School sports are traditionally described as fertile ground for the achievement of diverse outcomes for student-athletes. Philosophically, this means that the adult leaders of school-sponsored sport programs have an obligation to provide developmentally appropriate outcomes for their student-athletes. While sport skill development and competitive…

Purpose: Interscholastic, intramural, and club physical activity (PA) programs can be important contributors to student PA accrual at schools. Few studies have assessed factors related to the provision of these extracurricular PA programs, especially in private schools. Methods: We used a 16-item questionnaire to assess the associations and…

A fundamental objective for the physical educator is to provide students with effective, age-appropriate physical education (PE) in a safe environment. The importance of PE must be emphasized in light of the strong association between regular physical activity and health. Currently, 18% of U.S. children ages 6 to 19 are classified as overweight…

Although much has been researched and written about the value of extracurricular programs in U.S. public schools, few studies have addressed the combined effect that school reform initiatives, including myriad standardized tests, accountability measures, and massive financial crisis which have become more commonplace during periods of economic…

Physical activity is a crucial part of preventing or reducing childhood obesity, and may also yield important academic and social benefits. However, many children do not attain the level of daily physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Schools are uniquely positioned to provide students opportunities…

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is the governing body for high school athletics in the State of Wisconsin. For some time they have been concerned with the growing perception that there is recruitment occurring in varsity basketball within its member schools. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine what, if any,…

Educational transformation in South Africa not only brought about Outcomes-based Education and Curriculum 2005 but also a new Learning Area/Subject, called Life Orientation (LO). A major challenge for LO as a new Learning Area/Subject is the preconceptions that exist about it, and the fact that the attitude of school principals is not conducive to…

This small promotional brochure published by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) provides an overview of the association and its various services. Sections of the brochure deal with the NCAA's history; purposes; membership; how it is organized; member services; administration of its 81 championships in 22 sports; enforcement…

Author reviews the current policies and philosophy concerning interscholastic competition in New Jersey. (GB)

Lacrosse has been the fastest growing team sport at the interscholastic athletic level for the past 10 years according to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). As a result, many physical educators are branching out from their traditional team sport units and teaching lacrosse in their classrooms. They are exposing…

This paper is intended to contribute to the reexamination of the proper role of sport and its actual relationship to the educational enterprise of which it is a part. Two polar views of the proper purpose of schooling are discussed first: education for maturity and education for enculturation. The opinion is then set forth that American public…

An increased awareness of the gendered traditions of physical activity portrayed in vintage book series for girls and boys may provide teachers with a deeper understanding of (still) current ideological assumptions affecting female and male participation in sport and recreational activity. This article explores a unique girls' fiction series about…

The high school sports club program, providing for competitive experience with extraschool organizations in sports for which there are no interscholastic programs, warrants serious attention by high school administrators faced with increased costs and inflation, and a diversity of student interests. (MJB)

The author, an editor of sports in the Children's Television Studio, describes the athletics program, aired and asks for comments on their scope, type, and content. (JH)

College sports were started by students in the post Civil War period of the 1860's and 1870's. By the 1880's football, baseball, crew, and track and field were popular intercollegiate sports. The desire of the nation as a whole for diversion after World War I provided an impetus for sports in general and intercollegiate athletics in particular.…