Strength and conditioning of adolescent male cricket players

Background: Modern day cricketers are faced with longer, more strenuous seasons which are more physically demanding than the traditional forms of the game. Due to these increased physical demands, players are more prone to both overuse injuries, particularly of the lower back (bowlers) and lower limbs (batsmen), as well as acute, impact injuries (fielders/wicket keepers). The increase in injury risk is of particular concern at younger levels as research has shown that adolescents are at a higher risk for injury than their adult counterparts. Therefore, there is a need for strength and conditioning programs that reduce the risk of injury and improve performance at this level. However, of the programs that are available, most are not multi-factorial in nature and are aimed at elite cricketers. This is of concern in low-to-middle income countries such as South Africa, where players often do not have access to facilities or equipment and thus need to be exposed to low-cost, no-cost training programs. Furthermore, most information is anecdotal and there is a distinct lack of injury prevention programs at an adolescent level. Objective: The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the strength and conditioning practices of adolescent cricket players, particularly from a South African context, where there is a distinct lack of resources. This was through the completion of three phases; firstly, a literature review was completed to determine the information currently available on injury prevention strategies in cricket. The review also examined the injury statistics of five major playing cricket nations. Secondly, a survey was conducted to determine the current strength and conditioning practices of schoolboy and university coaches in South Africa. Lastly, a novel intervention program (CricFit) was designed and implemented within an adolescent population. The main purpose of the intervention was to determine whether players’ physical fitness parameters improved over time and whether the risk of injury was reduced. Methods: For phase one of the thesis (review paper), a search of the different scientific databases was undertaken to determine the nature and incidence of injuries in cricket activity as well as well as current strength and conditioning practices in place to reduce these injuries. These injury statistics and prevention programs where then reviewed. For the survey based research, an online questionnaire, adapted from previous strength and conditioning studies, was sent to 38 school boy and 12 university teams that participated in the top competitions in South Africa. In addition to the previous questionnaires, cricket specific practices and injury statistic questions were added to the survey. The survey consisted of three sections: a general, cricket specific and injury and injury prevention section. The survey also allowed coaches at both university and school levels to describe their practices and ideas in order to understand their basic knowledge of scientifically-based principles of strength and conditioning. Thus coaches were encouraged to explain what conditioning practices they implemented through a number of open ended questions which were then analysed for minor and major themes. The focus of the intervention program was to improve general physical fitness for cricket players. The study was a pre- and post-test design where twenty eight schoolboy cricketers (aged 15-19 years) were allocated to a control (n=14) or experimental (n=14) group during the cricket pre-season period. Both groups performed traditional net and field based training over a four week period (one net and one field based session), with the experimental group performing an additional two, 35-45 minute, conditioning sessions per week (“CricFit” intervention program). The intervention consisted of exercises that centred on the movement demands associated with the sport of cricket as well as injury prevention exercises (specifically Nordic lowers and core strength). Prior to and post the four week intervention period, responses were measured using a test battery that was designed to replicate the demands of cricket activity. Results: The results indicate on overall thesis summary. The literature view showed that there is a limited amount of injury prevention programs available for adolescent cricket players. It was also confirmed that for both adolescent and adult players, fast bowlers (lower back), followed by batsmen (lower limbs) and then fielders (impact) are the most prone to injuries. The survey showed that schools and universities in South Africa do conduct some form of conditioning, workload monitoring and injury prevention exercises; however the incorrect practices are being administered when considering the movement demands and most common injuries in cricket. It was also shown that most coaches did not have the adequate qualifications and experience to implement acceptable strength and conditioning programs. For the intervention study, both the control and experimental groups showed significant (p<0.05) improvements in most responses, but the changes for the experimental group were greater than those shown in the control group. Furthermore, significant (p<0.05) changes were shown between the two groups (control vs. experimental) for percentage body fat (12 vs. 11%), sit and reach flexibility (40.79 vs. 80.50mm), plank time (105.36 vs. 185.29s), 20 m sprint time (3.27 vs. 2.84s), push ups (34 vs. 41) and 25 m shuttle distance (699.18 vs. 746.79m). Conclusion: Coaches need to be educated and trained to implement the correct strength and conditioning practices at an adolescent level as well as to better understand the link between the movement demands and principles of testing and training. An improved education process may be needed to improve the quality as well as the qualifications of strength and conditioning coaches. If coaches and trainers are educated properly, then the “CricFit” intervention program may be used to improve cricket specific fitness throughout the pre-season period. The “CricFit” programme is useful in countries such as South Africa, where often players do not have access to coaches and facilities and thus can be implemented easily with minimal cost

Characteristics, roles, and training problems of agricultural extension radio specialists in the United States with application of findings to a Thai situation

This combination survey, library and descriptive application type of study was done in the United States and related to Thailand for the purposes of: (1) gathering historical information regarding Extension radio work; (2) identifying some of the important characteristics, roles and training problems of Extension radio specialists in the United States; (3) exploring generally accepted approaches used by United States Extension radio specialists for presenting subject matter and teaching methods in agent induction and inservice training; (4) studying the situation with regard to Extension radio work in Thailand, and (5) applying, as nearly as possible, some principles and practices found to be useful in the United States Cooperative Extension radio specialist work as they might be relevant for use in Thailand. In the United States portion of the study, 32 of 54 states and other geographical area Extension radio specialists responded to a 1974 mail questionnaire. Characteristics of specialists in states respond ing were found to include the following: (1) most of the radio special-ists were employed by the Cooperative or Agricultural Extension Division of the state land grant institutions; (2) titles of Extension radio specialists varied in the states from Extension or Agricultural Editor to Radio and/or Television Specialist and/or Editor; (3) of 65 Extension radio specialists working in the 32 states responding, 41 were full-time radio employees, and 24 were part-time; (4) most radio specialists had at least the Master\u27s degree, the largest number of majors being in Agriculture and Communication; (5) the following average percents of Extension radio specialist staff time had been expanded in 1973. (a) 70 percent to radio production for broadcast stations, (b) 19 percent to radio production for county Extension staffs, (c) 9 percent to agent training, and (d) 2 percent to other work. Duties and responsibilities of radio specialists reportedly were: (1) determining agent radio-related training needs; (2) program pro-duction; and (3) maintaining good relations with radio stations. Some other duties were cooperating with other offices and program planning. Twenty-five states indicated that they provided induction and/or inservice training. They were selected for a special study of their practices, procedures and problems. The following important findings related to induction training: (1) writing for radio, radio interview ing and voice-delivery were three key subjects most frequently included; (2) specialist thinking and agent requests were most often listed as induction training determinants; (3) time limitation was the largest induction training major problem related by radio specialists; (4) most radio-related induction training was provided at state level; (5) radio specialists were most frequently the ones responsible for such training, (6) radio specialists and administrators usually were responsible for approval of training; (7) workshops and office vists were the most often mentioned primary Extension methods used for such training; (8) agent products and performance were most frequently listed as measures for training evaluation; (9) most state staffs planned to devote about the same time to training in 1974 that they had spent in 1973; (10) most states rated the adequacy of their 1973 training effort as fairly adequate ; (11) an average of 22 agents per state was trained in 1973 in 22 states, members ranging from 3 to 100 in numbers trained. The following points were made regarding inservice training: (1) writing for radio, nature of radio background, preparation of material, and voice-delivery were four key subjects most frequently included; (2) agent requests and agent plans of work were most often listed as primary inservice training determinants; (3) time limitation was the largest agent inservice training major problem; (4) most radio-related agent inservice training was provided at district level; (5) radio specialists were most frequently the ones responsible for such training; (6) district or area supervisors and administration usually were responsible for approval of training; (7) workshops were the most often mentioned primary Extension method used for such training; (8) agent products, participant evaluation and skill were most frequently listed as criteria or measures for training evaluation; (9) equal numbers of states rated the adequacy of their 1973 inservice training efforts as fairly adequate and not very adequate ; (10) most state staffs planned to devote about the same time to training in 1974 that they spent in 1973; (11) averages of 43 agents per state were trained in 1973 in 24 states, numbers trained ranging from 3 to 200 members. Concerning the Thai situation, it was found that changwad (similar to state) and amphor (similar to county) Extension worker radio-related induction or inservice training had not been conducted in 1973. However, the numbers of Extension workers at both levels had increased. Also, training in Agricultural communication was seen as being needed more and more. As a result of this study, some suggestions are made for induction and inservice training programs for Thai Extension workers. Such induction and inservice training efforts should help Extension agents, both new and experienced, leam how to produce effective radio programs aimed at farmers. Suggestions for use of findings and further research also were made

Lord Buddha’s philosophy and development of the society

He Buddha was the first amongst the human beings who were though of bringing religious, social, economic and political reformation through non - violence. But he is being recognized only as the founder of the Buddhism through thinking only on the basis of religious, which is the mentality of limited knowledge. It is the need of the hour and necessity to feel and understand the thoughts of the Buddha through all backgrounds. It is Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who has given us the new eyes to see the various integrated thoughts of the Buddha. It is the religion which is the main reason to bring in to practice of inequality and inhuman activities like untouchability, the system Chaturvana, caste system, communal, gender and class discrimination of India, is one truth on one hand for the survival of these preaches, the Karma theory, the god, priesthood, ritual, rebirth, Astrology, heaven and hell and others, is the another truth. On the whole, with these reasons only, there is the superiority and inferiority complexities, greatness - lowliness, addictiness, violence and other thoughts between man and man. Therefore, Dr. Ambedkar told that the ways of the destruction and eradication of such ill well thoughts are the thoughts of the Buddha. Besides, he too marched towards the light of the Buddha, the great teacher. The reasons for the relevance of the Buddha's thoughts till today, who lived during 563 Be and 483 BC proves that he is relevant for all time. Thus, the present paper focuses on the contribution of Lord Buddha and his philosophy through his religious preaches particularly peace as a weapon. Through peace he achieved progress and development of the world. Finally, the present paper is going to suggest measures for achieving progress of the Sri Lankan society

Low-Mass, Low-Power Hall Thruster System

NASA is developing an electric propulsion system capable of producing 20 mN thrust with input power up to 1,000 W and specific impulse ranging from 1,600 to 3,500 seconds. The key technical challenge is the target mass of 1 kg for the thruster and 2 kg for the power processing unit (PPU). In Phase I, Busek Company, Inc., developed an overall subsystem design for the thruster/cathode, PPU, and xenon feed system. This project demonstrated the feasibility of a low-mass power processing architecture that replaces four of the DC-DC converters of a typical PPU with a single multifunctional converter and a low-mass Hall thruster design employing permanent magnets. In Phase II, the team developed an engineering prototype model of its low-mass BHT-600 Hall thruster system, with the primary focus on the low-mass PPU and thruster. The goal was to develop an electric propulsion thruster with the appropriate specific impulse and propellant throughput to enable radioisotope electric propulsion (REP). This is important because REP offers the benefits of nuclear electric propulsion without the need for an excessively large spacecraft and power system

Analysis and design of information systems news portal citizen journalism Sumba-Indonesia as local content promotion media

Citizen journalism is a journalistic activity undertaken by a person or group. So far, information on the potential of the Sumba Island has not been evenly distributed because there is unequal information on the Sumbanese community and information on potential in eastern Sumba. The purpose of this research is to provide media for the citizens of Sumba in providing any information about local content in Sumba Island such as information on agriculture, plantation, forestry, tourism, cultural information, social information, political information, law, and human rights. The methodology used to build this system is the Waterfall Model. This model is an approach to software development, with several stages, namely: System Engineering, Analysis, Design, Encoding, Testing, and Maintenance. The development concept used is Model-View-Controller or MVC is a method to create an application with separate data (see) and the corresponding way (Controller). In the implementation of framework in the application of website-based architecture MVC. MVC is developing a major component-based application that builds an application such as data manipulation, user interface, and parts that become controls in a web application

The Moderating Effect of Anticipatory Grief on the Relationship Between Attachment and Perceived Closeness with Satisfaction of Life and Marriage for Spousal Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia

With the population of individuals with dementia growing every year, spouses are frequently finding themselves in caregiving roles. The progressive nature of dementia often leads to grief over actual and expected declines in the physical and psychological functioning of those with the disease. Spouses may grieve over losses that have not yet occurred. This anticipatory grief may affect how spousal caregivers perceive their relationship. This may further affect the spouses’ satisfaction with life and marriage and impact the quality of care they provide to their loved one with dementia. Using electronic data collection through three national organizations that support caregivers, this study explored two areas of spousal caregivers’ functioning. First, how attachment style and perceived closeness affect the life and marital satisfaction of spousal caregivers. Second, whether anticipatory grief moderates the effects of relationship quality on satisfaction with life and marriage. Attachment and perceived closeness accounted for statistically significant variance of both life satisfaction and marital satisfaction. Anticipatory grief was not found to moderate either of these outcomes. While addressing grief may still be an area of focus for those providing support to caregivers, results from this study suggest that helping caregivers’ to improve their relationship quality and life satisfaction may be the most important target of interventio