6 research outputs found
Examining the relationship between life skill development and negative experiences in sport: The influence of resilience
No full textA study by Kendellen and Camire (2015) demonstrated that sport participants not only experienced positive outcomes (i.e., development of life skills), but also encounter numerous examples of negative experiences (i.e., anxiety, aggression, negative interactions with coaches, and prioritizing sport over school). Negative experiences have been linked to an increased risk of detrimental outcomes, such as mental and behavioral health concerns. However, there is a paucity of research examining the impact that negative experiences have on positive outcomes. Utilizing a risk and resiliency framework (Fraser et al., 1999), which proposes that individuals have the capability of attaining positive outcomes even when encountering risk factors, the current study examines the relationship between college club sport participants’ negative experiences and life skill development, and whether the demonstration of resilience can mitigate the impact of sport risks. A total of 87 university students who participated in college club sports completed an online survey. Results from a series of linear regression analyses indicated that lacking coach support hindered the development of life skills, while the athletic identity positively predicted life skill development. However, findings did not support the inclusion of resilience in moderating the relationship between negative experiences and life skills. Ultimately, the current study supports a continued focus on facilitating positive coach support and developing a more balanced identity for college club sport participants, which would furthermore ensure the positive development of all youth
Study of advanced railgun hydrogen pellet injectors for fusion reactor refueling
No full textAn advanced railgun system has been developed to assess its feasibility as a hypervelocity hydrogen pellet injector for magnetically confined plasmas. It consists of a pellet generator/gas gun assembly for freezing hydrogen pellets and injecting them into the railgun at velocities as high as 1.5 km/s. A plasma armature is formed by ionizing the low-Z propellant gas behind the pellet and firing the railgun. This fuseless operation prevents high-Z impurities from entering the reactor during pellet injection.The railgun system has several features that distinguish it from its predecessors, including: (1) a more compact, versatile pellet generator, (2) a new gas gun configuration that produces significantly higher pellet speeds, (3) a perforated coupling piece between the gas gun and railgun to prevent spurious arcing, and (4) ablation-resistant sidewalls, perforated sidewalls and transaugmentation to reduce inertial and viscous drag, the primary obstacles to achieving hypervelocity.A unique system of sophisticated controls and diagnostics has been assembled to operate the railgun system and assess its performance, including fully automated pellet freezing and gas gun operation, an automatic timing circuit that is immune to mistriggering caused by pellet fragmentation or electromagnetic interference, a streak camera, photostations, light gates, current trans formers, B-dot probes, laser interferometry and optical spectroscopy.Free-arc and hydrogen pellet experiments were conducted to evaluate various railgun designs. Transaugmented and simple railguns 1.2 and 2 m long were tested. The performances of railguns using Mullite, solid Lexan and perforated Lexan sidewalls were compared. The railgun theory of operation and anticipated losses are also examined. The theoretical predictions are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.The advanced railgun system has set several world records for bare hydrogen pellet velocity, including a 3.3 km/s shot on the 2 m gun, thus demonstrating that railguns are viable candidates for high speed pellet injection.Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-07T14:10:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Study of advanced railgun hydrogen pellet injectors for fusion reactor refueling
No full textAn advanced railgun system has been developed to assess its feasibility as a hypervelocity hydrogen pellet injector for magnetically confined plasmas. It consists of a pellet generator/gas gun assembly for freezing hydrogen pellets and injecting them into the railgun at velocities as high as 1.5 km/s. A plasma armature is formed by ionizing the low-Z propellant gas behind the pellet and firing the railgun. This fuseless operation prevents high-Z impurities from entering the reactor during pellet injection.The railgun system has several features that distinguish it from its predecessors, including: (1) a more compact, versatile pellet generator, (2) a new gas gun configuration that produces significantly higher pellet speeds, (3) a perforated coupling piece between the gas gun and railgun to prevent spurious arcing, and (4) ablation-resistant sidewalls, perforated sidewalls and transaugmentation to reduce inertial and viscous drag, the primary obstacles to achieving hypervelocity.A unique system of sophisticated controls and diagnostics has been assembled to operate the railgun system and assess its performance, including fully automated pellet freezing and gas gun operation, an automatic timing circuit that is immune to mistriggering caused by pellet fragmentation or electromagnetic interference, a streak camera, photostations, light gates, current trans formers, B-dot probes, laser interferometry and optical spectroscopy.Free-arc and hydrogen pellet experiments were conducted to evaluate various railgun designs. Transaugmented and simple railguns 1.2 and 2 m long were tested. The performances of railguns using Mullite, solid Lexan and perforated Lexan sidewalls were compared. The railgun theory of operation and anticipated losses are also examined. The theoretical predictions are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.The advanced railgun system has set several world records for bare hydrogen pellet velocity, including a 3.3 km/s shot on the 2 m gun, thus demonstrating that railguns are viable candidates for high speed pellet injection.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio
College Athlete Resilience: Achieving Mental Wellbeing During a Pandemic
No full textThe long-term negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health outcomes among college athletes has been well-established. However, mental wellbeing in this population remains understudied. Guided by the conceptual framework of sport resilience, this study examined the impact of COVID-19 on mental wellbeing among NCAA Division I college athletes and, more specifically, the moderation effect of resilience on the relationship between COVID-19 and mental wellbeing. Among college athletics, resilience is believed to not only mitigate mental health concerns but may also promote mental wellbeing. Findings revealed a significant and negative correlation between COVID-19 and mental wellbeing, as well as a positive relationship between resilience and mental wellbeing. Further, resilience was found to significantly moderate the relationship between the impact of COVID-19 and mental wellbeing. Regardless of the impact level of COVID-19, college athletes with high levels of resilience consistently reported greater mental wellbeing than those with medium or low levels of resilience. Although prior research has clearly demonstrated the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health, findings from the current study illustrate the positive influence of resilience. Given the likelihood of future public health pandemics (e.g., avian influenza, measles) and ongoing changes to federal food safety policies—we believe that this study highlights the importance of resilience in navigating challenging circumstances
Sport Social Work: Unique Opportunities, Benefits, and Barriers
No full textSummary: Sport social workers operate across all sport systems and settings, from youth recreation to professional athletics. Due to the diversity of ways in which social work practice intersects with sport, the specialization of sport social work remains nebulous. To begin to disentangle this ambiguity, the current exploratory study sough to better understand the unique perspectives and lived experiences sport social workers who: (1) use sport to promote healthy development and holistic wellbeing, and (2) provide services to those involved in sport to promote healthy development and holistic wellbeing. Following the recommendations of Braun et al. (2021)—who positioned the online survey as a qualitative research tool—a 29-item online questionnaire was administered to the Alliance of Social Workers in Sport email listserv. In total, 84 participants engaged in the survey.
Findings: Findings highlight unique opportunities for sport social workers (e.g., teach life skills; engage in interprofessional collaborations), benefits of having sport social workers (e.g., enhance treatment, social work values), and barriers that sport social workers face (e.g., lack of education, sport culture).
Applications: The ability to better understand the ways in which social workers operate at the intersection of social work and sport is a critical next step in advancing the profession, as well as the unique area of sport social work practice
Understanding College Athlete Mental Health: Insights from Division I Athletic Department Personnel
No full textThroughout contemporary society, mental health and well-being are viewed as critical components of holistic, biopsychosocial development. This perspective has gained momentum within the context of sport, as athletes utilize their social platform to advocate for mental health resources and supports. However, the diverse and dynamic needs of many athletes remain unmet. Within the current study, six focus groups—which included 27 partners of collegiate athletics—were conducted and included athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, as well as athletic administrators and academic counselors. Using a reflexive thematic analysis, findings indicated that college athlete mental health is understood as holistic well-being and the ability to thrive in daily life. Participants discussed learning about mental health through academic education and training, as well as lived experiences (e.g., dual pandemic). Finally, participants believed more athletes are talking about mental health and that athletes feel most comfortable discussing mental health with their teammates and friends, the team’s sport staff (e.g., athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, assistant coaches), and mental health professionals. These conversations often occurred in the locker room and on team bus rides. However, there was hesitancy discussing mental health with head coaches and because of gender differences
