François Gravelle

Balancing academic and athletic time management : A qualitative exploration of first year student athletes’ university football experiences

Abstract Participation in a varsity athletic program requires a great amount of time and effort to meet the demands of practices, meetings, training, film sessions and games, thus adding extra stressors to first-year students trying to integrate into university life in general. These time commitments may reduce a student athlete’s academic engagement and, therefore, negatively affect one’s academic success. The purpose of this study is to identify the challenges of time management identified by first-year varsity athletes. The phenomenological qualitative approach was used to analyze the data collected from in-depth interviews conducted with 12 first-year football players at a Canadian university. The results indicated that : (1) time spent participating in football-related activities influenced the amount of time which could be spent engaging in academics; (2) the management of one’s time emerged as the most difficult aspect of being a member in the university’s football program; (3) football commitments occupied so much time during the season making it difficult to find time for other activities such as studying, working on assignments, eating properly, or getting enough sleep; and, (4). the university’s looser academic structure and the free time between courses (compared secondary schools) poses a considerable time management challenge, one that may be mitigated by the highly-structured football program.

Withdrawing from amateur Junior ice hockey as a means for optimizing leisure experiences

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore amateur Junior ice hockey players’ opportunities to explore leisure interests when pursuing and after withdrawing from Junior level hockey. Participants consisted of 14 former amateur Junior ice hockey players. Each took part in a semi-structured interview. Findings suggested that the demands associated with Junior level hockey can lead to living a less than optimal leisure lifestyle and limited opportunities to explore other leisure interests. Participants had different approaches in their pursuit of Junior hockey, as some voluntarily neglected other leisure interests, while others felt obliged to participate in hockey and developed a negative perception towards hockey. After withdrawing from Junior hockey, participants perceived their leisure lifestyle as optimal and were able to explore and develop new leisure interests. Withdrawing from sport was not associated with negative consequences for former athletes and became an opportune way for participants to optimize their leisure lifestyle.

The democratic universe of leisure: From public participation to citizen action

Participation in democracy in the field of leisure comes in different forms: from public participation to citizen action. The subject of the participation of citizens and civil society actors in public affairs is hardly new. Today more than ever, it is on the political agenda of numerous local, regional, provincial and national governments, especially in countries in America and Europe. Citizens are invited to take part in their local environment and to go from passive citizenship focused on consumption and clientelism to active citizenship focused on participation and deliberation. Public participation refers to actions initiated by the authorities that allow citizens to express their opinions and to influence public decisions (Breux, Bherer, & Collin, 2004). Depending on the measures put in place, participation is more or less direct, there are more or fewer participants, and the amount of power granted is higher or lower. The form of participation, the number of people invited, where these people come from, the timing of the participation and the public space for discussion given to participants, are all choices that belong to the public authorities who initiate the process, although these decisions can be influenced by actors in the community. Citizens and organizations are then invited to take part in discussions about common issues through various mechanisms available to them (public consultation, discussion, forums, etc.). Questions about implementing infrastructures and leisure equipment as well as questions about developing public policies are the focus of these public spaces. As demonstrated in Arnstein’s (1969) ladder of citizen participation, this type of participation can also take the form of a partnership or co-management between municipalities, organizations, and private businesses in order to manage equipment or a leisure program. In 1979, the main theme at the annual conference held by the Association québécoise des travailleurs en loisir (Quebec Association of Recreation Workers) was ‘community development’; in other words, a type of development that encourages not only consultations with citizen and local organizations, but also their participation in decision-making and organization within the community (Association québécoise des travailleurs en loisir, 1980). According to Bellefleur (1997), people and organizations involved in leisure have always legally, structurally and administratively opted for a decentralized development structure of leisure in Quebec. Public participation is the foundation of public leisure. Citizen action refers to the initiatives taken by community organizations, associations or citizens in order to set up a project, a service or a social action (Thibault, Lequin, & Tremblay, 2000). One of the forms of citizen action is volunteer work. In fact, millions of

A model for a community leisure initiative analysis

The popularity of community and community development in the social sciences increased during the second half of the twentieth century. Today the continual growth of community development is evident particularly in fields such as leisure studies that are concerned with providing services during periods of economic restraint. Despite the recognized significance of community development, minimal research has been conducted in leisure studies on conceptual and theoretical development. Existing research in leisure and community development emphasizes the importance of a community initiative process. This article presents a model of community leisure initiative that builds on a model published almost two decades ago. Specifically, this model expands beyond the three development approaches of community development – conflict, technical assistance and self-help – with an emphasis on input through ‘felt need’ and outcome through social, physical, organizational and economic impacts.

Constraints, Facilitators, and Stages of Behavioral Change in Physical Activity for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease.

ABSTRACT Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a movement disorder with no cure. Symptoms related to PD can be managed through physical activity (PA). However, individuals with PD tend to be sedentary. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the perceived constraints and facilitators to PA in each stage of behavioral change for individuals with PD. Methods: A qualitative methodology was utilized to uncover factors influencing behavior from the participants’ perspectives. Twelve participants were recruited and took part in a semistructured interview. Thematic analysis was performed on the data. Results: Constraints in the pre-intention stage related to psychological states. In the intention stage, interpersonal constraints resulted from participants’ lack of support from others, and environmental constraints addressed accessibility. The action and maintenance stages saw a decrease in constraints. Few facilitators were mentioned in the pre-intention stage. The intention stage saw an increase in the variety of facilitators. Environmental facilitators in the intention stage highlighted the importance of accessibility to knowledge on programs. Facilitators were also important for maintenance of their PA behavior. Discussion: Findings suggest that multiple factors influence behavior at different stages of behavioral change in PA. Translation to Health Education Practice: These results can be utilized to develop/implement interventions to increase PA behavior in this population.

Leisure lifestyle’s influence on serious leisure: A look at dropout amateur Junior ice hockey players

This study explored leisure lifestyle’s influence on serious leisure, identity, and performance from the perspective of dropout amateur Junior ice hockey players. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 former amateur Junior ice hockey players. Findings suggest that amateur Junior ice hockey players were forced to over-identify to their serious leisure identity and live a less than optimal leisure lifestyle owing to the demands imposed on them. Players eventually developed a negative perception towards the demands imposed on them, as they had little control over their involvement in Junior hockey. Consequently, this also led to negative influences on perceived performance. Since participants never truly had a negative perception of hockey itself, they eventually returned to play recreationally. Now that players have control over their involvement in hockey, their identity is multidimensional and they have a positive perception of hockey.

A model for achieving short-term and long-term goals in a leisure career

This article proposes a theoretical model for achieving short-term and long-term goals in a leisure career. A previous model illustrating the process between constraints, negotiation, motivation, and participation, as well as modifications made by other researchers, inspired the development of this model. The model illustrates how short-term negotiation strategies could be used to achieve short-term goals, which may also build up to the achievement of long-term goals, and how long-term negotiation strategies could be used to achieve long-term goals. The model is applied to the context of amateur athletes pursuing sport as a leisure career to demonstrate the progression through the stages of the model.

Impact of casual leisure on serious leisure experiences and identity in a Canadian junior hockey context

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore dropout amateur Junior hockey players’ perceived leisure lifestyle when pursuing Junior hockey and how casual leisure influences serious leisure identification and perceived performance. A total of 15 dropout amateur Junior hockey players participated in this study. Each took part in a semi-structured interview. Findings suggested that amateur Junior hockey players perceived their leisure lifestyle as less than optimal prior to dropping out, which had a negative influence on serious leisure identification, performance and perception of hockey. This was mainly because participants over-identified to hockey and neglected other leisure interests, such as casual leisure activities. Furthermore, findings suggested that casual leisure participation could be beneficial towards serious leisure identification and mental and physical performance. This study also highlights the sensitive relationship between some of the characteristics of serious leisure pursuers.