Alien Registration- Clowes, Harvey H. (Fort Fairfield, Aroostook County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/35717/thumbnail.jp

Experiences of the Pre and Post Retirement Period of Female Elite Artistic Gymnasts: An Exploratory Study

This study explored retirement experiences of eight, female, former elite artistic gymnasts. Particular attention was afforded to coping strategies employed and dynamics of gymnast’s relationships with significant members of their social support network, in light of identity impact, across the retirement transition period. Retrospective, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcripts were analysed through content analysis, and represented via pen profiles. Pre-retirement planning emerged as fundamental to the quality of the retirement transition. Keeping in contact with sport was the most frequently cited coping strategy. Social support networks adjusted pre- to post-retirement, identifying parents and partners as the consistent members of these networks across the transition. Findings provide formative recommendations to enhance the post-career education within current lifestyle management programmes, and for the design of a transitional support programme for gymnasts. The study findings may be of relevance for policy and practice in elite sport transitions more generally

Perceptions of the well-being and sport performance relationship

This thesis extended knowledge on the well-being and sport performance relationship through the systematic investigation of the existent quantitative literature, and examination of elite athletes’ and sports practitioners’ perceptions and narratives of their experiences of the relationship. Following a systematic review, a qualitative research design was applied predominantly throughout the thesis, with employment of mixed methods in parts to supplement the data. Data were collected via one-off semi-structured interviews, longitudinal repeated semi-structured interviews, and structured diary questionnaires. Participants were UK-based elite athletes and sports practitioners from a multitude of different sports. Data were analysed systematically, thematically and narratively. Study one explored the extant quantitative literature examining a numerical relationship between well-being and sport performance. Results found an overall dearth of quantitative studies offering mixed support for a relationship due to inconclusive, varied evidence, making a consensus statement regarding the quantitative relationship between well-being and sport performance difficult. Study two investigated elite athletes’ narratives of their experiences of the well-being – performance relationship. Results found athletes’ narratives illustrated perceptions of a complex relationship revealed by the emergence of multiple types of interactions within their experiences. Life balance and the management of demands, and achieving an appropriate mind-set emerged as fundamental threads within the narrative, with the support network and individuality also highlighted as significant to the relationship. Study three investigated sports practitioners’ narratives of their athlete clients’ experiences of the well-being – performance relationship. Results found perceptions of an intricate and non-direct relationship, where well-being was considered to influence the probability of, but not determine, athletic performance. Practitioners emphasised athletes’ capacity to cope with their life demands and challenges, along with the sport environment and culture, and individuality as key facets within the relationship. Finally, study four examined elite athletes’ narratives of their experiences of the well-being – performance relationship longitudinally. Results found the narrative remained predominantly consistent over time, with some minor variation in the stability of the narrative told because of fluctuations in the particular nature of experiences. Responding to certain environmental demands and features inherent in the type of sport were significant to the relationship. Overall the results of the current thesis have implications for how support personnel may educate and prepare elite athletes better to navigate and manage this relationship, offering a proposed integrated framework representing the narrative overall.Recommendations for improving the support provision of elite athletes are made, along with proposed areas to target for development within a multifaceted well-being monitoring tool

Experiences of the Pre and Post Retirement Period of Female Elite Artistic Gymnasts: An Exploratory Study

his study explored retirement experiences of eight, female, former elite artistic gymnasts. Particular attention was afforded to coping strategies employed and dynamics of gymnast’s relationships with significant members of their social support network, in light of identity impact, across the retirement transition period. Retrospective, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcripts were analysed through content analysis, and represented via pen profiles. Pre-retirement planning emerged as fundamental to the quality of the retirement transition. Keeping in contact with sport was the most frequently cited coping strategy. Social support networks adjusted pre- to post-retirement, identifying parents and partners as the consistent members of these networks across the transition. Findings provide formative recommendations to enhance the post-career education within current lifestyle management programmes, and for the design of a transitional support programme for gymnasts. The study findings may be of relevance for policy and practice in elite sport transitions more generally

The properties of highly luminous IRAS galaxies

From a complete sample of 154 galaxies identified with IRAS sources in a 304 sq deg area centered on the South Galactic Pole, a subsample of 58 galaxies with L sub IR/L sub B > 3 was chosen. Low resolution spectra were obtained for 30% of the subsample and redshifts and relative emission line intensities were derived. As a class these galaxies are very luminous with = 2.9 x 10 to the 11th power L sub 0 and (L sub IR) max = 1.3 x 10 to the 12th power L sub 0. CCD images and JHK photometry were obtained for many of the subsample. The galaxies are for the most part newly identified and are optically faint, with a majority showing evidence of a recent interaction. Radio continuum observations of all galaxies of the subsample were recently obtained at 20 cm VLA with about 75% being detected in a typical integration time of about 10 minutes