William B. Strean

Remembering instructors: play, pain and pedagogy

This study was undertaken to examine how coaches and teachers can contribute to making sport and physical education more fun for children. Twenty‐four retrospective accounts resulted in five major themes: (1) personal characteristics of instructors/coaches, (2) learning environments, (3) peak moments in low‐organised activities, (4) social aspects, and (5) lessons from negative experiences. Results are discussed in relation to fun, enjoyment and happiness in youth sport and physical education.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS A HELPFUL ADJUNCT TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT

ABSTRACT While limited research exists on the topic of physical activity as an adjunct to substance abuse treatment, a review of relevant multidisciplinary literature indicates a logical rationale for its potential benefits to recovery from addiction. This article provides an overview of common variables that contribute to addictive disease and summarizes the relationship of regular physical activity to improvements on many of these variables. The stages of change from the Transtheoretical Model (TTM, Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997) are described in the context of effectively matching clients in substance abuse therapy to interventions that may include physical activity. Finally, important practical suggestions for implementing physical activity as a useful adjunct to substance abuse treatment are provided.

Correctional Recreation on Death Row: Should Pardon Be Granted?.

Abstract Because of significant recent budget cuts across the U.S., various correctional services have been targeted for possible elimination (Polson, 2002). Correctional recreation (CR) often appears to be viewed by policy makers, correctional administrators and staff as an offender privilege or perhaps even a luxury, and such programs frequently struggle to maintain their existence (Finn, 1996). In this article, we explore why CR may be viewed as being expendable, the potential substantial contributions CR may be capable of making to psychotherapeutic rehabilitation efforts based on a multidisciplinary literature review, and suggestions for how such potential contributions might be realized. Our conclusion is that the rehabilitative potential of CR needs to be empirically determined, but that it is premature for policy makers and corrections administrators to give CR the death penalty.

(The) Body (of) Knowledge: Somatic Contributions to the Practice of Sport Psychology

Much of applied sport psychology focuses on mental training or mental skills. There is clearly great benefit in looking at the mental aspects of performance and experience. In this article, we explore how mental aspects (language/mind) can be considered in a broader perspective of the human being, which includes emotion/mood and the body. We illustrate how a somatic view (e.g., Strozzi-Heckler, 2003, 2007) creates potentially powerful methods of working through the body, enabling a more holistic approach to understanding and helping clients. Examples of using these methods in sport psychology consultations with collegiate and other elite athletes and performers are presented. A case study shows how these perspectives are incorporated into initial consultations, intakes, and interventions. The intention here is that the ideas, experiences, and tools presented will help expand the service repertoires of sport psychology practitioners.