Physical Activity And Sport During The First Ten Years Of Life

Evidence suggests that the first 10 or so years of life create the foundation for subsequent participation in recreational and health-related physical activity. This book brings together researchers and practitioners with expertise in issues related to physical activity, physical education, and sport during the primary/elementary phase of schooling, to explore these important issues. Combining inter-disciplinary perspectives, the book addresses the inherent complexity of researching with young children. It looks at the evidence on development during the first 10 years and how that evidence relates to physical activity and to sport, in pre-school, school and out of school. Finally, the book offers a series of national case studies, from Asia, Europe and Africa, demonstrating the importance of age-appropriate sport and physical activity. This is important reading for any student, researcher, educator or policy maker with an interest in physical activity and health, education in the early years or at primary/elementary level, paediatric exercise science, or youth sport.

Getting young children active and supporting their physical development right from the start is essential for children’s all-round development and good health. However, children’s levels of physical activity are declining. This book helps readers increase their understanding to support young children’s overall development, health, and wellbeing. Breaking current physical activity guidelines into bite-size chunks, the book provides key advice on caring for and educating babies and young children on how to meet the recommended amount of physical activity each day. Current research is accessibly explored, including links with screen time and neuroscience, and informs a range of flexible, open-ended activities and practical strategies to use in every early years setting. Chapters include: Suggestions on planning an enabling environment to support young children’s physical development without expensive equipment or classes. Steps for making physical activity inclusive for all children, including those with special educational needs and physical conditions. Key research translated into easy-to-understand, informative guidance. The voice of the child and the importance of listening to children woven throughout. Opportunities for readers to assess how their own setting supports physical activity. The importance of early physical development to communication and future academic performance. Grounded in best practice for supporting physical development in the early years and working with parents, this book is essential reading for trainee and practising early years educators, as well as parents and carers of young children.

"The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Society features leading international scholars' assessments of scholarly inquiry about sport and society. Divided into six sections, chapters consider dominant issues within key areas, approaches (theory and method) featured in inquiry, and debates needing resolution. Part I: Society and Values considers matters of character, ideology, power, politics, policy, nationalism, diplomacy, militarism, law, ethics, and religion. Part II: Enterprise and Capital considers globalization, spectacle, mega-events, Olympism, corruption, impacts on cities, communities, and the environment, and the press of leadership cultures, economic imperatives, and marketing. Part III: Participation and Cultures considers questions of health and well-being, violence, the medicalization of injury, influences of science and technology, substance use and abuse, the roles of coaching and emotion, challenges of child maltreatment, climates for scandal and athlete activism, and questions over animals in sporting competition. Part IV: Lifespan and Careers considers child socialization, youth and elite athlete development, the roles of sport in education and social mobility, migratory sport labor practices, arcs defining athletic careers, aging, and retirement, and emergent lifestyle sport cultures. Part V: Inclusion and Exclusion considers sport's role in social inclusion and exclusion, development and discrimination, and features treatments of race and ethnicity, indigenous experiences, the intersection of bodily ideals, obesity, and disability, and the gendered impacts on masculinities, femininities, and non-binary experience. Part VI: Spectator Engagement and Media considers sporting heroism and celebrity, fandom and hooliganism, gambling and match-fixing, and the influences of sport journalism, television and film treatments, advertising, and new media"--

This is the first book to survey the participation of women in sport and physical education across Asia, from the Middle East and South Asia through to the Asia-Pacific region. Covering sport and physical activity at all levels, from school-based PE and community sport to elite, high-performance sport, the book provides an important overview of developments in policy, theory and research across this complex and dynamic region. It has a strong focus on gender equity but is informed by important intersecting influences that affect the lives of girls and women and their participation in sport. Including contributions from leading scholars from across the region, the book draws on multi-disciplinary perspectives, including sociology, cultural studies, anthropology, and history, and makes an important contribution to global understanding of diversity, challenges, and achievements in the sporting lives of Asian Women. This book will be a fascinating read for any student, researcher, or policy-maker working in sport studies, gender studies, women’s studies or Asian studies.

This book offers new, multidisciplinary perspectives on esports, one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the sports and leisure industries. Drawing on sociology, philosophy, education, business, economics, and sports science, this book considers the rise of esports, its impact on sports and society more widely, and the direction of travel for esports in the future. Featuring cutting-edge work from researchers in Europe, North America, and Asia, this book explores definitions of “esport” and “virtual sport,” and the philosophical basis by which we understand movement and embodiment in the context of digital gaming. It considers the health and well-being needs of esports athletes, across physical, mental, and social dimensions, as well as how nutrition and training relate to performance and injury prevention. This book also considers the economics of the esports industry and how the concept of sportification can be used to describe esports’ development, as well as the challenges and debates surrounding gender and representation in esports. A final section of this book looks at esports in education, in schools and universities, and considers the future of esports for a generation of digital natives. This book makes a useful contribution to the growing body of knowledge on esports and should be a thought-provoking read for anybody with an interest in sports studies, gaming, or the impact of technology on wider society.

It represents an entirely novel way of reconstructing how we conduct research, taking account of the values, voice and ethics inherent in this transaction. It is an innovative, yet user-friendly practical and theoretical guide using authentic research vignettes to show how new approaches to research on children and youth might be developed and applied in reality. It extends the work done by all contributors to the book (50 years cumulative experience).

This book investigates and uncover paradoxes and ambivalences that are actualised when seeking to make the right choices in the best interests of the child. The 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child established a milestone for the 20th century. Many of these ideas still stand, but time calls for new reflections, empirical descriptions and knowledge as provided in this book. Special attention is directed to the conceptualisation of children and childhood cultures, the missing voices of infants and fragile children, as well as transformations during times of globalisation and change. All chapters contribute to understand and discuss aspects of societal demands and cultural conditions for modern-day children age 0–18, accompanied by pointers to their future. Contributors are: Eli Kristin Aadland, Wenche Bjorbækmo, Jorunn Spord Borgen, Gunn Helene Engelsrud, Kristin Vindhol Evensen, Eldbjørg Fossgard, Liv Torunn Grindheim, Asle Holthe, Liisa Karlsson, Stinne Gunder Strøm Krogager, Jonatan Leer, Ida Marie Lyså, Elin Eriksen Ødegaard, Czarecah Tuppil Oropilla, Susanne Højlund Pedersen, Anja Maria Pesch, Karen Klitgaard Povlsen, Gro Rugseth, Pauline von Bonsdorff, Hege Wergedahl and Susanne C. Ylönen.

Long-Term Athlete Development describes how to systematically develop sporting excellence and increase active participation in local, regional, and national sport organizations. This resource describes the long-term athlete development (LTAD) model, an approach to athlete-centered sport that combines skill instruction with long-term planning and an understanding of human development. By learning about LTAD, sport administrators and coaches will gain the knowledge and tools to enhance participation and improve performance and growth of athletes. This text offers the first in-depth and practical explanation of the LTAD model. Long-Term Athlete Development integrates current research on talent development and assessment into practice to help sport leaders plan athletic development across the life span or design detailed programs for a particular group, including those with physical and cognitive disabilities. Authors Balyi, Way, and Higgs—pioneers and veteran LTAD facilitators—critique current talent development models, discuss the limitations of the LTAD model, and demonstrate the benefits of LTAD as a new approach. By integrating knowledge of these models, readers are able to analyze their own programs and take steps to improve sport and coaching philosophies and reach adherence and performance goals. Explanations and visuals of concepts help readers understand the state of knowledge in talent identification and long-term athlete development. Chapter-opening vignettes offer examples of how the LTAD model can be used to alleviate common issues. Listings at the end of each chapter offer sources for further study, and reflection questions guide readers in applying the content. The text offers a logical presentation of current research: • Key factors that guide and shape the LTAD model, such as physical literacy, the differences between early- and late-specialization sports, and variations in trainability across the life span • Information on the time needed to develop excellence in sport and how periodization of training is related to the developmental stage of the athlete • The seven stages of LTAD, from development of fundamental movement skills to training for elite competition and the transition to lifelong physical activity • Considerations in the development of optimal programs for participants passing through each of the seven stages Long-Term Athlete Development is an essential guide to improving the quality of sport, developing high-performance athletes, and creating healthy, active citizens. It offers parents, coaches, and sport administrators a deeper understanding of the LTAD model, helping them create an enjoyable, developmentally appropriate environment for both competitive athletes and enthusiastic participants.