Sport In Poland Research Articles

Injuries related to taekwondo training - short report based on experiences from Primary School No. 31 with sports championship classes in Bydgoszcz (Poland)

Taekwondo has become a very popular sport in Poland and around the world, and training in this martial art begins with young children. Taekwondo trainings are organized in kindergartens and schools, clubs and master classes are organized in sports schools, and children take part in competitions. Taekwondo, like any martial art, carries a potential risk of injury. According to the literature, lower limb injuries are the most common, as in taekwondo the lower limbs are mainly used. Head and spine injuries as a result of falls are also described. The author emphasizes that despite the injuries described in the literature and the frequency of occurrence defined as about 2.5 - 8%, injuries in the sports school in Bydgoszcz are significantly less frequent. The author also points out that there are also injuries (fractures) of the upper limbs, which are ignored by numerous international publications. Despite this, it should be emphasized that taekwondo is a safe sport discipline. Its prevalence among school children is a favorable phenomenon.

Assessment of selected body composition parameters and nutritional habits of American football players in Poland: a prospective and observational study

Introduction : American football is becoming a more and more popular sport in Poland. People practicing this sport have specific nutritional needs. A balanced and rational diet is very important in the process of training an athlete. Not only composition of the body, but also the proper diet is important of the results achieved, deciding on the athlete’s success or failure. The aim of the study is to assess the body composition and nutritional behavior of American football players. Materials and methods : The study was conducted among 46 participants from the American football club ‘Towers Opole’. They were split into 2 groups, senior (n = 31) and junior (n = 15). The following measurements were taken: height, weight, body composition (body fat – BF, fat mass – FM, fat free mass – FFM, muscle mass – MM, total body water – TBW) and body mass index (BMI). An evaluation of nutritional behavior through the author’s questionnaire was also conducted. Results : Seniors compared to juniors had – body height (BH): 183.1 cm vs. 174.7 cm (p 0.05), and occasionally or not at all with energy drinks – 83.33% vs. 50.00% (p < 0.05). Conclusions : Seniors have higher values of somatic variables than juniors. The prevalence of normal eating habits among seniors and juniors is at a similar level, although the group of seniors had more favorable eating habits than the juniors.

Impact of European Union programs on the activities of the Third Polish Republic’s Parliament in the field of sport in the years 2004-2007

The aim of this paper is to show the impact of European Union programs on the activities of the Third Polish Republic’s Parliament in the field of sport in the years 2004-2007. The Republic of Poland joined the European Union (EU) on 1 May 2004. Since then, it has been co-creating the image of sport in Europe. All activities undertaken by the Polish Parliament in the development of sport after this event were related to programs in the European Union. During the period covered in this paper, the institutions involved in sport in the European Union included the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Court of Justice. One year after Poland’s accession to the European Union, elections were held for the fifth term of the Polish Sejm (2005-2007). The representatives of the Polish Parliament, during meetings of the Physical Culture and Sport Committee, repeatedly pointed to the possibility of adapting EU programs and their use in the development of sport in Poland. The material presented by the Ministry of Sport and the Office of the European Integration Committee in Warsaw informed about the following programs (mainly investment ones): Sport in the structures of the European Union and European Union Programs for the development of sport, implemented between 2004 and 2006. The most important issues raised by the Committee were those contained in the two most important documents: White Paper on Sport and Independent European Sport Review. As a result of the work of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland during the fifth term of office (2005-2007) in cooperation with the Ministry of Sport and the Parliamentary Physical Culture and Sport Committee, a plan for co-financing projects for the construction, extension or modernization of sports infrastructure under the EU structural programs and the INTERREG III A and EQUAL Community Initiatives was developed. The effect of Poland’s membership in the EU in that period was a gradual elimination of infrastructural negligence and undertaking activities related to the activation of local communities in the area of education and sport. Poland’s membership in the EU so far has brought positive results: increased accessibility of sport thanks to the development of regional infrastructure co-financed by the EU funds and the enrichment of the program offer by supporting projects related to the organization of extracurricular sports activities for children and young people. The positive effects of membership in the field of sport are still being perceived by selected groups and society as a whole.

Status prawny zawodnika w Polsce w dobie późnego socjalizmu i w pierwszych latach po transformacji ustrojowej (lata 1984-1996)

The main objective of this article is to present an overall insight into the legal status of sportsmen in Poland, from 1984 to 1996, i.e., in the period when the sports system was thoroughly transformed. The study uses historical and formal-dogmatic methods. In addition, the author interviewed a long-time curator of Legia Warsaw Museum and a sports fan, perfectly familiarised with reality of sport in Poland at that time, which enriches theoretical and legal considerations with a practical value. The research strives to draw attention to the importance of political aspects in the sports sector within the era of late socialism and in the first years after the transformation of political system in Poland. Additionally, it also aims to discuss their ramifications for legal protection of players. The author highlights the implications of interventionist regulatory model in sport which was adopted by the authorities of People’s Republic of Poland by virtue of the Physical Culture Act of 3 June 1984. The article also presents the main tasks and importance of the state in process of creating the sports reality, in particular the position of Polish athletes. The article includes theoretical and practical issues related to amateur sport under the socialism in Poland. The research is intended to compare the regulatory framework concerning sportsmen stated in the Physical Culture Act of 3 June 1984 with the provisions of the Physical Culture Act of 18 January 1996. The author undertakes an evaluation of specific legal institutions from the point of view of the competition between Polish sport on the world stage and dynamic development of professional sport.

Social and Political Aspects of the Development of Cycling in Pomorze Zachodnie (West Pomerania) in the Years 1945–1950

The article presents the determinants of the development of cycling in the areas incorporated by Poland in the first years after the Second World War. The biggest contribution into this process was made by people from large cities, pre-war enthusiasts and athletes who undertook the hardships of social activity and the engagement of local youth. Sports organizations were controlled, but also supported, by state authorities that used mass events in the propaganda policy and actions aimed at integrating the Northern and Western Lands with the rest of the country. This was an important task due to the difficult living conditions and marauding groups of criminals for whom Pomorze Zachodnie constituted an area of criminal activity, mainly plundering former German property, as well as attacking. Polish settlers. The development of cycling in Szczecin was favored by the German infrastructure, including a concrete track often used in national championships. At the end of 1949, sport in Poland was reorganized and centralized, making it similar to the Soviet model, where there was no room for social measures. The bourgeoisie clubs had to cease their activities, while the circles and clubs were created at workplaces and trade unions. Sports federations were liquidated and their place was occupied by sports clubs located within the structures of the state administration. The organizational changes were accompanied by the mass popularization of sport and increased financing for competitive sport from the state budget. The goal of such activities was to reach a wide group of young people for the needs of indoctrination, as well as to raise the level of sport to achieve more effective competition with Western countries.

DOES PRACTICING SPORT PREDISPOSE TO WORK AS A MANAGER?

In the literature on the subject, there are presented at least several ways that physical activity can positively influence professional work. If one can develop leadership skills and improve teamwork by practicing sport, people who practice sport should be predisposed to work as managers. The purpose of the article is to determine whether people practicing sport in Poland more often work as managers. The research involved the use of the Social Diagnosis integrated database. As a result of the conducted analyses, it can be concluded that people practicing sport perform managerial functions more often than people not practicing sport

Physical activity in Poland and the European Union

The primary purpose of the article is to present the level of sport participation in Poland and other European Union countries. Moreover, the article discusses the definitions of individual terms related to sport, determinants of physical activity and plans of increasing participation in sport in Poland and across the European Union. The article uses data provided by extensive public opinion polls as well as by abundant Polish and English literature on the subject. The results of the research show that in Poland, when compared to the European Union, a lower percentage of people are actively involved in sport. However, it can be noted that in recent years there has been a growing interest in physical activity in Poland.

Ecological model of physical fitness determinants among children and adolescents in Poland compared to worldwide research, part 1.

Research aim: 1. Understanding the level of physical activity among children and adolescents in 38 countries around the world, based on research conducted using the ecological model by JF Sallis, 2. Assessment regarding the functioning of the ecological model of physical activity in Poland in light of the research results obtained by the organisation "Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance ( AHKGA)". Research methods: Analysis of documents issued by members of the AHKGA organisation with particular emphasis on the publications found in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2016, 13 (Suppl. 2), S343-S366. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2016-0594 © 2016 Human Kinetics, Inc., as well as Polish reports, bulletins and ordinances of the Ministry of Health and Sport, the government and social organisations. Research results: The conducted research on physical fitness among children and youth from 38 countries of four continents proved the existence of a paradox. An inverse relationship has been found between increased physical activity in all forms of games, in active transport to schools (and back), and a lower sedentary lifestyle of children and adolescents in countries with poorer sport and recreational infrastructure. Better infrastructure and implementation of sports and recreation programmes did not go hand in hand with an increase in physical activity and the limitation of sedentary behaviours. It can therefore be assumed that spontaneous, unorganised participation in physical activity is more important for achieving desired pedagogical goals than supervised and imposed activation programmes for implementing physical exercises. The highest marks from the components of the ecological model taken into account (General Physical Activity, Participation in Organised Sport, Active Play, Active Transport, Sedentary Behaviour, Family and Friends, School, Local Community and Surroundings. Government Strategies and Investments) were obtained by Denmark, Slovenia and the Netherlands... Surprisingly, the functioning of the ecological model of physical activity in Japan was poorly assessed. The physical activity of Polish children can be considered average compared to their peers living on all continents of the world. This means that only a small percentage of children in Poland comply with WHO recommendations regarding daily physical activity (combined at medium and high levels) to counteract the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. There is no balanced approach in Poland to supporting the physical activity of children and adolescents. The best functioning area in this respect is the school, where activities are focused on improving school infrastructure and physical education classes. There is a lack of representative research concerning the physical activity of children below the age of 9 and a complete lack of scientific analyses in the area of active play. The fact that less than a quarter of children and youth in Poland (11-15 years) is sufficiently physically active (20.1-24.2% active for 60 min daily), should be considered alarming. Assessment of the central policy area and investment was positive, especially due to the inclusion of elements related to supporting the activity of children and youth in the Strategy for the Development of Sport in Poland up to 2020. Conclusions. It is necessary to implement a common framework for the systematic supervision of overweightness and obesity among children and adolescents, as well as a systematic approach to the evaluation of physical activity. Such actions are necessary. Systematic monitoring of changes regarding the physical activity development trend over time and drawing cognitive and application conclusions from the undertaken research are also much needed.

The face of sport in the Polish State Police in the interwar period

Sport has accompanied mankind since ancient times. It is thanks to sport that we are healthier and can enjoy life. The smallest sporting effort causes the body to produce endorphins that make us feel happy. Not without significance is the fact that sport, but in its professional dimension, prepares people who practice it to a great effort. In the face of threats, unforeseen events, people who practice sports can find their way around the situation and take appropriate actions. Therefore, just as police officers face difficult service in the present day, police officers had to face up to the challenges posed in the interwar period. In 1918 Poland regained its independence, and the authorities were responsible for ensuring the security of the country. Therefore, on 24 July 1919, the State Police was established by law. Due to the nature of the tasks performed, the police officers were required to be physically fit. In order to meet this challenge, pro-sports organizations were established, which by their actions were to raise the level of sports skills of both the society and the officers. The factor which was to motivate uniformed officers to work on their physical fitness was the introduction of the National Police Sports Competitions, which were nationwide in scope. Undoubtedly, this form of competition, as well as mobilization, led to the fact that on the basis of Police Sports Clubs, physical culture in the State Police significantly developed. The article presents the face of sport in the interwar period in the Polish State Police, its development and influence on the officers themselves, as well as its further importance in the history of sport in Poland.

Trzy pytania o polską socjologię sportu

W dwóch wydanych niedawno publikacjach pod redakcją Kevina Younga (2016, 2017) przedstawiony został światowy pejzaż socjologii sportu. Autorzy poszczególnych rozdziałów tej publikacji, reprezentujący różne państwa, zostali poproszeni o opisanie rodzimego statusu tej subdyscypliny w oparciu o zbiór pytań kluczowych dla jej scharakteryzowania. Wśród analizowanych krajów nie pojawia się jednak Polska. Niniejszy tekst jest zatem próbą opisania kondycji polskiej socjologii sportu przez pryzmat trzech jej aspektów: przeszłości, teraźniejszości i przyszłości.

Writing the History of Sport in Poland. The Underestimated Potential of the Cultural History Perspective

Polish historiography of sport bases its work on the nineteenth-century historiographic tradition: the resulting research and publications descriptively present the history of institutions, organizations and the achievements of sportspeople. Whereas this is work that comprehensively delves into the origins of sport and physical culture, describing in detail the oldest phenomena and events, the practice strays away from modern trends in the humanities with regards to interpretation or research methodology. In order to envision the scope of potential which the cultural perspective can offer Polish history of sports, the paper analyzes the recent historiography of Polish sport during the communist period. Discussing one of the Polish works that had been declared by its author as ‘anthropological research on history of sports’, the paper poses questions about notions of anthropological history in Polish scholarship, discusses what ethnographic sources can tell us when they are approached as ‘facts’ from the past, and in what other ways the same sources can be interpreted when perceived as traces in the palimpsest of our contemporary culture.

Koszykówka na wózkach na przełomie wieków

Wheelchair basketball at the turn of the centuryWheelchair basketball was the first discipline, which was used in the rehabilitation process.Most hospitals and rehabilitation very quickly introduce this discipline. At the beginning was this game mainly for people with spinal cord injury designed. However, thanks to its attractiveness and modifications has become the most recognizable and most popular discipline of sport for the disabled. Evolution of wheelchair basketball began after popularizing it in the United States and still continues bringing together a huge number of players, coaches and officials. It is the only sports discipline fully professionalised.Wheelchair basketball players are professionals, and the final tournaments of the Olympic Games, World and European Championships, as well as the finals of the Champions League is watched by crowds of supporters.An example may be a match during the Paralympic Games in Sydney 2000, where the average number of viewers was 17.5 thousand. Currently, the European Wheelchair basketball Federation brings together more than 80 countries and this number is constantly growing.The article shows the dynamic growth of interest in wheelchair basketball last years. The development of this sport in Poland and abroad is growing, as well as a number of interested her disabledThe authors analyzed the collected material in the form Polish and foreign literature.

LEGAL BASIS OF SCHOOL SPORTS IN POLAND IN THE YEARS 1947–1997 – SELECTED ASPECTS

After almost six years of a consumptive Poland, World War II, the Polish society began to rebuild the basic, destroyed structures of the country. Deep political transformations have undergone fundamental state structures, including education and sport. The National Council was involved in issues of Physical Education was already involved in 1945. At its 9th session, proposals about protection of health and physical education were presented. They were at a time when the Temporary Government of National Unity had already introduced decrees: the creation of offices and boards of physical education and military adoption, and the universal obligation of physical education and military adoption. The establishment of the Seym in early 1947 resulted in further changes in organizational structures of physical culture. The Act on the Universal Obligation of Vocational Enrollment, Physical Education and Youth Adoption, and the Organization of Physical Culture and Sports, was the impetus for major changes. In 1949, another resolution dissolved all the hitherto centralized institutions of physical culture by appointing the Main Committee of Physical Culture in their place. The aim of this article is to discuss issues related to the statutes adopted during that period and the ordinances which regulated all matters related to the development of widely understood school sport in Poland since 1947 to 1997.

A Comparison of Physical Education Students' Motivation Using Polish and Turkish Versions of the Academic Motivation Scale.

Motivation is an important phenomenon in the realm of education, particularly in the university fields connected with physical education and sport, where it is necessary to accommodate and balance intellectual abilities and physical fitness. The present study tested motivation levels among university students in the fields connected with physical education and sport in Poland and Turkey. It was based on the Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985), namely intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation which impact human behaviour. The Academic Motivation Scale was used (Vallerand et al., 1992). The aims of the study were twofold, first, to crossculturally validate Polish and Turkish versions of the Academic Motivation Scale and second, to identify and compare the motivation to study depending on nationality and gender. Both Polish and Turkish versions of the questionnaire were validated and converted to a four-factorial structure. The findings indicated that Polish and Turkish students’ motivation especially differed in amotivation and intrinsic motivation to know and experience stimulation. Moreover, Turkish female students proved to be at the lowest estimate of amotivation.

„Przegląd Sportowy” jako informator i propagator sportu kobiet w Polsce w roku olimpijskim (1936)

The paper presents women’s sport in Poland in the light of „Przegląd Sportowy” [„Sports Review”] of 1936. „Sports Review” popularized women’s sport in Poland through reports, materials and articles concerning conditions for women’s sports, women’s sports competition and achievements. Only very few women participated in organization structures of sport in Poland. In 1936 the International Women’s Sports Federation ceased to exist. The most popular sports disciplines practiced by women in Poland in the discussed period were gymnastics, sports games and athletics. Women also practiced other sports disciplines, among others, canoeing, archery, skating, skiing, swimming, tobogganing, fencing, tennis and rowing. Polish women were most successful in the international arena in athletics, archery and tennis. The best women in Polish sport included: Jadwiga Jedrzejowska, Janina Kurkowska-Spychajowa, Maria Kwaśniewska, Jadwiga Wajs and Stanislawa Walasiewicz.

„Przegląd Sportowy” jako informator i propagator sportu kobiet w Polsce w roku wybuchu II wojny światowej (1939 r.)

The paper presents women’s sport in Poland based on the “Przegląd Sportowy” [“Sports Review”] magazine of 1939. “Sports Review” popularized women’s sport in Poland through reports, materials and articles concerning conditions for women’s sport, women’s sports competition and achievements. The most popular sports disciplines practised by women in Poland in the period discussed were sports games, athletics and archery. Women also practised other sports disciplines, among others, gymnastics, canoeing, skating, skiing, swimming, fencing, rowing, tennis, table tennis and automobile sport. At that time Polish women were most successful in the international arena in archery and tennis. The best women in Polish sport included: Janina Kurkowska-Spychajowa and Jadwiga Jedrzejowska.

Universally Accessible Sport in Polish Society’s Lifestyle: The Causes of Change

Aim. This paper aims to diagnose the revival of universally accessible sport in Poland and the place sport holds in the lifestyles of Polish society. In particular, the paper seeks to identify the causes of the revival, that is, show where the causes should be searched for and name the factors and determinants that have played the dominant role in changes studied in this paper. Methods. In order to reach the goal formulated above, the author has used the most popular theories of lifestyle and the findings of research conducted by Andrzej Sicinski, a Polish sociologist whose dissertations on lifestyle are widely esteemed by the research community. Additionally, this paper employs the extremely important sociological theories of structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism. Results. Analyses performed in the rational order and employing a wide range of empirical data reveal two groups of factors that have played a fundamental role in the revival of universally accessible sport among the Polish public as well as in the related changes in Polish people’s lifestyles. One group are factors resulting from the changing social structure (education, affluence, employment structure, etc.), while factors in the other group stem from cultural changes (dominant ideals, behavioural patterns, social control, cultural pressure, etc.). Discussion and Conclusion. The above changes in the cultural sphere have had more and less indirect influence on the public’s attitudes towards sporting activities. This is to say that culture is a socialization factor that prompts individuals and communities to internalize sporting lifestyles. The acceptance of such lifestyles meets with positive sanctions and symbolic rewards, whereas individuals and communities that reject such lifestyles expose themselves to negative sanctions and symbolic retributions which are often just as unbearable as financial penalties. © Idōkan Poland Association “IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology”, Vol. 16, no. 1 (2016), pp. 30–38 DOI: 10.14589/ido.16.1.4

Związki między polityką i sportem w Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej

Links between Politics and Sport in the People’s Republic of PolandSport wyczynowy w polityce państwa 1944–1989 (Kraków 2012), a book by Artur Pasko, is the first successful Polish attempt at an examination of sport and politics in post-war Poland to 1989. The author referred to all-sided sources of assorted origin, with pride of place given to archival research and oral history sources. The publication is composed of six chapters, whose inner caesurae are political and sports events: 1946, 1949, 1956, 1970 and 1980. The years 1956 and 1980 refer to important political and sports episodes (Polish October ’56, the Olympic Games in Melbourne, the political crisis of 1980 and the Olympic Games in Moscow). In turn, the 1946 and 1949 caesurae denote essential moments in the history of sport, or rather the administration of physical culture, tourism, and military training. During this period, activists of the Polish Workers’ Party and, subsequently, the Polish United Workers’ Party devised a model of total control over competitive sport in Poland by entrusting it to trustworthy people with a communist lineage. The author discussed comprehensively a number of important motifs: the organisational structure and activists of such central institutions as the Polish Olympic Committee, the State Office of Physical Education and Military Defence, the Central Committee for Physical Culture, the Central Committee for Physical Culture and Sport, the Central Committee for Physical Culture and Tourism, the Polish Sport Federation and the Committee of Youth and Physical Culture; sport in the propaganda of People’s Poland; relations between the Polish Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee; amateur and professional sport in countries beyond the Iron Curtain, and the invigilation of sportsmen and activists by the special services of People’s Poland.

ACTIVITY OF PARACHUTE TRAINING DEPARTMENT’S CADRE (MECHANISED INFANTRY OFFICER SCHOOL) IN PARACHUTE SECTION OF MILITARY SPORTS CLUB „ŚLĄSK”

The authors present a brief history of parachute sport in Poland, with special focus on the activity of the Parachute Section of Military Sports Club “Śląsk” in Wroclaw. The history of the Parachute Section starts in 1964 along with the beginning of parachute training at the Mechanized Infantry Officer School.The Parachute Section played an important role in the military parachute society for over 20 years, winning numerous national and international championships and competitions.The article can be useful to support lessons on Polish military history.

Philosophy of Sport in Poland: Observations

Philosophy of Sport in Poland: ObservationsThe presented paper has a polemic and an explanatory nature. It refers to some of the inaccuracies contained in the text authored by Ivo Jirásek and Peter Hopsicker. The aforementioned authors presented the achievements of various prominent philosophers of sport from Slavic countries, including the achievements of some Polish thinkers. My observations are focused mainly on issues related to the birth and development of the philosophy of sport in Poland. I would like to thank Professor Ivo Jirásek and Professor Peter Hopsicker for addressing the topic of Polish philosophy and for their research efforts. I also would like to ask the authors to receive my comments with the good intentions with which I composed them, and hope my comments may enrich their cognitive project.