The purpose of this Master’s thesis was to evaluate coaches’ program delivery in Golf Canada’s national youth programming, Learn to Play, regarding two components: (a) the consistency of teaching life skills and (b) the quality of program delivery. The Learn to Play program has recently been updated to include an explicit approach to teaching life skills through golf. Data collection included a pre-season interview, three in-season observations, a post-season questionnaire, and a post-season interview. Two articles were written. Using the implicit/explicit continuum of life skills development and transfer (Bean, Kramers, Forneris, & Camiré, 2018), Article One qualitatively explored coaches’ (N = 13; Mage = 38) consistency of life skills delivery across the season. The findings revealed five profiles, with coaches categorized as being either inconsistent (i.e., progressive, overenthusiastic, unaware) or consistent (i.e., non-intentional, intentional) in their approach to teaching life skills. Using the Program Quality Assessment in Youth Sport observational measure (Bean, Kramers, Camiré, Fraser-Thomas, & Forneris, 2018), Article Two quantitatively examined program quality with two groups of coaches (N = 14; Mage = 40) for two purposes: (a) to examine whether implementation of the original (n = 5) versus the updated (n = 9) program led to differences in program quality and (b) to assess whether there was consistency or discrepancy between researcher observation scores and coach self-report scores of program quality. The findings revealed that coaches using the updated program delivered higher quality programming than coaches using the original program. Coaches also reported higher program quality scores than the researchers observed, identifying discrepancies between coach self-perceptions and researcher observations. Collectively, the findings from this Master’s thesis are a novel contribution to the literature by providing a nuanced exploration into the teaching of life skills and quality of delivery of Golf Canada’s Learn to Play programming.

The purpose of this research is to explore the context of youth recreational soccer, and to examine how coaches volunteering in this context learn to coach soccer. Framed within Jarvis’ (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) theory of lifelong learning and employing a mixed-methods approach, this dissertation research had two distinct phases. Phase One involved the collection of data via an on-line survey from 433 recreational youth soccer coaches from Eastern Ontario. The survey served to collect demographic information, as well as general information about their team, their role as a recreational coach, and their approach to learning. The data analysis for the on-line surveys was comprised of an analysis of descriptive statistics. Phase Two involved semi-structured interviews. Recruited through their participation in Phase One, 30 coaches were purposefully targeted and interviewed based on their varied biographies, experiences, and social contexts. Additionally, seven soccer administrators were interviewed. Interview data was analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006). Findings examine the biographies of youth recreational coaches, their coaching context, how recreational coaches learn to coach, issues of shared responsibilities related to learning, as well as practical implications. It is suggested that recreational coaches differ from one-another on many factors, and that the context of recreational youth soccer is similarly diverse and presents unique challenges to coaches. Recreational youth coaches learn to coach through a variety of sources; mostly through informal learning situations. Responsibilities surrounding coach development fall on the shoulders of individual coaches and clubs, as well as regional, provincial, and national associations; and suggestions for increased engagement in this regard are provided.

The purpose of this Master’s thesis was to examine former high school athletes’ perspectives on life skill development and transfer. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 individuals (12 females, 10 males) between the ages of 18-56. Participants were recruited from the Southwest and Eastern regions of Ontario, Canada. Based on the data collected, two articles were written. Article one presents the participants’ perspectives on their developmental experiences and the influence of the context associated with their high school sport participation. The findings revealed that different types of life skill experiences emanated from high school sport, but that negative experiences also ensued. Participants reported differences in terms of how high school sport was experienced in rural settings compared to urban settings. In article two, the Conceptual Framework for Life Skills Interventions was used to examine the participants’ life skill development and transfer experiences. The findings are consistent with aspects of the framework and provide tangible examples of life skill development and subsequent transfer for the same skill by the same individual. Collectively, the findings from this Master’s thesis illustrate how the life skills learned during high school sport are being transferred for use at various stages across the lifespan.

No description available.

Studien bemöter ämnena avhopp och motivationsfaktorer inom svensk ungdomsidrott. Syftet är att identifiera orsaker till avhopp från svensk ungdomsidrott samt motivationsfaktorer för fortsatt idrottsdeltagande inom svensk ungdomsidrott. Deltagarna i studien har varit aktiva inom idrotterna simning eller gymnastik men hoppat av idrotten någon gång mellan 13 och 20 års ålder. Studien är baserad på 15 semi strukturerade intervjuer kring deltagarnas upplevelser av ungdomsidrott. Frågor ställdes gällande deltagarens generella bakgrund, idrottsliga bakgrund, idrottsmiljö, motivationsfaktorer, målorientering, yttre ramfaktorer och idrottsliga avslut. Resultatet visar på att bland annat låg upplevd kompetens, tävlingsfokus, nytt fokus och tidsaspekt är orsaker till avhopp från svensk ungdomsidrott. Resultatet visar på att utvecklande atmosfär, bra relationer, hög upplevd kompetens och nöje är de mest framträdande motivationsfaktorerna inom svensk ungdomsidrott. Resultaten stämmer övererens med tidigare forskning kring motivationsfaktorer och avhopp från ungdomsidrott. Implikationer ges. / The study deals with factors contributing to dropouts and sports participation in Swedish youth sport. The aim of the study is to identify reasons for dropouts from Swedish youth sport and to identify factors that motivate youth athletes to continue with the sport. The participants in this study have been active in gymnastics or swimming but dropped out of the sport somewhere between the ages of 13 and 20. The study is based on 15 semi-structured interviews about participants' experiences of youth sport. Questions were asked regarding the participants´ general background, sporting background, sporting environment, motivators, goal orientation, external factors and athletic termination. The results show that, among other things, low perceived competence, focus on competitions, a new focus and time factors are the main reasons for dropouts from Swedish youth sport. The results show that a developmental atmosphere, good relationships, high perceived competence and enjoyment are the most prominent motivational factors within the Swedish youth sport. The results correspond with previous research on motivation factors and dropouts from youth sport. Implications are given.

Participation in a combination of adult-led and peer-led activities appears to lead to favourable outcomes in sport (Côté, Erickson, & Abernethy, 2013). However, very little is known regarding the potential differences in how youth experience these distinct activities. Thus, the purpose of this project was to investigate the subjective and objective experiences of the same individuals across adult-led and peer-led sport activities. Recreational male soccer players (n = 27; Mean Age = 10.11) were examined using direct observation and experience rating scales in an effort to shed light on the impact that adult-led and peer-led sport activities have on the same athletes. The results clearly illustrated that the experiences of youth across these two activities are very different. In the adult-led activities, youth experienced high levels of effort and concentration, and spent more time being physically or mentally engaged. However, antisocial behaviours were also more frequent in the adult-led activities. Meanwhile, youth experienced high rates of prosocial behaviours, sport-related communication, as well as general communication during the peer-led activities. These findings suggest that rather than one approach being comparatively superior to the other, both adult-led and peer-led sport activities have the potential to yield unique benefits towards children’s experiences in sport. The results from the present study may have important practical implications if sport programs can utilize the benefits of both adult-led and peer-led activities to offer youth a sport experience which combines the best of both worlds. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-08-22 17:29:14.363

The study was initiated by Swedish Tennis Syd in collaboration with Halmstad University with the intention to examine the existing tennis talent development environments for 13-16 years of age players. The purpose of the study was to (1) examine the retrospective experiences of the talent de- velopment environments among players who already passed the focal age, (2) examine the retro- spective and concurrent experiences of the talent development environments among tennis coaches, and (3) examine the concurrent experience of the talent development environments among parents whose kids were active in tennis in the focal age. The study involved 14 participants whom had connection to tennis clubs within Swedish Tennis Syd’s working region. Data were collected through three focus groups interviews consisting of players, coaches, and parents. Eight major themes emerged from the data analysis: atmosphere in the clubs, organization of the training groups, amount of training, quality of the training, access to expert assistance, amount of competi- tion, combination of school and tennis, and, parental involvement. Each theme was analyzed within the group and across the three groups. The results revealed perceptions of the clubs environments and future recommendation to improve the talent development environments for tennis players of 13-16 years old. / Studien initierades av Svensk Tennis Syd i samarbete med Högskolan i Halmstad med avsikt att undersöka befintliga talang utvecklingsmiljöer i tennis för spelare i åldern 13-16 år. Syftet med stu- dien var att (1) undersöka retrospektiva upplevelser av talang utvecklingsmiljöer bland spelare som redan passerat fokus åldern, (2) undersöka retrospektiva och rådande upplevelser av talang utveckl- ingsmiljöer bland tennis tränare, och (3) undersöka rådande upplevelser av talang utvecklingsmil- jöer bland föräldrar vars barn är aktiva i tennis inom fokus åldern. Studien bestod av 14 deltagare som hade koppling till tennisklubbar inom Svensk Tennis Syds arbetsområde. Data samlades in genom tre fokusgruppsintervjuer som bestod av spelare, tränare och föräldrar. Åtta huvudteman framkom i data analysen: klubbatmosfär, organisation av träningsgrupper, träningsmängd, kvali- teten på träning, tillgång till experthjälp, tävlingsmängd, kombination av skola och tennis, och för- äldrainvolvering. Varje tema analyserades inom gruppen och mellan de tre grupperna. Resultaten visade på uppfattningar om klubbmiljöer och framtida rekommendationer för förbättringar av talang utvecklingsmiljöer för tennisspelare i åldrarna 13-16 år.

The purpose of this study was to compare the coach-athlete interaction structures of two competitive youth synchronized swimming teams, one more successful with regard to athletes’ performance and personal development than the other. This comparison was conducted through the first application of state space grid (SSG) observational methodology (Hollenstein, 2007; Lewis, Lamey, & Douglas, 1999) in field-based sport psychology research. Both teams (two head coaches and 17 athletes in total) were observed over multiple training sessions. Both coach and athlete behaviour was coded continuously for the duration of each training session. Measures of coach athlete interaction structure, based on dynamic systems concepts, were derived from these coded behaviours and compared between teams. Results revealed significant differences between the two teams on measures of interaction variability, behavioural content patterns, and the sequencing of coach behaviours. The more successful team was characterized by less variable, more patterned interactions between coaches and athletes. This patterning took the form of more individualized technical and positive reinforcement feedback information and significantly less use of negative feedback by the head coach, interspersed with substantial periods of silent observation. The athletes of the more successful team more actively acknowledged the receipt of this feedback from their coach. The sequencing of coach behaviours was more patterned for the coach of the more successful team, with heavy emphasis on the pairing of technical correction and positive reinforcement statements. The findings suggest that a respectful, deliberate pattern of coach-athlete interaction may be associated with youth sport environments producing more positive performance and personal development outcomes for athletes. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-12-16 14:46:55.016

No description available.

Ice hockey is a sport known for its speed and skill. However, its intensely physical nature is associated with the potential risk of injury, which has become a major public controversy in Canada (Cusimano, Sharma, Lawrence, et al., 2013; Emery et al., 2010). Epidemiological research has adequately documented the frequency and severity of injury (King & LeBlanc, 2006; Yard & Comstock, 2006). Yet, because of methodological limitations and the lack of systematic and mandatory injury prevention strategies implemented nationwide, injuries remain high (Cusimano, Nastis, & Zuccaro, 2013; Emery et al, 2010). An alternative methodology, combined with broadening injury definitions can provide a more detailed assessment of the risks of, and circumstances, around injury. A methodology, based primarily on observational techniques, was utilized to examine injury in body checking hockey when it is first introduced to youth players. Injury was defined as ‘any physical trauma that has occurred as a result of participation in an organized competition’ including four categories of injury severity. In a comparison of Ontario Peewee (ages 11-12) with Québec Bantam (ages 13-14) boys hockey, no significant differences were found in overall injury (χ2: 0.22; p:0.64), however, there were significant differences in frequency of body checking related injury; 76% versus 59% (χ2:4.76; p:0.03). The odds of being injured due to body checking are 2.158 times higher in Peewee (βex 2.158; 95%CI: 1.07-4.34; p:0.03) indicating no increased risk of injury when body checking is introduced later while delaying introduction reduces the frequency of body checking related injury. Ongoing public debate in Canada concerning safety in youth hockey is understood through the theoretical lens of discourse (Foucault, 1972, 1990). The dominant discourse in Canada around hockey is based in a traditional, physically dominant model, where intense physical contact is not only inevitable but desirable. The reverse discourse prioritizes the safety of participants over the potential of lessening the intense physicality of the Canadian style of play. These competing discourses create tension and ambivalence amongst safety advocates and conservative hockey practitioners and enthusiasts. The emotionality of hockey stakeholders often overwhelms logic regarding safety decisions, ultimately impacting progressive injury prevention initiatives.