Assessing physical activity during youth sport : the observational system for recording activity in children : youth sports (OSRAC:YS)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and inter-rater reliability of the Observation System for Recording Activity in Children: Youth Sports (OSRAC:YS). Children (N=29) participating in a parks and recreation soccer program were observed during regularly scheduled practices. Physical activity (PA) intensity and contextual factors were recorded by momentary time-sampling procedures (10-sec observe, 20-sec record). Two observers simultaneously observed and recorded children's PA intensity, practice context, social context, coach behavior, and coach proximity. Inter-rater reliability was based on agreement (Kappa) between the observer's coding for each category, and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for percent of time spent in MVPA. Validity was assessed by calculating the correlation between OSRAC:YS estimated and objectively measured MVPA. Kappa statistics for each category demonstrated substantial to almost perfect inter-observer agreement (Κappa = 0.67 to 0.93). The ICC for percent time in MVPA was 0.76 (95% C.I. = 0.49 - 0.90). A significant correlation (r = 0.73) was observed for MVPA recorded by observation and MVPA measured via accelerometry. The results indicate the OSRAC:YS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring children's PA and contextual factors during a youth soccer practice.

Student physical activity levels during a season of sport education

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which sport education can provide students with sufficient opportunities for developing moderate- to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Nineteen seventh-grade boys (average age = 12.9 yrs.) participated in a 22-lesson season of floor hockey. For all students (both higher and lower skilled), students averaged a total of 31.6 min of MVPA during the season, or 63.2% of lesson time. Further, there was no significant difference according to skill level (33.4 min [Higher] vs. 30.4 min [Lower]), nor were there any significant differences in MVPA levels across the phases of the season.

Current trends and challenges for sport and exercise psychology – What now for our discipline?

With an ever changing landscape including National Registration, endorsed areas of practice, establishment of Sport and Exercise Psychology coordinators within National Sporting Organisations, changes to the National and State Sporting Insitutions, this forum looks to explore through collegiate discussion the impacts, current and future implications for our profession across training, supervision, research and applied practice in Australia.

Women IN Sport or Women OR Sport - The search for work/sport/life balance.

The current ‘holy grail’ for our health and well-being centres around the search for, and establishment of, a work/life balance. For many individuals, this appears to be an ever-elusive goal – forever slipping from our grasp as we juggle the day-to-day battle for our attention and time from an array of sources. When we add the word ‘Women’ to this mix, often the number of sources related to these demands multiplies in alignment with the number of roles we fill. To take this to even another level, consider the addition of the words ‘Sport’ or ‘Elite Athlete’ to ‘Women’ and ‘Work/Life Balance’, and the search for the ‘holy grail’ becomes more literal! Many sportswomen at the elite level face significant challenges in balancing working to support themselves and/or their families, studying to lay the foundations of a post-sport career, (often) spending the equivalent of full-time hours training towards their sporting goals, and additionally investing in the things that are important for them outside of these two areas – the ‘Life’ component. Getting the work/life balance ‘balanced’ has been suggested to be a key component of investing in our health and well-being. The same is applicable to sportswomen, with the added suggestion that if the balance between work/sport/life is achieved, this can positively impact upon sporting performance itself. These ideas and observations will be explored via experience within the Australian elite sporting environment from a psychologist’s perspective, with questions and invitations for further discussion.

The contribution of sport and performance psychology to coaching

The role of the sport and performance psychologists offers an historical base to many of the conceptualizations, strategies and tools currently utilized by coaches and coaching psychologists. The world of elite sport and performance offers little room for negativity, little tolerance for cognitions, emotions and behaviours that are less than optimal; in an environment that sets high expectation, makes obvious comparisons and is driven by competition; all within inflexible timelines and with harsh consequences for those that don’t make the grade. From this context the presenters will reflect on their development, challenges and expertise; offering ideas and tools that translate into the coaching arena.

The dynamics of expertise acquisition in sport : the role of affective learning design

Objectives The aim of this position paper is to discuss the role of affect in designing learning experiences to enhance expertise acquisition in sport. The design of learning environments and athlete development programmes are predicated on the successful sampling and simulation of competitive performance conditions during practice. This premise is captured by the concept of representative learning design, founded on an ecological dynamics approach to developing skill in sport, and based on the individual-environment relationship. In this paper we discuss how the effective development of expertise in sport could be enhanced by the consideration of affective constraints in the representative design of learning experiences. Conclusions Based on previous theoretical modelling and practical examples we delineate two key principles of Affective Learning Design: (i) the design of emotion-laden learning experiences that effectively simulate the constraints of performance environments in sport; (ii) recognising individualised emotional and coordination tendencies that are associated with different periods of learning. Considering the role of affect in learning environments has clear implications for how sport psychologists, athletes and coaches might collaborate to enhance the acquisition of expertise in sport.

The influence of injury cause, contact-sport participation, and personal knowledge on expectation of outcome from mild traumatic brain injury

Objective: This study investigated the influence of injury cause, contact-sport participation, and prior knowledge of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) on injury beliefs and chronic symptom expectations of mTBI. Method: A total of 185 non-contact-sport players (non-CSPs) and 59 contact-sport players (CSPs) with no history of mTBI were randomly allocated to one of two conditions in which they read either a vignette depicting a sport-related mTBI (mTBIsport) or a motor-vehicle-accident-related mTBI (mTBIMVA). The vignettes were otherwise standardized to convey the same injury parameters (e.g., duration of loss of consciousness). After reading a vignette, participants reported their injury beliefs (i.e., perceptions of injury undesirability, chronicity, and consequences) and their expectations of chronic postconcussion syndrome (PCS) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Results: Non-CSPs held significantly more negative beliefs and expected greater PTSD symptomatology and greater PCS affective symptomatology from an mTBIMVA vignette thann mTBIsport vignette, but this difference was not found for CSPs. Unlike CSPs, non-CSPs who personally knew someone who had sustained an mTBI expected significantly less PCS symptomatology than those who did not. Despite these different results for non-CSPs and CSPs, overall, contact-sport participation did not significantly affect injury beliefs and symptom expectations from an mTBIsport. Conclusions: Expectations of persistent problems after an mTBI are influenced by factors such as injury cause even when injury parameters are held constant. Personal knowledge of mTBI, but not contact sport participation, may account for some variability in mTBI beliefs and expectations. These factors require consideration when assessing mTBI outcome.