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This collection of essays is the result of the debate and discussion at the European Sport Development Network's (ESDN) annual conference in 2014. ESDN's vision is to help create an environment where sports policies, programmes and practices are positively influenced by innovative, research-informed insight and collaborations between academics and practitioners. The chapters in this book closely reflect the remit and purpose of the ESDN in that they come from a variety of academics and sport practitioners. Under a broad theme of 'Opportunity through sport', the chapters reflect the nature and breadth of outcomes which are possible through active participation in sport. The contributions to this book touch upon many of these issues. They are all written from the perspective of either academic researchers or applied practitioners working in sport development in line with the aims of ESDN of providing a common forum to bring together research and practice. Four chapters are written from the applied practitioner perspective, five chapters emerge from academic research and one chapter is a hybrid of PhD research located within a county sports partnership. These contributions will be useful for scholars, students and practitioners alike.

This case study explores the sources of stress and use of coping strategies amongst Higher Education lecturers. In semi-structured interviews, lecturers (N=10) reported experiencing a wide range of stressors, summarised under three interrelated themes: 1) organisational stress; 2) subject-linked stress; and 3) non-organisational stress. All participants described examples of stress resulting from an unbalanced workload, often exacerbated by insufficient time allowance for task completion. Lecturers identified 19 coping strategies used to manage stress. Results suggest that interventions designed to reduce stress should seek to increase the use of preventative and proactive coping strategies, thus reducing the need for reactive coping. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

The use of computer-aided assessment (CAA) can provide lecturing staff with easy cost-effective solutions to heavy marking workloads. This case study explores the implementation of CAA into a limited number (n=2) of level 1 modules. The aim was to explore students' responses and lecturers' perceptions of CAA. Students who had experienced the new assessment regime completed an evaluation questionnaire (n=68), and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teaching staff (n=4) of the modules. Results indicate that students did not perceive CAA negatively within the assessment regime and staff clearly identified that this form of assessment had certain time saving benefits. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Exercise dependence is described as \" ... psychological and/or physiological dependence upon a regular regime of physical activity ... and is characterised by recognisable withdrawal symptoms when the need to exercise remains unfulfilled after 24-36 hours ... \" (Sachs & Pargman, 1979 p. 143). The study of exercise dependence has been a focus for consideration by researchers from the disciplines of physiology and psychology for approximately 30 years. Throughout this time, researchers have sought to measure, treat and prevent exercise dependence. A disease-based model has, therefore, dominated research and an extreme form of exercise behaviour has been medicalised. This study challenges the notion of the disease concept of exercise dependence and offers an alternative conceptualisation based on situation, time (Peele, 1985) and identity. It suggests that this medicalised concept of exercise dependence arises through a process of labelling certain types of participation for which there are only individual societal rewards. In interviews (n=27) with individuals and their significant others over three phases of data collection, life history analysis of the participants' subjective experiences of exercise dependence indicates that there is no evidence of 'negative addiction' (Hailey & Bailey, 1982). There is also no evidence of a negative impact on significant other relationships, although intense commitment to exercise sometimes causes temporary periods of conflict. Significant others accommodate their partners' exercise participation within the relationship and participants accommodate relationship demands within their exercise regime. The analysis also indicates that dependent participants, 'exercisers', have a changing attitude to exercise throughout their life history. It is proposed that the participants in this study construct one element of their self-identity through their exercise participation and that is subdivided into the physical self, the critical self and the social sel£ The thesis offers nine Propositions in an attempt to establish the basis for a sociological understanding of exercise dependence.

The development and pilot stage of a Sport England programme called GirlSport TM is described. The programme consisted of a magazine and workshop addressing issues surrounding the loss of interest from sport and physical activity amongst adolescent girls. Although teenagers were a clear target market for the programme, it was also designed to be delivered to adult facilitators. Focus groups were undertaken with a select group of 14 & 15-year-old teenage girls and their responses fed into the production of a magazine. The magazine was developed into a supporting workshop. The resources were then utilised in a pilot phase during which the messages and content were evaluated and monitored to assess the effectiveness of the programme. The girls enjoyed an opportunity to reflect about their sport and welcomed the positive messages of women in physical activity. The adults were not surprised by the messages and felt that the content reinforced many of their previously held views. They considered the workshop to be a worthwhile experience and the magazine an interesting read. The comments highlighted in the evaluation are discussed in the context of the cult of femininity and the role of teenage magazines in the construction of successful health promotion messages.