Objective: Determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student-athletes. Participants: Participants (n = 238) were Division III student-athletes (18-24yrs) enrolled at a Pennsylvania State University campus during the Fall 2020 semester. Methods: Student-athletes were emailed a link of a 43-question survey which was deployed using Qualtrics®.…

Introduction: This study explored the relationship between first-time or repeat participation at a sports education camp and demographic variables of gender, age, race or ethnicity, measures of self-perception, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity in participants' communities. Methods: The study was a secondary data analysis of interview…

The decline in physical activity (PA) from youth to young adulthood is evident, though limited research has addressed whether specific factors of K-12 physical education (PE) have any influence on outcomes during college years. This study examined the relationship between college students' physical fitness and PA behavior and their high school PE…

The Strongwomen® Program (SWP) is a nationally disseminated group strength-training exercise and nutrition education program delivered by Extension. The study reported here examined the effect of strength training exercises in SWP on improvement in physical fitness of program participants. Senior Fitness Test was used to collect data. Upon…

Although honors students are highly motivated and intellectually promising, they are not empty cognitive vessels ready to be filled with professorial knowledge. They are, instead, complex, multifaceted young people, sometimes troubled, often delighted and delightful. While at college they are learning how to live their lives not just as…

Background: In 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Health developed the Active Schools Program (ASP) which required 30?minutes of daily physical education (PE) in middle schools to reduce childhood obesity. This investigation evaluated the ASP effects on physical fitness and weight status in middle school adolescents throughout 1 academic year.…

This study examined enabling conditions related to implementing and sustaining a high-quality physical education program at three elementary schools in Pennsylvania. Physical education is being reduced or removed from elementary curriculums because of reduced school budgets and a strong focus on academic standards. Furthermore, the lack of…

The author, who has been a personal trainer for the past ten years, recently realized that all fitness centers are not equal. In February, he was able to participate in the grand opening of the Center for Independent Living of Central PA (CILCP), a fitness center that is designed to accommodate persons with disabilities living in the Central…

The demise of recess in many elementary schools--and of outdoor play in general--is an issue of great concern to many members of the Play, Policy, and Practice Interest Forum. Most people remember recess as an important part of the school day. It was a time to be outdoors; to organize games; to play on the swings, slides, and other playground…

As schools work to ensure that all students have the skills and competencies to succeed in work and life, and with growing expectations for success on standardized assessments at the federal, state and local levels, education leaders increasingly understand the importance of student wellness to achieving these goals. This report outlines why…

In an age of rising obesity rates, more students are getting fit in school with the help of the video game series Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and similar games. Some educators caution that while the trend is positive overall, technology should only supplement--not replace--traditional physical activity, such as running, aerobics, and other…

This document describes "lifetime sports" education in Pennsylvania. "Lifetime sports" is defined as individual and dual sports that increase energy expenditure and contribute to personal fitness so that people can safely pursue them throughout their life. The historical background is given for the specific program in…

The purpose of this paper is to review the biomechanics and exercise physiology studies published in the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (RQES) over the past 75 years. Studies in biomechanics, a relatively new subdiscipline that evolved from kinesiology, first appeared in the journal about 40 years ago. Exercise physiology studies have…

In conjunction with a new set of regulations dealing with health and physical education programs in Pennsylvania school districts, effective July 1, 1975, the Department of Education outlines in this report competencies and objectives which school districts are encouraged to use to develop quality programs. The physical education competencies…