The edTPA is becoming an increasingly popular assessment in educator preparation programs across the United States. While there are many official support documents available for navigating the completion of the edTPA, there is abundant discussion and collaboration between those who work with teacher candidates to find strategies for successful submission of the assessment. The purpose of this article is to outline the basics of the physical education edTPA assessment and to provide strategies to both teacher candidates and the faculty who work with them to effectively navigate the edTPA process.

This research examines the competitive balance of the CSL since its formation using two popular within-season balance measures. Findings show that balance has been more volatile since league reorganization, but is neither consistently more nor less balanced. Furthermore, we question whether it is coincidental that the CSL was most balanced across all teams in the seasons immediately following its establishment and reorganization, hypothesizing that the traditional Chinese cultural value of harmony may be the root cause. Simple comparisons of win concentrations of top Chinese and UEFA teams do not suggest league imbalance. Given Chinese fan penchant for national team games, we propose that (contrary to the UOH) league interest could potentially be increased by greater imbalance skewed toward the top teams.

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In addition to psychomotor and cognitive learning, social development is one of the three pillars of the national standards for physical education instruction. Though a plethora of research has exhibited the benefits social inclusion can have for students with and without disabilities, inclusion cannot be successful unless physical educators are deliberate, persistent, and continually reflective on the needs of students. The purpose of this paper is to outline the state of inclusion of students with disabilities in a general physical education classes and to highlight teacher behaviors and instructional techniques that promote social acceptance and inclusion for all students in physical education.

Background: Rugby Union is a popular contact sport played worldwide. The physical demands of the game are characterized by short duration, high intensity bouts of activity, with collisions between players, often while running fast. The head, neck, upper limb and lower limb are common sites for injury. Although catastrophic injuries are rare in rugby, they do occur. Immediate action (4-hour window) must occur after the injury to minimise the damage incurred from a catastrophic injury. This infers that a well-functioning medical infrastructure should be available to anticipate injuries of this nature and provide treatment for the best possible outcome. Currently there is no system information/map in South Africa describing the medical infrastructure in relation to places where clubs and schools practice and play matches. Such a system may assist providing early and immediate transfer of injured players to the appropriate treatment facility. This would minimise the damaging effects caused by delays in medical treatment. Therefore the aim of this study was to; (i) investigate and report on the location, distance and travel time from rugby playing/training venues in the Eastern Cape to the nearest specialist hospital where a player may be able to receive adequate treatment for a catastrophic injury, and ii) report on safety equipment available at these playing venues to facilitate this transport in a safe manner. Methods: All the clubs (n=403) and schools (n =264) that played rugby in the Eastern Cape were accounted for in the study. However, only 15 clubs and 35 schools were included in the analysis as they had their own facilities for training and playing matches. Distances between clubs/schools and the nearest public, private and specialized hospital (able to treat catastrophic injuries) were measured. In addition driving time was also estimated between the clubs/schools and nearest specialized hospital to determine if an injured player could be transported within four hours to receive medical treatment for a catastrophic injury. In addition medical safety equipment was audited (according to information provided by SA RUGBY)) for each club and school to identify if they were meeting the minimum safety standards as set by SA RUGBY. Results: Twenty schools were identified as being less than one hour away from the nearest hospital equipped to deal with catastrophic rugby injuries; nine schools were between 1-2 hours away and six schools were between 2-3 hours away. All schools were within 100 km driving distance of the nearest public hospital; 28 schools were within 100km driving distance to the nearest private hospital. For seven schools, the nearest private hospital was between 100 and 150 km away. Fourteen schools had spinal boards, eleven had neck braces, ten had harnesses, nine had change rooms, five had floodlights, and twenty-two had trained first aiders. Six schools were located 2-3 hours away and were at higher risk due to a lack of first aid equipment. Ten clubs were less than an hour away from the nearest hospital equipped to treat catastrophic injuries; two clubs were between 1-2 hours away, two were between 2-3 hours away and one was between 3-4 hours away. All clubs were within 100 km driving distance of the nearest public hospital. Nine clubs were within 100km driving distance to the nearest private hospital, three clubs were based between 100 and 150 km from the nearest private hospital and three were based over 150km away from the nearest private hospital. Twelve clubs had a spinal board, eleven clubs had neck braces, ten clubs had harnesses, ten clubs had change rooms, seven clubs had floodlights and twelve clubs had first aid trainers. One club was classified as high risk as it was located 2-3 hours away from the nearest hospital equipped to manage a catastrophic injury and had no first aid equipment. Discussion/Conclusion: No clubs or schools included in the study were more than four hours away from a hospital that was equipped to deal with a catastrophic rugby injury. Therefore, any player who suffers a catastrophic injury should be able to get to treatment within the 4-hour window period. Another finding was that not all clubs or schools possessed the minimum equipment required to host training or a rugby match. SA RUGBY can take appropriate action towards these clubs and schools to ensure that they maintain the safest possible practice to not put their own players at increased risk.

Includes bibliographical references. / Background: The tackle in rugby union is a dynamic and high impact contact situation that occurs frequently during matches and exposes players to high risk of injury and muscle damage. The inability to tackle will result in opposition players gaining territory and possibly scoring points. Indeed, the ability to effectively engage in tackle contact has been associated with team success. While the risk of injury may always be present during these physical contests between the ball-carrier and tackler, coaching of proper techniques and skills may reduce the risk of injury, and at the same time improve performance. With that said, little is known about the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of rugby union coaches towards coaching the tackle. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess coaches’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards coaching the tackle. Methods: The top 8 rugby-playing schools (Premier A Division) in the Western Province Rugby Union participated in the study (representing 100% of the entire population of top-level junior schools in the region). A questionnaire was used to assess coaches’ knowledge, attitude and reported behaviour. Tackle training behaviour was also observed over a period of 4 weeks at the start of the season. Results: Sixty-two percent of coaches rated proper tackle technique to reduce the risk of injury as very important and 75% of coaches rated proper tackle technique as very important for improving performance. The tackle was practiced in 16% (n=15) of the total practice sessions (n=96). Coaches did not emphasise safety during the tackle sessions. Tackle training was over-reported by 75% (n=5) of coaches during the 4-week observational period. Discussion/Conclusion: Majority of coaches are aware of the high risk of injury associated with the tackle. Most coaches believe that tackle technique can improve tackle performance and safety during the tackle event. Coaches develop new 2 methods mostly through resources such as coaching colleagues and watching televised and live rugby matches. During the observed training period however, only 15 tackle training sessions were observed. It may be important to identify how much tackle training should occur during the pre-season and competition phase of the season to adequately prepare players for competition without increasing the risk of injury. The latest research on ways to reduce the risk of injury and improve performance in the tackle should also be disseminated through the appropriate channels that coaches are known to use. Tackle training guidelines should be based on scientific evidence, and these guidelines should outline how coaches need to design their training to meet their team requirements. Further research should identify which coaching behaviours can be used to effectively train tackle safety and tackle performance during training sessions. Keywords: Rugby union, tackling, coaching, injury prevention, attitude, knowledge, behaviour

Includes bibliographical references. / Professional rugby union is a contact sport with a high risk of injury. The Super Rugby competition is a particularly demanding 16-week Southern Hemisphere tournament. In this tournament, 15 teams compete and play international level matches every week, which may be associated with an even higher risk of injuries. The main objectives of this dissertation were 1) to review the epidemiology and risk factors of injuries in professional rugby union, with specific reference to the Super Rugby tournament (Part 1), and 2) to document the incidence and nature of time-loss injuries during the 2012 Super Rugby tournament (Part 2). Part 1: In this component of the dissertation, a comprehensive review of injuries during Super Rugby was undertaken. A search revealed only 3 studies that have been conducted during this competition. Therefore additional data were included from other studies on Rugby Union, where appropriate. Part 2: This component of the dissertation consists of a prospective cohort study that was conducted during the 2012 Super Rugby tournament, in which teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa participated. Participants consisted of 152 players from five South African teams. Team physicians collected daily injury data through a secure, webbased electronic platform. Data included the size of the squad, the type of day, main player position, whether it was a training or match injury, hours of play (training and matches), the time of the match injury, the mechanism of the injury, the main anatomical location of the injury, the specific anatomical structure of the injury, the type of injury, and the severity of the injury (days lost).

Includes bibliographical references. / The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has witnessed growing participation in the Games since its inception and has made strong efforts to collect comprehensive injury and illness data during the London 2012 Paralympics. Until now, no studies have comprehensively evaluated upper limb injuries at the Paralympic Games. To describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of upper limb injuries in athletes participating in the London 2012 Paralympic Games and identify the groups of athletes at risk. This study forms a component of the large prospective cohort study conducted over the 14-day period of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, coordinated through the IPC Medical Committee. Data were collected in two phases. Phase 1 involved the determination of the incidence and severity for 3,565 athletes (85% of the Paralympic athletes) from a collation of three data sources, providing 46,606 athlete days of data for analysis. Phase 2 involved the collection of more detailed medical data using a novel web-based surveillance system for 3,329 athletes participating in the study (80% of Paralympic athletes). Incidence proportion (IP) has been defined as the number of injuries per 100 athletes (%) during the study period. Incidence rate (IR) has been defined as the number of injuries per 1000 athlete days for the study period and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported in parentheses.

Includes bibliographical references. / Background: One of the most common clinical decisions a Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) physician is required to make is whether an athlete presenting with symptoms or signs of an acute illness can participate in exercise training or competition. Currently, a clinical tool, known as the ‘neck check’ is used to determine eligibility to participate in exercise training or competition athletes with acute illness. This original clinical tool, first described about 20 years ago, was based mainly on an abbreviated medical history and findings of a clinical examination were excluded. Symptoms of illness ‘above-the-neck’ e.g.sneezing, rhinorrhoea or sinus congestion constitute a ‘passed’ “neck check”, whereas ‘below-the-neck’ symptoms e.g.cough and/or systemic symptoms such as fever and myalgia, constitute a ‘failed’ “neck check”. However, in the current literature, there remain very few data regarding 1) the adherence of athletes to advice given following a ‘neck check’, and 2) whether the exercise performance (e.g.the ability to finish a race) or the development of medical complications during exercise is different in athletes who “passed” or “failed” the ‘neck check’. Objective The main objectives of this dissertation are: 1) to review the available evidence with respect to medical assessment and participation risk in endurance runners presenting with symptoms of acute illness before a road race; 2) to document the range of acute illnesses in runners presenting in the 3 days before a race; 3) to determine adherence to advice given by medical staff to these runners, and 4) to determine the effects of the outcomes of the medical assessment on running performance particularly, the ability to finish the race and the medical complications experienced during the race. These data are important to improve the medical care of runners (and other athletes) presenting with acute illness before training and competition. Methods: Phase 1: Review of the literature All literature relating to the epidemiology of acute illness in athletes, risk factors for illness, and participation risk, potential medical complications and effects on performance of exercising whilst ill were sourced using established electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar). In addition, literature related to the background of the ‘neck check’, as well as the evolution of the current RTP guidelines in athletes with acute illness were sourced. Phase 2: Research study In a prospective cohort study, 242 runners who presented to a pre-race registration medical facility with medical concerns were assessed by SEM physicians by means of medical history and physical examination (if indicated) using a specific Pre-Race acute Illness Medical Assessment (PRIMA group). 172 of these runners had evidence suggesting acute infective illness (PRIMA-I group) and 70 runners had non-infective complaints (PRIMA-N/I group). The epidemiology (prevalence rate = % runners) of runners with symptoms, signs and specific clinical diagnoses of acute illnesses were documented in the PRIMA-I group. Following clinical evaluation, all the runners in the PRIMA-I group were then advised regarding clearance to run the race, monitoring symptoms, or not running the race, using the ‘neck check’ as a guideline. Runners in the PRIMA cohort were then tracked during and immediately after the race, and the following parameters were compared to those in a control group of runners not presenting to the medical facility at registration (CON=53 734): 1) incidence of not starting of the race (per 1000 runners) (DNS rate), 2) incidence of not finishing the race in those who started (per 1000 runners) (DNF rate), and 3) incidence of medical complications during the race in those who started (per 1000 runners) (MC rate). Results Phase 1: Review The main finding of the review is the relative paucity in clinical data with respect to participation in athletes with acute illness. Upper respiratory tract symptoms are very common in athletes, and the risk factors are discussed. Furthermore, there are different aetiologies underlying athletes’ URT symptoms (other than infection). The documented risks of exercising when systemically ill include sudden cardiac death and reduced pulmonary function, splenic rupture in patients with infectious mononucleosis, and dehydration and electrolyte disturbances when exercising with acute gastro-intestinal illness. There is little evidence in the literature regarding the effects of illness on performance; these include reduced performance, non-participation and the potential effects of WARI (wheezing after respiratory tract infection). Evidence supporting the two aspects of the neck check is reviewed: the presumed safety of exercising with localised URT symptoms, and the perceived risk of exercising with lower respiratory tract or systemic symptoms. Clinical data are severely lacking, and the available data are based on self-reported symptomatology. There are no published data regarding the use of the ‘neck check’ as a participation guideline. Phase 2: In the PRIMA-I cohort of 172 runners, the most common symptoms were sinus congestion (40.1%), cough (38.2%), sore throat (37.8%) and runny nose (25.6%). More than half the cohort (57.5%) had a diagnosis of localised URTI. However, URTI with generalised symptoms was the single most common diagnosis (22.7%). In the PRIMA-I group, 41.3% of the runners failed the ‘neck check’. Compared with the CON group, there was no significant difference in the DNS rate in the PRIMA-I group. However, in those runners who were advised not to run, the DNS rate was 565 per 1000 runners, and this was significantly higher than that of the CON group (192 per 1000 runners) (p<0.0001). PRIMA-I race starters had a higher DNF rate (31 per 1000 runners), and runners with any medical concerns (PRIMA group) had a significantly higher DNF rate (37 per 1000 runners) compared to the CON group of runners who started the race (15 per 1000 runners) (p= 0.0329). There were no documented medical complications in the PRIMA-I group who started the race, while the MC rate of the CON group was 6.7 per 1000 runners. In runners in the PRIMA-I group who had been advised not to run, 43.5% were non-adherent, and started the race despite this advice. Conclusion: Our study indicates that localised upper respiratory tract infection is responsible for the majority of acute illness in a pre-race cohort of runners. Furthermore, the data provide some evidence that it is safe for runners with acute illness to exercise if they pass the ‘neck check’. However, presenting to a pre-race registration medical facility, failing the ‘neck check’ and receiving advice against participation appear to increase the risk of not finishing a race. There is also concern about the high rate of non-adherence to advice given by the SEM physician. Finally, a pre-race registration medical assessment for runners with acute illness may reduce the risk of developing short-term medical complications during the race.

Background: Rugby is a popular game played around the world and has one of the highest recorded injury rates in sport. The literature exposes ankle injuries as one of the most common areas injured in sport and this trend carries through in rugby too, with lateral ankle sprains predominating. Recurrent ankle injuries are commonly reported in the literature and account for high economic and social burden. There are many intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors credited with causing lateral ankle injuries but to date the literature does not show conclusive evidence for management and prevention of recurrent injuries. A new area of research that has not previously been explored is the neurological influence on recurrent injury. Central processing is a recognised form of learning seen in adults and children during normal development and training and more recently acknowledged in injury settings. This phenomenon has also been seen in abnormal states of development such as neglect and chronic pain. Central Nervous System Changes In Recurrent Ankle Injuries In Rugby Player 2 Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are changes in the central nervous system of rugby players with recurrent ankle injuries. Methods: An experimental and control group was used for this cross sectional study. Participants were recruited from the Golden Lions Rugby Union. Forty-six players in total were recruited. The control group consisted of 22 players, and the recurrent injury group consisted of 24 players. Medical and Sports History Questionnaire was administered as well as a battery of four physical test procedures. The questionnaire asked participants to provide information regarding demographics, playing position, training and playing history, current general health, current and previous injury history, and specifically ankle injury history. The four testing procedures were: body image testing, laterality testing, two point discrimination testing and pressure-pain threshold testing. Results: The results were collected and recorded. Between group and within group comparisons were made for the control and recurrent injury groups. From the Medical and Sports History Questionnaire the results indicated that the recurrent injury group participated in a significantly shorter preseason training period compared to the control group. The laterality testing within group analysis had a significant difference, the injured side had a slower recognition time [1.4(1.3-1.6)] compared to the uninjured side [1.3(1.15-1.5) Central Nervous System Changes In Recurrent Ankle Injuries In Rugby Player 3 p<0.01]. Pressure pain threshold testing produced a significant difference for the control group on the ATFL test site and the PTFL site. The PTFL site also demonstrated significant difference in the between group comparison analysis. The results from the two point discrimination testing and the body image testing produced interesting results. The two point discrimination tests performed on the both the recurrent injury group and the control group using within group comparison showed significant differences on the anterior talofibular ligament between the affected and nonaffected limbs. The between group test result were also significant for the injured vs control side at the ATFL site. The affected side showed a poorer ability to differentiate between one and two points, needing a bigger area before two points were distinguished from one. Similarly, body image testing showed significant differences in the within group comparison of total area drawn for the recurrent injury group only. In the recurrent injury group, the drawing of the affected foot was significantly larger than the drawing of the unaffected side. The control group showed no differences between sides. Conclusion: The study recommends that there is a relationship between central nervous system changes in recurrent ankle injuries in the sample group of professional rugby players. The data indicates that preseason length is a factor to be considered in recurrent ankle injuries. The clinical tests focussed specifically on central nervous system changes also produced some illuminating results. The recurrent injury group demonstrated significant difference between injured and uninjured sides in both two point discrimination testing of the ATFL ligaments and in the body image drawing of the foot and ankle. The control group in contrast didn't yield any differences between sides for these same tests. The pressure pain testing and laterality testing producing significant results also indicate the central nervous system involvement in recurrent injury.