This book responds to the needs of urban youth by describing youth development principles in physical activity programs. These programs are built on urban kids' assets and promise rather than their deficits. Included are ways of transferring skills from specific programs to everyday settings.
The first Positive Youth Development title to focus on the role of sport, this book brings together high profile contributors from diverse disciplines to critically examine the ways in which sport can be and has been used to promote youth development. Young people are too frequently looked upon as problems waiting to be solved. From the perspective of Positive Youth Development (PYD), young people are understood to embody potential, awaiting development. Involvement with sport provides a developmental context that has been associated with PYD, but negative outcomes can also arise from sport participation and school PE. Sport itself does not lead to PYD; rather, it is the manner in which sport is structured and delivered to children that influences their development. Positive Youth Development Through Sport fills a void in the literature by bringing together experts from diverse disciplines to critically examine the ways in which sport can be and has been used to promote youth development.
Focused on understanding the key underlying group processes that contribute to youth sport experiences, The Power of Groups in Youth Sport provides an innovative and expansive overview of the research in group dynamics within youth sports. The first section of the book examines topics relating to forming and structuring groups, including team selection, athlete socialization, normative expectations, roles, coach and athlete leadership, social identity, and more. The second section reviews concepts associated with group functioning and management, such as cohesion, subgroups, motivational climate, teamwork, and team building. This book concludes with a series of chapters focused on specific developmental considerations in youth sports that are often overlooked in group dynamics research including parental involvement, bullying and hazing, mental health, ,and disability and accessibility. - Synthesizes the research of group dynamics within the context of youth sport - Highlights how groups form and function - Discusses the role of parents and peers on youth sport experiences and development - Suggests ways to advance the field of group dynamics in youth sports
Two seasoned sport psychologists help coaches understand the psychology of young athletes and provide guidelines for winning strategies that benefit athletes in sports and life. They cover issues like motivation, leadership behavior, values, life skills development and other topics, enabling coaches to have a lasting positive influence on youth.
Cutting through the political rhetoric about the power of sport as a tool for social change and personal improvement, this book offers insight into how and why participating in sport can be good for children and young people. As the first text to focus on the role of sport in positive youth development (PYD), it brings together high-profile contributors from diverse disciplines to examine critically the ways in which sport can be used to promote youth development. Now in a fully updated, revised and expanded new edition, Positive Youth Development through Sport covers a wider range of disciplines including sport psychology, development psychology, physical education, sport development and sport sociology. Its three main sections focus on: the theoretical and historical contexts of PYD quantitative and qualitative methods for assessing PYD in sport the potential of PYD in sport across different ages and abilities. With expanded guidance on how to apply positive youth development in practice, this is essential reading for all students, researchers, educators, practitioners and policy makers with an interest in youth sport.
The modern day youth sports environment has taken the enjoyment out of athletics for our children. Currently, 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by the age of 13, which has given rise to a generation of overweight, unhealthy young adults. There is a solution. John O’Sullivan shares the secrets of the coaches and parents who have not only raised elite athletes, but have done so by creating an environment that promotes positive core values and teaches life lessons instead of focusing on wins and losses, scholarships, and professional aspirations. Changing the Game gives adults a new paradigm and a game plan for raising happy, high performing children, and provides a national call to action to return youth sports to our kids.
Although women and girls participate in sport in greater numbers than ever before, research shows there has been no significant increase in women leading sport organizations. This book takes an international, evidence-based perspective in examining women in sport leadership and offers future directions for improving gender equity. With contributions from leading international sport scholars and practitioners, it explores the opportunities and challenges women face while exercising leadership in sport organizations and evaluates leadership development practices. While positional leadership is crucial, this book argues that some women may choose to exercise leadership in non-positional ways, challenging readers to consider their personal values and passions. The chapters not only discuss key topics such as gender bias, intersectionality, quotas, networking, mentoring and sponsoring, but also present a variety of strategies to develop and support the next generation of women leaders in sport. A new model of how to achieve gender equity in sport leadership is also introduced. Women in Sport Leadership: Research and Practice for Change is important reading for all students, scholars, leaders, administrators, and coaches with an interest in sport business, policy and management, as well as women’s sport and gender studies.
Can a better understanding of group dynamics raise individual and team athletic performance or improve the outcomes of exercise interventions? Much human behaviour in sport and exercise settings is embedded within groups, where individuals’ cognitions, emotions, and behaviours influence and are influenced by other group members. Now in a fully revised, updated, and expanded second edition, Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology explores the unique psychological dynamics that emerge in sport and exercise groups. It provides a clear and thorough guide to contemporary theory, research, and applied practice, covering core themes and cutting-edge topics as well as highlighting directions for future research. The book is organised into five thematic sections: Part 1: The Self in Groups Part 2: Leadership in Groups Part 3: Group Environment Part 4: Motivation in Groups Part 5: Socio-Environmental Issues in Groups This new edition includes seven completely new chapters, exploring important emerging issues such as social identity, the family, co-ordination and shared knowledge within sport teams, the group as a vehicle for facilitating individual behavior change, social support and emotion regulation, peer leadership, and cultural perspectives in relation to group dynamics. No other book on group dynamics in sport or exercise offers such a close examination of the evidence base, and therefore Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology is important reading for all students, researchers, or practitioners working in sport or exercise psychology, kinesiology, sport and exercise science, sports coaching, or physical education.