Minority Coaches in the NFL: An Examination of Hiring Patterns as a Basis for Recommendations for Improved Employment Practices

Hiring minority coaches is a serious concern in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL's hiring practices are inconsistent, specifically for minority candidates. The author investigates why NFL teams underutilize minority coaches with research from Central Florida University and the University of Pennsylvania. Research findings suggest that minority hires positively affect the NFL, yet the hiring process remains weak. Case study examples show the poor decision-making trends of NFL personnel, implying that although minority coaches' success is better than non-minorities, the negative perception of minorities, as aspiring head coaches and leaders, is a barrier. As a result, the NFL has a unique opportunity to improve its hiring process by aligning its approach to hiring within the guidelines of federal law.

Estrategia de relaciones públicas en la comunicación de la epilepsia infanto-juvenil

La epilepsia es una enfermedad desconocida por el público en general, una enfermedad "invisible" para la sociedad, con implicaciones psicosociales, sociales, educativas, laborales y económicas que reducen la calidad de vida de los niñ@s y jóvenes con epilepsia, y la de sus familias. En su página web, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y sus asociados reconocen que la epilepsia es un importante problema de salud pública. La OMS, la Liga Internacional contra la Epilepsia y la Oficina Internacional para la Epilepsia están llevando a cabo una campaña mundial para mejorar la información y la sensibilización acerca de la epilepsia y fortalecer las medidas públicas y privadas para mejorar la atención y reducir el impacto de la enfermedad. Estudiar la comunicación de la epilepsia en niños y adolescentes y sus consecuencias entre los agentes que interactúan en su convivencia, es una cuestión necesaria para conocer y entender la dimensión que alcanza esta enfermedad. El trabajo que presentamos persigue introducirnos en las carencias y las limitaciones con las que las familias con hij@s epilépticos se encuentran para informar a la sociedad sobre la patología y adaptar los mensajes que satisfagan las necesidades de cada uno de los públicos afectados. El desarrollo de un grupo de discusión y la aplicación de la encuesta nos permite poner de manifiesto que, la información que se difunde sobre la epilepsia arrastra el todavía irremediable estigma social que atolla actitudes afirmativas en el entorno de la enfermedad infanto-juvenil”. La corroboración de la hipótesis nos lleva a proponer un programa de relaciones públicas cuya estrategia sea la visibilidad y la sensibilización de la enfermedad, como aportación principal del estudio.

Time-motion analysis in women’s team handball: importance of aerobic performance

Women’s handball is a sport, which has seen an accelerated development over the last decade. Data on movement patterns in combination with physiological demands are nearly nonexistent in the literature. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to analyze the horizontal movement pattern, including the sprint acceleration profiles, of individual female elite handball players and the corresponding heart rates (HRs) during a match and secondly to determine underlying correlations with individual aerobic performance. Players from one German First League team (n = 11) and the Norwegian National Team (n = 14) were studied during one match using the Sagit system for movement analysis and Polar HR monitoring for analysis of physiological demands. Mean HR during the match was 86 % of maximum HR (HRmax). With the exception of the goalkeepers (GKs, 78 % of HRmax), no position-specific differences could be detected. Total distance covered during the match was 4614 m (2066 m in GKs and 5251 m in field players (FPs)). Total distance consisted of 9.2 % sprinting, 26.7 % fast running, 28.8 % slow running, and 35.5 % walking. Mean velocity varied between 1.9 km/h (0.52 m/s) (GKs) and 4.2 km/h (1.17 m/s) (FPs, no position effect). Field players with a higher level of maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) executed run activities with a higher velocity but comparable percentage of HRmax as compared to players with lower aerobic performance, independent of FP position. Acceleration profile depended on aerobic performance and the field player’s position. In conclusion, a high V̇O2max appears to be important in top-level international women’s handball. Sprint and endurance training should be conducted according to the specific demands of the player’s position.

Estudio sobre la utilización de los gestos técnicos en pelota valenciana en jugadores profesionales

Debido a la escasez de estudios de análisis en pelota valenciana, hemos centrado este estudio en este deporte. El objetivo de estudio ha sido analizar y cuantificar los tipos de golpeos, y comparar los mismos entre las posiciones de juego de resto y medio. Para ello se han llevado a cabo el análisis de 6 partidas de la XIX Liga Profesional de «escala i corda» 2009-2010, y en concreto de 12 jugadores, utilizando el software de análisis Sports Code v.8.5.2. Los resultados nos indican diferencias significativas (p<0.05) entre los golpeos efectuados por el jugador resto y el jugador medio en el rebote y rebote a golpe de mano derecha e izquierda y caída de escalera de mano derecha; siendo estos prácticamente realizados únicamente por los jugadores de la posición resto. Al mismo tiempo encontramos datos que nos evidencian por otra banda golpeos utilizados principalmente por jugadores medios, estas han sido el golpeo de volea, el bote de brazo, el calbote, la palma, y el manró todos ellos de mano derecha. Como conclusión del estudio, hemos obtenido que dependiendo de la posición de juego los jugadores utilizan unos tipos de golpeo u otros. Por tanto, afirmamos, que el análisis del alto rendimiento en escala i corda desde los avances de las tecnologías, nos aporta una valiosa información para establecer patrones de entrenamiento específicos.

Análisis de los diferentes métodos de enseñanza utilizados en el fútbol base

La utilización de un método de enseñanza u otro es un aspecto importante en la formación de jóvenes jugadores de fútbol. El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido identificar y analizar los métodos de enseñanza que utilizan los entrenadores en el fútbol de iniciación. Para ello, se analizaron a 36 entrenadores de fútbol 8 de categorías benjamín y alevín del campeonato de la Comunidad Valenciana (liga 2013-2014), mediante una encuesta diseñada y validada. Los resultados obtenidos, muestran que el método de enseñanza más utilizado es el método global, siendo la combinación de varios métodos de enseñanza la forma más idónea para enseñar el fútbol.

Análisis de la carga interna en los entrenamientos de fútbol sala femenino de 1ª división nacional

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la frecuencia cardiaca (FC) y la percepción subjetiva del esfuerzo (RPE) en los entrenamientos de fútbol sala en jugadoras (25.42±4.42 años, 166.57±7.14 cm, 56.50±4.95 kg y 22.23±0.97 IMC) de un equipo de primera división de la liga nacional española. Se registraron, mediante monitores de ritmo cardiaco y la escala de Foster, ocho sesiones de entrenamiento de tipo técnico-táctico, físico y partidos modificados, distribuidas durante la mitad de la temporada. Los resultados de la FC máxima y media obtenida son 174.03±4.15 y 128.29±0.81 ppm en sesiones técnico-tácticas, 179.75±2.05 y 132±2.12 ppm en sesiones físicas, 180.99±1.06 y 133.63±5.52 ppm en partidos modificados, respectivamente. Habiendo diferencias significativas en los resultados de la FC máxima entre las sesiones técnico-tácticas y los partidos modificados (p=0.03) y entre la sesiones físicas y las técnico-tácticas (p=0.04). En cuanto a los resultados de la carga de entrenamiento y la RPE en las sesiones técnico-tácticas son 381.22±16.42 y 6.21±0.12 rpe, en las sesiones físicas 533.25±5.59 y 7.90±0.0 rpe, y en los partidos modificados 531.18±4.21 y 7.97±0.22 rpe, respectivamente. Encontrando diferencias significativas entre los resultados de la RPE y la magnitud de la carga de entrenamiento de las sesiones técnico-tácticas y los partidos modificados (p=0.00) y entre la sesiones físicas y las técnico-tácticas (p=0.00). Estos resultados muestran que la sesión de partido modificado obtiene unos valores de frecuencia cardiaca y de percepción subjetiva del esfuerzo mayor que las sesiones técnico-tácticas y las de trabajo físico.

O ensino superior das artes visuais na União Europeia à luz do Processo de Bolonha

No presente artigo procurar-se-á, depois de uma breve abordagem sobre a concretização do Processo de Bolonha, nos países da união europeia, compreender em que fase se encontra a adequação dos cursos de Artes Visuais e em que medida têm sido acolhidas as orientações emanadas das diferentes conferências de ministros que tutelam o ensino superior, quanto à estrutura de graus, à duração dos ciclos, à implementação do sistema de garantia da qualidade, entre outros aspectos. Advirta-se, contudo, que para efeitos da presente caracterização apenas se consideraram as instituições de ensino superior com sítios disponíveis na internet, tendo sido efectuada a recolha de dados durante o ano de 2008 e o primeiro trimestre de 2009. O levantamento das instituições foi feito junto das associações internacionais, consideradas interlocutoras credíveis como a ELIA (The European League of Institutes of ARTS) e a Cumulus Association Of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media. Em Portugal, esse levantamento foi feito junto da Direcção Geral do Ensino Superior e em Espanha junto da ANECA (Agencia Nacional de Evaluacion de la Calidad Y Acreditacion).

The eight hours day for wage earning women: United States Supreme Court upholds the California law : List of eight hours laws

National Consumers' League.

Wage earning women and girls in Baltimore: a study of the cost of living in 1918

by Josephine A. Roche.

Catharine Waugh McCullouch papers in the Mary Earhart Dillon collection, 1869-1945

Collection primarily documents McCulloch's research on women's legal status, and her work with the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association, the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and the League of Women Voters. There is also documentation of women in the legal profession, of McCulloch's friendships with the other women suffragists and lawyers, and some biographical material. The papers contain little information about her family or social life.

Papers of Helen Lawrence Appleton Brooks, 1822-1985

Mostly correspondence between family members, beginning with Catherine Lawrence and Charles Appleton, the parents of Helen Brooks. Also records of Brooks' voluntary activities, her diaries and personal writings, and material collected by Grace Norton about Henry James.

Place but not Date of Birth Influences the Development and Emergence of Athletic Talent in American Football

The purpose of this study was to examine the birthplace and relative age effects in National Football League (NFL) players. The place and date of birth of NFL players in the United States were analyzed with Monte Carlo simulations to determine if either factor was predictive of the probability of reaching the elite level in this sport. Consistent with previous findings on professional North American athletes in baseball, ice hockey, basketball, and golf, players born in cities with populations of less than 500,000 were significantly over-represented in the NFL, whereas players born in cities with populations over 500,000 were significantly under-represented. Unlike many other sports, no relative age effects were found for the NFL. Small cities, in particular, appeared to possess characteristics that facilitate the development and/or emergence of athletic talent in American football. Possible psychosocial factors mediating the birthplace effect are discussed as are implications for the development of sporting expertise.

Birthplace Effects on the Development of Female Athletic Talent

This study examined the extent to which an athlete's place of birth can influence the likelihood of playing professional sport. Information regarding the birthplace of all American female athletes in the Ladies Professional Golf Association and Women's United Soccer Association was gathered from official league websites. Monte Carlo simulations were used to determine if the birthplace of these professional athletes differed in any systematic way from official census population distributions. Odds-ratios were determined for cities within specific population ranges to ascertain if the likelihood of playing professional sport was influenced in any systematic way by city size. The analyses revealed that female professional soccer players born in cities of less than 1,000,000 were over-represented, as were female professional golfers born in cities of less than 250,000. Results are consistent with those of male professional athletes in suggesting that areas of lower population provide conditions more conducive to the development of expertise than do larger city environments.

When “Where” is More Important Than “When”: Birthplace and Birthdate Effects On The Achievement Of Sporting Expertise

In this study, we assessed whether contextual factors related to where or when an athlete is born influence their likelihood of playing professional sport. The birthplace and birth month of all American players in the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and Professional Golfer's Association, and all Canadian players in the National Hockey League were collected from official websites. Monte Carlo simulations were used to verify if the birthplace of these professional athletes deviated in any systematic way from the official census population distribution, and chi-square analyses were conducted to determine whether the players' birth months were evenly distributed throughout the year. Results showed a birthplace bias towards smaller cities, with professional athletes being over-represented in cities of less than 500,000 and under-represented in cities of 500,000 and over. A birth month/relative age effect (in the form of a distinct bias towards elite athletes being relatively older than their peers) was found for hockey and baseball but not for basketball and golf. Comparative analyses suggested that contextual factors associated with place of birth contribute more influentially to the achievement of an elite level of sport performance than does relative age and that these factors are essentially independent in their influences on expertise development.

The Contribution of Structured Activity and Deliberate Play to the Development of Expert Perceptual and Decision-Making Skill

The developmental histories of 32 players in the Australian Football League (AFL), independently classified as either expert or less skilled in their perceptual and decision- making skills, were collected through a structured interview process and their year-on-year involvement in structured and deliberate play activities retrospectively determined. Despite being drawn from the same elite level of competition, the expert decision-makers differed from the less skilled in having accrued, during their developing years, more hours of experience in structured activities of all types, in structured activities in invasion-type sports, in invasion-type deliberate play, and in invasion activities from sports other than Australian football. Accumulated hours invested in invasion-type activities differentiated between the groups, suggesting that it is the amount of invasion-type activity that is experienced and not necessarily intent (skill development or fun) or specificity that facilitates the development of perceptual and decision-making expertise in this team sport.