O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a associação do polimorfismo de variação do número de cópias (CNV) do gene PDLIM3 (ALP) com o desempenho esportivo. Também foi objetivo desta investigação avaliar o impacto dessa variação genética sobre o padrão de expressão da proteína PDLIM3 no músculo esquelético. Mil e setenta e quatro indivíduos fizeram parte deste estudo, sendo 617 brasileiros (328 atletas + 289 não atletas) e 417 australianos (307 atletas + 150 não atletas). O polimorfismo foi determinado por meio de reação PCR convencional utilizando-se 3 primers, os quais permitiam a amplificação da região contendo ou não a inserção. Foi observada maior frequência do alelo I em atletas brasileiros em relação a seus controles (33,7% vs. 26,1%; x2=8,34; p=0,0044). A frequência do alelo I também foi significantemente maior em negros e pardos do que em brancos e, mesmo quando contrastados com grupo controle de mesma etnia, a diferença se mantém. Entretanto, a frequência do alelo I não foi diferente entre atletas de diferentes níveis competitivos. Ainda, o alelo I tendeu a ser mais frequente em atletas de força/potência em comparação com os de resistência em ambas as coortes estudadas. Nenhuma diferença foi observada na expressão da proteína ALP em função da presença do polimorfismo CNV do gene PDLIM3. Em conclusão, o polimorfismo CNV do gene ALP está associado com a condição atlética geral, muito embora não esteja associado com modalidades de força/potência ou resistência. O polimorfismo parece não influenciar o padrão de expressão da proteína PDLIM3 e, portanto, as associações observadas neste estudo devem ser explicadas por um mecanismo não avaliado / The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the copy number variation (CNV) polymorphism in gene PDLIM3 and the athletic status. Another objective was to determine the impact of CNV polymorphism in PDLIM3 gene upon skeletal muscle PDLIM3 expression. One thousand and seventy four subjects took part in this study (617 Brazilians, athletes=328, non-athletes=289; 417 Australians, athletes=307, non-athletes=150). Genotypes were determined through the use of conventional 3-primer PCR reaction, which was designed to amplify the region with/without the insertion. It was observed a higher I-allele frequency in the Brazilian athletes (33,7% vs. 26,1%; x2=8,34; p=0,0044) in comparison to non-athletes controls. Also, the frequency of the I-allele was significantly higher in black and half-black Brazilians as compared to their white counterparts. Despite the higher percentage of black and half-black in the athletes group, the statistical difference was still observed when ethnicity-matched controls where compared to the athletes. No effect of the polymorphism on muscle PDLIM3 protein expression was observed in the present study. In conclusion, CNV polymorphism in PDLIM3 gene is associated with general athlete status, although it is not associated with specific sprint or endurance performance. This polymorphic variant seems to not influence PDLIM3 protein expression at the muscle level and, therefore, all associations observed in this study are due to any other mechanism that does not involve altered PDLIM3 protein expression in skeletal muscle

A escolha do Brasil como país sede dos Jogos Olímpicos e Paralímpicos de 2016 tornou aparente a necessidade da estruturação de políticas públicas para o esporte, mais especificamente aquelas voltadas à preparação de atletas de alto rendimento. O tempo, a qualidade do treinamento esportivo, o sistema organizacional do esporte na sociedade e o financiamento estão, entre outros aspectos, relacionados, diretamente, a um ambiente ideal para o desenvolvimento do esporte de alto rendimento. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo discorrerá sobre o Programa Bolsa-Atleta, coordenado pelo Ministério do Esporte. A Bolsa-Atleta é uma política governamental voltada ao apoio de atletas de alto rendimento, instituída pela Lei 10.891, de 9 de julho de 2004, como forma de garantir a transferência direta de recursos financeiros, prioritariamente, aos atletas praticantes de modalidades Olímpicas e Paralímpicas. O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar o processo de formulação, implementação e avaliação do Programa Bolsa-Atleta do Governo Federal, identificando como o benefício é aplicado e sua influência na preparação esportiva do atleta. Optou-se pela utilização do método de pesquisa descritiva exploratória com abordagem mista. Para coleta de dados o estudo envolveu procedimentos de pesquisa documental, realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas e aplicação de questionários. A análise documental se deu por meio da sistematização dos documentos selecionados e posterior estratificação dos elementos considerados relevantes para atingir os objetivos propostos pelo presente estudo. Foram realizadas dez entrevistas envolvendo gestores esportivos, auditores fiscais e consultores legislativos, sendo que para o processo de classificação e análise dos dados obtidos, por meio das entrevistas, optou-se pela técnica de categorização conforme estabelece Bardin (2004). Os dados coletados por meio do questionário enviado aos 6.132 atletas praticantes de modalidades olímpicas e paralímpicas, contemplados com a bolsa-atleta em 2015, foram tratados por meio da estatística descritiva, mediante a utilização da ferramenta de envio de questionários online GoogleDocs® e analisados com base nos objetivos definidos para o estudo em tela e à luz do referencial teórico. Por fim, foi possível verificar uma participação ativa de atletas, ex-atletas, dirigentes esportivos, entidades e agentes políticos ao longo do processo de formulação do Programa Bolsa-Atleta. Pode-se dizer que o Programa Bolsa-Atleta cumpre o papel para o qual foi criado, uma vez que o recurso financeiro chega, diretamente, no atleta. Contudo, alguns entraves foram apontados ao longo da implementação. Apurou-se que há consenso sobre a inexistência de metodologia padronizada para avaliar o Programa Bolsa-Atleta, enquanto Política Pública de esporte de alto rendimento. Considerando o objetivo do Brasil de figurar entre as nações consideradas potências esportivas, conclui-se ser de fundamental importância a manutenção e o incremento de uma Política Pública destinada a dar suporte direto aos atletas de alto rendimento. / The choice of Brazil as the host country for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games brought to light the need for public policies for the sport, especially those implemented to prepare high performance athletes. The amount of time, the quality of training, the organizational system of the sport in society including its funding are, among other aspects, directly related to providing the ideal environment for the development of high performance sports. In this sense, the present study will go over the Athlete Sponsorship Program, coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of Sports. The Athlete Sponsorship athletes by the passing of the Act 10.891 from July, 9th of 2004, as a way to secure the direct transfer of financial resources to Olympic and Paralympic sports athletes. This study its aimed to analyze the process of formulation, implementation and evaluation of the Athlete Sponsorship Program of the Federal Government, identifying how the descriptive exploratory method with a mixed approach. For data collection, the study involved documental research procedures, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The documental analysis was conducted through the systematization of the selected documents and subsequent stratification of the elements considered relevant to the objectives proposed by the present study. Ten interviews involving sports managers, fiscal auditors and legislative consultants were carried out. In order to classify and analyze the data obtained through interviews, the technique of categorization was chosen according to Bardin (2004). The data collected through the questionnaire sent to the 6,132 athletes of Olympic and Paralympic modalities, recipients of the Athlete Sponsorship Program in 2015, were treated through descriptive statistics, using the online questionnaire tool GoogleDocs® and analyzed based on the objectives of the study and in light of the theoretical reference. Finally, it was possible to verify an active participation of athletes, former athletes, sports leaders, entities and political agents throughout the process of formulating the Athlete Sponsorship Program. It can be stated that the Athlete Sponsorship Program fulfills the role for which it was created, since the financial resource comes directly to the athlete. However, some obstacles were pointed out throughout the implementation process. It was identified that there is consensus about the lack of a standardized methodology to evaluate the Athlete Sponsorship Program, as a Public Policy for high-performance sports. Considering Brazil's objective to be ranked among the nations considered as sports powers, it is concluded to be of fundamental importance to maintain and increase a Public Policy aimed at providing direct support to high-performance athletes.

Student-athletes enter higher education in the United States with diverse backgrounds and academic preparation. In some cases, student-athletes are underprepared for the academic rigor, social structure, and ethical expectations of these institutions. Athletic coaches are charged with the recruitment of highly skilled, competitive, and prepared student-athletes, while other athletic officials are responsible to provide the proper academic support, care, and overall well-being of student-athletes. If coaches, athletic administrators, advisors, and learning specialists could identify educational and demographic patterns related to student-athletes' propensity to trust, they would be better equipped to gain these students' trust and help them navigate the stress related to athletic participation and academic demands. This quantitative study investigates the influence of individual student-athletes' propensity to trust and the relationship between academic success, measured by grade point average (GPA). This study also examines the relationship between propensity to trust and demographic and educational variables that may assist athletic coaches, athletic administrators, and athletic support staff, such as advisors and learning specialists, in better understanding the impact propensity to trust has on student-athletes. To determine propensity to trust, the current study used the validated Propensity to Trust Scale by Frazier, Johnson, and Fainshmidt (2013) as well as a demographic questionnaire developed to measure students' background and educational attributes. Responses to an online survey from 221 student-athletes were collected from a large, private research institution that participates in Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association athletics. Statistical analyses, including t-test, analysis of variance, and Fisher's Least Significant Difference post hoc test, were used to identify between-group differences, while multiple regression analyses identified differences in propensity to trust among demographic and educational variables. Findings indicate there was no significant differences in propensity to trust among scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes, sex, or marital status, but significant differences did exist among student-athletes who are members of the church affiliated with the university, returned missionaries from the predominate religion, minority, and transfer students. In addition, differences in propensity to trust between different athletic teams were found. Finally, findings also indicate propensity to trust is related to current GPA. Implications from this study suggest that propensity to trust can be a valuable consideration when assessing how to provide proper support to current student-athletes. This research also suggests that a propensity to trust measure may be useful when recruiting prospective college student-athletes. Schools should not assume that propensity to trust is consistent among each team and each individual student-athlete.

The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand position specific physical qualities and how they relate to high speed running performance throughout the course of a competitive collegiate soccer season. The amount of literature devoted to female soccer players is scarce when compared to the vast amount of literature associated with male soccer players. The objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to determine if playing position has an influence on physical qualities such as speed, change of direction ability, countermovement jump performance, relative strength, rate of force development, and intermittent endurance capacity, 2) investigate the differences between high and lower caliber players as defined by minutes played per match when considering the physical qualities mentioned previously, 3) and finally to assess the influence of physical qualities and playing position on high speed running performance throughout the course of a competitive season. Data from 57 Division I Women’s Collegiate soccer players from a single institution were used. The influence of playing position and caliber of play on physical qualities were assessed using both laboratory and field based testing assessments. It appears that attacking based players (forward, wide midfielder, and attacking midfielder) were faster compared to defensive based players (central defensive midfielder, central defender, and goalkeeper) when assessed during 20 m sprint assessments and change of direction ability assessments. The only variable to differentiate between caliber of play was the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test – Level 1 (YYIRT1), indicating that higher caliber players possess greater intermittent endurance capacity compared to lower caliber players. Playing position was the major contributor when assessing high speed running performance during competition, explaining almost 70% of the variance. These findings highlight the impact of tactical factors on physical performance during competition and the need for position based assessments to better identify relevant physical qualities with respect to playing position in Division I Women’s Collegiate Soccer players. Further research is needed with a wider range of players from various levels to determine if these findings exist across all levels or are unique to the institution used during these investigations.

Abstract Introduction Sickle cell trait carriers may experience sickling events, which can cause severe health problems. Some sickle cell haplotypes contain genetic modifiers that are associated with increased levels of fetal hemoglobin, which is resistant to sickling. The aim of this study is to determine if sickle cell trait individuals who do not carry these modifiers are more likely to experience sickling episodes than those who do carry the modifiers. Methods: Participants were eligible for inclusion in this study if they were male, 18 years of age or older, a sickle cell trait carrier, and had previously played any level of organized football. Participants were recruited via Facebook, www.clinicaltrials.gov, e-mail, phone calls, and word of mouth. They were asked to complete a survey and return a buccal swab for genetic analysis to look for alleles associated with fetal hemoglobin persistence. To date, no genetic analyses have been run. Data from the surveys was analyzed using Fisher's Exact Test with the SAS 9.2 software. Results: Twenty participants were included in this phase of the study and all returned both the survey and buccal swab. Five of the 20 participants had been diagnosed with exertional sickling, 2 with heat illness, and 12 had experienced dehydration. Conclusion: Data in this study is purely observational, as no genetic analyses have been performed at this point. Early results indicate that the probability a player feels their muscle pain lasts longer than their peers' is greater among those who feel it takes their muscles longer to recover than their peers'.

The purpose of this study was to examine athletic and academic identity and athletic and academic motivation in DIII student-athletes. An additional purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which identity and motivation variables could predict GPA. This study also qualitatively explored students’ perceptions of their success, identity and motivation. Using Expectancy-Value and Identity theories as a theoretical framework, participants (n = 358) were administered an online survey that included AAIS and SAMSAQ scales along with open-ended qualitative questions. Quantitative data were used to conduct confirmatory factor analyses, bivariate correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, and multivariate analyses of variance. Qualitative analyses were used to extract major themes from the data, and a Mixed Methods analysis was used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data in a side-by-side comparison.

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore how traditional gender norms influence the daily experiences of female student-athletes. The following research question framed this study: How do collegiate female basketball players experience traditional gender norm expectations in relation to their sport? A combination of sources focused on gender norms and athletics informed this study, including previous research, mass media publications and documentaries, and the researcher's individual experiences with gender norms in organized athletics. To explore the research question, six National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (D-I) female basketball players were interviewed to provide phenomenological data focused on their individual experiences with gender norms in college basketball. Semi-structured interviews utilizing a feminist phenomenological qualitative design were completed via Skype™. A phenomenological approach was employed to focus on the meaning of events experienced by people in specific situations. The feminist lens ensured that the study framed gender as a fluid concept consisting of multiple intersections. The six participants in the study represented five different teams from a major NCAA conference. Almost all of the participants in the study attended a different major research university in the Midwest (two participants attended the same institution). Three major themes surfaced from data provided by participants. These themes include: (1) the challenge of meeting traditional gender expectations (2) contrasting gender expectations in athletic and non-athletic settings (3) the changing dynamic of gender perceptions in women's basketball. These themes focus on participants' experience of contrasting gender expectations in different settings. In athletic settings participants described rarely thinking about gender dynamics or expectations. Off the court, however, players described a stronger perception of expectations for how they should look and behave. Players described experiencing regular questions and assumptions about their gender identity (i.e. female, male, trans*) and / or sexual orientation (i.e. bisexual, gay, heterosexual, queer) when wearing loose fitting basketball sweats during the day. While players rarely thought about conforming to a gender identity or role on the court, they did describe frustrations with an imbalance of media coverage between men's and women's athletics. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations for higher education practice include (1) providing training and educational opportunities for student-athletes, coaches, and administrators focused on gender socialization and subsequent perceptions of student-athletes (2) developing mentoring programs pairing new recruits with veteran players to help acclimate new student-athletes to the demands of the NCAA season, and to explore the impact of traditional gender norm expectations on student-athletes and (3) developing mass media or social media campaigns to help encourage positive recruiting practices in women's basketball and to discourage recruiters focusing on the gender identity or sexual orientation of players and coaches on other teams as a means of lowering interest in those programs.

The purpose of this study was to gather descriptive data on the experiences of Black female student athletes. A better understanding of the experiences of Black female student athletes as students, as athletes, and as developing young women may help student affairs practitioners better understand their collegiate experience; provide them with information to make decisions about student affairs programs, policies, services, and practices; and offer a subgroup of students who have historically been underrepresented in research an opportunity to share their stories. The study addressed the following research question: What are the college experiences of Black female student athletes during athletic eligibility at a large, predominately White, Division I, Midwestern, public university? Eight Black female eligible college student athletes were purposefully selected to participate in the qualitative study. Participants' ages ranged from 18-23 years and they self-identified as Black (n=3), Caribbean (n=3), and West Indian (n=2). The women were drawn from two sports: Basketball (n=2) and Track (n=6). Participants participated in two hour-long interviews. Data were coded and analyzed into categories. A process analysis enabled the key themes from the findings to be identified. Credibility and dependability were accounted through member checks and the use of three outside auditors. Four major themes emerged: Unfulfilled expectations during the college experience as an athlete, student, and developing young person; perceptions of being treated differently from her White female peers; complex relationships that deeply impacted participants' experiences in college both positively and negatively; and positive and negative forms of resistance in which participants' engaged in response to experiences during college. Themes were analyzed and divided into 13 major findings: Misleading recruitment; negative experiences with coaches; difficult transition from high school to college athletics; negative experiences with White teammates, coaches, and staff; social support among Black female athletes; difficult academic transition from high school to college; stereotyping and discrimination in the classroom; no meaningful relationships with faculty; involvement in co-curricular activities; complex relationships with Black men; complex relationships with White women; experiences with depression; and developing a stronger sense of self. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are discussed in detail.

Teaching (in this study, coaching) is a key determinant in learning any sports skill. The coach-athlete relationship is one of the most important influences on athlete's motivation and performance (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003). One of the key leadership roles the coach has in this relationship is the creation and maintenance of the sports class learning climate. The joint influence of the athlete's motivation and the environmental press (class learning climate) can determine the cognitive, affective, and performance patterns regularly displayed by athletes (Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999). A sports class' learning climate is a set of internal characteristics that has an important role in shaping an athlete's motivational and behavioural pattern (Ames, 1992) and is a key characteristic of class effectiveness. In sports classes, motivational climate is a sub-set of the overall learning climate and is created primarily by the sport class coach. Motivational climate can be described as the participants' relatively persistent collective perceptions of the achievement goal structure of that setting. Recent studies of motivational climate in sport have provided insight into coaching behaviour and its effect on sports class motivational climate (Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999). In spite of the potential value of class learning climate research to the field of sports class behavioural studies, no research has consolidated the fields of classroom learning climate research and sports class motivational climate studies. This study provides a model for the investigation of gymnastics sports class learning climates that involves a consolidation of the dimensions and items of the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2 (Newton, Duda, & Yin, 2000) and the Classroom Environment Scale (Moos & Trickett, 1987). The development and validation of a new, unique learning climate scale - the Sports Class Environment Scale (SCES) - constitutes the focus of this research. The process of developing this consolidated instrument began with the production of an initial scale, and was followed by a review by a panel of experts in coaching and independent university researchers in sport and physical education. The SCES draft was then pilot tested with a small group (n = 41) of competitive gymnasts to prompt some changes to the scale. Initial field-testing of the SCES occurred with 28 male and 180 female competitive gymnasts from 6 metropolitan and 4 regional competitive gymnastics clubs in Queensland, Australia. Exploratory factor analysis provided a revised SCES with five subscales labeled Task Involvement and Improvement, Ego Involvement and Mistakes, Coach-Athlete Communication, Effort, Order and Organization, and Affiliation. Using the revised SCES subscales as dependent variables, multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to compare club type, gender, and competitive level. In this study, the low training hours and the high training hours gymnastics classes were different in their perceptions of the Ego Involvement of their class climate. Male and female gymnasts were different in their perceptions of Ego Involvement, Affiliation, and Effort, Order and Organization aspects of their class climates. This study demonstrates the potential utility of creating class learning climates high in both Task Involvement and Ego Involvement for competitive gymnastics clubs. This study breaks new ground, and may lead to novel insights into sports class learning climates. Because class learning climate is easier to manipulate than individual achievement goal dispositions (Whitehead, Andree, & Lee, 1997) and because perceptions of learning climate account for variance in learning outcomes beyond that attributable to student ability (Fraser, 1994, 1998, 2002), class learning climate is an important variable that should be better understood, described, developed, and manipulated. Effective measurement of sports class learning climates using the SCES may lead to a greater understanding of effective sports classes, and of coach and athlete behaviours in those classes, and provides a first step in monitoring sports class learning climates.

This autoethnographic study investigates the emotional and social dimensions of a coaching relationship from the athlete�s perspective. Autoethnography is an approach that draws on highly personalised biographical accounts in which authors tell stories about their lived experiences (Ellis & Bochner, 2000; Richardson, 2000) in order to place the "self within a social context" (Reed-Danahay, 1997, p. 9). Consequently, through the analysis of my memories and ethnographic notes, I analyse my experiences as an Olympic marathon runner and, in particular, the challenges I faced with my coach. In the process of investigating the emotional and social dimensions of the coaching process (which I have divided into three phases), I focus specifically on the creation of (1) my 'athletic identity', (2) the power relationship that developed between my coach and myself and, (3) my early retirement from running. In order to make sense of my experiences, I draw upon theories of identity (e.g. Bradley, 1996), Foucauldian concepts on 'power' (e.g. Foucault, 1980), and the literature addressing 'premature retirement' (e.g. Sparkes 1996; 2000). Finally, a conclusion summarises the main points made in addition to outlining their implications for further coaching research and practice.