Lenny D. Wiersma

Volunteer Youth Sport Coaches' Perspectives of Coaching Education/certification and Parental Codes of Conduct

Abstract The vast majority of youth sport programs in the United States relies primarily on parent volunteers to serve as coaches. Unfortunately, most of these volunteer coaches have not received formal training to prepare them adequately for the role of youth sport coach. To exacerbate the issue, according to the popular media, parents and other adults can commit belligerent and even violent acts around, and often resulting from, poorly managed youth sport events. Although some efforts have been made to standardize curricula, provide training for coaches, and contain or prevent inappropriate parent behaviors, few efforts have been directed at investigating the self-described needs and concerns of the coaches from their perspectives. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the concerns and issues of youth sport coaches related to coaching and parental education. Five focus group interviews with 25 volunteer youth sport coaches were conducted to investigate these issues. Results were organized around four higher order themes that emerged from inductive content analyses: (a) coaching education content areas of need, (b) barriers and problems of offering coaching education, (c) coaching education format recommendations, and (d) efficacy of parental codes of conduct. Results were discussed in terms of the potential impact administrators, coaches, and parents could have in implementing formal coaching education programs and developing their coaching education practices.

Conceptualization and Development of the Sources of Enjoyment in Youth Sport Questionnaire

This study was designed to test the sources of enjoyment in youth sport model proposed by Scanlan and Lewthwaite (1986) through the development of a quantitative measuring instrument using content and construct validation methods. In the 1st stage, items were developed through a review of the literature in youth sport, and item-content relevance was established through an expert panel. The Sources of Enjoyment in Youth Sport Questionnaire (SEYSQ) was tested using an exploratory factor analysis of 286 athletes aged 12 to 18, from which 6 interpretable factors emerged. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the 28-item questionnaire with 896 athletes of the same ages on a 6-factor model of interest, which was tested against a single-factor and 4-factor model of enjoyment. Two secondary factor analyses were conducted on higher order enjoyment models, in which the 6 sources were hypothesized to be explained by a larger set of factors. Initial support was found for the 6-factor and both higher order factor structures. Internal consistency of the SEYSQ was supported through alpha reliability and composite reliability methods. The practical implications of the findings are discussed in relation to how sport programs can be structured to maximize the enjoyment and motivation of youth sport athletes.

Effects of self-selected mass loss on performance and mood in collegiate wrestlers.

Marttinen, RHJ, Judelson, DA, Wiersma, LD, and Coburn, JW. Effects of self-selected mass loss on performance and mood in collegiate wrestlers. J Strength Cond Res 25(4): 1010-1015, 2011-Wrestlers abruptly lose body mass before competition; however, the effects of “weight cutting” are poorly understood because of conflicting evidence. This study aimed to determine the effects of self-selected mass loss on precompetition mood, grip strength, and lower body power in collegiate wrestlers. Sixteen male collegiate wrestlers (age = 20 ± 2 years, height = 177.5 ± 7.2 cm) were weighed 10 days before (D-10) a competitive meet. Euhydrated subjects were administered the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), tested on grip strength, and given a 30-second Wingate Anaerobic Power test to determine lower body power. Additional weigh-ins were conducted 6 (D-6) and 2 (D-2) days before competition. Subjects repeated the testing battery the day of competition (D-0). During the study, wrestlers self-selected the method and timing of mass loss. Wrestlers lost 0.0-8.1% of their body mass using exercise, caloric restriction, or fluid deprivation. Most mass loss occurred between D-2 and D-0 (mean ± SD, D-10 = 81.7 ± 18.2 kg, D-6 = 81.2 ± 17.8 kg, D-2 = 81.1 ± 18.5 kg, D-0 = 79.0 ± 19.2 kg). Wrestlers losing ≥4% body mass became significantly more confused (D-10 = 0 ± 0, D-0 = 3 ± 3); subjects losing less mass showed no difference in confusion. No significant differences existed across time for remaining BRUMS variables, grip strength, and Wingate variables. These results suggest that wrestlers self-select large, rapid mass loss that impairs aspects of psychological functioning without affecting grip strength or lower-body power.

Rationale and design of active play @ home: a parent-led physical activity program for children with and without disability.

BackgroundCompared to other children, those with disability have additional challenges to being physically active. Prader-Willi Syndrome is a genetic form of childhood obesity that is characterized by hypotonia, growth hormone deficiency, behavioral, and cognitive disability. In children, the low prevalence of this syndrome (1 in 10,000 to 15,000 live births) makes group-based physical activity interventions difficult. In contrast, the home environment presents a natural venue to establish a physical activity routine for this population. This manuscript describes the design of a parent-led physical activity intervention incorporating playground and interactive console-based games to increase physical activity participation in youth with and without Prader-Willi Syndrome.Methods/DesignThe study participants will be 115 youth ages 8-15 y (45 with the syndrome and 70 without the syndrome but categorized as obese). The study will use a parallel design with the control group receiving the intervention after serving as control. Participants will be expected to complete a physical activity curriculum 4 days a week for 6 months including playground games 2 days a week and interactive console games 2 days a week. Parents will be trained at baseline and then provided with a curriculum and equipment to guide their implementation of the program. Tips related to scheduling and coping with barriers to daily program implementation will be provided. Throughout, parents will be contacted by phone once a week (weeks 1-4) and then every other week to receive support in between visits. Measurements of children and parents will be obtained at baseline, 12 weeks, and at the end (week 24) of the intervention. Children main outcomes include physical activity (accelerometry), body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry), motor proficiency (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency), quality of life and physical activity self-efficacy (questionnaires). Intervention compliance will be monitored using mail-in daily self-report checklists.DiscussionThis parent-guided physical activity intervention aims to increase physical activity by using a curriculum that builds physical activity related self-confidence through the development and/or enhancement of motor skill competency. Ultimately, helping children develop these skills as well as joy in being physically active will translate into sustained behavior change.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trial: NCT02058342

Hydration status affects mood state and pain sensation during ultra-endurance cycling.

Abstract Laboratory-based studies indicate mild dehydration adversely affects mood. Although ultra-endurance events often result in mild to moderate dehydration, little research has evaluated whether the relationship between hydration status and mood state also exists in these arduous events. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how hydration status affected mood state and perceptual measures during a 161 km ultra-endurance cycling event. One hundred and nineteen cyclists (103 males, 16 females; age = 46 ± 9 years; height = 175.4 ± 17.9 cm; mass = 82.8 ± 16.3 kg) from the 2011 and 2013 Hotter’N Hell events participated. Perceived exertion, Thermal, Thirst, and Pain sensations, Brunel Profile of Mood States, and urine specific gravity (USG) were measured pre- (~1 h before), mid- (~97 km), and post-ride. Participants were classified at each time point as dehydrated (USG ≥ 1.022) or euhydrated (USG ≤ 1.018). Independent of time point, dehydrated participants (USG = 1.027 ± 0.004) had decreased Vigour and increased Fatigue, Pain, Thirst, and Thermal sensations compared to euhydrated participants (USG = 1.012 ± 0.004; all P < 0.01). USG significantly correlated with Fatigue (r = 0.36), Vigour (r = −0.27), Thirst (r = 0.15), and Pain (r = 0.22; all P < 0.05). In conclusion, dehydrated participants had greater Fatigue and Pain than euhydrated participants. These findings indicate dehydration may adversely affect mood state and perceptual ratings during ultra-endurance cycling.

Reformation or Reclassification? A Proposal of a Rating System for Youth Sport Programs

The vast diversity in goals and emphases of sport programs for children and the potential problems that exist when a child is enrolled in a program that does not best serve his/her needs accentuate the need for a rating system for youth sport programs. The current proposal of a youth sport rating scale would provide information for parents on the amount of competition, playing time, travel, and commitment a child enrolled in a program could reasonably expect. A discussion of the history of the rating system in the entertainment industries is compared, and potential diffi culties and recommendations for implementing a rating system in youth sports are provided.

Quality of life in children with Prader Willi Syndrome: Parent and child reports.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of the Peds QL4.0 instrument to assess quality of life (QL) in children with Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS). This study also sought to compare differences in parent and child report as well as between children with PWS and without PWS. METHODS Parents and children with PWS (N=44) completed the PedsQL 4.0 instrument. A sub-sample of children completed the Peds QL 4.0 a second time to assess test-retest reliability. A comparison sample of children who were obese but without PWS (N=66) also completed the PedsQL 4.0. RESULTS PedsQL 4.0 showed acceptable internal consistency for the child report (αs >0.72) and was acceptable for 4 out of the 6 scales for the parent report (αs >0.66). Test-retest reliability coefficients showed support for the reliability of the instrument (ICCs>0.64). Parents perceived lower QL than children with PWS. Children with PWS also showed lower QL than children without PWS. CONCLUSIONS This study provides support for the use of the PedsQL 4.0 instrument in children with PWS. As observed in other populations, parents perceive a lower QL for their children with PWS than the children themselves.

Cardiovascular and Perceptual Responses to an Ultraendurance Channel Swim: A Case Study

Ultraendurance open water swimming presents unique physiological challenges. This case study aimed to describe cardiovascular and perceptual responses during a successful solo channel swim. Investigators followed a female swimmers Catalina Channel (32.2 km) crossing, monitoring water temperature (T(water)) and air temperature (T(air)), distance remaining (DR), average velocity, and heart rate (HR(swim)) at regular intervals. Every 24 minutes, the swimmer reported perceived pain (on a scale of 0-10), rating of perceived exertion (RPE [scale of 6-20]), perceived thermal sensation (scale 0-8), and thirst (scale 1-9). Data are presented as mean ± SD where applicable. The participant finished in 9 hours, 2 minutes, and 48 seconds; T(water) averaged 19.1 ± 0.4ºC, and T(air) averaged 18.6 ± 0.9ºC. Her HR(swim) ranged from 148 to 155 beats/min, and thermal sensation ranged from 3 to 4. Pain inconsistently varied from 0 to 5 during the swim. The RPE remained between 12 and 14 for the first 8 hours, but increased dramatically near the end (reaching 18). Thirst sensation steadily increased throughout the swim, again reaching maximal values on completion. Physiologically and statistically significant correlations existed between thirst and DR (r = -0.905), RPE and HR(swim) (r = 0.741), RPE and DR (r = -0.694), and pain and DR (r = -0.671). The primary findings were that, despite fluctuations in perceptual stressors, the swimmer maintained a consistent exercise intensity as indicated by HR(swim); and during ultraendurance swimming, pain, RPE, and thirst positively correlated with distance swum. We hope these findings aid in the preparation and performance of future athletes by providing information on what swimmers may expect during an ultraendurance attempt and by increasing the understanding of physiological and perceptual responses during open water swimming.