Tyler Tapps

Setting Goals for Achievement in Physical Education Settings.

Goal setting has been shown to improve student performance, motivation, and task completion in academic settings. Although goal setting is utilized by many education professionals to help students set realistic and proper goals, physical educators may not be using goal setting effectively. Without incorporating all three types of goals and moderating for goal commitment, self-efficacy, feedback, task difficulty, and satisfaction, student performance and development may be limited. However, appropriately including goal setting in physical education will help students create goals that can enhance their task motivation and ultimately help them improve their physical and developmental skills. The purpose of this article is to provide a rationale for setting goals, as well as practical suggestions for physical education educators wishing to utilize goal setting with their students.

College student motivational determinants for combining alcohol and energy drinks: Early identification could be the key

Aims: Strategic energy drink marketing continues to target college students despite this group already being identified as high-risk for experiencing negative consequences. To better understand and predict drinking behaviors and to develop more effective prevention programs, this study examined students alcohol-only and combined-use positive drinking motives within subjects. Methods: A convenience sample of college students (n = 540) from a university in the Southwest United States voluntarily completed an online version of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (α = 0.96) to explore motives for consuming alcohol only and alcohol combined with energy drinks. Findings: Results indicate college students who combine alcohol and energy drinks have more positive drinking motives than those who consume alcohol-only. Conclusions: Positive drinking motivational determinants can be used to improve existing prevention programs and to help practitioners work more effectively with students to address alternative ways to achieve the desired social and cognitive effects of drinking.

Challenge Activities for the Physical Education Classroom: Affective Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this article is to share three challenge-based lesson plans that can be implemented by physical educators in their classroom. Each of the lesson examples addresses the three learning domains: psychomotor, cognitive and affective. Additionally, each lesson is aligned with SHAPE Americas National Standards for K-12 Physical Education. Challenge-based lessons provide physical educators with the opportunity to address learning outcomes through non-traditional activities that can be easily implemented in the physical education classroom.

Goal-Prioritization for Teachers, Coaches, and Students: A Developmental Model

The objective of this article is to provide background on types of goals, a system for writing goals, and a framework for goal-prioritization that can be implemented in classroom and/or sport settings. Goal-setting is the process of developing a desired outcome to serve as the purpose of ones actions.

Challenge Activities for the Physical Education Classroom: Considerations

The purpose of this article is to provide physical education teachers with the tools to develop and implement challenge course-like activities in their physical education classes. The article also covers environmental considerations for teachers who have the desire to create a challenge-based classroom setting in order to reach a wider and more diverse population of students.

Considerations When Coaching the International Athlete

ABSTRACT This article examines the often-complex relationship between international athletes, teammates, and coaches, and identifies strategies coaches can use to foster an environment where both the coach and athlete can succeed. International athletes may come to the United States via family immigration, but some arrive solely to compete in a sport at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) level. Growth of international student–athletes has increased more than 1,000% over the past 10 years, and with international athletes across all age and competition levels on the rise, coaches must be aware of obvious and sometimes subtle cultural and language differences that might exist. In addition, the process for an international athlete to become eligible can be quite lengthy, and international athletes may struggle to navigate obstacles such as integrating into a new culture and making friends. At the collegiate level, financial issues, recruiting, and retention can affect the way in which the international athlete is perceived on campus. Therefore, this article presents best practices for coaches who do or may work in the future with athletes from abroad. Strategies are presented that help the athlete to feel welcomed, understood, and appreciated.

The Running Zombies: Using Entertainment Themes to Enhance Youth Physical Activity

Capitalizing on the popularity of zombie-themed entertainment among youth, this article details a game called Running Zombies, intended for elementary age children. It is a team game that combines physical activity and social skill development.

The Effectiveness of the Female Athlete Triad in Identifying Athletes’ Potential Risk of Long Term Health Consequences

The female athlete triad (FAT) is the relationship between the clinical manifestations of eating disorders, menstrual function, and osteoporosis, which research has reported female athletes being at a higher risk. The purpose of this study was to examine if predictive measures are indications of the FAT in collegiate track athletes. Twenty-five female cross-country, track and field athletes were evaluated for potential risk of the FAT by completing the 33 question Female Athlete Screening Tool (FAST) and a Student Athlete Health Questionnaire (SAHQ). The FAST identified the needs of the female athlete, while the SAHQ assessed risk and the prevalence of impaired bone health, menstrual dysfunction, nutritional concerns, and body dissatisfaction. None of the participants were identified as having the fully developed FAT, however 48% met at risk criteria. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare risk scores, with no comparisons demonstrating significance. It is clear the number of female athletes meeting the strict criteria of the current FAT is relatively low, yet many suffer from milder forms of the components. Any form of the components is harmful from a health and performance perspective and may be fatal with some not receiving the interventions needed.

Assessing employee wellness needs at colleges and universities: A case study

Abstract One of the most important factors in a successful employee wellness program includes strategic planning and assessment on the part of the employer prior to the initiation of a program. A needs assessment is crucial for colleges and universities who wish to develop programs catering to the wide range of employee types, interests, and backgrounds within their educational institution. This study sought to evaluate the interest levels of 438 employees at one university in the United States across 15 different wellness program areas. Participants in this case study completed a 33-question survey designed specifically for the study that focused on three broad components of personal wellness; the physical, nutrition, and personal lifestyle. It was discovered that strength training, stress reduction, and managing overall wellness were the three most desirable programs. Overall interest in programming was high (>95%), and participants were found to be significantly more interested in lifestyle programming over physical activity and nutrition (Λ = .35, F(2, 362) = p < .001, η2 = .64). Findings indicate the importance of investigating employee interest prior to developing wellness programming, which could facilitate participant engagement and adherence to the programs. University administrators who wish to create employee physical activity programs should assess the unique and specific needs of their employees as opposed to students in order to serve, accommodate, and build successful programs that can have a lasting effect on their employees’ wellness.

The Influence of Musical Genres on Putting Accuracy in Golf: An Exploratory Study

The Influence of Musical Genres on Putting Accuracy in Golf: An Exploratory Study It is well documented that music can positively impact athletic performance with faster tempo music generally leading to improved outcomes. However, the benefit of music in fine motor control situations is relatively unknown. Therefore, this study sought to determine whether golf putting accuracy could be improved by listening to music and various musical genres. Participants were 22 (8 male, 14 female) university Division 1 golfers of average age 20.3 years and all with a minimum of 8 years of golf experience. Each participant completed a series of 6 trials which comprised of attempting 5 putts at 4 pre-designated locations around a hole. In a randomized order, participants were required to listen to no music or classical, country, rock, jazz, and hip hop/rap music while putting. A one-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference between no music compared to jazz (F(6,15) = 14.47, p = 0.001), hip hop/rap (F(6,15) = 4.55, p = 0.008), classical (F(6,15) = 4.33, p = 0.01), and country (F(6,15) = 2.82, p = 0.048). Rock music was not significant but approached significance (F(6,15) = 2.67, p = 0.058). A second one-way ANOVA compared musical genres to each other, and participants were found to perform significantly better while listening to jazz as opposed to any other musical genre (F(1,20) = 5.04, p = 0.036).