The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 6 warm-up protocols, with and without stretches, on 2 different power maneuvers: a 30-m sprint run and a vertical countermovement jump (CJ). The 6 protocols were: (a) walk plus run (WR); (b) WR plus exercises including small jumps (EJ); (c) WR plus dynamic active stretch plus exercises with small jumps (DAEJ); (d) WR plus dynamic active stretch (DA); (e) WR plus static stretch plus exercises with small jumps (SSEJ); and (f) WR plus static stretch (SS). Twenty-six college-age men (n = 14) and women (n = 12) performed each of 6 randomly ordered exercise routines prior to randomly ordered sprint and vertical jump field tests; each routine and subsequent tests were performed on separate days. A 2 x 6 repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant overall linear trend (p < or = 0.05) with a general tendency toward reduction in jump height when examined in the following analysis entry order: WR, EJ, DAEJ, DA, SSEJ, and SS. The post hoc analysis pairwise comparisons showed the WR protocol produced higher jumps than did SS (p = 0.003 < or = 0.05), and DAEJ produced higher jumps than did SS (p = 0.009 < or = 0.05). There were no significant differences among the 6 protocols on sprint run performance (p > or = 0.05). No significant interaction occurred between gender and protocol. There were significant differences between men and women on CJ and sprint trials; as expected, in general men ran faster and jumped higher than the women did. The data indicate that a warm-up including static stretching may negatively impact jump performance, but not sprint time.

The primary purpose of this research was to obtain information concerning injury incidence and perceptions of training intensities and fatigue levels among college athletes via a survey study. A second purpose was to illuminate correlations between the collected data. This study employed an investigator-designed survey instrument administered to 411 NCAA Division II male and female athletes, with 149 completed responses. The survey included 3 themes: injury incidence, training intensity, and physical and mental exhaustion. Men and women spent 4.5 days per week training using moderate- and high-intensity levels. Fifty percent of the total number of athletes reported chronic injury. During the competition season, physical exhaustion occurred "frequently" 30.86 and 23.53% of the time with men and women, respectively. In the noncompetition season, physical exhaustion was "frequently" experienced 19.75 and 17.65% of the time among men and women, respectively. Statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found with acute injury for men and chronic injury for women. Also, training intensity levels and physical and mental exhaustion for men and women were statistically significant. The current investigators found the training involved 2-3 hours of moderate to high intensity 4.5 days per week both during competition and noncompetition; women and men spent 2-3 hours of light intensity 1.31 and 1.45 days per week, respectively. Women and men in addition to training, engaged in 3.78 and 4.43 hours of leisure physical activity per week. The investigators recommend tapering, periodization, and rest to help avoid overuse syndrome, overreaching, and overtraining that leads to excessive physical and mental exhaustion and injury.

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of Partner's Improvisational Resistance Training (PIRT) on muscular strength, body circumference, and body fat percentage in 10 female college-age dancers in comparison with 8 female dancers in a control group. The PIRT program, based on the concepts of manual resistance training, is the application of contact improvisation in a systematic strength development program, which proposes a way of contextualizing muscular strength development within the dance class. The program lasted 8 weeks, meeting 3 times weekly for 60-minute sessions. The muscular strength pre- and posttests included 1-repetition maximum (1RM) for leg extension, leg flexion, leg press, bench press, lat pulldown, back extension, and modified sit-up. Hydrostatic weighing for body composition and circumference measures on the waist, hip, shoulder, upper arm, and thigh were made pre- and posttest analyses. There were no significant pretest differences between the groups for age, height, body weight, body fat percentage, any of the circumference measures, or 5 of the 7 muscular strength measures. At posttest, neither group showed significant changes in total body weight, body fat percentage, or lean body weight. The experimental group showed significant decrements in the waist and hip circumference measures, and all other body circumference changes were nonsignificant. The experimental group showed significant changes from pretest to posttest for all seven 1RM strength measures and greater absolute and relative strength improvements in 5 measures compared with the control group. Thus, the 8-week PIRT program for female dancers was found effective in improving overall muscular strength and decreasing circumference in the waist-hip region, but it did not elicit significant changes in body composition.

Purpose -The purpose of this study is to describe how one US Midwestern university implements quality principles, based on the value added premise in a teacher preparation program that yields accountability, teacher education standards attainment and ultimately improvement of teacher candidates and overall programs. Design/methodology/approach -Data pertinent to students were gathered in a systematic way as they declared a certification area. This data was used to identify students who needed tutorial support and class advisement to assure successful matriculation, program completion and success on identified critical assessments. The two assessments identified were teacher work sample (TWS) and the national physical education certification examination (Praxis II). Meaningful proactive advisement, data sharing and tutorial testing assistance program were the primary approaches used to improve teacher candidate competencies. Findings -Specific course modifications and curricular redesign resulted in positive results on the TWS and Praxis II. The results have been improved teacher candidate performance on knowledge, skills and dispositions measures. Research limitations/implications -As result of sharing data, a cultural shift occurred within the program. Faculty became more accountable to teacher candidate competency attainment and teacher candidates became more attuned to becoming an effective prospective teacher. Practical implications -Because this particular teacher education programs implemented quality principles, utilized the value added approach to management and systematically used data that yielded positive results, it has become a model for other teacher education programs. Originality/value -This study uses one program to provide examples of how management of accountability and standards attainment can lead to administrative, curricular, candidate and overall program improvement.