Academic News October 2008

 

Dear Jamie,

Welcome to the October issue of Academic News.

In this issue we introduce an important new title which investigates the challenge posed to public health by the increasing levels of youth inactivity. Youth Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior is written by Stuart Biddle Ph.D, Professor of Exercise and Sport Psychology at Loughborough University and looks likely to become the standard reference work on the subject.

We look at some exciting research that brings hope that one day mobility will be restored to those with severe spinal injuries.

We also investigate some exciting recent advances in the development and applications of smart fabrics.

And finally, more bad news for couch potatoes as research shows that athletes continue to burn calories at a faster rate even when resting

If you would like to contribute to Academic News, publicise an event or comment on any issues raised please let us know, we value your input..

Attention Bloggers: You can now link to the content in this newsletter and know it will live permanently at: http://humankinetics.wordpress.com

In this Month’s Issue

Product of the month… Leisure Services Management with Web Resources Athletes burn more energy than couch potatoes even when resting Beware The Silent Assassin Long term hope for spinal injury victims Smart fabrics for smart clothing Dates for Your Diary Academic News inspection copy requests

Product of the month…

As interest in the challenge posed to public health by the increasing levels of youth inactivity, the ambitious Youth Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior sets a standard for addressing a problem with worldwide implications. Drawing on the contributions of a diverse group of international experts, this reference challenges professionals, researchers and students to implement new solutions and further their research and work. No other text addresses the causes, contributing factors and fundamental issues in dealing with youth physical activity with such depth or comprehensive coverage. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Youth Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior breaks away from traditional thinking that places activity and sedentary behaviour on a single continuum and which may limit progress in addressing youth inactivity. Instead, the authors encourage readers to focus on how sedentary and physically active behaviours co -exist and consider how the two behaviours may have different determining factors. In doing so, the text also considers developmental features such as maturation, ethnicity, environment, and genetics across childhood (up to age 12) and adolescence (the teen years). By looking at a variety of psychosocial and epidemiological factors, the authors set the stage for a critical analysis of beliefs and views at a time when many assumptions are taken for granted. The book is organised into three parts that build one on another to deepen readers’ understanding of this complex problem. Part One begins by addressing the fundamental issues and assumptions pertaining to youth physical activity and sedentary behaviour, covering such topics as measurement of the behaviour in question, health outcomes, concepts and trends in a public health context. Once readers have grasped this foundational knowledge, they advance to Part Two for a comprehensive account of personal factors likely to be associated with the problem. Part Three moves beyond the individual into the wider social and contextual aspects of physically active and sedentary living in young people. Through this concluding part, readers gain the latest thinking on how parents, peers, schools, organised sport and related factors link to youth physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Youth Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior is an invaluable reference for exercise science professionals and researchers, social scientists, consultants and health officials who want to improve the health of children; a guide for upper- undergraduate and graduate courses in developmental sport and exercise psychology, physical activity and health, behavioural medicine, health promotion and youth physical activity. About the author Stuart J. H. Biddle, Ph.D, is professor of exercise and sport psychology at Loughborough University. A recognised leader in the field of physical activity and health for young people, he has worked in the area for nearly 30 years. He is co-author of the first textbook on exercise psychology and has delivered keynotes and other lectures in more than 20 countries. Dr. Biddle is past president of the European Federation for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and was academic co-chair of the Young and Active Project leading to national guidelines for physical activity for young people in the United Kingdom. He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from Keele University. £39.50 (59.25 Euros) Read more about the book

Leisure Services Management with Web Resources

Leisure Services Management prepares students for the challenges they’ll face as entry-level recreation and leisure managers. The text begins by presenting a firm foundation of competency-based management. Students will learn what management is, what the manager’s role is and how their work affects their agency and their customers. They will also explore specific management areas, such as marketing, financial management, human resources, employee development, communication and evaluation. Throughout the text students are encouraged to apply their own experiences to the concepts being discussed in order to extend their understanding of the profession. For each chapter, the authors provide experiential learning activities that simulate real, on-the-job situations and ask students to assume one of the many roles of a new manager. They’ll learn to deal with day-to-day management activities by completing work assignments and projects similar to those they’ll assume as managers. These activities will help students develop the competencies they’ll need in order to meet the challenges of this evolving field. The text also includes access to an online student resource (OSR), which provides documents and forms sampled from the files of actual Leisure Managers, to assist students in understanding and using important management tools. The OSR also includes an overview of key concepts by chapter, one or more detailed case studies for each chapter, a glossary, Web links and a competency scorecard, detailing the competencies required for entry-level professionals. Using this scorecard, students can measure their management skills, knowledge, and abilities at the outset of the course and reevaluate their progress at end of the course. The competency-driven approach of Leisure Services Management assists readers in gaining the knowledge and practicing the skills they need in order to begin their career in leisure management. Bolstered by the practical information in Leisure Services Management, new managers can contribute to the success of their organisation as they enjoy the challenges and rewards of their new position. £34.50 (46.60 Euros) Read more about the book

Athletes burn more energy than couch potatoes even when resting

Super fit athletes burn more energy than couch potatoes even when they are resting according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team of researchers from the School of Medicine at Yale University led by Gerald Shulman, found that endurance-trained athletes have a higher resting muscle metabolism than their unfit counterparts, suggesting that they burn energy faster than sedentary people even without exercising. Using a scanner they compared the rates of oxidation or calorie burning in the calf muscles of resting endurance runners compared with their less fit counterparts. They found that the athletes recorded 54 per cent more oxidation than their less active counterpart suggesting that the muscles of runners convert more energy to heat at rest Eight sedentary subjects and seven trained athletes took part in the study, all matched for age, weight and height. The findings show that not only does exercise appear to speed up your general metabolism such as heart rate for a few a hours after the exercise, but that it also changes the way that muscles convert fat. The data suggests that exercise has even more benefits in fighting obesity and type 2 diabetes than previously thought. Source: The Daily Telegraph Read the full article

Beware The Silent Assassin

Diabetes UK has launched ‘Silent Assassin’, a hard-hitting UK-wide campaign highlighting the seriousness of a condition that causes heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure and blindness. As you may already have seen, the campaign’s striking visuals show diabetes as a shadowy figure ready to pounce on unsuspecting members of the public. All posters feature the ‘Diabetes. Beware the Silent Assassin’ headline, and include secondary warning messages such as: Diabetes causes more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined. The death certificate will say heart attack. It was really diabetes. Diabetes causes heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure and blindness.  The advertising campaign includes a series of outdoor posters as well as newspaper and consumer magazine advertising during October and November. Diabetes UK worked with focus groups and held extended interviews with the general public to finalise the campaign key messages and gauge effectiveness. All visual materials also encourage people to visit the Diabetes UK website and its newly created Silent Assassin microsite, where a new online tool has been developed to let people know their own personal risk of developing diabetes or provide information and support on managing the condition. In addition to raising awareness of the seriousness of the condition, the campaign also aims to encourage people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes to make urgent changes in their lifestyle. It also aims to reach the estimated 500,000 people who have the condition but are not currently aware of it, as early diagnosis is crucial in preventing people from developing the complications of diabetes. There are currently 2.3 million people already diagnosed with diabetes. Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Dealing with the diabetes time bomb is a matter of urgency if we want to prevent millions of people from facing a grim future of ill-health. It is a startling fact that diabetes causes more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined. This is why Diabetes UK is launching its Silent Assassin campaign to raise awareness of the seriousness of the condition and we hope that its hard-hitting messages will help us address this serious health challenge and improve the health of the nation.” Source: Diabetes UK Find out more about the Silent Assassin Action Plan for Diabetes This poular book by Darryl E. Barnes, American College of Sports Medicine is a complete guide to managing and preventing complications associated with the disease and can significantly decrease the chances of needing insulin injections. Find out more

Long term hope for spinal injury victims

Few people who read the story of the former rugby player Daniel James and of the parents who eventually helped him to die at his own request, could experience anything but the deepest compassion for those concerned. Daniel was an engineering student whose great passion in life was playing rugby. His passion became the cruel instrument of his torment, when a scrum collapsed on him in 2007 and left him paralysed in his arms and legs. However, new research offers hope that tragic cases such as Daniel’s may one day be a thing of the past. In the study, which appears in the journal Nature, scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle implanted ultra thin electrodes into the brains of macaques which had been trained to play a game that involved rotating their wrists to the left and right. While the monkeys played, the electrodes picked up electrical signals in their brains that made them tense different muscles. The scientists then injected the monkeys with a chemical that temporarily paralysed their arms. This time signals from nerves in their brains were fed into a computer, cleaned up, magnified and sent down a wire to muscles in the monkeys’ wrists. Although the monkeys were initially unable to play the game again, they soon learned to control their wrist movements using the brain implant. Remarkably, even when the implant was connected to nerves that were not involved in wrist control, the monkeys could learn how to change their brain activity to control their actions. “The monkey was experimenting with different types of movement and different types of cognitive activity to drive those neurons and when he found something worked, he quickly repeated it and adopted the strategy,” said Eberhard Fetz, who led the study. Future work will focus on miniaturising the technology and developing wireless networks to send the brain’s signals around damaged parts of the spine to limbs that have lost their connections to the brain. As it stands, researchers have several major hurdles to overcome before the system could safely be used in humans. The first is to remove the need for wires, which increase the risk of infection. The second problem is that when electrodes are put into the brain, they gradually become encapsulated by scar tissue, which reduces their ability to read signals from individual neurons. The study suggests, though, that as long as the electrodes have a good contact with at least one neuron, it will still be possible to control muscles. Chet Moritz, who also worked on the study, said the team was looking at a potentially more powerful way of using the implant to control paralysed limbs. Instead of redirecting brain signals to individual muscles, they can be sent into the spinal cord to stimulate several nerves that together trigger a group of muscles to do a specific job, such as grasp a mug, or kick a ball. “If you stimulate directly in the spinal cord, that will often activate 10 to 15 muscles in a precise balance that produces a grasping movement or a stepping movement,” Moritz said. Scientists involved in the experiments sought to damp down hopes of the technique being ready to help disabled people in the near future, but others said they expected to see the first human trials within five years. More advanced versions of the implant could give people with paralysed legs the ability to walk again, and eventually give paraplegics control over all of their limbs, including very precise movements of the hands and arms. Source: The Guardian Read the full article

Smart fabrics for smart clothing

Scientists working for ConText, an E.C. funded consortium-based, research project, have developed groundbreaking medical-sensing smart fabrics that could eventually lead to pregnancy monitoring belts, sports clothing that provides training tips, or even a wearable games controller. ConText’s ambitious programme tackled pioneering and very complex issues in smart-fabric research, which resulted in a useful, unobtrusive and reliable RSI vest that can warn wearers to take a recuperative break. More importantly, perhaps, the work was finished on time and under budget, so ConText has scope to explore other potential applications enabled by the system. Muscle stress during sports training is one such potential application and one ConText consortium partner will pursue a swing-monitor for hockey players. Bas Feddes, Context’s coordinator said “Hockey coaches find it difficult to give feedback to their players, so they would be very interested in clothing that details the path of their stroke. The shirt would track the order in which muscles engaged during the swing. It is an application that could apply to golf, too,” Another interesting and intensively investigated applications is a physical game controller. Controlling a computer game by wearing a garment that continuously probes your muscle activity is attractive, not only because of the fun-factor but also because it promotes exercise by children. He concluded “It is an interesting area with many potential applications and the project partners were very engaged so we got a lot of work done. We would like to pursue other areas together in a future project, if possible, and we will be discussing potential research areas over the coming months.” The ConText project is receiving funding from the Sixth Framework Programme for Information Society Technologies. Source: Science Daily Read the full article

Dates for Your Diary

2nd International Congress on Complex Systems in Sport and the 10th European Workshop on Ecological Psychology The organisers have put in place an important international event featuring some of the world’s foremost speakers in the field of Complex Systems in Sport and Ecological Psychology. Among those speaking at this event are the authors of Human Kinetics’ Dynamics of Skill Acquisition, Chris Button and Keith Davids For more information 5th Evidence Based Physical Therapy Conference & Exhibition May 9th 2009, Imperial College, London This Conference is a multi-disciplinary event particularly targeted at physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, as well as sport scientists, sports therapists and all medical and healthcare professionals working or having an interest in physical therapy. For more information 4th European Congress of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering 23-27th November 2008. Antwerp, Belgium The European Congress of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering 2008 will take place in the Flanders Conference and Concert Centre. It will take as its theme ‘Engineering for Health’ and will present a balanced programme reflecting all recent developments in the different biomedical fields and bridge the gap between clinical and research. For more information To publicise your event here, send information to grahams@hkeurope.com and we will do our best to include your details

 

Academic News inspection copy requests

If you wish to arrange an appointment to discuss our latest texts and your course needs, or you would like to enquire about an inspection copy of any book featured in Academic News, please call Sian Partridge on 0113 255 5665 ext. 204 or e-mail sianp@hkeurope.com

 

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FitNews October 2008

 

Dear Colleague,

Welcome to the October Issue of FitNews.

With the winter nights drawing in, the weather getting colder, the stock market plunging and unemployment soaring it’s a pity we can’t hibernate and wake up when it’s all over.

To make it sound even worse, the human race has stopped evolving according to Professor Steve Jones, of University College London and this is as good as it gets!

However he also said that in the not too distant future, all human beings will all be uniformly brown.
If that’s so then no one will need to use sunbeds any more – so it’s not all bad news!

But whatever your own particular sport or pastime, Autumn is a splendid time of the year to enjoy it.

For instance there’s all those healthy and delicious seasonal foods to enjoy and as the weather cools there’s nothing better than getting out on a clear frosty morning and warming up with some form of vigorous exercise.

You might even try your hand at cani-cross if being dragged across the countryside by a seemingly tireless animal is something that appeals.

Personally I’ll stick to taking my dog for a brisk walk rather than the other way round.  

In FitNews this month…
	Featured product Parents can learn too A bona fido way to get fit Squatters right Surprising benefits in a recession Doctors call for ban on sunbed use by under-18s Dates for your Diary

Featured product

Whether you are just starting out, have been competing for decades, or are returning to the game after an extended break, Playing Tennis After 50 will improve your play and enhance your experience both on and off the court. With tactics and techniques ranging from basic to advanced, you’ll learn to adapt court positioning and tweak shot selection for stellar singles, doubles and mixed doubles play. Special features such as how-to- practice games and Stroke Doctor tips will correct common errors and improve skills while you play the game.Off the court, Playing Tennis After 50 will help you avoid aches and injury with stretching and strengthening exercises. Then double your pleasure with expert information on the latest equipment, tips on finding the right club and playing partner and ways to make tennis a lifelong activity! What the experts say “Playing Tennis After 50 shows not only why someone over 50 should play the game but also how to play and enjoy it with a different set of skills and awareness of weaknesses.” Stan Smith 1972 World No. 1 Player of the Year Rated by Tennis magazine as one of the 40 greatest singles and doubles players of all time “Tennis is the perfect sport to help keep you young and fit after 50. In Playing Tennis After 50, Kathy and Ron share their experiences and knowledge to make tennis a rewarding and healthy activity.“ Pam Shriver 1988 Olympic Women’s Doubles Gold Medalist “This book is a must-read for those 50 and over! The same instruction that helped us win Grand Slams, reach and maintain worldwide No. 1 rankings and win the Davis Cup championship is yours in Playing Tennis After 50. For those players who come together for camaraderie or competitiveness, this is sure to be a smash hit.” Bob and Mike Bryan No. 1 Team in the World in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Five-Time ITF Doubles World Champions PRICE: £10.99 (14.85 Euros) Read more about the book…

Parents can learn too

It’s not just children who can learn about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle from this new publication, there is plenty in Physical Activity and Nutrition for Health for parents and carers as well. Many children and parents are struggling with weight issues as they never have before and as a consequence, face greater risks of developing type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and heart disease. Children are also more likely to experience depression, anxiety, social isolation, and decreased attendance at school. To combat this problem, many schools are turning to co-ordinated school health models to develop healthier students. And that’s where Physical Activity and Nutrition for Health comes in. Although developed primarily for schools to help promote fitness and nutrition among students and teachers, this book also contains nutrition services tools which help parents and carers to adopt the same regime at home. This package includes: 60 developmentally appropriate, pilot-tested lessons for fitness and nutrition CD-ROM with 124 reproducible items, including 16 family activities, 45 worksheets, 6 transparencies, 27 exercise cards, 24 food cards, and 6 station cards Tools that offer practical ideas for building student health physically, emotionally, and cognitively Details of activities suitable for the whole family. By integrating fitness and nutrition concepts as part of a healthy lifestyle everyone can improve in all areas of health-related fitness while establishing healthy living standards for the rest of their lives. PRICE: £21.00 (28.35 Euros) Read more about the book

A bona fido way to get fit

Why take your dog for a walk, when it can take you for a run? That’s the idea behind cani-cross, the name given to dog-powered cross-country running in which the owner – rather than his four-legged friend – is the one on the leash. Running behind your dog attached to a 10ft elasticated rope is certainly no walk in the park. Even in a nation of seven million dog-owners, surely only British eccentrics would take up the bizarre sport of cani-cross showcased at Crufts earlier this year for the first time in the competition’s 117-year history? But, Britain is entering its first squad of two- and four- legged athletes in next month’s European championships, a gathering of 500 runners from 11 countries being held in the Czech Republic. Eileen and Richard Cook co-founded CaniX, the organisation leading the British cani-cross team five years ago and what inspired them was Britain’s drift towards becoming a fat nation. However, our beloved canines offer the perfect excuse for us to get fit. Eileen says that cani-cross is essentially running with good company. When attached to a dog that’s straining at the harness, cani- crossers find themselves running at a faster rate than they would normally. “It’s a great way to keep fit and get your weight down,” she says. “If you want a fantastic training partner, your dog will never let you down. They are born to run.” The medical benefits of running are well-established. It not only promotes weight loss and is a good work- out for the heart, it also reduces stress levels, releases “feel good” chemicals into the body, and can improve bone strength which cuts the risk of osteoporosis. Running with a dog adds an element of surprise that can be beneficial to the body. An unstructured run that alternates from gentle jog to sprint – such as when your running buddy spots a cat in the distance – is more effective at fat-burning than maintaining a regular pace. For more information about cani-cross, visit www.canix.co.uk Source: The Daily Telegraph Read the full article

Squatters right

Fitness instructors rate the squat as being among the best strengthening moves for the lower body, with one recent American survey of more than 36,000 gym trainers naming it as the most effective exercise for toning muscles and improving balance. Done properly, this flexing of the hips, knees and ankles will lengthen and strengthen the spine and simultaneously will work all the main muscles in the legs – including hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteal and calf muscles – as well as the trunk and lower back muscles that help to stabilise the body A less enviable accolade, though, is that the squat is often performed with appallingly bad technique. Among the most common errors is lowering the legs beyond a 90-degree angle, causing the bottom to stick out and the spine to tilt in the lumbar region, eventually leading to postural weakness. Arching the lower back so that the head and neck are crunched back can also cause tightening in every part of the body from the neck down. Studies have shown that badly executed squats can cause knee and back problems over time. “. Source: The Times Read the full article  Human Kinetics has over 230 books relating to back exercises and treatment of disorders. Follow the link below and enter ‘Back’ in the search box For full details

Surprising benefits in a recession

During the past ten years of boom, a group of American economists and psychologists has been trying to work out whether people really are better off in the in times of plenty. Their answer is that recessions (rather than booms or depressions) might actually be a blessing. People tend to drink less, smoke fewer cigarettes and lose weight. They enrol in higher education, the air is cleaner, the roads are less crowded. When times are good, research by Stanford University and the University of North Carolina shows that people of all classes tend not to take care of themselves and their families. The better off may have gym membership but all classes drink too much, eat more fat-laden food – either pre-packaged from supermarkets or in restaurants – and are more likely to neglect their families. In downturns, people have more time to visit their elderly relatives and are more likely to look after their children themselves rather than booking them into expensive after-school activities or crèches. Grant Miller, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford, says that in a boom people work longer, harder hours to take advantage of the conditions and are more stressed and less likely to do things that are good for them: “Cooking at home and exercising are seen as a waste of time.” But when wages drop, and jobs are scarce, the young feel that it makes more economic sense to prolong their education, and the elderly will retire earlier because there is less incentive to keep earning. So while there is no such thing as a good recession, it doesn’t have to cause unmitigated gloom and despondency. Source: The Times Read the full article

Doctors call for ban on sunbed use by under-18s

Children under 18 should be banned from using sunbeds, doctors said today following a major review into the link between sunbeds and skin cancer. They reviewed published research on the health effects of ultraviolet radiation and found clear evidence that using sunbeds or prolonged exposure to sunlight in childhood raises the risk of people developing skin cancer later in life. A ban on under 18s using sunbeds should be accompanied by a clampdown on advertising campaigns that claim they are safe to use, the doctors added. Writing in the journal Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research, doctors at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the University of New Mexico Cancer Centre conclude: “UV radiation exposure is one of the most avoidable causes of cancer risk and mortality in man. Whereas genetic and other factors undoubtedly contribute importantly to skin cancer risk, the role of UV is incontrovertible, and efforts to confuse the public, particularly for purposes of economic gain by the indoor tanning industry, should be vigorously combated for the public health.” The researchers also highlight studies that suggest skin only develops a tan as a direct response to DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, implying there is no such thing as a “safe” tan. More than 150,000 children under 16 have used sunbeds in Britain, according to a survey conducted earlier this year by the consumer association Which? That is despite recently updated guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive to ban under 18s from using sunbeds, and a recommendation from the industry body, The Sunbed Association, that its members refuse to accept the custom of anyone under the age of 16. Earlier this year, Scottish MSPs voted to ban under 18s from using sunbeds, a move the Department of Health is considering under its ongoing Cancer Reform Strategy. According to Cancer Research UK, cases of skin cancer in the UK have nearly tripled since the 1980s, with women more likely to develop the disease than men. Source: The Guardian Read the full article

Dates for your Diary

The British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health are to further develop the Guidelines on Older People and Physical Activity. Invitation to Consultation events: Tuesday 28th October 2008 – Loughborough University Thursday 30th October – London There will be no charge for these events, but participants should ensure they have the support of managers and colleagues before committing to these events to assist in avoiding last minute withdrawals. Both events are timed for 10.00 a.m. – 3.30 p.m. Numbers will be limited to 20 -25 for each event. For further information and to attend consultation events, please download BHFNC 8th Annual Conference Opening Doors to an Active Life: How to engage inactive communities 19th November, 2008 East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham For more information

The NWHPAF’s Annual conference for 2008 This year’s conference will focus on inspirational ideas, programmes, networks and partnerships and aims to stimulate information sharing, networking and learning. Thursday 27th November 2008 The Contemporary Urban Centre (CUC), Novas Scarman Building, 41 – 51 Greenland Street, Liverpool, L1 0BS For more information go to www.nwhpaf.org.uk If you have a conference, seminar or event that you feel might be of interest to other FitNews readers please let us know and we’ll try and include your details.

________________________________________________________________________________ All prices in this email are valid until and include VAT where applicable. Postage & Packing within UK – add £2.75 for first item and 75p per additional item. Rest of Europe – add £4 (6 Euros) for first item and £1.50 (2.25 Euros) for each additional item.

UKPE News October 2008

 

Dear Colleague,

Welcome to the October issue of the UKPE newsletter!

The start of the new academic year is now thankfully behind you and with it those difficult first few days back when educating almost seems to take a back seat.

Now, free from such distractions as dealing with a fresh intake of pupils, adjusting to new timetables or even getting to know your way round a new school, it is now possible to once again concentrate fully on with the job at hand – teaching.

But for some of you it will have been the start of more than just a new term.

To those newly qualified teachers just starting out, Human Kinetics extends a warm welcome to what we hope will prove to be a long, rewarding, enjoyable and above all, truly satisfying career.

In the UKPE Newsletter this month…
	Product of the month… Well you did volunteer Tennis Coaching Course now on DVD Study shows health related exercise in secondary schools is overlooked UK Sport chair awarded peerage BBC Sports Unsung Hero 2008 School and Sport Partnerships’ Conference Online Football Coaching from Sport IQ Dates for your diary

Product of the month…

Games for Motor Learning contains details of 110 enjoyable games, each one of which has been field-tested for over 10 years by experienced teacher and coach Ron Dienstmann. These games integrate the ’schema theory’ of discrete motor skill learning, co-operative learning and brain research on emotions and learning, into a unified teaching concept. In short you get a range of games that are so much fun that pupils don’t even get so much as a hint that they are actually learning and developing the motor skills essential to their future lives. While students are having a ball playing these games, they will unwittingly be improving their balance, manipulative, locomotor and social skills at the same time. With 110 to choose from it is easy to find games suitable for your situation and incorporate them into your curriculum. Each one engages childrens’ minds, keeps them active and moving and can be used at various skill and age levels. Guided and shaped by research in multiple areas that affect this development, these games will help students develop motor learning as well as cooperative and social skills. While pupils are busy playing, Games for Motor Learning will help them develop motor skills based around a sound theoretical model. Children might not care about the theory, but their laughter and excitement in playing the games will parallel their skill development. That makes Games for Motor Learning a win-win proposition for students and teachers alike. Price: £11.00 (14.85 Euros) Read more about the book

Well you did volunteer

So you volunteered to coach the basketball team, but are you really ready? How will you teach the fundamental skills, run effective practices and harness the energy of your young team? Fear not: Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Basketball has the answers. In Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Basketball, coaches Keith Miniscalco and Greg Kot share their vast experience and provide advice you can rely on from first practice to final game. From evaluating players’ skills and establishing realistic goals to in-game coaching tips, it’s all here – the drills, the plays and above all, the fun. This new publication will help even the most inexperienced coach develop their team’s dribbling, passing, shooting and rebounding skills by utilising its collection of the game’s best youth drills. For plays and sets that young teams can actually run, consult the Survival Guide’s offensive and defensive playbook, or to get the most out of every practice, follow the ready-to-use practice plans. Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Basketball has everything you need for a rewarding and productive season. PRICE: £8.99 ( 12.15 Euros) Read more about the book

Tennis Coaching Course now on DVD

Originally released on video, this hugely popular series of tennis coaching films by leading US coach, Nick Bollettieri is now available on DVD. Nick Bollettieri has coached many of the Tennis World’s leading players including Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams, Tommy Haas, Jelena Jankovic, Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, Anna Kournikova, Marcelo Rios and Boris Becker. His teaching techniques and effective coaching methods have formed the foundation for these DVDs, allowing anyone to access his respected coaching knowledge. From tactics to practice and forehands to drop shots, these DVDs bring Bollettieri’s teaching to life. The ten DVD series is divided into two main areas. ‘Shot Selection’ Consists of 6 DVDs and covers the techniques necessary to develop: A Killer Forehand A ‘Bollistic’ Backhand A Sonic Service Tenacious Net Play Deadly Drop Shots and Lobs ‘Game Development’ Consists of 4 DVDs and covers: Shot Selection and Court Positioning Building Points and Tactics Competitive Club Doubles Practice With Purpose  These superbly produced DVDs offer what is possibly the nearest thing to a one-to-one personal coaching session with Bollettieri with the advantage of being able to repeat the experience at the touch of a button whenever you want . Find out more

Study shows health related exercise in secondary schools is overlooked

A number of PE teachers do not appear to be effectively promoting health and physical activity in secondary schools, according to a Loughborough University study. Researchers in the University’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (SSES) have discovered that despite being a compulsory part of the curriculum, health related exercise (HRE) is often marginalised or poorly delivered in many secondary schools across England. HRE was introduced as a statutory component of the National Curriculum in 1992 and is designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle among young people through a variety of sports and physical activities. Researchers surveyed 112 secondary school PE teachers from different local authorities and conducted additional detailed interviews with 12 of the respondents. They found that, whilst most teachers appreciate the importance of HRE, many receive inadequate training in this area, which can lead to poor delivery and coverage of HRE within the physical education curriculum. The study identified a lack of formal guidance on the delivery of HRE and confusion around what HRE constitutes. The research underlines the importance of engaging teachers in appropriate continuous professional development (CPD) so they have the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to help pupils improve their health. “The limited experiences that many teachers had of health related exercise in their initial teacher training may be a key contributor to the narrow views and limited understanding that many had,” said lead researcher Laura Ward. “Many PE teachers come from competitive sports backgrounds. A lack of further training in health related areas means teachers aren’t really aware of the full range of activities that can achieve the aims of HRE. “For a number of them health and life-long physical activity were areas which were absent from their CPD profiles and as such, they seem to be relying on their own personal philosophies to guide their practices. “Even the £18m National PE and School Sport CPD programme which contains modules for teachers on health-based physical education, appears to have limited impact. Of the teachers we surveyed, only 7% had accessed the national CPD programme, and less than half knew about it, which points to a lack of awareness of all training opportunities.” Miss Ward is presented her research at the annual British Educational Research Association at its annual conference in Edinburgh on Friday September 5th.

UK Sport chair awarded peerage

Sue Campbell CBE, Chair of UK Sport and Youth Sport Trust, has been appointed to the House of Lords and will serve as a Crossbench Peer. The accolade is in recognition of her major sporting contribution to the UK. Campbell has served sport with high distinction over several decades in a number of high profile and influential roles. A former netball and athletics international player and coach, she lectured at Loughborough University and was a sport development officer before spending 11 years as head of the National Coaching Foundation. She moved to become CEO of the Youth Sport Trust in 1995, becoming its Chair in 2005. She became Chair of UK Sport in 2003, initially in an interim position before being confirmed in post in 2005. John Steele, Chief Executive, UK Sport, said: “On behalf of everyone at UK Sport, I am delighted for Sue and congratulate her on her appointment to the Lords. After a lifetime of service, passionate commitment and huge achievement in sport, there is no one more deserving or better qualified than her to play such a new and important role. I am sure she will do a fantastic job and will be looking forward to many years as a cross-bencher representing what she believes in and furthering the role of sport in society.” Sue Campbell’s appointment was also welcomed by Peers from across the House of Lords. Lord Coe, Chair of London 2012, said: “Sue will be a wonderful addition to the House. I have seen Sue’s dedication to sport first hand in the 30 years I have known her, and I’m delighted that her outstanding achievements in the world of sport have been recognised in this way. She will be a great supporter and champion of the inspirational power of sport, and I know the whole House will benefit from her intimate understanding of sporting issues. “ Rt Hon Lord Kinnock, Chair of the British Council, said: “I am delighted that Sue’s vision and relentless focus on sport’s potential to change individuals’ lives in the UK and throughout the world continues to be recognised by her introduction to the House of Lords. Over the last few years we have worked together to improve community leadership and health outcomes for hundreds of thousands of young people and, in the run up to 2012, we will pursue the UK’s international sporting legacy by reaching 12 million young people through our joint programme International Inspiration.” Source: UK Sport

BBC Sports Unsung Hero 2008

Do you know someone in your school or area who goes an extra mile to change the lives of others through sport and deserves recognition? The BBC is once again inviting nominations for the nation’s Sports Unsung Hero Now in its sixth year, the award is given to a volunteer who has made a difference to their community through sport. You can nominate people who, on a voluntary basis, prepare facilities, roll the pitch, coach the juniors, run local sports leagues or work behind the scenes so that sport can be played and enjoyed throughout the UK. Fifteen local winners are chosen by each BBC English region as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They will then join a star-studded guest list at the Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on 14 December. The overall winner is then decided by a judging panel including representatives from the BBC’s Nations and Regions, plus previous Unsung Hero winners. Bursaries of up to £2,500 are also available to the winners of each regional award to help them with their work in sport. A local BBC panel of judges will choose a shortlist of regional nominees and the winner will be announced at a regional BBC Sports Awards event. Find out more

School and Sport Partnerships’ Conference

“Playing your Part in the Team” The conference this year will focus on the incredible team work it takes to provide PE and sport for young people. We will be exploring these essential team roles through the five themes of Curriculum; Leading, Volunteering and Coaching; School to Community; Competition and Infrastructure. The themes will be explored through keynote speeches, mini-keynotes, workshops and networking. Delegates will also have the opportunity to be updated on all Youth Sport Trust programmes and visit an exhibition featuring the latest innovations in PE and Sport. Exhibition Running alongside the two day conference is an exhibition and Human Kinetics will be in attendance on Stand 308 where you can see our latest titles. Our staff will also be able to answer any queries you may have and advise you of any forthcoming publications. In addition you will receive a substantial 25% discount on all purchases so we look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. The exhibition is a key focus for the conference with ample time allocated for delegates to move around the stands, which feature displays from NGB’s, national delivery partners and selected Business Honours Club members. Other areas included in the exhibition are the Gallery of Practice, PESSYP Area and UK School Games Competition Zone. For more information

Online Football Coaching from Sport IQ

Sport IQ Magazine has just launched a free soccer coaching magazine featuring animated drills and games for all ages. Issue one features Shooting with coaching ideas suitable for all age groups from six year olds up to adults. For more information

Dates for your diary

Inspiring Dreams: Creating Opportunities. Monday 1st – Tuesday 2nd December at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham Online registration is now open for the Special Schools PE and Sport Conference 2008 – Inspiring Dreams: Creating Opportunities. Find out more High Quality Physical Education and School Sport: effective approaches to inclusion. Lilleshall National Sports Centre, 21st November 2008 The conference will inform and provide opportunities to address issues of effective leadership for inclusion and personalisation as well as pedagogy and differentiation to challenge pupils appropriately. For more information please contact Eileen Hail, Conference Administrator on 01743 254567 or email: eileen.hail@shropshire.gov.uk

All prices in this email are valid until 30/04/09 and include VAT where applicable. Postage & Packing within UK – add £2.75 for first item and 75p per additional item. Rest of Europe – add £4 (6 Euros) for first item and £1.50 (2.25 Euros) for each additional item.   email: ukpe@hkeurope.com phone: +44 (0)113 2555665 web: http://www.ukpe.humankinetics.com