The maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) of well-trained upper body athletes was compared to that of untrained individuals in four types of exercise: arm cranking, legs only cycling, graded treadmill running, and combined arm cranking and leg cycling. Results of the study showed that well-trained upper body athletes attained a significantly higher…

Predictor variables such as physical abilities, social interactions, and psychological factors are considered by coaches in selecting athletes for team membership. (JN)

A coach's role is to develop and sustain the athlete's self-efficacy by ensuring performance success, communicating effectively, using role-modeling techniques, reducing anxiety-producing factors, and using positive reinforcement. (JN)

Performance outcomes are influenced by two psychological needs: the need to feel competent and the need to feel in control. To avoid competitive stress and create motivation, the athletic coach should: (1) take the emphasis off winning and place it on the process of skill development and improvement; and (2) encourage the athlete to set realistic…

A large number of athletes have resorted to drugs to improve performance in competition. Research literature on the use of amphetamines, both pro and con, is currently confounded with poor research designs and lack of controls, and further research is needed. (CJ)

The relationship of knowledge, attitudes, and prevalence of steroid use among college athletes and nonathletes was investigated. Results indicated that the more individuals knew about steroids, the more favorable was their attitude toward use. Powerlifters and bodybuilders were found most likely to use steroids. (JD)

Describes the development of a hands-on sports medicine training program for residents at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center. Education strategies include clinical teaching, on-the-field education, experiential learning, and didactic instruction. Programs focusing exclusively on sports medicine are needed because the number of…

Research and numerous model programs suggest that sports play an important social role. Particularly among youth, sports and professional athlete role models help deter juvenile delinquency. Several athlete organizations have been established to aid youth. (SI)

After suspension of its football program, Southern Methodist University has established a course, required of athletes, covering such topics as National Collegiate Athletic Association standards and regulations, dealing with agents and media, athletes' rights, the ethics of drug testing, and the significance of race and gender in college sports.…

Examines the effects of racism, market forces, and structural changes on the status of women and blacks in college sports. Discusses the formation of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and its controversial consolidation within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). (MJP)

The Clark Atlanta University (GA) women's basketball coach recruits high academic achievers and supports their academic and athletic performance with discipline, on-the-road study, and teamwork. The approach has been effective for achieving athletic, academic, and interpersonal goals. (MSE)

Reports a study that ascertained high school coaches' perceptions regarding students' motivation to participate in or withdraw from high school athletics. The study also noted differences between coaches' and students' perceptions. Some items were rated identically by both groups, whereas others showed vast differences in opinion. (SM)

Data on total undergraduate enrollments, scholarship athletes, football scholarship athletes, and men's basketball scholarship athletes, and percentage of each group that are African Americans, are tabulated for 245 institutions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. (MSE)

Discusses the history of the black baseball experience. Describes formation of the black leagues, the players, and the discrimination they faced in baseball in the United States. Explains how the early black players introduced new aspects to the major leagues that transformed and improved the quality of play. (DK)

Examined perceptions of social competence and family dynamics among adolescent participants in school-sponsored and independent sports (baseball and skateboarding). Findings from 271 adolescents revealed that perceptions of social competence were differentially related to degree of sports involvement and perceived skill but were not related to…