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This study analysed the strategies of selected National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and voluntary sport clubs (VSCs) in the process of policy implementation of Sport England s generic Clubmark (a quality mark accreditation framework). Within the overarching Clubmark framework, other policies (safeguarding and increasing membership and/or participation) adopted by VSCs working towards the accreditation (or re-accreditation) standard were also examined. Policy-makers are predominantly centrally located, often a distance from the point of delivery where, it is argued; the environment is highly variable, pressured and political, often requiring negotiation and interpretation during the process of implementation. Traditionally, implementation analysis assumed two distinct approaches: top-down theorists (e.g. Hogwood & Gunn, 1984) suppose a perfect rational, systematic process as the starting point, with the focus placed on central policy-makers. The top-down theorists acknowledge that the ideal is unattainable but use the perspective to establish generalisable descriptive policy advice; in contrast, bottom-up theorists (e.g. Lipsky, 1980) argued that to gain a more realistic understanding of implementation the role of street-level bureaucrats (e.g. VSC members at the point of delivery) should be the focus for analysis and seek to offer prescriptive advice. More recently, a number of theorists have developed hybrid implementation models, which offered a synthesis of the two contrasting approaches, such as Matland's (1995) Ambiguity-Conflict model. The combination of these three approaches coupled with Kingdon's (1997) Multiple Streams framework, used to help organise and set a context for the understanding of implementation during analysis, established the theoretical framework that guided this study. The research adopted a qualitative approach using case studies for the three sports of boxing, swimming and rugby union. Data collection consisted of 29 semi-structured interviews from VSC members, NGB officials, a senior Sport England official and a County Sports Partnership officer. The interview data were combined with document analysis (from VSCs, NGBs and Sport England), which included policy documents, guidance templates, electronic communications and various website content. Two clubs from each sport were examined (one urban, one rural). VSC member selection was based on positions of authority within the committee who had some prior knowledge of Clubmark. Three to four NGB officials from each sport provided data for the top-down perspective of policy implementation. Analysis of the data revealed that policy implementation is not straightforward; NGBs had to be flexible with their strategies and be willing to modify criteria to deal with the varying nature and capacities of VSCs. Available NGB capacity to offer VSC support proved to be pivotal for implementation success in addition to the ability of the NGBs recognising the range of contextual constraints, which limited VSCs in the implementation process. At the club-level, motivation and willingness of VSC compliance for the three main policy strands varied across sports and clubs, which demonstrated how the role of the VSC members, as implementing agents, was fundamental in the policy process. At the NGB-level, the urgency or importance placed on the three policies and the variable capacity (to offer support) affected implementation. Application of the theoretical framework that guided the research proved effective in developing the understanding of implementation in this particular sport context. Furthermore, this research has provided a contribution to the literature by demonstrating how the complex and heterogeneous nature of VSCs affects the implementation process in community sport, which provides a useful point of reference for future comparative studies analysing NGBs and VSCs in different contexts.

Specialiosios olimpiados sporto programų tyrinėjime dėmesys dažniausiai buvo sutelktas į mokslinius tyrimus fizinio pajėgumo ir motorinių įgūdžių gerinimo, savivertės, socialinės kompetencijos ir savęs suvokimo srityse. Tyrimo tikslas: įvertinti Specialiosios olimpiados sportininkų dalyvavimo sporte motyvus ir motyvacijos tipą. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1) Nustatyti sutrikusio intelekto sportininkų dalyvavimo sportinėje veikloje motyvus; 2) Įvertinti sutrikusio intelekto sportininkų dalyvavimo Specialiojoje Olimpiadoje dominuojančią motyvacijos orientaciją; 3) Nustatyti dalyvavimo Specialiojoje Olimpiadoje motyvacijos orientaciją priklausomai nuo tiriamųjų intelekto sutrikimo laipsnio, sportavimo trukmės, sporto šakos ir atletų amžiaus. Buvo tiriami 64 (vaikinai) 13-32 metų amžiaus Specialiosios olimpiados atletai, turintys nežymų ir vidutinį intelekto sutrikimą. Sporto motyvacijai nustatyti naudota Vaizdinė motyvacijos skalė (Reid, Vallerand, Poulin, 2001). Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad Specialiosios olimpiados atletų, dalyvaujančių sporto programose, identifikuoto reguliavimo (išorinė motyvacija) ir vidinės motyvacijos lygis buvo reikšmingai didesnis negu išorinis reguliavimas (išorinė motyvacija) ir motyvacijos nebuvimas. Išorinis reguliavimo lygis buvo reikšmingai didesnis už motyvacijos nebuvimą. Dažniausiai sportavimą motyvuojantys veiksniai buvo sportavimo smagumas, naujų naudingų dalykų išmokimas, sporto įdomumas ir sporto kaip dalies savęs suvokimas. Nustatyta, kad... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Special Olympics (SO) sport programs participation is associated with improved physical fitness and motor skills as well as increased self-esteem, self-confidence, social competence and positive self-perceptions. The purpose of the study was to identify why individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) joined and continue to participate in SO program. We designed a study and directed our investigation to the following research goals: 1) to designate motives of SO athletes participation in Special Olympics; 2) to evaluate type of domination of motivation’ orientation of SO athletes participation in Special Olympics; 3) to evaluate differences of SO athletes participation in sport motives according to gender, age, duration of participation and level of intellectual disability. This study evaluated sport participation motives and types of motivation of 64 males SO athletes ages 13 to 32 years. Participants completed the modified pictorial motivation scale (Reid, Vallerand, Poulin, 2001). The data of the research showed that Special Olympics sport programs athletes’ motivational level of identified regulation and intrinsic motivation was significantly higher in compare to external regulation and amotivation. The data indicated that external regulation (external motivation) was higher in compare to amotivation (p<0.005). In summary, athlete participated in Special Olympics sport programs for their own enjoyment, for learning new skills, for being interested in sport; the... [to full text]

TITLE Physical fitness and Movement activity of children in Otrokovice AIM: The main aim of this Dissertation thesis is to ascertain the physical fitness level of children in Primary school in Otrokovice. The next task is to find out if athletic children attending some of the sport clubs which are offered by Otrokovice town. Further we inquire in which of the three schools are children the most physically able bodied and also we look into if the physical above-average children do the sport more often than the children physical below-average. So far we are interested whether the performances of above-average children have a lower amount subcutaneous fat than the performances of below-average children. METHOD: The data for this Dissertation thesis is generated through empirical quantitative research.This research was carried out under standardised conditions minimizing the outside influence (gymnasium). The Focus groups for this research are school-boys and school-girls from primary schools in Otrokovice. RESULTS: From the measuring results of the chosen sample shows, that more than half of the tested groups achieved below-average values in the motor tests. Than was found out that 85 percent of persons being tested do sport once until three-times per week. The most favourite sports are aerobic and...

Les recherches antérieures suggèrent que l'activité physique, y compris la participation au sport, est bénéfique pour la santé mentale et l’adaptation à l’école. À l'inverse, ces deux éléments importants de la promotion de la santé pourraient-ils aussi influencer la pratique d'activité physique? À notre connaissance, peu d'études se sont penchées sur cette relation spécifique. De plus, la psychologie développementale moderne conçoit les comportements humains et les changements développementaux comme un résultat de relations dynamiques et réciproques entre l’individu et ses multiples environnements, dont les contextes sportifs. L'objectif de cette thèse doctorale est donc d'évaluer la relation longitudinale et réciproque entre l'activité physique, y compris la participation sportive, et la détresse émotionnelle (Article 1) et l'engagement en classe (Article 2) chez des enfants d’âge scolaire. Les participants proviennent de l'Étude Longitudinale du Développement des Enfants du Québec, une cohorte de naissance prospective longitudinale. Les symptômes de détresse émotionnelle et les comportements d'engagement en classe de 6 à 10 ans ont été évalués par les enseignants. Des trajectoires ont été générées pour différencier des groupes d'enfants. L'activité physique et la participation au sport de la petite enfance jusqu’au début de l'adolescence ont été mesurées par les parents et les enfants eux-mêmes. Diverses analyses statistiques ont été utilisées pour examiner les relations réciproques entre les variables d’intérêt. Les analyses ont été effectuées séparément pour les garçons et les filles et ont contrôlé pour de multiples facteurs individuels et familiaux préexistants. Trois trajectoires de détresse émotionnelle de 6 à 10 ans ont été identifiées : « Faible », « Croissante » et « En déclin ». Pour l’engagement en classe au cours des mêmes années, deux trajectoires ont été identifiées : « Élevée » et « Modérée ». Premièrement, les garçons qui n’ont jamais participé à des sports à 5 ans étaient plus susceptibles d’être dans les trajectoires de détresse « Croissante » ou « En déclin » que les garçons qui ont participé à une activité sportive. De plus, les garçons qui étaient les plus actifs physiquement à 12 ans étaient ceux vivant moins de détresse (i.e. trajectoire « Faible »). Deuxièmement, pour les filles, le fait d'être dans la trajectoire d'engagement en classe « Élevée » a prédit des niveaux plus élevés d'activité physique de loisir à l'âge de 12 ans. Pour les garçons, une participation régulière au sport de 6 à 10 ans a prédit des niveaux d'engagement en classe plus élevés à 12 ans. Les résultats suggèrent donc des associations positives, réciproques et longitudinales entre l'activité physique et deux éléments importants de la promotion de la santé chez les jeunes, soit la santé mentale et l’adaptation à l’école. Ces associations diffèrent pour les garçons et les filles. Cette étude soutient la pertinence de renforcer les efforts actuels de santé publique pour promouvoir l'activité physique, l'ajustement émotionnel et l'engagement scolaire dès la petite enfance afin de favoriser une bonne santé mentale, un rendement scolaire optimal et un mode de vie plus actif à long terme. Les résultats soutiennent également la pertinence d'investir des ressources financières au niveau de l'intervention auprès des jeunes afin qu’ils puissent développer leur plein potentiel à la fois en classe et dans des contextes extrascolaires structurés afin de favoriser un développement optimal. / Past research suggests that physical activity, including sport participation, is beneficial for mental health and school performance. Conversely, could these two important components of health promotion also influence participation in physical activity? To our knowledge, few studies have investigated this specific relationship. In addition, modern developmental psychology views human behaviors and developmental changes as a result of dynamic and reciprocal relationships between the individual and their multiple environments, including sports contexts. Thus, the aim of this doctoral thesis is to assess the reciprocal longitudinal relationship between sport participation and emotional distress (Article 1) and between sport participation and classroom engagement (Article 2) over time for boys and girls in middle childhood. Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort born in the late 1990s. Emotional distress symptoms and classroom engagement behavior from ages 6 to 10 years were assessed by teachers. Trajectories were generated to differentiate groups of children. Physical activity and sport participation from preschool to early adolescence were measured by parents and children themselves. Various statistical analyses were used to examine the mutual relationship between physical activity and later emotional distress or classroom engagement. All analyses were stratified by sex and controlled for multiple pre-existing individual and family factors. We identified three emotional distress trajectories from ages 6 to 10 years: ‘Low’, ‘Increasing’, and ‘Declining’. As for classroom engagement during the same years, we identified two trajectories: ‘High’ and ‘Moderate.’ First, boys who never participated in sport at age 5 years were more likely to be in the ‘Increasing’ or ‘Declining’ emotional distress trajectories compared to boys who participated in any sporting activity. Yet boys who participated in sports at age 5 years showed long-term positive benefits. Furthermore, boys who were the most physically active at age 12 years were the least emotionally distressed (i.e. ‘Low’ trajectory). Second, for girls, being in the ‘High’ classroom engagement trajectory predicted higher levels of leisure time physical activity, including sport participation, at age 12 years. For boys, consistent participation in sport from ages 6 to 10 years predicted higher levels of classroom engagement at age 12 years. Our findings suggest positive, bidirectional, and longitudinal associations between physical activity and two important components of health promotion in youth, that is mental health and school performance. These associations show different dynamics for boys and girls. This study supports the relevance of enhancing current public health effort to promote physical activity, emotional adjustment, and school engagement in early childhood in order to achieve better mental health, optimal school performance, and a more active lifestyle in later childhood. Our results also support the pertinence of investing financial resources in youth intervention so that children can develop their full potential both in the classroom and in structured extracurricular contexts in order to foster optimal growth and development.