Search

Adapted sport participation can have many positive benefits for adults with disabilities. However, one barrier to implementing successful adapted sport programs is lack of knowledgeable volunteers who understand accessibility and disability. In fact, little is known about volunteers’ experiences in adapted sport programs. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine experiences of able-bodied volunteers in an adapted sport program. A sample of 105 able-bodied volunteers (Mage = 24.28 ± 1.93) completed an online qualitative survey to share their experiences. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, and seven main themes were identified. Results showed that despite differences in initial motives for volunteering, involvement in an adapted sport program was transformative and, for some, life changing. Able-bodied volunteers experienced a wide range of benefits including deeper understanding and awareness of disability and inclusion in sport. Practical recommendations are provided for volunteer-based adapted sport program leaders.

Previous school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions have focused on the quantity of physical activity (PA) achieved during physical education (PE) rather than students' PE experiences, including enjoyment.

Context Rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is challenging for adolescent patients concurrently experiencing growth and development, changes in attitudes and social interactions, and a gradual shift toward independence. Objective To examine the perceptions of information sharing and interpersonal communication among adolescent patients going through ACLR, their parents, and physical therapists (PTs) treating adolescent patients with ACLR. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University-affiliated sports medicine clinic. Patients or Other Participants Nine adolescent patients who had recently completed physical rehabilitation after ACLR, one of their parents, and PTs who treated adolescent patients with ACLR were recruited and enrolled. Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed semistructured interviews. The interview scripts for patients, parents, and PTs intentionally addressed the same topics, with only minor modifications in wording as appropriate for each role. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a hybrid of deductive and inductive coding by trained members of the study team. Results Patients, parents, and PTs perceived that interpersonal dynamics (eg, communication, external motivation) and stakeholder knowledge (eg, understanding of the psychological consequences of injury) influenced intrapersonal experiences (eg, emotional response, intrinsic motivation) during rehabilitation after ACLR. Additionally, patients and parents indicated that a lack of information about the rehabilitation process hindered their ability to obtain additional information from the PT and surgeon. Conclusions Participants from all stakeholder groups reported that orthopaedic surgeons and other members of the health care team may consider being more consistent when setting expectations, physical restrictions, and recovery timelines.

Inclusive spaces and relationships that honor athletes’ unique identities are vital to ensure adaptive sport experiences (e.g., Coakley; Kochanek & Erickson). Youth athletes and adult leaders need to possess awareness and skills to foster inclusive sport environments and act as agents who can contribute to positive individual and social change. The prevalence and increased visibility of contemporary social justice issues have underscored the importance of developing such critical competencies. Scholars have recently called for exploratory and collaborative efforts to help athletes and adult leaders develop such critical competencies and carry out evaluation research that examines the effectiveness of programs. The purpose of this utilization-focused evaluation was to assess the impact and relevant processes of a social justice education initiative, Dialogue in Athletics, which used intergroup dialogue pedagogy. The lead author (and program facilitator-facilitator-evaluator) delivered and assessed the effectiveness of Dialogue in Athletics within one interscholastic sports community. A mixed methods convergent evaluation design was used to collect data at the session-specific, pre/post-program, and follow-up time points. Integrated analyses of data from student-athletes (n = 7) and adult leaders (n = 13) revealed that adults showed more marked increases in critical awareness and skills development/transference relative to student-athletes who showed some, though less pronounced, gains following the program. Results revealed favorable shifts in participants’ attitudes, with some variation between athletes and adults. Findings on participants’ program process helped elucidate meaningful aspects of their dialogue experience alongside various sources of discomfort, and barriers to learning transference. This evaluation assessed the effectiveness of Dialogue in Athletics, a social justice education program, among athletes and adult leaders within one interscholastic sports community. Results offer initial support for favorable changes in participants’ learning outcomes and relevant program processes. Findings have implications for future program delivery and youth development through sport.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICEThis formative evaluation lends support for the effectiveness and feasibility of an intergroup dialogue approach to social justice education within the youth sport context.This unique utilization-focused project exemplifies a contextually relevant approach to research that responds to the practical realities of youth sport communities.Additional community-based efforts that use intergroup dialogue (and other frameworks) to help youth and adult leaders in sport develop critical capacities are necessary to build an understanding of social justice behavior change among diverse individuals and sport community settings. This formative evaluation lends support for the effectiveness and feasibility of an intergroup dialogue approach to social justice education within the youth sport context. This unique utilization-focused project exemplifies a contextually relevant approach to research that responds to the practical realities of youth sport communities. Additional community-based efforts that use intergroup dialogue (and other frameworks) to help youth and adult leaders in sport develop critical capacities are necessary to build an understanding of social justice behavior change among diverse individuals and sport community settings.

In an ever-evolving society, sport coaches are presented with a number of avenues through which they can acquire and refine their coaching knowledge. The purpose of this research was to replicate and extend past research to gain an up-to-date understanding of how coaches are presently gaining knowledge. This was done through a constructive replication using a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. Study 1 included 798 coaches who completed an online questionnaire detailing their use of 16 sources of coaching knowledge. Coaches’ top three most used sources were interacting with coaches, learning by doing, and observing others. In contrast, the top three most preferred sources were observing others, interacting with coaches, and having a mentor. To contextualize these findings, Study 2 used a qualitative design in which 14 coaches were interviewed to understand their experiences with different knowledge sources. Five distinct narrative types were identified: recent elite athletes, parent coaches, coach developers, teacher coaches, and experienced coaches. Coaches reported engaging in more social and unstructured learning experiences, and the reasons for their preferences appeared to differ based on lifestyle and perceived barriers. Collectively, these findings highlight how coaches gain knowledge and why they prefer certain sources over others.

Understanding the context of children's schoolyard activity can inform approaches by which to increase physical activity participation. Two major approaches exist for assessing this context- based on location or activity type. Location-based methods (e.g., Global Positioning Systems) may miss variations in activity type if children participate in multiple types of activities in each location (e.g., children engage in something other than playing with sand in a sandbox). Activity-type based methods for contextualizing activity (e.g., Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children, OSRAC) capture activity type, but not location, and children might participate in the same type(s) of activities in multiple schoolyard locations. The purpose of this study was to compare location- vs activity type-based approaches to characterizing children's schoolyard behavior. Preschoolers' (N = 50) schoolyard location and activity type (based on OSRAC) were video-coded and matched with physical activity monitor data (counts/s) for 1 outdoor period (~43 min). The results showed that multiple activities occurred within each location (median = 5), but the predominant activity typically matched the expected activity type (e.g., 66.9% fixed equipment play in the fixed equipment location). Children spent the majority of their time in open space (type or location; 37.6%–48.9%), but there were differences in the setting that promoted the most physical activity (teacher arranged type, but fixed equipment location). Activity types elicited varying physical activity levels depending on location (e.g., open space activities in open spaces vs on paths: 40.9 vs 60.7 counts/s). Activity type- and location-based approaches provide some similar, but potentially additive information about schoolyard behavior, which is an important methodological consideration for future studies.

Context Female patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are less likely to return to sport than males. Psychological readiness predicts successful return to sport, but it is unclear if psychological experiences differ between males and females during recovery. Objective To explore gender differences in psychological readiness factors of return to sport after ACLR. Design Qualitative study. Setting Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants A total of 12 male (months since surgery = 6.2 ± 1.2) and 13 female (months since surgery = 6.4 ± 1.3) high school athletes with a history of ACLR. Data Collection and Analysis Participants were interviewed before physician clearance to return to activity. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using deductive thematic coding of 5 themes identified from previous research (psychological distress, self-efficacy, locus of control, athletic identity, and fear of reinjury) and inductive secondary subthematic coding. Gender comparisons were generated within primary themes and secondary subthemes. Results All deductive themes were consistently reinforced. Male and female participants reported fear of movement, loss of athletic identity, and motivational mindsets for return to sport and self-improvement. Males reported a stronger sense of internal locus of control using positive internal reinforcement, whereas females described balancing internal and external control and valuing external support systems. Male participants described mood changes influenced by physical and social limitations. Female participants closely monitored their emotions throughout recovery and were influenced by rehabilitation fluctuations. Conclusions Male and female high school athletes described different psychological factors related to return to sport and locus of control as well as psychological distress. Gender-specific psychological interventions may be warranted to overcome psychological barriers after ACLR.

COVID-19 represents an unprecedented challenge for the youth sport sector. Due to public health policies designed to slow down the transmission of this highly infectious disease and mitigate secondary impacts, youth sport programs around the world have experienced sudden interruptions to their activities. In this commentary, we put forward the Personal Assets Framework as a tool to explore the potential implications of COVID-19 on youth sport development. Adaptations to the dynamic elements of the sport experience, including personal engagement in activities (i.e. virtual coaching; developmental trajectories), quality social dynamics (i.e. athlete relationships; health and well-being), and appropriate settings and organizational structures (i.e. social-cultural factors; safety concerns), are explored. This article will also discuss the potential consequences of changes in these dynamic elements on immediate, short-, and long-term developmental outcomes. Finally, we offer contextual, methodological, and practical considerations for researchers and practitioners operating in youth sport to consider during this crisis.

The purpose of this study was to examine if a positive youth development (PYD) coach education course would (i) result in more positive developmental experiences perceived by athletes of participant coaches and (ii) increase the frequency of PYD-oriented behaviors exhibited by participant coaches. A total of 14 coaches and 270 athletes participated in the study. Eight coaches ( Mage = 38.0 years) overseeing 154 athletes ( Mage = 13.8 years) were in the control group, while six coaches ( Mage = 36.7 years) overseeing 116 athletes ( Mage = 13.9 years) were in the experimental group. The 10-week intervention combined a group-based PYD coach education course with individualized coach meetings. Seven practices per coach were observed and recorded at baseline ( n = 2), intervention ( n = 3), and follow-up ( n = 2). Athletes completed measures of coach-athlete relationships and sport experiences at the three time points. Results of the 2 × 3 (group × time) mixed ANOVAs demonstrated that coaches in the intervention group increased the frequency of their PYD-oriented behaviors during the intervention but returned to levels slightly above baseline at follow-up. Coaches in the control group did not change their behaviors over the same period. Athlete reports of their developmental experiences were high at all time points and did not change over time. Findings suggest PYD coach education has the potential to influence coach behavior, but further research is required to determine how to create sustained changes for coaches and increases in athletes’ perceived positive developmental experiences.

Rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is challenging for adolescent patients concurrently experiencing growth and development, changes in attitudes and social interactions, and a gradual shift toward independence.Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of information sharing and interpersonal communication among adolescent patients going through ACLR, their parents, and physical therapist (PT) treating adolescent patients with ACLR.Qualitative Study.University-affiliated sports medicine clinic.Nine adolescent patients who had recently completed physical rehabilitation after ACLR, one of their parents, and PTs who treat adolescent patients with ACLR were recruited and enrolled.Participants completed semi-structured interviews. The interview scripts for patients, parents, and PTs intentionally addressed the same topics, with only minor modifications in wording as appropriate for each role. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a hybrid of deductive/inductive coding by trained members of the study team.Patients, parents, and PTs perceived that interpersonal dynamics (e.g., communication, external motivation) and stakeholder knowledge (e.g., understanding of psychological consequences of injury) influenced intrapersonal experiences (e.g., emotional response, intrinsic motivation) during rehabilitation after ACLR. Additionally, patients and parents indicated that a lack of information about the rehabilitation process hindered their ability to gather additional information from the PT and surgeon.Participants from all stakeholder groups reported that orthopedic surgeons and other members of the healthcare team may consider being more consistent when setting expectations, physical restrictions, and recovery timelines.

Insufficient physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle are major contributors to health risks for Canadian youth. Adolescents, particularly girls, tend to experience major drop-offs in physical activity levels during high school. However, there is minimal research examining the extent to which Physical and Health Education (PHE) courses promote physical activity and mitigate against this decline. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the purpose of this quantitative short-term longitudinal study is two-pronged: (a) examine the effectiveness of Grade 9 PHE for 197 students’ reports of TPB constructs, physical activity intentions, and physical activity behaviour; and (b) explore the utility of TPB in predicting physical activity intentions and behaviour. For the first set of research questions, results were analyzed using 2 (time: Time Point 1 [T1], Time Point 2 [T2]) x 2 (condition: in PHE/not in PHE) x 2 (TPB status: higher or lower than the mean) MANCOVAs with boys and girls examined separately. There was no effect of PHE over time. There was no interaction among time, condition, and TPB status. There was a significant effect of condition for girls in PHE, with Attitude and Physical Activity Behaviour higher at both time points. For the second set of research questions, results were analyzed using multiple linear regressions to examine TPB in a Grade 9 setting. Findings provided support for the theoretical structure of the TPB in a Grade 9 context, with the three TPB constructs accounting for a minimum of 59% of Intentions, and a minimum of 25% of Behaviour for boys and girls. Attitude was the strongest independent predictor of Intentions with Intentions and Attitude the strongest predictors of Behaviour. PHE teachers should potentially focus attention on changing attitudes for this age group, given the importance of this construct.

The examination of youth sport specialization and athlete participation pathways have been sustained lines of inquiry among multiple branches of the sport sciences. The common consensus in scholarl...

North American junior ice hockey is well known for its long-standing practice of housing players with billet families as they pursue aspirations of elite careers. However, little is known regarding...

ContextPrevious researchers have identified sport specialization as being associated with various negative outcomes (eg, overuse injuries and adverse psychosocial outcomes). However, little is known regarding how the underlying attitudes, beliefs, and values of sport stakeholders may be shaping this trend.ObjectiveTo examine the perceptions of coaches in the high school versus club sport setting and compare their attitudes and behaviors toward sport specialization.DesignCross-sectional survey.Patients or Other ParticipantsA total of 769 coaches (497 high school coaches, 272 club sport coaches).Main Outcome Measure(s)Participants completed a novel measure that surveyed their perceptions regarding various aspects of youth sport specialization. Additionally, each coach completed a questionnaire detailing his or her relevant demographic and sport background information.ResultsHigh school coaches and club sport coaches differed in their perceptions of sport specialization (t767 = 1.41, P < .001); club coaches (2.43 ± 0.25) were more likely than high school coaches (2.31 ± 0.21) to rate specialization as a positive, adaptive practice. The multiple linear regression equations for both the high school and club coaches indicated that no educational, experiential, or demographic factors predicted coaches' perceptions of specialization (P values > .05).ConclusionsClub sport coaches were more likely to possess attitudes in favor of sport specialization. Additionally, coaches' background characteristics did not predict their perceptions of specialization, suggesting that the competitive context itself (high school versus club) may be the most salient influencer of these perceptions. Athletes and sports medicine practitioners should be aware of the heightened expectation of specialized participation and resulting increased injury risk in these contexts. Pediatric sport researchers and practitioners should continue to explore how these different group perceptions manifest in participation behaviors and may link to overall athlete health, wellbeing, and development.

Youth sport research has expanded considerably since the founding of the Michigan State University Institute for the Study of Youth Sports in 1978. This research has resulted in meaningful advancements in knowledge and proved enormously valuable in both safeguarding athlete well-being and fostering positive sport experiences. There are still knowledge gaps in the scholarly literature that have important implications for youth sport participants and programs. Hopefully, the quantity and quality of the scholarly literature on youth sport will continue to expand in response to broader societal changes and scientific advances. This paper addresses the future of youth sport scholarship, focusing on 3 selected areas of promise. The first pertains to positive youth development work, including efforts tied to fostering economic opportunity among young people. The second pertains to youth sport as a domain for addressing public health, an emerging area with respect to physical activity promotion, injury surveillance, physical well-being, and mental health. Finally, the paper addresses implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for youth sport and how this might shape scholarship over the coming decades. Pursuing these areas of research while attending to important opportunities for and challenges to the promotion of developmentally appropriate youth sport experiences is expected to meaningfully contribute to knowledge and, ultimately, the well-being of young athletes.

Sport has the potential to serve as a context in which youth can develop as players and people. Positive youth development (PYD) through sport is a prevalent strength-based approach that ai...

Despite continued interest in youth sport participation, the consensus among researchers is that a thorough understanding of the phenomenon of youth sport specialization is still lacking. The popular and scholarly narratives regarding sport specialization challenge the adaptive nature of this practice. However, the lack of synthesis of youth sport specialization research makes existing practical recommendations potentially tenuous. This scoping review utilized a multidisciplinary lens to survey and integrate the full spectrum of youth sport specialization research by summarizing empirical findings and examining the characteristics of empirical research (e.g., field of publication, participant role, study design). Multiple databases were utilized to span the various disciplines in which sport specialization has been studied. The systematic review protocol yielded 906 publications for screening. After analysis of these records through inclusion/exclusion criteria, 40 empirical research publications examining youth sport specialization were included in this review. Analysis of these empirical findings indicated two higher-order emerging themes of this research: 1) Sport specialization participation behaviours; 2) Sport specialization outcomes. Descriptive results of the research characteristics are also explored. This review examined key findings that underlie recommendations for structuring youth sport participation, and highlighted future research avenues vital towards a more holistic understanding of this phenomenon.

Competitive experiences have the potential to empower youth. Understanding the conditions under which young people can grow through competition is necessary to identify how competitive experiences can optimally support youth as engaged participants and people. This paper serves as a novel integration of previous research aimed toward practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to provide adult (and youth) leaders with empirically-based, practically meaningful guidance to integrate practices that support competitive readiness for youth development. To clarify the youth competitive readiness debate, this paper adopts a process-oriented, developmental perspective. We first define and provide background on youth development. Second, we put forth guiding postulates and their application to practice for organized competitive experiences for positive youth development promotion. We argue that youth are “ready” to compete not just when they can survive competitive experiences, but thrive through them. Interactions between individual, contextual, and developmental factors over time influence fluctuations in a young person’s state of competitive readiness. In this way, competitive readiness is an ongoing process that encompasses the individual needs of the child in relation to the environment.

Background: Rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is challenging for adolescent patients concurrently experiencing growth and development, changes in attitudes and social interactions, and a gradual shift toward independence. While there have been attempts to describe and compare the perceptions of the rehabilitation process among adolescent patients and their parents, the perceptions of stakeholders outside the family unit such as the treating physical therapist (PT), have not been investigated. Developing a more nuanced understanding of stakeholder perceptions of interpersonal communication and consistency of expectations would enable researchers and clinicians to provide specific recommendations for interpersonal communication and information sharing. Hypothesis/Purpose: To describe and compare the perceptions of information sharing and interpersonal communication among adolescent patients recovering from ACLR, one of their parents, and the PT primarily responsible for their rehabilitative care. Methods: We completed a cross-sectional, qualitative study in which adolescent patients who had recently completed physical rehabilitation after ACLR (N=9, age=15.7±1.6, months since surgery=5.9±1.9), one of their parents (N=9), and their PT (N=9, years of experience=14.9±8.4) completed semi-structured interviews. The interview scripts for patients, parents, and PTs intentionally addressed the same topics, with only minor modifications in wording as appropriate for each role. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a hybrid of deductive/inductive coding by trained members of the study team. Results: Our findings indicate that parents and PTs tend to underestimate the psychological trauma and social isolation experienced by patients throughout rehabilitation (Figure 1). Additionally, patients and parents indicated that a pre-operative lack of information about the rehabilitation process hindered their ability to ask informed questions or seek additional information from the PT and surgeon after surgery. Parents and patients consistently described a need for enhanced access to medical providers and regularly updated digital educational resources to improve their knowledge of the ACLR procedure, the rehabilitation timeline, and the resources available to them (e.g., mental health support) in order to overcome these barriers. Conclusion: Participants from all stakeholder groups reported that orthopedic surgeons and other members of the healthcare team may consider being more consistent when setting expectations, physical restrictions, and recovery timelines. All stakeholder groups agreed that increased frequency of communication between the members of the healthcare team would be beneficial in ensuring that patients are meeting progress expectations and all members of the healthcare team have a shared understanding of the patients’ needs and desires. [Figure: see text]

Adolescent athletes struggle to return to sport following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) for physical and psychosocial reasons. The ability to integrate contextual evidence obtained directly from patients with the growing body of quantitative rehabilitation research may aid clinicians in taking an evidence-based approach to rehabilitation and return to sport within the adolescent population.To assess perceived barriers to return to sport, as well as positive and negative factors influencing recovery, among high school athletes with recent history of ACLR.This phenomenographic cross-sectional study included a sample of 10 high school-aged individuals (7 female, 3 male; mean ± SD age, 16.8 ± 1.1 years; time since surgery, 5.5 ± 1.4 months) who underwent ACLR and had not returned to sports. Participants completed a semi-structured interview focused on attitudes related to return to sport, perceived physical or psychosocial barriers to physical activity and return to sport, and rehabilitation characteristics that may facilitate or hinder return to sport.Participants reported psychosocial barriers to return to sport with greater consistency than physical barriers. Consistently reported barriers included the feeling that sport-based activities were now associated with injury, a persistent sense of uncertainty regarding full recovery, and the sense that comparison to others with ACLR by parents or coaches hindered their ability to make progress in rehabilitation.Early identification of athletes at risk for persistent psychosocial barriers, such as fear of reinjury and uncertainty regarding full recovery, and establishment of peer mentoring groups to facilitate psychosocial support throughout the rehabilitation process may be key components of a gradual, patient-centered approach to improving mental and physical readiness for return to sport. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(12):951-959. Epub 22 Jun 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.8277.

Positive youth development is one of the primary goals of high school sport participation, yet the process of how youth transfer life skills from sport to other life domains is in need of greater e...

This study’s purpose is to present facilitators and barriers for wakeful prone positioning or “tummy time” during infancy by exploring the personal perspectives of infant caregivers attempting to provide daily tummy time. The study was qualitative in design, using thematic analysis to identify major and minor themes from semi-structured interviews. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behavior Model provided a conceptual framework for the interview guide and categorization of major themes. Within capability, opportunity, and motivation, the major themes of self-efficacy, scheduling, variations, siblings, committed adult help, social responses of acquaintances, and caregiver enjoyment could be barriers or facilitators, depending on the context. Optimized physical circumstances, caregiver interest, perceived benefits to the infant, pride and accomplishment, and obligation were identified as facilitators only. Barriers included negative infant affect. These results offer preliminary guidance in a knowledge gap: tummy time support that addresses the self-identified concerns of infant caregivers.

This chapter is theoretically guided by Rubin’s model of peer relations (2006), which is used to highlight the role of youth development and its association with group dynamics in sport and young people’s developmental experiences and outcomes. Rubin’s Model conceptualizes processes and effects of peer relations at several nested levels of complexity: interactions, relationships, and groups. This chapter is organized according to the differing orders of complexity (interactions, relationships, groups) to examine the ways in which children’s development influences group processes as well as how the formation of those group processes influence children’s experiences and developmental outcomes within the context of youth sport. Future research directions are provided to conclude the chapter.

Youth development programs, such as Boy Scouts of America, and other out-of-school time programs (e.g., sport), may represent important ecological assets in the lives of youth. Participation in such programs has been linked to indicators of positive youth development, including character virtues. Nuanced relationships exist, however, between involvement in specific sets of out-of-school time programs and indicators of positive youth development. The present study examined character virtues of youth (N = 667) who participated in Boy Scouts of America and in other out-of-school time programs (e.g., sport, band/music, or faith-based activities). Scouts participated in an average of two other out-of-school time programs. There was relatively limited variability, however, in the intensity of out-of-school time program participation. Sport was the other out-of-school time program most frequently engaged in by Scouts. In general, character virtues did not vary in relation to participation breadth or intensity. L...

Objectives Given the salience and popularity of interscholastic athletics, whether high school sport serves as a site for inclusive, empowering experiences for youth participants has significant implications. This study examined how U.S. high school athletic directors think about and navigate (i.e., praxis) broader social issues in their work with student-athletes and coaches to promote youth development. Design A cultural praxis framework informed qualitative study design consisting of semi-structured interviews with 16 athletic directors from various high school community contexts within one Midwestern state. Method Reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with high school athletic directors employed a semantic (explicit, surface level) and latent (implicit, interpretative) focus (Braun & Clarke, 2019; Braun, Clarke, & Weate, 2016). Results Semantic analyses indicated that athletic directors used various strategies to navigate matters that arose in their work with student-athletes and coaches. Relevant issues were contextually situated and emerged as (in)congruent with their context. Latent analyses shed light on assumptions that ADs made about student-athlete development and demonstrated that sport leaders' critical praxis varied along a continuum. Conclusion Future research is needed to more systematically examine how athletic directors engage in a (critical) praxis; student-athletes’ perspectives on the relevance of certain social issues and efficacy of administrators' praxis; and, developmental initiatives to empower youth and adult leaders in athletics.

Objectives Motorsport is among the largest sports nationally and globally (Ross, Ridinger, & Cuneen, 2009), and racecar driving constitutes a leading motorsport (Pflugfelder, 2009). Missing, however, is empirical work that captures professional female racecar drivers' agentic experiences (Pflugfelder, 2009). In that racecar driving is one of few sports in which women compete alongside men, insight into how women drivers navigate this performance arena can offer a unique perspective on contemporary gender dynamics. Design Qualitative study design informed by a cultural praxis agenda consisted of semi-structured interviews with 8 current or former professional female racecar drivers. Method This study adopted an abductive (inductive and deductive) approach (Sparks & Smith, 2014). Inductive analysis allowed researchers to capture women's diverse agentic experiences. Deductive analysis using cultural praxis and gender (poststructural) perspectives offered a more nuanced understanding of women's agentic experiences and their potential (dis)empowering effects. Results Results highlights four key themes: (1) entry into racecar driving: family and fatherly influence; (2) marginalizing beliefs, behaviors, and industry barriers; (3) navigating the space: negotiating gender and its (dis)empowering effects; and (4) promoting girls and women in autoracing. Results reveal various dimensions of sexism and sportswomen's agentic experiences. Conclusion Researchers can heed women drivers' call for knowledge translation efforts that attend to their unique needs and strengths, and disseminate empirical findings in accessible ways. Future research that takes up a cultural praxis agenda is vital to contest constraining gender binaries and deficit-based discourses about women athletes for the promotion of gender equity in motorsport.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to gain student-athlete perceptions of: (1) the definition of leadership for high school student-athletes; (2) the process of leadership development in high school sport; and (3) the factors that have helped or hindered leadership transfer between high school sport and other life domains.\ud \ud Design: This study was grounded in an interpretivist ontological perspective and used focus group interviews to gather insights of student-athletes’ leadership experiences.\ud \ud Method: Purposeful sampling identified 33 high-school student-athlete leaders who were members of student advisory councils for high school state athletic associations in the United States. The 15 females and 18 males participated in focus-group interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data was then conducted.\ud \ud Results: Results revealed that student-athlete leadership was viewed as a skill-set and a mindset, driven by individual agency. As an on-going developmental process, student-athletes gained awareness of leadership skills, increased self-expectations and self-confidence in their use and application of leadership skills, and developed a transformational leadership mindset, as they encountered and engaged with critical learning opportunities in high school sport and gained support from coaches and peers. Leadership application outside of sport was a multidimensional psychological process, including both conscious and implicit elements, and facilitated or constrained by environmental opportunities and social influences.\ud \ud Conclusions: High school sport offers a unique context where self-agentic youth leadership development in sport and life can occur through experiential learning opportunities. To this point, future research directions and recommendations for practitioners will be provided.

The importance of coaches' interactive behaviour with respect to athlete development has long been recognized. While a number of observational coding systems exist to record the instructional content of coaches' interactive behaviour, none is designed to explicitly capture the intervention tone of these interactions – ‘how’ coaches say what they say. The current project entailed the development of a new behavioural coding system designed to focus on the intervention tone of youth sport coaches' interactive behaviour. Behaviour categories were developed through an iterative combination of literature review and observation of recorded youth sport coaching sessions. A coder training protocol was developed and refined until coders consistently met a minimum standard of agreement with respect to both inter- and intra-rater reliability. The full coding system was then initially validated across six different team and individual youth sports in multiple contexts over a one year period.