), there are countless examples of these intersections. Entering the college basketball culture as the most decorated recruiting class in National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball history, the University of Michigan Fab Five's legacy catalyzes a new era of American basketball culture. Gracefully talented, the Fab Five abruptly disrupted the institution of basketball, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the identity of basketball athletes globally. This paper presents a sociocultural exploration of the residual impact of the Fab Five's legacy. As authentic, confident, and culturally competent, the five young men intentionally resisted and acknowledged the intersections of race, culture, and class within the college basketball culture. We critically assess the evolution of basketball culture, grounded by the sociocultural experiences of the Fab Five, imprinting upon contemporary generations of college basketball programs and their player. Through these experiences, the Fab Five's success through conflict, during their short stint in college basketball and beyond their professional careers trailblazed a path for the modern-day basketball athlete. Known for their style of play, their expression of fashion on and off the court, and eagerness to talk smack, the Fab Five backed up their talk with performance. Their performance on and off the court, revolutionized the culture of basketball; Even more, American society. The Fab Five's legacy is the cultural catalyst for basketball culture on all levels.

Empowering Black Youth: Insights from the Books 2 Basketball Program on Career and Academic Development

Empowering Black Youth: Insights from the Books 2 Basketball Program on Career and Academic Development

Title IX and Career Pathways of Coaches Across NCAA Women’s Basketball Programs: An Intersectional Approach to Human Capital in Hiring

The purpose of this article is to examine the career pathways of NCAA women basketball coaches after the passage of Title IX, with a special attention to the relationship between human capital (i.e., job related qualifications), race, and gender of coaches in the sample population. As such, we looked at job related qualifications of incoming and outgoing coaching hires from 1984-2020 at universities within the Power Five Conferences and HBCUs at the Division I level, considering nine different variables. These variables include a coach’s immediate previous position, number of years as an NCAA coach, years of overall coaching experience prior to hire, highest prior division coached, NCAA championship win as a coach, NCAA championship win as a player, highest level of play, highest division played as an athlete, and highest educational degree. Regarding the overall impact of Title IX on women head coaching opportunities, our data shows relatively consistent opportunities for female coaches across the Power Five Conferences and Division I HBCU schools since 1984. Although the opportunities for women were consistent, they do not seem equitable at the Power Five level when considering a coach’s race as Black women were hired at a much smaller rate compared to their White counterparts. Our data also shows that despite more women being hired overall, on average, women have greater qualifications as NCAA women’s basketball coaches compared to male coaches. This finding shows that women need more human capital than men to obtain head coaching positions which marks the presence of gender discrimination in the NCAA coaching labor market.

“We do revolve our lives around it” – The meaning and significance of being a collegiate women’s basketball fan among older women

When individuals engage in social contexts such as attending a college basketball game, opportunities to enrich and broaden social connections with others often transpire. The University of Notre Dame Women’s Basketball (NDWB) program has a comparably larger and more loyal fan base than most universities in the country, of which older women comprise a big portion of season ticket holders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the motivations and meanings of being a NDWB season ticket holder among older women. Nineteen participants ages 55–85 years old completed individual interviews. The findings indicated that being season ticket holders fostered a strong sense of identification with the team, allowing them to have a sense of pride of being part of the program. Additionally, being season ticket holders enabled the older women to enhance their social contacts and friendships with other women that fostered a sense of community.

“We are their last chance”: A case study of a college basketball environment in an American underserved community

In this case study we used the holistic ecological approach (HEA) to examine an underserved athletic talent development environment (UATDE) in the United States to: (1) holistically describe a successful UATDE—in this case a community college basketball program known as Best Community College, and (2) explore factors contributing to the success of developing athletes that repeatedly earn athletic scholarships. Data were collected via in-situ observations, document analysis, and interviews (both formal and informal) with coaches, players, and other key stakeholders. The findings were summarized in two empirical models: (1) the UATDE empirical model of Best Community College, and (2) the underserved environment success factors (UESF) empirical model of Best Community College. The operation of the UATDE was significantly influenced by the underserved community in which it was embedded, translating to a lack of financial and human resources, while the team’s roster was occupied by athletically talented, but psychosocially vulnerable players. These challenges were overcome, in part, by a dedicated support team as well as the cultural paradigm established by the head coach as a cultural leader. Conclusively, this case study constitutes an important supplementation to the evolving body of literature utilizing the HEA, highlighting how an environmental context can shift the focus of athletic talent development when we consider the concept of a UATDE. Lay summary: This case study explored a successful community college basketball program located within an underserved American community. While the investigation concludes that socioeconomic challenges in the surrounding community created significant barriers to success, the head coach and support team were able to help players succeed in sport and life. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Those working in community colleges must be made aware of issues stemming from where the environment is located and also related to the backgrounds of the prospective athletes. Community college sports programs are an important steppingstone to life and sport success for the athletes they serve but a lack of human and financial resources are a large barrier to success that can be counteracted by strong cultural leaders within the sport program. UATDEs must be considered a unique context and practitioners should let this context inform their practice, for example, by supporting the staff as much as the athletes, supporting the head coach in developing a functional cultural paradigm, and supporting the athletes’ broader psychosocial development and not only their performance.

The Inclusive Adaptive Sport Program on a College Campus: Changing the Narrative

More often than not, students with physical disabilities are not provided equitable access to recreational sport programs or clubs, even though they often pay the same fees as their peers without disabilities. Involvement in recreational sports is a large component of the college campus experiences, yet those living with disability are likely to experience a variety of challenges associated with participation, which may inhibit them from fully engaging in sports with their peers and pursuing an active lifestyle. To examine the impact of involvement in an inclusive adaptive sport program on the college experience, a qualitative phenomenological approach was implemented with a convenience sample of 8 college students currently participating in a CTRS-driven inclusive wheelchair basketball program. A semi-structured interview procedure was utilized to elicit the participants' experiences of involvement in the adaptive sports program. Of 8 college students, five were individuals without, and 3 were individuals with an identified physical disability. The adaptive sports program had a positive impact on both groups of students. Four themes and 10 subthemes emerged from the data analysis. Four themes identified were: (a) Sense of Community; (b) Access to Resources and New Opportunities; (c) Inclusive; and (d) Personal Growth.

Love in Basketball: Transforming Inappropriate Power in Men's College Basketball Coaching through a Servant-Led Response and Companionate Love

In the summer of 2003, the Baylor University’s men’s basketball program was ripped apart when student-athlete Carlton Dotson murdered his teammate and roommate, Patrick Dennehy. While the details surrounding the events are still unknown, the abhorrent tale, which weaves a tapestry of drug use, gun violence, and unstable behavior, was held as an example of the moral decay of big-money college sports. And it remains the only known case of a student-athlete killing a teammate in the history of U.S. intercollegiate athletics (Wise, 2008). The story fails to simply end with tragic violence; investigations revealed deception, lies, manipulation, and an attempted cover-up by Dave Bliss, the head men’s basketball coach at Baylor from 1999-2003, which led to his 10-year ban from the NCAA (Dewitt, 2008; Wise, 2003, 2017). Later, in his 2015 memoir and a 2017 documentary about the events of 2003, Bliss paints the picture of a redeemed man accepting personal responsibility (Bliss et al., 2015; Kondelis, 2017). Yet, in a moment where Bliss believes the cameras to be off, he continues to disparage Dennehy and, perhaps, once again the nature of leadership embedded in inappropriate power. Instances of this style of leadership, and accompanying manifestations of displays of abuse, manipulation, self-embeddedness and violence, seem to be common practice in college basketball. John Brannen, former head men’s basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati, was fired in May 2021 due to using tactics of intimidation and providing benefits prohibited by NCAA legislation to a student athlete (Jenkins, 2021). Two head coaches have resigned over the last two seasons due to using racial slurs and racially insensitive language around student athletes, and at least two more have been investigated by their universities for similar comments (“Basketball coach out,” 2021; Borzello, 2020, 2021; Hanson, 2021). These are just some of the examples of which we have public record. While on one hand these examples might merely represent extreme cases, perhaps this represents only the tip of the iceberg, with actions and behaviors so alarming that they warranted headlines. Federal, internal, NCAA, and journalistic investigations reveal that much more goes on behind closed doors and outside of the view of the public, but the strings of the thread of leadership centered in inappropriate power drive remain. Such leadership can neutrally be characterized as hierarchy-driven, rules-based, and authoritative; this is not a power that liberates or empowers, but manipulates and controls, dominates and suppresses. With leadership embedded in such inappropriate power drive regularly occurring in men’s college basketball coaching, the purpose of this paper is to more greatly understand the expression, manifestations, and consequences of such leadership, explore a possible transformation arc and inward journey toward a servant-led response and more healthy expression of power, and examine how such a response may be sustained, and what might be experienced as a result, in men’s college basketball coaching with a foundation of servant-leadership and an emotional culture of companionate love.

Identifying Coach and Institutional Characteristics That Facilitate the Development of NCAA Wheelchair Basketball Programs

Background: Despite national and institutional policies, American colleges do not currently provide student-athletes with disabilities equal access to sports opportunities. Disabled youth who wish to pursue their academic and athletic dreams in college thus have prohibitively limited options, even with popular American sports such as basketball. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics and factors that may facilitate the development and perpetuation of collegiate wheelchair basketball programs in the United States. Methods: Five qualitative interviews were conducted with coaches and/or program administrators of established college wheelchair basketball programs. Interviews were coded and analyzed to explore common themes. Results: Thematic data analysis uncovered five common themes important to the development and maintenance of these programs: a) coach characteristics, b) actions to recognize and address equity, c) boosters, d) institutional barriers, and e) network effects. Conclusion: These common factors are important in the development, sustainability, and longevity of college wheelchair basketball programs and should be considered by those interested in starting similar programs.

МОДУЛЬНАЯ МЕТОДИКА ПОВЫШЕНИЯ ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННО-КООРДИНАЦИОННОЙ ПОДГОТОВКИ ИГРОКОВ БАСКЕТБОЛЬНОЙ КОМАНДЫ

Statement of the problem. There are many techniques for spatial training of basketball players, but among them there are contradictory ones that need to be analyzed, their features and basic components found. Including those that are focused on block-modular management of the readiness of qualified basketball athletes to achieve high sports results. The purpose of the article is to substantiate and develop a modular methodology for improving the spatial coordination training for basketball program players. The methodology of the research consists of a modular approach, fundamental works on the theory of sports (V. N. Platonov, L. P. Matveev, etc.). Methods were used: multimedia visualization, assessment of spatial coordination, forecasting, pedagogical experiment. Research results. It was assumed that the use of proofreading content in the process of training highly qualified athletes to strengthen spatial and coordination preparedness, will increase the effectiveness of the game. The objectives of the study were presented in the development and determination of the possibility of disseminating the modular methodology on the general set of the system for training modern basketball players. The essence of the recommended means was the inclusion of a set of special exercises for the development of the vestibular analyzer and the movement control system. The content of the technology consisted of heterogeneous means of active and passive methods of vestibular training, but of unidirectional impact, alternating after 2 sessions. Conclusion. The assimilation of the number of shots from the three-point line has been verified, which marks the tendency to increase the role of the motion control system. The results of the pedagogical formative experiment increased the level of spatial coordination of the players of the team «BC Derzhava» of Tambov, which significantly improved her result in the last 9 matches in the championship of the College Basketball Association.

An Intersectional Analysis of the Recruitment and Participation of Second-Generation African Canadian Adolescent Girls in a Community Basketball Program in Ottawa, Canada

Guided by the experiences and perspectives of sport practitioners, in this paper, an intersectional lens was used to examine age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and religion and how they relate to the recruitment and participation of second-generation, low-income, African Canadian, Black Muslim, and Christian adolescent girls in a community-based basketball program in Ottawa, Canada. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 program coordinators and coaches involved in the City of Ottawa Community Centre Basketball League (CCBL), and reflexive thematic analysis of the data was engaged. The findings were threefold: (a) CCBL coordinators and coaches recognize the importance of representation to enhancing their support to program users; (b) CCBL coaches and coordinators make efforts to build trust with and increase buy-in from first-generation immigrant parents to improve girls’ program participation; and (c) CCBL coaches and coordinators make religious accommodations in response to the needs of Muslim and Christian program users. The findings illustrated that community-based sport programs serving second-generation African Canadian adolescent girls in low-income communities require multifaceted program and outreach strategies that consider the intersecting social experiences of participants to improve recruitment and participation. To conclude, policy and program design and implementation strategies to support the creation of inclusive, equity-driven community-based sport practices were proposed.

Determinant Factors of Achievement Motivation in School Physical Education.

Today, it is important for physical education teachers to know students’ motivation profiles for learning. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze achievement motivation according to four variables: students’ sex, the taught sport modality, students’ experience and teaching methodology. Likewise, the effects of students’ sex and experience on the methodologies applied were analyzed. A total of 108 primary education students (10.95 ± 0.48 years), 54 boys and 54 girls, from three state schools participated in the study. The students answered the Achievement Motivation in Physical Education test (Spanish version) after participating in soccer and basketball programs based on different methodologies. Each class-group received a different educational program (soccer or basketball). The differences between the categories of the variables analyzed were calculated for each dimension of the motivational test through the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests. The effects of students’ sex and experience on the teaching methodologies applied were analyzed using the univariate General Linear Model test. In soccer and basketball, boys perceived being more motor competent (U = 732.00; p < 0.05; r = 0.43) than girls. In addition, experienced students in both sports perceived being more motor competent (U = 695.50; p < 0.05; r = 0.27) than inexperienced students. In turn, they indicated feeling less failure anxiety and stress (U = 780.00; p < 0.05; r = 0.22). All of the students who played soccer reported more commitment (learning dedication) (U = 1051.50; p < 0.05; r = 0.20) and perceived motor competence (U = 972.00; p < 0.05; r = 0.24) than students who played basketball. Considering the effects of students’ sex and experience on the methodologies (perceived motor competence dimension), there were significant differences (F = 7.68; p < 0.05; ηp2 = 0.07) in favor of experienced boys who played soccer and basketball using the Tactical Games Approach methodology. Soccer was practiced more in school and out of school. This made students feel greater commitment (learning dedication) and perceived motor competence towards this invasion sport in physical education. In addition, it was shown that teachers should take into account students’ sex and experience because they are two factors that influence the teaching of sports and achievement motivation.

Multidisciplinary Neuromuscular and Endurance Interventions on Youth Basketball Players: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.

The main aims of this systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression were to describe the effect of multidisciplinary neuromuscular and endurance interventions, including plyometric training, mixed strength and conditioning, HIIT basketball programs and repeated sprint training on youth basketball players considering age, competitive level, gender and the type of the intervention performed to explore a predictive model through a meta-regression analysis. A structured search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and PICOS model in Medline (PubMed), Web of Science (WOS) and Cochrane databases. Groups of experiments were created according to neuromuscular power (vertical; NPV and horizontal; NPH) and endurance (E). Meta-analysis and sub-groups analysis were performed using a random effect model and pooled standardized mean differences (SMD). A random effects meta-regression was performed regressing SMD for the different sub-groups against percentage change for NPV and NPH. There was a significant positive overall effect of the multidisciplinary interventions on NPV, NPH and E. Sub-groups analysis indicate differences in the effects of the interventions on NPV and NPH considering age, gender, competitive level and the type of the intervention used. Considering the current data available, the meta-regression analysis suggests a good predictability of U-16 and plyometric training on jump performance. Besides, male and elite level youth basketball players had a good predictability on multidirectional speed and agility performance.

The Sports Revolution: How Texas Changed the Culture of American Athletics by Frank Andre Guridy

Reviewed by: The Sports Revolution: How Texas Changed the Culture of American Athleticsby Frank Andre Guridy David K. Wiggins The Sports Revolution: How Texas Changed the Culture of American Athletics. By Frank Andre Guridy. Texas Bookshelf. ( Austin: University of Texas Press, 2021. Pp. x, 418. $29.95, ISBN 978-1-4773-2183-6.) I like this book very much. Frank Andre Guridy, utilizing a nice combination of secondary and primary source material, provides a very interesting and insightful analysis of sports in Texas and, by extension, in American culture more generally. Although some might be overwhelmed by its 353 pages of text and disappointed by its limited coverage of interscholastic athletics, the book provides important and detailed information largely about the role and [End Page 590]changing pattern of college and professional sports in the Lone Star State from the end of the Jim Crow era to the 1980s. I have no doubt readers of The Sports Revolution: How Texas Changed the Culture of American Athleticswill gain a better appreciation of the large number of outstanding athletes and culturally significant sporting events that took place in Texas during a rapidly changing and tumultuous period in American history. Guridy covers some frequently told stories such as the integration of football at Southern Methodist University and the subsequent scandal that rocked its gridiron program, the well-known Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome, the enormous success of the University of Houston's basketball program popularly referred to as Phi Slama Jama, the football dominance of the University of Texas Longhorns, and the emergence and ultimate success of the San Antonio Spurs professional basketball team. He also examines some stories not as well known, including perhaps most important the origin and cultural significance of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. In the process, Guridy provides interesting details on the athletes, coaches, owners, and support personnel who contributed to the vibrant and nationally prominent sports programs in Texas. He furnishes significant details and background information, for example, on perhaps the greatest woman athlete of all time, Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson; the University of Texas's great running back Earl Campbell; Jerry LeVias, who integrated the Southern Methodist University football program; coach Guy Lewis, who masterminded the University of Houston's highly successful basketball team; oil tycoon Lamar Hunt, who co-founded the American Football League (AFL); Gussie Nell Davis, who led the highly skilled Kilgore Rangerettes drill team; tennis legends Rosemary "Rosie" Casals and Gladys Medalie Heldman; the Dallas Cowboys' famous coach Tom Landry; Texas Rangers owner Robert E. Short; and University of Houston football coach Bill Yeoman. Adding immeasurably to the effectiveness of the book is the fact that Guridy places sports in Texas in proper historical context and consistently draws connections to what was taking place in the industry on a national scale and how sport in the state both impacted and was impacted by larger societal changes and movements. Virtually every page of the book is filled with engaging details about the business side of athletics and how smart, wealthy, and imaginative entrepreneurs transformed how sports were organized, viewed, and financed. Guridy effectively connects sports in the Lone Star State to the larger civil rights struggle and explains how Black athletes increasingly found their way into intercollegiate and professional sports while still suffering the pangs of racial discrimination and being viewed as commodities in institutions still controlled largely by white men. Guridy also effectively connects sports in Texas to the second-wave feminist movement and illuminates how women athletes negotiated for better treatment while at once struggling to overcome the sexist views and gender stereotypes so rampant in a culture that continued to trivialize their efforts at bodily excellence and skill development. In all, there is much to recommend about Frank Guridy's The Sports Revolution. It is a nicely written, compelling, and thoughtful book that provides an awareness of and appreciation for the changing nature of sports in [End Page 591]Texas specifically and American culture more broadly. I expect it to have a long shelf life and to be of interest to those who want to learn more...

Agile Ageing: Implementation Considerations for a Walking Basketball Program

ABSTRACT Physical activity generally declines with increasing age and lack of enjoyment is a noted barrier to older adults participating in traditional exercise programs. Walking basketball is a modified version of basketball designed to align with the physical capabilities of older adults, where participants are required to walk rather than run and body contact is not allowed. A walking basketball program provides participants with an opportunity to obtain the physical, mental and social health benefits of exercise in a competitive and social context. Due to the dynamic environment of a walking basketball program, participants are exposed to a unique stimulus combining both physical and cognitive demands, that is unmatched by traditional exercise programs. However, an increased risk of injury coincides with the unique demands of the activity. Therefore, the purpose of this manuscript is to provide practical applications for sporting organization that wish to implement a walking basketball program.