<p> The continual decline in health and wellness and the potential impact on society, including the economic, social, physical, and emotional perspectives is a concern for health professionals. Specifically, there are concerns about the lifestyle habits as individuals' transition through the lifespan from childhood to late adulthood. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of high school varsity athletic participation on physical activity and wellness in the adult life stages: young, middle, and late. The researcher hypothesized that individuals that participated in high school varsity athletics would report higher levels of physical activity and higher wellness scores (social, physical, and emotional) in the adult life stages than individuals that did not participate in high school varsity athletics. </p><p> The researcher recruited, through electronic e-mail, 564 college alumni (69.1% female) to participate in the exploratory study. Participants completed the Godin Leisure-time Exercise Questionnaire and the Perceived Wellness Survey. Participants were then grouped by past high school athletic participation status (59.2% varsity athletes) and by adult life stage. </p><p> An ANOVA indicated significant differences between groups in all areas. Athletes in young adulthood showed the greatest differences in strenuous physical activity (p&lt;.001) when compared to non-athletes. Athletes in late adulthood showed the greatest differences in moderate physical activity (p&lt;.01) when compared to non-athletes. Non-athletes in young adulthood showed the greatest negative differences in emotional wellness (p&lt;.05) when compared to all groups. Additionally, the greatest differences in total wellness was between athletes (p&lt;.001) and non-athletes in young adulthood. Finally, athletes in young adulthood reported the greatest differences in total physical activity (p&lt;.05), physical wellness (p&lt;.05), and social wellness (p&lt;.05) when compared to other groups. </p><p> The findings from the study provide strong evidence that high school varsity participation can help individuals develop healthy habits that are carried into adulthood. The study provides a strong foundation for future research in physical activity, wellness, and sport behavior. In conclusion, school administrators and health professionals should consider providing more opportunities for more adolescents to participate in structured athletic programs to develop healthy habits that become lifelong behaviors.</p>

<p> Adolescents use literacies in order to build identities in a variety of figured worlds. Some identities become more powerful than others as adolescents attempt to understand and successfully utilize the valuations and literacies of the diverse figured worlds in which they participate. The goals of this study were to describe the figured worlds of football and the classroom of a highly recognized high school football program and school. My study involved four participants from the varsity football squad and the coaches and teachers who guided and shaped both figured worlds.</p><p> I used a qualitative case study design to explore each figured world and the literacies demanded from my participants. Data were gathered from observations in both the football and classroom figured worlds, interviews with my participants, their coaches, and teachers. I also studied various artifacts from both figured worlds in order to describe the valuations and literacies endemic to both. </p><p> Findings show that both figured worlds demanded key beliefs and valuations from my participants in order to gain power and positionality in each one. My study also shows that the football figured world expects players to comprehend key literacies in order to gain recognition and esteem. For some of my participants, connecting the valuations and literacies between the worlds allowed them to build strong identities in both. However, one participant was unable to take on the expected valuations and literacies in recognizable ways in the classroom figured world, and as a result, was unable to build a strong identity there. </p>

Thèses (M.Sc.)--Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), 2007. / Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 1 février 2007). In ProQuest dissertations and theses. Publié aussi en version papier.

<p> The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the personal perceived stress levels of athletic coaches (n=731) in a large urban public school district in Florida in relation to win/loss records of the most recent athletic season; the study was performed utilizing the PSS-14 (Cohen, 1983). The responses to the survey queries were answered based on a 5-point Likert scale. Out of the 731 coaches who were approached with the survey, 97 participants completed the survey; however, there were four unusable surveys, leaving 93 useable surveys. The 93 surveys constituted a 13.3% portion of the population. The correlational analysis (p&lt; .05) of the responses for High stress scores indicated that these items for the entire group (n=93) of participants were significantly correlated with the win/loss records. Females (n=29) reported more High stress scores on Questions 1, 2, 3, 8, 12, and 14. Males (n=64) reported High Stress for Questions 1, 3, and 12. Questions 1, 3, and 12 were common to both Males and Females. The findings of the research study indicated that there is a relationship between the specific subsets of PSS-14 for two of the statements and the win/loss records for the district. This correlation showed that coaches recognize and attempt to cope with the stressors that they encounter in their day to day activities with regard to their win/loss records and attempt to minimize the effects of stress and worry about anticipated events, (e.g., possible future games, playoffs, tournaments, and other associated events in the high school athletic world). Success in managing these two components of coaching would augment the other components of the PSS-14 since emotional, physical, mental and psychological factors in coaching and playing a sport are closely tied together. Continued research into the infinite possibilities of education and coaching should provide a means to improve each district's performance in the education of youth. Athletics and fitness have existed as a concomitant of education since the earliest forms of education came into existence. The two faces of education and athletics should continue to be examined to profit the individual and the community. </p>