Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine changes in swimming parameters, stroke coordination, and symmetry after repeated high-intensity swimming efforts in swimmers of different performance levels and para-swimmers. Method: Forty swimmers (20 able-bodied, allocated to higher and lower performance groups--G1 and G2, respectively--and 20…

Aquatic motor activity (AMA) has been reported to affect motor and cognitive abilities. However, the neural mechanisms that may mediate this relationship have never been explored. The traditional functions of the cerebellum include involvement in coordination and balance. Recent studies have shown cerebellar activity during verbal working memory…

The index finger and the 4th finger ratio (2D:4D) is the indicator of the prenatal testosterone. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between 2D:4D, hand preference and hand grip strength in swimmers. A total of 80 elite swimmers, participated in the study. Height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), hand 2D:4D finger…

The purpose of this study was to describe community partners' (CPs) perceptions of an out-of-school swimming program (OSSP) for under­served children and youth. Participants were four CPs associated with the OSSP during three consecutive summers and parents of the children and youth who participated in the program. We employed a theoretical…

Based on philosophical reflections on the concepts of place, place-based education, wild pedagogies and outdoor schooling in Denmark, the article presents and reflects upon selected results from a three-year accompanying qualitative research conducted in connection with a project for underserved young people and students. Approximately 40…

To cope in various aquatic environments (i.e. swimming pools, lakes, rivers, oceans), learners require a wide repertoire of self-regulatory behaviours such as awareness of obstacles and water properties, floating and moving from point to point with different strokes, decision making, emotional control and breathing efficiently. By experiencing…

This study was aimed to investigate the opinions of licensed swimming referees within the structure of Turkey Swimming Federation about referee training process and determine the level of their expectations. The study group was randomly selected by a total of 212 swimming referees (95 female and 117 male), and attended Development Seminar for…

We examined risk perceptions that aquatic-based recreation stakeholders in the Great Lakes region held about fish diseases, using viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) as our case study. Eighty-five percent of study participants knew nothing or very little about VHS. Regarding risks posed by VHS, participants overall were most concerned about risks…

This paper draws upon education policy sociology, and sport coaching literature, in critically examining sport coaches as policy actors. Stephen Ball and colleagues' conceptualisation of different policy actor positions and roles provided the framework for research that investigated how eight professional swimming coaches in Victoria, Australia,…

Sociological investigations into the athlete-medical practitioner relationship are scarce due to medical bias for positivist epistemologies. The aim of this research was to identify the scope and purpose of medical interventions for four athletes, within the context of social processes that enable medicine to claim athletic bodies as objects of…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the general self-efficacy beliefs of licensed swimming referees who actively serve in Turkish Swimming Federation in terms of variables age, gender, educational status, level of referee, the reason to become a referee, professional experience and satisfaction level. The population of the study is…

This research project examined the effects of an external educational training intervention delivered to coaches, parents, and athletes on youth swim coaches' behaviors. Coaches' perceptions of their own behavior, athletes' perceptions of coaches' behavior, and the sport environment were explored. Youth swim coaches within one organization were…

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether performance in a series of water safety tests, in clothed and swimsuit conditions, were dependent on the swim stroke that beginners selected for traversing maximal distance. A total of 45 children (9.6 ± 1.6 years) involved in a learning programme were asked to complete six tests to: travel their…

Lifeguard surveillance is a complex task that is crucial for swimmer safety, though few studies of applied visual search have investigated this domain. This current study compared lifeguard and non-lifeguard search skills using dynamic, naturalistic stimuli (video clips of confederate swimmers) that varied in set size and type of drowning.…

Adherence to prescribed training intensity (i.e., swim speed) has been conveyed as a key parameter regarding improvements in seasonal performance. Evidence has also suggested swimmers have difficulty complying with coach-prescribed training. How this compliance is affected by a coaching presence and oversight has yet to be examined. Purpose: The…