For a period of twenty years beginning in 1918 when the writer became Superintendent of the Stockton Playground Department, annual reports of its major activities and accomplishments were made and submitted to the Mayor and later the City Manager for their information. They helped in securing the next budget. Throughout the thirty years of service additional reports of activities and improvements in facilities were kept on file in the office of the department for the information of its officers and a permanent record. The writer finds that he has been a part. of the supervised public playground movement since its inception when President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 called together at the White House the eastern leaders in physical education, recreation, camping and children's playgrounds. (The year 1906 was the year the writer started college.) As a result of President Roosevelt's White House meeting the National Playground Association was formed. Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick was elected and served as its president until 1910 during this formative period. Henry Curtis, Director of Playgrounds in Washington, D.C. became its first secretary.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine how kinematic, big data can be evaluated using computational, comprehensive analysis of movement parameters in a diverse population. METHODS Retrospective data was collected, cleaned, and reviewed for further analysis of biomechanical movement in an active population using 3D collinear resistance loads. The active sample of the population involved in the study ranged from age 7 to 82 years old and respectively identified as active in 13 different sports. Moreover, a series of exercises were conducted by each participant across multiple sessions. Exercises were measured and recorded based on 6 distinct biometric movement parameters: explosiveness, velocity, power, deceleration, braking, consistency, endurance, and range of motion. Analysis and data visualization portrayed how 3D collinear resistance load impacted specific muscles and performance metrics. RESULTS The model with the highest accuracy rate was Naive Bayes and Fast Large Margin at 58.3% for future predictions considering impact for specific muscles, movement parameters, and performance metric data. The data visualization involved a proof-of-concept human-computer interface and presented each component in relation to one another within the active population database, movement parameters, and performance metrics. DISCUSSION Understanding the findings regarding 3D collinear resistance sets a precedence for future development for the active population and research in the sports analytics field. Additionally, the visual proof of concept interface promotes future development for a diverse, active population.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia is a loss of muscle function and muscle mass which frequently occurs among the oldest-old adult population (aged 85+ years). The analysis of accelerometer-determined physical behavior volumes and patterns of oldest-old adults might provide novel insights into the associations with sarcopenia and its components. METHODS: A total of 145 participants in the primary sample and 87 participants in the subsample with a mean age of 88.2 (2.5) years from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study cohort provided cross-sectional data of handgrip strength, appendicular lean mass, gait speed, and accelerometry. Probable, confirmed, and severe sarcopenia were assessed based on the revised definition of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2. Binomial logistic and multivariate linear regression models as well as dose-response analyses were applied and adjusted for demographics, accelerometer wear time, lifestyle factors, and chronic health conditions. RESULTS: Oldest-old adults with higher total volumes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (OR=0.74, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.89) showed a lower likelihood for a probable sarcopenic condition in the primary sample. Likewise, patterns of higher accumulated time spent in MVPA bouts of less than 10 minutes (OR=0.78, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.95) and MVPA bouts of at least 10 minutes (OR=0.78, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.98) were also related with lower odds of probable sarcopenia. A 2.1 times (95% CI 1.01 to 4.35) higher likelihood for confirmed sarcopenia was observed among participants who spent 60 minutes more per day in sedentary behavior (SB). Furthermore, 2.9 times (95% CI 1.05 to 8.02) greater odds of severe sarcopenia were identified following each 0.1 higher active-to-sedentary transition probability (ASTP). Focusing on individual sarcopenic components, higher total activity counts, higher MVPA, higher light intensity physical activity (LIPA), lower SB, and lower ASTP were related with better gait speed. CONCLUSION: The total volume of MVPA, whether accumulated in short sporadic bouts or prolonged bouts, was associated with lower odds of probable sarcopenia. Higher LIPA, lower SB, and a less fragmented activity pattern might also be related with a lower likelihood of sarcopenia status and better physical performance among oldest-old adults.

Professional wrestling is a performance art in which the line between fact and fiction is often obscured. Much of the existing scholarship on the medium that examines its dynamics regard reality and artifice focuses on the role of the artificial, analyzing pro-wrestling as primarily a form of heightened spectacle akin to passion plays or soap opera. However, professional wrestling in Japan, particularly that found in the country's largest promotion, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, features many elements that resemble real sports much more closely than many American promotions. These elements include fighting styles, wrestler injury, characters that do not fit easily into defined archetypes, stories focused on win-loss records, promos that resemble press releases, and audiences who react to the show not only like a performance, but also as if it were a real sport. At the same time, it does still feature many spectacular and heightened elements found throughout the pro-wrestling world, resulting in an overall aesthetic of qualified realism. This realism is a defining element of promotions like New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and it serves to make characters and their stories relatable to audiences in ways that are more difficult for other promotions. This reveals unique thematic qualities of Japanese pro-wrestling, in addition to demonstrating the aesthetic diversity of the genre as a whole.

The top endorsed athletes in the world are most likely the ones who have the biggest impact on their sport. These athletes are usually among the best in their sport or they might have something special that creates a strong relationship between the athlete and his or her fans. It is possible to say that this relationship combined with their skills on and off of the fields, courts, or arenas is what makes these athletes special. Big companies all over the world feel attracted to these athletes and, as a result, they spend millions of dollars every year in order to make these athletes the face of their companies. This research investigates the relationship between the monetary values of the top 50 most endorsed athletes in the world and their behaviors. Companies spend millions of dollars every year on endorsement deals, so it is important that they pick the right athlete to represent them. Furthermore, the athletes that are being endorsed need to know if there is a possibility of gaining or losing endorsements based upon their behaviors. The methodology in this research utilizes Analysis of Variance to investigate this relationship.

The subject of Jews in sports is often times perceived as an oxymoronic research topic given the ethnic stereotypes that Jews are physically weak, unfit, and more focused on intellectual pursuits. However, Jews have had a long history and in-depth interaction with sports that is important to understand, not only to expand our perception of the Jewish people, but also to realize the important role sports play in social historiography. While the Jewish population of East Coast America and their involvement in athletics has been studied to some extent, the West Coast population, in particular, the Northwest, has been sorely neglected. This thesis examines the lives of immigrant Jews on the West Coast, specifically Portland, OR and their interaction with sports compared to the experiences of immigrant Jews on the East Coast from 1900 to 1940. An overall examination and comparison of the Jewish immigrant experience in the West is presented along with an evaluation of the establishment of the Portland Jewish community and their coinciding athletic community. The experiences of the Jews in Western America is compared to the immigrants of the East Coast and how these differing involvements shaped the development of Jewish sporting facilities. The thesis then expands on how the Portland Jews grew their athletic facilities and overall involvement in athletics, related to the experience of East Coast Jews. The growth of the Jewish Zionist movement is examined along with how Jewish involvement fit more seamlessly into certain sports than others. The thesis also takes a closer look at Jewish women and their specific experiences in athletics compared to their East Coast counterparts and the experience of Jewish men in Portland. The role of philanthropic organizations as a means of greater involvement in athletics is assessed, along with how the experiences of Western European versus Eastern European immigrants played into their varying involvements with sports. Finally, the conclusion discusses the importance of scholarly sports inquiry as it plays to the relevance of a greater social history and for immigrants in particular, their assimilation and acculturation into American society.

This paper explores the empowerment of adolescent girls through sport using two case studies. Both case studies take place in predominantly Muslim countries: Egypt and Bangladesh. The sports programs also are both implemented through schools, public in Egypt and private in Bangladesh. I also evaluate the feasibility of establishing sports programs across the world. Because of Afghanistan’s especially harsh circumstances for women, the final chapter strategizes methods to implement similar programs there. I conclude by assessing the future of girls' sports programs in the Middle East and whether or not governments and international organizations should continue investing in these programs.

Physical activity is critical to bone health. However, not all physical activity has optimum effect on bone health and metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a short term progressive jumping protocol on bone mineral density in college age Asian females. Sixteen participants aged18-28 years enrolled in the study. Participants were assigned to exercise (n=9) and control (n=8) groups. The exercise group completed a two-legged depth jump from an approximate 20cm stepbench followed immediately by a maximum vertical jump using arm swings for five days per week for two weeks. Each depth jump and vertical jump was performed ten times during each session. The exercise intervention progressed from one session per day to three sessions per day in ten days. The bone mineral density (BMD) by dualenergy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), ground reaction force (GRF), bone specific physical activity questionnaire (BPAQ), and dietary log were administered to the participants pre- and post-intervention. The data were analysed using a dependent t-test and one-way repeated measures. There were no significant changes noted in BMD value in the study. The past BPAQ showed significant correlation to BMD change of left hip (p<0.01) in exercise group. The vertical GRF showed significant increase (p<0.05) in exercise group. It can be concluded from the study that intensity of the progressive jumping was intense enough to stimulate some changes in the bone metabolism.

The present study examined how athletic directors perceive their leadership roles in interscholastic athletics and the relationship of their leadership styles to their job satisfaction. The conceptual framework of this study was Bass and Avolio’s (1994) full range leadership model, also known as the transformational-transactional leadership model, which consists of 9 factors—5 transformational behaviors: idealized influence (attributed), idealized influence (behavior), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration; 2 transactional behaviors: contingent reward and management-by-exception (active); 2 passive/avoidant behaviors: management-by-exception (passive) and laissez-faire. These 9 factors are measured by the Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). The study was also informed by Chelladurai’s multidimensional model of leadership in sport which focuses on transformational effects of sport leaders on individual satisfaction and group performance. The study was significant in that the effects of transformational leadership on individuals in sporting organizations have not been fully explored in previous research. Both the MLQ and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) served as data collection tools. A sample of 500 athletic directors from across the United States was invited to participate in an electronic survey. Usable data were returned by 55 (11%) of the original sample. Participants self-assessed their leadership styles via the MLQ and job satisfaction via the MSQ. Data were analyzed via canonical correlation analysis followed by canonical commonality analysis. One canonical root was interpreted (Rc2 = .22; pCanonical structure coefficients indicated that Transformational and Passive/Avoidant Leadership made major contributions to the predictor canonical variate; the dependent canonical variate was defined by both Intrinsic and Extrinsic Satisfaction. Canonical commonality analysis indicated that Transformational Leadership had the largest unique variance partition; the largest common variance partition was shared by Transformational and Passive/Avoidant. The analysis also indicated two variable suppressor effects. There was a moderate correlation between athletic directors’ leadership styles and their job satisfaction; however, the directionality of the relationships of the variables in the leadership set with satisfaction was unexpected: (a) the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction was found to be negative, and (b) the relationship between passive/avoidant leadership and job satisfaction was positive.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between basketball participation and academic integration at one NCAA Division Ill school. Research on the college experiences of NCAA Division I male student-athletes in corporate sports has demonstrated that athletic participation does not enhance academic integration. Conversely, Division I women athletes have become academically integrated despite participating in intercollegiate athletics. Therefore, this study sought to discover integration differences between males and females at the Division Ill level and made comparisons with the Division I literature. Academic integration was defined as a belief in the academic goals of an institution based on academic involvement, peer interaction, faculty interaction and involvement in work, sport or other extracurricular activities. Nine male and five female Division Ill basketball players from one liberal arts college were interviewed. Based on qualitative analyses, three major themes were identified. First, the student-athletes were predisposed to academic integration based on their high school grade point averages, test scores, parent's education and social class. Second, once in college, they became academically integrated through academic planning, extracurricular involvement, and peer and faculty interaction. Finally, through their coach's assistance with academic planning and the social interaction it created, basketball played a partial role in the integration process for men. Women, however, did not use basketball as their primary means of establishing social ties and did not receive academic assistance from their coach. These were the only differences between genders. The school's academic climate and structure were the most significant factors impacting academic integration. The coach's ability to support these was a secondary factor. When compared to Division I males, these male student-athletes were much more integrated. The females in the current study were similar to their Division I counterparts with respect to academic integration.