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BackgroundPurposeMethodResultsDiscussionConclusionAfter-school programs (ASP) provide safe and enjoyable setting for youth to participate in sports and physical activities (PA). The flexibility in the structure of ASPs can facilitate non-traditional approaches to teaching PA which consider the context of the community, students’ backgrounds, and focuses on positive youth development. REACH takes a non-traditional approach that aims to provide youth in under-resourced communities with a safe space for PA and learning through a sport-centered curriculum.The objective was to highlight the perspectives of Latino boys regarding their lived experiences in an after-school soccer and literacy program in a diverse urban school. The research questions were: (a) what are the lived experiences of young boys in a year-long after-school program in a diverse urban setting? (b) What opportunities did REACH provide that helped the young boys negotiate barriers to being physically active?Twenty-three Latino boys participated in the REACH after-school sessions over a school year. Four pre-service teachers facilitated soccer sessions at REACH. Data were collected through boys’ weekly journals across 28 weeks and interviews with ten boys at the end of the year. Coaches’ reflexive journals were used to triangulate the data. Data were independently coded using constant comparison and analyzed following a collaborative qualitative analysis procedure. Trustworthiness included triangulation of data, negative cases checks, multiple coders, and peer-debriefing.The results presented in this article are part of a larger year-long mixed-methods curriculum intervention. Two themes are presented to represent the perspectives of the boys in participating in REACH. In the first theme, we discuss student choice that was expressed in the way youth chose to participate in REACH and engage in PA during out-of-school hours. The second theme presents the students’ identifying the barriers they face to being physically active and the ways REACH provided a space for them to reflect on those barriers.Students’ choice was expressed in participants’ engagement in physical activities and sports in and outside of REACH and as a fundamental aspect that enhanced enjoyment in the program. Thus, participating in the program led students to enhance their physical activity enjoyment in and out of the program as well as learn about life skills through sport. With a focus on positive youth development, discussions and journaling in REACH encouraged the boys to reflect on life skills that focused on character and the development of positive relationships. Participants described varied barriers they faced to being physically active in and out of schools. REACH provided a safe space where participants could talk about and develop awareness about aspects of their community such as violence.REACH provided a safe space for students to be active, learn sports skills, and engage in interest-based activities. The safe space provided in REACH also encouraged Latino boys to reflect on the barriers to being physically active outside of the program with the intent of possibly transferring what was learned in the program to their lives. Having a choice was a fundamental aspect to enhancing the boys’ enjoyment in REACH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors analyze the ways literacy integration evolved in a multi‐year interdisciplinary after‐school program that supports youth through a focus on literacy, physical activity, and health. To deviate from the increasingly siloed assumptions around literacy education and attend to a more interdisciplinary, integrated perspective, the authors theorized literacy across multiple theoretical perspectives to examine 5 years of program implementation in three different sites (New York City, Los Angeles, and Paraguay) with culturally and linguistically diverse youth (ages 9–14), program leaders, and researchers. Drawing on assemblage theory to guide the analysis, the authors sought to identify the multidimensional (im)materialities that converged to produce evolutions of literacy integration in an after‐school program. Analyzing data for assemblaging factors that produced youths' literacy engagement differently throughout program years led to identifying three emergent assemblages that frame the findings: (1) Well‐intentioned literacy integration but more complex than expected, (2) Imprints of schooled literacy with sociocultural emergence, and (3) Community‐ and youth‐centered literacy integration. The authors conclude with implications for educators and after‐school leaders seeking to integrate literacy with interdisciplinary aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service-learning is an approach in teacher education to expose pre-service teachers (PSTs) to experiences they will encounter when they enter the profession. During these service-learning experiences, PSTs experience issues related to behavior. K-12 students are increasingly diverse, and teachers and schools must adapt to meet their needs. This study examined how PSTs described issues related to behavior management and issues of culture when participating in a service-learning program in a low-income community. This study employed a case study approach to investigate PST's experiences conducting an afterschool program in a diverse low-socioeconomic area. Nine PSTs delivered the REACH program at an elementary school and met twice per week for two hours each day over the academic year. Session activities related to literacy development, fitness, nutrition, and character development. The REACH approach was grounded in Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (Hellison 2003. "Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility in Physical Education." In Student Learning in Physical Education: Applying Research to Enhance Instruction, edited by S. J. Silverman, and C. D. Ennis, 241–254. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics) and Positive Youth Development (Holt et al. 2017. "A Grounded Theory of Positive Youth Development Through Sport Based on Results from a Qualitative Meta-Study." International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 10: 1–49). Data were collected via journals and semi-structured interviews. Open and axial coding techniques were used for data analysis. Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura 1986. Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall) was used as a theoretical framework. Two main themes emerged; the first relates to how PSTs navigated issues of behavior management. Specifically, the problems that PSTs had navigating off-task behaviors, learning through trial and error, and what students do and say are not always rational to adults. The second main theme describes how PSTs negotiated working at a low-income school. This theme includes insight into PSTs' personal growth as well as how they navigated issues of cultural competence. PSTs conveyed many issues including gaining and maintaining student attention, participation levels, and dealing with off-task behaviors. Even though the PSTs had learned positive behavior management techniques, they used exercise as punishment because students asked for it. Listening to students helped PSTs in understanding their students' needs and how they perceive their environment. Additionally, cultural biases, similarities, and differences between PSTs and the students were discussed and how that might have impacted the learning environment. Language, specifically not being able to speak Spanish, was a barrier but did not affect PSTs' ability to develop relationships with their students. This study provides a greater understanding of the social dynamic between service providers and recipients during service-learning opportunities. Findings indicate that additional attention needs to be afforded to the development of behavior management skills in PSTs. This includes providing structured hands-on experiences for PSTs to navigate alternate behavior management strategies. Lastly, PSTs should be purposely exposed to teaching children from cultures and experiences different than their own, to help develop culturally responsible teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender in physical education (PE) traditionally enacts discourses of hegemonic masculinities where girls are frequently positioned as the 'problem' regarding their disengagement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of mostly ethnic minority and low-socioeconomic status elementary school girls enrolled in an urban physical activity (PA) and literacy afterschool program, known as REACH. This case study purposefully sampled 12 female participants and data were triangulated through interviews, journals, and field notes. Data were analyzed using constant comparison and open/axial coding. Both school and school PE were conceptualized by the girls as marginalizing, as they regularly disengaged. Further, the girls received implicit messages related to what it means to be a girl in both school and PE contexts. The gendered meanings idealized by participants represent constraining discourses and stereotypes regarding embedded femininities. However, participants were able to reject some gender stereotypes, reflecting a sense of autonomy in their lived experiences from the REACH program. The implications of this study represent the need for research which constructs gendered experiences as fluid, along with the potential importance of afterschool programs in empowering marginalized students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many girls do not want to engage in physical activity (PA) in places that do not provide feelings of safety, comfort, or protection. Nor will they engage in PA if it might compromise gender norms and place them at risk of being teased by peers. Media influences (e.g. social media, advertisements) target young girls and circulate gender norms and stereotypes. Many girls may compare themselves to an ideal female body, portrayed in media as slender, fit, pretty, fashionable, and White. This comparison can lead to negative perceptions about their bodies, which may lead to body image dissatisfaction and low body-esteem. To align with the ideal socially-constructed female body, girls may seek to embody normative feminine characteristics. Researchers have implemented body-focused curricula as interventions to help young girls navigate perceived barriers to PA and engage girls in critical analysis of media's representation of women. Purpose: By creating the GIRL (Gaining Insight through Reflective Learning) sessions, the purpose of this study was to explore how coaches in one after-school program implemented a body-focused curriculum for girls through an activist approach. Method: Nine fifth and sixth grade girls from one low-income elementary school in an urban California school district participated in this year-long after-school program. Data sources included: a researcher journal, field notes, participants' journals, semi-structured student interviews, researcher and school district personnel correspondences, and participant artifacts. The researchers used an activist approach to create and implement the GIRL sessions to provide: (a) a place where girls could practice high levels of confidence and satisfaction with their bodies and; (b) a safe place in which girls could discuss various concerns regarding the body. Activities were developed to align with these goals and tailored to individual and group interests. Data were analyzed using constant comparative method. Findings: Keeping girls at the center of decision-making was essential for streamlining curricular initiatives and implementation. This was possible through a responsive curricular approach that facilitated a flexible space for girls to engage with the curriculum. Cultivating trust and safety was a key aspect of implementing the curriculum. This involved rethinking traditional coach-student roles. Coaches engaged in reflexive practices which helped determine real-time changes to consider each week, and sense short-comings in critical perspectives they wanted to engage in with participants. Conclusion: If research on activist approaches is significant for transformation and creating new possibilities for girls, these findings are important for detailing what this looked like in practice, how it might work moving forward, and how it could work for others. Ultimately, an activist approach is about teaming with girls to realize transformational change (Oliver and Kirk 2016, 'Towards an activist approach to research and advocacy for girls and physical education.' Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 21 (3): 313–327.). Our findings and discussion speak to the depth of trust needed to enact an activist approach. While GIRL coaches may have lacked critical perspectives to mitigate change, they demonstrated a dimension of cultivating trust through responsive pedagogy that may have been enhanced by the after-school space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After-school physical activity programs have long been places for youth to develop, grow, and be supported. Perhaps more importantly, especially given the COVID-19 global pandemic, after-school programs are a safe, healthy, and affordable refuge for youth to develop social capital and benefit from positive relationships with adults. We come to this Viewpoint from six years of tinkering with our after-school program REACH (Reflective Educational Approach to Character and Health). Through several years of adjustments and working with communities in New York, California, and Virginia, we have seen the power that after-school programs can have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research sought to uncover challenges that arose in the implementation of the Reflective Educational Approach to Character and Health (REACH) after-school programme in a low-income public school in New York City. Additionally, we wanted to find and share some of the lessons learned, to help others avoid our pitfalls when implementing quality after-school programming. At the conclusion of the year-long REACH programme that was preceded by a year-long pilot, the lead researcher interviewed six key stakeholders: (a) the coach; (b) an academic tutor; (c) the director of REACH; (d) two after-school teachers/leaders within the school; and (e) the assistant principal of P.S. 780 (pseudonym). We employed a qualitative case study approach. Field notes from observations, researcher journals, emails, and multiple interviews were used to triangulate data. Two coders first independently coded and analyzed the data using the constant comparison method, followed by a peer reviewer to further establish credibility and trustworthiness. Three themes are presented from the data analysis: (a) bridging community dynamics and REACH; (b) needing community involvement; and (c) role modeling through cultural competence. These three themes are analyzed through a lens of culturally responsive pedagogy and a new theory of positive youth development through sport. These data present a detailed account of the implementation of a sport-based after-school programme in an urban environment. The paper presents the challenges faced in the implementation of such programmes as well as lessons learned in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The purpose of this research was to understand the experiences of pre-service teachers in a service-learning program. The research questions that guided this research were: (1) How does an after-school service-learning program that utilizes pre-service teachers develop students' pedagogy? (2) What are the experiences of pre-service teachers teaching in low SES schools through a service-learning approach? Methods: During the 2016–2017 school year, nine pre-service physical education students took part in a service-learning program. The REACH program was a free after-school physical education and literacy program for 5th and 6th grade students at a low SES school. This program consisted of two-hour sessions, twice per week, for 30-weeks starting in the Fall and ending in the Spring. Data consisted of interviews, pre-service teachers' journals, researcher journals, and researcher field notes. In total, 500 pages of data were analyzed using the constant comparative technique. Two researchers independently coded these data and a peer reviewer then separately reviewed the data and findings. Results: Three themes emerged from the data analysis. Theme 1 – Developing pedagogies in real-world settings. Theme 2 – Connecting with students and learning how to manage behavior. Theme 3 – Teaching in a low SES school: A wake-up call. Conclusions and implications: Pre-service teachers in this study were able to practice their pedagogy in a real-world environment and gain valuable experience in developing classroom and behavior management skills. The REACH program provides a model for a service-learning approach where pre-service students can practice and refine their teaching skills through extended involvement in an after-school program that served students in a low SES community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After-school approaches offer a viable solution to the current challenge of physical inactivity among many adolescents; however, availability, cost, transportation, and interest limit many youths' choices during non-school hours [Roth, Brooks-Gunn, Murray, and Foster 2003. "Youth Development Programs: Risk, Prevention and Policy." Journal of Adolescent Health 32 (3): 170–182]. In addition to these limitations, safety concerns in urban communities act as barriers to participation in both after-school programs [Sanderson and Richards 2010. "The After-School Needs and Resources of a Low-income Urban Community: Surveying Youth and Parents for Community Change." American Journal of Community Psychology 45: 430–440] and physical activity [Moore, Roux, Evenson, McGinn, and Brines 2010. "A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity for Urban and Rural Youth." Health Education Research 25 (2): 355–367]. Purpose: This year-long qualitative case study sought to explore young urban boys' experiences in an after-school program that aimed to empower young men through the sport of basketball. Method: Two coaches facilitated weekly sessions for 5–20 young men of color in an urban, public school after-school program in Harlem, NY. The program recruited young men to an after-school program that offered basketball instruction in a safe space. During the program, students worked on basketball skills as well as reflective reading and writing through weekly journals and immersive conversations that revolved around weekly themes such as sportsmanship, culture, power, and communication. At the conclusion of the study seven boys aged 10–14 agreed to be interviewed about their experiences in the REACH program. Sources of data include journals, interviews, and observations. These data were coded by two independent coders, peer reviewed by a third researcher and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings: Theme one: Shooting guns (violence) is a barrier to shooting hoops at local courts. Analysis of the data highlighted violence as an always-present barrier to playing basketball, specifically, and physical activity, generally speaking. Theme two: Future plans, the NBA. The vast majority of boys discussed joining the NBA, either directly from high school or after a year at a college. The NBA dream operated as a perceived pathway to a safer future and higher education. Theme three: Having and being role models. Analysis of the data also pointed to participants both being and/or having a role model. These relationships impacted them in a variety of ways and not only helps us better understand their experiences in the program but also elucidates how barriers to physical activity were alleviated. The young men who participated in this after-school program were able to engage in interest-based physical activity and academic learning tasks, thus creating a peaceful space to develop positive associations between school, physical activity, and community. Conclusion: Closely examining the lived experiences of the REACH participants is significant for understanding their barriers to physical activity and how REACH, as a PYD sport program, alleviated those barriers. Examining the data around these issues also expands on the need for PYD programs [Wright and Li 2009. "Exploring the Relevance of Positive Youth Development in Urban Physical Education." Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 14 (3): 241–251] and extends understandings of the PYD framework put forth by Holt et al. [2017. "A Grounded Theory of Positive Youth Development Through Sport Based on Results From a Qualitative Meta-Study." International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 10: 1–49]. Specifically, our study demonstrates the reciprocal and iterative nature of PYD climate, life skills focus, and PYD outcomes. Our study also expands on the understandings of PYD climate, extending the focus beyond relationships to also including participants' experiences and perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study sought to explore students' experiences of the Fitness Integrated with Technology (F.I.T.) unit and of their perceptions of using technology in physical education.Method: This manuscript is part of a larger mixed-methods study that measured student attitude and physical activity (PA) levels of 221 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Selected students (N = 13; seven girls) were observed and then interviewed after the unit through semistructured interviews. Students were identified based on their PA levels and attitude scores from a baseline measurement. The unit was designed to deliver fitness-based knowledge and used accelerometers as a tool to measure and teach students about PA.Results: Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) technology and problems implementing it, (b) homework in PE, and (c) potential motivational effects of technology. The lack of access to technology at home and the design and utility of the accelerometers were perceived barriers. Additionally, homework was not well received. The accelerometer seemed to have a motivational effect on increasing students' PA levels but wore off during the unit.Conclusions: Results demonstrate that the use of technology for some students was a motivating factor to increase PA, and the use of accelerometers was a welcomed addition for students. Some students, however, raised concerns with the integration of technology such as the bulkiness of the accelerometer, not being able to wear it at sporting events, a novelty effect, and lack of access to technology at home that limited their interaction with their accelerometer data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. is in the midst of one of the worst teacher shortages in recent memory. While some students will naturally find their way into teaching, other qualified candidates may only need a little encouragement. The purpose of this editorial is to provide a few ideas for increasing recruitment efforts and helping students who show interest in HPE teaching careers connect with HPETE programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marttinen, RHJ, Judelson, DA, Wiersma, LD, and Coburn, JW. Effects of self-selected mass loss on performance and mood in collegiate wrestlers. J Strength Cond Res 25(4): 1010-1015, 2011-Wrestlers abruptly lose body mass before competition; however, the effects of 'weight cutting' are poorly understood because of conflicting evidence. This study aimed to determine the effects of self-selected mass loss on precompetition mood, grip strength, and lower body power in collegiate wrestlers. Sixteen male collegiate wrestlers (age = 20 ± 2 years, height = 177.5 ± 7.2 cm) were weighed 10 days before (D-10) a competitive meet. Euhydrated subjects were administered the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), tested on grip strength, and given a 30-second Wingate Anaerobic Power test to determine lower body power. Additional weigh-ins were conducted 6 (D-6) and 2 (D-2) days before competition. Subjects repeated the testing battery the day of competition (D-0). During the study, wrestlers self-selected the method and timing of mass loss. Wrestlers lost 0.0-8.1% of their body mass using exercise, caloric restriction, or fluid deprivation. Most mass loss occurred between D-2 and D-0 (mean ± SD, D-10 = 81.7 ± 18.2 kg, D-6 = 81.2 ± 17.8 kg, D-2 = 81.1 ± 18.5 kg, D-0 = 79.0 ± 19.2 kg). Wrestlers losing >=4% body mass became significantly more confused (D-10 = 0 ± 0, D-0 = 3 ± 3); subjects losing less mass showed no difference in confusion. No significant differences existed across time for remaining BRUMS variables, grip strength, and Wingate variables. These results suggest that wrestlers self-select large, rapid mass loss that impairs aspects of psychological functioning without affecting grip strength or lower-body power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a study that evaluated the effects of a self-selected mass loss practice known as weight cutting on the performance capabilities and moods of collegiate wrestlers. A group of male collegiate wrestlers near the age of 20 were examined in terms of precompetition mood, grip strength, and lower body strength.

Before- and after-school programs can be excellent opportunities for schools to provide supplemental physical activity (PA) and reinforce the knowledge, skills, and dispositions taught in physical education, particularly when some schools may perceive PA during the school day as competing with academic learning time. Before- and after-school PA programs can be offered directly by school staff, or in partnership with community organizations, and can include offerings like intramural sports, mileage clubs, active childcare programs, interscholastic sports, active transport initiatives, and PA clubs. Research findings suggest that before- and after-school programming can contribute meaningfully to children and adolescents' daily PA accrual and offer additional benefits related to cognitive health and social-emotional wellbeing. Careful attention should be paid by program leaders and staff to the structure of these programs to maximize potential benefits for youth. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief summary of the research conducted to date on before- and after-school PA programs with a specific intention to extend the content reviewed since the last special issue of JOPERD on CSPAP nearly a decade ago (Beighle & Moore, 2012). In this article, we endeavor to translate the literature on before- and after-school PA programming and evidence of its impact into tangible strategies that school stakeholders can use to deliver these programs effectively in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different international guidelines indicate the need for improving educational procedures. This study aims to contribute to the professional development training program of higher education professors from a Physical Education Teacher Education degree in México.This qualitative study used a participatory action research design through four cycles: (a) diagnosis; (b) elaboration of the action plan; (c) implementation and evaluation; and (d) feedback. The participants were the professor, six experts, and 17 students. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with students and the professor, the analysis of the class syllabus, and nonparticipatory observations.The importance of carrying out a diagnostic cycle allowed us to identify the specific needs of the class. Similarly, the model of development and evaluation of academic competencies (M-DECA) allowed the professor to develop specific pedagogical and disciplinary competencies from the training program.A continuous professional development training program for university professors in pedagogical and disciplinary strategies generates better learning results. The inclusion of innovative content in the class syllabus was also crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy classifies and shapes people/subjects in particular kinds of ways. Focusing on the context of Health and Physical Education (HPE), this paper analyses policy documents from Australia, the United States of America (USA) and Wales. We pay particular attention to how learners are represented within and across the three policy documents, and we apply Bacchi's 'What's the Problem Represented to be?' approach to guide the analysis. For us, problematization is a fruitful and positive process that enables educators to engage with a critical dialogue regarding the policies they are expected to enact. Our analysis highlighted that common across the policies were overlapping discourses of idealism, neoliberalism, healthism, and individualism, which serve to reinforce deficit language and a focus on what learners 'lack'. The problem of 'learner as lacking' is represented within the policies via at least three subject positions: 'the sedentary learner', 'the un-educated learner' and 'the naïve learner'. The findings suggest that the three policies were producing an ideal and perhaps impossible learner (subject) whilst at the same time representing the learner as a problem that the policy could 'fix'. This paper is important because it: (i) demonstrates how certain discourses and voices are amplified and silenced within curriculum policy documents and policy work more broadly; (ii) makes educational and health politics visible; and (iii) creates space for the profession to develop greater critical consciousness related to policy. In terms of future directions, we urge curriculum policy writers and other stakeholders to carefully consider how learners are categorised, represented and governed in and through policy. If curriculum policies, by their very nature, need to produce problems – in this case, the (im)possible subject - we invite educators to engage in critical conversations regarding the policies they are expected to enact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While ethnic-minority young people are increasingly defined as bodies ‘at disadvantage', marked as less fit or less healthy than the White ‘norm', the ways young people construct meanings around their bodies as a result of global health imperatives have received scant attention. The purpose of this participatory visual research was to incorporate an interactive, multimediaBody Curriculuminto two fitness units in secondary urban schools to assist ethnic-minority young people in critically responding to pervasive media monocultural representations of fit bodies. Students’ engagement with Glogster (a creative visual learning platform) not only enabled them to criticize fitness as a ‘White thing,' but also offered them a pedagogical space to challenge such racialized and gendered media narratives with self-representations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Forty-five integrative physical education studies were established for 2009–2018. • Technology was integrated most frequently, and art was integrated zero times. • Knowledge assessments and physical activity tracking were largely lacking. • An increase in publications found for Math and English language arts integration. • An increase in research from around the world of integrative physical education. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to provide a holistic analysis of the empirical research surrounding the integration of other content areas (e.g., math, science) into physical education class settings for the years 2009–2018. The systematic analysis took a three-phased approach: (a) extensive search, (b) researcher negotiations of coding classifications, and (c) analyzing results. Forty-five studies were established, showing technology integrated most frequently throughout the literature. There was a steady increase in publishing trends for 2010–2017, except in 2018. Additional findings reveal that most studies in this review did not utilize knowledge assessments or physical activity tracker measures. These measures are essential when integrating outside content into physical education to provide evidence of outcomes for both fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: LGBTQ scholarship in physical education has a history tracing back to 1982. Recently, however, there has been a 'rising tide' in LGBTQ studies in physical education. Despite this recent surge there has not been a genuine attempt to critically understand, track, and map the scope of this literature. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify, categorize, and analyze published scholarship and peer-reviewed research on LGBTQ issues in physical education. Design and Analysis: An exhaustive search was conducted on nine databases which produced 230 abstracts that was reduced down to 76 manuscripts chosen for inclusion. Articles were coded independently for numerous aspects of the scholarship and research. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and then deductively conceptualized drawing on critical social theories. Conclusions: Whilst there is a current surge in LGBTQ focused research in physical education, such work is met with a complex web of interconnected and staunch problems that limit researchers. As such, the authors end with suggestions that can make the field more amicable for LGBTQ inspired research and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]