This study examined the applicability of the Sport Commitment Model for a group of elite, professional athletes. The model proposes that an athlete's commitment will increase as sport enjoyment, personal investments, social constraints, and involvement opportunities increase and will decrease with an increase in involvement opportunities. The influence of identification as an athlete, a determinant of commitment not included in the original model, was also examined. One hundred and eighty three professional football players from the Canadian Football League (CFL) (n = 121) and National Football League (NFL) (n = 69) participated in the study. Each subject completed a modified version of the original questionnaire developed to test the constructs in the Sport Commitment Model (Scanlan, Simons, Carpenter, Schmidt, & Keeler, 1993) during a team meeting. Internal consistency reliabilities for the final items in all seven scales were acceptable. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated marginal overall fit (AGFI = 0.757) demonstrating good construct validity and discriminant validity for each scale. Zero-order correlations between commitment and its predictor constructs were significant and in the hypothesized direction for all predictor constructs except social constraints. The correlation between commitment and social constraints was negative and nonsignificant. The simultaneous regression analysis results found the predictor constructs accounted for 38% of the variance in commitment. Identification uniquely accounted for the most variance followed by enjoyment, involvement alternatives, and involvement opportunities. Only personal investments and social constraints did not contribute a significant amount of unique variance to sport commitment. The importance and meaning of the relationships between commitment and its determinants for professional athletes are discussed, as well as directions for future research.

Stearns County, Minnesota is the number-one dairy-producing county in the number-one dairy-producing region--the Midwest--in the country. The area has been home to German-Catholic immigrants from the Rheinland region of Germany since the mid- to late-1850s, when they traveled across Canada and the northeastern United States before finally settling on homesteads in Central Minnesota. 150 years later, the descendants of these settlers still live and farm the same area. Through it all, these farmers have kept a similar schedule: six days of fieldwork, Sunday for rest. And, nearly since the day they arrived in the area, that day of rest has featured one sacred leisure activity: baseball. The state of Minnesota boasts over 250 amateur baseball teams, the most of any state in the country. In the summer of 2012, I moved to Spring Hill, Minnesota, a town of 85, to play for the Spring Hill Chargers and work on the farm. My thesis lies at the intersection of farming and baseball, showing the reader both how little and how much has changed for these men who still farm their land of their forebears and still play America's game. A Summer in the Land of Milk tells my story of living and working in a rural area where the past hangs like a shadow and the future is frighteningly uncertain.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between task cohesion and social cohesion and performance of women's intercollegiate Division I field hockey teams. Twenty-six teams (n=26) from the 1989 season participated in this study, representing 32% of the total number of NCAA Division I teams. Specifically, team task cohesion and social cohesion measures from mid-season were compared to performance measures at the end of the season. The Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) developed by Widmeyer, Brawley, and Carron (1985) was used to measure cohesion. Performance was measured by percentage of games won, and also by a power rating developed by the NCAA field hockey committee. The GEQ consists of four cohesion constructs, two task and two social. Each of the four scales was compared to each of the performance measures, as well as both task scales combined and both social scales combined. Median values for each teams' cohesion measures were correlated with performance measures using the Pearson Product Moment coefficient of correlation. The results indicated that task cohesion was significantly related to team performance. Social cohesion variables when compared to power rating, and the Group Integration-Social construct when compared to win/loss percentage were significantly related to performance. Although significant, the social cohesion results were considerably lower than the task cohesion results.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness that is characterized by pervasive fatigue, sleep disturbance, neurocognitive problems, joint and muscle pain and numerous other symptoms. Results from CFS treatment studies are equivocal. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Ampligen® therapy on immune function and functional capacity in a group of patients with CFS. Natural killer cell number and activity, the activity of the 2-SA pathway, and results of serial cardiopulmonary exercise tests were examined for a total of seven subjects (n=7). A key finding was the normalization of RNase L. Only one subject demonstrated both a normalization in RNase L and increase in exercise performance. Trends in NK cell activity were difficult to determine. Improvements in functional capacity as measured by peak V02were seen in five subjects, but these improvements were minor. The expected improvement in both the immune system as measured by RNase L and NK cell function, and improvement in functional capacity were not seen in this study. This confirms that CFS is a very complicated syndrome and that more research is needed. Ampligen® may have been responsible for the RNase L normalization observed in some patients but NK cells seemed unaffected. It could be that Ampligen® is helping the immune system fight viruses present in the CFS subjects. Improvements in peak V02 were small but deconditioning in subjects might be a possible explanation. The exact cause of CFS remains unknown but with continued research it may yet be possible to increase our understanding of CFS.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the acute effects of strenuous exercise on the following blood constituents: total cholesterol (TC) 1 triglycerides (TG) 1 high density lipoproteins (HDL-C) 1 and low density lipoproteins (LDL-C). A single case study was performed during a 20 day testing period. Two century bicycle rides ( 100 miles) were used as the strenuous exercise bouts. Blood samples were drawn each day and immediately after each 100 mile ride. A pre-set exercise and diet regimen were followed every day of the 20 day procedure. A t-test upon TC 1 TG 1 HDL-C 1 and LDL-C was done to determine the statistical significance between two 100 mile cycling rides and the training days. The change upon TC was an increase of 11.1mg/dl and the change upon TG was an increase of 66.8mg/dl. The t-tests upon both of these variables were found to be significant at the <0.05 level. The change upon HDL-C was an increase of 3.2mg/dl but a ttest showed no statistical significance at the <0.05 level. The change upon LDL-C was a decrease of 2.6mg/dl but a t-test showed no statistical significance at the <0.05 level. Total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio (TC/HDL-C) did not change and a t-test showed no statistical significance at the <0.05 level. The ratio stayed at 2.5 for the duration of the study period. It was determined that an acute bout of exercise significantly changed TC and TG levels. Total cholesterol mean values changed from 106.4mg/dl ± 1.11 to 117.5mg/dl ± 3. 53. Mean TG values changed from 66. 2mg/dl ± 4. 08 to 113mg/dl ± 16.97. The acute bout of exercise did not significantly change HDL-C or LDL-C. possibilities are discussed.

This case study was conducted to examine organizational effectiveness in a professional minor league baseball franchise. The premise of the study was to explore the relationship between organizational effectiveness and four organizational behavior constructs. The four constructs focused upon were organizational identity, shared values, vision, and continuity. Data collection was based upon personal interviews with the entire staff, observation of general activities, and archival materials such as promotional videos and in-house publications. The organization under study, which was deemed effective because of its on-field success, was found to have a well-defined and distinctive identity, shared values in the realm of philosophical, business concerns, and a clear and acutely projected image. Continuity within the organization was not concretely established for either time frames of reference. The premise of this study was not only to examine the relationships between the four constructs and organizational effectiveness in professional sports franchises but to generate hypotheses for future research. Ten hypotheses were postulated based on the findings of this study. These ten hypotheses were: 1) An effective organization will possess an identity which is well-defined and unique to that particular organization and its members; 2) The organizational identity will be based on characteristics which are both distinctive and essential to the nature of the organization; 3) An effective organization will have developed an organizational value system based upon the shared values expressed by the members of that organization; 4) The shared values ·held will be influenced by the environment in which the organization exists; 5) An. effective organization will project a clear and meaningful image embodied by all its members; 6) An effective organization will possess an internalized guiding philosophy that will dictate a mode of behavior; 7) An effective organization will exhibit a vision which consists of both a guiding philosophy and tangible image which establish.a set of ambitions motivating its members to work towards a specific direction; 8) An effective organization will demonstrate continuity in organizational philosophy, vision, and purpose over a·pertinent and definable time frame of reference; 9) Stability in the key position within the organization will have a positive influence on organizational effectiveness; 10) An effective organization will possess an identity, value system, and vision which are in concert with each other and exemplified by all its members.

It was in the belief that a summary of the course content of state courses of study in health education would be of value and interest in the light of present trends in curriculum construction that this study was written. The purpose of this investigation was to survey sixteen state courses of study compiled by their respective state education departments, to determine the details of content considered most essential in health education at the high school level.

Because of its practicality, many exercise physiologists use the cycle ergometer to test cardiovascular endurance; yet due to physical injury or handicap, there is a great segment of our population that cannot easily manage an upright seated position. The recumbent position helps to stabilize the upper body, and therefore may help those whose repertoire of postural control is compromised. At present, the majority of studies dealing with upright and recumbent positions for graded exercise testing show the upright position to yield higher HR and VO2 readings. In order to determine the difference between the upright and recumbent cycle ergometer using the Y-Way Protocol, 41 healthy subjects (24 females, 17 males) performed GXT's in each position until HR reached 90% age-predicted max. Subjects were broken into two groups, with one group performing the recumbent test first and the other group performing the upright portion of testing first. Predicted . . and actual VO2 measurements were recorded for each subject, and maximum VO2 predicted. A 2x2x2 ANOVA was applied to the data to determine interaction and effects among position (upright vs. recumbent), protocol (YMCA and actual VO2), and gender. No differences in VO2 max between the upright and recumbent position were observed in either gender or protocol. It was determined that the recumbent position is a valid testing position in the estimation of VO2 max using workload adjustments determined by the Y -Way protocol.

The relationship between dietary intake and the pathology of CFS has been an area of intense speculation without strong research support. There may be important links between diet and symptoms such that dietary interventions may be efficacious as adjunct therapy. This study was designed to assess any dietary abnormalities among Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. The purpose of this study is to make a controlled assessment of usual dietary intake so that dietary recommendations for CFS patients can be made. A Diet History Questionnaire, provided by the National Institute of Health, was used to analyze usual dietary intake among CFS patients. Women, ages I 8 and older, diagnosed by a physician with CFS, and were asked to complete the online survey. To complete the questionnaire, participants were provided with a user name and password and asked to answer a number of questions about their dietary habit. Twenty (n=20) women with CFS completed the questionnaire. The results were compiled and analyzed using Diet-Calc software and compared with nonnative data. Several nutrients were found to be deficient in more than 75% of the CFS patients.

There have bean many arguments, pro and con, about which boys make the best athletes. One very well known college coach, so the legend goes, would do his recruiting of football players in the following manner. He would drive around the country and every time he saw a prospective football player plowing a field he would stop and ask directions to the next town. If the boy just told him how to get there he would depart, but if the boy picked up the plow and pointed in the direction he should go he would immediately ask him to come to his school to play football for him. Stories of this type have brought to the investigator's mind a problem which it is felt could be developed and to which definite conclusions could be attached. Statement of problem. It was the purpose of this study to ascertain which group -- rural or urban -- produces the better athlete.