Kinesiology Today

Winter Issue 2023 Volume 16, No. 1 www.americankinesiology.org

Table of Contents P resident ’ s C olumn

President’s Column Blazing a New Path Forward:
Blazing a New Path Forward: Enhancing AKA’s
Access and Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Enhancing AKA’s Access and Impact
Supporting Mental Health of High Performance Athletes . . 3 By Jared Russell, Ph.D.

World Cup Renews Soccer Interest as

Concussion Detection Gets Better . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Behind the Curtain in Ballet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 I

More Physical Activity, Less Screen Time
Nurtures Healthy Young Minds . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Executive Director’s Column
Grit: An Essential Element of Academic Leadership . . 13
Mobile Labs: Taking Research on the Road . . . . . .
Past President’s Column
Another Successful Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Concussions in Sport – Next Steps? . . . . . . . . . .
Short Shots
Keep Walking Grandma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Social Justice in PETE and HETE . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
am honored and
humbled to begin
my term as President
leaders. There are too many influential and
special individuals to name in this article.
However, I would like to extend my sin-
11
of the American Kine- cere gratitude to past AKA presidents, Drs.
siology Association Karen Francis, Jeffrey Fairbrother, and Alan
(AKA). I made my Smith, as well as executive directors Tom
first presentation at Templin and Gil Reeve, for your mentorship
16 the 2013 Leadership and support. Special thanks to past AKA
Jared Russell Workshop in Orlando, president Dr. Mary Rudisill (Auburn Uni-
Florida. It seems like versity) for inviting me to my first workshop
19
just yesterday. Since then, I have had and supporting my continuing development
21 the opportunity to serve as a member of as a faculty, scholar, and administrator.
the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Last but certainly not least, Kim Scott’s
Committee, Board of Directors, and Execu- (Business Manager) contributions to AKA
tive Committee. Throughout my time as a have been essential to our success as an
member of AKA, I’ve been blessed to work organization and the effectiveness of the
with many outstanding colleagues and leadership.

Share Kinesiology Today (KT) with your faculty, administrators, stu-

dents and their parents, and staff to help them learn more about this
fun and fascinating field of study.
www.americankinesiology.org
As I stated at the culmination of the
2023 AKA Leadership Workshop (San
Diego), I want the membership to remain
energized and excited about the future
of AKA. There are many opportunities for
you to become involved with AKA as a
member. Your engagement and involve-
ment are essential to our success and
realizing our mission as an organization. To
better acquaint yourself with AKA, peruse
our new webpage, specifically the About
AKA page. Be on the lookout for calls to
join committees and participate in various
activities.
I am excited about this upcoming year.
I look forward to working with the various
Committees, Board of Directors and the
Executive Committee to provide members
with innovative, impactful, and meaningful
programming and resources.
Want To Be Included in KT?
If you have an interesting research study or program in your unit and want to be
highlighted in an Issue of KT, contact Editor Penny McCullagh at kintodayaka@gmail
for consideration.
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Outside of the traditional responsibili-
ties and duties of the presidency, I have
three overarching goals. First, AKA will
develop strategic and sustainable pro-
cesses to increase the number and diverse
representation of institutions that make up
AKA. Second, AKA will reach out to our
peer professional organizations to devel-
op mutually beneficial collaborations and
partnerships that will provide exceptional
support for leaders in our discipline. Third,
AKA will create and disseminate content,
resources, and programming that exem-
plify our organizational commitment to
advancing, unifying, and advocating for
the academic discipline of kinesiology.
These goals, and other initiatives, can only
be realized by increasing the access to
resources and organizational support we
offer to our membership. Additionally, we
Page 2
must strive to enhance the impact and
relevance of the services and resources
we provide to our members.
In summary, I am deeply appreciative
of the opportunity to lead AKA. It is and
always will be a team effort. The Executive
Committee and Board of Directors stand
ready to serve the membership. We work
together for the good of the AKA.
I look forward to working with you this
year to advance AKA’s mission and posi-
tion as a leader in kinesiology.
www.americankinesiology.org
Supporting Mental Health of High Performance Athletes
By Penny McCullagh, Ph.D, KT Editor
W hen elite athletes face mental health
issues, they become front page
news. Recent high-profile cases include
the withdrawal of Naomi Osaka from the
French Open in 2021 due to concerns of
her own mental health and many of us
have also read stories on Michael Phelps,
the most decorated Olympian of all time,
who suffered from depression for many
years. Over the last few years, there have
been many stories of athletes who needed
mental health support.
In Canada, a consortium of agencies
concerned with high performance athletes
helped create a plan to improve the mental
health outcomes of high-performance (HP)
athletes, coaches, and staff. The plan has
been dubbed the “Strategy”. Four groups
helped contribute to the plan: Mental Health
Partner Group, Mental Health Expert Group,
Mental Health Reviewer Group and Sport
Community Focus Group. The purpose of
the project is to support athletes so they
can reach their highest potential in sport,
perform consistently, adhere to sport for
the long term, and continue to contribute to
sport upon retirement. In addition to focusing
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Page 3
on the athletes, the plan also includes the
coaches and staff who are major support
for the athletes.
The 50-page report includes alarming
statistics on the percentage of individuals
in the general population who report mental
health issues and then a prediction of how
many athletes on a team may experience
mental health issues. They suggest that
100% of Canadians are directly or indirectly
affected by mental illness through family
members, colleagues, or friends. Thus, on
a team of 20, all of the athletes have the
potential to be affected.
To develop the strategy, an extensive
review of the literature and reports avail-
able worldwide was conducted and then
five priorities (with multiple objectives) were
developed to help achieve mental health
and avoid mental illness. They suggest
that the following five priorities may differ • Promotion of mental health to
across sports, based on the organizations’ improve and sustain mental health
needs, gaps, and resources: across the HP sport system
• Leadership, stakeholder engage- • Prevention of mental health chal-
ment, and communication to build lenges and mental illness to minimize
collective leadership to address factors that contribute to poor mental
mental health in HP sport health and mental illness
www.americankinesiology.org Page 4

• Assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and just focusing on athletes. Was it a dif- education is also prioritized in Canada, along
recovery to manage and treat mental ficult process to get cooperation at the with mechanisms to report maltreatment
illness within the HP sport context multiple levels and do you have any or abuse. The government has invested
• Implementation, monitoring, and advice for how other countries could millions of dollars in both safe sport and
improvement to successfully deliver achieve such a project? mental health. High performance athletes
the strategy. currently have access to $2,500 per year
The implementation of the mental health to help subsidize the costs of mental health
Implementing the program is no small task.
strategy is definitely an ambitious initiative. care. However, leaders must collectively
There are many organizations involved in
However, mental health is at the forefront strive to get additional funding for athletes
high level sport in Canada and all of them,
of our multisport leaders’ work in Canada, competing at lower levels. Clear and safe
as well as the athletes, coaches, team-
which has helped to address different pri- pathways to get mental health support for
mates, and family need to be involved.
orities of the strategy. For example, several athletes, coaches, and staff have been
The project started in May of 2019 and
national sport organizations (NSOs) are established and communicated. For example,
the strategy was officially launched in July
working with experts to put in place mental the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and
of 2021. That is a very ambitious timeline
health policies and strategies to protect the Sport is one of these pathways wherein a
for such an extensive project.
mental health of their participants. In fact, Care Coordinator receives referrals, con-
Since the plan was released over a year
Tennis Canada volunteered to be the first ducts a preliminary intake, and refers clients
ago, I wanted to find out how the strategy
NSO to develop, implement, and evaluate to a collaborative care team specialized in
was progressing,
a sport-specific mental health strategy for sport. Clients must be 16 years of age and
so I approached
its organization, based on the guidelines involved in competitive sport to be eligible
the lead author, Dr.
in the national strategy. Furthermore, many for services. There is also a nationwide net-
Natalie Durand-Bush
organizations are now mandating all their work of over 100 mental health practitioners
from the University of
staff to take a mental health first aid course who have been vetted to work with national
Ottawa to get some
to be able to detect signs of mental health team athletes. The Mental Health Steering
ideas on progress.
struggles early on and respond to mental Committee and the National Mental Health
Many of the ideas
health crises. Also, organizations like the Manager (Game Plan) discuss initiatives on
from this project
Canadian Centre for Mental Health and a regular basis to continue actioning the
may well be useful to
Sport, the Coaching Association of Canada, national mental health strategy. Tools to
Natalie Durand-Bush other organizations.
and Game Plan have developed mental help sport leaders to conduct a needs and
health literacy workshops and webinars gaps assessment, develop a mental health
This project is very extensive since it
for the sport community. Hundreds of sport emergency plan, and perform screenings
is an umbrella for so many different
coaches and leaders have attended these have been developed and are available to
organizations and also goes beyond
workshops these past two years. Safe sport the sport community.
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
www.americankinesiology.org
In the report, it is recognized that the
strategy must be monitored, evaluated,
and modified as needed. Can you provide
and update on how organizations have
adopted the strategy, and do you have a
systematic evaluation metric that organiza-
tions can use to monitor their progress?
It is difficult to ascertain the extent to which
organizations have adopted the strategy.
However, the goal is to do an interim evalu-
ation of the implementation of the strategy
in the next two years. Examples of models
and metrics to monitor the strategy have
been shared and discussed but nothing has
been set in stone as of now. The research
conducted with Tennis Canada to examine
the process of designing, implementing,
and evaluating a sport-specific mental
health strategy will be extremely valuable.
It is anticipated that this project will serve
as a blueprint for other organizations wish-
ing to follow suit.
Do you see the organizations involved
here moving forward on other projects?
If so, what sort of projects?
The Canadian sport environment is in flux
at the moment, particularly given the rise
in safe sport and mental health concerns.
It is anticipated that this is only the begin-
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
ning and other initiatives will arise from this
work. For instance, the Canadian Centre for
Mental Health in Sport recently launched
two other projects, one of which is to col-
laborate with the Coaching Association of
Canada to provide mental health literacy
training to over 1,800 coaches this year.
The other project involves developing a
peer support network for athletes who have
experienced maltreatment. Canadian Sport
Institutes and Centers have hired mental
health practitioners to continue develop-
ing resources and provide support. It will
be rewarding to see where Canada is at
even in 6 to 12 months!
Is there any online resources that indi-
viduals can access for resources on
this topic?
There are many online resources and here
are a few examples:
• CCMHS | ccmhs-ccsms.ca
• Game Plan | mygameplan.ca
• Canadian Sport Helpline |
abuse-free-sport.ca/en
• Coaching Association of Canada
| coach.ca
• SAMHI | www.samhi.ca
• Bodysense | bodysense.ca
• Headstrong | sirc.ca/concussion
Page 5
• USports | USports_mentalHealth-
Doc_ 2020_digital_proof_V02.pdf
• Mental Health Commission of Cana-
da: mentalhealthcommission.ca
• Centre for Addition and Mental
Health: www.camh.ca
• Good2Talk: good2talk.ca
• E-mental health: ementalhealth.ca
• Mental Health First Aid: www.mhfa.ca/
• SafeTalk: livingworks.net/programs/
safetalk
• ASSIST (suicide prevention training):
livingworks.net/programs/asist
• 24h mental health crisis line: crisis-
line.ca 1-866-996-0991
• BounceBack: www.bouncebackon-
tario.ca
• Women’s Issues: 1-416-314-0300
(sexual and domestic violence)
• Indigenous Hope for Wellness
helpline: 1-855-242-3310
Durand-Bush, N., & Van Slingerland, K. (2021). Mental
health strategy for high performance sport in Canada.
The Mental Health Partner Group [Canadian Centre for
Mental Health and Sport, Canadian Olympic and Para-
lympic Sport Institute Network, Game Plan, and Own
The Podium]. https://drive.google.com/file/d/12H76N
3gLkuiMuePYJymIvKnI8uweX0KD/view?usp=sharing
www.americankinesiology.org
World Cup Renews Soccer Interest as Concussion Detection Gets Better
By Patrick Wade, KT Staff Writer
I nterest in soccer as a youth sport in the
United States has always been tepid
at best, but participation among kids is
trending upward as the world comes out
of the pandemic. In 2021, it overtook bas-
ketball as the most popular sport among
6-year-olds, according to a report from
the Sport & Industry Fitness Association.
Additionally, the quadrennial FIFA World
Cup in December brought renewed interest
in the sport among U.S. viewers – always
providing a slight American boost to the
sport that is so popular elsewhere in the
world.
And while the World Cup tournament
was filled with exciting, edge-of-the-seat
moments, it also put on global display some
of the dangers associated with any contact
sport. In a particularly scary moment early
in the tournament, Iranian goalkeeper Ali-
reza Beiranvand’s head collided with that of
his own teammate as an opponent’s pass
sailed near. Play was stopped while trainers
tended to Beiranvand on the ground. When
he got to his feet, he appeared bloody,
unsteady and disoriented. He played on
for seven more minutes. The delay in that
decision to remove Beiranvand from the
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Page 6
match has been widely criticized. He was
ultimately taken to a hospital for treatment
of a concussion.
The World Cup, of course, is among
the highest levels of professional soccer.
But it raises questions about what can be
done to protect kids playing soccer – or
any contact sport for that matter.
Jingzhen Ginger Yang, PhD, MPH, is
the Principal Investigator at the Center for
Injury Research and Policy of the Abigail
Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide
Children’s Hospital. She’s also a Professor
of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University
College of Medicine. Yang said there are
some important factors to consider.
“Substantial progress has been made
in the last decade to increase awareness
of concussion in
sport,” Yang said.
“There has been
more education Photo credit : Philip Hevron
and training on the
signs and symptoms
of concussion. The cussion are common across sports.” Still,
protocols on how to there’s a lot of room for improvement.
identify, respond to, “Concussion protocols across the board,
Jingzhen Ginger Yang and manage con- however, could often be stronger and bet-
www.americankinesiology.org
ter enforced,” Yang said. “For example,
many experts recommend a standardized
sideline examination from an independent
medical professional, a pre-injury baseline
reference to be able to compare to for
sideline examinations, and enforcement if
procedures are not followed.”
Documented concussions in youth soc-
cer have increased in the past 10-15 years.
That does not necessarily mean there have
been more concussions – we’re just getting
better at detecting them when they happen.
A 2020 study found that patients between
the ages of 2-18 years old were treated for
135,901 concussions between 2009 and
2016. The researchers found that 3,285
of those (2.51 percent of all concussions)
were soccer-related (Chatha et al., 2020).
The incidence of those soccer-relat-
ed concussions increased significantly
over the study period, from 265 in 2009
to 456 in 2016. Fortunately, hospitaliza-
tions decreased, from 8.67 percent to 1.53
percent. “Much of this has been attributed
to better recognition and reporting of con-
cussion, and not necessarily an increase
in injury,” Yang said. “All 50 states and the
District of Columbia enacted state-level
concussion laws between 2009 and 2014
aimed to mitigate negative consequences
of youth sports.”
The causes of the injuries varied. Head-
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
to-player contact accounted for a third of
all soccer-related concussions. Head-to-
ball contact accounted for 24 percent – an
important statistic informing the debate over
whether headers should be disallowed
in youth soccer. Other causes included
head-to-ground contact (18.2 percent) and
head-to-goalpost contact (2.6 percent).
Yang said that several studies, includ-
ing some from her own team, have found
an increase in reported concussions and,
maybe more important, concussion care
following the enactment of laws to protect
youth athletes.
The laws “typically include three key
tenets: 1) immediate removal of an athlete
from play if concussion is suspected, 2)
clearance from a medical professional
before an athlete can return to play, and 3)
mandatory concussion education for par-
ents, athletes and/or coaches,” Yang said.
“In fact, collegiate sports and professional
sports also implemented the concussion
protocols that reflect these laws.”
There are opportunities for further inquiry
into sport-related concussions in general,
not just in soccer. “Much of the concussion
research has been conducted on adults,
and youth brains are much different,” Yang
said.”
She named a few areas in particular
that could use some attention: the long-
Page 7
term effects of youth concussion, including
physical and mental health consequences;
identifying intervention strategies that help
recovery; and how to use technology or
biomarkers for diagnosis and to help identify
athletes at risk of prolonged symptoms.
Yang and her colleagues at Nationwide
Children’s Hospital have already done some
work in that latter area. In a study they
published last year, the researchers dem-
onstrated that microRNAs in saliva may
help identify which pediatric patients, after
being diagnosed with a concussion, are
at a higher risk of developing persistent
post-concussive symptoms. In other words,
doctors may be able to anticipate which
children might need longer-term care and
different treatment by simply collecting
and analyzing the saliva of young concus-
sion patients. “This study is a step toward
better identification and management of
concussion among children,” Yang said. “If
healthcare providers knew a child was at
such risk earlier with simple, non-invasive
tests, they could intervene earlier, provide
more personalized concussion care, and
ultimately improve recovery outcomes.”
The first step, of course, is prevention.
And coaches and trainers are on the front
lines. Yang said they should speak with their
athletes about safety, encourage reporting
and remain knowledgeable and observant
www.americankinesiology.org Page 8

of concussion signs and symptoms. “Finally,
coaches should create and enforce a team
culture that values safety over winning a
game,” Yang said.
Sport & Fitness Industry Association. (2022). SFIA’s Trends
In Team Sports Report Shows Positive Trends In Participa-
tion And Highest Number of 6-to-12-year-old Participants
In Five Years. Retrieved from https://sfia.org/resources/
sfias-trends-in-team-sports-report-shows-positive-trends-
in-participation-and-highest-number-of-6-to-12-year-
old-participants-in-five-years/
Roddy, T. (2022, November 22). Iran goalkeeper Alireza
Beiranvand in hospital after FIFA’s concussion ‘disgrace.’
The Times. Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/
article/iran-goalkeeper-alireza-beiranvand-in-hospital-
after-fifa-s-concussion-disgrace-b860mblvr
Chatha K., Pruis T., Peaguda C.F., Guo E., Koen S., Malone D.
& Sabesan V. (2020). Concussions in Soccer: An Epidemio-
logical Analysis in the Pediatric Population. Orthopaedic
Journal of Sports Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7588758/
Miller, K. E., MacDonald, J. P., Sullivan, L., Venkata, L. P.
R., Shi, J., Yeates, K. O., Chen, S., Alshaikh, E., Taylor, H. G.,
Hautmann, A., Asa, N., Cohen, D. M., Pommering, T. L.,
Mardis, E. R., Yang, J., & NCH Concussion Research Group
(2022). Salivary miRNA Expression in Children With Persis-
tent Post-concussive Symptoms. Retrieved from https://
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35712307/

S hort S hots
Keep Walking Grandma

W e are used to hearing that we should

do at least 150 minute of moderate
intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of
vigorous activity, Does this same standard
hold for the elderly?
A recent study presented at the Euro-
pean Society of Cardiology and reported
in Science Daily, was conducted by Dr. Jin
from the Republic of Korea and he sug-
gested that people 85 and over should “
simply, walk for 10 minutes every day”. The
researchers used data from the Korean
National Health Insurance Service data
base. It included 7,047 participants who
were over 85 years of age. They were asked
to respond to a questionnaire that asked
about their exercise behavior. The data
European Society of Cardiology. (2022, August 24). Octo-
genarians should walk 10 minutes a day to prolong life.
ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 3, 2023 from www.
was examined across five walking groups sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220824102906.htm
that ranged from no walking to more than
three hours per week.
The researchers found that those who
walked more than one hour per week had
39-40% lower risk for all-cause and car-
diovascular mortality compared to those
who did not walk. The authors suggested
“keep walking throughout your life”.
-PMc

Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1

www.americankinesiology.org Page 9

Behind the Curtain in Ballet

By Penny McCullagh, Ph.D., KT Editor

T he ballet world is sometimes mysteri-

ous. It is a very traditional world, and
sometimes slow to adapt to new ideas. Also,
there is not a lot of written manuals on how
to maneuver through the system. I am well
aware of this since my daughter, Makaila,
moved from Colorado to Winnipeg, Manitoba
in Canada at the age of 14 to study at the
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, where she
spent four years in the school, served as
apprentice for one year and then danced Photo by ASH

professionally at the Royal Swedish Ballet If you do not alre-ady know, there is no
and Ballet British Columbia before becom- conversation in ballet classes, and even after
ing an independent dancer in 2014. She class many topics are not discussed. On the
currently is on staff at the Finnish National podcast, Emma and colleagues interview
Ballet.. Needless to say, I have had my performers, choreographers, designers and
share of experience with ballet training other artists to examine the inventive minds
and dancing. of these creators. The podcast has nearly 40
Recently my dau- episodes posted and covers a wide variety
ghter re-acquainted of topics that will be of special interest to
me with one of her dancers including things like pregnancy and
former classmates, parenthood,cancel culture, periods (menstrual
Emma Lister, a for- cycles), dance during the pandemic and bul-
mer professional lying of boys in ballet to name a few. I was
ballet dancer who particularly drawn to two of the podcasts
started a podcast from 2020 that focused on mental health and
called Movers Shak- ballet that was covered over two episodes
Emma Lister ers Makers. called Ballet for the 21st Century.
Photo by ASH
Lister and frequent cohost, Zoë Ashe-
Browne, developed a 30-question survey
about ballet dancers’ mental health and
never expected that they would receive over
400 responses. They collated the answers
and shared them with a few experienced
dance colleagues who they interviewed
for the podcast, combining their anecdotal
experiences with the broader survey. Topics
covered included panic attacks and depres-
sion, loss of identity after leaving the dance
world and danger of pushing your feelings
away. Some of the responses were indeed
disturbing since they addressed topics like
verbal abuse from teachers and directors,
sexually inappropriate behaviors, eating
disorders and chronic injuries. In a second

Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1

www.americankinesiology.org
episode on the topic, they interviewed an
ex-dancer who had retrained as a counselor
and asked for his impressions. They end
this two-part series with some constructive
suggestions for the dance world.
If you have an interest in dance, you will
be intrigued by many of the topics in this
series. I wanted to learn a little more about
the podcast, so I asked its founder Emma
Lister a few questions.
How did you decided to develop this
podcast and do you have a sense of
how many people listen in?
I’d long wanted to start a podcast, as I’m a
fan of the medium, so when lockdown hit
in the UK in March 2020 it was the perfect
catalyst. Initially it was an interview series,
concentrating on people in the performing
arts; naturally as I’ve spent my life in the
dance sector there was an emphasis on
artists in that world. I had a good time doing
the first few eps, and successfully applied
for an Arts Council England grant to make a
mini-series, choosing the subject of ‘Ballet
for the 21st Century’--essentially exploring
the ways in which the ballet world was/wasn’t
keeping pace with societal changes and
progressive attitudes. This series started a
lot of conversations and I realised there’d
been a tacit need for some of these topics
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
to be opened up (specifically by dancers
looking at it from the inside). It’s growing all
the time, but I’m at over 5,500 downloads at
the moment. I don’t pay for advertising and
rely on word of mouth, social media, and
other sources so am glad to share with KT.
How do you determine your topics?
I’m a strong believer in a) collaboration b)
dancers having been underestimated in
terms of their eloquence! It is after all a
‘silent’ art form. I never examine these
topics alone, I’m always seeking to get
outside input, and have had dancers sug-
gest topics to explore, e.g. my episodes
on mental health and fair pay for dancers
were both suggested by friends. The recent
episodes entitled Pregnancy & Parenthood
came about from conversations with a
colleague of mine. I plan ahead by about
six months. It takes me three months to
research, three months to write, record and
edit...obviously this is all done part time
as I don’t always have grants to make the
series so I’m doing other work too!
From all that you have learned from
doing this podcast series, do you have
any mechanism to provide feedback to
ballet schools or ballet companies, so
they can evaluate their own procedures?
Page 10
I’ve heard the podcast has been listened
to by people in positions of leadership
at at least two ballet training institutions
and it was mentioned in The Dancing
Times. I’ve also done some bits of unof-
ficial consulting, for example contributing
to the work of the Dance Data Project
https://www.dancedataproject.com/. So
certainly, there are people in positions of
power who are aware of it. But, what I’m
really interested in is reaching students
and early-mid career dancers, because I
believe many of our oppressive traditions
are those that are learnt and not questioned.
It’s a long game, but no one can deny
that the dancers of today are the leaders
of tomorrow…you know, the teacher who
body shames their student did that because
it happened to them or they witnessed
it enough. The director who expects a
dancer to work through injury or a mental
health crisis does that because that’s just
the way it is, the choreographer who uses
racially or sexually insensitive language
has never considered its impact, because
that attitude was normalized when they
were dancing. I think we’re in a moment
now where young people are questioning
traditions much more, combined with an
atmosphere where they, people tradition-
ally considered ‘lower’ in the hierarchy of
these institutions, are being listened to.
And that’s really exciting.
www.americankinesiology.org
More Physical Activity, Less Screen Time Nurtures Healthy Young Minds
By Patrick Wade, KT Staff Writer
T oddlers may not be heralded for their
predictable moods and emotions, but
new research suggests that physical activity
and screen time at two years of age play a
key role in helping those children develop
those healthy minds as they get older.
We know that physical activity and healthy
eating are important for the prevention of
obesity. But how those factors relate to
brain development – specifically executive
function – is less understood. The question
caught the attention of researchers at the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,
whose work suggests that more play and
less screen time enhance a toddler’s ability
to do things like focus, regulate emotions
and complete tasks. Their research was
published this month in The Journal of
Pediatrics (McMath et. al, 2023).
“While there are evidence-based guide-
lines for dietary intake and play focused
on preventing childhood obesity, the role
of meeting diet and play guidelines in sup-
porting early childhood executive function
is understudied,” said Naiman Khan, an
associate professor in the Department
of Kinesiology and Community Health at
Illinois. The evidenced-based guidelines
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Page 11
he references are the
American Academy
of Pediatrics’ Bright
Futures recommen-
dations to consume
at least five daily serv-
ings of fruits and veg-
etables, refrain from
sugary drinks, be
physically active (like
taking walks or hav-
ing free play outside)
and limit daily screen
time to less than 60
minutes. Photo Credit: Yan Krukau
The concepts are
intended to prevent obesity. But as the poor performance in measures of execu-
researchers would find, doing things to tive function can predict high body mass
prevent obesity are also related to cognitive index in children from three to 12 years old.
health and developing a strong mind. Low Fewer studies have examined this phe-
executive function has been tied to kids nomenon in younger children – a particularly
who have a more difficult time academi- delicate age because that’s when some
cally starting with preschool. Low executive key mental processes rapidly develop. For
function also manifests later in adulthood example, working memory and cognitive
as issues like financial instability and sub- flexibility begin to take structure around
stance dependence. Earlier studies have two years and are the domains that allow
linked childhood obesity and executive us to solve problems and change our per-
function. Previous data has shown that spective or focus. “A better understanding
www.americankinesiology.org
of the interrelationships among these fac-
tors in early childhood is needed, as this
stage marks a sensitive period of cognitive
development and rapid brain growth,” Khan
said. “Understanding these relationships
across childhood may provide insights
into the need for intervention approaches
earlier in life to support optimal physical
and cognitive development.”
To develop that understanding, the Illinois
researchers looked at parent-reported survey
data from 352 two-year-olds enrolled in the
STRONGKids 2 cohort. Their primary aim
was to investigate the relationship between
obesity and executive function, but they were
also interested in how adherence to physical
activity guidelines and healthy behaviors
correlated with healthy brain development.
They had expected to find that two-year-
olds with a healthier weight would exhibit
greater executive function. Interestingly,
that was not quite the case. They found that
weight itself was not necessarily a predic-
tor of executive function, but adherence
to physical activity guidelines and screen
time limits was. “While this was not entirely
surprising, since the influence of overweight
and obesity on executive function in child-
hood is not consistent across the literature,
these findings point to the importance of
health behaviors as more relevant factors
in predicting executive function, at least at
this early stage in childhood,” Khan said.
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Page 12
Toddlers who limited screen time to less
than one hour per day had more inhibitory
self-control and a better ability to under-
stand and process their own thoughts, a
concept known as emergent metacognition.
Meeting the physical activity guidelines was
also associated with better metacognition.
“Benefits of health behaviors for executive
function appeared to be selective for lower
screen time and engaging in greater physi-
cal activity,” Khan said.
The key takeaway is that getting kids Arden McMath (left) and Naiman Khan, co-authors on
a study published this month in the Journal of Pedi-
active – even the youngest children – may atrics that suggests more play and less screen time
be even more important than we already enhance a toddler’s ability to do things like focus,
thought. “Overall, these findings suggest regulate emotions and complete tasks. Photo credit:
Fred Zwicky/University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
that obesity risk factors are relevant, and that
adherence to guidelines for daily physical
in school-aged children as they develop
activity and screen time limitations may be
into adolescence. “The STRONGKids 2
advantageous not only for weight regula-
study provides a valuable opportunity to
tion, but also for cognitive development,”
gain insights into the interactive relation-
the researchers wrote in the article.
ship between both physical and cognitive
Some questions remain. For example, a
development outcomes throughout child-
high proportion of the 2-year-olds were at
hood,” Khan said. “The findings of the
a healthy weight already, perhaps because
present work provide further motivation for
children of that age rely almost entirely on
testing the benefits of engaging in healthy
their caregiver for nutrition. That opens the
behaviors on executive function using future
door for wondering if the relationship between
randomized controlled trials.”
obesity and executive function emerges
later, as the toddler gets older and becomes McMath, A. L., Iwinski, S., Shen, S., Bost, K. F., Donovan, S.
more independent in terms of what they eat. M., & Khan, N. A. (2023). Adherence to Screen Time and
Physical Activity Guidelines is Associated with Executive
Either way, the findings present further
Function in US Toddlers Participating in the STRONG Kids
evidence for the importance of empha- 2 Birth Cohort Study. Retrieved from https://pubmed.
sizing physical activity over screen time ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36027980/
www.americankinesiology.org
E xecutive D irector ’ s C olumn
Grit: An Essential Element of Academic Leadership
By Tom Templin, AKA Executive Director
I
recently attended
the Leadership
Institute seminar
for our fifth cohort
of LI Fellows over
a three-day period
in which the group
met for four hours
Thomas Templin a day. The group
was introduced to
a varied menu of topics (leadership roles,
legal issues in leadership, curriculum,
budget, and others). Led by the LI lead-
ers, Nancy Williams and Tim Gavin, along
with six LI mentors ( Lanie Dornier, Brian
Focht, Duane Knudson, Rick Kreider, Penny
McCullagh, and Mary Rudisill), these dis-
cussions reminded me of the rigor of the
role and the intestinal fortitude needed to
lead a department or school. Quite simply,
the role is not easy and often emotionally
demanding. It calls for a dedicated person
to take on the position as one interacts with
a diverse set of people and responsibilities.
In the fall of 1996, I was appointed the
Head of the Department of Health and
Kinesiology (HK) at Purdue University. This
was my first appointment as an academic
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
administrator in a department that I had
served as a professor since 1977. While I
engaged in two administrative roles within
student services from 1988 to 1996 prior to
my headship, returning to my first “home”
at Purdue presented a new challenge.
I had observed previous department
heads and administrators during my ten-
ure at Purdue that provided some form
of socialization into the role, but until you
serve as a department head, chair, dean,
or other administrative role, it is difficult to
know the “realities” of the position. Fortu-
nately, I did have knowledge of the depart-
ment’s history and its place in the School of
Liberal Arts and the University. I knew the
department’s strengths and weaknesses
linked to programs, budget, facilities, and
personnel (faculty and staff). Also, I was
familiar with the Dean and Provost and
their priorities. In contrast, to an “outsider”
being hired into the position, my history at
Purdue served as an advantage and I felt
I had the support of the faculty and staff
as I entered the role. I was excited about
moving back into an academic position full
time. As I reflect on that experience, I must
say it was wonderful 95% of the time. The
Page 13
other 5% caused the most heartaches and
sleepless nights. Most of the challenges
were associated with difficult personnel
situations. To a lesser extent this was true
of my role as Associate Dean at the Uni-
versity of Michigan from 2015 up until my
retirement in June of 2022.
While my two positions in student services
at Purdue prepared me how to address those
challenges throughout my eight-year experi-
ence, I quickly learned that the academic
administrator faces challenges of a different
flavor. What I didn’t know was some of the
hidden elements of working with individuals
that I had known for many years – some
not so desirable. Also, the meager finan-
cial base and dreadful physical facility in
which we worked were very difficult barriers
to overcome. Given my desire to help the
department grow as a cohesive and civil
community, it was important to reassess our
vision and what type of culture we wished
to create. We had the challenge of bring-
ing our hopes to reality and monitoring our
collective action (Templin, 2000). This isn’t
easy, particularly as various issues arise
regularly – those from faculty, staff, students,
central administrators, and alumni.
www.americankinesiology.org
I had to stand ready to “face the music”
at times from evaluations where the troops
expressed criticisms of my performance on
certain matters. Over my ten-year tenure
period as department head, I had to develop
thick skin when I heard things I didn’t like.
This was difficult for me, but I had to be
civil in my response and sort out how to
work with my colleagues to solve issues. I
had to stay on the “high road”. This wasn’t
easy, but necessary for the good of the
department. Of course, this administrative
role interacts with one’s personal work-life
balance and issues related to inter-role and
intra-role conflicts.
All together this calls for any adminis-
trator to move beyond passion for a role
to perseverance, resilience, and loyalty
to others and the goals of a unit. Angela
Duckworth (2016) refers to this as “grit”. I
believe grit is an all-important element for
any academic administrator and Duck-
worth’s book should be required reading
for anyone in the academy –faculty, staff,
and students alike, but especially academic
leaders.
I wish I had a better understanding of
this when I entered graduate school and
the professoriate. Most certainly, it may
have helped me in my role as an adminis-
trator. Through trial and error (there were
many trials and many errors!), coaching
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
and mentoring from others, and profes-
sional development opportunities, I strived
to be an effective leader. I wasn’t always
successful, but through the help of others,
I tried to impart the key elements of grit
identified by Duckworth in my administrative
role: interest, practice, purpose, and hope.
From my adolescence onward, I had
an ongoing interest in helping and leading
others. Through my involvement in sports
and various leadership roles as a student,
I knew that a career in education was my
pathway to a satisfied life and ultimately, it
led me to various administrative appoint-
ments. I not only had an interest in this type
of activity, I had a passion for it over 25 years
in administration. In contrast to some who
suggest that engaging in administration is
“moving to the dark side”, I didn’t see it that
way. It was mostly bright.
The practice component ties to engaging
in activities on a regular basis - performing
tasks regularly to improve your skill. Some
call this the 10,000 hour phenomenon
or rule (Gladwell, 2000). I believe if you
engage regularly in all the skills needed to
be an effective leader (e.g., goal develop-
ment, communication, presence, conflict
resolution, feedback), your practice as an
administrator will be enhanced. Of course,
the total number of hours doesn’t always
make one successful, the position relies
Page 14
on quality leadership – exhibiting charac-
teristics that move a unit forward over time.
While I accumulated over 50,000 hours,
over 25 years of service, that staggering
amount of time only helped me grow as
a leader. The real proof for any leader is
what one demonstrates each day and how
one matures over time to perfect one’s
performance and the quality of one’s unit.
Purpose relates to creating a sense of
purpose in your work. I believe my over-
arching purpose throughout my administra-
tive career was my desire to help others
either directly or indirectly. This imparts the
development of goals and activities to meet
these goals, without which one’s purpose
goes astray. It involves a personality cen-
tered on achievement and caring – a set
of personal and professional skills suited
to leading others with a singular focus on
success and learning from failure. This isn’t
easy and calls for one to be “gritty” in the
pursuit of goals and at times, the redefini-
tion of goals and purpose. Redefinition
is not a sign of failure, but the recognition
that “repurposing” your goals and action
will help others in different and perhaps,
more meaningful ways.
Hope. Gritty people don’t just hope for
a better tomorrow, they figure out ways to
make things happen and get better. They
generate their own ideas and solutions as
well as collaborating with others to improve
www.americankinesiology.org Page 15

their situation. They aren’t “whiners” who
place blame for absence of improvements,
but actively get back up when they are
knocked down. Leaders must have hope
and the strategies to bring hope to reality.
In closing, I hope you will refer to the
work of Angela Duckworth. Google her
name and watch some of her videos on
grit. Take the Grit Scale. The development
of grit is essential to effective leadership
and everyday life. I wish our new cohort of
Leadership Institute fellows and all of the
leaders associated with AKA much suc-
cess and grit in their administrative life and
beyond! Happy New Year to all!!
Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and
Perseverance. New York: Scribner.
Gladwell, M. (2000). The Tipping Point: How Little Things
Can Make a Big Difference. New York: Little Brown
Templin, T. (2000). Department renewal: Reflections
on the induction period of a new department head.
The Chronicle of Physical Education in Higher Education,
11(2), 11-14.

S hort S hots
Social Justice in PETE and HETE

T he Society of Health and Physical Edu-

cators (SHAPE America) has released
a new document to provide information
Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America)
(2022). Social Justice in PETE/HETE [Guidance Document].
Reston, VA: Author
for physical education and health educa-
https://issuu.com/shapeamerica/docs/social_justice_
tion teacher preparation programs. The in_pete-hete_shape_america_guidance
document is to help teachers understand
why social justice is essentail for equi-
table outcomes for all student and why
it is important to learn these principles in
pre-service training programs. The docu-
ment includes a definition of social justice
education, a review of literature, and then
practical examples at the program, instruc-
tor, student and policy levels.
-PMc

Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1

www.americankinesiology.org
Mobile Labs: Taking Research on the Road
By Amy Rose, KT Staff Writer
M obile labs and workspaces are growing
in popularity in many areas of society,
including research labs at colleges and
universities. Mobile labs provide research-
ers with opportunities that cannot be found
in traditional brick and mortar laboratory
buildings and at a lower cost. They allow
researchers to access more diverse popu-
lations, make more timely calculations
and explore the effects of nature on their
subjects. They also allow for collaboration
across departments and disciplines to create
new areas of study and discovery. Many
academic researchers are excited about
the impact mobile laboratory capabilities
will have on expanding scientific studies.
The use of mobile labs is not entirely new, in
the 1970’s the University of Illinois Children’s
Research Center had two mobile labs that
were utilized for research in the community.
Glyn Roberts, who is now Professor Emeritus,
Leader of Norwegian EuroFit and a former U
of I faculty member, recalls taking the labs
to elementary schools to conduct research
with students. The van would be set up in
the parking lot and research participants
would be allowed to visit the lab individu-
ally or in small groups, making it more
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Page 16
convenient to access youth
participants in their studies.
Two AKA Member depart-
ments began work on
establishing mobile labs
at their universities prior to
the pandemic. Now, Seattle
University and Auburn Uni-
versity have newly created
mobile labs that they are
looking forward to using to
increase the impact and
scope of mobile research
at their institutions.
Seattle University Seattle University photos provided by S. Shulz
The Seattle University,
Department of Kinesiology under the ini- Kinesiology could and should do more
tiative of Inaugural Department Chair, research in the field. She also observed
Sarah Shultz in 2018, began looking for that the RV lifestyle was prominent in
ways to expand their research lab facili- the Pacific Northwest and a mobile RV
ties within the constraints of minimal land lab seemed to fit right in. “It was the
and building availability on campus and right fit at the right time and it has done
to also align with the mission of the Jesuit- some really amazing things”, she said.
based university to serve and care for the After a slow start due to the pandemic, the
whole person and empower the community. mobile lab has built up usage again and
Shultz believed that the Department of was able to connect with over 600 kids at
various events across the Northwest. SU
www.americankinesiology.org
students have taken the Kinesiology Mobile
Lab to events such as Girls on the Run 5K,
pre-game exhibits at rugby games, and
a National Biomechanics Day program.
The mobile lab has also been used for
research road trips to collect data from
Washington to California, including data
collections from the waters in San Diego.
Kinesiology is a multi-disciplinary depart-
ment and Shultz says the van also reflects
that. Equipment is stored on campus and
can be changed on board for the purpose
of the current project. The van interior was
designed by a departmental group and
kept sparse to have a multitude of possi-
bilities. “I want to be able to say ‘yes’ to all
requests”, Shultz said. “I wanted a space
for all of us to have access and for our
students and to be able to affect health,
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Page 17
wellness and exercise in public spaces.”
Currently students have to complete an
orientation process and receive univer-
sity approval to use the van for research
projects. Shultz says few students want to
take that responsibility, so she is hoping
to work toward integrating the mobile lab
into classroom assignments. She says her
ultimate goal would be to have a whole
fleet of mobile labs. “It would mean we
are using it more and as the connections
and reputation grows, the mobile lab use
will grow exponentially,” she said.
Auburn University
The Kinesiology Department of Auburn
University has teamed up with the Depart-
ment of Biological Sciences and the
Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering to develop the MitoMobile
Lab. The MitoMobile Lab is specifically
designed to conduct field work on mito-
chondrial physiology. Biological Sciences
professor Wendy Hood is a comparative
physiologist and does research on the
performance of mitochondria in animals,
including animals living in their native habi-
tat. Studying mitochondria in wild animals
can be particularly challenging because
the best results are obtained from fresh
tissue within two hours of collecting the
samples. An internal university grant was MitoMobile Lab photos provided by Auburn University
www.americankinesiology.org
being offered for projects that facilitated
cooperation across departments. Hood,
Andreas Kavazis in the Kinesiology Depart-
ment, who was studies mitochondria and
exercise physiology, and ornithologist,
Geoffrey Hill in Biological Sciences had
previously initiated a collaborative study
on mitochondria and bird migration. They
quickly faced technical challenges and
lamented that if only they had a mobile
lab the project would have been success-
ful. When the internal grant program was
posted, they jumped on the opportunity.
The Engineering department was brought
in to help design and construct the spe-
cialized vehicle. The MitoMobile Lab was
a recipient of the grant money and then
the work really began in 2018, with con-
struction completed in 2019. Researchers
were able to complete a successful trip to
Idaho in 2019, before shutting down dur-
ing the pandemic. After delays in 2020,
their first large project was conducted in
2021 – studying migration in White-crowned
sparrows in California. Since that time,
they have made several modifications and
upgrades to the MitoMobile, and they are
currently working to obtain research fund-
ing and developing more collaborations
within the University.
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
Page 18
Kavazis and Bruce Gladden, professors Moving Forward
in the Department of Kinesiology, appreci-
Both universities have already seen benefits
ate the value of studying bioenergetics of
of using the mobile labs in the community
migrating birds. Humans and animals both
and on campus. The mobile labs have
need energy to move, and this involves a
become a highly visible recruiting tool for
function of the mitochondria. Gladden said
the universities to attract future students
they are interested in comparative studies
and to facilitate outreach opportunities
between humans and animals. “Humans
with younger students and adults as well.
can only move at full capacity for a limited
On campus, the labs are a great starting point
amount of time, but birds can fly for days at
to encourage collaborative efforts between
full capacity,” said Kavazis. They hope their
departments and disciplines. “Staying in our
studies using the MitoMobile lab will shed
silos, doesn’t develop society,” said Shultz.
light on that and many more physiological
Shultz also sees the labs making technol-
effects of the mitochondrial functions of
ogy research available to communities
humans and animals.
where it has not been available to them
Hill sees the lab as a way to open up
before. She said, “They can see them-
a whole new area of research. “This is a
selves using it and the benefits from it. This
trend across all of science, finding ways to
could be an impact that is generational”.
combine field research and lab research.
Barriers are coming down,” Hill said.
The Auburn group felt that bring in Engineer-
ing expertise from the very beginning was
key, especially given the unique power and
water capabilities needed for their research.
“A giant high-speed centrifuge is key to a
mitochondrial facility,” said Gladden. The
engineering department was instrumental
in designing the lab and making the adjust-
ments needed to meet requirements.
www.americankinesiology.org
P ast P resident ’ s C olumn
Another Successful Workshop
By Karen Frances, Ph.D., AKA Past President
It was a distinct honor to serve as the 12th
president of AKA. The year seemed to
go by quickly. The majority of my focus
was on social justice and equity and how
to bring together a series of speakers that
would inspire kinesiology unit leaders to
embrace inclusiveness in this academic
climate. I think we all want our depart-
ments, colleges, and universities to be
more equitable and socially just, but we
need the knowledge and tools to begin
to move us further along that path. The
purpose of the workshop was to open up
discussions on important social justice
and equity topics and to develop action
plans to take back to our academic units.
The 16th annual Leadership Workshop,
Social Justice and Equity Imperatives: A
Call to Action, was a
powerful program. I
think one of the rea-
sons the program
was so impactful was
because we were
sharing information
that was different and
to some extent new.
Karen Frances We had three main
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
sections of the workshop, Pre-workshops,
the Leadership Forum and the Social Jus-
tice and Equity Imperative sessions. The
pre-workshops kicked things off with a
focus on creating an inclusive culture for
undergraduate and graduate programs.
The pre-workshop sessions were dynamic
and provided a great opportunity to meet
and network with colleagues from similar
programs. If you are new to AKA, I would
suggest you get involved in either the Under-
graduate Network (Chris Beaudoin; beau-
doic@gvsu.edu) or the Graduate Network
(Liz Mullin; emullin@springfieldcollege.
edu). There are many opportunities to get
involved with these networks at the work-
shop, but also during the year for webinars
and discussions.
The Leadership Forum highlighted strat-
egies for navigating the demographic cliff
while maintaining and growing a diverse,
equitable student body. As our country
questions the value of higher education and
the number of available students entering
college directly from high school decreases,
there are opportunities to shift our focus
toward non-traditional educational oppor-
tunities such as certificates and online
Page 19
degrees. Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko discussed
opening our doors to a greater number
of non-traditional students, offering non-
traditional educational opportunities, and
aligning with the needs of the labor market.
These are great strategies for navigating
the demographic cliff while making sure
we grow the diversity of our student body.
The social justice and equity impera-
tive sessions highlighted five imperatives:
culture and climate, well-being, academic
freedom, advocacy and curriculum. Camille
O’Bryant and Ketra Armstrong highlighted
how to create an institutional environment
that leads to a culture of belonging. This
session included dynamic information on
the impact of culture and climate on student
success and strategies to improve student
success along with valuable information
on the intersecting elements of personal
culture, identity, and belonging and prac-
tices to address these dynamics. Akilah
Carter-Francique extended the discussion
of belonging to include fostering belonging
beyond the classroom to support students
in their education and career preparation.
Further extending the discussion of well-
being, Teresa Maria Linda Scholz spoke
www.americankinesiology.org
about the strain of cultural taxation on minori-
tized faculty and strategies to ensure faculty
are not over-burdened. Both incredibly
important aspects of supporting the well-
being of faculty, students, and staff. We
learned from Carol Sumner that statements
and policies on academic freedom reflect
the way we engage in the exploration of
diverse ideas. For the advocacy imperative,
DeAnne Brooks, Lauren Griffen and Ren-
nae Williams Stowe presented a wonder-
ful discussion on equity-focused student
recruitment and retention that included
strategies for developing authentic rela-
tionships that enhance these efforts. We
wrapped up the imperative sessions with a
focus on the kinesiology curriculum. Brian
Culp and Tamara Bertrand Jones provided
a wonderful session on transforming a
kinesiology curriculum to prioritize anti-
racism and we learned about the role that
AKA Workshop- January 25-27, 2024
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town in Albuquerque, NM
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
personal and professional development
plays in institutional transformation. All of
the session speakers worked together to
create a powerful, impactful message and
call to action.
We also had a special guest for the
Fireside Chat this year, Shireen Ahmed.
Shireen is a multi-platform sports journalist
and activist on the intersection of racism
and misogyny in sports. Please take a few
moments to watch this wonderful AKA
Fireside Chat, moderated by Liz Mullin,
and listen as Shireen answers a variety of
questions that span inclusiveness in leader-
ship and sport (https://www.dropbox.com/
sh/3fyczjehvkwt7dy/AAC8rzcFvBIwf1YGV
2UyOfIAa?dl=0).
As I move into the past president’s posi-
tion, I am looking forward to working with
our President (Jared Russell) and President-
Elect (Kim Graber) to continue our focus
Page 20
on social justice and equity. One of my
responsibilities as past president is to co-
edit, along with President-Elect Kim Graber,
a special edition of Kinesiology Review
focused entirely on the workshop. This
should be a very dynamic and impactful
edition for all interested in social justice
and equity. Also, as part of my service
to AKA, I will formalize the AKA Inclusion
Statement and the series of action steps
that our association will commit to in an
effort to be a more equitable and socially
just association. I look forward to seeing
everyone on the webinars throughout the
year and at next year’s workshop!
(A link to entire program can be found
here https://americankinesiology.org/aka-
workshops/)
www.americankinesiology.org
Concussions in Sport – Next Steps?
By Penny McCullagh, Ph.D., KT Editor
W hen Tua Tagovailoa from the Miami
Dolphins went down on September
29, 2022, anyone watching the game prob-
ably took a deep breath of concern. There
is certainly speculation from many about
whether he should have been playing at
all since he had been hit a few days ear-
lier. Also, the consultant who evaluated
Tagovailoa was fired after the incident, so
there will no doubt be considerable review
of how the NFL handles concussions.
A recent article in The Conversation just
after the incident (Pyle, 2022) highlighted
some of the concerns surrounding con-
cussion in sport. To publish in this outlet,
authors must be currently employed as a
researcher or academic with a university
or research institution. The goal is to have
academic rigor with a journalistic flair and
the time line for getting articles in press is
very quick.
Pyle suggests that World Rugby has a
list of 12 symptoms in their player/welfare
protocol that require a player to imme-
diately be removed from the game and
then prescribe protocols for return to play.
Assessments are done on video, on the
field and pre-game. He states that rugby
Kinesiology Today Spring 2023 Volume 16, No. 1
has concussions at a far greater rate than
football and that many players have been
involved in lawsuits because of early onset
of dementia. He also suggests that if the
NFL had the same standards as World
Rugby, he would not have been playing.
Pyle goes on to suggest that coaches,
players and medical providers are all under
intense pressure to get players back in the
game. In the NFL the decision of whether
a player can return to play is determined
by the team physician. and the unaffiliated
neurotrauma consultant (UNC).
Just a few days earlier, another article
on concussion which was published in the
Conversation (Yeates, Tator, Wellington,
2022) detailed how Canada is handling
concussions. Yeates is Chair in Pediatric
Brain Injury at the University of Calgary,
Tator is Program Director of the Canadian
Concussion Centre at University of Toronto
and Wellington is in the Department of
Pathology and Medicine at the University
of British Columbia, so these are research-
ers well versed on the issue. In 2020 the
Canadian Concussion Network established
a research agenda to address all causes
of concussion and to help bring research
Page 21
evidence into practice in clinical settings.
In sport, some action has been taken
to reduce concussion. For example, body
checking is no longer allowed in hockey for
players under 19. Other research evidence
is being examined to help change policy.
Canada now has a Concussion Awareness
Week that took place Sept 25 to Oct 1 of
2022. (thus the publication was timed to
highlight this event.)
I wanted to get some insight on the con-
cussion issue from an expert in our field. I
contacted Dr. Steven Broglio, a professor of
Athletic Training and the School of Kinesiol-
ogy, and adjunct professor of Neurology and
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the
University of Michigan. He also served as the
Director of the Michigan Concussion Center
(https://concussion.
umich.edu/) and
Director of the Neu-
roTrauma Research
Laboratory (https://
www.kines.umich.
edu/research/labs-
centers/neurotrauma-
research-laboratory).
Steven Broglio
 www.americankinesiology.org Page 22

There is no doubt that concussion in
sport is an issue of great concern. With
your experience over the last 20 years,
what information from the research has
had a major impact on how concussions
are handled in elite and professional
sport and have enough steps been taken
should be removed and evaluated by a
licensed professional.
Can there be a national initiative that
addresses concussion or does it
have to be dealt with state to state or
at the local level?
Yeates, K., Tator, C.H., & Wellington, D Concussion is more
than sports injuries: Who’s at risk and how Canadian
researchers are seeking better diagnostic treatments.
The Conversation, September, 25.
https://theconversation.com/concussion-is-more-than-
sports-injuries-whos-at-risk-and-how-canadian-researchers-
are-seeking-better-diagnostics-and-treatments-189899

to protect players? Every state in the country, and Washing-

Concussions are managed much differ-
ently today than they were 20 years ago.
Around the turn of the century, putting a
player back to play the same day was not
uncommon and there was not a unified
approach to injury management. Today,
any athlete suspected of concussion must
be removed and evaluated. If a concussion
diagnosis is made, the athlete is withheld
and until they no longer have symptoms
and then they are progressed back to
sport. That process takes, on average, 14
days; compared to 3-5 days 20 years ago.
What are your primary concerns about
e, concussion in non-professional and
youth sport? And do you have any rec-
ommendations for coaches or parents?
You will commonly hear the phrase “when in
doubt, sit them out.” It’s simple and direct
and anytime a parent/coach/administra-
tor suspects the child has an injury, they
ton DC, has concussion legislation for
youth athletes that was modeled after the
Zackery Lystedt law in Washington. In
general, the laws require annual concus-
sion education, immediate removal from
play when an injury is suspected, and
evaluation by a licensed medical provider
before the athlete can return. In addition,
there are several large scale research
initiatives (e.g., CARE Consortium) work-
ing to improve injury identification and
management and to better understand
the risk of long term effects.
There is no doubt that concussion in
sport is a concern, and continued efforts
will need to be made to address how the
incidence of concussions can be reduced.
Pyle, A. (2022). NFL player Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion
might have been prevented with rugby’s stricter protocols.
The Conversation, Oct 3.
Kinesiology Today
https://theconversation.com/nfl-player-tua-tagovailoas-
KT Editor: Penny McCullagh, Ph.D.
concussion-might-have-been-prevented-with-rugbys-
stricter-protocols-191830 Managing Editor & Writer: Amy Rose
Staff Writer: Pat Wade
Designer: Sean Roosevelt

Kinesiology Today Winter 2023 Volume 16, No. 1