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Increasingly, sport science professionals have tried to focus on the
person as a whole. A significant challenge facing sport science professionals
and physical education leaders is to help all people participate in regular
physical activity so they can enjoy the associated health benefits. By
sport science professionals working with each other, and working with
physical education leaders, politicians, organizations, and government
agencies, sport science professionals can develop target agendas for those
that need it and help to bridge the gap between socio-economic and cultural
groups. Although many say that physical education is unessential in schools,
and that the money would be better spent elsewhere, the health conditions
of millions of deprived children and adults suggest otherwise. When the
American Heart Association added physical inactivity to high blood pressure,
smoking and high blood cholesterol, as a prime contributor to heart disease,
those in low socio-economic and cultural groups were being indirectly
targeted. It is the poor, and the indigent, that tend to have the highest
rates of heart disease and pulmonary disorder. It is only through the
partnership of sports science professionals with governmental agencies,
professional organizations, public and private agencies, that the chasm
between socio-economic and cultural groups will be bridged. Disparities in levels of physical activity exist among population groups due in part to economic conditions. Spain, and Franks (2001) report that the proportion of the population who have reported no leisure-time physical activity is higher among women than men, higher among African-Americans and Hispanics than whites, higher among older adults than younger adults, and higher among the less wealthy than the more affluent. Research shows that participation in all types of physical activity declines significantly as youth become older. What is known is that in general, people with lower levels of education and income are less active in their leisure time activity (Spain, and Franks, 2001). The consequence of inadequate health and fitness programs for youth is
dramatic. Through quality health and fitness programs, essential values
can be taught which can guide young people throughout their lives. Quality
health and fitness programs can also reduce the risks of juvenile delinquency
and criminal behavior. Research studies have shown that physical activity
enhances youth academic performance, and self-esteem (Jaffee, L, and Wu,
P.,1996; Duda, J.L., 1985 ), and serves as a powerful tool promoting human
and social development around the world. Therefore, it is no surprise
that international bodies such as The World Health Organization (WHO),
United Nations Educational Scientific Consultant Organization (UNESCO),
and The International Olympic Committee (IOC) are examples of advocate
groups with a mandate to integrate sport and physical activity as an integral
part of daily life (Benaziza,1998). The Sport for All movement is an international broad based sports participation
program sponsored and funded by governments. The main goals of the Sport
for All movement are participation at the broadest level and are not directed
toward elite athletes. UNESCO ratified an International Charter of Physical
Education and Sport based on the Sport for All movement. Article 1 of
the UNESCO charter embraces the concept that:
There is every indication that these goals are not being met. Complaints are often raised that sport scientist are not communicating
with practitioners and that there is a chasm between theory and practice,
and new knowledge and skills seldom reach those most in need. But, a more
glaring omission is the absence of disparate socio-economic and diverse
minority and cultural groups’ inclusion in the health, fitness,
and sport educational process. What is needed is partnership based endeavors and a collective responsibility
among and between sport sciences professionals to advocate the evidence-based
health, social and economic benefits of regular physical activity. Because
the Sport for All movement has the endorsement of many groups, it has
had a significant impact on getting the message out that physical activity
is an essential component to a quality healthy and fit life style. What
is missing in the tangled web to bring health and fitness programs to
citizens throughout the world, and particularly in less developed countries,
is a strategic component that bridges the gap between disparate socio-economic
and diverse cultural groups. Sport scientists seeks to investigate problems and find solutions within
the framework of scientific justification. The ultimate goal is to transfer
solutions to practice, to explain, control, and where and when necessary,
change behavior. The subject areas of sport science can be categorized
as follows:
Different discipline areas of sport science can learn from each other,
and opportunities need to be created to facilitate the necessary exchange
of information between socio-economic less fortunate sport science professionals
and diverse cultural groups throughout the world. Hence, in light of the
fact that quality physical activity and sport programs are not available
to many throughout the industrialized and non-industrialized world, it
is important to discuss this topic. In this endeavor, the writer will address how sport science professionals
can help bridge the increasing chasm between disparate socio-economic
and cultural groups to build partnerships to promote physical activity
for health. The article provides the reader with an understanding of the
nature of the problem facing youth and the adult population throughout
the world, and the role sport scientists can play in coordinating their
efforts to contribute to the promotion of health and fitness programs
for all people. In order to improve the health and fitness of the masses, sport science
professionals must depend on several elements:
To emphasize the importance of these elements, the article is divided
and will focus on four topical areas: 1) Partnerships, 2) globalization,
3) access and 4) equity.
Partnerships Partnerships do not exist by accident. They are formed as a result of
a developed course of action designed so that responsibility can be shared
to achieve a specific goal. Governments, the volunteer and corporate arenas,
educators and individuals within a community can come together to enhance
and advance important programmatic initiatives. Sport science professionals in charge of educational, sport and leisure
programs are encouraged to enthusiastically seek to network with local,
municipal, regional, national, and international agencies to join forces
in support of the “sport-for-all” inclusive concept for sport
and physical activity for everyone, regardless of financial circumstance:
for girls and boys, and men and women of all ages, employers and employees,
the unemployed, the able bodied or physically challenged, native born,
migrants, or immigrants, physically active or sedentary, regardless of
the ability to pay for health, leisure, sport and physical activity services.
No one sport or physical activity program can meet the needs of all socio-economic
disadvantaged populations or cultural groups. The school setting, the
sport in community settings, nor club programs can solely be responsible
for providing all the health and fitness needs of a given society. Effective
partnerships between schools, and community agencies can be established.
However, sport sciences professionals must carry out their role in conveying
convincingly to the various essential publics the necessity to not only
develop policy, but to move policy beyond theoretical rhetoric to a phase of implementation and practice. It cannot be over-emphasized that sport science professionals must not
only seek to provide opportunity for participation, but must fully embrace
involvement in such programs. Program participants should have the right
and power to determine the nature and meaning of participation. One such
example is the “Fitness Unit of Health Canada” program which
adopted a partnership approach in pursuing active living opportunities
for persons with disabilities and for older adults. The “Fitness
Unit of Health Canada” program operated on the basis that all partnerships
were grounded in a process that is participatory which meant “nothing
about us without us;” was community-based rather than “top-down;”
and was consensus-driven, consumer-centered, and co-operatively lead (Taylor,
2000).” Unfortunately, global health, fitness and sport programs
have often focused on programming primarily for elite sport participants
with the view that programming for the masses is not necessary. In this 21st century, we live in a global market-place, so it is important
to underscore that partnerships are not just nation-based. They involve
the establishment of relationships with appropriate groups across nations.
In the academic community, cross-cultural research initiatives are common
and helpful. Globalization
Many countries are consumed with the promotion of a national identity.
Throughout history, governments have utilized sport to promote a national
and political agenda. Part of the challenge sport scientist face is not
just the desire to communicate the value and purpose of health, fitness
and sport programs for all people, but to address the impact of elite
players on the national and international landscape. To overemphasize
sport to enhance national identity at the expense of the less fortunate
socio-economic and cultural groups will lead to less developed national
talent and the under-utilization of some nation’s own talent (Maguire,
J. Jarvie, G., Mansfield, L., and Bradley, J. 2002). National sport organizations in some countries have placed quotas on
foreign players limiting the number of international players represented
on a team. The migration patterns of elite athletes in sports such as
basketball, cricket, swimming, ice-hockey, track and field and soccer
is commonplace (Maguire, J. Jarvie, G., Mansfield, L., and Bradley, J.
2002). But what is the economic impact of the lost of players to other
countries? What other factors lead players to migrate other than economic?
And are there sport policy implications that will impact on specific socio-economic
and cultural groups? These are serious sport science issues that must
be addressed. Issues surrounding access to opportunities, facilities and
equipment and gender considerations may also be contributing factors for
some sport participants choosing to leave their homeland. Access and Equity Policies fostering better health, sport, leisure and regular physical
activity in the lives of all people, and particularly those less fortunate,
provide a win-win proposition for individuals, families, communities,
and nations. Part of the role of sport science professionals as researchers
and practitioners is to educate and thereby empower politicians, governments
and people in general to be mobilized to make a positive difference in
the lives of human-kind. The challenge is to educate, and expose the research
facts to those in power to make a difference early in the lives of people. What is being done to address the problem, to bridge the increasing chasm
between socio-economic and cultural groups as it relates to access to
physical activity and equity in the provision of equipment and facilities?
In short, sport science professionals have to sell the idea that the impact
of quality health, fitness, sport, and leisure programs will have a significant
and positive impact to educators in other professional disciplines, governments
and their respective municipalities. The goal cannot be achieved through
a piece-meal approach. Local, national and international strategies must
operate to bring together resources in a coherent and purposeful effort
that can be sustained indefinitely. The development of Sport for All in Europe is well known. But because
of concerns about international failures in sport, some Western nations
have begun to look at the Sport for All models as a way to reduce systemic
barriers to access active living programs. For example, in working to
develop the “Sport Policy for Canadians,” John Munro (1970,
p. 4-5) noted that:
We must face the fact that the opportunity for involvement
in sport and recreation is extremely unequal between the socio-economic
classes within our population…It’s only fair just as a dash
[sprint] in a track meet is only fair, that everyone has the same starting
line and the same distance to run. Unfortunately, in terms of facilities,
coaching, promotion and programming, the sports scene today resembles
track on which some people have twenty-five yards to run, some fifty,
some one-hundred, and some as much as a mile or more (Canada Department
of National Health and Welfare, 1970).
In summary, sport science professionals have important work to do to
bridge the increasing chasm between socio-economic and cultural groups
by confronting the social, political, and economic agenda inherent in
the problems associated with the promotion of wellness and fitness world-wide
(Corbett, 1993). The sport science professional must find ways to meet
the following “sport sciences 16-step challenges:” Sport Sciences 16–Step Challenges
Working together collaboratively to build partnerships is the key to
bridge the increasing chasm between socio-economic and cultural groups.
The fruitful exchange of knowledge between and among sport scientist throughout
the world will go a long way in enabling professionals to do more to facilitate
the development of a healthy and fit culture throughout the world. References
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and physical activity. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Benaziza, Hamadi (1998). Partnership building:
a key in promoting physical activity for health. Final Report
Sport for All and the Global Educational Challenges. Barcelona,
Spain, November 19-22. Pg. 186.
Campbell, S., (1998). The Prince Philip Lecture. Physical
education matters. In: The British Journal of Physical Education,
29 (1), Summer. Pp. 15-17.
Canada Department of National Health and Welfare,
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Maguire, J, Jarvie, G., Mansfield, L., and Bradley,
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Spain, C. and Franks, D. (2001). Healthy People
2010: Physical Activity and Fitness. President’s Council
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Taylor, B. (2000). Proven Partnerships: A shared
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Quebec City.
Doris R. Corbett, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Sport Studies Department of Health, Human Performance & Leisure Studies Howard University, Washington, D.C. U.S.A. Email: profcorbet@comcast.net ![]() http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-january2004.htm |