Sporting Bodies Research Articles

Photographing physical activity: using visual methods to ‘grasp at’ the sensual experiences of the ageing body

Within the sociology of sport there is a small but rich strand of literature concerned with understanding the sensual experiences of sport and physical activity. Whilst this work has advanced our understanding of the sensual sporting body, less is known about the mature sporting body and the sensual experiences of older adults. Gaining an insight into the sensual experiences of others is no easy task and this article critically reflects on the methods used to ‘grasp at’ (Hockey and Allen-Collinson, 2007) older adults’ embodied experiences of physical activity. An account of the process and outcomes of the method employed is presented along with visual and textual data to illustrate the problems and possibilities of exploring the sensual experiences of the ageing body within the context of physical activity.

Visual body pedagogies: how anti-oppressive education informs the teaching and learning of sporting bodies

In this article, the authors borrow from anti-oppressive education theory for its potential to disrupt how students visually conceive sporting bodies and to problematize the teaching and learning of these bodies within undergraduate physical education (PE) programs. Fourteen photo stories produced by students enrolled in PE programs at two universities were analysed using a semiotic approach to excavate the emergent themes of sporting bodies from the narratives. Relying on Kumashiro's anti-oppressive educational theoretical framework, the authors found that most of stories reified discursive practices that (re)produce gender oppression in sport. Despite these findings, the authors also discovered anti-oppressive pedagogies are useful for teaching against the body oppressions conveyed in the photo stories. How anti-oppressive education informs other areas of PE should be examined in the future.

Association of sports drinks with weight gain among adolescents and young adults.

ObjectiveSales of regular soda are declining, but sales of other sweetened beverages, such as sports drinks, are increasing. Our objective was to determine the prospective associations between sports drinks and body mass index (BMI) gains among adolescents and young adults.Design and MethodsWe prospectively followed 4,121 females and 3,438 males in the Growing Up Today Study II, aged 9–16 in 2004, from across the United States. Data was collected by questionnaire in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011. Servings per day of various beverages were assessed with a food frequency questionnaire.ResultsAmong the girls, each serving per day of sports drink predicted an increase of 0.3 BMI units (95% confidence interval (CI) CI 0.03–0.54) more than their peers over the next 2–3 years. Among the males, each serving of sports drinks predicted a 0.33 BMI (95% CI 0.09, 0.66) increase. In addition, boys who increased their intake over the 2–3 year interval gained significantly more than their peers during the same time interval.ConclusionsIntake of sports drinks predicted larger increases in BMI among both females and males. Our results suggest that school policies focused on obesity prevention should be augmented to restrict sports drinks.

From iron maiden to superwoman: The stochastic art of self-transformation and the deviant female sporting body

This paper develops a theoretically grounded account of one extraordinary individual’s journey from female bodybuilder to Strongwoman. It is set against the challenges socially marginalised sportswomen confront in seeking to forge a coherent identity amidst the competing demands of the social, practical and embodied environments that invariably impinge upon such quests. Highlighting the complexities and ambiguities of the regimes to which Sarah and other ‘gender outlaws’ dedicate themselves, we begin by suggesting that these sporting vocations constitute stochastic arts; the practical indeterminacies of which are exacerbated by both the ultimate frailty of the physical body and the social inequalities women confront in pursuing such activities. Focusing upon Sarah’s life-narrative, we then explore within this framework the pleasures and problems she encountered when participating in and switching from bodybuilding to Strongwoman competitions, and identify what is at stake in this sporting route to self-transformation.

Skilled Interaction: Concepts of Communication and Player Management in the Development of Sport Officials

Communication and player management are integral to effective sport officiating, but most research has focused on physical performance and decision making. The few previous studies of officiating communication tended to use “transmission” conceptualizations of communication (e.g., decision communication, impression management). Eleven officiating-development managers and coaches from 7 peak Australian sport bodies were interviewed to explore conceptualizations of communication and player management, the way officials improve, and the role of the sport bodies in improvement. Four salient themes emerged in conceptualizations of effective officiating communication and player management: personal qualities of the official, 1-way-communication direction giving and impression management, situation monitoring (interpreting player and context), and skilled interaction (adapting communication appropriately for context). The findings highlight a mismatch between (a) interpretive and interactive communication skills perceived to be most important and challenging and (b) the training that is currently provided to officials. There was general commonality in practice and training issues across sport codes. The article makes theoretical contributions to the study of sport-official communication and practical recommendations for improving approaches to training skilled communication and player management.

Optimization of the structure of regional administrative body of sports and Physical Training branch in Krasnoyarsk Region

Optimization of the structure of regional administrative body of sports and Physical Training branch in Krasnoyarsk Region

Men Who Defaulted in the Greatest Game of All: Sport, Conscientious Objectors and Military Defaulters in New Zealand 1916–1923

During the Great War most New Zealand sports bodies restricted their competitions in some way. A rhetoric against ‘sporting shirkers’ proliferated and was reinforced when the New Zealand government introduced military conscription in 1916 and adopted a trenchant attitude against any who were unwilling to serve. After the Great War the New Zealand Returned Soldier's Association (RSA) requested that regional and national sports bodies ban known conscientious objectors and military defaulters from all sporting competitions. Subsequent actions by sports bodies were largely if not wholly symbolic in that the number of conscientious objectors was small and there is scant evidence of any individual actually being removed from sporting competition. But they are nevertheless a potent expression of the nexus between sporting prowess and blood sacrifice that developed throughout the British Empire during and after the Great War. But not all followed the wishes of the RSA. Some were concerned that an onus was being put on sporting administrators to fulfil a role that was the responsibility of the government, while militant trade unionists took exception to such punitive treatment of those who had had the courage to stand by their convictions.

Sport and body politics in Japan

Introduction: Researching Sport and the Political Economy of the Body in Japan Part One: Configurations of Modernity: Sport, the Body and the Nation 1. Modern Bodies, Capital Cities: The Institutionalization of Sport in Late Nation States 2. Creating Space: Urbanity and Modernity in the Japanese Sport Landscape 3. Sport, Body Control and National Discipline in Prewar and Wartime Japan Part Two: New Roles, New Faces: Sport in the Service of Various Masters 4. Sport and Gender in the Japanese Classroom 5. How to Sell a Public Good: The Current State of Sport Supply in Japan 6. Sport and Challenges of the Aged Society in Japan 7. Health, Lifestyle Risks and the Japanese Obesity Crisis 8. The World Cup Comes to Town: Critical Investigation of the Political Economy of Sport Mega-Events Part Three: Global Dimensions: Sport and Geo-Politics of the Body 9. The Global Game in the Service of Japan's Foreign Diplomacy 10. Sport, Spectacles and Subalternity: Positioning East Asia in World Sports 11. Japan, Asia and the New International Division of Sport Apparel Labour. Epilogue: Japanese Sport and Global Body Culture.

A forensic perspective of the AFL investigation into peptides: an antidoping investigation case study

BackgroundThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is introducing enhancements to doping investigations in its 2015 Code, which include improved sharing of information between antidoping organisations (including sporting bodies) and enhanced accountability...

Longitudinal associations between sports participation, body composition and physical activity from childhood to adolescence.

ObjectivesSeveral important research questions have been addressed: (1) What are the cross-sectional associations between sports club participation, objectively measured physical activity, and adiposity? (2) Do measures of physical activity and adiposity predict subsequent sports club participation? (3) Does sports club participation predict subsequent measures of physical activity and adiposity? and (4) Do changes in sports club participation predict changes in objective measures of physical activity and adiposity?DesignLongitudinal and cross-sectional.MethodsData from the Gateshead Millennium Study birth cohort (n = 609 at age 7 years) were analysed for associations between adiposity, sports club participation and accelerometer-measured physical activity from ages 7y to 9y to 12y.ResultsSeventy-two per cent of 9 year olds and 63% of 12 year olds took part in a sports club. Sports club participation was significantly associated with overall accelerometer-measured physical activity at 12y (coefficient = 0.0.09; 95% CI: 0.01–0.16) but not 9y. An inverse relationship between fat mass (estimated from bioelectric impedance) and sport club participation, and between fat mass and accelerometer-measured physical activity was observed at 12y, but not 9y. Sports club participation at 9y was highly predictive of participation at 12y. Sports club participation was significantly associated with socioeconomic status; fewer children from poorer areas took part.ConclusionsSports club participation in adolescence may be associated with decreased levels of adiposity. Furthermore, the potential benefits of sports club participation for adiposity are likely generated from continuous participation in sports, rather than any long-term protective effects.

Breathing exercises as a means of stimulation of physical performance in sports dance

The relevance of the use of respiratory muscle training is related to the principal implementation of functionality aimed stimulate the body for dance sport in specific circumstances where the use of traditional means out of training means limited. Established that respiratory muscle training is one way to optimize physiological reactivity skilled dancers. For this isolated group of assets that include exersices to train the respiratory muscles. The basis of training stimulates the increase of the respiratory muscles at the same level of pulmonary ventilation and provides a stimulating effect on the sensetivity of the reactions of the cardiorespiratory system.

The Sporting Body: Body Image and Eating Disorder Symptomatology Among Female Athletes from Leanness Focused and Nonleanness Focused Sports

ABSTRACTFemale athletes experience pressure to conform to social and sporting norms concerning body weight. This study compared general and sporting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptomatology among 320 elite, recreational, and noncompetitive female athletes aged 17 to 30 years competing in leanness focused sports and nonleanness focused sports. Participants completed an online questionnaire including demographic questions, the Eating Attitudes Test, and the Figure Rating Scale. Athletes from leanness focused sports reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction and greater disordered eating symptomatology regardless of participation level. Elite athletes reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction and greater disordered eating symptomatology regardless of sport type, and differences between recreational and noncompetitive athletes were not found. More than 60% of elite athletes from leanness focused and nonleanness focused sports reported pressure from coaches concerning body shape. The findings have important implications for identifying risk factors for eating disorders among female athletes, where athletes who compete at elite level and those who compete in leanness focused sports at any level may be at higher risk for developing eating disorders.

The Sports Law in the Context of the Plurality of Law Systems and the New Concept of Professional Sport Work in European Area

In our social system is getting more and more ground to the role of law in general, but also sports and legal norms in particular the establishment, functioning and legitimacy of sports activities, clubs and sports federations. Seen in the context of a myriad of norms, rules and laws of our country whether, but European legal framework have given the developmental approach and institutional self-regulating principles of sports bodies as special public entity Sports which means that they are: sports subjects of law, not state, created by law in the public interest involved here (University of sport; Societies sports associations, sports clubs and federations) that whether a legal person in public stage or private have functional independence, political, economic, and executive decision to each organ. Purpose of this study in to show needs, practices and challenges to present legislation on a whole, as a package of legal-important character with sports, to identify schemes which function playgrounds, plant and sporting rights and obligations of plants administrators sports. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n1p359

Reflections on the PING! table tennis initiative

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the impact and effectiveness of the national PING! project implemented by a national governing body of sport (NGB) and key public sector partners in England. It establishes lessons learnt and areas to improve future programme development in this area of public sports management. In addition it is also evidencing a new approach to engaging with physical activity and sports development in local communities. Design/methodology/approach – The research study is based on a user survey with 375 respondents and two qualitative ethnographic case studies in two of the eight cities that were involved in the programme. These case studies encompassed 30 individual or group interviews, informal observations and site visits across the two cities. Findings – The research project has identified some of the key factors that lie behind the positive outcomes of the scheme, including a strong sense of participant community, diverse participant profiles, a hidden workplace impact and building an entry point for non-engaged sports participants to sport and physical activity. In addition, lessons have been learnt in terms of future programme management, design and development in this field of informal and recreational sports project. These include strengthening opportunities for sustainable continued participation, sharing information with other NGBs that are beginning to work in this style of delivery and building alternative pathways to the traditional club as an outlet' for novice participants. Research limitations/implications – The study is based in England and is limited to a one year research project. The qualitative case studies were also only conducted in two of the main partner cities. Originality/value – Very few empirical studies have examined this growing trend towards informal table tennis programmes and facilities. Likewise the paper also offers a novel evaluation approach for NGBs to gain richer more insightful depth of research lessons. It is also part of the growing literature that is questioning the foundations of “traditional sports development” practice and its associated sphere of public sector activity.

Delivery networks and community sport in England

Purpose– The paper aims to utilise Adam and Kriesi's network approach to policy analysis to examine the range of exogenous factors that affect interactions in the community sport policy process from a local authority perspective.Design/methodology/approach– The research is based upon two case studies. Each case study involved semi-structured interviews with three local authority middle/senior managers, three senior County Sport Partnership (CSP) representatives, and eight regional/county national governing bodies of sport (NGB) representatives.Findings– While the two cases exhibit distinctive socio-economic and structural profiles they provide valuable evidence regarding the operation of the network of partners involved in community sport and also illustrate the utility of Adam and Kriesi's analytical framework. In relation to Adam and Kriesi's power/interaction model both cases illustrate the fragmentation of power at the community level although interaction in one case exhibits a pattern best characterised as “competition” whereas interaction in the other is more closely associated with “horizontal cooperation”.Research limitations/implications– The paper highlights the need for improved theorisation of partnership arrangements in community sport, in particular: examining the relationship between issues such as resources, organisational capacity, and traditional involvement in sport development and attitudes toward the community sport policy process; linked to this, mapping the causal relationships in partnerships, i.e. what factors lead to what actions or behaviours; and investigating the utility of various strategies in developing a more cohesive and effective sub-regional policy system.Originality/value– Local authority perspectives of community sport policy is an under-researched topic. It is timely to study these perspectives due to the refreshed community sport policy for 2013-2017, the traditional status of local government as the major funder of community sport, and the public sector budget reductions and reported implications for non-statutory services, such as community sport

What is a Sports Injury?

Current sports injury reporting systems lack a common conceptual basis. We propose a conceptual foundation as a basis for the recording of health problems associated with participation in sports, based on the notion of impairment used by the World Health Organization. We provide definitions of sports impairment concepts to represent the perspectives of health services, the participants in sports and physical exercise themselves, and sports institutions. For each perspective, the duration of the causative event is used as the norm for separating concepts into those denoting impairment conditions sustained instantly and those developing gradually over time. Regarding sports impairment sustained in isolated events, 'sports injury' denotes the loss of bodily function or structure that is the object of observations in clinical examinations; 'sports trauma' is defined as an immediate sensation of pain, discomfort or loss of functioning that is the object of athlete self-evaluations; and 'sports incapacity' is the sidelining of an athlete because of a health evaluation made by a legitimate sports authority that is the object of time loss observations. Correspondingly, sports impairment caused by excessive bouts of physical exercise is denoted as 'sports disease' (overuse syndrome) when observed by health service professionals during clinical examinations, 'sports illness' when observed by the athlete in self-evaluations, and 'sports sickness' when recorded as time loss from sports participation by a sports body representative. We propose a concerted development effort in this area that takes advantage of concurrent ontology management resources and involves the international sporting community in building terminology systems that have broad relevance.

Development and initial evidence of validity of a short form of the physical self-perception profile for Greek adults

The aim of the study was the development of a valid and reliable short form of the physical self-perception profile. Data were collected from three samples of Greek adults, spanning 17–67 years. (Sample 1: n = 595; Sample 2: n = 602; Sample 3: n = 609). The physical self-perception profile—short form (PSPP-SF) comprised 15 items with three items per subscale of sport competence, body attractiveness, physical condition, physical strength, and physical self-worth (PSW). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement model of PSPP-SF responses with good internal consistency per subscale. Data indicated an equivalent item interpretation across gender, weight status, exercise behaviour, age, and educational level. The mediating role of PSW in the relationship of global self-esteem with physical subdomain perceptions was also supported. Further, PSPP-SF scores supported the hierarchical conceptualisation of the physical self-concept and largely discriminated non-exercisers and regular exercise participants.

Organizing masculine bodies in rugby league football: groomed to fail

In the article I argue that a study of high contact sports, such as rugby league, can illuminate a discursive space in which the production of organized, docile, masculine, bodies, engaged in emotional labour are crafted and mobilized through disciplinary practices. Participants from a rugby league football club and their trainers have been interviewed and observed as part of a larger ethnographic study. The analysis provides a contrast to and develops understanding from studies of the organized female body, which have long argued that they are subject to disciplinary forces in the workplace (e.g. Trethewey, 1999), by illustrating how masculine bodies may also be made docile in particular organizational contexts. The article explores the organization of masculine bodies in professional sport as an example of the production of masculinity in a work environment. I conclude by suggesting that these masculine bodies are worked upon to be fit for organizational purpose in a similar way to how women’s bodies are crafted to fit in male-dominated work environments. This is not simply through an imposition of more powerful ideologies but as simultaneous products and producers of the organized body. Furthermore, despite these efforts, the bodies become no longer fit for use with the passage of time. The erosion of ability due to injury and competition from younger, fitter, bodies ensure that their working lives are brought to an abrupt close.

Talking relative age effects: a fictional analysis based on scientific evidence

During the past 30 years, there has been a considerable amount of scientific attention dedicated to the reported age discrimination which occurs in youth and elite sport. The purpose of this paper is to examine the notion of relative age effects (RAEs) through a slightly different lens. This paper therefore presents a fictional conversation between Jim, a sport and exercise scientist, Paul, a professional football coach, and Helen, a coach education manager. The conversation takes place following a presentation on the nuances of the RAE phenomenon at a National Sports Coaching Conference. The debate is driven by Paul's Darwinian approach to the existence (or not) of RAEs and Helen's concerns that sports administrators responsible for talent identification and development within national governing bodies of sport are not raising awareness of this phenomenon with the sports coaches who are ultimately responsible for talent development in youth sport.

Boozing, brawling, and community building: sport-facilitated community development in a rural Ontario community

Sport, and specifically hockey, is discussed extensively in relation to social identity formation and other social outcomes, both positive and negative, within Canadian society. In this article, we utilize a collaborative analysis to examine an autoethnographic account of participation in a rural community hockey tournament and its various social outcomes. Through this analysis, we discuss the construction of social identities, social capital, nostalgia, and heritage and then we explore the tensions that exist between the values made explicit by institutional sporting bodies, such as the Canadian Sport Policy, and the values embodied by the tournament. We discuss how idiosyncratic elements of the tournament generate social outcomes and promote community development, despite violating institutional norms. By revealing the rift between institutional- and community-level values, we highlight a need for more contextual interpretations of rural community sporting events in order to better understand the complex ways in which they may contribute to local culture and community development.