2020 – Page 7 – The Sport Journal

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on High Performance Secondary School Student-Athletes

Author: Isabella Q. Liu¹

¹John McCrae Secondary School, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Corresponding Author:
Isabella Q. Liu
P.O. Box 34102, 3781 Strandherd Drive
Ottawa, ON, Canada, K2J 5B1
isabellaqqliu@hotmail.com
613-825-6788

Isabella Liu is a rising senior student in the High Performance Athlete Program at John McCrae Secondary School in Ottawa, Canada. She has been doing artistic swimming for the past nine years, and is currently training with GO Capital Synchro Club’s national-stream program. She was a member of the 2019 Ontario Artistic Swimming Junior Provincial Team and competed with them at the 2019 UANA Pan American Artistic Swimming Championships.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on High Performance Secondary School Student-Athletes

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide disruption of the sporting industry. Secondary school student-athletes, as a distinct population, are facing unique social and academic challenges. It is important to identify some of the unique challenges this population currently faces, and understand where our student-athletes are at mentally and physically. This is in order to ensure their needs are addressed, and the health and wellbeing of this population is protected. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian high performance secondary school student-athletes.

Methods: On April 29, 2020, six weeks after a lockdown was imposed in Ontario, Canada, a Google Forms online survey was sent out to local secondary school students participating in high performance sports to collect data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their sports and themselves.

Results: In 24 hours, 115 surveys were completed. The median age of respondents was 16/17, with 66 (57.4%) females and 49 (42.6%) males. 93% of respondents had at least one cancellation or postponement of important competitions or meets due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The athletes reported negative psychological impacts from the pandemic, with 90.5% expressing feelings of isolation and disconnection and 79.1% having feelings of anxiety, depression, and frustration. 86.1% of the respondents identified a worry for a loss of fitness during this time, with 91.3% concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their next season. Nonetheless, 84.3% of the respondents still plan to return to training once the pandemic is over, and 74.8% believe they can catch up to their previous strength/technical level after the pandemic.

Conclusions: Findings of this study suggests that more attention should be paid to secondary school student-athletes, as they are young and tackling both academic and athletic challenges.Student-athletes should be provided additional mental health support during this maelstrom of changes. Specific in-home virtual training during COVID-19 outbreak may be further strengthened and improved to protect the mental health of the athletes, especially to reduce the risk of anxiety and depression.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-08-04T10:14:38-05:00July 22nd, 2020|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

Gender Differences in Shoulder Strength, Range of Motion, and Functional Movement across a Division III Collegiate Swim Season

Authors: Andrew M Busch EdD^a, Tyler L Mansfield^a, Morgan L Barnard^a, Elizabeth L Mayio^a

^aDepartment of Health and Human Kinetics, Ohio Wesleyan University

Corresponding Author:
Andrew M Busch
107C Edwards Gymnasium
61 S. Sandusky St.
Delaware OH 43220
Phone: (740) 368-3864
ambusch@owu.edu

Conflict of Interest and Source of Funding: There are no conflicts of interest to report and no funding was received for this study.

Andrew Busch is an assistant professor at Ohio Wesleyan University and is an alumni of the United States Sports Academy.

Gender Differences in Shoulder Strength, Range of Motion, and Functional Movement across a Division III Collegiate Swim Season.

ABSTRACT

Background: Musculoskeletal variables used to identify at-risk swimmers for shoulder injuries are inconsistent, possibly resulting from fluctuations in training volume across a competitive season or gender differences in training adaptations.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in shoulder strength, range of motion, and functional movement across a competitive collegiate swim season.

Methods: Twenty-nine healthy swimmers underwent preseason and postseason testing for glenohumeral internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER) range of motion (ROM); maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) strength for IR and ER; and Functional Movement Screen(FMS^TM) shoulder mobility scores. Glenohumeral ROM was performed using a digital inclinometer; strength tests were performed using a handheld dynamometer and normalized for body weight.

Results: Glenohumeral ROM significantly decreased in both arms of both genders postseason. Gender differences showed males exhibited less IR in dominant (p = .002) and nondominant (p = .001) arms preseason, and only nondominant arm (p = .004) postseason. Relative MVIC strength did not change in males postseason, whereas females showed significant improvement in IR strength for both dominant (p = .008) and nondominant (p = .005) arms, and ER strength for the nondominant arm (p = .001). Gender differences revealed males had greater relative strength for IR and ER preseason, with no differences noted between genders postseason. No differences were observed in FMS^TM shoulder mobility scores between genders or across the season.

Conclusion: Decreases in glenohumeral ROM were observed in both arms of both genders in the postseason. Females noted significant increases in relative MVIC strength while males showed no differences in relative strength measures. There were no differences noted in FMS^TM shoulder mobility scores based on gender.

Applications in Sport: Male and female swimmers may respond differently to the demands of a collegiate swim season when comparing shoulder strength values. Postseason glenohumeral ROM measures all resulted in marked decreases in both arms for both genders.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-06-01T09:24:45-05:00July 17th, 2020|Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

The Coronavirus and Sport Management Pedagogy: Developing Student Learning Opportunities Based on Participatory Sport Businesses Impacted by the Pandemic

Author: Michael J. Diacin

Corresponding Author:
Michael J. Diacin, Ph.D.
University of Indianapolis
1400 E. Hanna Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46227
diacinm@uindy.edu
317-791-5703

Michael J. Diacin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Sciences. His research interests include sport management education and curriculum.

The Coronavirus and Sport Management Pedagogy; Developing Student Learning Opportunities Based on Participatory Sport Businesses Impacted by the Pandemic

Abstract

The presence of the Coronavirus and subsequent mandates to suspend operations has affected ownership, employees, and customers of community-based sport and recreation focused business. When operations resume, these businesses will aim to accomplish objectives of attracting new and repeat customers. These businesses will need to create messages in order to reassure consumers and create incentives in order to entice customers to return. The purpose of this essay is to articulate challenges community-based sport and recreation businesses will face when permission to resume operations is granted and propose tactics that could be utilized in order to rebuild the customer base. In addition, this pandemic provides an authentic learning opportunity for students in sport communication/management programs. As a result, suggestions for developing a learning opportunity for students based on community-based sport and recreation business affected by Coronavirus related shutdowns will be offered.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-07-06T10:37:10-05:00July 15th, 2020|Sports Management|Comments Off

Sitting Time and Physical Activity Comparison between Student Athletes and Non-Athletes: A Pilot Study

Authors: Adam J. Swartzendruber, Karen A. Croteau

Corresponding Author:
Adam J. Swartzendruber
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Department of Sport and Exercise Science
278 Whites Bridge Rd.
Standish, ME 04062
aswartzendruber@sjcme.edu
207-893-7667

Adam J. Swartzendruber is an Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

Karen A. Croteau is Professor and Department Chair of Sport and Exercise Science at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine

Sitting Time and Physical Activity Comparison between Student Athletes and Non-Athletes: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

Sitting time among young college athletes may be greater than or equal to individuals considered inactive and not meeting Physical Activity (PA) recommendations. Meeting or exceeding PA guidelines alone may not be enough to overcome the deleterious cardiometabolic effects of high sitting time. In part, this may be made evident by an independent relationship between sitting time and PA. Data from 163 full-time college students aged 18-24 were collected. Mean sitting times and Light PA (LPA) were analyzed for differences between athletes and non-athletes. Correlation analysis was completed to determine the relationship between exercise time and sitting time. Mean daily sitting time was 10.96 ± 2.98 hours, and as a percentage of total wake time, 58.86 ± 0.08% of wake time was spent sitting. No statistically significant difference in mean sitting time, in minutes, was shown between athletes (M = 629.91 min., SD = 171.657) and non-athletes (M = 677.76, SD = 182.506), as the mean difference was M = -47.854, 95% CI [-110.216, 14.508], t(129) = -1.518, p = .131, d = .27. There was no significant correlation between daily sitting time and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) time, r_s (54) = .195, p = 0.154. Next, there was no significant difference in daily LPA between athletes (M = 102.45, SD = 75.209) and non-athletes (M = 111.87, SD = 100.481) in minutes, as the mean difference was M = -9.414, 95% CI [-41.204, 22.377], t(129) = -.586, p = .541, d = .10. These outcomes support previous studies showing that athletes can be highly active and highly sedentary because of the independent relationship between MPVA time and sitting time. Research must continue with other athletic populations, preferably using accelerometry, and include the collection of cardio-metabolic risk biomarkers to determine the potential for athletes to be at risk despite their high activity level.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-06-01T08:35:00-05:00July 10th, 2020|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

COVID-19: Social Isolation and Optimism in Sport

Author: Christopher Streeter

College of Doctoral Studies, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Department of Social Sciences, Goodwin University, East Hartford, CT, USA
Academy Coach, New England Revolution, Major League Soccer (MLS)

Corresponding Author:
Christopher Streeter
College of Doctoral Studies
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ 85017
cstreeter2@my.gcu.edu
cstreeter@goodwin.edu
413-266-0968

Christopher Streeter is a doctoral candidate at Grand Canyon University, an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Goodwin University, and an Academy Coach for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. His research interests include sport psychology, coaching methodologies, motivating language theory, sociology of sport, cognitive psychology, and behavioral psychology.

COVID-19: Social Isolation and Optimism in Sport

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this discussion is to explore communicative strategies that sport practitioners can implement during this unprecedented time of social isolation as a result of COVID-19. The goal of this discussion is to frame COVID-19 social isolation mandates as opportunities for coaches and sport practitioners to maintain mental health by revisiting their commitment to their players, to their teams, and to the industry of sport. Social isolation is a fundamental safety step that can limit the spread of COVID-19. However, research links prolonged social isolation with adverse health consequences including depression, poor sleep quality, impaired executive function, accelerated cognitive decline, and increased levels of anxiety. The social isolation that COVID-19 has thrust upon the world, including the sport industry, presents a paradox: Can social isolation manifest optimism in sport? Recommendations for coaches and sport practitioners include communicative behaviors intended to deafen the social isolation created by COVID-19. Communicative approaches discussed include empathetic language, articulation of meaning and purpose, connectedness, and strategies to overcome social isolation.

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U.S. Sports Academy2020-07-06T10:30:15-05:00July 8th, 2020|Sports Coaching, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off