School-based Sports Research Articles

Resilience Training for High School Student-Athletes: A Pilot of the Life and Leadership Through Sport Series

High school student-athletes are reporting unprecedented needs regarding their mental health and development of life and leadership skills. With stressors and pressures surmounting, there is an evident need for school-based interventions to prevent mental health concerns and teach student-athletes how to “bounce back” in the face of adversity. This article details the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Life and Leadership Through Sport Series, a six-session resilience skills training piloted in Tier I and Tier II formats. The aims of the study were to explore student-athlete and coach perceptions of the intervention and to examine whether student-athlete perceptions of the learning differed based on the delivery format. In total, 415 student-athletes and 26 coaches participated in the Tier I intervention, and 16 student-athletes participated in the Tier II intervention. Using a post-training evaluation measure, descriptive statistics indicated student-athletes participating in the Tier II intervention reported more favorable perceptions of the intervention and efficacy regarding the learning outcomes compared to those participating in the Tier I intervention. Our pilot provides preliminary evidence regarding the potential for the Life and Leadership Through Sport Series to act as an evidence-based Tier II intervention for high school student-athletes participating in school-based sports.

Sport participation, weight status, and physical fitness in French adolescents.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the associations between sport participation and weight status with physical fitness among French adolescents. The secondary aim was to establish sex- and age-specific physical fitness percentiles for French adolescents. The sample comprised 8084 adolescents (4126 boys, 3958 girls), aged 10-14years. Participants were tested on cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength using the following tests: 20-m shuttle run test and handgrip strength test. A questionnaire on organized sport participation was completed. Physical fitness levels were better in boys (P < 0.005). Handgrip strength increased with age whereas 20-m shuttle run performance decreased with age. Overweight and obese adolescents had significantly lower cardiorespiratory fitness levels than their normal-weight peers (P < 0.005), whereas normal-weight adolescents had lower cardiorespiratory fitness than thin adolescents (P < 0.005). Sport participation was higher for boys (57.2% boys vs. 52.8% girls) (P < 0.001). Adolescents who participated in at least one organized sport (either through a club or at school) were fitter than those who did not participate in organized sports (P < 0.005). Adolescents who engaged in organized sports were more active and physically fit than those who did not participate. The fitness benefits of club sports are greater than those provided by school-based sports, highlighting the potential of sports clubs as a key setting for promoting health. What is Known: • Physical fitness is a strong marker of health in children and adolescents. • The last French Report Card highlighted the lack of fitness data and the need for nationwide programs, while showing a significant decline in cardiorespiratory fitness among youth in recent decades.. What is New: • This study reveals that adolescents participating in organized sports have better physical fitness compared to their peers who do not, emphasizing the potential advantages of club sports over school-based activities. • We highlight the need for targeted strategies, particularly for overweight or obese adolescents and girls, to increase participation in organized sports and enhance health outcomes. • The study emphasizes the need to develop policies that improve access to organized sports clubs and expand physical education in schools, aiming to improve CRF in adolescents.

Assessing the Quality and Effectiveness of School-Based Sports Coaching Programs in China

This research assessed the effectiveness of sports coaching programs implemented in schools in China. It examines explicitly crucial elements such as coaching credentials, program structure, sports infrastructure, safety protocols, monitoring and evaluation approaches, and technology integration. The study used a stratified sampling technique to choose a representative sample of athletes from various universities. Data was gathered by administering questionnaires and conducting interviews to evaluate the athletes' perspectives on the coaching programs. The findings suggest that athletes typically have a good perception of coaching programs, especially about their effective promotion of cooperation, safety, and use of technology. However, some aspects need improvement, including grasping sports skills, allocation of facility money, and availability of contemporary resources. Furthermore, the research revealed no statistically significant disparities in athletes' evaluations or program outcomes when they were categorized according to their gender, sport, or length of participation. Furthermore, the coaching programs show a modest favorable impact on athletes' physical fitness, sports performance, and general well-being, with specific attention on the development of endurance, resilience, and problem-solving skills. The study furthermore cites many significant obstacles coaches encounter, including resource constraints, cultural and academic demands, inadequate professional growth opportunities, and hurdles to effective communication.

Beyond the scoreboard: school-based sport experiences and high school student-athlete well-being

ABSTRACT With an estimated seven million high school student-athletes in the United States participating in school-based sports each year, opportunities exist to examine how recent changes in education and sport are affecting this generation of student-athletes. The COVID-19 pandemic, school cancelations, and emergent trends related to recruiting, name, image, and likeness policies, sport specialization, academic pressures, and adolescent mental health concerns are current factors influencing school-based sports. To examine associations between the United States education and sport environment and student-athlete well-being, this qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of high school student-athletes in this era of sport. Seven focus groups were conducted with 50 high school student-athletes in diverse school districts in one large Midwestern state. Emergent themes indicated structural, contextual, and psychosocial factors are shaping student-athlete experiences and affecting multiple domains of their well-being. Notably, student-athletes overwhelmingly wanted to perform at high levels as they returned to school and sport as COVID-19 restrictions were lifting, yet felt they were struggling to meet these demands. Findings contribute to an important conversation about the needs of high school student-athletes in the United States and can inform future interventions, coach training programs, and school policies.

Validity of a Game-Based Learning Model for Teaching Floor Exercise Roll Basic Techniques to Junior High School Students in Indonesia

The goal of this instructional style is to help students become more proficient at the floor exercise roll by using a game-based approach and other forms of media. The purpose of this research is to provide evidence for the efficacy of a model for teaching the fundamentals of the floor exercise roll through the medium of a video game in junior high school. Three subject matter experts and three media specialists evaluated the research and validated the learning model using a set of established criteria. This study is occuring within the product development phase of the Borg and Gall research and development paradigm. A questionnaire was utilised to obtain data for determining the model's accuracy. Descriptive percentages were used to assess the data. The average model validity ratings found in this research show that the material expert validator is 83.33 percent valid and the media expert validator is 89.4 percent valid. The validity score generated by the combination of the three validators is very high quality. Consequently, it is reasonable to infer that the floor exercise roll basic technique learning model based on a game is genuine and can be applied in the context of school-based sports education. Sports educators and curriculum designers can use the favourable feedback from material and media experts to inform the design of more effective learning models for students to become proficient in floor exercises and fundamental rolling technique

Playing basketball and volleyball during adolescence is associated with higher bone mineral density in old age: the Bunkyo Health Study.

Introduction: Exercise is beneficial for increasing areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in adolescence and maintaining it in old age. Moreover, high-impact sports are more effective than low-impact sports in increasing aBMD. This study aimed to determine the types of adolescent sports played in school-based sports clubs associated with aBMD in old age. Methods: In total, 1,596 older adults (681 men and 915 women, age: 65-84years) living in an urban area of Japan were evaluated for the femoral neck and lumbar spine aBMD using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The association between adolescent sports played in sports clubs and aBMD in old age was analyzed using multiple regression analysis, with femoral neck and lumbar spine aBMD as dependent variables, and sports type and participant characteristics such as age, body weight, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level, as independent variables. Results: For the femoral neck, basketball was associated with aBMD in older men (β = 0.079, p < 0.05) and women (β = 0.08, p < 0.01), whereas current body weight and 25(OH)D level were associated with aBMD in both sexes. For the lumbar spine, volleyball (β = 0.08, p < 0.01) and swimming (β = 0.06, p < 0.05) was significantly associated with lumbar spine aBMD, whereas current body weight, 25(OH)D, and diabetes mellitus were associated with aBMD in older women. Conclusion: Both men and women who played basketball in adolescence had higher femoral neck aBMD in old age. Moreover, women who played volleyball in adolescence had higher lumbar spine aBMD in old age.

The Student Athlete Wellness Portal: Translating Student Athletes' Prescription Opioid Use Narratives into a Targeted Public Health Intervention.

Background and Objectives: The opioid epidemic has permeated all strata of society over the last two decades, especially within the adolescent student athletic environment, a group particularly at risk and presenting their own challenges for science and practice. This paper (a) describes the development of a web-based intervention called the Student Athlete Wellness Portal that models effective opioid misuse resistance strategies and (b) details the findings of a single-group design to test its effectiveness. Materials and Methods: Formative research included 35 student athletes residing in the United States, ages 14 to 21, who had been injured in their school-based sport. They participated in in-depth qualitative interviews to explore narratives relating to their injuries and pain management plans. Inductive analyses of interview transcripts revealed themes of the challenges of being a student athlete, manageable vs. unmanageable pain, and ways to stay healthy. These themes were translated into prevention messages for the portal, which was then tested in a single-group design. Results: Users of the portal (n = 102) showed significant decreases in their willingness to misuse opioids and increases in their perceptions of opioid risks. Conclusions: This manuscript illuminates the processes involved in translating basic research knowledge into intervention scripts and reveals the promising effects of a technology-based wellness portal.

The Effects and Types of Parental Involvement in School-Based Sport and Health Programs Still Represent a Knowledge Gap: A Systematic Review.

Background: Health-related behaviours and attitudes acquired in childhood significantly shape health behaviours in adulthood and play an important role in preventing children from becoming overweight. Interventions incorporating parental involvement can provide outstanding support in shaping a child’s health-related behaviour. However, parental involvement has not been investigated from the perspective of efficacy except for obesity. Therefore, this systematic review investigates school-based physical activity intervention programmes incorporating parental involvement. We aim to explore the impact of these programmes and the parental involvement they provide on behaviours that influence child health, which are essential for preventing children and adults from becoming overweight and promoting health-conscious lifestyles. Methods: This systematic literature review follows PRISMA guidelines. The EBSCO Discovery Service Search Engine was used for searching for literature. Papers included met the following inclusion criteria: (1) reported original, empirical research or systematic review published in a peer-reviewed journal; (2) primary or secondary school age (6–18 years) as the target population; (3) examined school-based sport or health prevention and intervention programs; (4) only healthy children and youth in the indicated age group; (5) school-based prevention or intervention program; (6) examines parental involvement; (7) in the English language, and (8) in disciplines of education, psychology, social work, sociology, social sciences and humanities. Results: An extremely limited number of interventions of sufficient quality address the role of parental involvement (N = 17). The forms of parental involvement show a huge variety, ranging from leaflets, home packs, sports organisations “forced” by the pandemic, parent meetings, programmes, courses, and school programmes with diverse children over several months (cooking together, gardening, playing sports together, etc.). Therefore, it is difficult to measure their effectiveness and impact. Conclusions: The impact of parental involvement on children’s health behaviour, especially physical activity and nutrition, as two of the most important factors in preventing them from becoming overweight, are unclear, and other correlations, e.g., academic achievement, are scarce.

The Women’s Sports Foundation 50 Years of Title IX: We’re Not Done Yet Executive Summary and Policy Recommendations

In 2022, the Women’s Sports Foundation published a report addressing the current status of Title IX compliance in U.S school-based sports, examining the limitations of Title IX as a single axis law that addresses gender but not other areas of intersectionality including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability. What is presented here is the executive summary and policy recommendations from the report.

Individual responsiveness to a school-based karate intervention: An ancillary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

IntroductionSchool‐based sport interventions have shown beneficial effects on psychosocial functioning and academic performance in children. However, the inter‐individual variability in response to these types of interventions remains unclear. We aimed to determine which children benefit most from a school‐based sport intervention.MethodsThis is an ancillary analysis of a randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of a 1‐year school‐based karate intervention (versus “traditional” physical education lessons) in children (7–8 years) from twenty schools across five European countries. Outcomes included psychosocial functioning (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ] for parents) and academic performance (grade point average). Only participants of the intervention group were included in the present ancillary analysis, and were categorized as responders or non‐responders for the analyzed outcomes attending to whether improvements surpassed a minimal clinically important difference.ResultsAbout 388 children (187 girls) from the intervention group completed the study, of which 17% and 46% were considered responders for SDQ and academic performance, respectively. Responders for the SDQ presented higher SDQ scores (i.e., higher psychosocial difficulties) at baseline than non‐responders (p < 0.001). Responders for academic performance were mostly males (p = 0.017), with an older age (p = 0.030), and with worse academic performance (p < 0.001) at baseline compared with non‐responders, and tended to present higher SDQ scores (p = 0.055). Responders for one outcome obtained greater benefits from the intervention on the other outcome (e.g., responders for SDQ improved academic performance [p < 0.001] compared with non‐responders).ConclusionsA school‐based sport intervention (karate) seems particularly effective for children with psychosocial difficulties and low academic performance.

Assessment of a collaborative concussion management strategy in a school-based sport program: Prospective cohort study.

To analyze the implementation of a concussion management protocol in which a team physiotherapist is involved in the identification of concussions and return-to-play (RTP) decisions. A prospective injury surveillance cohort study in a school-based Canadian football program (4 teams; grades 8 to 12) over 4 years. For years 1 to 2, the team physician made all RTP decisions; over years 3 to 4, the team physiotherapist was allowed to make some RTP decisions using pre-established criteria defined in the protocol. A high school in Québec, Que. Male student athletes between 11 and 17 years old. Same-season recurrence (SSR) of concussion symptoms following RTP. A total of 119 concussions were identified (55 during the first 2 years and 64 during the last 2 years) during 27,741 athlete-exposures in 672 athlete-years for an incidence rate of 4.3 per 1000 athlete-exposures. During years 1 to 3, no SSR was observed following RTP clearance. During year 4 there was 1 case of SSR that occurred 11 days after clearance. The overall SSR rate of concussion symptoms following RTP clearance was 0.8%. A very low rate of SSR was achieved whether the team physician made all RTP decisions or the team physiotherapist was allowed to make some of the RTP decisions through the terms of the protocol.

Outdoor Recreation as an Asset for Youth Development in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor spaces remained one of the few places for youth recreation. Outdoor recreation and sport have been associated with positive youth development (PYD) prior to the pandemic, so we sought to test these relationships during the pandemic, accounting for self-efficacy and demographic factors that may be associated with participation. To achieve this aim, we conducted an online survey of United States youth (N=116) aged 12-17. Higher levels of PYD during the pandemic were associated with higher levels of school-based sport prior to the pandemic, community-based sport during the pandemic, and outdoor time prior to and during the pandemic. Self-efficacy, but not demographics, was associated with outdoor time. Outdoor recreation should be promoted for youth as it is positively associated with PYD, especially when other forms of recreation are restricted. Recreation professionals should foster self-efficacy and ensure that opportunities for outdoor recreation are equitably accessible.

Beyond inclusion: trans and gender diverse young people’s experiences of PE and school sport

ABSTRACT There is a dearth of research with LGBTQI+ youth in PE and school sport, with particularly deep silences in relation to trans youth. Drawing from a qualitative study with trans and gender diverse youth in second-level schools in Ireland, this paper explores how trans and gender diverse young people are negotiating PE and school sport. A total of nineteen trans and gender diverse young people participated in this study; thirteen young people participated in semi-structured interviews while twelve young people took part in three arts-based workshops. In this paper, we home in on the modalities of inclusion experienced by trans and gender diverse young people as they navigated gendered classification and ordering practices in PE and school sport. Leaning on theoretical insights into the politics of inclusion for LGBTQI+ people, we demonstrate the limited effects of supporting trans and gender diverse young people via individualising methods of inclusion when PE and school-based sport are predicated so fundamentally on an intensely policed cis-heteronormative gender binary. Ultimately, the accounts of the young people in this study steer us towards the necessity to move beyond individualist modalities of inclusion and reimagine the architecture of gender at work in PE and school sport.

A Thematic Analysis of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) State Party Reporting Mechanisms Related To Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport

Abstract The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) is the most ratified human rights treaty. In this article, three intimately connected concepts will be explored in relation to the framework of the State Party reporting mechanism related to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: physical education, physical activity and sport (pepas). A documentary analysis of three key document types from the Treaty Body reporting mechanisms was undertaken, including State Parties Reports (n = 104), List of Issues (n = 126) and Concerns/Observations and Recommendations (n = 797). There was a very low prevalence of the concepts of physical education, physical activity and, to a greater extent, sport, in these three reports. Seven themes emerged after the qualitative analysis: sport programmes, school-based sport, legislation and policies, key agents, interdisciplinary approach, enablers of sport and miscellaneous. Increased questioning of States with regards to their implementation of the right to sport, the issuance of pepas-based recommendations and guidance on how to achieve these rights from the Treaty Bodies would assist in solidifying understanding of sport as a human right and increase the impetus on States to act for pepas provision.

Implementation of School-Based Sports Management Program of Private Higher Education Institution

Sports management programs should provide students with a hands-on and experience education which will provide them with the necessary preparation for real-world sports settings. As such schools’ sports programs should focus on providing students with the training they needed. The study investigated the implementation of the school-based sports management programs of private higher education institutions in the Province of Batangas. A cross-sectional survey of data collection was used to gather the data on 104 PE teachers and 30 sports coordinators. Implementation of the program was assessed in terms of objectives, administrative support, resources, activities and monitoring and evaluation, while the participation of the coordinators was assessed relative to collaboration, mechanisms, and decisionmaking. Alongside that, the issues and challenges of managing the program were also assessed. The study's findings revealed that sports coordinators' implementation and participation were highly visible. Respondents strongly agreed that there were issues and challenges in managing the program. The results also confirmed that the assessments of the sports coordinators and the PE teachers in terms of implementation and participation of the sports coordinators in managing the school-based sports management program were not significantly different. A prototype sports management program was designed by the researcher for private higher education institutions in the Province of Batangas.Physical education, Physical activity, School based, Commission on Higher Education, Sport coordinator, World Health Organization, Prototype College of Teacher Education, Progressive relaxation training, Implementation, Participation, Philippines, Management program, Sports coordinators, Decision making, Foundational premises, Sports program, Pe teacher, Administrative support, Private high education institution, Sport management program, Physical Education and Sport, Sport Value Framework”.

Athletic Trainers’ Experiences Working With Athletes With a Physical Disability in School-Based Sports

This study describes the experiences of over 500 school-based athletic trainers (ATs) and their familiarity, knowledge, comfort, and confidence working with athletes with a disability. ATs’ experiences in managing the health care of school-based athletes with a physical disability are unknown. Half of the respondents indicated experience providing services to these athletes, while 70% indicated little to no specific training/education. About half of the ATs reported being comfortable and confident in managing the care of athletes with a physical disability, while a quarter reported being knowledgeable. Findings suggest that experience helps provide ATs with comfort and confidence in caring for these athletes, but educational opportunities are still needed.

Developing young people’s mental health awareness through education and sport: Insights from the Tackling the Blues programme

There is growing national and international concern about the mental health of children and young people, and in countries such as England there is now a political and policy commitment to developing whole-school approaches to mental health. This paper presents new evidence on how pupils’ mental health is being addressed in schools using learning activities associated with physical education, sport and physical activity, as part of a school-based sport- and mental health-themed programme (‘Tackling the Blues’) for pupils aged 6–16 years old in north-west England. In particular, we examine how pupil-centred learning activities have been used in weekly multi-sport activity sessions and related classroom-based workshops, and draw upon insight from 29 focus groups to explore pupils’ ( n = 116) mental health awareness and associated socio-emotional learning (SEL). The learning activities led pupils to focus on the impact personal relationships with family and friends, feelings and emotions, and experiences of stress, anger and entrapment can have on mental health. It is argued that embedding socially relevant learning activities into the content, organisation and delivery of school curricula may help improve pupils’ sense of enjoyment, participation and achievement which are important for enhancing their knowledge and awareness of mental health, and developing SEL. However, we conclude that the effectiveness of whole-school approaches also depends, perhaps to a greater degree, on the wider educational systems in which schools are located and especially the widening social, economic and health inequalities which have profound impacts on child development, educational and other outcomes, and mental health.

Implementing a junior high school-based programme to reduce sports injuries through neuromuscular training (iSPRINT): a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT)

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a junior high school-based sports injury prevention programme to reduce injuries through neuromuscular training (NMT).MethodsThis was a cluster randomised controlled trial. Students were recruited from...

Effects of a school-based sports program on psychosocial health and attention in youth with physical disabilities.

Youth with physical disabilities have lower psychosocial health and attention compared to their typically developing peers. Recent research has shown positive associations between sports participation and these outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether a school-based sports program affects psychosocial health and attention in youth with physical disabilities. Seventy children and adolescents (mean age (SD) 13.8 (2.9) years, aged 8-19 years, 54% boys) with physical disabilities were included in this quasi-experimental study from schools for special education. The sports group (n= 31) followed a school-based sports program (45 min/week) for six months. The control group followed the regular curriculum. Psychosocial health was assessed with self-perception (Self-Perception Profile for Children) and quality of life (DISABKIDS Chronic Generic Measure, DCGM-37). Attention was measured with experimental tasks on search efficiency, sustained attention, and distractibility. Linear regression analyses revealed no differences between the sports and control group for self-perception, quality of life, and attention. A school-based sports program seems to have no effect on psychosocial health and attention in youth with physical disabilities. Research into the important factors influencing these variables is needed before further resources can be given to improve sports participation for increasing psychosocial health and attention.

"It was competitive, it was very competitive!": memory of school sports of performance in particular schools of Curitiba (1980-1990)

The present study investigated the practice of school-based sport in private schools in Curitiba-PR, between 1980 and 1990, by means of interviews with technicians, athletes and sports managers who experienced the phenomenon during this period were interviewed. The research is qualitative in nature and the research method used was true Oral History. From the analysis it was noticed that a good part of the schools of Curitiba of the time maintained sports teams of income; the context of the Curitiba school sport was a kind of metaphor of professional sport; there was a hegemony of collective sports; the feminine sport sedimented in the memory of the interviewees was gymnastics; the teams were highly valued within the colleges; school teams participated in national and international championships; despite the character of income, there was already a difference of the sport practiced in clubs; some educational institutions were partnering with sports clubs.