Purpose: Research has established that physical and psychological injury prevention training is effective in reducing injuries in youth team sports, but public health impact tends to be limited because such training is not widely, properly, or sustainably implemented. Insufficient involvement of end-users at the individual and organizational levels has been identified as a main barrier to implementation. Against this backdrop, the ‘Implementing injury Prevention training ROutines in TEams and Clubs in youth Team handball (I-PROTECT)’ project was initiated through dialogue between end-users and researchers with the goal of making injury prevention training an integral part of regular practice in youth handball through a series of studies. We have conducted studies within I-PROTECT and identified numerous barriers and facilitators, and address these determinants when designing the intervention.  

BackgroundInterventions that are co-created with end-users, and that are informed by behavior change or implementation theories, support implementation in real world settings. However, injury prevention programs for youth athletes have typically been developed by experts with no, or insufficiently described, end-user involvement and without guidance by theories. The aim of the current study was to describe the development of a holistic injury prevention intervention for youth handball targeting end-users at different levels, through using knowledge from end-users and researchers/experts and applying relevant behavior change and implementation theories.MethodsKnowledge from researchers/experts (sports medicine, sport psychology, handball, physical therapy, strength and conditioning (n = 14)) and end-users (coaches, players, club administrators, n = 16), and applying relevant implementation (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, CFIR), behavior change (Health Action Process Approach, HAPA) and motivational (Self-Determination Theory, SDT) theories, were used to co-design the intervention. Early end-users (coaches (n = 6), players (n = 3) and a club administrator (n = 1)) were interviewed for initial feedback.ResultsThe intervention consisted of end-user-targeted information and training that was made available in a specifically developed interactive mobile application with modules for players, coaches, club administrators, and caregivers. Information for all end-users included benefits and principles of physical and psychological injury prevention training, load-management, motivation, and communication. Information about implementation was developed for club administrators specifically. For coaches, training to do with their teams included handball-specific injury prevention exercises (legs, shoulders, core) combined with psychological aspects (motivation, task focus, body awareness) to integrate within warm-up and handball skills training. Training for players included handball-specific multi-joint strength, power, and explosive exercises (legs, shoulders, core) and sport psychology exercises (self-awareness, relaxation, being in the present moment, prevent and handle stress). To support self-management, adoption, and motivation, programs were provided, and players and coaches could change, add, progress the difficulty of exercises, and build their own programs. Initial feedback from early end-users was generally positive.ConclusionsUtilizing an approach where researchers/experts and end-users co-created injury prevention training specifically for youth handball, an intervention was generated that included information and holistic training targeting end-users at the individual (players, caregivers), team (coaches), and organizational (club administrators) levels.

Volt hockey is a team sport developed for persons with physical disabilities, but its influence on well-being is unknown. Elements of well-being have been described as positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement constituting a theoretical framework referred to as PERMA. The purpose of this study was to describe how well-being according to PERMA is reflected in the experiences of playing volt hockey. Data were collected through focus group and individual interviews including 21 players. A deductive analysis was conducted using the elements in PERMA as preexisting main categories with an additional main category, named resources needed. Findings showed that all five elements constituting well-being according to PERMA were reflected in the experiences of playing volt hockey. In addition, players emphasized the importance of having the resources needed to play volt hockey. In conclusion, having the opportunity to enjoy playing volt hockey enabled the players to flourish and experience feelings of subjective well-being.

Volt hockey is a team sport developed for persons with physical disabilities. Because family members are important resources to enable sports participation, the purpose of this study was to illuminate experiences of volt hockey from family members’ perspectives. Focus group interviews were conducted, including 20 family members, and the verbatim transcripts were inductively analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Family members saw the value of enabling participation in volt hockey, being an inclusive team sport that brings enjoyment and strengthens social relationships within, and outside of, the family. Trying to facilitate sport participation, the need for material resources and other actors was emphasised, such as personal assistance, funders, and healthcare professionals informing about the sport and the engagement of the volt hockey clubs. In conclusion, involvement in volt hockey is emotionally and socially rewarding for family members, but there is a need for additional enablers to allow the sport to grow. 

The purpose of the study was to investigate how the supporters' clubs of the SHL associations view the management of the supporters in order to further connect it to the commercial direction of the SHL-associations. To answer the purpose, two questions have arisen in the form of 1) How do the supporter clubs in the SHL feel that their respective ice hockey associations treat them? and 2) What similarities and differences are there between different SHL associations' handling of the supporters? Information collection took place through semi-structured interviews with respondents active in supporter clubs. The analysis method thematic analysis was used where three main themes in the form of 1) communication, 2) general supportership and 3) the relationship between the supporters' clubs and the association emerged. In the conducted analysis, the theoretical frameworks of McDonaldization and hegemony were followed with connections to the previous research and information gathering. Results that emerged during the study were that in order for the soft values of the supporters to be achieved, they need to feel heard and respected, which shows the importance of a functioning communication between the supporters' club and the SHL-associations. Furthermore, the result emerged that the supporter clubs that have a good communication and relationship with the SHL-associations have an increased understanding of the commercial decisions.

In 2003, the Danish Football Association introduced a new club licensing system for its first-tier clubs. Among the criteria for the system was a requirement for clubs to play at a stadium with a minimum capacity of 10,000 spectators. This paper aims to understand how the Danish Football Association and the Danish league clubs have succeeded in their efforts to make their licensing criteria a public concern by standardizing them at a municipal level. It presents a case study examining how the policy process surrounding the decision of building a new stadium in the Danish village Hobro changed – in a peculiar way – what in institutional theory is understood as a (voluntary) standard into a directive for Mariagerfjord Municipality. The case is illustrative of policy processes regarding stadium funding in other parts of Denmark and most likely in other Scandinavian countries.

Athletes between the ages of 16-18 are increasingly migrating to other locations within Sweden with the ambition to continue their athletic careers in parallel with their secondary education, such as through a national sports high school [RIG]. However, migration among such young athletes represents an uncertain investment and is accompanied, from a migration perspective, by several challenges of adjustment, as well as psychological, psychosocial, and academic challenges. The RIG system is intended to ease this transition by offering a good education alongside athletic development. During Covid-19, the migration adjustment that RIG students are expected to make was made more difficult by several restrictions. While some studies have been conducted on the impact of the pandemic on both students and athletes, none have been conducted on individuals who are also pursuing dual careers and migrated during the pandemic, such as RIG students. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine RIG students' experiences and perceptions of the move and adjustment to a new environment during Covid-19, with the goal of understanding how the pandemic affected migration and how individuals were able to overcome the obstacles and challenges they faced. This was made possible by conducting a case study on RIG swimmers from Helsingborg and Jönköping. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with RIG swimmers, which were later analyzed through a thematic analysis. Bourdieu's theoretical framework and concepts of capital, habitus, field, and illusio guided the thematic analysis and subsequent discussion. The results show that RIG swimmers experienced different difficulties in adapting based on the resources and previous conditions they possessed. Different types of capital ownership also meant different types of adaptations, which in the longer term affected motivation positively or negatively. All students, regardless of their capital ownership, experienced challenges in distance learning, discipline and routines, as well as a lack of community. The study therefore concludes that RIG students' adaptation depends on how much capital they possess within the new field and how strong a sense of illusio they have. In the longer term, the study highlights the importance of finding sustainable ways to support career opportunities for young athletes, even during a societal crisis such as Covid-19.

The aim of this study was to do a structured analysis of the literature on biomarkers for major depressive disorder (MDD) and how these biomarkers may be modulated by physical activity (PA). This with implications for future treatment of mild to moderate MDD with PA. The method was quantitative and followed guidelines for conducting a simplified meta-analysis. The study analyzed 37 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that covered a total of 911 individuals doing PA. Articles on biomarkers that are previously well established in their relationship with MDD were collected in a structured way, following strict criteria. Results were achieved using statistical methods for calculating the average effect size (ES) and average mean difference (Δ%) for the biomarkers as a result of PA. BDNF showed an effect size of 0.81 ± 1.09 and an average mean difference of +61.7 ± 112.20 %. CRP showed an effect size of 0.35 ± 0.28 and an average mean difference of -18 ± 13.69 %. Cortisol showed an effect size of 0.09 ± 0.75 and an average mean difference of -2.9 ± 17.30 %. Serotonin showed an effect size of 0.39 ± 0.54 and an average mean difference of -11.53 ± 21.10 %. Testosterone showed an effect size of 0.59 ± 1.46 and an average mean difference of +6.50 ± 20.04 %. The conclusion was that PA had a large effect on BDNF and can be used as a diagnostic- and follow-up tool for patients with MDD treated with PA. PA has a small but consistent effect on CRP which therefore can be used in conjunction with other outcome measures to diagnose and follow up patients with MDD treated with PA. PA showed no effect on cortisol and can therefore be considered to be irrelevant as a diagnostic- and follow-up tool for patients with MDD treated with PA. PA had a small but relatively consistent effect on serotonin which therefore can be used in conjunction with other outcome measures to diagnose and follow up patients with MDD treated with PA. PA had a moderate and relatively inconsistent effect on testosterone which therefore can be used in conjunction with several other outcome measures to diagnose and follow up patients with MDD treated with PA. On the basis of these conclusions PA can be a valuable tool for improving some biomarkers for MDD (BDNF, CRP, serotonin & testosterone). Hopefully this study can provide a basis for further research as well as an addition to first line treatment for mild to moderate MDD with PA. 

De senaste tio åren har bjudit på ett nästan omåttligt intresse för mindfulness och idrott. Trenden har medfört en mängd skilda användningar av begreppet och ett ökat behov av att få överblick och kunna analysera mindfulnesstrender inom idrottsområdet. I detta sammanhang har olika kunskapsöversikter slagit fast att både experimentella studier och observationsstudier visar på tydliga resultat att mindfulness underlättar för idrottsutövare att prestera bättre, minska ångest och negativa tankar samt att åtnjuta erfarenheter i termer av flow.

Den här forskningsöversikten fokuserar den forskning som uttryckligen använder begreppen mindfulness och idrott (sport). Sökresultatet inkluderar 396 publikationer (peer review-artiklar, böcker, bokkapitel). Mindfulnessforskningen handlar här om prestation och mentala förmågor (det idrottspsykologiska området) samt kroppslighet och subjektiva erfarenheter (det idrottspedagogiska området). Det kan ses i kontrast till hur vi religionshistoriskt kan följa mindfulnessforskningen i relation till nyandlighet och kommersialism och utbildningsvetenskapligt i relation till mental (elev)hälsa. 

Forskningsfältet har expanderade stadigt mellan åren 2006 och 2016 och därefter exponentiellt. Kunskapsöversikter rapporterar även att det skett en utveckling av studierna från 2017 och att senare årens studier uppmät högre kvalitet i forskningsdesign och resultat. För idrottspsykologin har mindfulnessforskningen inneburit att disciplinen rört sig från traditionella psykologiska modeller som bygger på att idrottare upparbetar personlig kontroll över psykologiska processer, till mindfulnessinfluerade modeller som bygger på att psykologiska processer måste mötas med acceptans och ödmjukhet.

Det är svårt att dra några slutsatser om eventuella skillnader mellan individuell idrott och lagidrott när det gäller mental hälsa och mindfulnessbaserade program. Studier visar även att det existerar individuella skillnader i mindfulnessattityd och att dessa påverkar utövares förmåga att ta till sig olika program för mental träning. Sådana resultat kan exempelvis hjälpa idrottspsykologer med att anpassa olika program för mental träning. Forskningen har även identifierat olika mindfulnessprofiler vilket har potentialen att vägleda insatser och program för mental träning inom idrott.

Då resultaten från meta-analyser visar för stor spridning i design och urval för att kunna fastställa någon kvantitativ syntes av samlade resultat är det vanligt med narrativa synteser. Därtill efterfrågas fler randomiserade kontrollgruppsstudier som fokuserar mental hälsa hos en bred population av idrottsutövare och inte bara elitutövare. Likaså existerar det få studier med ett uttalat syfte att förbättra de vetenskapliga metoderna som används. Då fältet nu uppvisar en exponentiell ökning av forskning blir den här utmaningen extra viktig att lösa. De publiceras väldigt många studier men de genomförs på sätt som gör det omöjligt att ackumulera kunskap. Kunskapen kan sägas bli bredare men inte djupare.

Slutligen har det uppmärksammats att mindfulness i första hand används för att hantera tränares och utövares tankar, känslor och beteende medan forskningen i mindre utsträckning undersökt potentialen för att främja goda idrottskulturer och motverka rasism, mobbning och sexuella trackaserier. 

The concept of health is culturally contingent, and fitness practices provide a venue to gain insights into the construction of health. In this case study-based article, I focus on group fitness instructors' narratives on healthiness and fitness rituals. By combining Foucault's notion of the 'microphysics of power' and the socio-cultural phenomenon healthism, I employ a genealogical approach that reveals how healthism renders a discursive space for group fitness instructors ('local fitness experts') to navigate their understanding of health norms. A qualitative method consisting of 22 semi-structured interviews was used. Group fitness instructors teaching in Austria for a global group fitness distributor (Les Mills) were interviewed. The results show that eliminating risks to health is the highest imperative to the instructors, which is traced back to a dichotomy between 'disciplined training' and 'fun training', where fun training is seen as feminine and risky. Furthermore, instructors underline their health literacy through skeptical consumerism - choosing health for the sacrifice of fun or finding fun in the fatigue.

This mixed methods dissertation employs a survey, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussionsto investigate the health consciousness of Les Mills International (LMI) group fitness instructors. UsingFoucauldian concepts such as discourse and bio-power, the study examines instructors’ construction of theirprofessional identity, and the link between professional identity and healthism, a discourse that promulgateshealth as an individual responsibility.The findings reveal that LMI instructors' professional identity is anchored in sociability, commitment, andphysical perfection.Two stereotypical LMI instructor profiles emerged. Firstly, “the sociable instructor”, whovalues interacting with participants and colleagues at the gym, as well as engaging with the global LMIcommunity online. Secondly, the “all about being fit instructor”, who teaches LMI to enhance their individualphysique. Moreover, instructors understand themselves as role models and health gatekeepers aiming tocombat inactivity by exercising vigilantly and adhering to LMI regulations. Moreover, the results show thathealthism constitutes LMI professional identity, upheld through social interactions and a collective belief inhealthism's rationality. Furthermore, instructors understand their professional identity through their bodieswhile positioning the body both as a threat and as a solution to health, which reveals how the constructionof health is framed as an individual endeavor. This perspective was fortified during the COVID-19 pandemic,where staying fit became a defense strategy against the virus.Finally, this thesis shows that healthism is inextricably linked to normative femininity and a pathogenicperspective on health. Since healthism masquerades as an apolitical concept through the body, fitnessculture can be used to reinvent suppressive structures, such as patriarchy, via healthism. Accordingly, thethesis manifests that investigating health consciousness provides a means to dismantle genderedunderstandings of health.

Sports can strengthen social inclusion and tackle various economic, social, and environmental challenges, bind individuals and communities together and promote objectives such as health, education, climate action, sustainability, and social development. Nonetheless, organised sport at the grassroot level in Europe is facing severe challenges: declining membership rates, reduced levels of physical activity among adolescents and difficulties in recruiting volunteers. Sport organisations, in particular in the non-profit sector and with limited resources, are struggling to find time and resources to create new sustainable, inclusive and innovative ways to work. 

The Erasmus + project CHANGE – Cooperation for Change Management and Innovation in Sports (CHANGE) has been created to equip sport’s governing bodies, sport organisations, and sport leaders with new, innovative, and sustainable tools to support sport at the grassroot level. Coordinated by ENGSO, it consists of eleven partners from nine countries: 1) research (Malmö University & EASM), 2) sport organisations (UFEC-Catalonia; Basics Sport Club, Belgium; World Snowboard Federation, Austria; Latvian Sports Federation Council; DIF, Denmark; and Opes, Italy) and 3) experts in the field of sport and digitalization, inclusion/engagement and sustainability (SandSI, N3XT Sports and ENGSO).  

Within CHANGE, the Department for Sport Sciences at Malmö University is responsible for background research regarding change management and innovation in contemporary grassroot sports in Europe. In this report, we summarise research activities carried out in 2023 and insights from 3 workshops with stakeholders from sport organisations and academia. 

The overarching research questions in this report are: 1) What challenges are the grassroot sport movement/organisations facing today? 2) Are the grassroot sport organisations equipped to handle the challenges? Do they have change readiness? 3) How can we understand the results?   

IntroductionSport and trust-based governance is a cornerstone of Swedish sport management. There are more than 20,000 sport associations, and the sport sector receives approximately USD 20 million in public funding yearly. The Swedish Sports Confederation (SSC) is a non-profit umbrella organisation that coordinates the management of Swedish sport. SSC’s “what sport wants” is an appropriation document on the vision of the Swedish sport movement wherein SSC advise sport clubs to focus on inclusivity, hard to reach societal groups, and sport for the masses rather than the fostering of elite players. Concurrently, it is problematic that there is no research on what motivates sport clubs to apply what sport wants (Book, Hedenborg & Andersson, 2022). Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to contribute new knowledge on what influences Swedish sports clubs in carrying out what sport wants’s national goals for sport participation.

MethodsThe data consists of self-rated answers (N = 1,937) from a questionnaire, distributed to all non-profit sport organizations in southern Sweden in 2017, 2018 and 2020. The questionnaire focused on sport organizations’ 1) perceived support from SSC, 2) perceived trust in SSC, 3) competence in what sport wants and, 4) how frequently the sports associations worked with equity (including anti-discrimination and inclusion). X2-test and regression analyses were used to analyze differences between the years 2017, 2018 and 2020, and the relationship between perceived support from SSC, perceived trust in SSC, competence in what sport wants, and how frequently the sports association worked with equity. Effect size measurements were calculated and interpreted based on established guidelines.

ResultsPreliminary results indicate that sport organizations’ perceived support from SSC has decreased significantly and continuously between 2017 (M = 3.0), 2018 (M = 2.9), and 2020 (M = 2.8). It does not seem to be any differences in perceived trust in SSC and equity. The results also show that, competence in what sport wants (β = .225), and perceived support from SSC (β = .278) can predict to which extent sport organizations work with equity (R2 =.278).

DiscussionPreliminary results indicate that more support and trust in SSC lead to increased realization of what sport wants. However, since the results show that perceived support for SSC has decreased between 2017, 2018, and 2020, this study illuminates an urgency of maintaining a strong relationship between Swedish sport clubs and SSC. Moreover, the results confirm the efficiency of the trust-based management model used in Sweden, which seemingly leads to deliverables among the participating associations.

Book, K., Hedenborg, S., & Andersson, K. (2022). New spatial practices in organised sport following COVID-19: the Swedish case. Sport in Society, 25(7), 1343–1357. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2022.2031017

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects both for the global sport community as well as for individual exercisers around the world. Due to a wide range of imposed measurements to prevent the disease, day-to-day physical activities for entire populations are restricted by physical distancing, cancelled tournaments, and closed gyms. Sweden has chosen to apply recommendations instead of restrictions, however, little is known about how individuals in Sweden reason around, and act out their personal sport participation. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to increase knowledge of how sport participation was motivated from a micro perspective during the first wave of COVID-19. The paper is based on a mixed-methods-study with data from a questionnaire (N = 1,141) and material from semi-structured interviews (N =90). The results indicate that respondents who were already active before the pandemic remained active or even increased their activity levels. To investigate this further, the interviews were analyzed with critical discourse analysis to uncover how respondents justified their continued/increased personal sport participation. These could be summarized as (discursive) strategies of perpetuation based on (i) specific contexts, (ii) scientific and (personal) experienced knowledge of covid-19, and (iii) trust in others’ ability to follow recommendations to prevent the spread. Accordingly, this study contributes with new knowledge of how sport participation in Sweden was motivated, and, from a larger perspective, how a pandemic may influence attitudes toward health and exercise in an advanced Western capitalist society.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the goalkeeper’s involvement in the game for an elite development U17-team, and to analyze if increased involvement of the goalkeeper in the game, statistically leads to more or fewer offensive ball controls, goal chances, and goals. Method: The study was performed based on a structured data analysis with a non- participation observational study. To the analysis, a simple coding scheme was created. The data analysis was based on four factors connected to the goalkeeper’s involvement during the initial play. After the processing, a thematic analysis was applied to the results with the purpose of identifying similar themes connected to the goalkeeper’s involvement. The data was analyzed from the program HUDL where all 26 relevant games from the 2020 season existed. Theory: The studies theoretical framework was decision-making theory. It is based on decision field theory which was developed by Busemeyer and Townsend (1993) which from the start is a game theory. Results and conclusion: During the season, the team advanced to the offensive half with ball control 1050 times, which indicated 40,4 on average per game. The goalkeeper was directly or indirectly involved in 44%. The team advanced to the last third of the field 596 times (22,9 on average) and the goalkeeper was involved 40%. Furthermore, the goalkeeper was directly or indirectly involved in 42% out of the teams 313 goal chances (12 on average) and 28% out of 36 goals (1,4 on average). There is also a psychological and position-based advantage being created by involving the goalkeeper in the game. By using the goalkeeper as an extra central defender, is enables less ball losses, increased possession, larger control of the game and thereby possibility to control the game structure.

Environmental sustainability in sport is an increasingly important issue. In this paper, we want to highlight a specific phenomenon, namely artificially constructed landscapes and the outdoor sport activities that take place therein. More specifically, we are interested in the logics that govern peoples’ practice of sport in such artificial landscapes and what challenges with regards to environmental sustainability that follow from these logics. The purpose of this paper is to identify what individual athletes perceive as meaningful logics when practicing sport in artificial landscapes and to analyse and discuss potential environmental consequences of these logics. The sports we focus on are cross-country skiing and canoe slalom, two sports that historically have been dependent on specific geographies and contexts. We build on two research questions: What logics of practice govern individual athletes’ practice of sport in artificial landscapes? And what environmental challenges are potential consequences of the logics that are expressed by the athletes? Our findings indicate that the logic of performance is dominant for the sport practitioners who train in artificial landscapes, at the expense of perspectives such as nature experience and environmental sustainability. If performance is key, then the role of the training landscape is also first and foremost to present the best possible conditions for performance. But if the athlete/exerciser see their training as a means of experiencing nature, then other values than performance and comparability can become more important. When the environmental impact of individual athletes and of the artificial landscapes in which they do their training come under increased scrutiny, the role of logics of practice in the sport and movement culture needs further attention. Being aware of nature and the environment is also a logic that could be found meaningful in the process of making sports more sustainable.

The environmental impact of sports facilities has received increasing attention over the last decades. However, studies within this area primarily deal with how the actual construction of sports facilities affects the environment. We know far less about how an active presence in sports facilities influences sporting practitioners’ thoughts about their own environmental impact. Therefore, this chapter critically discusses environmental issues connected to sports facilities generally and more specifically in relation to artificial sports facilities. We use several theoretical concepts to discuss the current research with examples taken from the artificial landscapes of cross-country skiing, canoe slalom, and turf-based sports. What makes artificial sports facilities especially interesting from an environmental perspective is the ambiguity they involve. On one hand, the actual constructions involve direct interventions in nature. On the other hand, there is a lack of knowledge about the impact these facilities have on health, environmental awareness, and travel. We argue that future sports facilities will need to stimulate more logic than competition if sport and outdoor recreation is to be environmentally sustainable. The process of sportification, which has prioritised the growth of sport economies and encouraged ever higher performance levels, would need to shift its focus to incorporate environmental concerns.

The article is set to target several tensions, problems and possibilities in Finnish (and Nordic) men’s elite ice hockey, which have arisen due to increasing commercialization and professionalization. This process has accelerated simultaneously with the recent development and advances of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), in addition to the constant and general influences of NHL (i.e., Americanization). Thus, the essay will focus on Jokerit as an illustrative case. To state, Jokerit, founded in 1967, is a powerhouse in Finnish ice hockey, both sport- ingly and financially. The commercialization of Finnish elite ice hockey culminated in 2014/2015 when Jokerit joined KHL. This article reflects on Jokerit’s financial and legal challenges, as well as the commercial press and progress in Nordic elite ice hockey and thus on Jokerit’s drift towards KHL. In addition to these topics, the essay presents and discusses different aspects of the progress of KHL, as well as its reasons and consequences.

SHL and the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation stand as the principal force or engine behind the commercialization processes in Swedish sport, due to influences from the commercial culture of NHL (i.e., the ‘Americanization’ of sport and society). In addition, the impact of the KHL with regard to player migration has forced the league to look for new commercial alternatives and forms of organization. At the same time, Swedish sport in general is, like ice hockey, basically founded on and ruled by the hegemony of the Swedish Sports Confederation and its basically idealistic values. Thus, SHL is shaped by normative dualism as well as by an incipient commercialization process. The ambition of the following text in this respect is to describe and analyze this dilemma by applying the concepts of juridification and hybridity, in addition to providing general perspectives on the Americanization processes in ice hockey and by testing and illustrating this dilemma by the case of the Växjö Lakers, Ltd/Plc.

Background: Sport is often perceived as inherently positive for sustainable development. This widespread assumption is however found to be quite normative, and the standardization of its boundaries dangerously naive. The lack of contextual specificity across the dominant schools of thought calls for a more comprehensive analysis of what different activities entail in different contexts. 

Purpose: This study examines the field of sport for development through a critical lens. Different initiatives using traditional mainstream sports and lifestyle sports, seeking an array of social development objectives, are structurally and systematically unpacked, hence uncovering the attributes that shape the achievements and challenges of the projects. 

Methods: Through a qualitative approach, six organisations operating in varying scopes and environments were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. 

Results: The investigation pinpoints the encompassing theme of sportification as a force of change influencing the internal and external dynamics of lifestyle sports as well as traditional mainstream sports, though to a lesser extent. Several important issues emerge from the investigation, such as how the notions of focus, networks and the fundamental benefits and challenges underlying each type of sport can materialize into concrete impacts on social development. 

Conclusions: A fine balance of sportification is necessary in order to gain the leverage and capital required to access the opportunities presented by organized sport yet without excessively compromising the innate social qualities of the activity. 

This review paper identifies the conceptual underpinnings of current movement research in Physical Education. Using a hermeneutic approach, four analogies for movement education are identified: the motor program analogy, the neurobiological systems analogy, the instinctive movement analogy, and the embodied exploration analogy. Three issues related to logical consistency and its relevance for movement education are raised. The first relates to tensions between the analogies and educational policy. The second concerns differences among the four analogies. The third issue relates to the appropriateness of specific analogies for dealing with certain movement contexts. In each case, strategies for improvement are considered. The paper is concluded with a brief summary along with reflections on issues that require further attention.

Purpose: The aim of this investigation was to describe student learning when physical education teacher and students attempted to develop movement capability.

Method: The paper reports on the implementation of a 10-lesson pedagogical sequence. Data were generated using observations, interviews and student diaries with one grade nine class (26 students aged approximately 15 years) as they developed juggling capabilities. Data were analyzed using the notion of corporeal thresholds.

Results: Results show that: (a) a ‘throw-throw-catch-catch’ pattern emerged as a corporeal threshold for juggling within the sequence; (b) most learners had crossed the threshold at the outset and were able to experiment with different forms of juggling during the sequence; (c) some students crossed the threshold during the sequence. These students experienced liminal phases, characterized by frustration and an initial feeling that they were juggling in the ‘wrong’ way; and (d) some learners became stuck, pretended to know what to do, and did not cross the threshold during the 10 lessons.

Discussion/conclusion: Three issues related to the threshold approach are discussed, student identity and group membership, the process of learning, and the emotional dimensions of movement learning. The paper is concluded with reflections on the implications of the results for scholarship.

Emotional dimensions of physical education have garnered attention from scholars in the last two decades. Many scholars claim that emotions significantly affect learning and that positive emotions such as joy and pleasure are necessary for continued participation in movement activities beyond the classroom. Much of the existing literature, however, is based on the idea that emotions comprise internal mental states that are retrospectively oriented. In the current paper, we work with alternative principles that can create new understandings of the affective dimensions of PE and specifically, movement learning. We draw on symbolic interactionist principles, framing emotions as multimodal communicative resources that are performed in social contexts. From this perspective, we demonstrate how emotions: (1) can be investigated as part of the production of broader sequences of pedagogical action and (2) relate to issues of knowledge, identity and authority. We present observational material generated with PE teacher education students as they develop movement capability. We focus on three interactional episodes in which fear, joy and resignation are performed by students interacting with either peers or an observing researcher. In each case, we demonstrate how emotions: affiliate or dis-affiliate the actor with the movement knowledge in focus, index an institutionally recognizable identity and influence the subsequent actions of the participants in the interactional sequence. The key thesis developed in the paper is that as symbolic resources, emotions have important consequences for actors within movement learning environments. The paper is concluded with reflections on the implications of the approach for practitioners along with a consideration of questions in need of further scientific attention.

During the last decades, technologies to monitor, test and analyze athletes’ performance and health have rapidly developed. At present, global positioning systems (GPS), stadium camcorders, heart rate monitors and mobile applications are prominent performance analysis technologies (PATs) used in most elite sport environments. While PATs is understood as an aid, there is a growing body of literature that points to negative consequences. These negative consequences are concerning and call for research and measures to develop strategies for effective and productive implementation. To achieve this, this article first outlines key challenges and problems of PATs, using sport sociological research on coaching and athletes, historical knowledge of the scientization of training and the changing role of the coach, as well as scientific and experiential knowledge of performance analysis. Our findings show that key challenges and problems occur in a chain of six steps that concern the implementing of PATs: 1. Investment in PATs; 2. Production of performance data; 3. Interpretation of performance data; 4. Communication of performance data; 5. Decision-making based on performance data; and 6. Influence of PATs on coaches and athletes. The article then answers these challenges and problems by outlining recommendations for how sport managers and administrators can prevent buying “a pig in a poke” by acquiring competence about performance analysis and PATs, investing time, and developing effective communication between those working with PATs.

Aim

The purpose of this study is to identify reasons why some employees in Sweden choose not totake advantage of their wellness allowances. The study aims to explore what factors maymotivate respondents to use the allowance and to identify any barriers that may exist inconnection with utilization.

Method

The study employed a quantitative approach utilizing a survey questionnaire. This researchmethodology created a robust quantitative design and a comprehensive survey questionnarie.This deliberate choice aimed to amass a rich dataset, enabling thorough exploration andfulfillment of the study’s objectives. 92 respondents took part in the study.

Results

Participants considered that lack of time and the administrative process were the obstacles thatprevented them from using the health allowance. Similarly, it was found that the role of theemployer could be an obstacle but also a major motivating factor for utilization. In the sense thatpoor information and communication can lead to non-utilization, while good and informativeemployers can cross-motivate employees to use the allowance.

Conclusion

Our study shows that the use of the wellness allowance is hampered by factors such as lack ofcommunication, lack of time and complicated administrative processes. Increased autonomy andbetter support from employers can boost motivation. To increase uptake, employers shouldsimplify the process and offer greater flexibility.

Volunteer labour is crucial for the success of cultural events. Without the volunteers the cultural events would not have the same opportunity to be carried out, due to the large costs of hosting events. This study aims to explore and understand the factors that motivate individuals to participate as volunteers at mega-events, and do a comparison to other mega sports events. The study will compare the Eurovision Song Contest, the Olympics, the Super Bowl and other events. Through examining and evaluation, the study will characterise these factors and give examples for organisations on how to enhance their volunteer experience. The study is based on a qualitative method that focuses on semi-structured interviews with the volunteers at Eurovision Song Contest. Additionally it will examine previous research on volunteer’s work and their motivational factors in previous mega-sports events. The requirement to participate in this study was to be an active volunteer at Eurovision Song Contest 2024, as the study did not apply any gender or age restriction to wider the responses. Volunteers are motivated by a range of factors, including personal and professional growth, love for sports and events, social responsibility and altruism, and patriotism. Additionally the differences in motivational factors between volunteers at cultural and sports events were as well identified, where, for instance, extrinsic motivation material rewards,  and intrinsic motivation as social interactions presented as an important role.  The conclusion of this study shows the factors that influence the volunteers’ motivation at Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö aligns with previous study done on volunteers’ motivation and highlight the important factors that other events can use in the future. However, the study presents unique aspects that can add to a better understanding on what is important for organisations to apply on their volunteers’ to achieve the SDT.

In media and social media we can see different types of body ideals. Research has shown it can lead to anxiety and psychological issues. The purpose of this study is to research how body ideals are represented and talked about in two teaching aids for physical education in Sweden's upper secondary school. A discourse analysis through Fairclough navigated the teaching aids and their discourse about body ideals. This study found that both of the two teaching aids represented two discourses. Both teaching aids had elements which followed the writings of Sweden's national agency of education and their educational purpose about body ideals. However we could also see elements that followed the stereotypical discourse about body ideals which also can be seen on social media. The teaching aids and the teachers using them need to be aware of what pictures and writings can represent to our students. The body is a sensitive subject and we may need to think more about that when writing teaching aids and using them as a teacher. Physical education should be critical about body ideals and stereotypes and so should also the teaching aids.

Introduction: In Sweden, police education should promote students’ physical activity and mental health. According to national goals, police students should be provided with sufficient conditions to develop and maintain advantageous exercise habits and tools to handle various mentally and physically demanding tasks. The national goals also state that students’ physical fitness must be better at graduation than what the requirements are for admission (see Krugly et al., 2022). Although the improvement of students’ physical fitness and mental health are national goals, there is a general lack of knowledge regarding: 1) police students physical and mental health, especially from a Swedish perspective; and 2) how well police education promotes students’ level of physical activity during education. Against this background, the aim is to explore police students’ mental health and level of physical activity during police education in Sweden.

Methods: The data derives from the largest project in Sweden on police students’ physical and mental health, and consists of longitudinal data on police students answers of a self-rated questionnaire about exercise habits and mental health (N = 785). The data used in this study was gathered between 2019–2021, and consisted of four data collection points, from two police educations in Sweden. The analysis was conducted in two steps. First, exploratory- and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to create scales for mental health orientation. Second, these scales, together with the variable exercise habits, were used as outcome variables in t-tests, X2 test and ANOVA. Effect size measurements were calculated and interpreted based on established guidelines.

Results: The results show high psychometric support for two scales named positive health orientation and negative health orientation. Based on the scales and the variable of exercise habits, three primarily results emerge: 1) the levels of physical training for men decrease during education; 2) there are gender differences showing that women have a more negative health orientation; and, 3) the positive mental health orientation decreases during education for both men and women.

Discussion: Swedish police education should prepare students for physically and mentally demanding work. However, as this study concludes, this tends to not be the case, especially given that both the level of physical activity and the positive mental health orientation decrease during education. This raises questions on whether the Swedish police education is doing “enough” to provide the students with adequate conditions for improving their mental and physical health.

Krugly, S., Bjärsholm, D., Jansson, A., Rosendal Hansen, A., Hansson, O., Brehm, K., Datmo, A., Hafsteinsson Östenberg, A., & Vikman, J. (2022). A retrospective study of physical fitness and mental health among police students in Sweden. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles. doi.org/10.1177/0032258X221089576

Sponsorships related to sports is a type of marketing that’s occupying more space in today’s corporate climate. Investing in sports benefits companies in multiple ways, such as exposure, increased sales and as a way of taking social responsibility. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine and understand what motivates three companies’ choice of sponsoring, how they evaluate these sponsorships and how big of a role social responsibility takes in the decision-making. By conducting three interviews with representatives from Carlsberg, Eleda and Stadium, the study presents results on influential factors in sports sponsoring. Most research report an overall positive response to sponsorships and sport, which this study confirms. Furthermore, the results implicate that the biggest motivating factors for sponsoring are brand awareness and trademark association. All partnerships are based on a win-win-situation, where both parties benefit. This study also examines the value of social responsibility in sponsorships, often phrased as Corporate Social Responsibility. Working with sustainability is important for all three companies, with an increased awareness and demand for equality and inclusion. The evaluation of sponsorships differs between the companies, but the main evaluation point is the fulfilment of the partnerships’ set goals.

In this feature article, Klara Boije af Gennäs presents her Ph.D. project at Malmö University Her main concern is the prevalence and severity of injuries in youth equestrian sports, and not only acute injuries from riding accidents but also overuse injuries resulting from hard labor in the stable. Applying a multi- and interdisciplinary research approach as well as a mix of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, her aim is to extend and strengthen the understanding of stable- and riding injuries among youth equestrians. (Published in English 230913.)

This thesis presents a qualitative study of the pregnancy experiences of dedicated CrossFit athletes in Denmark, aiming to understand how pregnancy affects their body image. Utilizing a qualitative research design, the research attempts to understand the dynamics of the athletic journey in the midst of the dramatic physiological and psychological changes involved in pregnancy. Using online surveys and systematic thematic analysis, the results provide rich insights into their various experiences, challenges, and strategies for coping. Ethical considerations are critical at every stage of the research process, with detailed attention being paid to informed consent, confidentiality and participant autonomy. Apart from ethical matters, the study is driven by an interest in the social dynamics of the CrossFit community, a refusal to accept stereotypes and advocacy for gender equity in sports. The research seeks to empower female athletes with voices and debunk the myths linked to pregnancy and athleticism and thereby, create a more supportive, inclusive environment within the CrossFit community. The scientific rigor is maintained by a strong data collection that includes simple survey instructions and solid thematic analysis techniques. Although the study has limitations in the form of common reliance on self-reported data, and the possible biases of the researcher, it attempts to address these by reflexivity, validation checks, and reporting transparency. On the whole, the thesis offers an important contribution to the area of pregnancy experiences in sports, providing a complex view of the relationship between athleticism, pregnancy, and body image representations. Through the focus on the reality of individuals who are engaged in CrossFit, the research points out the necessity of further investigations and enhancement of this field, which has ramifications for both the athletic performance and overall well-being.

Antologin inleds med ett kapitel av Karin Book, disputerad i kulturgeografi och universitetslektor i idrottsvetenskap vid Malmö universitet. Book har lång erfarenhet av forskning och utvecklingsprojekt i frågor kopplade till ytor och anläggningar för idrott och fysisk aktivitet. Hon är även flitigt anlitad av idrotts- rörelsen och av kommuner som forskare och expert i frågor rörande idrottens och den fysiska aktivitetens roll i den fysiska planeringen, om hållbar utveckling och om stadsutveckling. I denna text bidrar Book med en reflekterande text om människors tillgänglighet till idrott och fysisk aktivitet med fokus på just anläggningsfrågor. Book visar med belysande exempel att det går att lägga många och skilda perspektiv på begrepp som ”idrottsanläggning” och ”tillgänglighet”. Hon varnar även för förenklade antaganden och förhastade slutsatser. Som exempel påpekar hon att fler anläggningar inte med automatik leder till ökade idrottsaktiviteter. Individers reella tillgänglighet till idrottsytor påverkas även av faktorer som personliga intressen, samhälleliga trender, socioekonomiska förutsättningar och tillgången till kulturella nätverk. Hon redogör även för det Vinnova-finansierade projektet Equalizer där forskare, arkitekter och Malmö stad gick samman för att utveckla nya verktyg med målet att göra existerande aktivitetsplatser i Malmö mer jämställda och inkluderande.

A popular strategy for activating the urban population physically is to provide informal outdoor sport and recreational spaces. However, building an infrastructure does not assure physical activity among the wider population. For instance, girls tend to be underrepresented at public sport places. To create more equal physical activity opportunities in public space, we need to uncover and interpret the barriers. Therefore, outdoor sport and recreational spaces are interesting to examine, as they provide a possibility to understand gender in relation to norms, activity, and public space. The project Equalizer - a tool for equal and inclusive activity places deals with the perspectives of gender, place, and physical activity to create changes in the use of public informal outdoor sport and recreational spaces. This paper aims to discuss the experience-based, participatory method of disturbances used in the Equalizer project and some of the central findings and solutions. The findings indicate that the barriers for engaging in physical activity at informal outdoor sport and recreational spaces are multi-faceted, as are the possible solutions to overcome the barriers and open up the places to more people. We identified four types of solutions based on the identified barriers: spatial/physical, organisational/support-related, activity-related, and norm/representation-related.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how skateboarding as a community, sport and cultural phenomenon can become integrated into and drive the development, branding and marketing of a city (Malmo). Design/methodology/approach This paper is produced through a communicative co-constructed process of one scholar and one practitioner within the skateboarding field. Through the narrative told by the practitioner, and with basis in the established understanding and conceptualization of place marketing through sport, success factors of the skateboarding initiatives in Malmo are identified. Findings The skateboarding story of Malmo fits well into the established conceptualization of place branding and marketing, neoliberalism and urban entrepreneurialism. Also, it demonstrates the power of a unique user-driven partnerships between skaters, a non-profit organization and public institutions to create a skateboard-friendly city and as a consequence a strong internationally renowned skate-image. The multi-level, multi-content approach is founded in shared values and mutual benefits. Instead of fitting a phenomenon into an outward-oriented image-strategy, skateboarding as a sport and culture has been allowed to develop organically, creating a credible and unique image for Malmo. Originality/value This study adds to the literature on sport and city marketing/branding by developing a deeper, empirically founded, understanding of how to combine top-down and bottom-up approaches in urban development, marketing and branding. The results have scientific as well as practical value.