AAHPERD 1986—2009
JOPERD • Volume 80 No. 9 • November/December 2009 A n understanding of the history of AAHPERD is important in that it explains “who” we are and the chronology of events that brought us to this point in time. In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster defined “history” as “a narration of events in the order in which they happened, with their causes and effects” (Webster, 1828). Although the English language has changed many times since 1828, the word “history” continues to be defined as a chronological account of past events. In its history, the Alliance has experienced many successes, many challenges, and a few disappointments. Some of these are chronicled in this article. Exciting plans are currently underway for the celebration of AAHPERD’s 125th anniversary at the 2010 National Convention and Exposition in Indianapolis, Indiana. A brief recounting of the past 25 years is given in anticipation of that important milestone.
Changes in Athletic Identity Following Team Selection: Self-Protection versus Self-Enhancement
Self-protection and self-enhancement were investigated in a field study of female athletes who were vying for selection in state all-star teams. Participants completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS; Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993) on three occasions, and changes over time were compared for players who made the team and players who did not make the team. Findings revealed similar AIMS scores in the two groups prior to selection, no change over time for selected players, and a significant decrease over time for the players who were not selected. These findings are consistent with predictions derived from self-categorization theory, and they suggest that self-protection processes may be related to short-term changes in domain-specific self-concept measures such as athletic identity.
Prevalence and Correlates of Physical Fitness Testing in U.S. Schools—2000
Because of the perceived lack of youth physical fitness and/or concerns for increased obesity, physical education teachers are interested in youth fitness and physical activity levels. Statewide mandates are being developed that require school-based teachers to complete physical fitness testing. Data from the nationally representative School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 were analyzed to investigate the prevalence of fitness testing and the professional characteristics of fitness test users. Data were collected with teachers of either randomly selected classes in elementary schools and randomly selected required physical education courses in middle/junior high and senior high schools (N = 1,564). The prevalence of fitness test use is 65% across all school levels. Variables associated with physical fitness test usage were professionally oriented. Results showed that teachers in secondary schools (odds ratio [OR] = 2.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18–4.27), those with degrees in physical education/kinesiology-related disciplines (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.11–3.63), and those who had completed staff development on physical fitness testing (OR = 3.22, 95% CI = 1.86–5.60) were more likely than respondents without these characteristics to engage in physical fitness testing. Results changed little when separate analyses were conducted for classes/courses in districts requiring versus not requiring fitness testing. Financial variables, including fitness-oriented facilities available, metropolitan location, and discretionary expenditures per student, were not associated with fitness test use. Results provided national prevalence of school-based physical fitness testing use in the U. S. and conveyed information about those who currently use physical fitness tests.