O Curso Normal foi o primeiro oferecido pela Escola Superior de Educação Física (ESEF), quando esta instituição iniciou suas atividades em 1940. A ESEF foi pioneira na formação de professores(as) civis de Educação Física no estado do Rio Grande do Sul e permaneceu por 30 anos nesta condição. Tal fato robustece a relevância do Curso Normal, que proveu as escolas com professores(as) de Educação Física durante os 15 anos que se manteve em funcionamento (1940- 1956). Neste cenário emerge o seguinte problema de pesquisa: como ocorreu a formação de professores(as) do Curso Normal de Educação Física da ESEF, notadamente com respeito aos saberes disciplinares, no período de 1940 a 1956. O recorte temporal compreende o ano de 1940, quando o Curso Normal entrou em funcionamento, até 1956, o último ano em que foi oferecido, sendo substituído no ano seguinte pelo curso de Educação Física Infantil. Esta pesquisa tem como alicerces os pressupostos teórico-metodológicos da História das Disciplinas Acadêmicas e Escolares, dos Saberes Disciplinares e da Nova História Cultural. Nesta perspectiva, foram analisadas fontes documentais compostas pelos Programas de Ensino das disciplinas do Curso Normal de Educação Física e por documentos legais, especialmente, a legislação do período. Além disso, fizeram parte do corpus de análise fontes orais, que procederam do depoimento de exalunas( os) do Curso Normal. A interpretação das fontes de pesquisa evidenciaram que a construção dos saberes disciplinares do Curso Normal da ESEF foi influenciada pela contribuição de médicos e militares, os quais imprimiram seus preceitos nas bases da escola sul-rio-grandense. Ademais, figuraram nesse cenário prescrições advindas de normativas legais e, também, de modelos e orientações que perpassavam a Educação Física no período. Os contornos adquiridos pelos saberes disciplinares, apresentaram características pontuais vinculadas ao Método Francês de ginástica, abarcando também aspectos de ordem pedagógica e influências advindas das trajetórias vivenciadas por alguns dos docentes vinculados ao Curso Normal. / The Regular Course was the first course offered by Escola Superior de Educação Física (ESEF), when this institution began its activities in 1940. ESEF was the pioneer on the training of Physical Education teachers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and remained for 30 years in this condition. This fact strengthens the relevance of the Regular Course, which provided Physical Education teachers for schools during the 15 years that remained in operation (1940-1956). In this scenario the following research problem emerges: how did the training of teachers from the Regular Course of Physical Education of ESEF happen, especially considering the disciplinary knowledges, from 1940 to 1956. The temporal cutting comprises the year 1940, when the Regular Course began its operation, until 1956, the last year when it was offered, being replaced in the following year by the course of Physical Education for Children. This research has as its basis the theoretical and methodological assumptions the History of Academic and School Disciplines, Disciplinary Knowledge and New Cultural History. In this perspective, documentary sources composed by the Teaching Programs of the subjects of the Regular Course of Physical Education and legal documents, especially the legislation of the period, were analyzed. In addition, oral sources were part of the corpus of analysis, which proceeded from the testimony of former students of the Regular Course. The interpretation of the research sources showed that the construction of the disciplinary knowledge of the Regular Course of ESEF was influenced by the contribution of doctors and the military, who impressed their precepts in the basis of the school from Rio Grande do Sul. Moreover, prescriptions coming from legal norms appeared in this scenario, and also from models and orientations that pervaded the Physical Education in the period. The outlines acquired by the disciplinary knowledges presented specific characteristics linked to the French Gymnastics Method, also covering pedagogical aspects and influences coming from the trajectories experienced by some of the teachers from the Regular Course.

Apesar da prática da Ginástica Acrobática ser apontada por alguns estudos como um estímulo eficiente em gerar adaptações neuromusculares associadas a uma melhora no controle postural, até o presente momento nenhum estudo investigou o comportamento das oscilações posturais de ginastas da Ginástica Acrobática frente à manipulação de informações sensoriais, como por exemplo, na presença de informações táteis adicionais. Além disso, um grande número de estudos tem mostrado um aumento nas oscilações posturais em função da fadiga muscular. No entanto, não há na literatura investigações acerca dos efeitos da fadiga muscular sobre controle postural de ginastas da Ginástica Acrobática. Visto que diferentes tipos de treinamento físico, especialmente aqueles que requerem ações rápidas e habilidosas envolvendo equilíbrio e orientação corporal, induzem melhoras no controle postural, a hipótese levantada nesse estudo foi de que os ginastas da Ginástica Acrobática deveriam apresentar, após um protocolo de indução de fadiga muscular, um aumento nas oscilações posturais menos acentuados em comparação a não ginastas (i.e. um menor efeito da fadiga muscular sobre as oscilações posturais). Dessa forma, o objetivo desse estudo foi comparar, entre ginastas da Ginástica Acrobática (grupo GYN) e não ginastas (grupo CTRL), os efeitos da fadiga muscular dos flexores plantares do tornozelo sobre o controle postural, durante tarefas de postura unipodal com e sem a presença de informações táteis adicionais (i.e. com e sem contato do dedo indicador com uma superfície externa). Além disso, foi utilizada eletromiografia (EMG) de superfície de músculos do membro inferior e do tronco para avaliar mais profundamente as adaptações do sistema neuromuscular em função da instalação da fadiga. Os resultados indicaram que, para ambos os grupos GYN e CTRL, a fadiga muscular causou aumento das oscilações posturais, enquanto o toque causou diminuição das mesmas. No entanto, para o grupo CTRL (mas não para o grupo GYN) o efeito da fadiga parece ser dependente da condição de toque, visto que quando informações táteis adicionais estiveram presentes, o efeito da fadiga sobre as oscilações posturais foi atenuado. Apesar das oscilações posturais terem sido semelhantes entre os grupos GYN e CTRL, a análise dos sinais de EMG indicou que o grupo GYN utilizou menores níveis de ativação do músculo tibial anterior (ou ativações menos frequentes), assim como diferentes distribuições espectrais dos sinais de EMG provenientes do gastrocnêmio medial, bíceps femoral e do reto abdominal durante a tarefa de equilíbrio unipodal, independentemente da condição de fadiga ou de toque / Although Acrobatic Gymnastics practice has been considered effective in generating neuromuscular adaptations associated with postural control improvements, to date no study has investigated the behavior of postural sway of gymnasts of Acrobatics Gymnastics in response to the manipulation of sensory information such as the addition of tactile sensory cues. Moreover, a large number of studies have shown increased postural oscillations in response to muscle fatigue. However, no investigation has addressed the effects of muscle fatigue on the postural control of gymnasts of Acrobatics Gymnastics. As postural control is improved by different types of physical training, particularly those requiring skilled and fast actions, the hypothesis saised in this study was that gymnasts of Acrobatics Gymnastics would be less prone to fatigue-induced postural instabilities, thereby showing a smaller effect of muscle fatigue on postural sway. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of plantar flexor muscle fatigue on the control of single leg stance between gymnasts of Acrobatics Gymnastics (GYN group) and non-gymnasts (CTRL group), during postural tasks performed with and without additional tactile information due to contact of the index finger with an external surface. Additionally, surface EMG of the lower limb and trunk muscles was used to further evaluate the fatigue-induced adaptations on the neuromuscular system. The results indicated that, for both GYN and CTRL groups, muscle fatigue caused an increase in postural sway, while the touching an external surface decreased it. However, for the CTRL group (but not for the GYN group) the effect of fatigue seems to be dependent on the touch condition, as the effect of fatigue on postural sway was attenuated in the presence of additional tactile information. Although postural sway parameters were similar between the GYN and CTRL groups, analysis of the EMG signals indicated that the GYN group used lower levels of tibialis anterior muscle activation (or less frequent activations), as well as different spectral distributions of the EMG signals from gastocnemius medialis, biceps femoris and rectus abdominis during the unipodal postural task, regardless of the fatigue or touch condition

Cette recherche porte sur l’analyse de l’activité des entraîneurs experts en gymnastique artistique et vise à décrire et comprendre les ressources cognitives sur lesquelles ils s’appuient pour intervenir auprès des gymnastes et transformer leurs habiletés. Une épistémologie de l’agir professionnel en rupture avec le modèle classique de la rationalité technique a offert le cadre de l’étude des connaissances implicites, façonnées par l’expérience de travail.Une démarche compréhensive et située, respectueuse des conditions d’exercice du métier d’entraîneur a été adoptée. L’anthropologie cognitive a servi d’ancrage disciplinaire, dans la mesure où l’intérêt s’est porté sur les processus cognitifs enchâssés dans les activités humaines. L’ancrage épistémologique de la phénoménologie a été choisi comme renforcement de la démarche compréhensive. Le cadre théorique de l’étude est celui de l’action située.Le terrain de l’étude est celui de l’entraînement sportif de haut niveau : un club sportif de niveau national, ainsi que deux Pôles France d’entraînement de la Fédération Française de Gymnastique (FFG). Deux entraîneurs féminins et douze entraîneurs masculins ont été suivis pendant trois ans au cours de leur activité professionnelle auprès de gymnastes de haut niveau âgés de 7 à 23 ans. Deux types de matériaux complémentaires ont été élaborés : i) Des données d’observation du flux de comportements des entraîneurs ; ii) Des verbalisations réflexives produites par l’entraîneur au cours d’entretiens en cours, ou post-entraînements. Une méthodologie d’ « instruction au pair » a été développée, intermédiaire entre la technique de l’instruction au sosie et l’observation participante. Les matériaux recueillis ont fait l’objet d’une analyse qualitative inductive selon la méthode de comparaison continue afin de produire des résultats théoriques intégrés aux matériaux recueillis. L’étude a permis d’avancer en matière de théorisation de la connaissance pragmatique des entraîneurs experts en gymnastique artistique.Les résultats montrent que les entraîneurs experts interviennent auprès des gymnastes sur des éléments discrets des habiletés gymniques. Ce sont des formes de corps spatialement situées qu’ils nomment phases de placement et qu’ils considèrent comme critiques pour la réussite. Ces formes transitoires dynamiques pour les entraîneurs sont des composantes chronologiques ordonnées de formes plus complexes. Elles organisent l’activité perceptive en focalisant l’attention des entraîneurs sur elles ou certains aspects les composant. Les entraîneurs interviennent auprès des gymnastes sur les propriétés physionomiques et intentionnelles qu’ils leur assignent. L’identification de ces phases par les entraîneurs apparaît comme une composante des processus par lesquels ils se rendent intelligible l’activité des gymnastes réalisant les habiletés gymniques. L’étude a permis de mettre en évidence quatre résultats majeurs concernant cette intelligibilité : a) elle repose sur des formes de corps perçues. Ces formes constituent des totalités signifiantes qui condensent un réseau de relations causales entre les propriétés des phases. Elle repose donc sur un ordre causal simplificateur de la complexité ; b) elle est métaphorique. Elle repose sur un modèle d’intelligibilité analogique implicite ; c) elle est située. Elle repose sur une gestalt expérientielle de la causalité qui permet l’énaction de propriétés typiques des phases de placement en fonction de leur pertinence dans l’action située ; d) il s’agit d’une intelligibilité « bricolée », provisoire, reposant en partie sur des hypothèses interprétatives testées en situation. / This study aims to investigate the expert coaches’ activity. More exactly, it attempts to describe and understand the knowledge being used by coaches while teaching and correcting the athletes’ technical skills in high level artistic gymnastics. An epistemology of professional practice, in break with the model of technical rationality, offers an approach to study the implicit knowledge, shaped by the working experience.A comprehensive and situated approach, respectful of the working conditions of the coaches, was chosen. The disciplinary anchor is cognitive anthropology. The theoretical framework for this research is situated action theory.The field of study is high level sport training: an association of national level and two national training structures of high level, managed by the French Federation of Artistic Gymnastics (FFG). Two expert female coaches and twelve expert male coaches were observed for three years during their professional practice with elite gymnasts aged seven to twenty-three years old. Two types of complementary data were elaborated: i) Data regarding the behavior of coaches during their practice; ii) Reflexive verbalizations by the coaches interviewed during or after the training sessions. The research methodology drew on participant observation and the technical "instructions to the double". It is called "instructions to the pair". The research materials collected were analyzed by means of inductive qualitative analysis and with comparison continuous method. The theoretical results appear through creating and conceptualizing categories identified from research data. They offered the possibility to theorize gymnastics expert coaches’ pragmatic knowledge. The results reveal that expert coaches’ interventions concern elements which compose gymnastic skills. These elements are body shapes spatially located, which are described as "placement phases" by coaches. The coaches considerer them as critical to perform the skills. These transitional and dynamic forms for coaches are chronological and ordered components of more complex forms. They organize perceptive activity by focusing the coaches’ attention on them or on certain aspects which compose them. To improve the achievement of skills, the coaches intervene on properties they assign to the phases they consider as critical: physiognomic and intentional properties. The identification of these phases by coaches seems to be a component of the processes by which they make the activity of gymnasts performing skills intelligible.The study indicates four major results for this intelligibility: a) it is based on body shapes seen. These shapes are meaningful wholes that condense a system of causal relationships between the properties of phases. It is based on a causal order that simplifies the complexity; b) it is metaphorical. It is based on an implicit model of analogical intelligibility; c) It is situated. It is based on an experiential gestalt of causation that allows the enaction of typical properties of the phases according to their relevance in situated action; d) it is a tinkered intelligibility, provisional, based in part on interpretative hypotheses tested in situations.

Les pratiques physiques ont été introduites dans les lycées au XIXe siècle par les militaires et les médecins. L’histoire institutionnelle rend compte des aléas de leur introduction et de leur évolution dans le domaine particulier de l’éducation physique. Mais, étonnamment, les historiens le font en occultant le corps qui est pourtant le cœur de cette discipline d’enseignement. Michel de Certeau écrit d’ailleurs à ce propos : « chaque société a “son” corps, tout comme elle a sa langue constituée par un système plus ou moins raffiné de choix parmi un innombrable de possibilités phonétiques, lexicales et syntaxiques ». Ce travail de doctorat vise donc à étudier les raisons qui ont conduit le ministère de l’Instruction publique à intégrer ces pratiques dans les emplois du temps des élèves. Afin d’éviter des confusions entre “l’école des notables” et “l’école du peuple”, seul le lycée de Besançon est étudié. Pour atteindre cet objectif, les travaux de recherche se sont attachés à appréhender autant les représentations du corps que les attentes des familles bisontines et celles des hommes politiques impliqués dans cette question de l’éducation corporelle scolaire. Les outils proposés par Michel Foucault sont convoqués et adaptés pour étudier le contrôle des corps. Plus encore, le concept d’autonomie, développé par Alain Ehrenberg, est lui aussi exploité autour de la vaste question pédagogique dépassant la discipline « éducation physique ». Les résultats de cette recherche monographique sont présentés à partir de trois périodes : 1850-1890, une autonomie inexistante lors d’une période de dressage des corps ; de 1890 à la Première Guerre mondiale, une autonomie proposée qui permet l’introduction du sport dans les lycées mais un contrôle des corps toujours intense et, enfin, une autonomie tolérée par obligation avec une reprise en main du contrôle. / Physical activities were introduced into the high school curriculum in the 19th century by physicians and the military. Institutional historians show how physical activities were included in the course called Physical Education and how they evolved. Surprisingly, however, historians who have studied this material never mention the body, which is at the center of this discipline. Michel de Certeau wrote, “Each society has its own body, just as it has its own language made up of a more or less refined system of choice from among countless phonetic, lexical and syntactic possibilities". This thesis studies the reasons that led the French Ministry of Public Education to include Physical Education in students’ scheduling; it uses the case of a high school in Besançon, France. (The students of all high schools during the period studied came from bourgeois families.) Thesis research focuses on the representations of the body, the expectations of the families of the students and the expectations of the politicians who introduced physical education into schools. Research tools developed by Michel Foucault were adapted for studying power over the body. Alain Ehrenberg’s concept of autonomy was used to understand how knowledge is acquired (pedagogy). Research results are presented for three periods: from 1850 to 1890 when autonomy was non-existent in physical education; from 1890 to World War I, when sport was introduced into high schools but physical education policies were just as strict; and from 1918 to 1935 when toleration of autonomy was obligatory but the institution could take back control when it was deemed necessary.

This study aims to investigate and describe the direction of the ideological development of the Swedish gymnastics association Gymniska Förbundet. Between 1928 and 1932, this organization transformed from a purely gymnastic and cultural association into an influential platform for the production of Swedish nationalist ideology. Based on theories of National Socialism’s formation within modern society, the analysis focus on the conditions regulating Gymniska Förbundets relation to modernity. Thus the study examines the association’s ideas in relationship to the concept of modernity. The analysis shows that the ideological fusion between ideas regarding gymnastics and culture on one hand, and of Swedish racial biologyon the other, provided the conditions needed for an alternative vision of modernity, similar to that which international research has characterized as the blut und boden-ideology. By presenting how and in what ways the Swedish blut und boden-ideology emerged and took shape, the study contributes to the research on the party-politically independent National Socialist ideology in Sweden. Furthermore, the analysis reveals networking strategies and idea transfer within the ideological movement based on wider applications of ideas concerning racial biology.

Syftet med denna undersökning är att ta reda på vad som motiverar ungdomar inomGymnastikförbundets verksamhet att vara ideella ledare. Vidare undersöks hur den ideella föreningen arbetar för att behålla unga ledare. För att nå syftet används en kvalitativ undersökningsmetod. Intervjuer har genomförts med tolv unga, ideella ledare med olika erfarenhet och bakgrund samt med fem olika gymnastikföreningar. I dessa föreningar är någraav de unga ledarna vi intervjuat verksamma. Tillgänglig litteratur har lästs och relevant forskning för denna undersökning har beaktats. Intervjusvaren analyseras utifrån tre teorier. De unga ledarnas svar analyseras utifrån Edward Deci och Richard Ryans teori, Self-Determination Theory, som handlar om vad som motiverar människor. En annan teori som analysen grundar sig på är David G. Barkers teori, Motiv till ideellt engagemang, som beskriver tre faktorer som motiverar till ideellt arbete. Gymnastikföreningarnas svar analyseras utifrån Aron Antonovskys teori känsla av sammanhang, som består av tre komponenter – begriplighet, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet. Resultatet visar att det som motiverar ungdomar till att vara ideella ledare i gymnastikföreningar inte skiljer sig så mycket åt. Gymnasternas utveckling och kärleken till gymnastiken är två av de klart största motivationsfaktorerna bland de unga ledarna. Gymnastikföreningarna försöker behålla sina unga ledare främst genom att erbjuda utbildning. Ett arvode utgår för alla de unga ledarna vilket kan ses som ett sätt att locka ungdomarna till fortsatt uppdrag, framförallt i de föreningar där arvodet baseras på antal år i föreningen och utbildningsnivå. / This thesis aims to examine what motivates youths within The Swedish Gymnastic Federation activities to be a voluntary leader. Non-profit sports associations will also be examined to see how they work to keep the youth leaders. A qualitative examination method will be used. Twelve youth leaders with different experiences and backgrounds will be interviewed, and five gymnastics associations will also be interviewed. In these gymnastics associations some of the youth leaders are active. Available literature has been read as well as relevant research has been taken into consideration. The answers from the interviews gets analysed on the basis of three theories. The youth leaders’ answers get analysed on the basis of Edward Deci and Richard Ryans theory, Self-Determination Theory, which is about what motivate people in general. Another theory that will be used is David G. Barker’s theory, Motives for voluntary work, which describes three factors that motivate to voluntary commitment. The gymnastics associations’ answers get analysed on the basic of Aron Antonovsky’s theory, Sense of Coherence, which consists of three components – comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. The result shows that what motivates youth leaders in gymnastics associations is quite simmilar. The gymnastics’ development and the love of gymnastics are the two most usual motivation factors. The gymnastics association tries to keep the youth leaders by offering education. The youth leaders get a small economic compensation, which can be seen as a way to tempt youths to continue their leader commitment, especially in the gymnastics associations where the economic compensation is based on the number of years in the association as well as the level of education.

Tyrimo tikslas: • Nustatyti ir palyginti 12-14 metų aerobinės gimnastikos ir sportinės akrobatikos sportininkių pusiausvyros ir lankstumo rodiklius. Tyrimo objektas: 12-14 metų gimnasčių lankstumas ir pusiausvyra. Tyrimo metodai: 1. Literatūros šaltinių apžvalga; 2. Testavimas; 3. Antropometriniai matavimai; 4. Matematinė statistinė analizė; Tyrimo uždaviniai: • Nustatyti ir palyginti sportinės akrobatikos ir aerobinės gimnastikos 12-14 metų sportininkių pusiausvyros rodiklius. • Nustatyti ir palyginti sportinės akrobatikos ir aerobinės gimnastikos 12-14 metų sportininkių lankstumo rodiklius. • Palyginti aerobininkių ir akrobačių lankstumo rodiklius nustatytus skirtinga testavimo metodiką. Išvados: 1. Atlikus du pusiausvyros testus (pusiausvyros išlaikymą ant vienos kojos priekinės pėdos dalies ir pusiausvyros išlaikymą ant vienos kojos užsimerkus) aerobinės gimnastikos ir sportinės akrobatikos atstovių vidutinės reikšmės statistiškai reikšmingai nesiskyrė. Tačiau trečiojo testo (pusiausvyros išlaikymas pirmyn atgal ant medinės lentelės priekine pėdos dalimi) metu aerobinės gimnastikos sportininkių rezultatai statistiškai reikšmingai geresni buvo negu akrobačių. 2. Nustatant lankstumą EUROFIT testu sportinės akrobatikos ir aerobinės gimnastikos sportininkių rezultatai beveik sutapo ir buvo įvertinti „puikai“. Nustatant klubo sąnario paslankumą goniometrijos metodu akrobačių lankstumas yra geresnis (5°) negu aerobininkių. 3. Taikant skirtingus lankstumo nustatymo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of research: • Identify and compare balance, flexibility rate of 12 – 14 year old aerobic gymnastics and sport acrobatics athletes. Object of research: 12 – 14 year old gymnasts girls flexibility and balance Methods of research: 1. Literature review; 2. Testing; 3. Anthropometric measurements; 4. Mathematical statistical analysis; Objectives of research: • Identify and compare balance rate of 12 – 14 year old aerobic gymnastics and sport acrobatics athletes. • Identify and compare flexibility rate of 12 – 14 year old aerobic gymnastics and sport acrobatics athletes. • Compare flexibility indicators between aerobics gymnastics and sports acrobatics athletes by using different methods of testing. Conclusios: 1. Three types of balance testing were made (maintaining balance by standing on front part of foot, maintaining balance by standing on one foot with closed eyes, maintaining balance by standing on wooden plank with front part of foot). Average results of aerobic gymnastics and sport acrobatics athletes were almost the same, it might be coused by similar specificty of sports. But third test results (maintaining balance by standing on wooden plank with front part of foot) were much more different. Girls that train themselves in aerobic gymanstics shown better results than girls that represent sport acrobatics. 2. Flexibility was tested by using EUROFIT „sit and reach“ test. Both groups of athletes shown the wery similar flexibility level in waist region... [to full text]

During every summer Olympic Games, the sport of gymnastics rises briefly to the world’s attention as the public admire the incredible skills and feats performed by fit muscular bodies on a range of apparatus. The gymnastics they watch consists of performances in which bodies assemble with apparatus. This thesis utilises an Actor Network Theory (ANT) perspective to follow this assembling of gymnastics in the five codes of competitive gymnastics competed in New Zealand: women’s artistic gymnastics, men’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining and competitive aerobics. This thesis is a descriptive ethnography of the world of high performance gymnastics. It begins by examining some of the controversies that have operated to both criticise and rework the sport. Next, the gymnasts are followed through the selection processes that lead them to become members of national squads and teams. It then moves to the training gymnasium and examines the variety of non-human actants that work in the gymnasium to assemble gymnastics. The next two chapters examine how gymnasts are found to enrol and assemble with video technologies and sports science professionals in their efforts to improve performance. Following this, gymnasts are observed to produce a routine at a competition which is translated into a score and ranking through the highly complicated and laborious process of judging. Finally, the thesis concludes with the story of Angela McMillan, New Zealand’s most successful athlete within the gymnastic codes. Throughout are a range of accounts from participants, together with observations, describing attempts to secure the stabilisation of gymnastics as an actor-network that produces internationally successful athletes. All the networks followed involve a continual process of enrolling, un-enrolling, translating and mediating, with power constantly shifting and being shared between various heterogeneous actants including coaches, parents, the national federation and the international federation. At times these networks stabilise with particular actants, such as sports scientists or technologies, being enrolled, while at other times the paths of the networks come to an end as particular assemblages or actants, such as physical ability tests, are no longer enrolled. In contrast to a perception that successful high performance sports include key actors and resources, this thesis shows how the networks that produce high performance gymnasts are highly unpredictable and messy, with humans and non-humans both equally influential in affecting every branch of the networks. Processes such as talent identification, training and judging are found to be complicated and unstable.

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