Tucker Center and US Club Soccer launch groundbreaking partnership

September 5, 2024

The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport is excited to announce the signing of the first Coaching HER™ Champion license with US Club Soccer. This strategic partnership represents a significant step forward in the commitment to fostering inclusivity, empowerment, and gender equity in US Club Soccer coaching by integrating Coaching HER® into their educational platforms.

Coaches are powerful role models who can impact girls’ self-perceptions, experiences, and development and are one of the most important factors determining whether she keeps playing sports. Yet coaches often lack the education and training needed to address concerns specific to girls and women. Coaching HER™ is a toolkit that is grounded in research and proven to improve coaching strategies specifically for girls.

For US Club Soccer, Missy Price, VP of Education and Development, shares, “We’re thrilled to be the first major youth sport organization to join Coaching HER™ in their mission. Girls between the ages of 11 and 17 dropout of soccer at alarming rates and we’re joining forces with Coaching HER™ to change this pattern. Girls experience the world differently than boys and Coaching HER™ is here to help our coaches, parents, and clubs learn how to coach differently to help girls reach their full potential and maintain a positive relationship with sport for a lifetime.”

Nicole M. LaVoi, PhD, director of the Tucker Center, shares the excitement: “We are thrilled to welcome US Club Soccer as our first organizational partner of Coaching HER™. All athletes deserve coaches that understand how to create an environment to help all girls thrive and reach their full potential and this is an important first step.”

This collaboration will equip coaches with specialized training and resources, empowering them to better understand and address the unique challenges female athletes encounter. Through this initiative, US Club Soccer is dedicated to inspiring a new generation of female athletes to excel both on and off the field.

For more information about Coaching HER™ and the new partnerships, please visit www.CoachingHER.com, download the press release here, or contact Alicia Pelton, Program Director, at apelton@umn.edu.

U of M recognized for outstanding physics teacher preparation

April 8, 2024

The American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) recently commended the University of Minnesota on its outstanding contributions to the education of future physics teachers. The science education program in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction graduated five highly qualified physics teachers in the 2022-23 academic year.

Graduating more than five physics teachers in a year puts the U of M in the 99th percentile of all U.S. colleges and universities. To mark this achievement, the U of M earned membership in the 5+ Club, the highest award available for teacher preparation from the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), a joint project of APS and AAPT.

In a letter, the APS and AAPT note that the U.S. has a severe shortage of qualified physics teachers. In a letter, the APS and APPT wrote that the U of M’s “…excellent physics teacher preparation program and efforts to address this critical shortage are a service to the state of Minnesota. We congratulate the University of Minnesota for serving as a national model for STEM teacher preparation.”

Greising presents at the Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting

February 7, 2024

Sarah M. Greising, PhD, associate professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Skeletal Muscle Plasticity and Regeneration Laboratory (SMPRL), attended and presented research at the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Annual Meeting. The meeting was held in Long Beach, CA, over February 2-6, 2024. The primary goal of this meeting is accelerating musculoskeletal discovery. Dr. Greising presented a poster titled, “In Sequence Anti-fibrotic Treatment And Rehabilitation For Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury.” Contributions to the work included lab member and current medical student Peter Nicholson and other members of the lab Christiana Raymond-Pope, PhD, and Thomas Lillquist, MS, as well as collaborator Jarrod Call, PhD, from the University of Georgia.

Additionally, Dr. Greising, in collaboration with her fellow member of the ORS Women’s Leadership Forum, organized and participated in a career development session titled, “Pearls for navigating career transitions, across career stages”. Collectively, all sessions supported by the Women’s Leadership Forum are developed to mentor, foster, encourage, and inspire women in orthopaedic research at all stages of their career, and to advise and support women on career and leadership opportunities in orthopaedic-related organizations.

Lundstrom Quoted Regarding Minnesota Marathoner Qualifying for Olympic Games

February 7, 2024

Christopher Lundstrom, PhD, a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science in the School of Kinesiology and instructor of the Marathon Training course in the physical activity program, was quoted in an MPRNews article as the coach of marathon athlete Dakotah Lindwurm. Lindwurm is the first Minnesotan to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. She placed 3rd in the Olympic Trials race in Orlando, Florida on February 3rd, 2024, and will be competing in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Lundstrom is the head coach of the marathon training group Minnesota Distance Elite, of which Lindwurm is a member. “It’s pretty magical,” said Lundstrom. “Lots of people, regardless of what sport you’re in, have Olympic dreams and she’s somebody who had that since she was a kid. To see it all come together and to be able to be a part of it, it’s all still kind of sinking in, I think. But it’s really just an incredible feeling.”

Stoffregen co-authors article published to Frontiers

February 6, 2024

Tom Stoffregen, PhD, professor of perceptual-motor control and learning in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL), was recently a co-author on an article with Chih-Hui Chang, PhD, a former doctoral student of the School of Kinesiology. The article, titled, “Effects of decades of physical driving experience on pre-exposure postural precursors of motion sickness among virtual passengers,” was published in Frontiers in Virtual Reality. The article examines the relationship between real life driving experience and postural precursors to motion sickness in virtual settings, finding that real life experience affected the postural precursors, but not the motion sickness itself.

LaVoi and Goorevich publish article in Sport Coaching Review

February 1, 2024

Nicole M. LaVoi, PhD, director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and senior lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, and Anna Goorevich, MSc, doctoral student and researcher with the Tucker Center, co-authored a book chapter titled, “Essentially different or equally the same: uncovering sport coach discourses about coaching girls,” in Sport Coaching Review. Goorevich & LaVoi used survey data to identify a continuum of different discourses coaches possess about the girls they coach. Gender essentialist stereotypes of perceived differences between girls and boys, and gender-blind/neutral comments which erased gendered experiences were the most common discourses. Gender-sensitive discourses were less common, but have potential to disrupt gendered norms in sport. Based on the data, coach discourses often positioned girls as different and deficient or overlooked the salience of gendered structures in sport.

Portrait of Anna Goorevich — Anna Goorevich

LaVoi co-authors book chapter with doctoral student Anna Goorevich

January 26, 2024

This chapter questions common ideas about women in sports coaching, aiming to break down barriers to gender equality. It talks about harmful beliefs, explains their impact, and suggests new ideas, using research to support ways to empower women in coaching for greater influence.

Antunovic co-authors book chapter with alumna Annika Olson

January 25, 2024

Dunja Antunovic smiling — Dunja Antunovic

Dunja Antunovic, Ph.D., assistant professor of sport sociology in the School of Kinesiology published a co-authored book chapter with Annika Olson, sport management and honors program alumna. The chapter, titled, “Gender and diversity in mediated sport marketing: Using ‘old’ and ‘new’ media,” is featured in the Research Handbook on Gender and Diversity in Sports Management (eds. Pirkko Markula and Annelies Knoppers).

Dengel presents to Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation Group

January 25, 2024

Donald R. Dengel, PhD, professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology (LIHP), spoke to the International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation Minnesota/Western Wisconsin Support Group on January 18, 2024. The title of Dr. Dengel’s talk was “Designing Effective Exercise Programs For Waldenstrom’s Patients”.

Dengel writes blog on Soft Tissue-to-Bone Ratio

January 25, 2024

Donald R. Dengel, PhD, professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology (LIHP), is the author of a recent blog post titled “What Is the Soft Tissue-To-Bone Ratio?” In this blog Dr. Dengel describes recent research from his laboratory on a body composition measure termed the soft tissue-to-bone ratio (SBR). The SBR is determined by dividing the soft tissue masses (i.e., lean mass + fat mass) by bone mass and may be useful in analyzing body composition in athletes. In addition, recent research from Dr. Dengel’s laboratory suggests that the SBR may also provide insight to the development of cardiovascular risk. This blog explores what the SBR is, and its importance.

Read the full blog feature: https://www.dexalytics.com/news/what-soft-tissue-bone-ratio/

Tucker Center introduces Body Confident Sport initiative

January 24, 2024

The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota, under the leadership of Nicole M. LaVoi, PhD, director and senior lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, has unveiled the Body Confident Sport initiative, a pioneering effort aimed at building body confidence in 11- to 17-year-old girls and individuals across the full gender spectrum involved in sports. The program, developed in collaboration with the Centre for Appearance Research, Nike, and Dove, combines coach education with user-friendly curriculum and guides. LaVoi emphasizes the groundbreaking collaboration between academic and industry partners, with the initiative showing scientific evidence of improving self-esteem and body confidence in clinical trials involving over 1,200 girls. The initiative addresses the impact of body talk on athletes, seeking to shift the conversation from appearance to abilities and contribute to positive cultural changes in girls’ sports.

HSCL publishes research on motor learning in a robotic environment

January 4, 2024

Viola Winter, doctoral candidate in the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory in the School of Kinesiology, is the lead author of a new publication titled “Dyad motor learning in a wrist-robotic environment: Learning together is better than learning alone,” that appeared in the journal Human Movement Sciences. The project investigated how two people learn a motor skill as a pair (or dyad) and found that “pairing up” is actually beneficial not just for learning facts, but also for learning skills using a robotic device.

Tucker Center’s role pivotal in BodyConfidentSport program

January 4, 2024

According to an AdWeek.com article, “One Team, One Dream: What Marketers Can Learn From Dove and Nike Partnership,” the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport played a pivotal role in the collaborative efforts of Dove and Nike to launch the groundbreaking Body Confident Sport program. Headed by Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, director, the Tucker Center, known for its dedication to advancing gender equity in sport, partnered with the brands for over two years in co-developing the initiative. Utilizing research insights, including input from girls and coaches globally, the study commissioned by both brands revealed alarming statistics, such as 48% of girls dropping out in the US being told that they don’t have the right body for sports. The Tucker Center’s involvement highlights its commitment to addressing such challenges and contributing to the development of solutions that promote inclusivity and body confidence for girls in sports.

Barr-Anderson publishes on prediabetes in adolescents

January 3, 2024

Daheia Barr-Anderson, PhD, associate professor of Physical Activity and Health Promotion in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Behavioral Physical Activity Laboratory (BPAL), had a paper accepted for publication in the journal, Childhood Obesity. This work is in collaboration with colleagues from Cornell and UMN, and titled, “Diet and physical activity by prediabetes status among U.S. adolescents: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2018.” The main findings support the need for diabetes prevention interventions to target specific food groups and encourage physical activity as adolescents with diabetes reported less than optimal nutritional intake and physical activity compared to adolescents without prediabetes.

HSCL publishes on ankle proprioception in children with cerebral palsy

December 28, 2023

Researchers for the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab (HSCL), led by director Jürgen Konczak, PhD, professor in the School of Kinesiology, recently published an article titled, “Ankle proprioception in children with cerebral palsy,” to the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often have gait abnormalities that are associated with impaired body awareness, specifically reduced proprioception at the ankle joint. However, there is no established clinical standard to evaluate ankle proprioception. To address this shortcoming, researchers from the HSCL and Gillette Children’s hospital in St. Paul investigated ankle position sense in children with CP. The results provide first knowledge to understand the degree of ankle proprioceptive dysfunction in cerebral palsy. Liz Boyer, PhD from Gillette Children’s is the lead author. Former doctoral students Qiyin Huang, PhD and Jinseok Oh, PhD from HSCL were instrumental in conducting the study.

Stoffregen quoted in MarketWatch article

December 28, 2023

Tom Stoffregen, PhD, professor of perceptual-motor control and learning in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL), was recently quoted in a MarketWatch article about first time flying tips by Bradford Cuthrell, titled, “A Guide for First-Time Flyers: What To Expect and How To Prepare.” Stoffregen lent advice for managing flight anxiety and motion sickness, recommending that travelers stick to bland foods and clear liquids.

LaVoi interviewed on toxic coaching

December 28, 2023

Nicole M. LaVoi, PhD, director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and senior lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, was interviewed extensively in a December 20, 2023, PopSugar.com piece, “Toxic Coaching Can Kill Young Athletes’ Confidence — and the Effects May Last For Years.” The article discusses the long-lasting impact of coaches’ comments on young athletes, with Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez and dancer Alyssa Larsen sharing personal experiences. LaVoi emphasizes the significant influence coaches have on self-perceptions, confidence, and body image, highlighting the need for positive coaching approaches that prioritize fun, personal improvement, and discourage comparisons. The article also mentions Body Confident Sport, a campaign by Nike and Dove in collaboration with Dr. LaVoi and the Tucker Center which aims to guide coaches toward body-positive coaching styles and improve young athletes’ body confidence.

Dengel inducted into Academies for Excellence

December 22, 2023

Don R. Dengel, PhD, professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology (LIHP), has been inducted into the University of Minnesota’s Academies for Excellence in Team Science. The award was given to a team of University of Minnesota researchers for facilitating research to discover new treatments that improve the physical and emotional health of children who are affected by obesity and obesity-related conditions.

Antunovic gives keynote speech at women and sport conference in Zagreb, Croatia

December 21, 2023

Dunja Antunovic, PhD, assistant professor of sport sociology in the School of Kinesiology, was the keynote speaker at the International Scientific Conference on the Role of Sport in Society in Zagreb, Croatia on December 15-16, 2023. The conference focused specifically on women, sport, and social change.

Antunovic’s presentation was titled “Gender Representations in Sport Media: Problems and Opportunities.”

The conference was hosted by the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Studies and the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb in Croatia. Antunovic previously collaborated with University of Zagreb faculty member, Sunčica Bartoluci, on studies that examine Olympic media coverage in the Central and Eastern European region.

Hawe and Guy receive Data Science Initiative Seed Grant

December 21, 2023

Rachel Hawe, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the NeuroRehabilitation Across the Lifespan (NeuRAL) Laboratory, and Stephen Guy, PhD, associate professor in Computer Science and Engineering, received a $77,000 seed grant from the UMN Data Science Initiative. Their project, titled “Data-driven Metrics for Upper-Limb Motor Assessment in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders” aims to leverage modern advances in informatics, data science, and computer vision to establish novel, data-driven techniques for analyzing and assessing upper limb movements. The project will include expanding their data set of reaching strategies in typically developing children collected using markerless motion capture and augment reality games at the State Fair, and applying their analysis to three clinical populations- cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental coordination disorder. The overall goal of this work is to enable the identification of specific motor impairments, which will facilitate the diagnosis of movement limitations, inform personalized rehabilitation, and lead to improved outcomes.

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