Youth tend to focus more on the outcome of a goal than on the process. An outcome orientation places a heavy emphasis on the comparison to others and the finishing placement. A process orientation, or a focus on the present and the steps needed to perform successfully, allows a person to pay attention to the lessons learned, the enjoyment of…

The purpose of this article is to explore to what degree the subject of sportsmanship, morality and character development is addressed in physical education (PE) and youth sport. It also presents the effect of formal education programs designed to address the issue of character in sport, and lays out recommendations for current PE practitioners…

Physical educators and coaches serve essential educational functions, including promoting higher levels of physical activity, increasing understanding of culturally-appropriate sports skills and games, and providing a foundation for lifelong fitness through increased knowledge of health and exercise. Although movement principles are often…

Sideline shouting to "focus" and "anticipate" can be stressful and counterproductive for athletes, especially when they are novices playing in dynamic sport environments. An alternative aproach is to coach athletes to understand that focusing is a concentration skill that improves with practice. Selective attention, attentional…

Coaches lacking a formal background in sport psychology may shy away from teaching these skills in favor of teaching physical skills with which they are more familiar. Other coaches may assume that athletes will learn sport psychology skills as a byproduct of their coaching pedagogy. Regardless, high school coaches are responsible for teaching…

Teaching for personal and social responsibility (TPSR) is unconventional in nature, and this article describes the origins of the program and the many hurdles it had to overcome. It is not strictly a form of kinesiology, social work or education. It focuses instead on the whole person: kids' needs, interests and vulnerabilities. But TPSR also…

Using role playing during physical education provides limitless opportunities for intervention and for the demonstration of personal and social qualities. The purpose of this article is to provide easy steps for implementing role playing as a strategy to teach social skills to students in the physical education setting.

The use of pop culture as a tool for learning and instruction is paramount. Therefore, it is imperative for teachers to be aware of, and incorporate, trends that are popular and reflect the student experience. This article addresses the pop culture trends that can positively affect teaching, coaching education, and sport psychology practice.…

Table top tennis is a game that can be played in the classroom or lunchroom when the gymnasium is unavailable. It is a good activity for developing sportspersonship and responsibility in students in grades four and up. This article provides a description of table top tennis, including basic rules and strategies; an explanation of how it can…

Leadership is an important life skill that can and should be developed in young people. Sport and physical activity contexts have been identified as a prime venue for developing leadership in youths, but they are underused. Coaches and physical educators can play an integral role in helping their athletes and students to develop leadership skills.…

The effects of mental training on skill acquisition and performance is currently emphasized in the study of sport psychology and motor learning. This article provides the teacher and coach with general guidelines for understanding and incorporating negative thought stopping training into athletic programs. (MT)

This article provides some guidelines for coaches and athletes for goal setting strategies: (1) set realistic goals; (2) write down goals, so that they are remembered and understood by all persons involved; (3) set measurable objective goals; and (4) have coach act as facilitator. (CJ)

Investigated the way in which youth swimmers viewed their competence and factors they associated with obtaining competence. Interviews with Canadian swimmers age 8-13 years indicated that respondents focused on what they deemed performance-relevant factors (e.g., personal effort) rather than outcome-related comparisons with other swimmers (e.g.,…

Several concerns should be addressed before the field of sport pschology can have its greatest impact: (1) careful study and evaluation in this new field; (2) broadening of field and its application to various physical settings and participants; and (3) roles of responsibility defined for coaches and sport psychologists in psychological…

Sport psychology has made significant advances in organization and research technology while creating an instrumental and influential subdiscipline of physical education. A survey of high school and college coaches was performed to discover specific areas of sport psychology found to be important and how coaches would like to integrate sport…