Education in Sport and Physical Activity


Book Description

Sport and physical activity are embedded in our education systems and in wider society. This book takes the broadest possible look at this topic, across every key discipline and on different continents, opening up important new directions for the future development of sport and physical activity education. The book examines education in sport coaching, sport management, PE teacher training, physical activity and health promotion, and the emerging discipline of outdoor studies, considering how trends such as globalisation, digitalisation, and privatisation are having a profound impact on education programs. It identifies some of the most important societal issues that must be addressed by sport and physical activity educators, including healthy lifestyles, inequality, intercultural aspects, human rights, and emerging technologies, and looks at how sport and physical activity education in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Australasia is evolving to meet these challenges. Designed to invite self-reflection, to provoke debate and to open up new cross-disciplinary and international perspectives within sports organisations and higher education institutions, this book is fascinating reading for advanced students, researchers, teachers, and policy makers with an interest in sport and physical activity.




Children and Sports Training


Book Description

How to develop coordination and physical skills in young athletes.




The Sports Gene


Book Description

The New York Times bestseller – with a new afterword about early specialization in youth sports – from the author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training? In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10,000-hour rule, David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it. Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism.




The Athletic Skills Model


Book Description

The Athletic Skills Model offers an alternative to dominant talent development theories in the form of holistic broad-based movement education, focusing on health and wellbeing. It places the emphasis on ‘physical intelligence’ – including attributes such as agility, flexibility and stability – through adaptable and varied training programmes, creating a skilled athlete before introducing sport specialization. The book sets out the scientific underpinnings of the ASM before going on to offer practical guidance on the content of the programme, how to adapt and vary the programme, and how to apply the approach to different age groups and sports. The ASM’s application in the youth development programme at AFC Ajax is explored in depth, before a future of talent development with an emphasis on athletic, rather than sport-specific, expertise is imagined. The Athletic Skills Model introduces an important and timely challenge to conventional wisdom in talent development and is a fascinating read for any upper-level student or researcher interested in youth development, skill acquisition, motor learning or sports coaching, and any coaches wanting to refresh their approach to talent development.




Professional Advances in Sports Coaching


Book Description

Despite the rapid advance of the academic study of coaching science, there is a dearth of evidence on contemporary progressions within the coaching profession itself, particularly around the wide-ranging challenges that coaches face. Professional Advances in Sports Coaching constitutes an essential collection of the most innovative, up-to-date reviews and research on professional issues in sports coaching and coaching psychology. Seeking to assess and challenge contemporary conceptual and theoretical research around the evolving nature of the coach’s role, issues associated with athlete and coach welfare, and societal demands of the coach, the book covers topics as diverse as: gender and spirituality within sports coaching; working in culturally diverse environments and disability sport; understanding hazing, mental health issues, and disordered eating in athletes; moral behaviour and safeguarding; high performance coaching and talent development; communicating with athletes in the age of social media, and managing cliques. Written by leading experts from around the world, every chapter clarifies and defines key concepts, gives an up-to-date and comprehensive review of literature within the area, and examines the implications for future research and applied practice. This is a critical resource for any upper-level student enrolled in sports coaching science or practice classes, sports coaching academics with an interest in professional practice, and practicing sports coaches.




NSCA's Essentials of Sport Science


Book Description

NSCA's Essentials of Sport Science provides the most contemporary and comprehensive overview of the field of sport science and the role of the sport scientist. It is a primary preparation resource for the Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) certification exam.




Serious Training for Endurance Athletes


Book Description

SERIOUS Training for Endurance Athletes provides the tools to create training programs and workouts that will pay off in competition. Endurance athletes, coaches, and multisport fitness buffs will learn how to design, schedule, execute, and monitor training programs for top results. Rob Sleamaker joins with Ray Browning, seven-time Ironman Triathlon winner, to produce a much improved version of the highly popular earlier edition. You'll learn to: - set up and manage your personalized training schedule; - use the S-E-R-I-O-U-S system of training--Speed, Endurance, Race-pace, Intervals, Overdistance, Up-hill Intervals, Strength; - add variety to your workouts; - develop a winning nutritional program; - prepare mentally for races; and - stay motivated to train and win. The authors share their expertise in a fun and informative way, drawing from their own experiences as champions. Plus, the book features the latest training advice for running, cycling, mountain biking, swimming, rowing, cross-country skiing, cross training, duathlons, and triathlons. SERIOUS Training for Endurance Athletes is your guide to high-level fitness and performance.




Long-term Athlete Development


Book Description

Long-Term Athlete Development offers an in-depth explanation of the long-term athlete development model, an approach to athlete-centered sport that combines skill instruction with long-term planning and an understanding of human development to produce athlete growth.




Training for the New Alpinism


Book Description

In Training for the New Alpinism, Steve House, world-class climber and Patagonia ambassador, and Scott Johnston, coach of U.S. National Champions and World Cup Nordic Skiers, translate training theory into practice to allow you to coach yourself to any mountaineering goal. Applying training practices from other endurance sports, House and Johnston demonstrate that following a carefully designed regimen is as effective for alpinism as it is for any other endurance sport and leads to better performance. They deliver detailed instruction on how to plan and execute training tailored to your individual circumstances. Whether you work as a banker or a mountain guide, live in the city or the country, are an ice climber, a mountaineer heading to Denali, or a veteran of 8,000-meter peaks, your understanding of how to achieve your goals grows exponentially as you work with this book. Chapters cover endurance and strength training theory and methodology, application and planning, nutrition, altitude, mental fitness, and assessing your goals and your strengths. Chapters are augmented with inspiring essays by world-renowned climbers, including Ueli Steck, Mark Twight, Peter Habeler, Voytek Kurtyka, and Will Gadd. Filled with photos, graphs, and illustrations.




21st Century Sports


Book Description

This book outlines the effects that technology-induced change will have on sport within the next five to ten years, and provides food for thought concerning what lies further ahead. Presented as a collection of essays, the authors are leading academics from renowned institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Queensland University of Technology, and the University of Cambridge, and practitioners with extensive technological expertise. In their essays, the authors examine the impacts of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and robotics on sports and assess how they will change sport itself, consumer behavior, and existing business models. The book will help athletes, entrepreneurs, and innovators working in the sports industry to spot trendsetting technologies, gain deeper insights into how they will affect their activities, and identify the most effective responses to stay ahead of the competition both on and off the pitch.