Controlled frequency breathing (CFB) is a training technique used by swimmers in an effort to limit oxygen availability to the body and stimulate anaerobic metabolism. During CFB, a swimmer restricts breathing to one breath every six, seven, or even eight strokes per breath. The purpose of this study was to determine tb.e influen<;:e of CFB on blood lactate, heart rate, and stroke rate during front crawl stroke swimming. A maximal exertion test was used to determine peak swimming velocity. Based on this maximal test, five different workloads were used to compare CFB and normal breathing (NB). Subjects swam three-minute workloads at 55%,65%,75%, 85%, and 95% of maximal effort with two minutes rest between each workload. Blood lactate and heart rate were measured immediately after each workload and stroke rate was counted manually. Subjects were assigned to breathe normally (NB) or to restrict their breathing to one breath every eight strokes (CFB). Breathing conditions were randomly assigned. Multivariate analysis was used to compare the blood lactate, heart rate, and stroke rate between NB and CFB. Tukey's post hoc test was used when F-values were significant (p<0.05). Twenty-eight subjects (18 females, 10 males) completed the entire protocol. As expected there were significant main effects for the heart rate and blood lactate responses to increasing workloads (p<0.01). However, CFB did not alter blood lactate levels when compared to NB. Interestingly, heart rate (p=0.014) was lower and stroke rate (p=0.011) was higher in the CFB condition when compared to N'B.

It is the purpose of this study (1) to determine the theories and techniques of the pass offense in football; (2) to analyse the basic fundamentals and skills of the high school pass offense; (3) to compile a list of essential T formation passing drills; and (4) to determine the relative importance of the basic fundamentals and skills of high school T formation pass offense.

Purpose: This study examined: (1) the relationship between exercise induced fatigue and postural balance amongst geriatric patients with vestibular disorders. (2) Assessed the duration for postural stability to return to baseline measurements upon induced fatigue. Methods: A controlled pre-post test experimental design method was used during this study. This study incorporated a quantitative analysis to explore the relationship between exercise induced fatigue and postural balance with a sample of 24 subjects. The subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. Baseline postural stability measurements were conducted prior to all subject testing and were accounted for again once testing was completed in order to assess the duration for postural stability to return to baseline measurements. All subject testing was conducted using a treadmill and a CYBEX CSMi balance board. Results: The results indicated that age can predict baseline balance score, baseline balance percent, maximum heart rate achieved, immediate posttest balance score, terminal posttest balance score, and terminal posttest balance percent. BMI, obesity, gender, were found to be significant among control and experimental groups when holding baseline balance percent and baseline balance scores constant. Conclusion: It is important for geriatrics who possess a vestibular disorder maintain a healthy and active lifestyle so that they can reduce the risk of falling by lowering their BMI and lowering their chances of obesity. BMI and obesity were found to be positively correlated with an increased risk of falling.

This study determines whether the institutional size has any relationship to institutional concerns for risk management and if institutional size is related to the effectiveness of sound risk management guidelines within collegiate sport club programs. A risk management self assessment instrument consisting of twenty-five sound risk management guidelines and a ranking of the five most important and most difficult to implement was developed. Using the risk management self-assessment instrument, this nation-wide study asked collegiate sport club administrators to assess the extent to which their programs effectively adhere to sound risk management guidelines and to determine what they deem to be the most important and the most difficult risk management concerns to implement. Between institutional population sizes of 0-3000, 3001-10000, 10001- 20000, and 20001-60500, no significant differences were detected in regards to overall effectiveness of risk management guidelines. Six of twenty-five individual statements had significant differences between institutional sizes. These statements' concerns were in regards to equipment, physical examinations, waivers, travel itineraries, site communication accessibility, and manuals. Analysis of the ranking of most important and most difficult concerns to implement indicated there was no significant differences between the institutional sizes in regards to risk management concerns for sport club programs. The most important concerns were: 1) Waivers, 2) Litigation prevention, 3) Facility inspection, 4) Travel-drivers, and 5) Manuals. The most difficult to implement concerns were: 1) Physical examinations, 2) First aid at competitions, 3) Coaching standards, 4) Equipment inspections, and 5) Travel-drivers. With no significant differences between institutional size groupings in either effectiveness or types of concerns, a standard of care regarding risk management appears to be in place across the country.

The purpose of this study was to determine the better predictors of ball velocity and identify differences in the overarm throw of male and female athletes. A three dimensional videographic analysis was performed to analyze the angular and linear velocities of various body segments, the time between maximum velocity of the body segment and ball release, stride length, height of release, and angle of trajectory. Eight male baseball players and six female softball players volunteered to be videotaped. A one way ANOV A with ball velocity as the dependent variable revealed a significant difference between genders (f (1, 11) = 5.3, ll < .0413). A forward stepwise multiple regression analysis allowed selection from all of the angular velocity variables and the kinematic variables regressed on the dependent variable of ball velocity. This identified the main contributors to ball velocity. For the male athletes three variables were selected into the multiple regression equation, (a) the angular velocity of the forearm at ball release, (b) the time between maximum angular velocity of the pelvis and ball release,and (c) the angular velocity of the pelvis at ball release. For the female athletes the multiple regression equation yielded one variable, the angular velocity of the forearm at ball release to predict ball velocity. Gender differences existed in the sequential timing of the pelvis, trunk, and upper extremity. The female athletes reached maximum pelvic velocity earlier with peak trunk velocity occurring later than the males. The sequential timing differences may have played a role in the explanation of why the female throwers lacked transfer of momentum from the lower extremity to the upper. The results of an unpaired two-tailed t-test on the two best throwers in each group revealed differences in ball velocity, maximum linear velocity of the hip, and maximum linear velocity of the trunk.

This study evaluates the relationship between different types of player prospects selected in the Major League Baseball amateur draft and their signing bonuses relative to where in the draft they were selected. In a perfect market differences in prospects’ statistical likelihoods of reaching the major leagues should be reflected in their relative signing bonus. The research reported here found that college players, regardless of position, have a higher likelihood of reaching the major leagues than high school players but this is not reflected in their signing bonus indicating that college players continue to be undervalued in the draft. Outfielders were found to reach the major leagues at a significantly lower rate than other players in other positions but are not penalized financially for the decreased likelihood of reaching the major leagues indicating an overvaluation of outfielders.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of six selected volleyball skill tests to actual volleyball game performance. The six skill test items were administered to 64 subjects, who were all members of a college level introductory volleyball course. Based on the ratings of a panel of experts, subjects were rated during game play as good, average, or poor performers. The stepwise discriminant analysis was used to analyze the relationship between skill tests and game performance. Four of the six skill tests were identified as significantly contributing to group membership. These tests, in order of the magnitude of their standardized discriminant function coefficients were: 1. Brumbach Serve Test, 2. AAHPER Wall Volley test, 3. AAHPERD Wall Spike Test, and 4. AAHPERD Serve Test. It was concluded that a volleyball skill test battery consisting of these four items would objectively measure volleyball playing ability and discriminate between players of various skill levels. The results of this test battery could be used for classification, diagnosis, motivational purposes, and grading.

The case study highlights the evaluation of one campus recreation center in terms of its inclusive design and operation on the basis of physical disability inclusion. Because of the plethora of barriers in campus recreation centers, those with physical disabilities are limited in their recreation choices and do not take part in recreation as their able-bodied counterparts. This study measures, observers, and evaluates one campus recreation center to determine its level of inclusiveness for those with physical disabilities. The AIMFREE survey was conducted along with observations and extensive interviews with staff that run the campus recreation center and those with physical disabilities that have attended the recreation facility. Results from six interviews, a focus group, the AIMFREE survey, and observations have yielded four main themes. The environment lacks inclusivity that results from financial, attitudinal, and social barriers. Attitudinal barriers to inclusivity occur at three main levels: administration, the staff and users of the facility. As a result, the recreation center is also not socially constructed for inclusivity. The goal of this research is to create change in the studied setting. As a result of investigating inclusivity at one recreation center, several areas of improvement emerged and can be used to implement change at campus recreation centers alike.

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the physical and technical demands of the women’s college soccer game through a case study approach. With advancements in technology, motion analysis has become commonplace in most professional environments. However, the literature on amateur soccer is quite scarce and warrants more attention. The aims of this dissertation were: 1) to describe the physical demands of each position for a women’s college soccer player as they relate to total distance covered, efforts, and distance covered in high-speed velocity bands, 2) explore the variation in physical performance during a competitive season, and 3) compare the physical and technical performance of college soccer players to see if there are correlates in performance between variables. Eleven female collegiate soccer players from a single National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institution were tracked with Global Position System devices during a competitive season. Physical variables and technical variables were analyzed to gain further insight into the specific events that occur during a women’s college soccer match. Significant differences exist between positions for total distance covered during a match, with the forward and central defensive midfielder position covering the greatest distance during a match on average. The central defender position covered a significantly less amount of distance during a match than the other five positional subcategories. Outside players (forward, outside midfielder, and fullback) covered the greatest distance at high-speed velocity bands and perform the highest volume of high-speed efforts. The only significantly different technical variable found was the pass completion percentage of the central defensive midfielder compared with other positions. The current investigation highlights the unique characteristics of female collegiate soccer players when separated and analyzed by the positional subcategories. With uniqueness present in a once thought to be homogenous population the demand for individualized training protocols becomes paramount to increase chance of optimal performance while simultaneously decreasing risk of injury.

The purposes of this dissertation were to examine bilateral asymmetry as a factor of postactivation potentiation, examine and compare the acute effects of ballistic and non-ballistic concentric-only half-squats on squat jump performance, and compare the potentiation and temporal profiles of strong and weak subjects following potentiation protocols that included ballistic and non-ballistic concentric-only half-squats. The following are major findings of the dissertation. Squat jump performance may be acutely enhanced following ballistic concentriconly half-squats; however the changes in performance do not appear to be related to bilateral symmetry. Ballistic concentric-only half-squats acutely improve various squat jump performance variables at various time intervals; however the changes in performance are not related to the bilateral symmetry of the subject. Ballistic concentric-only half-squats produced superior acute potentiation effects with regard to jump height, peak power, and allometricallyscaled peak power as compared to non-ballistic concentric-only half-squats and a control protocol. Stronger subjects potentiated earlier and to a greater extent as compared to their weaker counterparts. This dissertation indicates that bilateral symmetry may not be considered as an underlying factor affecting postactivation potentiation. However, it is suggested that future research should continue to investigate the factors that are associated with postactivation potentiation. The findings of this dissertation also demonstrate the importance of how an individual performs a concentric-only squatting motion. By training with ballistic movements, a greater training stimulus may be achieved as compared to training with non-ballistic movements. While this dissertation discussed the acute potentiation differences between ballistic and nonballistic concentric-only half-squats, longitudinal research is needed to determine if different training effects result from each training method. This dissertation also supports that notion that stronger individuals may benefit more with regard to potentiation effects. In order to optimize performance and realize the greatest potentiation effects, it is recommended that greater levels of relative strength should be sought. It is suggested that further research is needed on the longitudinal differences in the potentiation effects an individual can realize based on their strength levels.