This study investigates the influences on participation in physical activity of thirty adolescent girls from a metropolitan secondary school in Victoria. It seeks to understand how they perceived, experienced and explained their involvement or non involvement in both competitive and non competitive physical activity during four years of their secondary schooling. Participants experienced physical education as both a single sex group in Years 7 and 9 and a coeducational group in Years 8 and 10. They were exposed to a predominantly competitive curriculum in Years 7 to 9 and a less structured, more social, recreational program in Year 10. These experiences enabled them to compare the differences between class structures and activity programs and identify the significant issues which impacted on their participation. Large Australian population studies have revealed that fewer girls participated in sport and regular physical activity than boys. An important consequence is that girls miss out on the health benefits associated with participating in physical activity. Other research has found adolescence is the time that girls drop out of competitive sport. However, an important issue is whether girls who drop out of competitive sport cease to be involved in any physical activity. There are some studies which have reported good participation rates by adolescent girls in non competitive, recreational forms of physical activity and the possibility exists that they may drop out of competitive and into non competitive physical activity. This study primarily utilises a qualitative approach in contrast to previous studies which have largely relied upon the use of surveys and questionnaires. Whilst quantitative research has provided useful information about the bigger picture, there are limitations caused by reliance on the researchers' own interpretations of the data. Additionally there is no opportunity for any clarification and explanation of findings and trends by the respondents themselves. The current study utilized qualitative individual and collective interviews in three stages. Questions were asked in the broad areas of coeducation and single sex classes, preferences for competitive or recreational activity and body image issues. Some quantitative information focusing on nature and extent of current activity patterns was also gathered in the first stage. Thirty Year 10 girls participated in individual first interviews. Nine selected girls then took part in the second (individual) and third (collective) interview stages. Results revealed three groups based on the nature of physical activity involvement: [1] competitive activity group, [2] social activity group and [3] transition group. The transition group represented those who were in the process of withdrawing from competitive sport to take up more non competitive, recreational activity. The most significant difference between groups was skill level. On the whole those entering adolescence with the highest skill levels, such as those in the competitive group, were the most confident and relished competing against others. The social group was low in skill and confidence and had predominantly negative experiences in physical education and sport because their deficiencies were plainly visible to all. Similarly, a lack of skill improvement relative to those of 'better performers' affected the interest and confidence levels of those in the transition group. Boys' domination in coeducational classes through verbal and physical intimidation of the less competent and confident girls and exclusion of very competent girls was a major issue. Social and transition group members demonstrated compliance with boys' power by hanging back and sitting out of competitive activities. Conversely, the competitive group resisted boy's attempts to dominate but had to work hard to demonstrate their athletic capabilities in order to do so. Body image issues such as the skimpy physical education and sport uniform along with body revealing activities such as swimming and gymnastics, heightened feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment for most girls. When strategies were adopted by social and transition group members to avoid any body exposure or physical humiliation, participation levels were subsequently affected. However, where girls felt confident about their physical abilities and body image, they were able to ignore their unflattering uniforms and thus participation was unaffected. Specific teaching practices such as giving more attention to boys, for example by segregating the sexes in mixed classes to focus attention on boys, reinforced stereotypical notions of gender and contributed to the inequities for girls in physical education. The competitive group were frustrated with having to prove themselves as capable as boys in order to receive greater teacher attention. The transition group rejected teacher's attempts to coerce them into participating in the inter school sports program. The social group believed that teachers viewed and treated them less favourably than others because of their limited skills. Girls were not passive in the face of these obstacles. Rather than give up physical activity they disengaged from competitive sport and took up other forms of activity which they had the confidence to perform. These activity choices also reflected their expanding social interests such as spending time with male and female friends outside school and increased demands on their time by study and part time work commitments. This study not only highlighted the diversity and complexity of attitudes and behaviours of girls towards physical activity but also demonstrated that they display agency in making conscious, sensible decisions about their physical activity choices. Plain Language Summary of Thesis Adolescent girls in physical education and sport; An analysis of influences on participation by Julia Whitty Submitted for the degree of Master of Applied Science Deakin University Supervisor: Dr Judy Ann Jones This study investigates the influences on participation in physical activity of thirty adolescent girls from a metropolitan secondary school in Victoria in order to understand how girls' perceived, experienced and explained their involvement or non involvement in both competitive and non competitive physical activity. Qualitative individual and collective interviews were conducted. Questions focussed on attitudes about coeducation and single sex classes, preferences for competitive or recreational activity and feelings about body image. Some quantitative information about the nature and extent of current activity patterns was also gathered in the first stage. Thirty Year 10 girls participated in individual first interviews. Nine selected girls then took part in the second (individual) and third (collective) interview stages. Results revealed three clearly different groups based on the nature of physical activity involvement (1) Competitive, (2) Social and (3) Transition (those in the process of withdrawing from competitive sport to take up more non competitive, recreational activity). The major difference between groups was skill level. Those entering adolescence with the highest skill levels were more competent and confident in the coeducational and competitive sport setting. Other significant issues included boys' domination, body image and teaching behaviours and practices.

Auffällig viele Athletinnen und Athleten beenden vorzeitig, d. h. vor Erreichen des individuellen Leistungshöhepunktes, ihre leistungssportliche Karriere (Dropout). Oftmals werden von den Dropouts neben gestiegenen Anforderungen im schulischen und sportlichen Bereich, auch Motivationsverlust sowie eine Verschiebung der Prioritäten als Gründe für ihre Entscheidung gegen eine Fortsetzung der leistungssportlichen Karriere angegeben. Ver- schiedene sportwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen beschäftigten sich bereits mit diesem komplexen Phänomen, eine zufriedenstellende Erklärung gelang indes nicht. Ein Großteil der bereits vorhandenen Studien betrachtet meist nur die retrospektive und damit eine oftmals verzerrte Sichtweise. Das Hauptanliegen dieser Untersuchung ist es daher gewesen, den Einfluss ausgewählter psychologischer Merkmale auf die Aufrechterhaltung des Leistungssports für Nachwuchsathletinnen und –athleten bereits prospektiv zu erfassen und damit eine Möglichkeit zu schaffen, dem frühzeitigen Ausscheiden entgegenzuwirken. Ein großes wissenschaftliches Interesse besteht hinsichtlich der Prävention von Dropout gerade im Nachwuchsleistungssport. Mittels eines Modelles, welches den Einfluss der erfassten psychologischen Merkmale auf den Verbleib bzw. Abbruch einer sportlichen Karriere abbildet, können Maßnahmen zur Verhinderung von Dropouts ergriffen werden.

Fotbollsverksamheten präglar många flickors vardag och är den största ungdomsverksamheten i svensk idrott. Det råder inga tveksamheter om att idrott innebär flera fördelar för människors psykiska och fysiska välbefinnande. Fotbollen är en arena där flickors självförtroende kan främjas och stärkas. Samtidigt faller många idrottsutövare offer för den robusta individualismen med strävan efter idrottslig framgång. Tävlingsmomentets påverkan för barn och ungdomars psykiska hälsa är viktigt att belysa och diskutera för att fotbollen ska kunna verka som en hälsofrämjande arena. Syftet med studien var att undersöka, utifrån flickors egna upplevelser, hur självförtroende konstrueras inom flickfotbollen. Metoden för insamling av det empiriska materialet var en intervjustudie i form av sex fokusgruppsintervjuer och två individuella intervjuer, vilket utgick från en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Resultatet, erhållet genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys, visade att flickor har olika avsikter med sin fotboll och lever i skilda idrottsvärldar. Flickfotbollen kunde inte tillgodose behoven hos flickor som inte ville satsa på sin fotboll. Flickors självförtroende konstruerades i interaktion med omgivningen och dess respons på flickors prestationer på fotbollsplanen. I takt med att flickfotbollen blev mer tävlingsinriktad belystes vikten av att vara dukig, vilket bidrog till att verksamheten hämmade flickor som inte satsade på sin fotboll från ett psykiskt välmående i form av ett sänkt självförtroende. Ur en folkhälsopedagogisk syn kan slutsatsen dras att flickfotbollen ur ett långsiktigt perspektiv behöver finna nya synsätt för att inte frånta flickor rätten till psykiskt välbefinnande och fysisk aktivitet inom verksamheten. / Football organization characterizes many girls living and is the largest youth sport activity in Sweden. There is no doubt about that sport offers several benefits to human mental and physical wellbeing. Football is an arena where girls’ self-confidence can be promoted and strengthened. In the same time many athletes become victims to the rugged individualism of the pursuit of sporting success. The competition of sports impact of child and adolescent mental health is important to highlight and discuss in football to operate as a health promotion arena. The purpose of this study was to investigate, based on girls 'own experiences, how selfconfident are constructed in the girls' football. The method for collecting the empirical material was an interview in the form of six focus group interviews and two individual interviews, which were based on a semi-structured interview guide. The result, based on qualitative content analysis, showed that girls have different intentions with their football and live in different sporting worlds. Girl's football could not meet the needs of girls who would not venture on its football. Girls self-confidence is constructed in interaction with the environment and it responses to the girls' accomplishments on the football field. Girls' football become more competitive and highlighted the importance of being good. This contributed that the activity inhibited the girls who not venture for their football from a mental health in the form of a lowered self-confidence. From a health promotion and education view, the conclusion was that girls' football in the long term need to find new approaches in order not to deprive the girls the right to mental health and physical activity within the business.

Objectives: The main objective of the research in this thesis was to investigate the psychological skills, state anxiety and coping of senior rugby players in South Africa. Methodology: The first manuscript (Chapter 2) was a literature review that investigated whether the coping model suggested by Moos and Shaefer (1993) could be applied to investigate the interaction between various psychological factors involved in the coping process, within a sports context. The model was evaluated by examining the relevant factors, including the environmental system, personal factors, life crises and transitions, cognitive appraisals and coping responses, as well as the general health and well-being of individuals. The manuscripts presented in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 made use of a cross-sectional design to assess the constructs central to the stated aims of the study. The participants in this research project were from the following teams during the 2003 and 2004 seasons: South African Super 12 teams (Stormers, Bulls, Cats and Sharks); South African provincial teams (Free State Cheetahs, Gauteng Lions, North-West Leopards and the Falcons); South African club rugby teams (North-West University 1st team, Tswane University of Technology 1st team, Kimberley Combined Forces and the Leopards amateur club team). The players were psychometrically evaluated in the week leading up to an important game (usually 2-3 days before the game). The number of players included in this study was 139 Super 12 rugby players, 106 provincial rugby players and 95 club rugby players, resulting in a cumulative total of 340 senior rugby players. The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) was used to evaluate the players' psychological skills (manuscripts 2, 3 and 4). The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) was used to ascertain the state anxiety of the rugby players (manuscript 3) and a biographical questionnaire (compiled by the researcher) was used to gather demographical and biographical information of the players (manuscript 4). Results and conclusions of the individual manuscripts: - Manuscript 1 concluded that there were substantial literature findings that supported and explained the influence of the different psychological factors that form part of the Moos and Shaefer (1993) coping model regarding the coping abilities of athletes. It appeared that this model could potentially be applied in a sports context to clarify the factors influencing the coping process of athletes. - The results in manuscript 2 reported significant differences between the psychological skills of the Super 12 and club rugby players on four of the seven ACSI-28 subscales. No differences, however, could be found between Super 12 and provincial rugby players. The research further concluded that no statistically or practically significant differences in psychological skills could be found between forwards and backline rugby players or between the different positional groupings (props, hookers, locks, loose forwards, inside backs and outside backs) in senior South African rugby. - Manuscript 3 concluded that senior South African rugby players with high levels of psychological skills experienced lower levels of state anxiety, and that they interpreted the state anxiety that they experienced as more facilitative to their performance. This might suggest that rugby players with high levels of psychological skills could generally cope better with the challenges of competitive rugby. Rugby players with high levels of psychological skills also experienced higher levels of self-confidence and interpreted their self-confidence as more facilitative to performance. - The results in manuscript 4 suggested that certain prior experiences and a number of sports-specific perceptions could have an influence on the psychological skills of rugby players. However, the only biographical variable that appeared to be a common denominator between the high psychological skills groups on all three levels of rugby were the players' perceptions regarding their own abilities to do optimal psychological preparation before a game. The research could not indicate the direction of the interaction between prior experience, cognitive perceptions and psychological skills, but acknowledged the strong association between these factors and the levels of psychological skills of South African senior rugby players. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Objectives: The main objective of the research in this thesis was to investigate the psychological skills, state anxiety and coping of senior rugby players in South Africa. Methodology: The first manuscript (Chapter 2) was a literature review that investigated whether the coping model suggested by Moos and Shaefer (1993) could be applied to investigate the interaction between various psychological factors involved in the coping process, within a sports context. The model was evaluated by examining the relevant factors, including the environmental system, personal factors, life crises and transitions, cognitive appraisals and coping responses, as well as the general health and well-being of individuals. The manuscripts presented in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 made use of a cross-sectional design to assess the constructs central to the stated aims of the study. The participants in this research project were from the following teams during the 2003 and 2004 seasons: South African Super 12 teams (Stormers, Bulls, Cats and Sharks); South African provincial teams (Free State Cheetahs, Gauteng Lions, North-West Leopards and the Falcons); South African club rugby teams (North-West University 1st team, Tswane University of Technology 1st team, Kimberley Combined Forces and the Leopards amateur club team). The players were psychometrically evaluated in the week leading up to an important game (usually 2-3 days before the game). The number of players included in this study was 139 Super 12 rugby players, 106 provincial rugby players and 95 club rugby players, resulting in a cumulative total of 340 senior rugby players. The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) was used to evaluate the players' psychological skills (manuscripts 2, 3 and 4). The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) was used to ascertain the state anxiety of the rugby players (manuscript 3) and a biographical questionnaire (compiled by the researcher) was used to gather demographical and biographical information of the players (manuscript 4). Results and conclusions of the individual manuscripts: - Manuscript 1 concluded that there were substantial literature findings that supported and explained the influence of the different psychological factors that form part of the Moos and Shaefer (1993) coping model regarding the coping abilities of athletes. It appeared that this model could potentially be applied in a sports context to clarify the factors influencing the coping process of athletes. - The results in manuscript 2 reported significant differences between the psychological skills of the Super 12 and club rugby players on four of the seven ACSI-28 subscales. No differences, however, could be found between Super 12 and provincial rugby players. The research further concluded that no statistically or practically significant differences in psychological skills could be found between forwards and backline rugby players or between the different positional groupings (props, hookers, locks, loose forwards, inside backs and outside backs) in senior South African rugby. - Manuscript 3 concluded that senior South African rugby players with high levels of psychological skills experienced lower levels of state anxiety, and that they interpreted the state anxiety that they experienced as more facilitative to their performance. This might suggest that rugby players with high levels of psychological skills could generally cope better with the challenges of competitive rugby. Rugby players with high levels of psychological skills also experienced higher levels of self-confidence and interpreted their self-confidence as more facilitative to performance. - The results in manuscript 4 suggested that certain prior experiences and a number of sports-specific perceptions could have an influence on the psychological skills of rugby players. However, the only biographical variable that appeared to be a common denominator between the high psychological skills groups on all three levels of rugby were the players' perceptions regarding their own abilities to do optimal psychological preparation before a game. The research could not indicate the direction of the interaction between prior experience, cognitive perceptions and psychological skills, but acknowledged the strong association between these factors and the levels of psychological skills of South African senior rugby players. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Auffällig viele Athletinnen und Athleten beenden vorzeitig, d. h. vor Erreichen des individuellen Leistungshöhepunktes, ihre leistungssportliche Karriere (Dropout). Oftmals werden von den Dropouts neben gestiegenen Anforderungen im schulischen und sportlichen Bereich, auch Motivationsverlust sowie eine Verschiebung der Prioritäten als Gründe für ihre Entscheidung gegen eine Fortsetzung der leistungssportlichen Karriere angegeben. Ver- schiedene sportwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen beschäftigten sich bereits mit diesem komplexen Phänomen, eine zufriedenstellende Erklärung gelang indes nicht. Ein Großteil der bereits vorhandenen Studien betrachtet meist nur die retrospektive und damit eine oftmals verzerrte Sichtweise. Das Hauptanliegen dieser Untersuchung ist es daher gewesen, den Einfluss ausgewählter psychologischer Merkmale auf die Aufrechterhaltung des Leistungssports für Nachwuchsathletinnen und –athleten bereits prospektiv zu erfassen und damit eine Möglichkeit zu schaffen, dem frühzeitigen Ausscheiden entgegenzuwirken. Ein großes wissenschaftliches Interesse besteht hinsichtlich der Prävention von Dropout gerade im Nachwuchsleistungssport. Mittels eines Modelles, welches den Einfluss der erfassten psychologischen Merkmale auf den Verbleib bzw. Abbruch einer sportlichen Karriere abbildet, können Maßnahmen zur Verhinderung von Dropouts ergriffen werden.