School of Kinesiology lecturer and Tucker Center associate director Dr. Nicole LaVoi is featured in an ESPN.com blog on determining a good fit between a coach and an athlete.
As part of the process, LaVoi suggests that athletes ask coaches directly what their coaching style is. “Be willing to ask, ‘What’s your philosophy?’ and ‘Why do you coach?’ when you meet potential college coaches,” she says. “It’s a big red flag if a coach is unwilling or unable to answer.”
The blog post also appears as a special report in the Winter 2011 issue of the magazine ESPNHS Girl.
KIN graduate student and Gopher hoops captain featured in local paper
Jackie Voigt, a master’s student in applied kinesiology and alumni of the undergraduate sport management program, was featured in the South Washington County Bulletin regarding her women’s basketball career at the U of MN, where Voigt has had a very positive experience.
“I have no regrets picking the University of Minnesota. I’m glad I made this decision,” Voigt said. “I’ve had some great teammates and great coaches. I’ve gotten a great education and have graduated with my degree – which was my No. 1 priority. I think I’ve grown in a lot of different areas outside of basketball, too.”
A six-one forward, Voigt is a three-year letterwinner and 2011-12 team captain for the Gophers. Thus far this season, she is averaging 5.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.
Voigt’s former high school coach, Stephanie Tolkinen regards her as the “the hardest worker” she’s ever come across. Tolkinen also notes, “she wants to be the best at everything she does, but she keeps a good balance between her family, her life and basketball.”
Kane’s research mentioned in The Globe and Mail article
Mary Jo Kane, PhD, professor of Kinesiology and director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, and her research on “sex selling” women’s sport was referenced in a The Globe and Mail article, “Do female athletes have to wear miniskirts to be taken seriously?”
The author of the article, Katrina Onstad, writes, “Yet it turns out that sex isn’t necessarily smart sports marketing. Mary Jo Kane, a professor at the University of Minnesota, conducted a study in which male and female subjects were shown various images of women athletes – some of them at moments of great athletic triumph, some of them lounging and some in supine soft-porn positions. The ones that made the subjects most want to watch sports were the ones highlighting athletic prowess. The sexy images were deemed “hot” by some young male participants but provoked no interest in women’s sports.”
Ross comments on NBA lockout in Fortune magazine
Dr. Stephen Ross, School of Kinesiology director of undergraduate programs and associate professor of sport management, was quoted on the role of National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern in the league’s lockout in an article that appeared in the online version of Fortune Magazine.
In this piece, Ross contends that the NBA could lose fan support and hurt its finances with the lockout. Ross states, “Your diehard NBA fans, they won’t defect. But most fans watch sports for the drama of the game … and they will take their discretionary dollars elsewhere if the lockout continues.”
First Annual Crockpot Cooke-Off is success
School of Kinesiology chefs and bakers came together for the First Annual Community Fund Drive Crockpot Cooke-Off last month. Ten entrants prepared sweet and savory dishes that were enthusiastically sampled and voted on by the lunch crowd who attended. Thanks to all who contributed, either with culinary delights or donations. The Cooke-Off was a fund-raising success, with contributions of $142 going to the U’s Community Fund Drive federations. Cooks and their entries are listed below. Stacy Ingraham and Liz Plunkett tied for first place in Savory, and Kelsey Savoie won the entry for the Sweet category.
Italiano Tortellini Stew, Rayla Allison
Fall Fruits and Bacon Cobbler, Austin Calhoun
Hot Fudge Kahlua Chocolate Cake Pudding, Tricia Davies
Tortellini Soup, Brandi Hoffman
Swagalicious White Chili, Stacy Ingraham
Hearty Beef Stew, Nicole LaVoi
Cheesy Jalapeno Corn Souffle, Alyssa Maples
Savory Turkey Meatballs, Carol Nielsen
Mexican Chicken Chili Chowder, Liz Plunkett
Apple Crisp, Kelsey Savoie
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Beef, Tom Smith
LaVoi gives keynote at Western Society for Physical Education of College Women annual meeting
Tucker Center Associate Director Nicole LaVoi gave a keynote at the annual meeting of the Western Society for Physical Education of College Women titled “Sexy Babes, Silence, and Social Media: Female Athletes and Sport Media Research. The meeting was held in Cambria, CA, on November 17-20. The Society was founded in 1921 and is the only regional group of women in sport and physical education faculty that continues to meet annually.
Human Performance Teaching Lab ‘only one of its kind in academia’
The Human Performance Teaching Laboratory was featured in a recent Minnesota Daily article as “the only one of its kind in academia.”
The lab, established in Mariucci Arena in 2006, is dedicated to student learning through hands-on experiences in courses about exercise physiology, biomechanics, and human anatomy and physiology. “The importance of the lab is that students need functional knowledge,” says George Biltz, M.D., lecturer in human physiology and exercise science. “Learning anatomy from a book may be accurate, but it’s not the same as actually delving into deeper layers.”
In the article, lab manager Donald Dengel, Ph.D., associate professor of exercise physiology, emphasizes the value of using state-of-the-art equipment to teach students the latest techniques and theories in kinesiology.
Read more in the article.
LaVoi and colleague’s research mentioned in NY Times blog
School of Kinesiology lecturer and Tucker Center associate director Dr. Nicole LaVoi and former master’s student, Erin Becker, had their research on mother-coaches mentioned in The New York Times’ parenting blog. The blog poses the question, “Why don’t more moms coach?” LaVoi and Becker’s research suggests this possible answer:
Many [mothers] pointed to the logistical struggles. It can be tough for a mother who’s working or has more than one kid to coach after school. In a family where Mom is the after-school go-to, Dad may take off work to coach, but how often will he take off from work to let his wife get out there? Women say they worry about their ability to meet their commitment if the unexpected comes up.
Kinesiology students team up to work with kids, community on Vikings Fitness Playbook study
A three-year program supported by the Vikings Children’s Fund and designed to help kids manage their weight and increase their physical activity has given some Kinesiology undergraduates the chance to apply their knowledge to working with kids in the community.
The Vikings Playbook Study was featured in a Minnesota Daily article on Nov. 16. It’s a collaboration between the Vikings and the U of M’s Department of Pediatrics to help kids at risk for overweight and their families to improve health through changes to diet and increased physical activity. A dozen Kinesiology undergraduates meet with children and their families each week as PALs — Physical Activity Leaders — as part of the program’s “immersion” experience at the U of M.
Ten children ages 8-16 enrolled in the program on a recommendation from their doctors because they are in the 95th to 99th weight percentile. By participating, their family also gets a year-long membership at a LifeTime Fitness center.
The program is also a platform for pediatric heart research. The Vikings Children’s Fund has worked closely with the University’s Department of Pediatrics for many years to fund seed research, and is now expanding their focus to more visible community outreach.
Vikings players that take interest in certain medical areas have taken the initiative to help out the University over the years, said Joe Neglia, head of the Pediatrics Department. Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson and his wife held dinners for hospitalized families, for example. Brett Favre donated $200,000 to a program that outfits rooms at Amplatz Children’s Hospital with special technology.
Dr. Don Dengel, associate professor and director of the School of Kinesiology’s Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology, and Dr. George Biltz, Kinesiology lecturer, collaborate with Dr. Aaron S. Kelly in the Department of Pediatrics on the program.
Ross talks to Fox 9 News regarding Vikings stadium site decisions
Dr. Stephen Ross, School of Kinesiology director of undergraduate programs and associate professor of sport management, was recently interviewed on Fox 9 news regarding the ongoing debate about location of a new Minnesota Vikings stadium.
Supporters of city stadiums, like those in Minneapolis, argue the benefits of existing transportation and hotels as well as adding to the urban core. But team owners often have a different agenda.
Ross says more land for parking and development makes an area like Arden Hills very appealing to owners like the Wilfs.
“When you’re locked into a smaller footprint and you don’t have as much control in the surrounding area, you can’t do that type of thing,” Ross said in the interview.
See the complete story below:
Continue reading “Ross talks to Fox 9 News regarding Vikings stadium site decisions”
Kinesiology launches Speaker Series with Dr. Lucie Thibault of Brock University
The School of Kinesiology kicked off the Colloquium Speaker Series on November 10, with Dr. Lucie Thibault of Brock University speaking on, “Winners and Losers in the Globalization of Sport: A Sport Management Perspective.” Dr. Thibault is a distinguished professor who has developed a line of programmatic research on inter-organizational relationships in sport and the role of government in sport policy. About 120 students and faculty attended the event, held at Cowles Auditorium in the Humphrey Center. Dr. Thibault also facilitated a seminar for graduate students on November 11 titled, “Getting Involved: The Importance of Service in our Profession.”
The Speaker Series is an initiative that the School of Kinesiology launched this year to provide an opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research from distinguished scholars; to promote multidisciplinary ideas and collaborations; and to develop a culture in which the School celebrates their mutual commitment to the study of physical activity and health in the broadest sense of the words.
The School of Kinesiology consists of multiple sub-disciplines, including sport management, movement science, exercise physiology, and social and behavioral science. All of these perspectives are critical to understanding the determinants and outcomes of human movement, physical activity behavior, and health outcomes. Over the course of the year, a distinguished speaker from each of these sub-disciplines will share their research and applications with students, faculty, and staff across the university as well as with interested community members.
Azizah Jor’dan presents work at Research Poster Symposium
Azizah Jor’dan, Kinesiology Ph.D student, recently had her work featured at the Community of Scholars Program Research Poster Symposium last Friday, November 11.
Her poster, “Assessment of Movement Skills and Perceptual Judgement in Older Adults,” described a study to test the effect of cognitive defects on postural motion by investigating the impact these deficits may have on the established ‘perception-action’ linkage.
Ms. Jor’dan is advised by Dr. Michael Wade.
Caitlin Sweet highlighted in Career Services blog
Caitlin Sweet, Kinesiology graduate of Spring 2011, was recently highlighted on the CEHD Career Services blog as this month’s featured success story.
Sweet is currently studying for her doctorate in physical therapy at Northwestern University. View the full story here.
LaVoi, Nelson, Stovitz, and Neumark-Sztainer published in Current Sports Medicine Reports
Dr. Nicole LaVoi, Kinesiology lecturer of sport sociology, recently co-authored a publication with some colleagues in Public Health and Epidemiology.
The article makes the case that youth sport might not be health-promoting for some young athletes who sit on the bench and get little to no physical activity, and then eat poor quality, calorie-laden foods.
The article, “Do youth sports prevent pediatric obesity? A systematic review and commentary” is authored by Nelson, Toben F.; Stovitz, Steven D., MD; Thomas, Megan, MPH; LaVoi, Nicole M., PhD; Bauer, Katherine W., PhD; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne, PhD. View the article here.
Clairmont featured in Minnesota Daily
Tanksi Clairmont, Kinesiology M.Ed. student in sport management, was featured in a Minnesota Daily article this past Friday, highlighting her American Indian heritage and passion for dance.
See the full article here.
Ingraham invited to present at AAHPERD in March, 2012
Dr. Stacy Ingraham, exercise physiology lecturer in Kinesiology, has had a proposal accepted for presentation at the national convention for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) in Boston, March 13-17, 2012.
Dr. Ingraham will present “Shock Effect Teaching for Behavioral Changes” at the College/University Instructional Physical Activity Program & Wellness Half Day Conference at AAHPERD on March 12.
Lewis is lead expert in article on yoga and weight loss
Dr. Beth Lewis, associate professor of behavioral aspects of physical activity, was the lead expert in an article on weight loss in MyHealthNewsDaily November 8. The weekly online publication explored the question, “Does yoga help with weight loss?” Dr. Lewis explains how yoga helps with weight loss by improving body awareness and mindfulness, which can influence better food choices and eating habits. Yoga also can help with stress, which is often connected to eating issues. Read the complete article at http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/yoga-weight-loss-2100/.
PhD candidate Yoshida to work on $11M Med School grant to improve training of combat medics
Ken Yoshida, PhD candidate in Kinesiology, has been awarded a research assistantship in the Medical School to work on a three-year, $11M grant to improve training of combat medics. The grant was announced in September. Mr. Yoshida will be working with researchers Dr. Connie Schmitz and Dr. Jeffrey Chipman.
Mr. Yoshida is advised by Dr. Tom Stoffregen, professor of movement science.
Chen and Stoffregen to publish in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied
Kinesiology PhD graduate Fu-Chen Chen and Dr. Tom Stoffregen, professor of movement science, have had an article accepted for publication in the prestigious Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. The article is titled “Specificity of postural sway to the demands of a precision task at sea.” JEP:A accepts fewer than 20% of manuscripts submitted.
Dr. Chen received his PhD in Kinesiology last summer working under the joint supervision of Dr. Michael Wade and Dr. Stoffregen.
PhD graduate Giveans, Stoffregen, and colleagues publish in Ecological Psychology
Kinesiology scholars collaborated to publish the following article:
Giveans, M. R., Yoshida, K., Bardy, B. G., Riley, M. A., & Stoffregen, T. A. (2011). Postural sway and the amplitude of horizontal eye movements. Ecological Psychology, 23, 247-266.
Lead author M. Russ Giveans received his PhD in Kinesiology in 2010. He studied in the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL) under Dr. Tom Stoffregen’s supervision. Ken Yoshida is a PhD student in APAL, working under Dr. Stoffregen’s supervision. Dr. Bardy is a professor of Sport Science at the University of Montpellier-1 (France), and Dr. Riley is a professor of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati.