Examining the relationship between team building and physical activity adherence in rural youth

The primary purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between a team building (TB) intervention and the adherence behaviours of youth participating in a physical activity club. A preliminary study served to assess the appropriateness of a modified version of the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ, Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1985) for a youth sample (N =203), and the results revealed that the instrument appeared to be appropriate for this population. Participants for the main intervention study (N = 122) were high school students (Grades 9-12) participating in 10 rural, school-based exercise clubs. Individuals in five of the schools (n=65) were exposed to a TB intervention and individuals in the other five schools (n=57) served as the controls. Results were divided into examination of process and outcome variables. In terms of the process variables, results revealed that the five factors (group distinctiveness, group positions, group norms, communication/interaction, individual sacrifices) manipulated in the TB intervention significantly differentiated the two groups, Wilks’ Lambda (5) = .597, p.10. A secondary analysis also revealed a significant relationship between groups and group task satisfaction, with those in the TB group holding greater perceptions of group task satisfaction than those in the control group, Wilks’ Lambda (1, 97) = 11.69, p = .001, þ2 = .02. These findings provided preliminary support for TB as an effective group-based intervention to improve activity attendance in this population. Given this was the first study to examine the relationship between TB and youth adherence in an exercise setting, further research is recommended

Positive youth development and observed athlete behavior in recreational sport

Objectives Competence, confidence, connection, and character are regarded as outcomes of positive youth development (PYD) in sport. However, the specific athlete behaviors associated with different PYD profiles are not well understood. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between athletes\u27 observed behavior during sport competitions and their perceptions of PYD outcomes. Design Cross-sectional study with systematic behavioral observation. Method Sixty-seven youth athletes were observed during basketball games near the end of their season, and the content of their behavior was systematically coded. Athletes also completed measures of the 4 Cs (competence, confidence connection, and character). A person- centered analysis approach was used to examine the relationship between PYD profiles and observed behavior. Results A cluster analysis identified two homogenous groups of athletes characterized by relatively high and low perceptions of confidence, connection, and character. A MANCOVA revealed that after controlling for gender and years of playing experience, the high Cs group engaged in more frequent sport communication with their coaches. Conclusions Results re-affirm the critical role that coaches play in the developmental experiences of young athletes, and highlight the importance of contextual factors of the youth sport environment

The social environment and developmental experiences in elite youth soccer

Objectives: We aimed to examine social-contextual correlates of players' developmental experiences in an elite youth soccer context. Specifically, we hypothesized that player perceptions of team cohesion and coach rapport would be positively associated with psychological need fulfillment. In turn, psychological need satisfaction was proposed to be positively related to adaptive developmental experiences in youth soccer (i.e., opportunities for leadership, emotional regulation, and goal setting), and negatively related to social exclusion.Design: Cross-sectional.Method: 133 male elite soccer players, aged between 11 and 18 years old, completed a self-report questionnaire assessing the variables of interest.Results: Using path analysis and bootstrapping methods, we found support for the overall model fit of the hypothesized conceptual framework and specific study hypotheses.Conclusions: This study utilizes strong theoretical foundations to underscore the role of the coach and team environment in facilitating positive youth outcomes, and highlights a potential mechanism that may explain these processes

An investigation of the cognitive, social, and emotional development of major junior OHL hockey players (Ontario).

Presently, there is a trend of increasingly younger athletes entering the Canadian junior hockey system. This new phenomenon, \u27fast tracking,\u27 has raised concerns about the players\u27 development (Canadian Hockey Association, 2001). The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the cognitive, social, and emotional development of fast tracking and non-fast tracking Major Junior Ontario Hockey League (OHL) players. The study was multifaceted incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Phase I was quantitative in nature and utilized a Fast Tracking questionnaire which investigated an OHL player\u27s cognitive, social, and emotional issues such as academics, transitions, social support, and confidence. Participants included current male junior hockey players from the OHL ranging in age from 15--21 years. Of the 375 OHL participants surveyed, 238 successfully completed Phase I. Participants were then divided into two broad categories: fast trackers (n = 209) and non-fast trackers (n = 29). An ANOVA and three MANOVAs were utilized to investigate the four dependent variables (cognitive, social, emotional, and satisfaction) in Phase I. In order to elaborate and confirm Phase I data, Phase II involved focus group interview sessions with rookie players (n = 8) from two OHL teams. Results revealed no significant differences in cognitive, social, and emotional development as well as satisfaction between fast trackers and non-fast trackers. With a greater understanding of the challenges facing junior hockey players, specific recommendations and future research are suggested to ease the transition into all levels of junior hockey and encourage undecided or late developing minor hockey-aged athletes to remain in the minor hockey system. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2002 .B78. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 41-04, page: 1208. Adviser: Krista Munroe. Thesis (M.H.K.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2002

Prospectus, April 23, 1986

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1986/1012/thumbnail.jp

Slocum gliders provide accurate near real-time estimates of baleen whale presence from human-reviewed passive acoustic detection information

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Baumgartner, M. F., Bonnell, J., Corkeron, P. J., Van Parijs, S. M., Hotchkin, C., Hodges, B. A., Thornton, J. B., Mensi, B. L., & Bruner, S. M. Slocum gliders provide accurate near real-time estimates of baleen whale presence from human-reviewed passive acoustic detection information. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, (2020):100, doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00100.Mitigating the effects of human activities on marine mammals often depends on monitoring animal occurrence over long time scales, large spatial scales, and in real time. Passive acoustics, particularly from autonomous vehicles, is a promising approach to meeting this need. We have previously developed the capability to record, detect, classify, and transmit to shore information about the tonal sounds of baleen whales in near real time from long-endurance ocean gliders. We have recently developed a protocol by which a human analyst reviews this information to determine the presence of marine mammals, and the results of this review are automatically posted to a publicly accessible website, sent directly to interested parties via email or text, and made available to stakeholders via a number of public and private digital applications. We evaluated the performance of this system during two 3.75-month Slocum glider deployments in the southwestern Gulf of Maine during the spring seasons of 2015 and 2016. Near real-time detections of humpback, fin, sei, and North Atlantic right whales were compared to detections of these species from simultaneously recorded audio. Data from another 2016 glider deployment in the same area were also used to compare results between three different analysts to determine repeatability of results both among and within analysts. False detection (occurrence) rates on daily time scales were 0% for all species. Daily missed detection rates ranged from 17 to 24%. Agreement between two trained novice analysts and an experienced analyst was greater than 95% for fin, sei, and right whales, while agreement was 83–89% for humpback whales owing to the more subjective process for detecting this species. Our results indicate that the presence of baleen whales can be accurately determined using information about tonal sounds transmitted in near real-time from Slocum gliders. The system is being used operationally to monitor baleen whales in United States, Canadian, and Chilean waters, and has been particularly useful for monitoring the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale throughout the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.Funding for this project was provided by the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program of the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy’s Living Marine Resources Program

The Impact of Active Learning in a Speech-Language Pathology Swallowing and Dysphagia Course

The signature pedagogy in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) higher education programs has been criticized for its instructor-centric lecture format and emphasis on the lower tiers of Bloom’s taxonomy (simply memorizing knowledge) at the expense of helping students develop the clinical problem-solving skills required for a lifetime of practice and learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the responses of a cohort of graduate speech-language pathology students to an active learning-oriented swallowing and dysphagia course design. A potential relationship between student perceptions of the active learning pedagogy and academic performance was also explored. The results suggest that active learning positively impacted both student perceptions and performance in the redesigned swallowing and dysphagia course