Creating a Caring Environment in Physical Activity Settings

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Creating a Caring Environment in Physical
Activity Settings
Mary Fry University of Kansas
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Being a Kid Isnt So Easy

• 25 of kids are not on track to become healthy,
  thriving, productive adults
• 20-30 of youngsters report depressive symptoms
  at clinically significant levels and
• 8 of US high school youth attempt suicide each
  year

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State of Kansas/Nation

• 2006 62 of Kansans are
• overweight (36.4) or obese (25.9).
• Nationally
• 62 of youngsters 9-13 do not participate in any
  organized PA outside of school
• 22 do not engage in any PA
• Girls less active than boys
• Overweight/obese youth are more likely to become
  overweight/obese adults

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Reseach/Theory to Practice

• Highlight Research
• Share Strategies

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Theory of Motivation

• How do we optimize the motivation of every
  person?

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Personal Definitions of Success

• I feel successful. . . when I give my best effort
  and improve my skills over time.
• Vs.
• I feel successful when I outperform others

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Al Oerters motivational perspective . . .
Competition then is a test of yourself to bring
out the best if you can in a competitive
environment. It's not about beating people. You
never measure yourself against anyone else's
capability- only what's inside you and if you've
driven yourself to the point where you just flat
out cannot be any better. That's all you can ask
of yourself. Again, competition is inside. It's
not about external rankings compared to anyone
else. I just set out to be at my absolute best.
Four-time Olympian Gold Medalist in the Discus
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John Wooden
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Mastery Climate

• The Coach/Teacher/Leader . . .
• Values Effort
• Improvement
• Encourages
• Cooperation
• Makes Everyone Feel
• Like They Play an
• Important Role
• Conveys That It Is Okay to Make Mistakes

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Performance Climate

• The Coach/Teacher . . .
• Values/Rewards Performance/Outcome
• Encourages Team Rivalry
• Punishes Mistakes

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Summary of Motivational Climate Research

• Performance-Involving Climate
• Greater Pressure/Tension
• Less endorsement of
• Sportspersonship Behaviors
• More Problematic Relationships
• Between/Among Athletes Coaches
• Less Perceived Gender/Ability Equity
• Lower Team Satisfaction
• Decreased Psychological Well-Being
• (e.g., Happiness, Depression)

• Mastery-Involving Climate
• Enjoyment
• Effort
• Intrinsic Motivation
• Gender/Ability Equity
• Team Satisfaction
• Sportspersonship
• Enhanced relationships with/
• between athletes coaches
• Psychological Well-Being
• (e.g., Happiness)

Point Perceptions of a mastery-involving climate
have been associated with more optimal
motivational responses.
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The Notion of Caring
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Educational philosopher Nel Noddings (1995). . .
commenting on the nations ardent push for
focusing solely on academic standards in middle
school, we will not achieve even that meager
success academic success unless our children
believe they themselves are cared for and learn
to care
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Caring Climate

• the extent to which individuals perceive a
  particular setting to be interpersonally
  inviting, safe, supportive, and able to provide
  the experience of being valued and respected

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National Youth Sport Camps

• 400 campers surveyed
• 5-week sport camp for underserved youth
• Sponsored by the NCAA federally funded
• Camp includes 50 hours of sport activities,
  lunch/snacks and enrichment activities (e.g.,
  computer, drug/alcohol awareness)

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Summary of Results with Summer Sport Camp (NYSP)
Participants

• When young campers perceive a caring climate in
  the program, they report. . .
• Higher Enjoyment
• Greater Desire for Future Participation
• Greater Empathy
• More Pro Social Behaviors
• Fewer Anti-Social Behaviors
• Greater Emotional Control
• this in turn is linked to
• Greater Psychological Well-Being
• (Higher Hope Happiness
• Lower Depression Sadness)

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3 Sport Studies

• Youngsters in city recreation/
• competitive leagues
• Baseball, Basketball Soccer
• Completed a survey in the
• last week of the season
• that required 15-minutes

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Results

• Young athletes who perceived a caring climate on
  their teams were more likely to report . . .
• Higher Enjoyment
• Greater Commitment
• Greater Empathy
• More Hope
• Like Their Teammates
• Coaches More
• Engage in Caring Behaviors Toward Their
  Teammates/Coaches
• Higher self-esteem

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Are There Things That Your Coach Does That Let
You Know That He/She Cares About You and Your
Teammates?

• Generous Praise Encouragement
• Committed to Helping Athletes Improve
• Genuinely Cares About Athletes as People
• Shows Concern For Injured Athletes
• Has Fun/Socializes w/ Athletes

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Are There Things That Your Coach Does That Make
You Feel Like He/She Does Not Care About You?

• Creates a Negative Atmosphere
• Is Not Committed to Coaching
• Over-Emphasizes Winning
• Treats Athletes Unfairly
• Too Much Conditioning
• Lacks Sympathy for
• Injuries

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Are There Things That Your Teammates Do That Make
You Feel Like They Do Not Care About You or Each
Other?

• Creates a Negative Atmosphere
• - Yells/Rolls Eyes/Gets Made/Says, You Did
  Bad/Unsupportive
• -Talks Mean About Others ( Behind Their Backs)
• - Leaves People Out
• Other Behaviors
• - Dont Pass To Me
• - Wont to Be My Partner in Practice
• -Dont Care if Youre Hurt
• -Negative After a Mistake

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Strategies Ideas for Creating a Caring Climate
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Study w/ Caring HS Physical Education Teachers
(Larson Silverman, 2005)

• Frequent Caring Behaviors
• Greet students by name
• Ask about their life outside of PE
• Speak to each student each day
• Participate with students
• Maximize transition time
• Take mental notes when speaking with students
• Have an open door policy

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Reasons Teachers Give for Displaying Caring
Behaviors

• Long-Term Relationships
• Help students through tough times in their lives
• Students need adults who show interest in them
• Students will be more receptive and learn more
• Obligation to the professors who trained them

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Shelly Momany, 2nd Grade Teacher

• Notes for parent
• conference
• Teaching Sign
• Language
• Heart shaped stones
• Focus on individual
• effort/improvement
• Sets stage for students
• to support one another
• I am going to miss you
• this weeked

Dear Students, I believe in You. I trust in
You. You are listened to. You are cared for. You
are very important to me. Sincerely, Ms. Momany
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University of Memphis students working with
Patients from St. Jude Childrens Research
Hospital
Gratitude
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The PACT
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THE STRENGTH CLUB
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The Program
Twenty students (11 girls/9 boys) met twice
weekly for 1.5 hrs. The schedule
included Snack time (15 min.) Physical
activities (45 min.) Life skills activities
(30 min.)
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Choosing a mascot helps make participants feel
connected
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Membership cards help reinforce the
program philosophy
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Leader Involvement
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Praise Phrases
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Terry Orlick

• Echo Canyon
• Highlights

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Praise for Effort Improvement
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Quotes

• Whatever affects one directly, affects all
  indirectly . . . I can never be what I ought to
  be until you are what you ought to be. You can
  never be what you ought to be until I am what I
  ought to be. This is the way the world is made.
  I didnt make it that way, but this is the
  interrelated structure of reality. -Martin
  Luther King, Jr.

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Empathy Exercises

• Taking others perspectives
• (e.g., teachers, SC leaders)
• Helps us to see beyond ourselves
• An effective coping strategy

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Developing a Sense of Humor

• Add jokes

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Team Building
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Making Cards
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Challenges in Creating aTask-Involving Climate

• Attendance
• Life outside the Strength Club
• Students with serious behavioral, psychological,
  and social problems

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Kids Perceptions ofthe Climate
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Strategies for Creating a Caring Climate

• Giving the shpeal
• Add ice breakers/tm bldg activities
• -Name Circle
• Tell us about your family, favorite food, pets,
  movies, etc.
• Connect with kids via postcard/email/text
  message/phone
• Notice when kids miss
• Make rosters w/ contact info to encourage
  communication.

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Strategies for Creating a Caring Climate

• Encourage parents to intro themselves to each
  other have kids introduce their parents to each
  other after session/practice
• Tell parents how they can support you they can
  be role models (encourage all the kids) and help
  you emphasize effort and improvement
• Greet parents after session share feedback
  Jake did a great job listening today Im
  psyched about how hard LuAnn was working today
• Assess the program Get feedback from parents
  kids

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Caring Strategies

• Encourage kids to practice over weekend/inbetween
  meetings
• Cheer each other on/compliment one another
  Praise Phrases
• Notice and emphasize kids effort and improvement
  (Wow, Naomi, you seem much more comfortable
  floating on your back than you did 2 weeks ago-
  your hard work is really making a difference!)