Group items tagged

The authors explore the significance of different opportunities provided by college recreational sports (CRS) and its affect on student-athletes. They came to the conclusion from their study that academic performance excels when academic standards are brought to the administration first. Their results can help inform academic and athletic administrators, students, and the general public of the importance of continued support for recreational sports in college, and not just intercollegiate sports.

The purpose of this paper is to describe content and methods of an academic course offered twice annually at an NCAA Division I University. With empirical support to the effectiveness of this academic approach to psychological skills training presented elsewhere (Curry & Maniar, 2003), the focus of this paper is on the type and extent of each intervention treatment during the 15-week semester course (Vealey, 1994). Course content includes applied strategies for best performance targeting, arousal/affect control, identifying purpose, goal setting, imagery, sport confidence, trust, flow, sport nutrition, on-/off-field problem solving, self-esteem, and life skills education on eating disorders and drug/alcohol abuse. Teaching methods include narrative story telling, small group activities, journal writing, cognitive-behavioral homework, brainteasers, and active learning demonstrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with what it may mean to individuals to engage in practices that are physically challenging and risky. The article questions the assumptions that psychological health is commensurate with maintaining physical safety, and that risking one's health and physical safety is necessarily a sign of psychopathology. The research was based upon semi-structured interviews with eight extreme sport practitioners. The interviews were analysed using Colaizzi's version of the phenomenological method. The article explicates the themes identified in the analysis, and discusses their implications for health psychology theory and practice.

This study examined the roles of sensation seeking and self-efficacy in explaining extreme and high physical risk taking behavior. Study participants were 20 extreme risk takers chosen from participants in skiing, rock climbing, kayaking, and stunt flying. One control group was comprised of 20 high, but not extreme, risk takers from each of these activities, matched to the participants in skill and experience. A second control group consisted of 20 trained athletes involved in moderate risk sports. Percepts of self-efficacy emerged as the principle variable differentiating the groups. A social cognitive explanation for desire for mastery was used to understand what enables risk takers to overcome the potentially inhibiting influences of anxiety, fear, and the recognition of danger. This conclusion is further reinforced by converging results from interviews with the participants.

Time for a little fun. I know you've asked yourself this question: why do people engage in those dangerous sports like hang gliding, bungee jumping and rock climbing?

The author analyzes the academic values present in college athletics. She offers solutions to the imbalance of athletics and academic present in intercollegiate sports. According to the author her solutions would ensure that intercollegiate sports support academic missions of universities. She provides research relevant for this research; however it's brief and limited to broad information.

The author discuss many revisions NCAA continues to make to constantly improve and keep academic standards and programs up to date with ideal measures. He explores the timeline of NCAA reforms, starting with the first reforms that required little, if any, academic requirements for student athletes. He ends with the present position of the NCAA and its reforms, which are greatly improved with more realistic requirements for athletes' academics. Worsnop provides information useful for this study, while also making overall great points about the academic part of college sports.

This article is concerned with what it may mean to individuals to engage in practices that are physically challenging and risky. The article questions the assumptions that psychological health is commensurate with maintaining physical safety, and that risking one's health and physical safety is necessarily a sign of psychopathology. The research was based upon semi-structured interviews with eight extreme sport practitioners. The interviews were analysed using Colaizzi's version of the phenomenological method. The article explicates the themes identified in the analysis, and discusses their implications for health psychology theory and practice.

The fear that drives many of us away from the risks of extreme sports maybe the same ingredient that keeps top athletes coming back for more.

One possibility for those interested in sports to consider is the concept of physical literacy, here called "movement literacy," the idea that just as our minds learn to function at higher levels and acquire new skills, our bodies must do the same. However, between phyical education budgets being cut and increasing importance placed on technology, our understanding of movement literacy is decreasing. This article focuses on students in Kenya, where the most original innovative learning takes place during unstructed playtime. Includes a PDF and several photographs.

The NBA, which cares about higher education only as a source of player development, hypocritically praises the Toronto Raptors star's graduation side trip. An opinion piece, so shallow on facts, but has links to other sites.

This paper investigates gender differences in academic performance among university athletes at an NCAA Division I school. Using regression analysis, the findings suggest that background scholastic achievement variables and race influence university academic performance for student athletes, but sport participation measures and race are negatively related to university academic performance for males only. The consequences of inequalities between men's and women's athletic programs are explored. Implications for academic programs are discussed. (Abstract from author as it appears on EBSCO.)

These article provides information on academic support programs for student athletes. Various athletic-academic scandals have forced universities to provide needed academic support to student athletes. Campus consensus on academic support program must be developed by involving central administration, faculty, and athletic department personnel. Before selling up an athletic support program, a careful self-assessment can also serve as an example of institutional reform. A decision must be made whether the program should operate internally in the athletic department or externally in the campus administration. The first step in beginning an academic support program is assessing athletes through testing and records. The program should emphasize skill development and counseling, preferably in programs already existing for the general student body on campus. Budgets for large programs range between $250,000 to $500,000 a year. The program should be annually evaluated by looking at retention and graduation rates of student athletes. The program's success depends on the commitment of the university and the participation of the community.

This article is about the Urban Youth Racing Commission. It is short and light on facts, but ties to the topic of car racing.

Why college football is more cutthroat and competitive than the NFL. Slate articles cannot be transferred to Diigo. You can access this article at: http://www.slate.com/id/2203927/

EBSCOhost (ebscohost.com) serves thousands of libraries and other institutions with premium content in every subject area. Free LISTA: LibraryResearch.com

This article examines the academic services provided to student athletes on university campuses. The author describes the role of important figures, such as advisors, in athletes' collegiate career. He discusses several other factors that also contribute to athletes' academic achievement, but for the purpose of this research paper, information focusing on the influences responsible for maximizing academic performance of athletes were more important and useful. Nevertheless, much of the author's information was indeed interesting and resourceful.