Daniel Bishop

A time-motion analysis of professional basketball to determine the relationship between three activity profiles: high, medium and low intensity and the length of the time spent on court.

The aim of this study was to determine an exercise to rest profile for basketball, identifying if a relationship existed between total time spent on court and the intensity levels of the players. Five BBL matches (n =6) were filmed using footage which was captured and observed using the Noldus Observer Pro system. The total time and duration of high, medium and low intensity activity was configured with average time bouts of 1.5 s (± 1) for high intensity, 3.4 s (± 0.3) for medium intensity and 4.4 s (± 0.4) for low intensity exercise. Results indicated an exercise to rest ratio of 1:4:5 between high, medium and low exercise. No significant relationship was evident between the activity profiles high, medium and low intensity exercise and the total time spent on court with correlation values < 0.17 (p<0.05). The results provide evidence which refutes previous findings highlighting the link between medium and low intensity activities and their role in energy provision through oxidative metabolism as opposed to anaerobic energy pathways. These findings have a number of implications for conditioning and tactical considerations of basketball.

Personal goals, group performance and ‘social’ networks: participants’ negotiation of virtual and embodied relationships in the ‘Workplace Challenge’ physical activity programme

Abstract County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) epitomise the growing reliance upon building networks and partnerships in sports delivery. This study investigated how social networks were created and contested in a CSP-led programme entitled the ‘Workplace Challenge’ (WPC). The WPC used a web-platform to encourage workplace-based teams to engage in physical activity by self-recording their activity over an eight-week period. Points were awarded for activity completed and a peer-challenge facility was promoted via online league tables, prizes and the opportunity to ‘challenge’ other users. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of seventeen participants recruited from one public and one private sector workplace and from a sample of participants registered as individuals. Two programme planners employed by the CSP also took part. A figurational framework was utilised to investigate participants’ negotiation of networks of embodied and virtual relationships within the programme. Findings suggest the messages promoted in the WPC were disseminated and transformed according to the organisational structure of these networks. Embodied social relationships within workplaces reinforced peer support in professional I–We identities, whereas virtual networks sometimes highlighted participants’ isolation. Moreover, emphasis upon competition within and between teams caused some participants to question their performance. Often, competition motivated engagement. For less active participants, constant comparison could prove discouraging, particularly if participants felt they had let their colleagues down. Planners of similar programmes must be cognizant of the uneven manner of programme dissemination. Contextual differences at the point of delivery including existing organisational structures and power hierarchies have an impact upon participants’ perceptions of a programme.

Effect of Plyometric Training on Handspring Vault Performance and Functional Power in Youth Female Gymnasts

This study aimed to determine the effect of plyometric training (PT) when added to habitual gymnastic training (HT) on handspring vault (HV) performance variables. Twenty youth female competitive gymnasts (Age: 12.5 ± 1.67 y) volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to two independent groups. The experimental plyometric training group (PTG) undertook a six-week plyometric program, involving two additional 45 min PT sessions a week, alongside their HT, while the control group (CG) performed regular HT only. Videography was used (120 Hz) in the sagittal plane to record both groups performing three HVs for both the baseline and post-intervention trials. Furthermore, participants completed a countermovement jump test (CMJ) to assess the effect of PT on functional power. Through the use of Quintic biomechanics software, significant improvements (P < 0.05) were found for the PTG for run-up velocity, take-off velocity, hurdle to board distance, board contact time, table contact time and post-flight time and CMJ height. However, there were no significant improvements on pre-flight time, shoulder angle or hip angle on the vault for the PTG. The CG demonstrated no improvement for all HV measures. A sport-specific PT intervention improved handspring vault performance measures and functional power when added to the habitual training of youth female gymnasts. The additional two hours plyometric training seemingly improved the power generating capacity of movement-specific musculature, which consequently improved aspects of vaulting performance. Future research is required to examine the whether the improvements are as a consequence of the additional volume of sprinting and jumping activities, as a result of the specific PT method or a combination of these factors.

More than just listening: the role of student voice in higher education, an academic perspective

In the past decade in the UK there has been an increasing emphasis and amplification of student voice in higher education, raising questions around its purpose and use. The aim of this perspective paper is to consider the role student voice can play in a UK higher education sector that is heavily dominated by marketised and consumerist discourses and perspectives. The paper draws on scholarship from both the UK and international perspectives and argues that student voice should focus on transformation and empowerment of the learner and not just listening to students. Adopting such approaches to student voice shares commonalities with research and practice that focuses on working with students-as-partners. The paper, argues that there is a need and value to foster and develop a culture of partnership between staff and students and suggests how adopting a partnership approach has the potential to change the culture and relationships between students, academics and their institution. To conclude, the paper provides a number of recommendations to assist practitioners in developing their approaches to student voice and suggests that creating institutional approaches will never be fixed, requiring constant development of practice.

The effects of playground markings on the physical self-perceptions of 10–11-year-old school children

Background: Significant proportions of school children in the UK do not meet the minimum recommended daily requirements of 60-min moderate-intensity physical activity. Beyond taught classes, playtimes offer the opportunity for children to play and be physically active. Painted markings are one recent addition to school playgrounds that are inexpensive and have been shown to stimulate increased levels of physical activity among children during playtimes. Playground markings and supportive playground assistants can act as cues to increase physical activity. Purpose: While evidence exists to support the impact of playground markings on the levels of physical activity, no attempts have been made to assess the effects of playground markings on important indicators of psychological health such as self-esteem and physical self-concept. The way children view themselves from a physical perspective is likely to impact their future engagement in sport and physical activities. Given that the levels of physical activity have been found to be related to physical self-perceptions and self-esteem, and playground markings appear to facilitate increased physical activity, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of installing playground markings and training playground assistants on childrens physical self-perceptions. Participants and setting: Participants were 218 primary school children (117 girls and 101 boys) aged 10 and 11 years. Informed consent was gained from all schools, and parents were given the choice to withdraw their child from the project before commencement of testing. Twelve schools received playground markings, while four further schools acted as controls. Playground assistants were trained to help facilitate use of markings by children. Playground markings consisted of painted lines and boxes. Data collection: The participants completed the Children and Youth Physical Self-Perception Profile under the supervision of trained research assistants. The behaviour of the children was also observed during the morning and lunch playtime periods prior to the installation of playground markings and again 8 months after installation. The System for Observing Childrens Activity and Relationships during Play was used to assess playtime behaviour with 242 observations in total undertaken. Every sixth child to enter the playground was randomly observed for 10 min. Data analysis: Mixed-model ANOVAs were used to test for differences in physical self-perceptions of the children on the basis of intervention and over time. Percentage changes in observed physical activity and pro-social behaviours were calculated to determine differences between schools that received markings and those that did not. Findings: No significant differences were found in physical self-perceptions on the basis of intervention or over time. However, boys did report significantly higher perceptions of sport competence, physical conditioning, physical strength and physical self-worth than girls. Observed physical activity was found to increase by 7.5% in schools that received markings as opposed to a 7.7% decline in control schools. In addition, pro-social behaviours were found to increase by 6.7% following the installation of playground markings. Conclusion: These findings indicate that while playground markings can facilitate increased physical activity during playtimes, this does not translate into enhanced self-perceptions in children when evaluated 8 months after intervention.

Engaging students in quality processes

Abstract The role and contribution of students to quality processes in universities is an area of increasing interest across the academic community. This paper draws on the literature and ethos of the student as producer initiative to critique and explore ways in which we might strengthen the student voice and change relationships between teachers and students. It is argued that there is overwhelming evidence for building processes and practices that are more participative and learner-centred at a subject level in curriculum development and subject committees.