tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3381078465558984532024-03-12T21:45:06.330-07:00Talking Education and SportAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-16975311730122330362012-08-19T12:34:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.231-07:00How to become an Olympian<div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7JuT3e8nnvlFVRqUP7qnxcsN9JNgDJOSFkLUi-UFVpYJBAcBMdcIo2D-P24lK5ykKaV9WubmAavS06bgN8KowCmAPuK6_yYFGs2WI4vm7oz3UEA0xQuoHt6qn2BMxCCNVfeIEJsk8a0/s1600/katie3_1053842s.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7JuT3e8nnvlFVRqUP7qnxcsN9JNgDJOSFkLUi-UFVpYJBAcBMdcIo2D-P24lK5ykKaV9WubmAavS06bgN8KowCmAPuK6_yYFGs2WI4vm7oz3UEA0xQuoHt6qn2BMxCCNVfeIEJsk8a0/s320/katie3_1053842s.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">As the thrills of the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="2012 Summer Olympics">2012 London Olympic Games</a> still linger in our minds and the excitement of the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.paralympic.org/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Paralympic Games">Paralympics</a> beckons us on to hours more TV viewing, it is worthwhile reminding ourselves of a few facts about the most watched public event in the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">For a start, the Modern Olympics have very little to do with Ancient Greece. They were actually the idea of a French aristocrat who was inspired by the ethos of the English Public School sports of the Victoria era. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_de_Coubertin" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Pierre de Coubertin">Baron Pierre de Coubertin</a> looked to the ‘muscular Christianity’ of Rugby and other Public Schools, and concluded that, “organised sport can create moral and social strength”. The youth of France – indeed the whole world – urgently needed some of this strong medicine, and so he travelled the world gathering support for his vision. De Coubertin called this the ‘Olympic’ idea because he believed that it was the Ancient Greeks who have first developed the core philosophy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFh4ETAgHRLD2UdscqfwheA4i0YIhmYj_vbPTHlrHViAk6dRQBMAqjU4vPAYGWtgQonasHEQ64WzoLa1Axh-95artZViiECzyPTI3iRaWFJFlXvfnVSUWLQWgOLVoUXwagEsfHqTrFkw/s1600/mo-extra_1564639a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFh4ETAgHRLD2UdscqfwheA4i0YIhmYj_vbPTHlrHViAk6dRQBMAqjU4vPAYGWtgQonasHEQ64WzoLa1Axh-95artZViiECzyPTI3iRaWFJFlXvfnVSUWLQWgOLVoUXwagEsfHqTrFkw/s320/mo-extra_1564639a.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">The Baron’s vision was that the Games competition would be only one of a series of activities that take place during the Olympic year. The ‘Cultural Olympiad’ was a marriage of sport and the arts, and included music, dance, visual arts and other wholesome activities. This broader conception of the Olympics continues to exist, despite an almost total lack of interest from the national media … or anyone else.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">__________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Quick Quiz: Which of the following activities have appeared in the Modern Olympic Games?*<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Cricket Solo synchronised swimming<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Pistol Dueling Long Jump for horses<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Sculpture Literature<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Singing Tug of War</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>* Answers are given at the end of this blog</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">__________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 48px;">Finally, and most importantly for our purposes, the elite sport aspect of the Olympics is just the outward expression of philosophy of life called Olympism. This philosophy is built on three core values – excellence, friendship and respect – and aims to use the Olympic activities to inspire education and development in all people around the world. De Coubertin wrote:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of a good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”</span></i></blockquote><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">Ultimately, then, the razzamatazz of two weeks in the summer are just the tip of the iceberg. The Olympics are a metaphor for something much bigger and more important, namely the potential of sport and the arts as vehicles for the realisation of human </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">excellence. And excellence can take different forms. As we all know, it can refer to successful performance in high-level competitions. What educationalists might call this the ‘summative’ view! However, as we all know, it’s the ‘formative’ that makes the real difference in the long term. This second form translates as personal excellence, and refers to on-going achievement against personal goals throughout one’s life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMYZsJQOxhTZYuZpjdVAJMLkg7ZZe0KpwhGaoVYasTqNdn5-EECehGgDiB_Tnm0groosufwpOleAGB3R0nxaLyHw1x5DQ6pqpD-AQvO0XPghvmM50m09SswZi5YPMRy4ZQSa8OLwJe7k/s1600/mike02a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMYZsJQOxhTZYuZpjdVAJMLkg7ZZe0KpwhGaoVYasTqNdn5-EECehGgDiB_Tnm0groosufwpOleAGB3R0nxaLyHw1x5DQ6pqpD-AQvO0XPghvmM50m09SswZi5YPMRy4ZQSa8OLwJe7k/s320/mike02a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">It seems to me that, in launching the Olympics on the world, De Coubertin was offering a powerful metaphor for personal excellence. The champions have their day, and in doing so, elite sport represents a laboratory for the rest of us. We can see before our eyes the effects of someone pursuing excellence. We can learn from their successes and challenges.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">Fascinatingly, recent research seems to support this position: there is a great of similarity between the processes used by elite sports people in preparing for the Olympics and those used by the rest of us trying to improve in our own terms. At least, this is the view of Professor David Collins, from the University of Central Lancashire. Prof. Collins is a ‘Performance Psychologist’ and was National Coach for Athletics at the Beijing Olympics. His research suggests that there are </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">‘champion behaviours’ that can be learnt by children (and by anyone else). Starting with explicit teaching and reinforcement from others, eventually children learn to take responsibility for setting and monitoring their own personal development.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">According Collins and his colleagues, champion behaviours include the following:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">Goal setting</b><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"> - establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-targeted goals.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">Performance evaluation</b><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"> – regularly assessing your performance against your goals.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">I</span><b style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">magery</b><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"> – going through an event or activity in your mind, using all of your senses, including sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and movement to recreate performance.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"></span></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">Planning</b><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"> – articulating the steps necessary for on-going improvement.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"></span></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">Commitment and role clarity</b><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"> - learning to understand and accept your responsibilities with the group.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"></span></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">Focus and distraction control</b><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"> – remaining focused, despite pressure or failure.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"></span></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">Evaluating and coping with pressure</b><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"> – managing stress and learning to use it for positive purposes.</span></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 48px;">They have found that each of these behaviours can be learned, and they go further. They argue that</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 48px;"> </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 48px;">all</u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 48px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 48px;">children should be taught the skills, so that all of them have at the skills and behaviours of champions at their disposal. Then, if they choose to aspire to excellence, they will have the psychological foundations necessary.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">The most fundamental requirement of any attempt to develop excellence is the simplest: practice. Forbes magazine summarized the view of many researchers like this:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EN-US">“</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 200%;">The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call ‘deliberate practice’. It's activity that's explicitly intended to improve performance, that reaches for objectives just beyond one's level of competence, provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition.”</span></i></blockquote><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is quite easy to find support for this view among those who have excelled in their work. For example, here is the actor Will Smith:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><i>“I’ve never really viewed myself as particularly talented. I’ve viewed myself as slightly above average in talent. And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening, work ethic. You know, while the other guy’s sleeping? I’m working. While the other guy’s eatin’? I’m working. While the other guy’s making love, I mean, I’m making love, too. But I’m working really hard at it,”</i></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7Od2vdYJnYOUtX6DesToEWnUM9xMuqI88E3yhTSi-fpBHdm92mCKdh-4lJFohi_RxEgRKSzhS9zJPr435lCswkwSd1WbPJWQtZKyXKXjo0xNuindc4AfK6owe73zs4ZHB8k0Zvt7bEs/s1600/th_pele_bicycle_kick.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7Od2vdYJnYOUtX6DesToEWnUM9xMuqI88E3yhTSi-fpBHdm92mCKdh-4lJFohi_RxEgRKSzhS9zJPr435lCswkwSd1WbPJWQtZKyXKXjo0xNuindc4AfK6owe73zs4ZHB8k0Zvt7bEs/s200/th_pele_bicycle_kick.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here is the genius footballer Pele:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>“Everything is practice.”</i></span></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Famously, some s</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;">tudies examining expert performance have found that a minimum of 10 years, or 10,000 hours, of sustained practice appears to be a necessary. But not just any practice will do. According to Dr K. Anders Ericsson, the ‘expert on expertise theory’, the key is ‘deliberate practice’, which is done with the specific goal of improving performance, is effortful and attention-demanding, is not necessarily enjoyable, and does not lead to immediate social or financial rewards. So, according to Ericsson’s expertise theory, every athlete at the top level has invested huge amounts of high quality practice into their sport. The same can be said of professional musicians, chess grandmasters, and leading scientists.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">There are many things about Ericsson’s theory that are admirable, not least his attempt to differentiate between practice and deliberate practice, and his corrective of the default position of sport scientists to explain every phenomenon in terms of biology. However, there are problems too. One is the status of the magical 10,000 hours rule. As a metaphor, it works quite well. But the briefest perusal of the careers of champions (including those at the 2012 Games) reveals that 10,000 hours is </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 200%;">not</u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"> the threshold value it is often claimed to be. Some champions have managed to excel in their sport remarkably quickly (such as the Olympic Gold Medalist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Stanning" target="_blank">HeatherStanning</a> or the Ironman goddess <a href="http://www.chrissiewellington.org/" target="_blank">Chrissie Wellington</a>), whilst others have taken much, much longer to succeed at the top (such as almost every Golfer). Also, the portrayal of deliberate practice – hours and hours of exhaustive and boring repetition) simply does not match the accounts of most champions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">My own research with elite sports people and dancers has provided some detail to the understanding of deliberate practice. The figure below shows three of the key characteristics.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPyNHI6Gg5Rbu1zfl62TolzWR2eNTDMxZJi8UuyGRPJzQVsBuB23BRbuRAPwnxwZjW65keEylZrRZh6MIJAv90JcBIH37te_H45a3McVFngPsc6CdzDr10XgVANT09FMtFH9Mb5VhzTM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-19+at+19.57.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPyNHI6Gg5Rbu1zfl62TolzWR2eNTDMxZJi8UuyGRPJzQVsBuB23BRbuRAPwnxwZjW65keEylZrRZh6MIJAv90JcBIH37te_H45a3McVFngPsc6CdzDr10XgVANT09FMtFH9Mb5VhzTM/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-08-19+at+19.57.17.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;">Supported Learning - </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;">It is sometimes said that practice does <u>not</u> make perfect; practice makes permanence. A task that is repeated for an extended length of time becomes progressively more automatic and unconscious. This is fine if the task being learned is quite simple and done correctly, but if not, practice can cement ineffective skills. This is why feedback is so important for learning, as it nudges the performer back to proper form. This is also why teachers and coaches are vital to high quality learning. They guide, direct, and correct practice.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 200%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 200%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;">Mindful Learning - </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">An second problem with any repeated task is that is can quickly become boring. The psychologist <a href="http://www.ellenlanger.com/" target="_blank">Ellen Langer</a> calls this mindlessness, and suggests that it is a barrier to motivating, effective learning. Mindfulness, on the other hand, occurs when the individual is actively involved with task, constantly makes small changes and variations, and is open to new ideas. Langer describes this mindset like this:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>“Mindfulness is a flexible state of mind in which we are actively engaged in the present, noticing new things and sensitive to context.”</i></span></span></blockquote><i> </i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our studies have lead us to conclude that mindful learning is a powerful component of personal excellence.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 200%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 200%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;">Contextual Learning - </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">The third factor is probably the most important from the point of view of effective learning: learning that reflects the real context of performance. In other words, contextual learning is learning that is designed so that learners can carry out activities and solve problems in a way that reflects the nature of such tasks in the real world. Research supports the effectiveness of learning in meaningful contexts. This means that the best way to learn to play cricket is to play a lot of cricket games; and learning to play the piano happens when learners play music. This is especially worth emphasizing, as decontextualised practice is extremely popular in many activities, especially in education and sport, where drills often take up a great deal of time in sessions. Research suggests that such activities are mostly valueless.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">The implication of these ideas seem clear: practice is not enough. Excellence requires high quality learning experiences that are characterized by meaningful, attentive practice supported by great teachers or coaches. This is a necessary condition of excellence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">Taken together, these strands of research suggest that the achievements of top sports people reflect fundamentally similar processes to those used by the rest of us as we battle with our own pursuits of personal excellence. There is nothing magical about Olympic performance; it simply shows what is possible if practices that are available to all of us are taken to extremes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">So, Baron Pierre de </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">Coubertin’s early insight seems to have been right. The glory and spectacle of the Olympic Games can act as a metaphor for personal excellence, giving evidence of the possibility of the realization of potential. Skills like goal setting and role clarity are used everyday by likes of Jessica Ennis, Tom Daley and Michael Phelps. Most exciting, however, is the fact that they can also be learned by children, and applied to their own sport <u>and their own schooling</u>. They might also be used by you, Dear Reader, in supporting your own ambitions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5o_mreCBuAHmrudEzR3d61NWGPa5DKcWp6XPrIpJ156DVM7A7T44H2zK8bXpwwUy-VCjy_e2Z8w-6vszKxPGVSUni5CD5IkFo6wn6zTSYHcrLczDuBIlkDgFBify38waZd9xrlBjrHSE/s1600/jessica-ennis.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5o_mreCBuAHmrudEzR3d61NWGPa5DKcWp6XPrIpJ156DVM7A7T44H2zK8bXpwwUy-VCjy_e2Z8w-6vszKxPGVSUni5CD5IkFo6wn6zTSYHcrLczDuBIlkDgFBify38waZd9xrlBjrHSE/s640/jessica-ennis.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">Finding out more?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellen Langer <u>The Power of Mindful Learning<o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Daniel Pink <u>Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us<o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">David Shenk <u>The Genius in All of Us</u><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Quick quiz answer: </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Answer: ALL of them!</span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=b5ec32e7-1229-45ac-9407-3c96e153c5ea" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-84874300265238167022012-06-18T21:09:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.251-07:00Representing sport and education: the Art of Infographics<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We live in an information-rich understanding-poor environment. There is so much <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">knowledge around that it can be difficult to make sense of it all, and to separate the good stuff from the rest.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Infographics are those charts, posters and diagrams that try to address these problems. A good i</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">nfographic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> summarises key information on a topic in a way that is immediately accessible. Of course, the issue of quality control remains: the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">i</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">nfographic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> is only as good as the data within in. But at least the technology opens the door to new ways of thinking about and representing a vast array of knowledge to different audiences.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have tried and failed to produce some </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">i</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">nfographic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> of my own. There is much more to them than meets the eye! But my person artistic limitations only make me admire them all the more.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are some </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">i</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">nfographics</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> on topics related to sport and education. I would love to hear about others.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="http://mat.usc.edu/national-school-lunch-week-2011-infographic"><img alt="Childhood Obesity Epidemic Infographic" border="0" src="http://mat.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/childhood-obesity-epidemic-infographic.jpg" width="600" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><img _mce_src="http://www.bodybuildingwarehouse.co.uk/media/bbw-infographic.jpg" src="http://www.bodybuildingwarehouse.co.uk/media/bbw-infographic.jpg" width="540" /> <br />Can You Benchpress a Tiger? - Source: <a _mce_href="http://www.bodybuildingwarehouse.co.uk/" href="http://www.bodybuildingwarehouse.co.uk/">Bodybuilding Warehouse</a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BAQscC3gKYFJ8t3kS1YAZq4RQoTBeOGr30i8YvtfhePsggO65qcrkxBcfSZxgtPObQi2jcD4BRVZeLoEBjdSb4k-UuOkmSn7naA9VIxat9r-FAlsTAvz7bsB9pMmZVAGz623dzV_7p8/s1600/european_league_comparison_2011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BAQscC3gKYFJ8t3kS1YAZq4RQoTBeOGr30i8YvtfhePsggO65qcrkxBcfSZxgtPObQi2jcD4BRVZeLoEBjdSb4k-UuOkmSn7naA9VIxat9r-FAlsTAvz7bsB9pMmZVAGz623dzV_7p8/s1600/european_league_comparison_2011.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKJ9StzQJ_EzZ_II8klawiuPn-wwhxPVGkhfcvQgOskfhOEHSIolqb6tGROXAMwdgW45pbO9AsIjiS1iHhPGIkrs3ApKfJH2tkMC1jsHqNUop0dngUMRq7wjjFDm7nRk_QqSgjvxfEZ8/s1600/Opta_VE_infographic_final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKJ9StzQJ_EzZ_II8klawiuPn-wwhxPVGkhfcvQgOskfhOEHSIolqb6tGROXAMwdgW45pbO9AsIjiS1iHhPGIkrs3ApKfJH2tkMC1jsHqNUop0dngUMRq7wjjFDm7nRk_QqSgjvxfEZ8/s1600/Opta_VE_infographic_final.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IDdGOvaqch_kK6Rl1GXQ0Rh2FDf_fgcxNt14n0RAfCrnfJrbeKuGjmilO1M-VMnEKb9xz_j8nXRdI9yL58sjIdMeGhKkwVn9SEZFqF29z53RXeMlG9ozwWh2YP-sbMiZeVyoS7PmoDU/s1600/fabio_large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IDdGOvaqch_kK6Rl1GXQ0Rh2FDf_fgcxNt14n0RAfCrnfJrbeKuGjmilO1M-VMnEKb9xz_j8nXRdI9yL58sjIdMeGhKkwVn9SEZFqF29z53RXeMlG9ozwWh2YP-sbMiZeVyoS7PmoDU/s1600/fabio_large.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0YAdeVTbGtbL-p0iFwoKzewN3oLEhpaP0kT_u0jylZvUogBoUxTKqBUT0rPhtvgEdhoewPrka4d0llqcNVcx-8Y8M587xcYmTcRd-6aaOtWqer-LYRhMyTXGvJ7fUgVAvI2Tsk0wXHQ/s1600/ufc-infographic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0YAdeVTbGtbL-p0iFwoKzewN3oLEhpaP0kT_u0jylZvUogBoUxTKqBUT0rPhtvgEdhoewPrka4d0llqcNVcx-8Y8M587xcYmTcRd-6aaOtWqer-LYRhMyTXGvJ7fUgVAvI2Tsk0wXHQ/s1600/ufc-infographic.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7HxwA8hrh_sgMp5K5McivTaK66PrjqZJ-eYQLkfZT8389SY0StZHqgwLE7pYvmxR4KdAb0ZyPdxG1_H31qAKdNt8diFQXi6eFNYPdPaTD9auZZXlgrtapxHSa9ldoDcLCNWAh27Eq3E/s1600/imgres.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7HxwA8hrh_sgMp5K5McivTaK66PrjqZJ-eYQLkfZT8389SY0StZHqgwLE7pYvmxR4KdAb0ZyPdxG1_H31qAKdNt8diFQXi6eFNYPdPaTD9auZZXlgrtapxHSa9ldoDcLCNWAh27Eq3E/s640/imgres.jpeg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6Xs5n0MMezVfjkun2q6HwMmyuU6WWvMkokK60I96_uRv9L9X48i70LBtEHbgrKXfd2eC-zQRh5Sad6YyLtI3GYWOcbZxzEu1xaEhQSFBw0Jun6JRSg6G_JyiMjGbGK0LY_nbiGX_Rdo/s1600/bbw-infographic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6Xs5n0MMezVfjkun2q6HwMmyuU6WWvMkokK60I96_uRv9L9X48i70LBtEHbgrKXfd2eC-zQRh5Sad6YyLtI3GYWOcbZxzEu1xaEhQSFBw0Jun6JRSg6G_JyiMjGbGK0LY_nbiGX_Rdo/s1600/bbw-infographic.jpeg" /></a></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-60156924470641882182012-05-29T00:00:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.286-07:00So What Is Developmentally Appropriate Sport?<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: normal; line-height: 31px; padding-right: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have written a guest blog for the sports coach UK site. It's on a perennial, but challenging issue of</span></strong><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: normal; line-height: 31px; padding-right: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Developmentally Appropriate Sport.</span></strong><br /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: normal; line-height: 31px; padding-right: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong><br /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: normal; line-height: 31px; padding-right: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the image to directly to the site, or enter </span></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 31px;"><b>http://www.sportscoachuk.org/blog/so-what-developmentally-appropriate-sport-richard-bailey</b></span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 31px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sportscoachuk.org/blog/so-what-developmentally-appropriate-sport-richard-bailey" target="_blank">http://www.sportscoachuk.org/blog/so-what-developmentally-appropriate-sport-richard-bailey</a><a href="http://www.sportscoachuk.org/blog/so-what-developmentally-appropriate-sport-richard-bailey" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMuK7UHZOK14PN5gGCYmDzunHWjFlr26rVAlvScx2VrV_OXrpLOVz4sQu9ohYZvZiJqg9QcsH2047mlwEAQZnIpuHnNbuFKs3pk6aaUGqVmTHvfn1RqNpBVrePpRtpOgCS9jUfpbJKRI/s400/Screen+shot+2012-05-28+at+23.10.46.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 31px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-45845568796281465182012-05-13T03:37:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.299-07:00Sport has still got a long way to go, Mr Gove<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't think I was the only person surprised by the tone of the recent speech by Michael Gove, English Secretary of State of Education, at Brighton College. He took the opportunity to highlight the inequalities that remain characteristic of British society, and especially advances offered those able to attend independent schools.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/speeches/a00208822/brighton-college" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"It is remarkable how many of the positions of wealth, influence, celebrity and power in our society are held by individuals who were privately educated."</span></a></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was surprised because Mr Gove has never struck me as someone especially bothered by our evident social biases. A great deal of Mr Gove's speech focused on the inequalities inherent within our sports systems. Yet, in dismantling the Physical Education and School Sport programme in English schools, and especially the School Sport Partnerships, he was directly responsible for sabotaging one of the very few national policies to successfully break down barriers to participation of state-school pupils.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And the proposed solution of 'more competitive sport in schools' would be simply laughable if it was not for its promise of reversing many of the advances we have seen during the last decade, with the negative health consequences that will bring.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Simple solutions are great for dealing with simply problems. But even Mr Gove is starting to recognise that the problems of participation and talent development are not simple.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At Brighton he said:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Take sport – where by definition the biggest names are in their teens, twenties and thirties.<br /><br />As Ed Smith, the Tonbridge-educated former England player, and current Times journalist, points out in his wonderful new book “Luck”:</span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Twenty-five years ago, of the 13 players who represented England on a tour of Pakistan, only one had been to a private school. In contrast, over two thirds of the current team are privately educated. You’re 20 times more likely to go on and play for England if you go to private school rather than state school.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />The composition of the England rugby union team and the British Olympic team reveal the same trend.<br />Of those members of England’s first 15 born in England, more than half were privately educated.<br /><br />And again, half the UK’s gold medallists at the last Olympics were privately educated, compared with seven per cent of the population.<br /> </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of this is true. And it has been known from at least the 1980s.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a summary of some of the social and economic factors linked to high performance in sport:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: white; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 1.0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed;"> <tbody><tr style="height: 17.0pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="background: transparent; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 17.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Variable</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="background: transparent; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 17.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Source</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 42.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none black 1.0pt; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 42.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parents achieved high standards in domain<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 42.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rotella and Bunker, 1987; Radford, 1990; Feldman and Goldsmith, 1986<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 28.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none black 1.0pt; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Relatively high socio-economic status<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rowley, 1992; English Sports Council, 1997; Duncan, 1997<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 28.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none black 1.0pt; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ability and willingness to financially support participation and specialist support<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rowley, 1992; Kirk, et al, 1997a; Kay, 2000<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 42.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none black 1.0pt; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 42.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ability and willingness to invest high amounts of time to support the child’s engagement in the activity<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 42.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yang et al., 1996; Kirk et al., 1997b; Kay, 2000; Holt and Morley, 2004<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 17.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none black 1.0pt; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parents as car owners<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rowley, 1992<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 17.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none black 1.0pt; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Relatively small family size<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">English Sports Council, 1997<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 17.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none black 1.0pt; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two-parent family<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-color-alt: black; mso-border-left-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-right-alt: none 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rowley, 1992; Kay, 2000<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr><tr style="height: 17.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes; page-break-inside: avoid;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: none black 1.0pt; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Attendance at Independent School<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1.0pt; border-right: black 1.0pt; border-style: none; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-left-alt: none black 0cm; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; width: 216.15pt;" valign="top" width="216"><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rowley, 1992<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Table: social and economic influences on youth talent development in sport (based on Bailey and Morley, 2006)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These, and other, factors show why any ambition of a fair and equitable sports development system in countries like the UK will always be difficult.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Think of these data this way: imagine a child who is talented in a sport; the absence of each factor listed in the table above becomes a barrier to that child's development NO MATTER HOW TALENTED, OR COMMITTED HE OR SHE IS.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mr Gove's speech acknowledges the unfairness of the UK sports system. But there is another side to the matter: it is also stupid. It is stupid because participation and advancement in sport are always undermined by factors that have absolutely nothing to do with interest or ability.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So it is a refreshing to read Mr Gove's speech. Perhaps it will bring about renewed awareness of the problems inherent with the UK sport system (and all other Western systems). But this awareness needs to be coupled with an acknowledgement that simple solutions will not do.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We need a root and branch re-evaluation of the whole system, and a suite of solutions based on evidence. And we are a long way from adopting that sort of approach in sport.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-66072238423583235282012-05-04T07:35:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.316-07:00How should we feel about the 'feelgood factor' at the London Olympics?<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just because you feel good</span></span></i></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Doesn't make you right</span></span></i></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just because you feel good</span></span></i></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Still want you here tonight.</i></span></span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Skunk Anansie, Hedonism</span></span></blockquote><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYYUCE0z0v7eWjCwuGRcSqgigZLW-LuF2hvyJHnF5xoWR_V8zJKN7vYTOb9ZLqOTsg4YnCr7Qp3Xz74PEoOXxFCsaKxEdsICjZBnXNrKbPbdH19TK6-oy0nneGxMRsy1QibaG81tiD2A/s1600/london+2012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYYUCE0z0v7eWjCwuGRcSqgigZLW-LuF2hvyJHnF5xoWR_V8zJKN7vYTOb9ZLqOTsg4YnCr7Qp3Xz74PEoOXxFCsaKxEdsICjZBnXNrKbPbdH19TK6-oy0nneGxMRsy1QibaG81tiD2A/s400/london+2012.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prime Minister David Cameron thinks that the Olympics will create a legacy for the whole of the UK and not just London. But, true to his earlier statements about importance of feelings and what-not, he warns that some of this legacy will be “<a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7d444bd0-78e9-11e1-88c5-00144feab49a.html#axzz1tsvUXzio" target="_blank">hard to touch</a>”.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The concept of 'hard to touch' is a strange one in an era of evidence-based policy, in which, in the words of one civil servant (presumably in thrall to the early philosophy of Wittgenstein), 'if I can't measure it, it don't exist'. As you know, Wittgenstein abandoned his early ideas and adopted a broader view, and perhaps Mr Cameron has also been persuaded to take a more inclusive conception of reality. Or maybe he is just worried that the only legacies of London 2012 will be immaterial.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cameron's touchy-feeling tones when discussing the Olympics are not without precedent. Consider this neat piece of verbal gymnastics from New Labour's <a href="http://www.sportdevelopment.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61:game-plan-a-strategy-for-delivering-governments-sport-and-physical-activity-objectives&catid=48:policy&Itemid=65"><span style="color: windowtext;"><i>Game Plan</i></span></a> policy document, when it suggests that whilst the quantity of medals won at the Olympics is of great importance, one must not neglect the “quality” of a victory:</span></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“‘Quality’ can be taken to be the extent to which victory produces the feelgood factor and national pride (as these are the main public benefits of high performance sport). If it is accepted that the more popular the sport, the greater the amount of feelgood which follows, then “quality” medals are those obtained in the most popular sports.”</span></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, according to Game Plan, the feelgood factor is a quality that can be created and changed in amount over time, and although it is admitted that it is “difficult to quantify”, there seems little room for doubting that it can have a powerful causal effect.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So what is the feelgood factor, then? In case you thought it was something to do with happiness, or satisfaction, or well-being, or other philosophical fluff, the authors of Game Plan tell us it can all be explained with hard science:</span></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“The biological explanation for the feelgood sensation is due to the release of endorphin in the brain. Endorphin has been called the ‘happy hormone’ and is released for different reasons, mainly physical, but also from laughter and joy, experienced by, for example, your team winning a match. Endorphin helps to reduce pain and has even been found to enhance treatment of many illnesses and diseases.”</span></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remember that this piece of pseudo-scientific woowoo comes from a government document; a document that is primarily concerned with justifying the future of sport in the UK, and the billions of pounds it says are needed to ensure it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The feelgood factor has </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">been </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">repeatedly cited by governments and other agencies as one of the arguments for investment in elite sport in general, and the London Olympics. In Game Plan, for example, it is listed as the first of three 'virtuous outcomes' of elite sporting success (the others are economic benefits and increased grass-roots participation).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If the Game Plan account is to be accepted, the feelgood factor really means 'improved mood'. Perhaps you think that is a rather feeble justification for close-to £</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">10,000,000,000,000</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> expenditure from London alone.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1UiULT0oC8ZBxAqkd0CX0iQNFNwDMxtpFwaof5xt-H7mx_dPBozr4oQ-C3aEzKeq2F-LHjZ8YktL40zN0qAw5EAdzyIRxgXhcTP0SkKoVlq9G5IFx_1njVokucip1-s5Qo6PC0rMK0Q/s1600/feelgood.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1UiULT0oC8ZBxAqkd0CX0iQNFNwDMxtpFwaof5xt-H7mx_dPBozr4oQ-C3aEzKeq2F-LHjZ8YktL40zN0qAw5EAdzyIRxgXhcTP0SkKoVlq9G5IFx_1njVokucip1-s5Qo6PC0rMK0Q/s400/feelgood.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The weediness of the feelgood defence for investment in elite sport is partly due to the fact that we can easily think of more economical alternatives for generating good feelings and lifting our mood, from old episodes of Dad’s Army to Christmas with family and friends, to a smile from a secret crush.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is a second, more fatal difficulty with the feelgood defence. Improved mood following nice experiences is almost always short-lived. Humans are adaptive creatures (like all creatures, in fact), and we readily adapt to changing environments. So improved mood or satisfaction eventually results in a ‘hedonic treadmill’ by which the elevated state will not continue, even if the circumstances that promote it are maintained.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In other words, the good mood that we hope will come with the Olympic success will be short-lived, and will certainly last a lot less time than it will take to pay off the debt from the Games.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And let’s not forget that moods – like interest rates and skirt lengths – can go up as well as down. John Steele, former CEO of UK Sport, spoke of the “the euphoria of a full Lord’s Cricket Ground … when a single Ashes test was won”. But by the same logic, any of England’s subsequent defeats would seem destined to result in national despair. What will happen to the feelgood factor if any of our Olympic hopefuls under-performs or is injured?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If success in elite sport (let alone second-hand, spectated success) has a potent positive effect on our mood, presumably failure has the opposite. And if this is true, then this is a real cause for concern, as the nature of sports competition is that most players lose in the long-run.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxkM30LtMB5A6TsbesXhkcFbrBEOJ7jLV9TQJl8hNwDwMRTQVfpEJc8ZHsLe1JhSpPZFwiDR9dQEIjaLd2FOk-0FY2VtjvJFqp9u4IOk-sAO4hy-btH8RklzLX0Rq50rUX8Sg0gXk35c/s1600/blair+beckham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxkM30LtMB5A6TsbesXhkcFbrBEOJ7jLV9TQJl8hNwDwMRTQVfpEJc8ZHsLe1JhSpPZFwiDR9dQEIjaLd2FOk-0FY2VtjvJFqp9u4IOk-sAO4hy-btH8RklzLX0Rq50rUX8Sg0gXk35c/s320/blair+beckham.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These are not new arguments, nor particularly scholarly. I am sure there are those among the governments and their policy makers who know that the public has been offered some pathetically weak rationale for their investment in the Games. Personally, I’d prefer an honest explanation like, ‘Hey, it’s the Olympics. We beat the French!’ I’d even take, ‘Look, I was a bit of a spotty geek at school; if we get the Olympics, I get to hang out with Jessica Ennis and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Victoria </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pendleton!' </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I just wish they didn’t treat</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> us like fools. It doesn't feel good at all.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-36660869538452934612012-05-03T09:01:00.001-07:002012-05-03T09:01:03.896-07:00say-sportsay-sportUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-90460289533993900482012-04-09T07:09:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.338-07:00Are the London Olympic Games Really Such a Good Idea?<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Discussions of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics have been an ever-presented theme of commentary since Sebastian Coe first made it a distinguishing feature of the UK's bid to host the Games.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coe said:<o:p></o:p></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">We can no longer take it for granted that young people will choose sport. Some may lack the facilities. Or the coaches and role models to teach them. Others, in an age of 24-hour entertainment and instant fame, may simply lack the desire. We are determined that a London Games will address that challenge. So London's vision is to reach young people all around the world. To connect them with the inspirational power of the Games.</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span>(Singapore, 6 July 2005)</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; mso-outline-level: 2; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ever since these stirring claims were first made, advocates have turned to the L-word every time a shot-in-the-arm of enthusiasm has been needed.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is not difficult to imagine why such support is needed. Increasing numbers of commentators are questioning why London, a city with no obvious problem attracting tourists or business would, is to align itself with <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333;"><a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21542196"><span style="color: blue;">"the Olympic movement, a juggernaut controlled by an unaccountable sporting elite"</span></a>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The original London costing was a little over £3 billion, and this grow exponentially up to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnclarke/2012/03/28/how-much-will-the-london-olympics-cost-too-much/"><span style="color: blue;">£9 billion</span></a>, before a new government insisted on a more suitably austere budget by changing virtually nothing (and actually doubly the funding for the 'Slumdog' <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/19/london-2012-opening-ceremony-olympic"><span style="color: blue;">opening ceremony</span></a>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The figures usually cited for the 2012 Games are misleading, as they do not include the substantial investment needed to transform the UK's elite framework to its current position as one of the leading half dozen sporting nations in the world. In the four years prior to the Athens Games (2000) the UK government invested £70.1 million. With a haul of 30 medals (9 Gold medals), which means that each medal cost the tax-payer about £2.3 million each. For the Beijing Games investment increased to £75 million, and the total medals won increased to 47 (£1.6 million per medal).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The pattern of spending is revealing: the more money invested, the more medals Britain wins. This has been likened to a type of ‘<a href="http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=41PXkIRtgSMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=sporting+arms+race&ots=8U_wOjP0bg&sig=d09ziK5zt8HBqsQr8PDaL0NYPm8#v=onepage&q=sporting%20arms%20race&f=false"><span style="color: blue;">sporting arms race</span></a>’, as governments in pursuit of more medals invest further into elite sport because rival nations do, which in turn ratchets up further investment. So it was that UK Sport, the government agency responsible for distributing elite sport funding, was allocated £304.4 million for the Olympic funding cycle 2008-2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This figure is unprecedented, and signals a remarkable commitment to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19406940.2011.627358"><span style="color: blue;">the cause of elite sport</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even outside of difficult times, we might expect the case for such expenditure to be clear and compelling. We sports nuts are often mocked for losing our sense of proportion, but even we would hesitate from ranking a few medals about hospitals and schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, some of us would. There are others whose uncritical love of all things Olympic reminds of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA3uHlxqIJ8"><span style="color: blue;">Alan Partridge's</span></a> justification of <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #303030;">the outrageous cost of building a model of his own house in BBC Television Centre by betting:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #303030;">"If the British public were asked whether they would prefer an Alan Partridge Christmas special to 14 kidney dialysis machines, the response would be unanimous."</span></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The clearest statement of justification for investment in elite sport in the UK comes from a document called </span><a href="http://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk/files/game_plan_report.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;">Game Plan</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, which was published in 2002</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">.</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fact, its defence is the only one I have been able to find from central government. Perhaps no further statement is necessary, as Game Plan's claims continue to be made and - with a few exceptions - repeated by the media. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is claimed that elite sport produces a number of benefits to the wider population:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. a ‘feelgood factor’ (among the population) and a positive ‘national image’ abroad;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. economic benefits (from spending after events and so on);<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. as a driver for grass-roots participation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As for the claim that Olympic Games make financial sense, for the moment I will simply cite the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/sports/before-the-london-games-the-grumbling-about-money.html?_r=1"><span style="color: blue;">New York Times</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 1992 Barcelona Games left Spain with a $6.1 billion debt;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Athens estimated that the 2004 Games would cost $1.6 billion, but in the end it was $16 billion;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-top: 0.1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It took Montreal nearly 30 years to pay off the $2.7 billion it owed after the 1976 Summer Games.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It doesn't follow that London will suffer a similar fate. But it's worth bearing in mind, isn't it?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, what about the other claims? Will the Olympics develop positive feelings across the nation and around the world? If it does, do these feelings balance the significant financial investment?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And will the Games drive up mass participation?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will discuss these two vital questions in subsequent blog entries. In the meantime, it would be fascinating to hear your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Comments very welcome!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-64699652662994611572012-03-29T03:31:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.354-07:00Moving Towards Coaching Expertise<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">How do coaches progress from beginner to expert?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to some frameworks, coaches pass through a series of stages or levels. The knowledge and skills at each stage are, of course, more advanced. But they are different in other ways. In other words, the formal processes of coach education in most countries assumes punctuated development.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to Pierre Trudel and Wade Gilbert, though, most coach education is based on an unchallenged presumption that coaches exist on a single continuum from novice to expert. My own research, on behalf of the PGA and others, suggests that coaches tend to share this view. Specifically, they conceive of their professional development in terms of a gradual improvement powered primarily through experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, there are at least two views of the trajectory of coach education: stage-like or incremental.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubmz_59xDM0hQvb4f0qofDScEKcbI32S0p-0AQYK0DQDs3CBz93mSjP3-j26AXhl97qo7bd7RMwZkRvaPFxRInvLposiAhrP1REFqowPoc4xYh0Jy4YWZDlc9gHtCFR3jsO2TNAMOW2Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-29+at+10.58.23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubmz_59xDM0hQvb4f0qofDScEKcbI32S0p-0AQYK0DQDs3CBz93mSjP3-j26AXhl97qo7bd7RMwZkRvaPFxRInvLposiAhrP1REFqowPoc4xYh0Jy4YWZDlc9gHtCFR3jsO2TNAMOW2Y/s640/Screen+shot+2012-03-29+at+10.58.23.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If we assume for a moment that all coaches need some sort of professional development, the choice between these two positions is important. If coach educators assume one stance, but their students another, frustration is almost inevitable. Even if both parties agree, who’s to say they bet on the right theory?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where do you stand on this matter? What is your view?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To help you articulate your reflections, here are some questions for you to consider:<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="line-height: normal;"></span>How might we distinguish between novices in a domain and so-called experts?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>What types of experiences are associated with learning and progression towards expertise?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>Is learning, either in general or specific domains like golf coaching, really stage-like? In other words, are there discrete stages with their own distinctive characteristics? Or is learning actually an incremental development, with any stages nearly arbitrary assessment points?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>If learning is stage-like, how can these stages be differentiated?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>What is the relationship between such stages and any associated teaching and assessment?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is convincing evidence that novices (and for that matter competent performers) and experts respond to challenges in fundamentally different ways. In addition to obvious differences in terms of the amount of experience, research suggests that expert coaches deal with the challenges of their work in qualitatively different ways than their less skilled colleagues.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The influential report <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0309070368/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&tag=talkeducand04-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0309070368" target="_blank">How People Learn</a></i>identifies key principles of expert knowledge and their potential implications for learning and instruction.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>Experts notice features and meaningful patterns of information that are not noticed by novices.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>Experts have acquired a great deal of content knowledge that is organised in ways that reflect a deep understanding of their subject matter.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>Experts' knowledge cannot be reduced to sets of isolated facts or proposition, but instead reflect contexts of applicability, so that the knowledge is set within the context of certain circumstances.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>Experts are able to retrieve important aspects of their knowledge flexibly and with little attentional effort.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="border: none; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 17.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0cm; text-indent: -17.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>o<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>Experts have varying degrees of flexibility in their approach to new situations.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To what extent are findings like these reflected and used in coach education programmes? If it is true that expert coaches operate in qualitatively different ways than others, how is such expertise assessed?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The evidence from research seems quite clear that expert coaches are not just competent coaches with a lot more experience. They coach in essentially different ways than others.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The question still remains: beyond bureaucratic expedience, are there genuine reasons to distinguish intermediate phases between coach novice and expert? This is not just an academic matter. If it is the case that there are distinctive stages, then practical implications follow. For example, different stages of learning suggest different methods of teaching and different methods of assessment, don’t they?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The most influential model of expertise outside of sport is probably that of the American philosopher Hubert Dreyfus. His model was based upon detailed observation and experiments with a range of contexts, including nursing, chess players, aeroplane pilots and car drivers. Dreyfus identified five stages of development towards expertise. Each of these stages has its associated components, perspectives, decision-making and commitment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-insideh: 6.0pt three-d-emboss windowtext; mso-border-insidev: 6.0pt three-d-emboss windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 191;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;"><b>Level<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;"><b>Stage of Expertise<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 244.5pt;" valign="top" width="245"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;"><b>Characteristics<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">Novice<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 244.5pt;" valign="top" width="245"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">At novice stage it is all about following the rules. The novice thinks in terms of rules but has no context or ability to modify rules. At this stage the energy is focusing on following the rules rather than thinking.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">2<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">Advance Beginner<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 244.5pt;" valign="top" width="245"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">This stage is still rule based but rules are now situational based. So instead of blindly using the rules at this stage you start using a set of rule in an A situation and different set of rules in B situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">3<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">Competent<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 244.5pt;" valign="top" width="245"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">At this stage you start to realize that performing this skill has more to it than just following rules or changing rules according to situation. You start to see patterns and principles and start realizing rules are not absolute and they are guidelines or rule of thumb. You start performing the skills more by experience and active decision-making rather than strict rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">4<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">Proficient<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 244.5pt;" valign="top" width="245"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">At this stage you start thinking in terms of complete picture. You develop a perspective about your area of skill or focus.<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 109.75pt;" valign="top" width="110"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">Expert<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: ridge windowtext 6.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: three-d-emboss windowtext 6.0pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 244.5pt;" valign="top" width="245"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">At this stage it is intuitively appropriate action without being conscious of you skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dreyfus's model is clearly useful, and it is quite easy to see how it might be translated into coach education frameworks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How does the Dreyfus model relate to your own existing coach education frameworks?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, one potential weakness of Dreyfus model – a surprising one for a philosopher – is that it does not properly specify the nature or type of the knowledge acquired at the different stages. On other words, the model is explicit about the development of skilled performance, but does not really tell us much about <u>what is being learned.<o:p></o:p></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From the perspective of coaching the most useful attempt so far to extend Dreyfus’ account to include proper reference to knowledge is that of Paul Schempp and his colleagues. They settled on a four-staged framework - beginner - competent - proficient – expert - to describe the developmental stages of expert sports coaches. This work identifies skills, knowledge, characteristics and perspectives that are common to coaches at each stage of development.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rq-jbDVuDPl_K4MjRKh1vh-iaIzHYWPAJ3layN8Z7kiz0mYqI4OVLrRhiNV7PwLncJagGAXaO3nY-Mye5Z6yRwpi4hTyxadkk8DKILuAO1fhA8Zw89xwpgfPIDkaSofLe3qH5gc5PcA/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-03-29+at+11.12.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rq-jbDVuDPl_K4MjRKh1vh-iaIzHYWPAJ3layN8Z7kiz0mYqI4OVLrRhiNV7PwLncJagGAXaO3nY-Mye5Z6yRwpi4hTyxadkk8DKILuAO1fhA8Zw89xwpgfPIDkaSofLe3qH5gc5PcA/s640/Screen+shot+2012-03-29+at+11.12.22.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%;">So where does this discussion leave us?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It seems to me that in this case there are lots of reasons for thinking of coach development as stage-like. Not the least among these reasons is the rather substantial empirical base supporting the view that there are qualitative differences between different stages of development.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If this is true, it follows that professional learning is far more complex than often thought. Not only must the <i>type</i> of learning be considered when thinking about pedagogy, but it is also important to think about the <i>different outcomes</i> desired. In other words, the teaching methods used ought to be appropriate to the phase of learning reached by the learner. This need not be the case if learning were linear and continuous, apart from a commonsensical differentiation in terms of, maybe, the amount of the teaching. But with a stage-based model of learning, coach educators are forced to think in terms of discrete types of learning experience for the different stages of learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, if it is accepted that the development of coaching expertise is somewhat stage-like, then it follows that different teaching and assessment strategies need to be used to capture the different types of learning and competences being exhibited.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, the question of whether coach development is incremental or stage-like is important practical consequences. Why? Simply because assumptions about the character of professional development track into decisions about frameworks and awards.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remember the Cheshire Cat …<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="Quotation" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‘Cheshire Puss,’ she began, rather timidly … ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where,’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat. ‘So long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation. ‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’ </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">(Lewis Carroll, 1865, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’)</span></span></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If we are going to escape cycles of reproducing traditional approaches to learning and education, we will need to reflect on our assumptions and the ways they translate to practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Which way should we go from here?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further Reading</span></b></div><div style="line-height: 150%;"></div><div style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0309070368/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&tag=talkeducand04-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0309070368" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=0309070368&MarketPlace=GB&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=talkeducand04-21&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L. and Cocking, R. (Eds)(2000) </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">How People Learn: Brain, mind, experience and school</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.</span></span></span></div><br /><div style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Dreyfus, H. (1992) </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">What Computers Still Can't Do?</i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Ford, P. Coughlan, E. and Williams, M. (2009) The Expert-Performance Approach as a Framework for Understanding and Enhancing Coaching Performance, expertise and Learning. </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching</i><span style="line-height: 150%;">, 4, 3, pp. 451-463.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Schempp, P., McCullick, B. and Mason, I. (2006) The development of expert coaching in R. L. Jones (Ed.), </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The sports coach as educator: reconceptualising sports coaching</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. London: Routledge.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Trudel, P. and Gilbert, W. (2006) Coaching and coach education (pp. 516-539). In D. Kirk, D. Macdonald and M. O'Sullivan (Eds) </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The Handbook of Physical Education</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. London: Sage Publications.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-22602141421306174562012-03-16T14:34:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.369-07:00PLAYING AWAY FROM HOME<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've written a blog entry for the brand new SPORT section of the Huffington Post.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the image to go straight there.</span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/richard-bailey/fernando-torres-why-did-he-choke_b_1352818.html?ref=uk-sport" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFec4BZ68GzJUS1av8xnpLHFgfre4ZBu7kH25B_P6tTXFgr9Mk0L-OlKZQfprEhUIzJR1ljH_yEKUkr9GiIzxKmwfgXx2yhXPqaM_09C9XRtB9WWypkNvA69DmJjHZZHhRIZxmkgNQag/s640/Screen+shot+2012-03-16+at+21.28.13.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-41291633454503485852012-03-15T18:00:00.000-07:002012-10-25T23:43:43.382-07:00Wilshaw And Gove's Wobegon Daze<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Education commentators have had much fun recently at comments made by <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Sir Michael Wilshaw, England's Chief Inspector of Schools.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Speaking on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17368311" target="_blank">Newsnight</a>, he said:</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">"Our standards should be higher. What that in effect means is something like one in five children in primary schools at the age of 11 are leaving primary school without the national average. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">What that really means is that they can't access the curriculum in secondary school, they find it difficult to pass examinations, they find it difficult to proceed to the next stage of their education and training, and of course they find it difficult to get jobs."</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The context of his comments was a </span><a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/moving-english-forward" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">damning report</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> by his Office on the standards of English in schools. Of course, all OfSTED reports are damning. That is their style. They are the policy equivalents of radio shock jocks: 'you're useless'; 'you're incompetent'; 'you can't read well enough'.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sir Michael has taken on this mantle rather well, and clearly enjoys telling parents how hopeless their children's schools and teachers are. The Newsnight interview was a classic example.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But this time, rather like a headteacher farting in the middle of assembly, <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Wilshaw tripped:</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">".. one in five children in primary schools at the age of 11 are leaving primary school without the national average .."</span></span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just is case you went to the same school as Sir Michael, let me explain: there will </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">always</u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> be children performing below average. Average is a </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;">measure of central tendency; it measures the middle value of a collection of data.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;">Most commentators have been quite forgiving of Wilshaw's error, and have accepted the official explanation that it was a slip of the tongue. I suspect that is because most of them are arts graduates, for whom numbers are fearsome strange beasts.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">But this really is not a complex idea. Most Primary School children would understand it. On a good day, my cat gets it.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">As the Guardian's </span><span style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/15/ofsted-chief-maths-wrong" target="_blank">Polly Curtis</a> points out, though, the Chief Inspector is in good, innumerate company. Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, such an accomplished school-rubbisher that Sir Michael must observe with envy, also struggles with infant maths, as is revealed in his exchange with the Education Select Committee:</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Chair:</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> ..</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> if "good" requires pupil performance to exceed the national average, and if all schools must be good, how is this mathematically possible?</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Michael Gove:</span> By getting better all the time.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Chair:</span> So it is possible, is it?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Michael Gove:</span> It is possible to get better all the time.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Chair:</span> Were you better at literacy than numeracy, Secretary of State?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Michael Gove: </span>I cannot remember.</span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;">Mr Gove looks like a Muppet that's been given to the dog as a chew-toy. But looks are deceptive. He is clearly made of stronger stuff. His comments here give us a clue to his origins, as a small boy in far-away </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">Lake Wobegon where "all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average".</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-65326658506174843832012-03-10T09:03:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:43.421-07:00Why I am (mostly) glad I am a man. And why nice girls don't do sport<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every now and then I am overcome with a feeling of resentment towards women. I look at them with their shoes and their scatter cushions, and feel .. what is the word? Oh yes, jealous.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By most objective measures, women are the superior gender Taken as a population, women are more socially intelligent than men. They are better able to deal with conflict, and less likely to be lead by their ridiculous egos. They work harder than men, often at more than one thing at a same time (a skill that many men would condemn as witchcraft). And most importantly of all, women are much, much nicer than men,</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Obviously, they are not especially nice to <u>each other</u>. I've taught in a girls school, so I have seen things that would make your toes curl. And if you haven't, trust me: the evil that men do is nothing compared to what two thirteen year old girl friends will say and do to each other.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But such behaviour is merely an anomaly. My personal theory is that it is a result of excessive intelligence. Human brains evolved to deal with the harsh, Machiavellian social settings of early hominids, and we have essentially the same brain architecture than our ancestors had 40,000 years ago. It seems to me that most women just have a lot of that Machiavellian intelligence to spare.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am, of course, aware that I am making wild generalisations that are crude and stereotypical. And I know that for every Hillary Clinton there is a Sarah Palin, and for every Noel Edmonds there is a Stephen Fry.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Overall, weighing up and the pros and cons, I am happy to stick with my theory. Women are best. Men are rubbish. So, every now and again the loser in me whispers in my ear "Look at them, with their intuition and social grace. See their under-stated humour and their kindness? Compared to them, you and your kind will always be oafs. Hairy, smelly oafs. Who start wars."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What's stopped me from switching sides? Of taking the unkindest cut of all?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, women don't have it all their way. Nature always strives for balance. For all their virtues, they have to deal with a variety unpleasant biological afflictions that are best not discussed in civilised company.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And they have to cope with the Daily Mail. There are many popular newspapers in the UK, but the Mail stands out. Partly because of its stout defence of all things that are great about modern Britain, like Princess Diana and the death penalty. And partly because it markets itself primarily to women. The Mail claims to be The Newspaper for Women.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The extent to which the Mail stands FOR women can be judged by its content on 8th March. International Women's Day. Whilst other media were banging on about women's achievements or the prejudice of patriarchal society, The Daily Mail cut right to the chase.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2111842/Cameron-Diaz-tries-best-feminine-little-black-dress--buff-arm-leaves-tomboy-girly.html?ito=feeds-newsxml" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRkYW3gOawulqF-zJKMi5IIaDh14IelbGkfwc9W21lfjuw3hgBMiXLO32sBZ-2GmSzw4ND5sNi2MsLz1MLv4mmNqulmZSoXsC18jrIoGhkBtDyKrieG1dlKX7Fq3A3q6vpK0svzmyi9E/s640/Screen+shot+2012-03-10+at+08.40.30.png" width="468" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The movie star Cameron Diaz's attempts to be 'girly' were undermined by the fact that she had clearly done some exercise: "... <span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> sporting an LBD [no idea, sorry] with an asymmetrical neckline [er], Cameron Diaz was unable to disguise her toned arm and shoulder. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">The actress looked more tomboy than feminine at a promotional event ..."</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">The author of this social commentary, Alanah Eriksen, doesn't really mean 'tomboy', does she? By claiming a degree of androgyny about the actress' appearance, she is feeding into a long-standing cultural theme: sport and exercise are <u>boys</u>' activities, and girls who choose to break this basic rule probably break other, more serious, social taboos too.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nice girls don't play sport. Girls who play sport are not nice.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And this principle must be right because we witness it every day: from increasingly early ages, girls drop out of sport and physical activity, often never to return.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">I wonder if it was a coincidence that the Mail choose this particular day to publish this </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">d</span><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">iarrhea. </em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">I don't read it, and for all I know, the paper usually has <span style="line-height: 16px;">features by Germaine Greer on the joy of menopause, and the sports pages are full of women's boxing and international netball.</span></span></span><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></em><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">If so, it is simply unfortunate that it printed an article that demeans and insults women</em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"> on the very day that the world was celebrating the extraordinary advances that women have made this century.</em></span><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I suspect not. This nonsense is ridiculous but not without precedent. Women are bombarded with messages that tell them how to behave in order to remain 'girly'. And some of the messages, like this one, are positively harmful to women's health, because exercise is a necessary ingredient of well-being.</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And this is why I grudgingly choose to remain a man. I can live with being a bit slow and useless. And I look forward to my inevitable decline into ridiculousness.</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if I decide to play some sport or do some exercise, I know that I won't be condemned by an evil hate-rag that makes its money by reinforcing society's prejudices and playing on people's fears.</span></em><br /><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-47517493116418487262012-03-06T11:05:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:43.440-07:00How do sports coaches use social media?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Hi!</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">We are gathering information relating to sports coaches’ use of Social Media platforms as part of an international survey.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMxRavec3jQKbPVid_nAX0ncHdpTwmXVrnChe5opG1eJbTo8vewyyxiD7-PR6AqjwSUjNgkXdEkhPI3NXynx7U4fivMaLnLfhSUW8xCP-gJuJa34yNiavx5K92pW1SG8OfmlcDXjurWo/s1600/onlinesurvey.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMxRavec3jQKbPVid_nAX0ncHdpTwmXVrnChe5opG1eJbTo8vewyyxiD7-PR6AqjwSUjNgkXdEkhPI3NXynx7U4fivMaLnLfhSUW8xCP-gJuJa34yNiavx5K92pW1SG8OfmlcDXjurWo/s320/onlinesurvey.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">For the purposes of this survey, ‘social media’ is a general term to describe all kinds of internet platforms or forums whose contents are created, published, improved and commented on by the users themselves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">We are asking <b>sports coaches</b>, whether voluntary or paid, to complete the online questionnaire at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sport-media" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">www.surveymonkey.com/s/sport-media</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">and would appreciate your help and support in reaching the largest possible target audience from around the world, and from different sports so <b>PLEASE</b> circulate this message to any coaches within your networks.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">We would like to thank you for your support in advance.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Yours in Sport,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Richard Bailey and Matthew Reeves</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-40367906562333735502012-03-04T11:06:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:43.542-07:00The blog of lists: 101 summaries of important/interesting research into sport (Part 1)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Research is a complex and time-consuming activity. It can involve years of data-gathering, and its findings are often subtle and difficult to reduce to a few simple recipes.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">BUT, if it wasn't ...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This entry tries to summarise some important research studies in sports coaching and related areas like physical education, youth sport and sport development. I have also included some lists that just seem interesting to sporty folk. In all cases, the summaries are in the form of lists.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My ambition in doing this is twofold: I hope this lists are useful and interesting in their own right. But I also hope the reader will go from here to the original research papers, many of which readable.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lists are not in any particular order. Why? Because it seems to me that we come across some of the most insightful ideas when we are looking for something else.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">[Oh, I should acknowledge straight away that there are nowhere near 101 lists!]</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-zUDQ-xC0KI-fjrLCLzmV7mjxgb4u37ToAi9-lbCTQM13OeE6yc_dO5sfkDfR3_kxBha1pLGtH-st2Ap-qTLS4MVgu6SByiHOViPBf_c2tQ_8E-E3tn83y2JCyQxmxq3Pj6c056TrK0/s1600/list1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-zUDQ-xC0KI-fjrLCLzmV7mjxgb4u37ToAi9-lbCTQM13OeE6yc_dO5sfkDfR3_kxBha1pLGtH-st2Ap-qTLS4MVgu6SByiHOViPBf_c2tQ_8E-E3tn83y2JCyQxmxq3Pj6c056TrK0/s320/list1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-align: justify;">What are t</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">he minimum requirements of sports programmes aiming to foster positive sporting experiences for young people</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 26px; text-align: justify;">?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"></div><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">a clear mission;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">developmentally appropriate content;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">a safe and healthy environment;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">suitably trained staff;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">integrated family and community partners; and</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -18pt;">on-going assessments.</span></span></li></ol><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources: E.g., <span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">Bodily, S., and Beckett, M. K. (2005) Making out-of-school-time matter: Evidence for an action agenda. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Education and Rand Labor and Population.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">Coatsworth, J. D., and Conray, D. E. (2007) Youth sport as a component of afterschool programs. New Directions for Youth Development, 115, pp. 57-74.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">Eccles, J. S., and Gootman, J. A. (eds) (2002) Community programs to promote youth development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span><br /><br /><div class="p1"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why were Olympians first attracted to their sport?</span></b></div><div class="p1"></div><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">a love of the sport</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">an intrinsic love of activity</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">early success in the sport</span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Once introduced to their sport, why did these Olympians continue to participate?</b></span></div><div><ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2rIvpvxMU4vGiUF6z04fiEWMr0T8yNSIVFhP8uD-Aj4c_dtsO48qoNdlQhns5M_1kloom4NjpHdeD2g8pX62qu5NJ72F8-oiA8LPX-TZq7p41LU_FgGxJ39cseTxMak05ZCfxwD7g1M/s1600/Coach.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2rIvpvxMU4vGiUF6z04fiEWMr0T8yNSIVFhP8uD-Aj4c_dtsO48qoNdlQhns5M_1kloom4NjpHdeD2g8pX62qu5NJ72F8-oiA8LPX-TZq7p41LU_FgGxJ39cseTxMak05ZCfxwD7g1M/s400/Coach.jpeg" width="400" /></a><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the challenge and love of competition</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">fun</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">a desire to be successful</span></li></ol></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>As the level of competition increased, why did these Olympians continue to participate?</b></span></div><div><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the challenge and love of competition</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">a desire to be successful</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the need for a competitive outlet</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">fun</span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What are the most important qualities of a coach?</b></span></div><div><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the ability to teach</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the ability to motivate or encourage</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">training knowledge</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">skill competence</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">strategic knowledge of sport</span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What are the least important qualities of a coach?</b></span></div><div><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">assistance with goal setting</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">management and organisational skills</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">assistance with balancing the lives of athletes</span></li></ol></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">Source: Gibbons, T., Hill, R., McConnell, A., Forster, T., Moore, J. (2002) </span><span style="background-color: white;">The path to excellence</span><span style="background-color: white;">: a comprehensive view of development of U.S. Olympians who competed from 1984-1998. Colorado Springs, CO: United States Olympic Committee.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span><br /><br /><h1 style="color: #474747; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How do Female Athletes Want their Parents to Behave?</span></h1><h1 style="color: #474747; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: large; line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">The study found three</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;"> categories of parental behaviour across different phases of competition (before, during, after):</span></span></span></h1><h1 style="color: #474747; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"> <ul style="line-height: 1.4;"><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;">preparation for competition</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;">parental support and, encouragement during competition</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;">the provision of feedback after competition</span></li></ul></h1><br /><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: Knight, C. J., Neely, K. C., & Holt, N. L. (2011) Parental Behaviors in Team Sports: How do Female Athletes Want Parents to Behave? Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 23(1), pp. 76-92.</span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrsRe6zsD8AXozYCuvjgPhA_7AtY4zwL8eTSe94dQcRMmQw1vf7PIsLealb7BgeBIMsfWadX7yFQL-sVAWv2bgvD8pyN2pjlDwfH35U7ku0-Jc-r6mO1JS2zuvN4QzlKXrHE-CuaG9MU/s1600/HPR_Web_Coach_061107.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrsRe6zsD8AXozYCuvjgPhA_7AtY4zwL8eTSe94dQcRMmQw1vf7PIsLealb7BgeBIMsfWadX7yFQL-sVAWv2bgvD8pyN2pjlDwfH35U7ku0-Jc-r6mO1JS2zuvN4QzlKXrHE-CuaG9MU/s400/HPR_Web_Coach_061107.jpeg" width="252" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Why Do Children Want to Take Part in Gymnastics Classes?</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"></div><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Being with and Making Friends</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Developing Physical Fitness</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Learning and Improving Skills</span></li></ol><br /><div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: Wald, J. (2003) Parental Motivations for Enrolling their Children in a Private Gymnastic Program. The Sport Journal. 6(3).</span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>World's Most Popular Sports (for fans)</b></span></span></div><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Soccer / Football</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Cricket</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Field Hockey</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Tennis</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Volleyball</span></span></li></ol><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Source: </span><span style="line-height: 32px;">http://www.mostpopularsports.net/</span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1H_QnDGkMzjSxfr8oh1OV1tDgfYGVX6ySWvGZBOEEs5bOilaRU7Hz8Bsvk-UfC9L2ov0hZilViFxCBPBixbWjoMFk5bShSJLAJaBPhriYzIEy4cGTAAPhke7rWCfP6kMl1KK69ltIxs/s1600/Tiger_Woods.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1H_QnDGkMzjSxfr8oh1OV1tDgfYGVX6ySWvGZBOEEs5bOilaRU7Hz8Bsvk-UfC9L2ov0hZilViFxCBPBixbWjoMFk5bShSJLAJaBPhriYzIEy4cGTAAPhke7rWCfP6kMl1KK69ltIxs/s320/Tiger_Woods.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;"><b>Highest Paid Sportspeople (2011-2012)</b></span></span><br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Tiger Woods, golf - $75 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Kobe Bryant, basketball - $53 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">LeBron James, basketball, $48 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Roger Federer, tennis, $47 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Phil Mickelson, golf, $46.5 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">David Beckham, football, $40 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Cristiano Ronaldo, football, $38 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Alex Rodriguez, baseball, $35 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Michael Schumacher, motor racing, $34 million</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Lionel Messi, football, $32.3 million</span></span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Source: </span><span style="line-height: 32px;">http://www.forbes.com</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></span></div></div><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;"></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-18442929636943808322012-02-28T13:37:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:43.639-07:00Books on the Body-Mind Connection<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am really pleased to say that the next blog entry has been written by Dr Jennifer Leigh, an expertise on yoga and somatic education. I asked Jennifer to recommend five books on a genuinely fascinating topic - and one that is of great relevance to both sport and education - the body mind connection.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S-DyBwig6UaP_rJUBQIg1gyP1lysUtr3DwMNgDqAjLPHhbStcKphRzOEZovNkqeQIAGWtP5yYHJQVEYe8PzAmsMONmYzuc1ntHCJ98217xX_-lBiM2wEisVMrCnEa9tYklwSoJ34cjk/s1600/leonardo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S-DyBwig6UaP_rJUBQIg1gyP1lysUtr3DwMNgDqAjLPHhbStcKphRzOEZovNkqeQIAGWtP5yYHJQVEYe8PzAmsMONmYzuc1ntHCJ98217xX_-lBiM2wEisVMrCnEa9tYklwSoJ34cjk/s320/leonardo.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">When I was asked to recommend five books on mind-body connection I have to say that my brain froze. I looked at the (shelves and shelves of) books that I own on aspects of this and was completely flummoxed. I could recommend lots of them. Others I wouldn’t touch with a bargepole. My main concern though, was who I would be recommending them for.So I have decided to recommend one book from five sections of my bookshelves (bar the really freaky ones) with a little bit of an introduction as to why it may be relevant to the mind-body discourse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The idea of a mind-body connection is not exactly universally accepted. The ascendancy of the mind over the body and its importance in the development of Western philosophy and later medicine, psychology and sport can be traced back to the days of Plato, the Orphic and Socrates: “the body is an endless source of trouble...only the mind can reach existence”. For example, Descartes’ dualism was firmly anti-organic, built on earlier notions of the physical world, and described in the words of Alan Watts as, “the domain of corruption and evil”. The division or schism between mind and body can thus be seen to have affected Western society from its earliest days, with the body being seen as inferior to the mind. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In contrast, in yoga philosophy and practice a mind-body connection is an assumption. The purely physical aspect of yoga, <i>asana</i>, has been emphasised in recent years, sometimes to the exclusion of all else, turning yoga practice into an exercise form. Yoga could be a valuable practice for any sports person. But which book on yoga to recommend? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=talkeducand04-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0722536577&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&npa=1&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">I have chosen <b>Dynamic Yoga by Godfrey Devereux <w:sdt citation="t" id="417609414"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(1998)</span></w:sdt></b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"> Devereux’s approach to yoga is physical, strong and active. His explanations of the poses are clear, and if you can get over the extremely revealing shorts he wears, the photos are helpful. The book is comprehensive, covering the poses you would encounter in most Hatha, Ashtanga or Iyengar yoga classes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=talkeducand04-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1583941592&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&npa=1&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Eastern philosophy has a different starting point and language when talking of the mind and body, illustrating “the irrelevance of Western theories to non-Western contexts”. The traditional Eastern view of the body and mind is that they are inseparable aspects of the same human existence. A book that explores the martial mind-body connection is <b>Peter and Laura Ralston’s Zen-Body Being <w:sdt citation="t" id="-1366209111"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(2006)</span></w:sdt></b></span><b>. </b> It is a bit of a how-to manual with exercises designed to help the reader experience a greater sense of their body-being.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=talkeducand04-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1861564309&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&npa=1&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">The importance of the body-mind (or embodied mind) as opposed to a body/mind split in the philosophy of psychotherapy can be traced back through Freud and his discovery of the power of the unconscious over the conscious and his work on the power-relationship between therapist and client. <b>Linda Hartley’s Somatic Psychology</b> <w:sdt citation="t" id="21519534">(2004)</w:sdt></span> traces the history of psychology and its sorry relationship with the body, which has tended to either ignore it (in the context of cognitive or social psychology), or treat it as exclusively functional (in biological and neuro-psychologies). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=talkeducand04-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0393705447&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&npa=1&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">In a discussion of Eastern philosophies and their resemblance to Western psychotherapy, Alan Watts states that both are concerned “with bringing about changes of consciousness”. Western psychotherapy has as a primary concern with the study of the mind or psyche as a clinical entitity, whereas “Eastern cultures have not categorized mind and matter, soul and body, in the same way”. By increasing awareness of the body-mind and its movements, it is possible to increase awareness of that boundary of and relationship with the world (and all others in it). <b>Alan Fogel’s The Psychophysiology of Self-Awareness <w:sdt citation="t" id="1387066961"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(2009)</span></w:sdt></b></span><b> </b>explores how the physiology of the body and psychology interact within a therapeutic situation. He illustrates this with the use of psychology, neuro-biology and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=916747184538095291" name="_GoBack"></a>the Rosen Method, a form of somatic bodywork. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=talkeducand04-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1556432011&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&npa=1&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">My final book is a collection of writings on the principles and techniques of somatics in <b>Don Hanlon Johnson’s Body, Breath and Gesture <w:sdt citation="t" id="-1625234694"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(1995)</span></w:sdt></b></span><b>. </b> The book forms a history of the field, including how it has fragmented into the disparate approaches and techniques that are found today. Johnson focuses on Western somatic body awareness disciplines, many of which were developed after the turn of the last century. Some of the practices outlined may fall into that ‘hippy’ section, however I find it to be a book that gives a very clear sense of the broadness of the somatic field and the scope of work and practice that people are engaging in to increase their sense of a mind-body connection.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">__________________________________________</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div class="p1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagB3bKFoz212IhNkAiJnqtlPHwHsX_6vt9gh3zgZ-cRPwdd_k38CSGDXLTZQZJWWrPlvrb2F_5m4HCEKsN_92IGt7pTyRGtJ5ocOsa9WEU2rzEu4MbmMp1giCzSeVmu-QDgjqsTbli3k/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagB3bKFoz212IhNkAiJnqtlPHwHsX_6vt9gh3zgZ-cRPwdd_k38CSGDXLTZQZJWWrPlvrb2F_5m4HCEKsN_92IGt7pTyRGtJ5ocOsa9WEU2rzEu4MbmMp1giCzSeVmu-QDgjqsTbli3k/s320/002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jennifer Leigh is an accredited Somatic Movement Therapist, a Qualified School Teacher and an experienced Yoga Instructor. Her doctoral research was a study on children’s perceptions of embodiment. She is currently working as a Research Associate at the University of Kent on a study looking at Costs and Outcomes of Skilled Support for Individuals with Complex Needs and an evaluation of ‘Imagining Autism’, a drama intervention for primary school children with autism. She also has a killer pair of legs.</span></div><br /><w:sdt docparttype="Bibliographies" docpartunique="t" id="1071540881" sdtdocpart="t"><w:sdt bibliography="t" id="111145805"> </w:sdt></w:sdt>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-59210768548290929632012-02-22T13:06:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:43.741-07:00The Arts of Storytelling and Learning<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I recently came across an interview with the US radio and TV host <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Glass" target="_blank">Ira Glass</a>. He was talking about the art of storytelling, and his basic message was this:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>hard work, grit and stick-to-it-ness are needed if you are going to create great work.</i></span></span><br /><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEJpcQ8uHeP_E-Nok44_APuXKkml2etDsZEbQClrj-Xcr_OOTYmSeR3xMjmFTuNbO67E2lBX7z-0zAUP4d1SXvLSffFOugMXJwah5wPMtRnGApoOLidKsoUTTVwsnU3BziWn07CYwo1Q/s1600/ira-glass.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEJpcQ8uHeP_E-Nok44_APuXKkml2etDsZEbQClrj-Xcr_OOTYmSeR3xMjmFTuNbO67E2lBX7z-0zAUP4d1SXvLSffFOugMXJwah5wPMtRnGApoOLidKsoUTTVwsnU3BziWn07CYwo1Q/s400/ira-glass.jpeg" width="375" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">Not a radical idea, I know. Especially in the era of 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">But Glass introduces another element that I've never seen mentioned in the literature of expert performance, and that is </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 21px;">TASTE</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">Here is what he says:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit."</span></span></blockquote></blockquote><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">This sense of frustration will be familiar to anyone who has ever tried to learn something. Especially something complex.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">For example, in the last few years I have tried to learn a number of difficult things including golf, sketching, and Italian. Each of these activities had their own challenges. My main difficulties with Italian were linked my my apparent inability to hear the differences between many of the sounds and 'phonemes' that made up the language. In my head I was speaking like a character in a Fellini film, whilst to my teachers I sounded like Phil Mitchell in a pizzeria. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">With sketching, I had to learn to overcome my tendency to impose my preconceived ideas</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"> rather than what I was observing. Chairs have four legs; faces have two eyes; those are the facts, whichever way they are facing.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">And don't even get me started on golf!</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">Yet, as expertise theory (and common sense) would predict, the more I did these activities, the better I got, more or less. And the pace of my improvement seemed ti be strongly associated with the quality of support and feedback I received from my teachers and coachers.</span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">Ira Glass' discussion of storytelling is relevant to those interested in learning and expertise because it hints at a principle behind</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"> both practice and feedback: taste, or (if you prefer) </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">AESTHETICS</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">. In other words, movement towards competence or even expertise in these areas is only possible because the learner and the teacher have their senses of aesthetic judgement - some attempts are better than others; some actions are desirable, not just because of the outcome, but because of an intrinsic value; generally speaking, grace, and fluidity and </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">poise are preferable to their opposites.</span><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Aesthetics are STANDARDS.</em><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">It seems to me that taste acts as a powerful motivator for both learners and teachers. Both are inspired by a sense of the way a skill or technique is supposed to be, and - from time to time - their senses coincide! If we wish to get better at our chosen activity - if we want </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">to bridge the gap between ability and ambition - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">we need to be clear that we need to do the work. There are no short cuts.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNG2TSZ6jtSIljmpzTeCcqD1_SC_NBepMIY91xrJhUN4ltplPzI7uMAuZFU7s7-ZlPYRjJkjpknravU4hQOpF6HVzOoytt6OtSED-qMe-krubvMlF8R-VLCMJ-yvIghXSrQ5KxBd5VM8/s1600/golf-lessons.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNG2TSZ6jtSIljmpzTeCcqD1_SC_NBepMIY91xrJhUN4ltplPzI7uMAuZFU7s7-ZlPYRjJkjpknravU4hQOpF6HVzOoytt6OtSED-qMe-krubvMlF8R-VLCMJ-yvIghXSrQ5KxBd5VM8/s1600/golf-lessons.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">It is the responsibility of teachers and coaches to make this clear to the learner from the beginning. Nothing of value is learned easily.</span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">Glass again:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”</span></span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So practice and feedback are vital elements in the development of expertise. But both of these, I suggest, assume a sense of taste or aesthetics. Practice, if it is for any purpose, must have some ambition. And feedback is always with reference to a standard of performance or imitation.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Knowing helps explain our frustrations as we learn AND teach, and it helps explain why practice and feedback are so important in the first place.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To finish off, he is a recording of Ira Glass himself talking about storytelling, accompanied by some beautiful typography.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'd love to hear your thoughts on the issues raised in this entry. Criticisms, too!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/24715531?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/24715531">Ira Glass on Storytelling</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/thedak">David Shiyang Liu</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-13406804072957999822012-02-21T11:58:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:43.838-07:00Heroes and Zeros: who have been the best and worst Education chiefs in the UK?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Secretary of State for Education is one of those government positions destined to attract a lot of attention. Holding overall responsibility for the nation's schools and pupils is difficult enough. It is made much more difficult by the evident fact that none of us seem able to agree on the aims, character or organisation of schools, in the first place1 Indeed, whether we need schools, at all!! Which raises some interesting questions: What has been the 'best' Secretary of State? And who has been the worst? In the name of impartiality, I offer no commentary on the candidates (I will almost certainly do this after the poll has closed, as I am only human). If you want to remind yourself of the basic facts, you can go use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Education">Wikipedia</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Education"></a>. Thanks you for your contribution. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div id="surveyMonkeyInfo"><div><script src="http://www.surveymonkey.com/jsEmbed.aspx?sm=wsVeHVgZSnNIrIpfKZOwWg_3d_3d"> </script></div>Create your <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/">free online surveys</a> with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-16893750807910878642012-02-07T11:36:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:43.939-07:00Coaches' Cross-Training: 10 steps to becoming a better coach (and human being)<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to Wikipedia ...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div id="abw" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; text-decoration: inherit; width: 984px;"><div id="abb" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.222656) 0px 10px 15px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.222656) 0px 10px 15px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><div class="clear" id="abm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; zoom: 1;"><div id="abc" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: -342px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; width: 954px;"><div id="articlebody" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 357px; margin-top: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static; text-decoration: inherit;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Cross-training</b><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">(also known as</span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">circuit training</b><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">) refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one that athlete competes in with a goal of improving overall performance. It takes advantage of the particular effectiveness of each training method, while at the same time attempting to neglect the shortcomings of that method by combining it with other methods that address its weaknesses.</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why should athletes have all the fun?</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Research suggests that coaches tend to rely on a relatively narrow range of professional development practices. It also shows that these practices rarely lead to significant improvement in performance.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, perhaps we need to try something new ...</span><br /><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Learn something new</b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. By far the best way to understand your students is to become a student yourself. It doesn't really matter what you learn, although the less 'relevant' the better. Experience being a beginner, and all that it entails. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Read</b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. There is a huge amount of information available today, and some of it is not completely crazy! The internet, in particular, gives mostly free access to endless books, articles, blogs and newspapers. Quick tip: if you are searching for something wholesome and challenging to read, don't use Google; turn, instead, to its geeky, bookish half-brother Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com). Your life will never be the same again.</span><br /> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOg5UzRAj1RF0lFDhVSZCS-Uzxvx2iXB-gw-Q4J288jEqDKCB8oEO4owDQJY0IM3k5fO6ryIMkwzsBDR1hA6f-bXPKe1OXBdZAwiO5UCsworbxSSIz6OIRRd-yMzIstUaaI2QeAa7KQkk/s1600/mp900427645.jpeg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOg5UzRAj1RF0lFDhVSZCS-Uzxvx2iXB-gw-Q4J288jEqDKCB8oEO4owDQJY0IM3k5fO6ryIMkwzsBDR1hA6f-bXPKe1OXBdZAwiO5UCsworbxSSIz6OIRRd-yMzIstUaaI2QeAa7KQkk/s320/mp900427645.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Take time considering your own body</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Apart from the obvious benefits of practices like Yoga or Tai Chi, or other 'somatic' methods, these practices encourage attention on the internal experience of the body. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And the body, after all, is the thing all sports people have in common.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Watch others coach</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. By all means, watch those who do your sport. When you do that, you pick up tips and ideas from those who have followed - more or less - the same training programme as you. But if you are looking for radically new ideas that force you to rethink your whole philosophy of coaching, you really need to connect with those from completely different backgrounds. For a start, how about one of the following: a golf professional; a PE teacher; a martial arts instructor.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Go to conferences</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Sport conferences are a mixed bag. Some are great; others are poor. The best events have inspirational keynotes from leaders in the field, stimulating workshops and seminars, and good food. But even the most desperate affair has one compelling reason to attend: other coaches to talk to. Oh, and the bar.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKu5-wQpRAONgGfvlIfUybHd1ftbeWEvAgMHu8G2ownjACriP3iX6PFh4sbH-o8745Er7gvc2bFD4j7vsw6oZXO0TxlhtpP1rrjJzvgpprxUDJCK-XQRhb3Ex-3C_6vuQRd-LadLcrjQ/s1600/Reading-a-book-001.jpeg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKu5-wQpRAONgGfvlIfUybHd1ftbeWEvAgMHu8G2ownjACriP3iX6PFh4sbH-o8745Er7gvc2bFD4j7vsw6oZXO0TxlhtpP1rrjJzvgpprxUDJCK-XQRhb3Ex-3C_6vuQRd-LadLcrjQ/s320/Reading-a-book-001.jpeg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Keep a journal</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. In this modern world, it is possible to keep a journal online, and there are some excellent IT programs to help you structure your thoughts, and even remind you to write in the first place. Personally, I prefer old-fashioned paper (Moleskine, to be precise). Either way, there is little doubt that keeping a regular journal helps record and clarify thoughts in way that simple reflection sometimes cannot. As the great philosopher Karl Popper once said, "My pen is cleverer than I am!"</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Learn to spot bullshit</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Sport, like almost every other of life, is bombarded by bullshit: from special training gizmos, from physio-neuro-psycho-bollocks, to gurus. There are some great books discussing the dangers of bullshit, such as Ben Goldacre's Bad Science, and Michael Shermer's Why People Believe Weird Things, and countless websites [search "skepticism"]. Next time someone claims that a little crystal in a magical wristband improves balance or coordination or 'energy', hit them with one fo the books.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwW8feUgNF8BHmu399jys5D6EexCGFWzGyV65xGsJzO3DXW2pCHJ3IvEDwyyRGSauQl52fcRd13aIYkxquOFBKAwsfJ6Ip0XIfxISy3rBkGvMt7nK305xa-LyV55coQpKPY8Pjf00KE_Q/s1600/01-no-bullshit.jpeg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwW8feUgNF8BHmu399jys5D6EexCGFWzGyV65xGsJzO3DXW2pCHJ3IvEDwyyRGSauQl52fcRd13aIYkxquOFBKAwsfJ6Ip0XIfxISy3rBkGvMt7nK305xa-LyV55coQpKPY8Pjf00KE_Q/s320/01-no-bullshit.jpeg" /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=talkeducand04-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=000728487X&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&npa=1&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=talkeducand04-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0285638033&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&npa=1&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> </a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Read business books</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Business books have two great virtues. First, they talk about many of the topics that occupy sports coaches. Obviously, some of them talk specifically about coaching, and it is a fascinating exercise to compare the assumptions and practices of sports and business coaches. But there are also books about communication skills, leadership, change, values and vision; all topics of interest to sporty folk. Second, most business books seem to be aimed at a Primary School reading age. They tend to be short, to the point and accessible. Different people seem to have different tastes in these books. My favourites include The One Minute Manager, Influence, and FIsh!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQG14bZ4arb0mwzv8AzCPUCzYMZzNfonxy__RVkNcElFui_K88YNDZ7mL3x_87KyuchTfqtkvuqXrQpm74XSBWi-ghyphenhyphenrpumFC3bguxUt5j8UWD9WrzuRAF5MXzR8elxl4ZtJ0OR3PMW3Y/s1600/social-media-advertising.png" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQG14bZ4arb0mwzv8AzCPUCzYMZzNfonxy__RVkNcElFui_K88YNDZ7mL3x_87KyuchTfqtkvuqXrQpm74XSBWi-ghyphenhyphenrpumFC3bguxUt5j8UWD9WrzuRAF5MXzR8elxl4ZtJ0OR3PMW3Y/s320/social-media-advertising.png" width="320" /></a></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Use social media</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Google+, and their kin have become enormously popular in recent years, with hundreds of millions of people around the world signing up. Whether or not a 'FB friend' is a real friend or not is an interesting question for late-night discussion (on FB!). But it is difficult to argue that social media offer sports coaches a remarkable access to information and insights from professional colleagues from every corner of the globe.</span><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Learn to drink proper, Italian espresso</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. This is nothing to do with coaching. It is just one of those things every civilised person needs to learn!</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHY16RB0VcoE1HBrs2amwhBoi33GVXQ0ULPtn3N0awT5L7WSbI9cyIBP8ld2fZ26SBk-EYjNDFnKSK0um49iIGMRcNGcFDbyg02vB6LyTXfdtbVzuDwF93T7bLE5mErLYjlillZZY5tjY/s1600/espresso.jpeg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHY16RB0VcoE1HBrs2amwhBoi33GVXQ0ULPtn3N0awT5L7WSbI9cyIBP8ld2fZ26SBk-EYjNDFnKSK0um49iIGMRcNGcFDbyg02vB6LyTXfdtbVzuDwF93T7bLE5mErLYjlillZZY5tjY/s400/espresso.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, what do you think? What would you add to the list? What practices have you found particularly helpful?</span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></b></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Please share your insights.</b></div></span></b><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-46243182022474993622012-02-06T14:53:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.036-07:00Baby Plays Ping Pong Like a Pro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1dBdSwsRMK4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This video of a baby table tennis protege is going viral. But just in case you've missed it ....</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please let me know if you know of any similar remarkable early specialisers.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-52836348615106346132012-02-05T11:47:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.132-07:00A couple of great pictures - science and exercise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9Rar3mqXlPqHOvBDaX6KWpAwl8WNvrtAYaRZhJbAcxcOQmPL1LAuXtyhZpyug58m4VU5xI4ikMgDDF8ChwHzgKJr0Co8bFqQFqIENHcdVHAMxSujEUroIjJqEljBcNJNgoClAWGcjiA/s640/2011-12-31-13.46.jpeg" width="480" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">(Alastair Dryburgh via Daniel Pink)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first image is a lovely representation of the growing evidence of the value of behavioural prompts for physical activity.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTz7jLhRSJra4T13thbDY9REKP7eQ5xosHEGv3On_gJXMPgXyZBg5hUmNBnQ7qCOm-TQVtUyE3k6lN0_Pl2JfNWW1XiBYxokzpyZeAie6DqTFIHZ0f6sPafNOwIJEhBBTbzSQCtF3IB6A/s1600/6I1KmPSt.jpeg" /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like the second image partly because it is just funny! And partly as it hints at a world where the sane and the reasonable cause as much fuss as the crazies.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(thanks to</span><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> Prof Glynis Murphy, via Dr Jen Leigh)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-66157107767140797032012-02-02T12:07:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.276-07:00Making Sport a Daily Habit: What Motivates Children to Take Part in Sport?<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am really pleased to present a Guest Post from Ed Cope, a specialist researcher in Yout</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">h Sport at the University of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Berdfordshire in the UK.</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ed's topic is one of perennial interest and importance: children's participation in sport.</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Comments and responses to this (and previous) posts are positively encouraged.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugZHJHJIUu66XmL2R4Wc6tdmPRLO9hjW-D_DSLSt39_iCFz3bbDEF163vVUhy_pMrfJuIMGcANxuW7jvIvnenf808TWwagXstDicvoGzx2w0e7ozA_HWPi2zkROX3ysXzK1-0d0IqEKk/s400/youth-sport.jpeg" width="400" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In most sport coaching contexts, children can choose whether or not they wish to participate in sport. Therefore, it could be assumed that all children who engage in some form of sport or physical activity do so because they want to. However, not all children take part in sport for the same reasons. A large body of literature exists that documents children’s motivations for taking part in sport. This blog discusses the key findings from the literature that specifically relate to children’s motivations for participating. Furthermore, a number of recommendations will be made, which will enable coaches to deliver more developmentally appropriate coaching practices.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Children engage in sport for a variety of reasons. From comprehensively reviewing the literature, five common themes have consistently emerged. Each of these themes will be briefly discussed in this section.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Perceived competence</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Children with a high perceived competence level are much more likely to participate in sport, than children with low competency levels. </span>High competency is achieved when children experience a feeling of success. Alternatively, children’s competency levels decrease when they experience failure. It is often the case that children perceive competence against the level of effort they exert. Therefore, if a child is rewarded for the amount of effort they put in, their competence levels will likely increase.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Fun and enjoyment</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Fun and enjoyment has largely been considered the primary motive for why children take part in sport. However, there is no one global definition of fun and enjoyment. According to some researchers, it has been suggested that a number of sources affect what children perceive to be fun and enjoyable. These sources can be grouped into three categories; achievement (skill mastery, perceived competence and physical appearance), social (friendships, social recognition, adult interaction and team interaction), and intrinsic (excitement and energy, flow, movement sensations and good times). It is important to understand what sources affect children’s motivations to participate. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Parents</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Parents have considerable influence over children’s motivation to take part in sport. In particular, parents can influence their children’s perception of competence through the role they play in their children’s sporting life. The extent, to which parents become involved in their children’s sport, will either promote motivation levels, or decrease them. It has been suggested that over-involved parents who pressure their children to win, have a negative effect on their motivation. At the same time, under-involved parents who show little appreciation of children’s efforts will also have a de-motivating impact on their willingness to maintain participating. It is recommended that parents show care and support, with an emphasis on effort, teamwork and fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Learning new skills</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Research in swimming and athletic contexts suggest that some children take in sport in order to satisfy their intrinsic motivations of learning new skills. The reasons stated were that children enjoy learning new skills to make them better at the sport they participated in, and because of the inherent challenge it presented. In addition, it has been found that some children also wish to learn new skills to impress coaches, parents and friends/teammates.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Friends and Peers</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Although not as significant a motivational factor as some of the other sources that have been discussed, friends and peers do influence children’s motivations to take part in sport. Children cite friends and peers as motivational influences when they are given the opportunity to work together, gain social acceptance, and make friendships. When placed in situations that promote direct competition, many children become de-motivated.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Key points</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The majority of research, which has studied children’s motivations to participate in sport, has done so from a psychological viewpoint. However, children’s motivations are also influenced by a number of socio-cultural factors (e.g. parents and friends). Considering this, motivation is a context specific phenomenon, as what motivates one child in one context, may not necessarily motivate them in another.</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Most children are intrinsically motivated to take part in sport (i.e. they participate for reasons such as wanting to learn new skills or because they enjoy participating)<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=916747184538095291" name="_GoBack"></a>. Coaches must be aware that they are responsible for creating the coaching environment, with this influencing children’s desire to remain intrinsically motivated. Consequently, if children are to remain motivated, the coaching environment must be aligned with the reasons for children wanting to participate.</span></span></li><li style="text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Coaches, who use more positive behaviours, over more negative behaviours, have been found to maintain and increase the level of children’s motivation. Coaches should minimize their use of negative behaviours, but also be aware that constant delivery of positive behaviours such as general positive feedback will have an adverse effect on children’s motivation.</span></span></li><li style="text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Coaches should look to limit the amount of instruction they give. It has been argued that too much instruction impacts on the ability of children to engage in decision making and problem solving tasks. Instead, an effective coaching strategy is to remain silent for periods of coaching practice, as this allows a coach to observe and reflect on practice. At the same time, it allows children to make their own decisions and work problems out for themselves.</span></span></li><li style="text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Coaches must strive to understand the personal motivations of all of the children they are coaching. As has been highlighted, children have many different motivations for participating.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Further reading<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Keegan, R. J., Harwood, C. G., Spray, C. M., & Lavallee, D. E. (2009). A qualitative investigation exploring the motivational climate in early-career sports participants: Coach, parent and peer influences on sport motivation. <i>Psychology of Sport and Exercise</i>, <i>10</i>, 361-372<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">McCarthy, P. J., & Jones, M. V. (2007). A Qualitative Study of Sport Enjoyment in the Sampling Years. <i>The Sports Psychologist, 21</i>, 400-416<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Smoll, F. L., Smith, R. E., Barnett, N. P., & Everett, J. J. (1993). Enhancement of Children’s Self-Esteem Through Social Support Training for Youth Sport Coaches. <i>Journal of Applied Psychology</i>, <i>78 (4)</i>, 602-210.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Wall, M., & <span lang="FR">Côté, J. (2007). Developmental activities that lead to dropout and investment in sport. <i>Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 12(1)</i>, 77-87.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Weiss, M. R., & Petlichkoff, L. M. (1989). Children’s Motivation for Participation in and Withdrawal from Sport: Identifying the Missing Links. <i>Paediatric Exercise Science, 1</i>, 195-211.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Weiss, M. R. (1993). Children’s Participation in Physical Activity: Are We Having Fun Yet? <i>Paediatric Exercise Science, 5(3)</i>, 205-210.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Biography<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ed is currently a full time PhD student at the University of Bedfordshire. His research interests are centred around the pedagogical practices that children's sport coaches employ, and how these impact on children's sporting experiences. Ed is also a practicing children’s sports coach. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ed can be contacted by email: <a href="mailto:Edward.cope@beds.ac.uk">Edward.cope@beds.ac.uk</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtwmgw6oNIJaxS7hns7Ossj1oyYLjQ5D8YrDBHxMlUGUk5fq3BJ0BYfQsrWsA8kQLAgQjmjxW0klRY1Dy_a2jfofRE7TAkrqVy75UnFicxw57oFQVQ6zK6XRSGZmnS_61VJojmWGSiiQ/s1600/rbes+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtwmgw6oNIJaxS7hns7Ossj1oyYLjQ5D8YrDBHxMlUGUk5fq3BJ0BYfQsrWsA8kQLAgQjmjxW0klRY1Dy_a2jfofRE7TAkrqVy75UnFicxw57oFQVQ6zK6XRSGZmnS_61VJojmWGSiiQ/s400/rbes+background.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-82379845943333792272012-01-29T11:43:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.371-07:00Young Adults and Sport: motives and barriers<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am delighted to tell you that today's is a Guest Post.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is the first of a series of guest posts, focusing on sports participation, written by some exciting young researchers and academics.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here, Matthew Reeves talks about the participation of young adults.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“The afternoon of human life must also have a significance of its own and cannot be merely a pitiful appendage to life's morning. The significance of the morning undoubtedly lies in the development of the individual...” (</i><i>Carl Jung)</i></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’d like to start by thanking Richard for inviting me to write a guest blog – something I haven’t been asked to do, nor tried to do, previously. We’ll see how I get on! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’m going discuss ideas around the motivations and barriers that teenagers and young adults face with regard to their participation in sport. Jung’s statement, above, may appear to focus upon the ‘older’ person however, there is one key thing to remember: the drop out from sport and physical activity is highest amongst adolescents, thus bringing “<i>the afternoon of human life</i>” further forward than we may like to think (at least from a sporting/physically active perspective). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Before discussing what barriers young adults face it seems reasonable to discuss why young people want to initially take part in sport and physical activity. The motives young adults and adults have to participate in sport may well be different from those of younger participants. Sports psychology research has concentrated on explaining motives for participation and adherence, looking at variables such as gender, age and culture. The contexts for previous research have tended to be specific sports codes, with the sample population typically being youth, adolescents and/or elite level sports people. However, there are some researchers who have suggested that research on the motivation of adult engagement in sport and physical activity has dramatically increased as the benefits of moderate, regular physical activity have become better recognised. Such research has tended to approach the matter from a health perspective, especially investigating peoples’ health related behaviour. Such approaches have created a sizeable gap within our knowledge of adult motivations to participate in sport and phsyical activity. For the sake of brevity, I wont go in to detail on the studies included in the writing of this piece, I have simply summarised the key findings. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There are multiple motives as to why adults take part in sport. The following are the broad motivating factors that adults (18 or 50) or older adults (50+) have cited as reasons why they take part in sport:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"></div><ul><li><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Physical Fitness and Health</span></span></i></li><li><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Social Motives / Enjoyment / Relaxation / Appearance</span></span></i></li><li><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Personal Challenge</span></span></i></li><li><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mastery Orientation / Weight Loss</span></span></i></li><li><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sense of Achievement / Competition</span></span></i></li><li><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Medical Sanction</span></span></i></li><li><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">More Energy</span></span></i></li></ul><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The categories above have been listed in sequential order as to the number of times they have been found within the research literature. However, it is important to note that many of the categories overlapped and had a direct interplay with each other.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Unsurprisingly, the picture of demotivation is as complex as its more positive counterpoint. The reasons offered by one particular study for dropping out and discontinuing participation in sport are equally as varied and include: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">It was no longer fun<br /><o:p></o:p></span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">No longer interested in the activity<br /><o:p></o:p></span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">I didn’t like the coach<br /><o:p></o:p></span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">I want to participate in other activities<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Critically, research has suggested that the majority of reasons for discontinuation are negative and are likely to have a significant impact on future participation decisions. It is estimated a significant proportion of children drop out of sport each year. Whilst some drop out of one sport and continue participating in an alternative, others discontinue participation completely. The literature suggests that adolescence is a period where discontinuation from sport and physical activity is at its peak. One particular study sampled youth sport participants and found that while over a quarter of children were participating in sport at 10 years of age, this dropped significantly to just over 3% at age 18 years of age. Females, in particular, indicate that <b>negative physical and emotional experiences in sport</b> led to their decision to discontinue participation. This parallels other research findings, suggesting females drop out of sport because it is <b>too competitive</b> and because they <b>do not see themselves as competent</b>. Similarly, males suggested that the <b>competitive nature</b> of participation led to their withdrawal (<i>i.e.</i> when they were unsuccessful). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Adolescents and young adults also describe transitions within education (and <b>from education to employment</b>) as having a negative impact on participation in sport. However, self-motivation, self-efficacy and self-concept are described as factors between those who maintain participation during such transitions and those who drop out and discontinue. For example, the young women in surveyed in an American study who ‘never participate’ suggested the transition to secondary school and beyond negatively impacted their participation as they had <b>less time</b>, <b>less energy</b>and their <b>social groups had changed</b>. Mention was also made that participants felt more self-conscious during this time which also lead to their discontinuation in sport. Conversely, while the young women who ‘always participate’ experienced similar transitional challenges, they acknowledged that their self-motivation and commitment to sport enabled them to successfully negotiate these key periods of development. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A national study categorised the barriers to preventing adults from taking more exercise into five main types: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">physical</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">emotional</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">motivational</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">time; and</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">availability.</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><i style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Although time barriers appear to be important for both men and women, <b>women are more likely to report emotional barriers</b> to exercise (<i>e.g.</i> ‘I’m not the sporty type’). This is likely to be related to <b>perceptions of competence</b> where individuals avoid participation in activities because of self-presentational concerns. I feel this is a good time to direct you to the final blog entry I have been asked to write regarding the development of fundamental movement skills during childhood and adolescence – it will close some of the potential gaps developing at this point.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Predicting adult involvement in physical activity is an area which has received cursory research interest over the last 40 years or so. The dearth of literature associated with this area, an inconsistency of approach and theoretical foundation has left findings somewhat inconsistent and conflicting. Research, to date, has also tended to focus upon factors associated with participation in ‘team sports’, thus leaving individual participation in sport largely under researched.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The final point to make is that some of the research literature suggests physical activity habits developed in childhood and adolescence may be associated with physical activity levels in adulthood. These findings are somewhat conflicting and further investigation into this phenomenon is required. From the individuals’ perspective, understanding the reasons underlying continuation and discontinuation in sport and physical activity is critical and encompasses factors, such as skill competence and psychobehavioural factors, as well as social factors, such as motivational climate. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Well – that finishes my first attempt! I hope you have found it useful, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions; I will of course check comments posted on the blog. The reference list contains all research referred to throughout and other pieces which underpin the blog itself. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Further Reading<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoBibliography"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bailey, R., Collins, D., Ford, P., MacNamara, A., Toms, M., and Pearce, G. (2010). <i>Participant Development in Sport: An Academic Review.</i> Leeds: Sports Coach UK.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoBibliography"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Biddle, S. J., and Bailey, C. I. (1985). Motives for Participation and Attitudes Toward Physical Activity of Adult Participants in Fitness Programs. <i>Perceptual and Motor Skills</i> <i>, 61</i>, 831 - 834.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoBibliography"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Biddle, S., Coalter, F., O'Donovan, T., MacBeth, J., Nevill, M., and Whitehead, S. (2005). <i>Increasing Demand for Sport and Physical Activity by Girls.</i> Edinburgh: Sport Scotland.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoBibliography"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Butcher, J., Linder, K. J., and Johns, D. P. (2002). Withdrawl from Competitive Youth Sport: A Retrospective Ten-year Study. <i>Journal of Sport Behaviour</i> <i>, 25</i>(2), 145 - 163.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoBibliography"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Davey, J., Fitzpatrick, M., Garland, R., and Kilgour, M. (2009). Adult Participation Motives: Emperical Evidence from a Workplace Exercise Programme. <i>European Sport Management Quarterly</i> <i>, 9</i> (2), 141 - 162.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoBibliography"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Malina, R. M. (2001). Physical Activity and Fitness: Pathways from Childhood to Adulthood. <i>American Journal of Human Biology</i> <i>, 13</i>, 162 - 172.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoBibliography"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Seefeldt, V., Malina, R. M., and Clark, M. A. (2002). Factors Affecting Levels of Physical Activity in Adults. <i>Sports Medicine</i> <i>, 32</i> (3), 143 - 168.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Matthew Reeves</b> is a Researcher and Teaching Support Officer in the Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure at Liverpool John Moores University. His research interests are sports development and physical education policy and coach education and development. Matthew has worked on a variety of international, national, regional and local projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>www</b>.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-j-reeves/28/493/163</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Twitter</b>: @MRSportEdu</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-90115646045278074012012-01-20T08:31:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.472-07:00Participant Development in Sport<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>LTAD?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Core skills and capabilities?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Early Specialisation?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Talent Development?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Critical Periods in Development?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is increasing demand on coaches and teachers to keep informed of relevant research evidence, and to adapt their work accordingly. Evidence-based practice is accepted as the default position for those claiming to be professionals in sport.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The trouble is ... Well, there are a few troubles. For example:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of the research literature is highly complex, and uses arcane jargon;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of the literature seems to contradict itself; and</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is awful lot of it out there.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dave Collins, myself and a small group of subject experts from physiology, psychology and sociology carried out a comprehensive review of the literature on participant development in sport on behalf of sportscoachUK in 2010.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/participant-development-sport-academic-review" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqF2BhTkYwbq-US5WYTWgIPog20iwOPGbIAN2OGLWP3PYkjxjgbSB8V8BRtGsOxy5Oaw0TWjdrltkPZ_Db5JApIERmVqYjzK0eNlSVrQKT4mCZGwG2AqER0RQVTsRaFf5zD3fE8-JaiI/s320/Screen+shot+2012-01-20+at+16.14.01.png" width="242" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the image to get a free copy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The report turned out a lot more 'comprehensive' than we'd imagined at the start, and it is certainly the most thorough review carried on playing, developing and improving in sport.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It also includes HUGE list of references.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It offers a critical analysis of such hot topics as LTAD, early specialisation, and talent development. It also gives an examination of the assumptions that underlie most sports development programmes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The review was written as a reference document for sportscoachUK, and so the tone is at times quite technical. So, we also wrote an Executive Summary, which is available by clicking the next image:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sportscoachuk.org/resource/participant-development-sport-academic-review-executive-summary" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eQFxjAhnYSriMrkMKcyMl4PCZ1KDWda-jVe7o6Aru6pWVkqVhl0szr7RNbmeNtMJfoXPPdA1GaWVLXMWO4RdGntZp9o8-YybE2l4pKISdkrvBo3GtgYLEj0HnMSR6hO3IuKcz6m3TK0/s320/Screen+shot+2012-01-20+at+16.21.36.png" width="275" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Review team was:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div> <div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Richard Bailey, PhD</b>, RBES Ltd</span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Dave Collins, PhD</b>, University of Central Lancashire</span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Paul Ford, PhD</b>, University of East London (Now BOA)</span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Áine MacNamara, PhD</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, University of Limerick</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> (now UCLAN)</span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Martin Toms, PhD</b>, University of Birmingham </span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Gemma Pearce, MSc</b>, University of Birmingham </span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We hope this resource proves useful, and makes some contribution to the quality of sporting experiences of all.</span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-49391834884146290602012-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.569-07:00What's the point of Grammar Schools?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The journalist <span style="background-color: white; color: #585858;">Daniel Knowles has written an interesting article about Grammar Schools in the </span><a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielknowles/100130321/new-grammar-schools-are-a-distraction-from-real-educational-reform/" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a>. <span style="background-color: white; color: #585858;">Part of its interest lies in the fact that Knowles takes a critical stance to a subject that has traditionally been simply taken for granted by the right-wing press.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #585858;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is an extract of the article:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="storyHead" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><h1 style="color: #1e1e1e; font-size: 2.4em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.16em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> New grammar schools are a distraction from real educational reform</h1></div><div class="oneHalf gutter" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; float: left; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; width: 460px;"><div class="story" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 3px;"><div class="byline" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px;"></div></div></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><br /><div class="entry" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.48em; padding-bottom: 0.7em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But what I have realised is that selection does not by itself improve a school. Rather, grammar schools help bright children precisely because if you put bright children together, they individually do better. And quite obviously, that comes at the cost of a reduction in the number of the brightest, most motivated children in the ordinary comprehensives. As I said earlier, I believe I did well at least partly because most of my peers were equally bright and motivated, and from the same sort of middle-class-background, and so I had to work to compete. It is that competition that I would have missed most had I failed my 11+.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.48em; padding-bottom: 0.7em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">This highlights an uncomfortable truth: affluence, motivation and intelligence (and the three usually come together) are not just individual strengths; their mere presence drag up results for others. I may have done less well at a comprehensive, but someone else – another bright child who failed the test – might have done a little better. Statistically, this shows. In Kent, which has one of the most extensive grammar systems left, 55 per cent of the poorest pupils get GCSE results in the bottom 20 per cent nationally. On that measure, it is close to being the worst performing areas in the country.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.48em; padding-bottom: 0.7em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">We have to admit it: there is a trade-off here. The extreme benefits of grammar schools for those few who attend come partly at the expense of those who don't. Selection at 11 leaves too many bright children behind, while adding to the segregation of our schools by class. Our education system needs reform and Michael Gove is doing an excellent job of trying to change attitudes in much of the state system. But he should be very wary of embracing selection. Tests don't improve schools by themselves; they just redistribute the children.</div></div><div class="tags" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.9em; margin-bottom: 8px;"></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I live and have taught in Kent, myself, and have seen private tuition emerge as one of the few growth industries</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in the area. Well-meaning parents send their offspring to tutors increasingly early in their schooling, placing more and more pressure on them to pass 'The Test' (which, of course, happens around the same time as SATs). </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The motivation to succeed is not to get a place in a Grammar School so much as NOT to get a place elsewhere. Ability is not the criterion for enrolment with a private tutor; what's needed is a combination of fear and wealth.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yet Grammar Schools remain hugely popular with large sections of the public, and especially with members of the Conservative Party and its supporters.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The debate usually falls back on a series on unsubstantiated assumptions, such as:</span><br /><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Grammar Schools' selection methods for year olds are valid and reliable, and are <a href="http://www.suttontrust.com/research/summary-impact-of-grammars/" target="_blank">not biased in favour of those from upper socio-economic groups</a> (there is substantial anecdotal evidence from Primary teachers and parents that <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Education-Middle-Class-Sally-Power/dp/0335205550/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326814944&sr=1-2" target="_blank">this is not the case</a>);</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Grammar Schools create a 'rising tide that lifts all ships', in other words, they create higher standards for all (most independent data suggest the opposite is the case; as the article hints, those authorities that have Grammar Schools <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/the-cost-of-grammars-selective-councils-have-most-failing-schools-844223.html" target="_blank">tend to perform worse than the national average</a>);</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Selection is, in itself, the best pedagogical solution to the needs of the most able (evidence from systematic reviews shows <a href="http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=2402" target="_blank">this is not necessarily the case</a>);</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, the case for Grammar Schools is usually either a personal or political one, and rarely muddies its hands with evidence, or the educational needs of young people, as a whole!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-44138527856504056892012-01-16T13:51:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.667-07:00Exercise: the Movie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aUaInS6HIGo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I recently stumbled across this short film about the importance of exercise, by <span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Dr. Mike Evans of the University of Toronto. It is a great example of how to make quite complex ideas accessible.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I wonder whether </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">this approach can be used to explain </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">other topics?</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338107846555898453.post-76140100671657500872012-01-09T14:33:00.000-08:002012-10-25T23:43:44.767-07:00David Cameron the 2012 Olympic Legacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yL0jcx5BAtU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">UK Prime Minister David Cameron defends the legacy of the London Olympics.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do you think?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you think he sounds convincing?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00970592548350024294noreply@blogger.com0