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The purpose of this study was to develop two valid and reliable alternative assessment tasks based on the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Schools Program Curriculum. These assessments might then be used to determine the effectiveness of the USTA Schools Program Curriculum as taught in selected schools. The two alternative assessment tasks developed for this study were based on the goals and objectives of the USTA Schools Program Curriculum. The first task required subjects to work in groups of three to create a video explaining and demonstrating basic tennis skills. The second task required subjects to work individually to develop a booklet of basic tennis skills. Scoring rubrics were also developed based on the goals and objectives of the USTA Schools Program Curriculum. The rubrics contained descriptions that would serve as the basis for judging subject products. Subject products were collected, coded, and then scored by trained raters. Raters were trained extensively in order to retain reliability. Three types of reliability methods (intra-rater, inter-rater, and subject) were used to determine the reliability of the assessment tasks, and they were analyzed by calculating rater agreement. A criterion score of .85 exact rater agreement was considered acceptable reliability. Two types of validity were determined as well. Construct validity was determined by analyzing the results of subjects' products to determine whether the data supported the hypothesis for this study. Content validity was determined by analyzing the response of a USTA professional concerning the content of the assessment tasks and rubrics. The results of this study supported the hypothesis that it was possible to develop valid and reliable alternative assessment tasks based on the United States Tennis Association Schools Program Curriculum. / Master of Science

This study focuses on the issue of social exclusion in British tennis. It commences with a critique of current LTA policy, presenting exclusion as static, ahistorical and underpinned by false dichotomies of age and social class. Aspects of Norbert Elias’s theoretical approach are employed throughout as an analytical framework. Initially, the roots of exclusion in British tennis are sought through historical analysis. Aspects of the Civilising Process help direct attention towards wider social processes to explain the prevalence of exclusion, particularly in tennis clubs. Cost was a crucial factor in determining early access, but as tennis became more accessible to lower classes, codes of behavioural etiquette helped demarcate members along status lines. Into the mid-20th century, the globalisation, professionalisation and commercialisation of tennis pushed the LTA to adopt a more performance-oriented outlook, but this has come to oppose the more relaxed culture of tennis clubs. Thus, a power struggle emerged between these two institutions, and, underpinned by thirty interviews with leading figures in British tennis as well as extensive documentary analysis, the third section documents these developments from the 1980s. Crucially, tennis clubs remain largely amateur and voluntary-run organisations, yet are important locations for the implementation of the LTA’s demanding talent development objectives. These recent developments are understood with the help of Elias’s Game Models theory. The fourth section presents findings from a ten-month ethnographic study of social exclusion in a tennis club; a micro-analysis of club member relations underpinned by Elias’s Established-Outsider Relations theory. Overall findings suggest that social exclusion in British tennis is far more complex, multi-faceted and historically-rooted than what current LTA discourse presents. Differences in age and class are less central, and instead preconceived notions of social status based on longevity of membership, adherence to behavioural norms and playing standard are powerful determinants of inclusion.

Abstrakt Bakgrund: Upprepade rörelser och hållning i dagliga aktiviteter, arbete eller idrott kan påverka det neuromuskuloskeletala systemet. Upprepade förändringar av hållning och rörelser kan ge upphov till lokaliserad stress på vävnaden. Inom tennis är axelleden väl studerad. I litteraturen ses adaptiva förändringar av axelrörlighet hos tennisspelare och andra kastidrottare. Bålens rörlighet och förhållandet mellan bål- och axelrörlighet är ej studerad. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka bålrotation, glenohumeralledsrotation och korrelation mellan bålrotation och glenohumeralledsrotation hos elitspelande tennisjuniorer 16-19 år samt att identifiera eventuella idrottsspecifika adaptationer avseende bålrotation och glenohumeralledsrotation. Metod: Passiv rotationsrörlighet i glenohumeralleden mättes med en clinometer på en smartphone samt aktiv bålrotation i sittande med en goniometer placerad vid T2. Deltagarna var 32 tennisjuniorer och kontrollgruppen bestod av 30 fotbollsjuniorer i ålder 16-19 år. Deskriptiv statistik för inåt- utåtrotation och bålrotation presenterades. Skillnader mellan tennis och kontrollgrupp analyserades. Korrelation mellan bålrotation och  inåt- samt utåtrotation analyserades. Resultat: Bålrotation mot icke dominant sida var lägre hos tennisspelarna jämfört med fotbollsspelarna. Ingen tydlig korrelation kunde ses mellan rotationsrörlighet i axeln och bålrotation. Tennisspelarna hade sämre inåtrotation och total rotationsrörlighet (TROM) i glenohumeralleden i dominant arm jämfört med fotbollsspelarna, dessutom minskar deras inåtrotation och TROM med stigande ålder. Konklusion: Det föreligger antydningar till adaptiva förändringar hos tennisspelare med minskad bålrotation åt icke dominant sida samt nedsatt inåtrotation på dominant axel. / Abstract Background: Repeated movements and sustained postures in daily activity, work and in sports can influence the neuromusculoskeletal system. Repeated changes in posture and movement might cause local stress in the tissue. Adaptive effects in the mobility of the shoulder in tennis players and other overhead athletes are well documented in the literature. Research of trunk mobility and its effect on the shoulder is limited. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate trunk rotation, glenohumeral rotation and the correlation between trunk rotation and glenohumeral rotation in elite junior tennis players 16-19 years old. Secondly, to identify athletic adaptations in trunk rotation and glenohumeral rotation in elite junior tennis players. Methods: Range of motion in the glenohumeral joint for internal and external rotation was measured with a clinometer on a smartphone. Range of motion for trunk rotation was measured with seated rotation test with a goniometer placed at T2. The participants were 32 elite junior tennis players and the control group was 30 elite junior soccer players aged 16-19 years old. Descriptive statistics for range of motion in shoulder and trunk rotation was presented. Differences between tennis players and control group were analyzed. Correlation between trunk rotation and internal and external rotation was analyzed. Results: Trunk rotation to the non dominant side had lower scores in tennis players than in soccer players. No obvious correlation was detected between shoulder rotation and trunk rotation. Tennis players had less internal rotation and total rotation range of motion (TROM) in their dominant arm compared to the control group.  This reduction in internal rotation and TROM increased with age. Conclusion: There are some indications for adaptive changes in tennis players with reduced trunk rotation to the non dominant side and reduced internal rotation in the dominant shoulder.

O Beach Tennis é uma variante do Tênis de Campo nascido na Itália durante a década de 1970 e combina características de vários outros esportes. Inicialmente, era apenas uma atividade de lazer praticada nas praias. Em 1996 ganha seu primeiro conjunto de regras e passa a ser praticado como esporte. No ano de 2008 chega ao Brasil e rapidamente começa a ser difundido, primeiro pelo litoral e na sequência para o interior do país. É neste contexto que este trabalho analisou a introdução e o desenvolvimento do Beach Tennis na cidade de Araraquara sob o ponto de vista de seis participantes deste processo. A pesquisa foi de caráter qualitativo pautada na Teoria Fundamentada como método escolhido. Este fenômeno representa um recorte da introdução e do desenvolvimento do Beach Tennis no Brasil, justificando por isso a construção de um estudo de natureza exploratória que aprofunde a nossa compreensão e que possa ser referencial teórico para estudos futuros sobre a modalidade. Foram encontradas duas grandes categorias, a categoria do Acesso e a categoria da Motivação, e que juntas, formam o eixo central que permitiu a ocorrência do fenômeno estudado. Os depoentes entendem que a modalidade tornou-se parte integrante do seu cotidiano e também de seus familiares, sendo esses praticantes ou não, e que pela prática do Beach Tennis eles têm obtido uma melhor qualidade de vida, que uma nova cultura esportiva pode ser aceita e inserida progressivamente e que todo este fenômeno tende a continuar se depender da vontade deles. Os depoentes também entendem que o fenômeno depende do esforço dos agentes facilitadores, que por sua vez, são dependentes da ocorrência de situações favoráveis. / The Beach Tennis is a variant of the Tennis born in Italy during the decade of 70 and it mixes characteristics of several other sports. Initially it was just a leisure activity practiced on the beaches. In 1996 won it´s first set of rules and started to be practiced as a sport. In 2008, it arrives in Brazil and soon begins to be spread, first by the coast and then to the interior of the country. It is in this context that this work analyzed the introduction and development of Beach Tennis in the city of Araraquara from the point of view of six participants of this process. The research was of qualitative character based on the Grounded Theory as chosen method. Two major categories were found, the \"Access\" category and the \"Motivation\" category and together they formed the central axis that allowed the occurrence of the phenomenon studied. This phenomenon represents a cut in the introduction and development of Beach Tennis in Brazil, justifying the construction of an exploratory study that deepens our understanding and that can be a theoretical reference for future studies on the modality. The deponents understand that the modality has become an integral part of their daily life and also of their families, regardless of whether they are practicing or not, and that by practicing Beach Tennis they have obtained a better quality of life, that a new sports culture can be accepted and progressively inserted and that all this phenomenon tends to continue if it depends on their will. The deponents also understand that the phenomenon depends on the effort of the facilitating agents, who are dependent on the occurrence of favorable situations.

O Beach Tennis é uma variante do Tênis de Campo nascido na Itália durante a década de 1970 e combina características de vários outros esportes. Inicialmente, era apenas uma atividade de lazer praticada nas praias. Em 1996 ganha seu primeiro conjunto de regras e passa a ser praticado como esporte. No ano de 2008 chega ao Brasil e rapidamente começa a ser difundido, primeiro pelo litoral e na sequência para o interior do país. É neste contexto que este trabalho analisou a introdução e o desenvolvimento do Beach Tennis na cidade de Araraquara sob o ponto de vista de seis participantes deste processo. A pesquisa foi de caráter qualitativo pautada na Teoria Fundamentada como método escolhido. Este fenômeno representa um recorte da introdução e do desenvolvimento do Beach Tennis no Brasil, justificando por isso a construção de um estudo de natureza exploratória que aprofunde a nossa compreensão e que possa ser referencial teórico para estudos futuros sobre a modalidade. Foram encontradas duas grandes categorias, a categoria do Acesso e a categoria da Motivação, e que juntas, formam o eixo central que permitiu a ocorrência do fenômeno estudado. Os depoentes entendem que a modalidade tornou-se parte integrante do seu cotidiano e também de seus familiares, sendo esses praticantes ou não, e que pela prática do Beach Tennis eles têm obtido uma melhor qualidade de vida, que uma nova cultura esportiva pode ser aceita e inserida progressivamente e que todo este fenômeno tende a continuar se depender da vontade deles. Os depoentes também entendem que o fenômeno depende do esforço dos agentes facilitadores, que por sua vez, são dependentes da ocorrência de situações favoráveis. / The Beach Tennis is a variant of the Tennis born in Italy during the decade of 70 and it mixes characteristics of several other sports. Initially it was just a leisure activity practiced on the beaches. In 1996 won it´s first set of rules and started to be practiced as a sport. In 2008, it arrives in Brazil and soon begins to be spread, first by the coast and then to the interior of the country. It is in this context that this work analyzed the introduction and development of Beach Tennis in the city of Araraquara from the point of view of six participants of this process. The research was of qualitative character based on the Grounded Theory as chosen method. Two major categories were found, the \"Access\" category and the \"Motivation\" category and together they formed the central axis that allowed the occurrence of the phenomenon studied. This phenomenon represents a cut in the introduction and development of Beach Tennis in Brazil, justifying the construction of an exploratory study that deepens our understanding and that can be a theoretical reference for future studies on the modality. The deponents understand that the modality has become an integral part of their daily life and also of their families, regardless of whether they are practicing or not, and that by practicing Beach Tennis they have obtained a better quality of life, that a new sports culture can be accepted and progressively inserted and that all this phenomenon tends to continue if it depends on their will. The deponents also understand that the phenomenon depends on the effort of the facilitating agents, who are dependent on the occurrence of favorable situations.

Previous research on contextual interference theory in controlled laboratory situations consistently illustrated that random practice was superior to blocked practice when learning motor skills. However, when considered in relation to physical education class settings the findings of the contextual interference experiments were not as uniform. Furthermore, the results of the contextual interference research were ambiguous when an open skill was used as the experimental task, with no definite trend evident. Random practice was found more effective for learning (del Rey, 1989) whereas French, Rink and Werner (1990) demonstrated blocked practice to be superior. In the present study, the influence of high and low contextual interference as practice schedules was investigated within an applied sports setting using an open sports skill as the experimental task. Two groups of boys and girls, 8-9 and 10-12 years of age, were taught a forehand tennis groundstroke using both their preferred and non-preferred hands over a ten week coaching and practice period. The findings showed that male subjects were significantly better at the experimental task than female subjects at the pre-test stage only. The result also demonstrated that the 10-12 year old subjects were significantly better than the 8-9 year olds at the task with the exception of the preferred hand at the post and retention test stage. The contextual interference effect was demonstrated in the retention phase on the preferred hand of the 10-12 year old subjects where the random practice group was significantly better than the blocked practice group in an applied sports setting. These findings were discussed in relation to the role of cognition in the learning of these motor skills and the influence of the subjects related background experiences.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1966. / Includes bibliographical references. Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Zugl.: Marburg, Univ., Diss.

L'étendue et l'étiologie de la fatigue neuromusculaire dépendent des caractéristiques de la tâche. Parmi ces caractéristiques, l'effet des facteurs matériels est peu documenté. Le tennis est un modèle intéressant pour étudier cet effet puisque cette activité se déroule sur différentes surfaces, susceptibles d'influencer le développement de la fatigue. Cette hypothèse reste à vérifier. Par ailleurs, l'évolution des matériaux a rendu les raquettes modernes plus légères, plus rigides que les raquettes en bois. Aussi, afin de garder du contrôle dans le jeu, les joueurs ont adopter des cordages plus rigides, susceptibles de favoriser le développement de la fatigue. Les objectifs de ce travail étaient donc (i), d'évaluer les origines et l'étendue de la fatigue neuromusculaire en fonction de la surface de jeu à la suite d'un match de longue durée, et (ii) de tester l'effet du cordage sur le développement de la fatigue des muscles de l'avant-bras durant un match de tennis simulé. Dans notre première étude, aucune différence significative de fatigue neuromusculaire n'était mesurée lors de matchs disputés sur différentes surfaces. Nos résultats démontrent une baisse limitée de la force des fléchisseurs plantaires à la suite des matchs, majoritairement attribuée à des altérations des capacités contractiles des fléchisseurs plantaires. Le rôle des facteurs centraux étaient moins clair. Dans la seconde étude, nous avons démontré que jouer avec un cordage rigide favorisait le développement de la fatigue sur les muscles de l'avant-bras par rapport à des cordages souples. La baisse de vitesse mesurée au cours du match simulé pourrait être partiellement liée à cette fatigue localisée. / The etiology and amplitude of neuromuscular fatigue depend on the task characteristics. Among these characteristics, the effect of material factors on the development of neuromuscular fatigue has been scarcely documented. Tennis is an interesting model to study this effect since it is played on different surfaces. Playing surfaces may therefore differently influence the development of fatigue on the lower-limb muscles. However, this hypothesis remains to be tested. In addition, the use of composite materials and the progress of engineering have allowed racquet engineers to design tennis racquet frames which are stiffer, lighter, and more powerfull than old wooden racquets. To keep controling the ball, players now use stiffer string that can influence the development of fatigue on the upper-limb muscles. The objectives of this thesis were (i) to evaluate the effect of the playing surface properties on the development of neuromuscular fatigue in tennis and (ii) to test the influence of string stiffness on the occurrence of forearm muscle fatigue during a simulated tennis match. In the first study, no significant difference of neuromuscular fatigue was observed between surfaces. We have reported a moderate reduction of the maximal voluntary force, which was mainly associated with an alteration of the contractile properties of the plantar flexor muscles. The implication of central factors in the voluntary force decrement was less clear. In the second experimentation, we have demonstrated that playing tennis with high-stiffness string promotes forearm muscle fatigue development, which could partly contribute to the groundstroke ball speed decrement during the game.