The purpose of this study was to examine the social benefits whitewater paddlers derive from a city whitewater park. Many communities are investing great sums of time and money in the development of whitewater parks, with the expectation that these parks will generate social benefits for park users and their surrounding communities (Moorman et…

Surfing has a great educational potential. This paper shows Physical Education (PE) teachers how to introduce surfing in their lessons although they are far from the coast and the waves. Our intention is to show its implementation through several stages that will progressively bring students closer to practicing surfing. For that purpose, we…

For lifeguards, recognizing a swimmer in trouble is a key factor in the rescue process. Although reports show that lifeguards outperform non-lifeguards in their surveillance task, it is unclear to what extent this difference is reflected in gaze behaviour. In the current study, gaze behaviour of nine novice and seven experienced beach lifeguards…

Purpose: To examine the impact of an out-of-school swimming program on children and youth from one underserved community. Method: Participants were 200 children and youth who attended the out-of-school swimming program during two consecutive summers. The theoretical framework employed drew from previous research on socialization. A mixed-methods…

Employee turnover is the loss of talent in the workforce. High employee turnover is expensive and disruptive. Young employees are more likely to leave one job for a better one and are often less attached to an organisation while they are completing their education. The aquatics industry has been described as being in a crisis, experiencing…

Drawing on Foucauldian genealogy and the methodological approaches of cultural studies, the authors address the question of how assumptions of citizenship have functioned in Finnish cultural texts on swimming. The analysis is developed from texts from the early twentieth century to the present day. Based on a theoretical approach that combines the…

Superstitions, or repetitive actions an athlete believes to be powerful and influential to performance and success, are prevalent in all types of sport. Superstitions are often believed to be detrimental due to their controlling nature, as opposed to pre-performance routines, in which the athlete is in control. However, superstitions may serve to…

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of recreational activities and sports on the quality of life of the mothers of autistic children. The population of this study is the mothers of autistic children living in Isparta. A total of twenty (20) mothers were chosen using random sampling method and split into control and application…

Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death among children worldwide. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk for incidents of drowning then their non-disabled peers. Mastering water safety skills, such as underwater submersion, has been associated with a decreased risk for incidents of drowning. Using a combined…

The bulk of interest in the role that interaction plays in learning in sport and physical education (PE) has focused on peer interaction at the expense of teacher-student interaction. This article redresses this imbalance in the literature by reporting on a study that inquired into the nature of teacher-student interaction and its effect on…

This qualitative study addressed this primary question: How does talent develop among four Nebraska youth? Four highly talented Nebraska youth in the domains of baton twirling, swimming, rodeo, and both softball and music were interviewed along with their parents and coaches. Results revealed unique talent stories and commonalities among those…

Several recent studies have shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are less physically active than their typically developing peers and are thus at risk of health problems associated with inactivity (e.g., obesity or diabetes). There is a need to examine the effectiveness of interventions such as swimming that are aimed at…

Background: Our understanding of the role in which content knowledge (CK) can strengthen instructional models and how that knowledge matters for professional development is limited. It is contended that mere use of an instructional model is insufficient to impact psychomotor learning in meaningful ways. Purpose: This study was conducted to…

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often experience difficulties with motor skill learning and performance. The pool is a unique learning environment that can help children with ASDs learn or improve aquatic skills, fitness, and social skills. A pool-based approach is also aligned with the elements of dynamic systems theory, which…

While one cannot control the water chemistry, he/she can control personal hygiene and facility cleanliness. Giardia and cryptosporidium (crypto) are only two of the many recreational water illnesses (RWIs) that can turn happy swim memories into serious illness situations. In this article, the author discusses three factors that determine how…