Foreword to the Issue

Earle F. Zeigler, Ph.D., D. Sc., LL.D. retired from the University of Western Ontario in 1989. Additionally, he is a past president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport, honorary past president of the North American Society for Sport Management, and was president of American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Since 1948, Zeigler has published over 50 books and monographs and 430 articles in five sub-disciplinary and sub-professional areas within the fields of philosophy, history, management theory and practice, comparative and international aspects, and professional preparation. He is also the namesake for the prestigious Earle F. Zeigler Lecture Award given yearly by the North American Society for Sport Management

How Sport and Physical Activity Education Could Contribute to Human Survival

Sport and related physical activity education are not being employed in the best possible ways in the developed world because the decision-makers in society don’t truly understand the situation. Illogically, people of all ages in the developed world are not getting sufficient physical activity, whereas those in the undeveloped world are getting too much! In addition, the author questions the vast overemphasis on highly competitive sport at the various levels including the Olympic Games. Further, the situation for the majority of “special-needs” people is poor including those who are exploited by sport competition overemphasis. Six different types of selected competencies are recommended for all children and youth within the educational-system experience. Finally, the author asks five specific questions that should be considered as we seek to improve the overall situation.Keywords: sport and physical activity education, memes, the Olympic Game

BRINGING THE KNOWLEDGE COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EDUCATION (INCLUDING SPORT) TO THE PRACTICING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EDUCATOR

The field of physical (activity) and health education, or whatever it is called in any one of the world’s countries, has undergone a “determined” but often “confused” development in the 20th century. After Sputnik went up in 1957, the field sought help from a variety of disciplines (e.g., kinesiology) and professions (e.g., management) in an attempt to truly define itself. Building on what Arthur Steinhaus (George Williams College) stated were its four “principal principles” in the early 1950s, the author asserts that some 14 “principal principles” of the field can now be affirmed. Searching for consensus, a proposed taxonomy for “developmental physical activity in exercise, sport, and physical recreation” is offered here for consideration as the field moves along in the 21st century. The author argues that the field also needs to make available to the professional practitioner a computerized inventory of generalizations that represents a distillation of the field’s scientific and scholarly literature

How “PE” or “Physical Activity Education” Should React to the Arrival of the Discipline: Kinesiology

Throughout human history a sort of mind-body-spirit “trichotomy” developed with “affairs of the body” having the lowest status.. A subject-matter termed “physical education” was finally introduced to America in the late 1800s by “physical activity enthusiasts” from European lands. Down through the twentieth century, physical education spawned a variety of other fields within education (e.g., health education). However, unprecedented confusion has prevailed since the question of “disciplinary status” for the field arose about 60 years ago. A disciplinary title, “kinesiology”, was to be substituted for that of physical (activity) education at the university level, a term used only for one course originally taught in the curriculum in the early 20th century.  Whatever develops, those “kinesiologists” serving the field of education should understand that their mission is to work as physical activity and health educators with ALL of the children in the schools

How Sport and Physical Activity Education Could Contribute to Human Survival

Sport and related physical activity education are not being employed in the best possible ways in the developed world because the decision-makers in society don’t truly understand the situation. Illogically, people of all ages in the developed world are not getting sufficient physical activity, whereas those in the undeveloped world are getting too much! In addition, the author questions the vast overemphasis on highly competitive sport at the various levels including the Olympic Games. Further, the situation for the majority of “special-needs” people is poor including those who are exploited by sport competition overemphasis. Six different types of selected competencies are recommended for all children and youth within the educational-system experience. Finally, the author asks five specific questions that should be considered as we seek to improve the overall situation. Keywords: sport and physical activity education, memes, the Olympic Game

Fostering Physical Activity Values in the World of the Future

The author argues that we are using human physical activity well in some ways, but that we are also abusing it badly in others! In the case of competitive sport, he believes that we gradually and increasingly abused it over the course of the twentieth century. However, he is not against sport! He is arguing that, employed properly and correctly, sport–as one of a number of vital social forces (e.g., nationalism, ecology)–could contribute to the improvement of the current situation in human health enormously. Additionally, in the case of related physical activity (i.e., regular exercise or “physical activity education”) in the developed world, he believes humans are too often “abusing it by first not understanding it, and then by not using it more intelligently”! (Ironically, in the “undeveloped world,” people often get too much “exercise” just to stay alive!) Moreover, he believes that the active use of competitive sport worldwide to promote what have been called moral values–traits or attributes leading to world peace and good will-as opposed to so-called socio-instrumental or material values-are overly self-serving. This would tend to create a social force of such strength and power that humankind might be helped as it confronts the social and physical devastation looming ahead

Poor, Old “Physical Education”

The field of physical activity (and related) health) education (“poor, old ‘PE’”) needs to assert its "will to win" more vigorously then ever before. Scholarly and scientific investigation of the past 60 years since Sputnik was launched in 1957 has identified a wide variety of findings proving that a quality program can provide highly important benefits to the growing child and youth. Societal developments, including other curricular demands, have undoubtedly created uneasiness within the overall field of education. In North America the time and attention devoted to the relatively few involved in external highly competitive sport for the few has been a negative factor. At the same time intramural athletics for the large majority of children and youth has not been available to the extent it should be. There is now doubt as to the field’s ability to achieve high status within education. Therefore, we must pledge ourselves to make still greater efforts to become vibrant and stirring through absolute dedication and commitment in our professional endeavors. Ours is a high calling since we seek to improve the quality of life for all people on earth through the finest type of human motor performance in exercise, sport, and related expressive movement

Poor, Old “Physical Education”

The field of physical activity (and related) health) education (“poor, old ‘PE’”) needs to assert its "will to win" more vigorously then ever before. Scholarly and scientific investigation of the past 60 years since Sputnik was launched in 1957 has identified a wide variety of findings proving that a quality program can provide highly important benefits to the growing child and youth. Societal developments, including other curricular demands, have undoubtedly created uneasiness within the overall field of education. In North America the time and attention devoted to the relatively few involved in external highly competitive sport for the few has been a negative factor. At the same time intramural athletics for the large majority of children and youth has not been available to the extent it should be. There is now doubt as to the field’s ability to achieve high status within education. Therefore, we must pledge ourselves to make still greater efforts to become vibrant and stirring through absolute dedication and commitment in our professional endeavors. Ours is a high calling since we seek to improve the quality of life for all people on earth through the finest type of human motor performance in exercise, sport, and related expressive movement

Fostering Physical Activity Values in the World of the Future

The author argues that we are using human physical activity well in some ways, but that we are also abusing it badly in others! In the case of competitive sport, he believes that we gradually and increasingly abused it over the course of the twentieth century. However, he is not against sport! He is arguing that, employed properly and correctly, sport–as one of a number of vital social forces (e.g., nationalism, ecology)–could contribute to the improvement of the current situation in human health enormously. Additionally, in the case of related physical activity (i.e., regular exercise or “physical activity education”) in the developed world, he believes humans are too often “abusing it by first not understanding it, and then by not using it more intelligently”! (Ironically, in the “undeveloped world,” people often get too much “exercise” just to stay alive!) Moreover, he believes that the active use of competitive sport worldwide to promote what have been called moral values–traits or attributes leading to world peace and good will-as opposed to so-called socio-instrumental or material values-are overly self-serving. This would tend to create a social force of such strength and power that humankind might be helped as it confronts the social and physical devastation looming ahead.

Counteracting America's Value Orientation to Sport: A Perspective for the 21st Century

Polemic