Table of Contents
Establishing a Caring and Task-Involving Culture in a Gymnastics Setting
– Mario Fontana and John Feeney
Gymnastics is a sport that has a reputation for being outcome-oriented, leading some athletes to feel anxiety and experience burnout. Coaches fostering a caring and task-involving motivational climate strive to make athletes feel welcomed, nurtured, and safe while also promoting effort and improvement over outcome, fostering cooperation among teammates, helping every athlete see they are important to the team, and treating mistakes as part of the learning process. This article gives gymnastics coaches a how-to guide for creating a caring and task-involving motivational climate that can help their gymnasts thrive.
Articles
Goal-Setting Strategies: A Primer for Sport Coaches
- Matthew Bird, Chris Chapman, and Patricia Jackman
Goal setting is a widely used strategy that has been shown to enhance sport performance. However, much of the literature on goal setting, including experimental research and professional practice resources for coaches, has focused on how to set goals and the characteristics of setting effective goals. Less attention has been given to the stages and steps in the goal-setting process that occur before, during, and after setting a goal. This article outlines a goal-setting process that coaches could consider when setting goals with an athlete and provides advice on best practices.
Enhancing Health Literacy through Technology-Enriched Participatory Methods: Five Strategies for Skills-Based Health Education
- Jongho Moon, Taemin Ha, and Jenna Fisher
This article aims to advance K-12 health literacy through the integration of technology-enriched participatory methods within skills-based health education. By emphasizing active student engagement, these instructional strategies align with the National Health Education Standards and cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. The article delineates five key strategies: interactivity, collaboration, experiential learning, self-directed expression, and gamification. These strategies leverage various technological tools to foster a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy and Physical Literacy as a Pathway to Human Flourishing
- Prithwi Raj Subramaniam and Deborah Wuest
Negative health outcomes caused by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the COVID-19 pandemic, such as depression and anxiety, have increased exponentially in children and adolescents, resulting in students languishing rather than flourishing in the classroom due to poor mental health. Engaging in trauma-informed pedagogy provides a pathway to the physical literacy journey espoused by SHAPE America in the National Physical Education Standards. Eight specific strategies are provided for educators to foster student well-being, overall growth, and flourishing.
Teachers’ Communication Strategies to Promote Parental Involvement of Immigrants Regarding Physical Education
- Takafumi Tomura
Communication with immigrant parents is becoming a challenge for teachers due to cultural, social, and linguistic differences as a result of globalization and the growing diversity in many schools. Especially in physical education (PE), miscommunication between teachers and parents may lead to educational disadvantages or health risks for children. This article introduces five communication strategies to help teachers solve their communication issues and promote collaboration with immigrant parents to support their children’s learning regarding PE.
Departments
COACH'S CORNER
Drum Circles: A Creative Teambuilding Activity to Promote Team Cohesion
- Lon Seiger and Collin Webster
Talent alone will win games but to go far in playoffs and win championships, team unity is essential. This article presents the use of drum circles as a unique and empowering strategy to enhance team cohesion.
COACH'S CORNER
Back to the Future: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Youth Sports
- Laura Bruno
This article will explore how AI is being integrated into youth sports programs, the ways it enhances player development, and the potential concerns that come with relying on technology at an early stage in an athlete's journey.
EDUCATOR'S CORNER
Blowing the Whistle: Teaching Officiating in Physical Education
- Jim Hambel
This article expands on why officiating should be taught in physical education, provides specific teaching strategies, and offers assessment methods to ensure students grasp and apply officiating skills effectively.
EDUCATOR'S CORNER
Using Quaver Ed in K-5 Health and Physical Education
- Nanci Escobar and Jiling Liu
Using multiple apps in one lesson can consume much of the teacher’s time and energy and distract students from learning the content. To address these concerns, this article describes a program built by Quaver Ed, which offers an all-in-one package for lesson design and delivery.
ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Position Statements for Advocacy: Does Using Physical Activity as Punishment Make Students Leave Physical Education Wanting to Hide or Seek?
- Lisa Paulson and Robert Knipe
This article explains how to use and apply the SHAPE America position statement “Physical Activity Should Not Be Used as Punishment and/or Behavior Management” in one’s own teaching and as an advocacy tool.