Tucker Center releases 2020 Year in Review

March 15, 2021

The School of Kinesiology’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport has released its annual “2020 Year in Review.” The report highlights the Tucker Center’s accomplishments in a difficult year including holding its annual Distinguished Lecture online to over 500 viewers, continued longitudinal analysis of women coaches in the 7th Annual Women in College Coaching Report Card (WCCRC), engaged participation by the Summer Gender Equity Internship Program team, and a new social media project launched called #disruptHERS. Read the entire report here…

Losing Seasons: Coping with canceled youth sports and activities

January 11, 2021

Pandemic Parenting Webinar | Losing Seasons: Coping with canceled youth sports and activities

Thursday, January 14, 9:00 p.m. ET

Pandemic Parenting invites you to listen to featured speakers Dr. Daheia Barr-Anderson (University of Minnesota), Megan Bartlett (We Coach), and Christine Pinalto (Sidelined USA) talk about coping with the cancelation of youth sports and activities.

Winter’s here – how will we continue to keep our youth active and healthy during the pandemic? Many sports have had to take a time-out due to COVID-19. Indoor activities have been cancelled, and, pandemic or not, weather doesn’t always permit us to enjoy being physically active outdoors. The cancellation or delay of sports seasons have also had long-term impacts on the futures and identities of youth and young adults. So, as parents, caregivers, and coaches, how do we keep our youth active, healthy, and strong, while helping them (and us) mourn the loss of the activities that help them thrive? Join us and our guest experts as we discuss the ways to tackle these issues and help our youth cope physically and mentally so that everyone “wins.”

Reserve your spot to join us live or to receive the recording if you can’t attend live.

Weiss’s research with Girls on the Run gives communities what they need to promote successful programs

October 29, 2019

School of Kinesiology professor Maureen Weiss, PhD, and co-authors published a longitudinal study evaluating the after-school program Girls on the Run. They researched the program’s effectiveness in promoting positive social, emotional, and physical health outcomes. Their study findings uncovered strong evidence that Girls on the Run is effective in promoting positive youth development, including season-long and lasting positive change in competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, and physical activity, as well as reduced sedentary behavior, especially among girls who exhibited lower preseason scores than their peers. (Read more about the study here.)

Coaches and volunteers run alongside girls in the Girls on the Run High Country end-of-season 5K event held in May. Photo submitted to the *Appalachian Today.*

Weiss and colleagues’ work has been cited and quoted in a variety of news organizations, including Appalachian Today, High Country Press, WataugaDemocrat.com, and Savannah Morning News, all located in areas with local Girls on the Run programs. In addition, Girls on the Run uses study findings to talk about the impact the program has in their communities. The results of this study have given local programs tangible statistics to back up their work, generate support in the community, and share the program’s success in providing girls with an opportunity to be a part of activities that address both physical and emotional health.

Gao leads study abroad course in Beijing, China

July 5, 2019

Dr. Zan Gao, associate professor and Director of Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory in the School of Kinesiology, taught KIN 3720 Martial Arts and Medicine: Traditions in China, a short-term study abroad course in Beijing, China from May 16through May 31, 2019.

Students who took this short-term study abroad program learned hands-on skills such as Chinese Massage, Acupuncture, cupping, Chinese Medicine, Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Sanda, and Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Igo, Dragon Dance, etc. They also visited elite athletic training and research centers in Beijing, and competed with Chinese college students in volleyball, beach volleyball and other sports.

Additionally, students were invited to cultural events and visited historical sites in order to learn about, and experience, the Chinese culture. Students visited the Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Olympic Venue, Beijing zoo, Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square, 798 Art Street, Hutong, and Silk Market for cultural shopping.

Learning cupping.
Students of KIN 3720

King presents at the 2019 Minnesota Wild Leadership Summit

June 27, 2019

King, presenting at the 2019 Minnesota Wild Leadership Summit.

Kevin King, MA, teaching specialist at the School of Kinesiology, gave two 45-minute presentations at the 2019 Minnesota Wild Leadership Summit, a free event for boys and girls high school hockey captains and coaches. King’s presentations included a session for coaches, “How to build a sustainable culture,” and a session for captains, “Conflict Resolution.”

In addition to presenting, King was also a member of the planning committee for the event.

The 2019 Leadership Summit was the 3rd annual, and it was open to the first 400 boys and girls hockey captains and coaches who registered. Participants had the opportunity to hear from industry leaders, coaches and former captains from the State of Hockey and beyond. This event is intended to provide players and coaches with leadership and team building skills and advance the sport of hockey.

Weiss speaks at USDHHS on National Youth Sports Strategy

May 21, 2019

Maureen Weiss, PhD, speaking at the USDHHS public listening session.

Maureen Weiss, PhD, professor in the School of Kinesiology, was invited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) to present at a public listening session intended to inform the development of a National Youth Sports Strategy. Representing the National Academy of Kinesiology, Weiss and colleague Dr. Dan Gould (Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, Michigan State University) opened the day-long session by summarizing the current state of youth sports and proposing recommendations for how the government can implement the initiative. You can see their presentation here.

The session focused on four topics: (1) participation benefits and barriers, (2) private and public strategies to increase youth sports participation, (3) metrics to gauge and improve participation, and (4) strategies to recruit and train coaches. Emphasis was also placed on reducing barriers for underrepresented populations, including girls, racial/ethnic minorities, and youth with disabilities.

The USDHHS is charged with drafting the National Youth Sports Strategy Report by early summer, an initiative mandated by Executive Order 13824, declared on February 26, 2018.

Weiss said she is excited about the potential of this initiative, “It is encouraging that the government is recognizing the potential for youth sports to contribute to physical activity and other health outcomes. They are taking steps to promote youth sports programming and education for coaches, as well as to reduce disparities in participation of underserved groups.”

SMGT course partners with Final Four to curate the next gen of event planners

April 12, 2019

Vicki Schull, PhD, Sport Management (SMGT) lecturer and M.Ed. director at the School of Kinesiology, and her class Event Management in Sport (KIN 5115), partnered with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.

Through this graduate level course, students studying event management received hands-on experience in large event planning and running. The class was responsible for creating and executing a volunteer management plan for the Final Four, and students worked directly with, and learned first-hand from, industry experts and professionals.

In an article, “Final Four a lesson in large-event planning,” Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder quotes Schull explaining, “This class is offering a little bit more. This is much more experience-based course.”

Read the full article here >>>

Weiss’s Girls on the Run study cited in NW Indiana Life

March 25, 2019

Maureen Weiss, PhD, professor in the School of Kinesiology, was referenced in an article on the Girls on the Run SoleMates program recently published in NWIndianaLife.com. The program sponsors charity running events to raise money to support the popular youth program.

Dr. Weiss, who conducted a 2017 study on the effects of the program, found that Girls on the Run can promote positive youth development in the areas of competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, physical activity, and life skills. The study also found that Girls on the Run makes a stronger impact than organized sports and physical education programs in teaching life skills, demonstrating that strategies such as those for managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions are optimized when they are explicitly taught.

Lewis to serve 4-year term on NIH grant review study section

March 20, 2019

Beth Lewis, PhD, professor and director of the School of Kinesiology and director of the Exercise & Mental Health Laboratory (EMHL) has been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to serve as a member of the Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention Study Section, Center for Scientific Review. Her term will begin July 1, 2019 and end June 30, 2023.

Members review grant applications submitted to the NIH, make recommendations on these applications to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board, and survey the status of research in their fields of science. These functions are viewed to have great value to medical and allied research in this country. Lewis was selected on the basis of her demonstrated competence and achievements in her scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors. Membership represents a major commitment of professional time and energy as well as a unique opportunity to contribute to the national biomedical research effort.

“I want to take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of Dr. Lewis’s participation in assuring the quality of the NIH peer review process, and to express the NIH appreciation of your institution’s support of its activities,” said Noni Byrnes, PhD, director of the Center for Scientific Review.

MN Daily covers a new stretching program led by Kinesiology graduate students

February 20, 2019

Kinesiology majors stretch their knowledge to peers from the Minnesota Daily.

School of Kinesiology graduate students Andrea Santi, a Sport and Exercise Science MEd student, and Nael Banat, a Sport Management MEd student, are the co-leaders of a new early morning stretching program available to UMN employees. The program aims to help University faculty with physically demanding jobs stretch to prevent injury. Read the full story here.

LaVoi featured in a National Girls and Women in Sports Day video

February 11, 2019

In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, experts from the School of Kinesiology’s Tucker Center and Gopher Women’s Basketball talk about how female participation in sports has benefits that reach far beyond the court. Hear from Nicole M. LaVoi, Ph.D., senior lecturer and director of the School of Kinesiology’s Tucker Center, Lindsay Whalen, Gopher Women’s Basketball head coach, sport management alumni and former Tucker Center intern, and Kelly Roysland Curry, Gopher Women’s Basketball assistant coach, and sports management and applied kinesiology alumni.

Weiss’ Girls on the Run study shows program builds girls’ confidence

August 13, 2018

The West Milford Messenger—“Team hopes to build preteen girls’ esteem through running program“—describes Girls on the Run, an after-school physical activity program developed by Maureen Weiss, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology. Dr. Weiss’ program aims to increase confidence, camaraderie and build life skills among young girls. The full report is available at this link.

High school and middle school students experience the School of Kinesiology first-hand

April 16, 2018

Students from a Minneapolis high school and middle school visited the School of Kinesiology on April 13. Southwest High School and Venture Academy students toured the Recreation and Wellness Center, then the Southwest students visited Prof. Zan Gao’s Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory (PAEL), while Venture Academy students heard Prof. Daheia Barr-Anderson describe her community projects in the Behavioral Physical Activity Laboratory (BPAL). Later in the day, both groups stopped by to see the presentations at the 2018 Kinesiology Research Day, held in Walter Library.

The Southwest group was accompanied by Andrew Gross, a Kinesiology graduate of the Physical Education Licensure program, who teaches health and physical activity at the high school. The tour was arranged by Kinesiology undergraduate advisers Katie Koopmeiners and Colin Rogness, and assisted by Eydie Kramer, Kinesiology Ph.D. student and graduate assistant.

Kinesiology student and U of M athlete Sidney Peters receives 2018 Hockey Humanitarian Award

April 7, 2018

Sidney Peters, Gopher Women’s Hockey goaltender and senior in the School of Kinesiology, was drawn to volunteer work from the very beginning of her college career. As a freshman, she became involved in M.A.G.I.C (Maroon And Gold Impacting the Community), a program designed to encourage student-athletes to get involved in community service, and she has continued volunteering her time and talents with organizations ever since. On Friday, April 6, her commitment to helping others was recognized when she received the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award from the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation. The organization presented Peters with a check for $2,500 during a ceremony held at the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four tournament in St. Paul. The funds will be donated to her designated charity, Project Medishare.

The Hockey Humanitarian Award is given each year to college hockey’s finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team, but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.

Peters was deeply affected by her experience in 2016 when she traveled to Haiti to work as a volunteer in a hospital there. She continued her service when she returned, volunteering as an EMT and getting involved with other community organizations.

The award is featured in multiple media:

Gopher Women’s Hockey: Listen to Peters’ own words on her service work and what it means to her: Gopher Women’s Hockey video clip
StarTribune: Peters wins Hockey Humanitarian Award

Greg Lais, instructor in the Recreation Administration program, honored by AACSB-International

March 26, 2018

Greg Lais, MBA, long-time instructor in the School of Kinesiology’s Recreation Administration undergraduate program, and integral contributor to the Outdoor Recreation and Education minor, has been honored by the Association to Advance College Schools of Business (AACSB)-International for making an impact in his community and serving as a role model to future business leaders.

Lais graduated with his MBA in 1991 from the Carlson School of Management. He has taught Outdoor and Camp Leadership and advised students in the Senior Internship in Recreation Administration for 10 years for the School of Kinesiology. He is the founder and executive director of Minneapolis-based nonprofit outdoor adventure and education organization Wilderness Inquiry and is part of the 2018 class of the AACSB’s Influential Leaders Challenge.

Weiss receives Legacy Award by Girls on the Run International

February 7, 2018

From the left: Liz Kunz (CEO of GOTRI), Maureen R. Weiss, Allie Riley (Senior VP of Evaluation and Programming)

Maureen Weiss, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, was recognized with the Legacy Award, the highest honor given by Girls on the Run International at its annual Summit in Austin, TX, in January. Girls on the Run is a 501(c)(3) organization and physical activity-based positive youth development (PA-PYD) program designed to enhance girls’ social, psychological, and physical skills and behaviors to successfully navigate life experiences. The program uses running and other physical activities as a platform for teaching life skills and promoting holistic health outcomes for girls in grades 3-8. The organization’s reach is national—in all 50 states with over 200 local community councils, 50,000 volunteer coaches, and over 1.5 million girls served since inception. The organization is committed to diversity—serving girls from all walks of life and backgrounds. Nearly 50% of girls receive subsidized registration fees to enable them to attain the psychosocial and behavioral benefits of participating in each season’s 10-week program.

Weiss’ Legacy Award was based on eight years and hundreds of hours devoted to serving this non-profit organization—as a board member, consultant, speaker, and contributor to curricular development and effective coach delivery—as well as conducting an independent longitudinal evaluation study that demonstrated strong and lasting positive impact of program participation on girls’ life skills learning and psychosocial and behavioral outcomes—confidence, competence, connection, caring, character, and contribution to community and society. The study received widespread attention in a press release last August and Weiss presented the study results at the Summit meeting in a presentation titled, “How and Why Girls on the Run is an Exemplary Positive Youth Development Program.”

National evaluation study of Girls on the Run by Kinesiology professor Maureen Weiss reveals the program transforms young girls’ lives

August 15, 2017

An independent evaluation study by Maureen Weiss, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, shows that Girls on the Run, a national physical activity-based positive youth development program for elementary-age girls, has a profound and lasting positive impact on girls’ confidence, competence, connection to others, character, caring, and life skills.

Girls on the Run is a nonprofit organization that uses running as a vehicle for teaching life skills to girls in third through fifth grades. The intentional life skills curriculum and mandatory annual coach training set Girls on the Run apart from other activity programs. The three-part curriculum teaches understanding of self, valuing relationships and teamwork, and exploring one’s connection to the world.

Weiss’s study revealed that:

Girls on the Run participants were significantly more likely than girls in organized sport and physical education to learn and use life skills including managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others or making intentional decisions.
97% of girls said they learned critical life skills at Girls on the Run that they are using at home, at school and with their friends
Girls who began the program with below-average scores dramatically improved from pre- to post-season on all outcomes—competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring. This shows that girls who might need a positive youth development program benefited most from their participation.
Girls who were the least active before Girls on the Run increased their physical activity level by 40% from pre- to post-season and maintained this increased level beyond the program’s end.

The video and the website illuminate the study findings through an interactive format. The study has also been publicized on Globe Newswire.

“Girls on the Run participants scored higher in managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions than participants in organized sport or physical education,” said Weiss. “Being able to generalize skills learned in the program to other situations such as at school or at home is a distinguishing feature of Girls on the Run compared to traditional youth sports and school PE, and suggests that the intentional life skills curriculum and coach-training program can serve as exemplars for other youth programs.”

This study got also mentioned in The Daily Iowan.

HSCL members share hands-on science with students and families at Hmong International Academy

April 3, 2017

Members of the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab (HSCL) in the School of Kinesiology attended the Hmong International Academy for a community outreach event last Thursday evening, March 30. The Academy, a culturally specific school for children Pre-K through Grade 8, asked several departments at the U of M to attend Family Fun Night to share information about their work and research for families and their children who attend the school.

Kinesiology doctoral students Jessica Holst-Wolf, Arash Mahnan and I-Ling Yeh set up three mini-stations demonstrating EMG (electromyography) technology, postural control, and how to measure haptic sensitivity, or sense of touch, and provided general information about kinesiology and movement science. HSCL lab director is Kinesiology professor Jürgen Konczak, Ph.D.

Rec Admin students develop report for Three Rivers Park District on barriers to underrepresented groups

February 20, 2017

Sara Hansen and Tyler Tegtmeier, both Recreation Administration students in the School of Kinesiology, have developed a report for the Three Rivers Park District to research recreation opportunities for underrepresented populations in the district’s public parks. The 27-page report of their findings provides recommendations to reduce barriers to parks and recreation facilities by underrepresented groups. The report was presented to the organizations involved in the study for their consideration and determination of next steps.

Hansen and Tegtmeier proceeded with the report under the guidance of Recreation Administration Director Connie Magnuson, Ph.D., along with Alex McKinney, Recreation Supervisor at Three Rivers Park District.

REC students involved in Resilient Communities Project (RCP)

January 25, 2017

Under the leadership of Tony Brown, Ph.D., Recreation Administration instructor in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Department of Recreational Sports, students participated in this year’s Resilient Communities Project (RCP), working with the City of Brooklyn Park. The students enrolled in the Recreation Administration major applied their knowledge and skills to a real-world project with a community partner. They worked with the City’s in its effort to address nature-based recreation opportunities and equitable use of athletic fields.

The RCP is an organization dedicated to connecting communities in Minnesota with diverse expertise of University of Minnesota faculty and students to address pressing local issues in ways that advance sustainability and resilience.

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