PESS e-Zine

Research Outreach Features News

PESS| |Feb 2013

Head of Department WelcomeOn behalf of those who work in the Department of Physical

Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) I am delighted towelcome you to the first edition of the online magazine

. The magazinewill feature articles on current research in the PESSdepartment, community/translational work that PESSstaff/postgraduates are involved in and a news section tocelebrate achievements of PESS staff and students.

The PESS department is a vibrant and rapidly growingdepartment in the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences.The PESS department’s mission is to promote and advancelearning and knowledge in the area of physical education andsport sciences through innovative teaching and research. Thedepartment supports a thriving research postgraduatecommunity and is recognized for excellence in research inPhysical Education, Physical Activity, Health, Sport andExercise Sciences and related fields. It has a strong emphasison translating research into action and thereby continuallystriving to positively impact society through research andinnovation.

PESS offers undergraduate programmes in PhysicalEducation and Sport and Exercise Sciences, a GraduateDiploma and Masters qualification in Dance, a taught

Professional Diploma in Education (Physical Education), ataught MSc in Sport Performance and an Erasmus MundusMaster in Adapted Physical Activity. Through the NationalCouncil for Exercise and Fitness (NCEF), the PESSdepartment delivers a Certificate and Diploma in Exercise andHealth Fitness. PESS also supports the structured doctoralopportunities available within the Faculty of Education andHealth Sciences. Details on all programmes and furtherinformation on PESS can be accessed at www.ul.ie/pess

We are delighted to announce that the refurbished PhysicalEducation and Sport Sciences building will be officiallyopened by Minister Jimmy Deenihan on Friday 8th March2013. The final programme of events for the day will beadvertised as soon as is possible on the PESS web site(http://www.ul.ie/pess) and PESS facebook page and willinclude tours around the labs and practical spaces in thebuilding, presentations on the teaching and research that isundertaken in the building and talks from a range of peopleinvolved in sport and physical education.

I would like to thank the Editors, Rhoda and Ian, for theirinvestment and time in pursuing the idea of a magazine andin bringing it to fruition. It is a welcome addition in our questto not only keep UL faculty and students informed of thework of PESS but also as a means to communicate with thegeneral public outside of PESS, alumni and future students.

Regards.

Dr. Ann MacPhailHead of Physical Education &Sport Sciences Department

Note from the Editors

Welcome to the first edition of the This issue looks back at the diversity of theresearch, activities, and events within the Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS)

Department in 2012.

Many thanks to all our contributors to this first issue. The 2012 issue provides an update on a numberof research studies, including the thriving UL Body Composition Study and the on-going work in theNational Altitude Training Centre. Exercise Physiologists give us an insight into cryotherapy and ourresident Psychology faculty explore the area of Motor Cognition. Outreach activities are a key part ofour department’s work, and I-Play, Disabled Golf and Amputee Biomechanics feature in the issue. ThePESS department prides itself on the high standard and talent of its postgraduate students, andLaura-Anne Furlong and Lynne Algar explain how their personal involvement in sport and coachingcontributes to answering research questions in sport. Chris Bryan, (Irish international Open WaterSwimmer) describes what is like to be an in international athlete and a student in the PESS Department.Dr. PJ Smyth’s contributions to the department and sport are celebrated in an extensive feature. Thee-Zine also highlights staff and student achievements and notable events coming up in 2013.

We hope you enjoy this first edition.

Rhoda Sohun and Ian KennyThe PESS E-Zine is published by the the Physical Education and Sport Sciences Department. We would bedelighted to receive your comments and ideas for future editions.

The opinions and views in the publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the PESSDepartment. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy in the completion of this E-Zine, the PESSdepartment cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or effects arising thereof. However, sucherrors may be brought to the attention of the Editors. All material is copyright.

CONTENTSPhysical Education & Sport Sciences| |Feb 2013

Research

6 UL Body Composition Study Clodagh Toomey (PhD Student)

8 Motor Cognition Revealed Dr. Tadhgh MacIntyre

10 Whole Body Crotherapy and Post-Exercise Recovery Dr. Joseph Costelloe

16 UL Researchers Collaborate on International Project Involving Disabled Golfers Dr. Ian Kenny & Dr. Mark Campbell

24 Living the High Life-National Altitude Training Centre Rachel Turner

Outreach Activities

19 Out On A Limb - Amputee Biomechanics Dr. Ian Kenny

22 I-Play Dr. Daniel Tindall

Features

4 PESS Building Transformation

12 Dr. PJ Smyth - ‘A Man Ahead of His Time’ Rhoda Sohun

26 PESS Students in Sports - Chris Bryan International Marathon Swimmer

28 A Multidisciplinary Approach to Sport Science Lynne Algar - PESS PhD Student

30 Irish Hockey Laura-Anne Furlong - PESS PhD Student

News

2 Head of Department Welcome Dr. Ann MacPhail

4 Recent Renovations of the PESS Building

18 Physical Activity, Health, Lifestyle and Sport Institute

32 PESS PhD Research Scholarship Awards

32 PESS Students Honoured at the 2012 the President Volunteer Awards

33 PESS Graduations 2012

33 PESS PhD Graduate Appointments in 2012

34 PESS Staff and Student Achievements

35 Publications

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In March 2011 the eagerly awaited rebuilding of the central section ofthe Physical Education and Sport Sciences building was approved by

the University. From July 2011, work commenced on the demolition ofthe central section of the building and a positive sense of expectationwas apparent throughout the department. The PESS building has beendescribed “as an early 1970’s vintage, remarkable and unique in itsdesign” and as the demolition progressed the remarkable features ofthe building presented unique challenges to the builders and the staffand students inhabiting the building.

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Despite the considerable discomfort of having to operateadjacent to a building site for more than a year, all those

involved worked with great tolerance and understanding becausewe knew that in the end the outcome would be a much improvedworking environment for all.

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In the end the project was completed well ahead ofschedule and we were able to enjoy access through the

new entrance in April 2012.

The development now provides an excellent 130 seat Lecturetheatre, 30 seat tutorial room, 8 new staff rooms, 4 newlaboratories, a multi-purpose practical teaching area, staffand student changing rooms, a 35 seat computer suite,student study area and a pleasant Café at the main entrance.In addition other works to the main administration corridorand staff rooms have helped to upgrade the remaining olderparts of the building. The building will be formally opened byMinister Jimmy Deenihan on March 8th 2013.

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UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICKBODY COMPOSITION STUDY

The University of Limerick Body Composition (ULBC) Study(www.ul.ie/bodycompositionstudy) was established in

2008 to examine body composition in a representativesample of the Irish population. Based in the Department ofPhysical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS), this study isthe first large scale investigation into body composition andits measurement in an Irish context. Under the guidance ofProf. Phil Jakeman, various staff, postgraduate andundergraduate students from both PESS and PhysiotherapyDepartments in the university have contributed to datacollection, analysis and dissemination over the past four years.

The body composition laboratory houses a dual-energyx-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanner, which is considered tobe the gold standard tool for measuring body composition. Itallows accurate analysis of lean, fat and bone tissue mass ateach body segment. Site-specific scans of the lower spine andhips are carried out to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD)in the identification of osteopenia and osteoporosis.Surrogate measures of body composition includingbioelectrical impedance, skinfolds and ultrasound are alsoemployed as part of the on-going research. Since October2008 data has been collected from over 2000 volunteersranging in age from 18-81 years. ULBC has worked withsporting organisations such as Munster Rugby, Tipperaryand Clare Senior Hurling, UL High Performance CentreSwimming and Paralympics Ireland in providing athletes,coaches and sports nutritionists with the most advanced bodycomposition analysis. It has also facilitated research projectssuch as the Food for Health Ireland (FHI) Healthy AgeingStudy, the Kellogg’s Study and final year projects.

INITIAL FINDINGS

Research output to date has included several publicationsin the area of body composition measurement such as

bioelectrical impedance, ultrasound and anthropometry, themost recent being an update on the 1974 Durnin &Womersley skinfold algorithms to predict body percentage fatbased on the sum of four skinfold thickness measures (Leahyet al 2012 - British Journal of Nutrition). This publication offersan improved estimate of body fat in adults usinganthropometric measurement of 3 sites in men and 4 sites inwomen, constructed and validated from 1136 adults aged

18-72 years. These updated algorithms are particularlyrelevant given the change in phenotype due to the rise inobesity over the past three decades and are expected toreplace the commonly used equations of Durnin &Womersley (1974) and Jackson & Pollock (1978).

ULBC has determined the average body percentage fatthroughout the age ranges to be 21% (5-42%) in men

and 33% (12-57%) in women. Body mass index (BMI), themetric used to classify persons as obese, has not beenshown to correlate strongly with body fat or show sensitivityto change. It can therefore misclassify certain individuals interms of health risk associated with excess fat. Thus, a bodyfat mass index (BFMI) has been developed which uses ‘fatmass’ rather than ‘body mass’ to define ‘normal’, ‘over fat and‘fat obesity’ ranges that should better predict risk of healthdisorders and age-related change associated with adiposity.

Clodagh Toomey positions a colleague on the DXA scanner inpreparation for a scan.

By 2041, there will be 1.4 million aged 65 and over (22% ofthe population). Present research is targeted towards theageing population, with a focus on the progressive loss oflean tissue mass (Sarcopenia) and bone mineral density(Osteoporosis). In conjunction with the Healthy Ageing Study,the goal is to investigate the prevalence of these diseasestates in our convenience sample of older adults and toendeavour to offset this decline through nutritional andexercise interventions. It is anticipated this research willinform best evidence-based practice in the management ofhealthy ageing.

THE BODY COMPOSITION (DXA) LABORATORY

CLODAGH TOOMEY, MISCP

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Since the launch of ULBC study four years ago, there hasbeen valuable progress in terms of establishing age andgender specific reference ranges for whole-body andsegmental body composition. As the databank continues togrow, the study has recently upgraded DXA measurementcapabilities to include visceral fat as a composition measure(GE CoreScan™). Visceral, or intra-abdominal, fat is locatedinside the abdominal cavity surrounding organs such as thestomach, kidneys and liver. Compared to subcutaneous fat

Toomey C, McCreesh K, Leahy S, Jakeman P. Technicalconsiderations for accurate measurement of subcutaneous adiposetissue using real-time, B-mode ultrasound. Ultrasound 2011;19:91-96

Leahy S, O'Neill C, Sohun R, Jakeman P. A comparison of dual energyX-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis to measuretotal and segmental body composition in healthy young adults. Eur JAppl Physiol. 2012 Feb;112(2):589-95.PMID: 21614505[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Leahy S, Toomey C, McCreesh K, Jakeman P. Ultrasound measurementof subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness accurately predicts total andsegmental body fat of young adults. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2012Jan;38(1):28-34. PMID: 22104525[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Leahy S, O'Neill C, Sohun R, Toomey C, Jakeman P. Generalisedequations for the prediction of percentage body fat by anthropometryin adult men and women aged 18-81 years Br J Nutr. 2012 May 29:1-8PMID: 22640975[PubMed - as supplied by publisher] doi:10.1017/S0007114512001870

FUTURE RESEARCH

PUBLICATIONS

Clodagh Toomey graduated from ULwith a BSc. Physiotherapy in August2010 and commenced postgraduateresearch in the Department of PhysicalEducation and Sport Sciences.

Clodagh is supervissed by KarenMcCreesh (Dept. of Physiotherapy) andProf. Phil Jakeman (Department ofPhysical Education and Sport Sciences).Clodagh’s PhD is funded by Food forHealth Ireland (FHI).

DXA Total Body Scan Images

located under the skin, it is strongly linked to cardiovasculardisease, type II diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammatorydiseases and other obesity-related metabolic abnormalities.It is anticipated that future research will focus on prevalenceof ‘visceral obesity’ amongst age groups and its associationwith health outcomes. This will serve to enhance the growingknowledge base on health- and performance-related bodycomposition parameters for the Irish population.

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICKBODY COMPOSITION STUDY

CLODAGH TOOMEY, MISCP

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Over a Century ago William James, who’s family hailedfrom Cavan, wrote that one could learn to in

Summer and in Winter, through our mind’s eye. One ofthe founding fathers of psychology and initiator of the firstpsychology laboratory at Harvard, William James wasprescient in the questions he posed on the relationshipbetween imagination and action. Interestingly, thedepartment of psychology at Harvard is housed in a fifteenstorey office block appropriately named .

Furthermore, for several decades the eighth floor of thisbuilding was home to the laboratory of Stephen Kosslyn, oneof the foremost cognitive neuroscience researchers on thetopic of mental imagery. His research on the nature, mecha-nisms and theory underlying mental imagery, combined withthe efforts of Marc Jeannerod have led to the emergence ofa new discipline, the field of motor cognition. As a result, onehundred and twenty years since William James firstpostulated an ideomotor theory of action, this topic hasspawned interest among researchers in PESS, at UL, almost3,000 miles from James’ Boston laboratory, and only 100miles from the original James family homestead.

active when he or she plans and/or imagines an action.And moreover research also shows that some areas ofan observer’s motor and premotor systems are active whenhe or she perceives actions performed by another person(i.e., partially explained by specific neurons termed “mirror-neurons”). In essence, imagined and executed actions relyon similar motor representations and activate some commonbrain areas, what is known as the

. Thus the difference between an imagined move-ment and an executed movement is one of degree not ofkind, so that covert and overt aspects of an action are partsof a single representation execution continuum.

Dr. Tadhg MacIntyre, PESS DepartmentDr. Mark Campbell, PESS Department

Dr. PJ Smyth, PESS Department

How Far Have We Travelled?

What is This New Discipline?

is the multidisciplinary field of researchthat is concerned with understanding action.

Specifically, motor cognition is a mental process in which themotor system draws on stored information to plan andproduce our own actions, as well as to anticipate, predict andinterpret actions of others.

It seeks to understand areas such as imitation, imagery, andthe representation of action, typically applying theconverging methods of cognitive neuroscience (see Kosslyn& Moulton, 2009 for a nice example). Neuroscientificevidence suggests that parts of an agent’s motor system are

Why Was There an Elephant in the Room?

The historic omission ofpsychological factors instudying human movementcould be described by the

analogy.To explain, psychology hadignored study of movementbut focused instead on

, leaving thisquestion the preserve of re-searchers in motor control,biomechanics and physiology.

Motor control applied aprimarily descriptive approach,which was concerned withoutlining the neural, physicaland behavioural aspects ofmovements. Only when both atheory (e.g., functionalequivalence) and a methodology (e.g., converging methodsof neuroscience) had emerged to explore action did it returnas a topic of study within psychology.

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One early limitation of the field of motor cognition was thatthe tasks studied were often artificial and typically laboratorybased, thus, lacking in ecological validity. The term , forinstance, did not feature in either texts of .The emergence of the expertise paradigm based on the workof Anders Ericsson and the increasing consensus that sportcould provide a for the study of action (i.e.,with subjects stratified on the basis of expertise), has aug-mented the traditional approach of neuroscience with astrength-based approach.

New Directions for Research on Imagery and ActionObservation

At least four new directions may be identified for futureresearch on imagery and action observation processes.

First, little is known as yet about athletes’processes – or their beliefs about the nature and regulationof their own imagery skills This scientific neglect of whatathletes know about their own imagery processes issurprising in view of the abundance of anecdotal insights intoimagery that are available from sports performers.

Secondly, research isneeded to investigatethe use of chronometricmethods to validateathletes’ reports of theirimagery experiences. Ifimagined and executedactions rely on similarmotor representationsand activate certaincommon brain areas, thetemporal organizationof imagined and actualactions should be similar– leading to a close corre-spondence between thetime required toperform a given action and that required for itsexecution. Third, research is required on the relationshipbetween action observation, motor imagery and actionexecution. In this regard, a potentially promising line ofinquiry concerns the study of eye movements. Suchmovements not only provide objective tools for studyingonline cognitive processing in imagery and action observationbut could also be used to draw inferences about the sharedneural network system that underlies these activities.

Finally, an exciting and potentially fruitful new directionconcerns the development of methodologies for the

investigation of the unique neural mechanisms underlyingmotor imagery, motor execution, and action observationamong experts in human movement (e.g., athletes). The useof transcranical magnetic stimulation and fMRI can helpelucidate the and overlapping neural mechanismsunderlying motor imagery, motor execution and actionobservation processes.

In the Footsteps of Giants

Despite over a Century of musing on the role ofcognition in action, only in the past two

decades have the methodologies emerged toaccurately explore these issues. This is due toadvances in the methods of cognitive neuroscience(e.g., fMRI), the adoption of the expertiseparadigm and the increasing recognition that sportis a domain worthy of study.

Taken together, these advances can enable thefield of motor cognition to more comprehensivelytackle the questions on the role of thought in actionpreparation, simulation and execution, posed byWilliam James more than a century ago.

1. Moran, A., Campbell, M., Holmes, P. & MacIntyre, T. (2012) MentalImagery, Action Observation and Skill Learning. In M. Williams & N.Hodges (EDS)(2nd edition). Routledge.http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415607865/

2. Kosslyn, S. M. & Moulton, S. T. (2009). Mental imagery and im-plicit imagery. In K. D. Markman, W. M. P. Klein, & J. A. Suhr (Eds.),

(pp. 35-52). New York:Taylor & Francis Group.http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic561942.files/2009Kosslyn_Moulton_MentalImageryandImplicitMemoryHandbook.pdf

3. From Action to Interaction: An Interview with Marc Jeannerodhttp://www.isc.cnrs.fr/wp/wp01-4.htm

4. Research in Imagery and Observation Workshop Ireland 2013http://riogroup.weebly.com/index.html

5. Motor Cognition Research Group www.motorcognition.com

6 Links Worth Looking Up

Tadhg MacIntyre teaches on both undergraduate andpostgraduate programmes in the Physical Educationand Sport Sciences Department. He contributes tomodules that focus on the areas of performancepsychology, exercise and health psychology andmotor cognition. His research interests span threedistinct domains - Motor Cognition: The domain ofstudy that is concerned with understanding action;Professional Issues in Performance Psychology andPositive Psychology and Lifestyle in Performance Sport.

Mark Campell’s teaching and research interests focuson two main areas: motor cognition and applied sportpsychology interventions. Mark's research to date hasfocused on trying to understand cognitive andperceptual expertise of elite athletes. Specifically hehas used eye-tracking technology to examine visualattentional control in expert's decision-making skills,preparation for action and subsequent performanceexecution. He is also interested in mental skills trainingand sport psychology interventions with athletes andcoaches.

PJ Smyth is a researcher in Motor Behaviour andApplied Sport Psychology. He has lectured on the B.ScPE programme since 1974 and on the B.Sc. Sport andExercise programme since it was established in 1993.He has held a lecturing position in the department for38 years.  His research includes practice factorsaffecting performance of sport skills in competitivesituations, the development of fundamental skills inchildren and the relationship between fundamentalskills and sport specific skills.  Although recentlyretired, PJ continues to make valuable contributions tothe PESS department.

And moreover research also shows that some areas of

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Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is a cooling treatment thathas recently gained widespread popularity amongstathletes, with a range of claims being made regarding itsefficacy, particularly in aiding recovery from training. WBCinvolves repeatedly exposing an individual, dressed inminimal clothing, to extremely cold air (–100 to –130°C)for 2 to 4 minutes. During WBC, the individual experiencestemperatures that are between 30–50°C colder than thelowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica.Consequently, WBC is causing much debate amongstphysiologists, physiotherapist, clinicians and sports peoplealike regarding its effectiveness and potential risks.

This debate has intensified with the news that current 100and 200 m Olympic Champion Usain Bolt used thetreatment before London 2012. Though the skin isexposed to extreme cold during WBC (many WBC partici-pants just wear shorts), the relatively low thermalconductivity of air, lack of air movement and the shortduration of exposure normally reduce the risk of coldinjury. Most operators also ensure that the participantswear gloves and facemasks.

WBC chambers were introduced from Japan to Europe in1982 and the use of this treatment continues to risedespite the paucity of published literature in the area.

Is –110°C Whole Body Cryotherapy effective inimproving post-exercise recovery in sports people?

Joseph T. Costello, Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationQueensland University of Technology, Australia

Alan E. Donnelly, Centre for Physical Activity and Health ResearchUniversity of Limerick

INTRODUCTION

INTERNATIONAL DEBATE

International athletes, including rugby players, soccerplayers and track and field athletes, have reportedusing WBC as a method of recovery from sports trainingand competition.

WBC is being promoted in sports medicine as atreatment for muscle injuries, syndromes of overuseand to enhance recovery between training sessions.One specific claim that is often made is that WBC iseffective in treating exercise-induced muscle sorenessand damage. We have undertaken a study to evaluateWBC treatment effectiveness on indices of musclefunction on soreness following an exercise boutspecifically designed to induce a moderate level oftemporary, repairable muscle damage.

The hypothesis of the current study was that WBCwould be no more effective on muscle sorenessrecovery following eccentric exercise than a shamtreatment. To address this hypothesis, we conducted arandomised controlled laboratory study in a two-groupdesign (control and treatment). Despite the growinguse of WBC, this was the first study of its kind to assessthe effects of WBC treatment on recovery frommuscle-damaging exercise.

METHOD

A group of 18 healthy and active participants with amean age of 21.2 ± 2.1 years, who were blinded to thehypothesis of the study, performed an eccentricexercise bout consisting of 100 high-force maximaleccentric contractions of the left knee extensors on anisokinetic dynamometer (a device that measuresmuscle strength). These 18 volunteers were randomlyassigned to either a WBC group (7 males and 2females) or a control group (7 males and 2 females).Twenty-four hours later the participants received twobouts of either WBC or the control treatment after alapse of 2 hours. The WBC treatment consisted of thesubjects standing in a pre-cooling room at –60 ± 3°Cfor 20 seconds before entering and walking slowlyaround a second room at –110 ± 3°C for 3 minutes.

In the control group, the subjects followed the sameprocedure as the WBC except both chambers were setat a temperature of 15 ± 3°C. Maximal voluntaryisometric contraction force (MVIC) of the left kneeextensors and subjects subjective assessment ofmuscle soreness was measured immediately beforeand after the exercise bout and at 48, 72 and 96 hoursfollowing eccentric exercise.

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Subject entering a Cryotherapy Chamber

STUDY HYPOTHESIS

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MVIC (which was reduced by 40%) and the subjects’subjective assessment of muscle soreness were bothsignificantly affected in both groups, compared to baseline,following the eccentric exercise. Although no biopsies werecollected in this study, the force loss recorded is indicative ofunderlying muscle damage. These outcome measures did notreturn to baseline for at least 96 hours following the exercisebout, and there were no differences between the WBC andthe control group at any time-point during recovery.

The results of this study suggest that two bouts of WBC wereineffective in improving recovery from eccentric exercisewhen administered 24 hours after eccentric exercise.However, it should be noted that recent studies suggest thatWBC might have an anti-inflammatory effect.

In summary, WBC is rapidly gaining popularity amongstathletes and sports people. To date there has been noconvincing, unequivocal support for the therapy’seffectiveness in improving muscle functional recoverypublished in the peer-reviewed literature. Despite this,individuals continue to use WBC protocols that lack rigorousphysiological assessment, and may perhaps be of limitedvalue.

RESULTS

More information on this study can be found in thefollowing journal articles:

Costello, J. T., Algar, L. A. & Donnelly, A. E. (2012) Effects ofWhole Body Cryotherapy (-110°C) on Proprioception and MuscleSoreness, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports,22(2), 190-198.

Costello, J.T. & Donnelly, A.E. (2011) Is –110°C cold aircryotherapy effective in improving post-exercise recovery in sportspeople?, Physiological Society Magazine, 85 (Winter); 24-25.

Prof. Alan Donnelly is an exercisephysiologist in the Phisical Educationand Sport Sciences department, UL.He is Director of the Centre forPhysical Activity and Health Research.His research interests including theimpact of sedentary behaviour onmarkers of health in adolescents, andthe mechanisms of and potentialtreatments for exercise induced muscle damage. Hisresearch publications have been cited over 1000 times in

Athletic challenges, whether expected or not, have thepotential to be a crisis, or a beneficial experiencedepending on the individual's perception, preparation andsupport (Sinclair & Orlick, 1993). To continue to developand perform well, athletes and especially developingathletes without much experience should be educated toidentify, manage, and learn from competitive andorganisational challenges, as well as recognise and usethe social resources available to them (Kristiansen &Roberts, 2010).

This study used a longitudinal approach to capture theseasonal demands of a purposefully sampled group ofdevelopment (n=3) and high performance (n=3)swimmers. To triangulate the data the athlete’s coaches(n=2) were also recruited. The aim of this study was toexamine how these athletes prepared, coped and reflect-ed upon varying challenges. Fivestages of semi-structured inter-views were conducted betweenSeptember and August of thefollowing year.

Patton’s (1990) method ofqualitative analysis was practisedusing ATLAS TI (version 5.0.66) toinductively dissect the interviewtranscripts filtering raw data codesinto meaningful themes and cat-egories.

The findings show that a lack of strategic performanceplanning and ambiguity of the overall performanceobjective were identified as major sources of organisa-tional stress for both athletes and coaches. A poorcommunication network and a reluctance to create ashared development approach between clubs and theHPC contributed to this stress. Injury and illness posedthe greatest unexpected disruption to the athlete’sprogress. However, athletes that were injured appearedto cope better by maintaining a clear relationship withtheir coaches, revising their performance plan, andresetting realistic goals. These participants also showedbetter use of the support resources accessible in theirenvironment suggesting that athletes cope more duringtimes of disorder as opposed to pre emptying thechallenge.

A longitudinal examination of howathletes prepare, cope and reflect

upon developmentLynne Algar, PESS Department, UL

Dr. Áine MacNamara, Institute of Coaching & Performance,University of Central Lancashire.

Lynne Algar has B.Sc. in Sport and Exercise Science and a Masters byresearch in the area of Exercise and Muscle Physiology. Her PhDresearch under Dr. Áine MacNamara evaluates the support and needsof elite Irish athletes, with a focus on High Performance Irish Swimmers.

Joe Costello graduated from UL with aB.Sc. in Physical Education and Maths in2008. In 2012 he received a PhD from ULin Thermal/Exercise Physiology under thesupervision of Prof. Alan Donnelly (PESS,UL). Joe is currently a PostdoctoralResearch Fellow at the Institute of Healthand Biomedical Innovation in QUT,Brisbane, Australia. He is the projectmanager on the HERO (Heat ExposureRisk Management for Operational Command) project. Thisproject is examining tolerance limits and guidelines forindividuals wearing bomb and chemical, biological, radiologicaland nuclear protective equipment.

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PJ Smyth has been a lecturer on the Physical Educationprogramme of the National College of Physical Education(NCPE), Thomond College of Education (TCE) and Universityof Limerick (UL) since 1974 and on the Sport and ExerciseSciences programme in UL since it was established in 1993.Although recently retired, he remains a valuable member ofthe Physical Education and Sport Sciences department. PJSmyth is not only known for his research in Motor Behaviourand Applied Sport Psychology, he is also well respected forhis knowledge, expertise, and innovative coaching andtraining methods in rugby and athletics. He has beendescribed to me as ‘a leader, innovator, guide, mentor andtrue professional’. PJ is a member of the panel of sportpsychologists of the Irish Institute of Sport (IIS) and is anadvisor on mental preparation and skill development to anumber of performers.

I first met PJ Smyth nearly 20 years ago, when I came to theUniversity of Limerick as a student of the BSc. Sport andExercise Sciences programme in 1994. Although I have myown stories that reveal PJ’s commitment and passion forimparting knowledge, his sensitivity towards students’abilities, and his rather unique love of bananas and bagels, Ithought it more appropriate to contact some of the graduateswho were students of the NCPE and TCE to ask them for theirmemories of PJ.

I have learned that PJ Smyth has always been committed tothe education and development of his students, that he wasahead of his time in relation to physical conditioning andtraining methodologies, and you will struggle to find a personwho is as generous with his time as he is.

Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, London where he received aDiploma Physical Education in 1970. In his Stawberry Hilldays, Smyth was renowned for his knowledge in relation tostrength training. He was the person you went to if youneeded advice on strength training and if you trained with PJ,you trained hard. He trained 7 days a week and at that timeplayed front row for the Senior Rugby Team. In 1973, afterteaching PE and general subjects for three years at is oldschool in Monkstown, PJ went to Springfield College,Massachusetts on a Fulbright scholarship. There he obtainedan MEd in physical education.

PJ Smyth is the eldest of five and grew up in Dun Laoighre.He attended Christian Brothers College (CBC), Monkstown forprimary and secondary school. The CBC was advanced inthat it had exceptional facilities and exposed its pupils to avariety of subject areas. Pupils were fortunate to beintroduced to activities such as pole vaulting, strengthtraining and cross-country, among others. Rugby wasSmyth’s passion from an early age and he was Captain of theJunior and Senior Rugby teams at school, playing severalpositions, but mainly centre and flanker.

He was a member of the school’s athletic club and laterCrusaders Athletic Club. As a boy, Smyth was fascinated withtraining, fitness and skill acquisition and he applied theprinciples of fitness and training to himself. He watched rolemodels training and performing skills and practiced such skillsin a planned and thoughtful approach, thereby initiating hislongstanding interest in motor skills and skill acquisition.

Smyth received a BA (1968) followed by a HDipEd (1969)both from UCD. At that time physical education training formen was not available in Ireland, and so Smyth went to St.

National College of Physical Education

A Little History

In 1965, Captain Michael McDonough (former Director of theArmy School of Physical Training) was appointed as Inspectorof Physical Education by the Department of Education. In1969 McDonough prepared a report outlining the feasibilityof setting up a National College of Physical Education (NCPE)which would offer the award of a B.Ed degree. The NCPELimerick opened in January 1973 and Smyth began his careerat the NCPE the following year. Some of Smyth’s workcolleagues in the early ears of NCPE included Paul Robinson,Anne Sweeney, Teresa Leahy, Joanne Moles and CarmelVekins and the equally memorable, Mr. Dave Weldrick. Smythhad first met Dave Weldrick at Strawberry Hill, while theywere both on different physical education training courses.They shared an office for a number of years and remainedcolleagues until Weldrick’s retirement in 2009. Weldrickrecalled the early days of the NCPE and the ‘stormy andemotional times’ that ensued when there was uncertainty asto how physical education teacher education would beviewed in academic circles. In those uncertain times,Weldrick remembers PJ’s tranquil nature and remarked thathe was a ‘pillar of steadfastness’ with an ability to boostmorale of many staff members. The college was renamed toThomond College of Education in 1975 when subjects otherthan physical education were added. From 1984-87 PJ tooka three year leave of absence to go the University of SouthernCalifornia (USC) where he studied motor learning and sport

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students understood the content he was teaching. “His ownpassion for the subject matter automatically rubbed of hisstudents. PJ prepared meticulously for lectures, constantlyintroducing the latest research in his field.” I can also testifyto PJ’s attention to detail, as I have not forgotten his A4handouts, which had a large number of additional slides,studies and other materials painstakingly reduced in size andarranged and photocopied all on one A4 sheet.

In the nearly two decades that I have been part of the PESSdepartment I have not encountered any other staff memberwho is as dedicated and passionate at promoting the PE andSES programme and who is driven to keep track of pastgraduates. PJ Smyth can be regularly heard listing off wherepast graduates have taken up employment. He remembersstudents; not just their names, he truly remembers them.

“Over years PJ built up a great wealth and experience of coopopportunities and always took time to follow up with the

placement providers and thereby build the range and quality ofopportunities for future students.”

“PJ followed the career trajectories of literally hundreds ofgraduating students and built up a register of career options

and pathways for our BSc Sport and Exercise Sciencegraduates. No one knows more about our graduates’ careersthan PJ and he continues to be a contact for our graduates

many years after they completed their degrees.”

“PJ has been the inspirational lecturer and long term friend togenerations of students. After many years at UL, his

enthusiasm is unabated, and he remains the students favourite,for his kindness, his ability to listen to and encourage, and

most of all for his passionate belief in the value ofPhysical Education and Sport and Exercise Sciences.

He is universally loved and respected, and through histeaching and quiet encouragement of generations of physicaleducation teachers and sport and exercise scientists he has

made a major contribution to hisprofession, to the University of Limerick, and to Ireland.”

Alan Donnelly

Tony Ward (rugby fly-half for Munster, Leinster, Ireland, theBritish and Irish Lions and the Barbarians in the 1980s)started in the NCPE on the same day that Smyth started histeaching career in the college in 1974. He recalls that thelectures on psychological aspects of physical education werethe most eagerly anticipated and best attended lectures oftheir college week.

Dave Mahedy (former student of NCPE and Director, Sportand Recreation at UL) described the dinner table debates onphysical education and sport that he and fellow students andSmyth had when they were tenants in Mick Sherry’s house.Ward says they constantly beseeched Smyth for hints onupcoming exams, but Smyth never yielded and maintainedprofessionalism at all times, much to his housematesdisappointment.

John Sheehan, graduate of TCE and currently Physical Educa-tion teacher in St. Clements College nostalgically reminisced‘amazing memories of PJ Smyth’ whom he first met in 1976.Within weeks of starting in the NCPE, Smyth “transformed agroup of 17 young men into a pretty decent rugby team”.John recalls that this transformation of a group of young meninto a team confirmed his desire to become a physicaleducator.

Dave Weldrick revealed that in the early years he learnedfrom watching PJ teach and seeing how the students learnedfrom him. He described Smyth’s persuasive approach andhow he used his knowledge to motivate students. Pat Duffy(TCE graduate and Professor of Sport Coaching, LeedsMetropolitan University) describes PJ as the ‘informed andempathetic guide. You knew he knew, but he would alwaysmake you think. By building positive, professional relation-ships with students, he gained their respect – and thenproceeded to inform and influence their thinking and practicein both firm and subtle ways”.

“He introduced us to a totally new world of Physical Educationand Sport. Up to that time, we just played a game. PJ showedus how to think about sport, how to prepare to play and aboveall how to improve both our own skills but the skills of others.

It was a pioneering time in Irish Sport and PJ was there,leading the charge”

Dave Mahedy, Graduate

Physical Education & Sport Sciences Department

In 1993, a B.Sc in Sport and Exercise Sciences (SES) wasoffered for the first time at the University of Limerick, and forthe first time in Ireland. Smyth’s expertise was such that hisknowledge and capabilities enabled him to cross bothprogrammes. His research interests were in practice factorsaffecting performance of sport skills in competitive situations,the development of fundamental skills in children and therelationship between fundamental skills and sport specificskills.

He has held the position of Course Director for the SESundergraduate degree programme for 11 years on and off.He was the department’s Cooperative Education coordinatorfrom 1993-2011 and has worked tirelessly in promoting bothundergraduate programmes and the newer postgraduateprogrammes as they came on stream. He continues to take aspecial interest in tracking Sport and Exercise Sciencegraduate appointments and has maintained contacts with alarge number of students.

The Educator

From the early days of the NCPE up to recently, PJ Smythtaught on a variety of modules in the department including,rugby, athletics, physical conditioning, badminton, motorlearning and applied sport psychology. Eddie O’Sullivan(graduate of the TCE (1979) and Irish National Rugby Coach,2001-2008) describes Smyth’s ‘extra effort’ to ensure that

“Thank you PJ for what you have given to the generations ofIrish PE teachers and their students….while still quietly

preparing for the next lecture”

“For nine months we pleaded with him for just a snippetof information, a small hint ahead of exams. Needless tosay we got nothing. Mr. Perfect Lecturer milked the high

moral ground for all it was worth !!!!”

psychology. He obtained his PhD in motor learning from USCin 1990. In 1991 Thomond College of Education wasdissolved and integrated into the University of Limerick andthe Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences wasformed.

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PJ Smyth played rugby for UCD in 1965-1969 (flanker andsometimes prop). He played mainly prop for BectiveRangers (1970 to 1976) which he captained in 1971-1973and is now an honorary life member of the club. Between1976-1978 he played prop for Garryowen Rugby Club.

At around 19, his friend, Phil Conway (Irish AthleticsOlympian, 1972; National hammer and discus coach)introduced PJ to Michael Colleary’s gym in Dublin. MichaelColleary, was incredibly knowledgeable in relation to thetheoretical and practical aspects of resistance training. It wasat this gym that Smyth transformed his physical shape to afront row prop.

Louis Magee (Chairman of the IRFU, PerformanceCommittee) was introduced to Smyth in his early 20’s whenhe and Smyth were playing with Bective Rangers andcontinues to regard him highly. He described how Smythintroduced the club to scientific training methods and taughtthe players how to improve skill. Training sessions werestructured and all aspects were well thought out. Weighttraining and diet were attended to and Magee said it was notsurprising that after that first season, Smyth went on tocaptain the team for two years. Smyth laid the foundation forsuccessful teams to follow. Magee is without doubt that allplayers benefited from Smyths expertise.

In the 1980’s Garryowen Rugby Club was at the pinnacle ofIrish Club Rugby. As joint coach with Pat Whelan, Smythcoached the Garryowen back-line to two Munster SeniorLeague titles and was an extremely innovative coach in histime, constantly challenging players to become more skilful.During that time Garryowen became known for theirinnovative back play and willingness to run with the ball,which was atypical of Munster club sides at that time.

Seamus Byrne, (Club President of Garryowen Rugby Club inthe 1980’s) recalled a vivid memory of PJ in 1983, when theteam was on route to play Bangor Rugby Club (one of thebest rugby teams in Ireland at the time). Byrne described a‘dossier’ that PJ produced on the 15 man squad. “It was acomplete analysis of every player. PJ had the ability to assessplayers’ technical skills and personalities and determine howthese would affect performance on the field”. Byrne said hehad never seen anything like this level of player analysisbefore. In Byrne’s opinion, PJ Smyth expanded the role of thecoach. Smyth prepared a psychological strategy for theseason and for each individual game. Goal-setting and mentalrehearsal became part of the game. Pat Duffy reinforcesByrne’s observations and says that Smyth was revolutionarywith his coaching methods. “He was way ahead of his time inadvocating a decision-making approach to the developmentof skills and also in the importance of strength andconditioning”.

PJ Smyth was been heavily involved in rugby coach educationcourses and player development programmes in the pre-professional days. He was a member of IRFU and MunsterBranch coaching committees. He contributed to coachingmanuals with respect to physical fitness, skill developmentand psychology. He was also involved in coach education forathletics teachers and coaches. He contributed to skilldevelopment and sport psychology aspects of coacheducation for a variety of sports with the National Coachingand Training Centre (NCTC), now Coaching Ireland.

Eddie O’Sullivan played for Garryowen Rugby Club at thesame time as PJ, remarked that Smyth was “notorious for hisextremely high level of fitness and his work rate around thefield and was regarded as a very skilful prop when he playedwith Garryowen.” He believes that Smyth’s retirement fromcoaching rugby was a huge loss to Irish rugby.

Smyth’s coaching methods were both meticulous andinnovative. Eddie O’Sullivan summarised Smyth’s techniques“He had the capacity to break down fitness training and skillsinto their constituent parts and using the latest availableresearch in the field, developed innovative methods tomaximise the potential of players. Training sessions werealways brutally hard, but you felt you were getting themaximum return for your efforts. Coaching sessions werealways interesting and constantly challenged you to improveyour skill levels through innovative mini games and drills”.

Tony Ward says he will never forget the cross field sprintsfrom touchline to touchline behind the posts of Maguire’sRugby pitch) where physical and mental commitment wereexpected and where light-heartedness were treated withdisdain. Dave Mahedy, says that Smyth was the first personto introduce students in NCPE to interval training. Mahedysaid it didn’t take long for a following of top class players totag on to him for sessions, including Mahedy himself, rugbyplayers such as Tony Ward, Eddie O’Sullivan, Pat Whelan,and Mick Sherry, and GAA stars such as Oggie Moran andeven the late Paudi O’Shea all taking part in interval sessions2-3 times a week. Mahedy says “it was like a private HighPerformance group ahead of its time and before the termHigh Performance was even invented”.

Some of the Students He Influenced

John Sheehan recalled the endless hours PJ spent helpingstudents like Tony Ward curving a rugby ball over and backalong a line in the sports hall, and working on passing andevasion skills, to helping anyone improve their sportingperformance or academic understanding.

Playing Rugby

Coaching and Coach Education

“Proper preparation was the basis of performance”

“He would be someone that I would be eternally grateful to ashe was probably the main influence on my career. In everyarea imaginable he was briliant, from passing on the tools of

the trade to advice on all sports and especially on whatdirection to take in career decisions”

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Ward himself says that when he first met PJ, he had no ideaas to the major influence the ‘self-effacing Smyth’ was tohave on his sporting development in the years to follow, andnot just on his development but on many other Irish highperformance athletes in the years that followed.

When Eddie O’Sullivan moved positions from playing fly-halfto wing when he joined Garryowen Rugby Club in 1978,Smyth helped O’Sullivan reinvent himself as a player.Through a combination of strength training, plyometrics andtrack work, which according to O’Sullivan was ‘way ahead ofit’s time”, Smyth helped O’Sullivan transform. O’Sullivanbelieves that the specific skill training that pertained to beingon the wing, was a huge factor in helping him be selected forMunster. O’Sullivan has also reported that Smyth was hugelyinfluential on him as a professional rugby coach, providinghim with understanding and knowledge of the developmentof skill pedagogies and sports psychology. Smyth has mademany lifelong friendships with the graduates from NCPE, TCEand UL. He was groomsman for Eddie O’Sullivan (which PJalmost missed by getting lost on the way to the Church!) andI am reliably told that he was asleep within minutes of leavingthe reception, as it was long past his bedtime!

To paraphrase all those that contributed to this article…..PJSmyth is dedicated and sincere and has embraced his life asan educator. He is sensitive, considerate and understandingof others and is regarded as one of this world’s ‘truegentlemen’. He has a gift of mimicry and intelligent humor.In the past (am not certain about now!) he suffered fromgargalesis (tickles), and some of his students took delight insitting on him and tickling him until tears rolled. PJ has anextensive music collection, and some of his favourites includeMario Lanza and Maria Callas. He was a fan of Pavarotti everbefore people heard of Nessum Dorma. The story would notbe complete without reference to his love of bananas. In thepast he was known to arrive at training or coaching courseswith two gear bags... one for his kit and one full of bananas!To this day, the banana is never far from his hand and he willalways have one to offer you if you are hungry.

PJ Smyth is a man who supports all staff and students in thePESS department and is the first to applaud any personalaccomplishments achieved by the staff and students. Hecontinutes to collaborate with existing staff in thedepartment. Ed Coughlan, a teaching assistant in thedepartment describes Smyth’s ability to apply science andresearch, succinctly. “It is a rarity, but his understanding ofthe science and the research is so complete that he knowshow to join-the-dots for the students and athletes alike”.Tadhg MacIntyre (Lecturer in Sport, Exercise & PerformancePsychology) has known PJ for many years and defines Smythas a ‘polymath with a vast array of expertise across multipledomains and an insatiable intellectual curiosity’.

There are an abundance of past and present staff andpostgraduate students in the PESS department who wouldhave queued at my office to offer their memories about PJ. Iam without doubt that their stories would reinforce all that Ihave presented in this feature.

I asked PJ what his memories are of teaching in the PhysicalEducation and Sport Sciences Department and after muchthought he arrived at this conclusion:

Students and staff describe PJ Smyth as giving his timebefore, during and after lectures. Greg Knipe, a lecturer inInternational Tourism who retired from UL in 2010 stayedwith Smyth for a number of years, when he first came toLimerick. Knipe said they were like ‘chalk and cheese’, he hada love for rock‘n’roll music and good wine, and PJ did not!Colleagues and students repeatedly state that Smyth wasalways obliging with both his time, knowledge and books. Ashe has done in the past, he continues to inspire, encourageand motivate others. Dave Weldrick remarked that if youwere interested in physical conditioning, strength training,motor learning or sport psychology, it was not to the librarythat you went, but to Smyths office, where you could borrowbooks but also engage in lengthy discussions with Smyth.

Kindness & Generosity

“Time stood still when PJ was engaged with you. Hegave you all of his time and all of his knowledge. I have

never met a more generous man”.

"PJ always encouraged and inspired me to open mymind and question everything. He always fostered criticalthinking and cherished dialogue, discourse and debate."

PJ Smyth, Stephen Clothier (PESS Chief Technical Officer) and DaveWeldrick, 2002.

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UL Researchers Collaborate onInternational Project

Involving High-Tech Testing ofDisabled Golfers

Dr Mark Campbell a lecturer in UL’s Physical Educationand Sport Sciences department specialising in sport

psychology, and formerly a European Tour Professionalgolfer, tested the visual gaze and focus of attention.Dr Ian Kenny a biomechanics lecturer in the PESSdepartment who worked previously for the R&A golfgoverning body tested putting movement patterns anddrive performance.

The Centre for Human Performance Sciences is one ofStellenbosch University’s HOPE Projects through whichresearch is put into practice to the benefit of specificcommunities. The golf project is an extension of thepartnership between Stellenbosch University and theUniversity of Limerick within the European Union’sErasmus Mundus Masters in Adapted Physical Activity(APA).

The necessary precision testing and monitoring of thedriving and putting abilities of these golfers were complet-ed using the Tobii visual gaze tracking instrument,ultrasound-based technology of the Sam PuttLab, andFlightScope and Vector ball launch monitors. The datawere collected by Mark and Ian at the indoor facilities ofthe Swingfit Performance Academy at De Zalze Golf Estateoutside Stellenbosch.

While golfers were showing their form over a total of 206-foot and 12-foot putts, and 10 drives, 28 differentcrucial variables were measured. During the puttingexercise each golfer’s visual gaze, swing pattern and pointof ball contact were recorded. During the driving exercise,aspects such as the direction of flight of the ball, the spinof the ball, and the point of impact on the ball from theclub were measured.

“It’s all about finding similarities and differences in thebiomechanics and visual skills between an able-bodiedand disabled golfer, and then comparing that informationto their currently assigned golf handicap” says ShaunSurmon, Manager for Research and Development for theSU Centre for Human Performance Sciences.

Unlike Paralympic sports, in which athletes take part invarious categories based on their specific disabilities,people with all types of disabilities play against each other

Dr. Ian Kenny Dr. Mark Campbell

This is what researchers from the University of Limerick and Stellenbosch University, South Africa have set out to testin a joint research project that explores the areas of sport vision and biomechanics in golf. During the course of tendays, the researchers from the Sport Technology Unit of the Centre for Human Performance Sciences at StellenboschUniversity, and the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick tested nearly50 able-bodied and disabled golfers with handicaps ranging from professional to mid-twenties.

in golf based on a golf handicapping system. According toanecdotal reasoning, the fact that people have a disability –be it deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy or an amputation –should not be a consideration in classifying them for golfcompetition. Their ability to play golf should be the onlyconsideration in categorising them for participation in golf.

“With this research we want to test if this is indeed true, orwhether it would be more ‘fair’ to modify the golfhandicapping system when applying it to golfers withdisabilities,” says Mr Surmon. According to Dr Ian Kenny golfis set to become an Olympic sport again in 2016, whichmakes the chances therefore very good for it to also beincluded in future Paralympic games. He says that once theresearch is published, recommendations based on theiranalysis of the results will be sent to the internationalgoverning bodies of golf as well as disabled golf to take intoaccount when considering golf as a Paralympic sport event.

Left leg amputee golfer Craig Moorgas warming up for his driveperformance assessment

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“Anecdotal information from the disabled golfcommunity have raised questions concerning theeffectiveness of the golf handicap system applied toall disabled golfers. An example of which is deafgolfers competing on the same level as cerebral palsyor amputee golfers. Initial observations have shownsome vestibular and balance dysfunction with deafgolfers, particularly with the drive shot, but not untilwe fully analyse everyone’s performance andmovement will we be able to make recommendations.”

According to Mr Surmon, it’s not just theresearchers who benefit from this project.

“All participants received an easy-to-understandgraphic report about their putting performance, aswell as a video of their driving abilities which they canagain use in conjunction with a coach to fine-tunetheir game. In their take-home feedback each golfer’sperformance on our tests were compared to theperformances of golfers playing in the Europeanprofessional tournaments,” he explains. “These feed-back reports are quite valuable for the continuedassessment and further honing of each golfer’sgame,” said Mr Dawie van Wyghk of the SwingfitPerformance Academy.

Investigation in this area of research will continuethrough 2013 with South African postgraduateresearcher Jacobus Breytenbach joining Mark and Ianat UL as part of the ERASMUS MUNDUS Masters inAdapted Physical Education, and continuingcollaboration with The Centre for Human PerformanceSciences at Stellenbosch University.

Sample putting report where SamPuttlab used ultrasound to trackgolfers’ putter to define movement direction, speed and consistency

Using Doppler radar technology each drive shot was tracked enabling calculation of ball direction, carry, speed and spin rates

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a sample of coaches (n=7) and service providers (n=2) werealso recruited. An inductive content analysis was conductedfollowing the recommendations of Coté, Salmela & Baria(1993).

Results suggest that a range of factors including thecoach-athlete relationship, and the sport-academia balanceimpact on the athlete’s ability to progress through adevelopment programme and succeed as a high performanceathlete. Weaknesses were found in the preparation ofswimmers for the transition from swim clubs to the HighPerformance Centres (HPC) and the capacity of the coachesto train an athlete to a high performance level. It is suggestedthat a more ‘open door’ policy be adopted throughout thesport’s infrastructure to allow athletes and coachesexperience the HPC environment and learn as part of coachdevelopment.

Coté (2003) identified that gifted athletes needadequate social and structural resources as well ashigh levels of motivation in order to develop superiorperformance.

The objectives of this study were two-fold, firstly, itaimed to identify the critical factors required forsuccessful progression of a developing highperformance swimmer. Secondly, it aimed toexamine the effectiveness of the sport system inproviding this support at both a social and resourcelevel.

Data was collected by means of semi-structured,qualitative interviews with a purposefully sampledgroup of club and high performance swimmers (n =7). To triangulate the data, and guard against bias,

An Investigation of the Support Required forDevelopment of

High Performance SwimmersLynne A. Algar, Department of Physical Education and Sport and Exercise Sciences

Áine MacNamara Institute of Coaching and Performance,University of Central Lancashire, England

In the last 2 years the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences has worked  with the University ofLimerick Sports Department to develop the Physical Activity, Health, Lifestyle and Sports (PAHLS) Institute.

The mission is to ‘Create an environment that breaks new ground in the practice and research of physical activity,health and sporting excellence’. The University of Limerick’s vision is that ‘the University of Limerick will be recognisedas a national and international leader and innovator in the research, professional preparation and practice of physicalactivity and sport, thereby enhancing the lives of individuals, the region and the nation’.

The PAHLS Institute will be formally launched during 2013.

Physical Activity HealthLifestyle and Sports Institute

(PAHLS)

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Type Blade Runner into your computer’s search engine anda 1982 science fiction movie starring Harrison Ford will popup first. Scroll down and you’ll find Oscar Pistorius, the SouthAfrican double amputee runner who made athletic history bycompeting in the 400 m relay final in the London 2012 Olym-pics.

But Simon Baker is making his mark. He lives and trains inLimerick - and he is Irelands first and only marathon BladeRunner. On the 16th of January 2012 Simon Baker began ajourney to run the Dublin City Marathon. No one has achievedthis before. He underwent nine months of intensive training,but he didn’t do it alone.

Amputee runner Simon Baker

OUT ON A LIMB

Dr. Ian Kenny Dr. Drew HarrisonDr. Brian Carson

Who is Simon Baker?

The Team Behind Simon

The Accident in 2004

In 2008 after a battle with depression Simon realised that heneeded a challenge to turn his life around and this took theform of completing the Dublin Marathon which he completedearning himself a place in the Guinness Book of Records(fastest marathon on crutches on one leg).

From this day on Simon decided to set himself a challengeeach year with his end goal to run a marathon in under 3.5hours.

He had a professional team behind him: Jason Kenny,Strength Training and Nutritional Coach of Forever FitPromotions, who headed up the project, along with AlanWard (National 50m Pool Manager of the University Arena),Karen McCreesh and Neasa Canavan (Physiotherapy,University of Limerick), Dr Drew Harrison and Dr Ian Kenny,(Biomechanics PESS, University of Limerick) and Dr BrianCarson (Physiology, PESS, University of Limerick).

By his own admission, Simon Baker was an entirely differentperson eight years ago. He had moved from his nativeLondon to work as a plasterer. Simon lost his leg in 2004 froma building site accident.

The incident that changed Simon Bakers life in 2004appeared trivial enough; it was the simplest of accidents thatcaused him to fall 12ft shattering the bones in his leg. Aftermonths of heavy medication, failed operations and countlesshospital admissions he made the life changing decision tohave the leg amputated below the knee.

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The Team: back L- R (Dave Mahedy, Jan Ottoson, Alan Ward, Jason Kenny, Adrian Mc Grath, Aidan Holden, Ber Angley, Drew Harrison). front L-R (DonnaFisher, Simon Baker, Ian Kenny). (Missing; Brian Carson, Neasa Canavan & Karen McCreesh)

Support for the Project

Jason and Simon got to work quickly, contacting Alan Wardand Dave Mahedy of the University of Limerick, to set theball rolling in Autumn of 2011. “They were very enthusiastic,supportive and excited about the whole idea from the out-set. We were immediately offered full use of the university’sfacilities.”

Simon approached Ottobock, a Dublin company that manu-factures the specialised blades. They too promised their fullsupport, as well as sponsorship.

The project was supported by Jan Ottoson and Donna Fish-er from human prosthetics company IDS Independent Disa-blement Services & Otto Bock and Dave Mahedy ArenaManager, University of Limerick.

For those who hadn’t been paying attention during theLondon 2012 Olympics, Oscar Pistorius is a South African400 metre runner made athletics history by being the firstdisabled runner to compete at the Summer Olympics usingtwo carbon fibre artificial limbs or blades. At first he wasprevented from competing against able-bodied athletes, buta Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne reversed thisdecision in 2008. And now the South African is a genuinesuperstar with a string of blue chip sponsors.

Jason Kenny takes up the story. “Simon had definitely beeninfluenced by the Pistorius story. He had immersed himselfreading and learning about the carbon fibre blades, thetechnology available and the possibilities it created.

“We discussed the project at length and came up with theidea of running the Dublin City Marathon using a blade. Ithadn’t been done here before. As well as that, no Irishamputee athlete had ever competed in a track event in theParalympics and no centre of excellence exists in this countryfor amputee athletes or disability sports in general.” Simon Baker performing biomechanics balance tests

Dr Drew Harrison and Dr Ian Kenny set about designingbi-monthly biomechanics and performance tests. The testsincluded start excursion balance, gait analysis for left andright leg underfoot force, stride length and ground contacttime, and sled drop jump reactive strength.“Thebiomechanical tests had two purposes. Firstly, to assess leftand right leg differences to help inform Jason whatconditioning work was needed and secondly, to continuallymonitor and give a boost to Simon through data that histraining was going well” said Dr Kenny. Test days weresupported by PESS biomechanics PhD researcherLaura-Anne Furlong.

The Pistorious Influence

Biomechanical Assessment

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Ciara Sinnott-O’Connor and Brian Carson monitoring one ofSimon’s physiology tests

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nunc. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litoraOUT ON A LIMB

Physiological TestingBrian Carson and PESS researcher Ciara Sinnott-O'Connorperiodically provided physiological support and feedback.Simon underwent a number of tests in the lab includingmeasurement of his maximal oxygen consumption capacity(vVO2max) and his lactate threshold. According to Dr. Carsonthis information “indicates the amount of oxygen Simon iscapable of consuming which determines the availability ofenergy to the working muscles and the running speed hecould tolerate before accumulating lactic acid in the blood. As

Long Term GoalsAccording to Jason “What was vital from the outset was thatthat we straight away achieved credibility. Our short termgoal was to get Simon to run the Dublin Marathon in underthree and a half hours. But our long-term goal is to set up atemplate for a future centre of excellence in this country sothat Irish track and field amputee athletes can compete infuture Paralympics with the best possible support system.”

Re-Teaching Simon’s Body

Three weeks before the marathon and the disappointingnews came from Simon’s doctor advising no more runninguntil a severe case of shin splints (tibial periostitis) subsided.An MRI scan revealed bone marrow edema (swelling) anddespite plenty of rest and non-impact training, Simon’ssymptoms did not lessen. Simon made the tough decision togo to the start line still in some pain and complete as muchof the race as possible. He was applauded all the way to 10miles where at that point he had no choice but to withdraw.

Jason admits there was a steep daily learning curve: “Simonhad never walked properly, let alone run properly! We had toteach him to do just that. Change his posture. Alter his stridepattern. Retrain his brain’s muscle memory. His right leg hadturned almost outwards since the accident. His left side of hisbody dominated his right side. So we had to break him downto start again and build him back up, block by block.”

Through intensive training involving specific running andposture exercises and brutal core work, Simon and Jason hadsucceeded in turning his right leg back to its properalignment. Jason says it was a pivotal moment in the project,which is now called Out on a Limb: “I never doubted theman’s determination. I had walked alongside him from Dublinto Limerick in hailstones. I had seen him get into a boxingring time and time again. I had seen the sores on his leg. I’dnever heard him complain - almost! But now all thesescientists and experts could see that determination and thesubsequent results for themselves.”

“We all keep on telling each other that if we can learn andachieve this much in nine months, imagine what we can doin four years, in time for the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics. Thesky really is the limit.”

Drew Harrison talking trough a biomechanics jump withSimon Baker

Dublin Marathon 2012

Where to Now?Simon is now on the road to recovery, is back training andis setting his sights on Limerick Marathon in May 2013.

The long term goal is to set up a template for a future centreof excellence in Limerick so that Irish track and field amputeeathletes can compete in future Paralympics.

time, and sled drop jump reactive strength.“The

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The participation of persons with disabilities in adaptedphysical activity (APA) has been clearly established throughresearch (Sugden & Chambers, 2006). The benefits ofphysical activity to individuals with disabilities have beenshown to have a particular impact in the areas of generalfitness (Block, Lauer Hornbaker & Klavina, 2006), motor skilldevelopment (Crawford, Mac Donncha & Smyth, 2007; Reid,O’Connor & Lloyd, 2003), cognitive development (Wright &Sugden, 1999), as well as language, communication, andself-regulation of behaviour (Powell & Jordan, 2001).

Additionally, recreational and sport activities provide theopportunity for children and adults with disabilities to beincluded in their broader communities, benefiting those withand without disabilities in many ways. Those with disabilitieslearn important social skills while their typically developedpeers learn sensitivity to others who are perceived asdifferent to them (Batshaw, 2002).

However, while the benefits of physical activity are welldocumented for persons with disabilities, barriers still existdiscouraging their involvement.

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impact participation levels among people with disabilities inphysical exercise and sport in Ireland.

A Physical Education Student from the PESS department participating in theI-Play physical activity programme.

A research paper publishedby the National DisabilityAuthority (2005) entitled;

highlights the factors which

Listed within this paper were the following major barriers●Poor physical education provision in schools●Negative school experiences●Low expectations from teachers, families and peers●Lack of access to facilities and programmes●Lack of experience of the benefits of physical activity●Issues with cost●Not acquiring physical literacy while young●Lack of trained physical education teachers

One way in which to remove some, if not all, of these barriersand promote physical activity for children with disabilities inIreland is through the effective preparation of its futurephysical education (PE) teachers. Yet, the ability of theseindividuals to effectively plan and provide for appropriatebouts of adapted physical activity remains an issue.

Traditionally, in the Irish context, PE graduates work withinthe post primary school sector. Likewise, PE graduates

can also be employed in a part-time capacity (2 hours/week)in special school settings, as special schools also cater forchildren of secondary school age, up to the age of 18 years.Across both settings, graduates will be required to teachequally to students with and without disabilities, attemptingto facilitate the most inclusive learning environment possible.Unfortunately, most of these future professionals will havelittle to no experience in creating such an environment.Current PE teachers have indicated that their undergraduatetraining was extremely inadequate with regard to preparingthem to work with children with disabilities (Department ofEducation and Science, 1999; House of the Oireachtas, 2005;Meegan and MacPhail, 2006).

Because of this ‘inadequate training’, the pro-gramme (Inclusive Play and Leisure Activities for Youth -

) was developed. It was designed to benefit bothfuture physical education professionals as well as childrenand young adults with special needs in the Limerick area.

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Based within the Physical Education and Sports ScienceBuilding (PESS), University of Limerick, is a

physical activity programme for children, youth, and youngadults aged 5 to 21 years with special needs lasting for onehour per week across 10 weeks. As part of the programme,each participant is paired with a dedicated coach from the 3rd

and 4th year Physical Education classes receiving individualattention and support from both students and staff.

To register for the programme, please contact either DanielTindall Daniel.Tindall@ul.ie or Brigitte MoodyBrigitte.Moody@ul.ie via email or telephone: 061 202896.Application forms can be obtained from the Department of Phys-ical Education and Sports Science website or by entering “

as the search term on the main UL website.

Dr Daniel TindallDaniel is a Lecturer in the PESS Department. Heearned a BA in Social Sciences and Master's inPhysical Education at California State University– Chico and earned his PhD in Sport Pedagogywith a minor emphasis in Movement Studies inDisability at Oregon State University. Daniel iscurrently the Course Director for the Certificate(CEHF), Diploma (DEHF) and Degree (BSc.)programmes in Exercise and Health Fitness.

Ms Brigitte MoodyBrigitte is a Lecturer in dance in the PESSDepartment. She is the Course Director for theGraduate Diploma/Masters in Dance and for theErasmus Mundus Masters in Adapted PhysicalActivity. Brigitte trained as a secondary schooldance teacher in Oxfordshire, England and hasan MA Dance from Laban. She has lectured indance at De Montfort University Bedford, Uni-versity of Birmingham Westhill (Programme Di-rector of BA in Creative Arts), on the MA in Applied Dance withBirmingham Royal Ballet and at the University of Leeds(Programme Director of the BA Dance School of Performance andCultural Industries).

To Register for the Programme

Dr Daniel Tindall, Lecturer in Physical Education andCo-Director explains the focus of the programme;

Additionally, the programme is distinctive to Irelandin that it addresses many of the barriers to physical activityhighlighted in the 2005 NDA report both directly and

indirectly. It offers prolonged and consistent physical activityopportunities to children with disabilities while promoting thehealth and social benefits associated to physical activity.

is also the only university-based programme whichprovides valuable experience to its future physical educationprofessionals through working with children with disabilities.

Dr Tindall added;

Physical Education Students from the PESS department participating inthe I-Play physical activity programme.

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Morbi pellentesque,Morbi pellentesque,mauris interdummauris interdumporta tincidunt,porta tincidunt,nequeneque

Living the High LifeThe National AltitudeTraining Centre

State of the Art Facilities

In line with the continuous impetus for research andsporting excellence at the University of Limerick (UL), the

establishment of Ireland’s first residential altitude trainingcentre is a prime example of the collaborative innovationwhich is fast shaping the department of Physical Educationand Sport Sciences (PESS).The new centre is unique in itsfacilitation of both unique commercial enterprise andscientific endeavor. As the boundaries of human physiologyare pushed in order to both maximise athletic performanceand human resistance to critical illness, altitude and theensuing hypoxic environment has been targeted as a clearresearch focus. This facility will be key in servicing both R&Dprogrammes and informing the practical application andtesting of optimised altitude training strategy.

In support of the NATC, scientific expertise, analyticallaboratory technical support and physiological testingproficiency available within the PESS department ensure amultidisciplinary approach when forming and informingindividualised altitude training profiles. Plus, heavyinvestment and continued support of the project provided byPlassy Campus Centre ltd has allowed this ‘forward thinking’project to develop and the level of service needed for theprojects success to be sustained.

Professor Phil Jakeman, Director of the NATC at UL explainsthe concept behind altitude training: “The success of thismode of performance enhancement is underwritten by thefact that altitude training has been used by virtually everymedalist competing in endurance-based sports over the past10 years. Currently, the most effective altitude trainingprogramme involves ‘living’ at an altitude of 2000m to 3500mfor a period of 14-28 days. This is normally achieved byathletes travelling abroad to high altitude camps away fromtheir normal training environment and support structures.Athletes residing at this altitude find it impossible to maintaintheir sea-level training programme and therefore usuallyundertake a daily travel to an altitude below 1500m to train,returning to altitude again overnight. Furthermore, this typeof residential altitude setting provides only one altitude, aone-size-fits-all approach that defies best practice in terms ofspecificity of training.”

Rachel TurnerNational Altitude Training Centre CoordinatorPhysical Education & Sport Sciences Department, UL

The National Altitude Training Centre (NATC) might look likeany other house from the outside, but the occupants of No.56 Kilmurry Village are literally living the ‘high life’. Thestate-of-the-art facility provides sportspeople andmountaineers the opportunity to undertake simulated altitudetraining in a bespoke living environment, while also availingof the world-class training facilities on campus at UL.

The NATC comprises of seven bedrooms and a shared livingspace which can cater for up to seven athletes at any giventime. The facility has installed an hypoxic air conditioningsystem that allows independent control of the ‘simulatedaltitude’ in each room, thereby allowing the NATC supportteam to tailor each altitude ascent profile, thusindividualising the hypoxic dose for each athlete. The systemis capable of simulating an altitude range from sea level to5000m, which equates to a terrestrial altitude just below theheight of Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m). The system whichpowers the NATC is able produce a controlled low oxygen(hypoxic) environment whilst maintaining a normal, sea levelbarometric pressure (normobaria).

In order to achieve this, normal air is pumped through aspecialist oxygen filtration system, before being pumpedOlympian Race Walker Colin Griffin and Rachel Turner (Altitude Centre

Co-ordinator) discussing altitude ascent programme. Photo - PCC, UL

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around the residential facility through aspecialist ducting network. Within the facility abespoke central control panel enables closecontrol of the oxygen tensions in each room aswell as external feedback and analysis of theexact room ascent profiles.

the benefit of Limerick NATC. Youcan live and sleep as if you are upthe mountain but just walk out thedoor and you’re at sea level in yourideal training environment.”

will now allow the directors of highperformance sport the opportunityto better manage provision andintegration of a more advancedaltitude training strategy withinfuture elite performance programs.“

Professor Jakeman concludes; “TheR&D potential that this facilityprovides is significant for appliedsports performance research inIreland. The considerable on-siteexpertise within the PESSdepartment is currently workingwith a number of national sportsbodies and we expect significantinternational interest in the researchcapability of this facility in thefuture.”

Home to the likes of Irish Olympians racewalker Colin Griffin and triathlete Gavin Nobleprior to their London 2012 campaigns, thebenefit for athlete residents is that they canreap the benefits of high altitude training evenas they sleep. Athletes from all endurancesports; athletics, swimming, rowing, cycling,triathlon, boxing and team sports such asrugby, football, hockey and tennis can benefitfrom altitude training. However, with nonatural high altitude site available in Irelandand the UK, previously many Irish athleteshave had no other option other than to travelabroad to train at considerable financial costand with minimal support.

While travelling to “live high, train high”altitude camps has long been part of elitesport, those staying in the NATC can live highand train low without any need for relocation,plus initial acclimatisation and ascent profilescan be closely adjusted at the touch of abutton. Thus, potentially ameliorating orfurther informing the previous identification of‘responders’ and ‘non-responders’ via theintroduction of individualised ascent programs.

International race walker Colin Griffin, along-time advocate of the benefits of altitude

training, credits the NATC with helping to gethim to the Olympics . “I spent four weeks therebefore the World Cup event in May where I gotmy Olympic qualifying time, and I feel Ibenefited from it greatly.”

He sees real advantages to living high andtraining low. “So I go abroad less now foraltitude training, plus when I come back I canalso maintain any accrued benefits by stayingin the NATC post terrestrial camps. Youdefinitely notice the reduction in oxygen, butit’s a normal house, you can watch TV, work onyour laptop and sleep while still getting youraltitude exposure the same as you would up inthe high mountains.”

Triathlete Gavin Noble, who usually heads toterrestrial altitude camps such as Font Romeu(France) and Sierra Navada (Spain), stayed inthe house for six weeks prior to the Olympics.He also indicated how the LHTL training modelwas of benefit: “When you are living at the topof a mountain, it’s very difficult to do fastsessions and to do very hard sessions becausethere is a lack of oxygen – you’re doing a lot oflong and slow stuff, which in race season youdon’t really want to be doing. You want tomaintain your speed and your power and that’s

Olympian Race Walker Colin Griffin relaxes in NATC bedroom whilst monitoring hisOlympian Race Walker Colin Griffin relaxes in NATC bedroom whilst monitoring hisown blood oxygen saturation levels via pulse oximetry.own blood oxygen saturation levels via pulse oximetry. Photo - PCC, ULPhoto - PCC, UL

At NATC Control Panel-Ciara Sinnot- O’Connor explains to Olympian RaceAt NATC Control Panel-Ciara Sinnot- O’Connor explains to Olympian RaceWalker Laura Reynolds exactly how the Simulated Altitude System functionsWalker Laura Reynolds exactly how the Simulated Altitude System functionsPhoto - PCC, ULPhoto - PCC, UL

Rachel Turner, Coordinator of theNATC outlines the research anddevelopment focus of the facility:‘UL is pioneering a new approach toaltitude training in Ireland, wherebythe exact altitude required and theprogressive nature of an ascentprofile may be set independently foreach athlete, dependent on theiraltitude response. This approach iscentered on establishing definitiverecommendations for theimplementation of altitude trainingfor different individuals, plusendeavors to identify a set ofbiomarkers which may be used tomore closely evaluate and optimisethe altitude training effect.Establishing this facility in Ireland

The National Altitude Centre, UL ismanaged by Plassey Campus Centre.Booking queries relating to the facilitycontact:  Noreen O’Shea, Manager AltitudeHouse. Tel +353 61 202081. For enquiriesrelated to hypoxic research and simulatedaltitude training programmes, contact:Rachel Turner, NATC Coordinator. Tel+353 61 234780.

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CHRIS BRYANINTERNATIONAL MARATHON

SWIMMING 5KM & 10KM

I have been swimming since I was 2years old, mainly due my neighbourwho luckily for me was a swim teacher,and great family friend. I started swim-ming competitively from the relativelylate age of about 12 and over the nextfew years began my first major stepsinto the madness that is the sport ofcompetitive swimming; 6am starts, pooltraining everyday just ‘yo-yoing’ up anddown that same black line countlesstimes and gym work once a week (Or‘dry land’ as the swimming world wouldput it). To any onlookers’ and as manyfamily and friends pointed out it is just“mad and illogical to train that much”,but the continued support and trustfrom my parents kept my swimmingdream a float and I continued to trainat my ‘abnormal rate’.

I had many up’s and downs as anyyoung sports men/women do. I made

qualifications times for national youthteams and had much national suc-cess, but internationally, did notfeature. I never really got an insidelook at the ‘bigger picture’ but, Iwould not be long coming to realisethe protective bubble that I had beenliving in. The fact is that I trainedmore than anyone in my home club,more than other athletes in my townor just as much as anyone in IrelandI was competing against but none ofthis was applicable when trying toconsider myself an international highperformance athlete. Even though it’swhat I knew I wanted more thananything, I was yet to taste any of thelife of a full time International athlete.

D.O.B: 08/05/90Hometown: Shannon, Co. ClareTraining base: High Performance Centre, UL Arena, Limerick,. [HPC-UL]Education: 4th Year Sport and Exercise Sciences PESS Department, UL.

RESULTS TO DATEFINA World Championships 5km (2011) 8th

Olympic Marathon swim Qualifier 10km Portugal: 14thLEN European Champs 10km, Israel (2011): 11thLEN European cup 5km, Turkey (2011): 1stLEN European cup 10km Israel (2012): 3rdWorld Grand Prix 19km Serbia (2012): 3rdFirst Irish man to qualify and compete for European Champs (2010) and World Champs(2011) Open Water

courses that UL had to offer. Not onlythe sports facilities including an eliteweights room, 50m pool, indoorrunning track as well as the NationalCoaching and Training Centre a hun-dred metres away, but the mindsetdriven towards high performance sportand excellence was what attracted me.From the Munster Rugby team to thehundreds of top international athletesthat have come to train here, and leftwith nothing but good experiences andopinions, I was very confident in theopportunities Limerick offered forsuccess.

I was accepted into the Bsc. Sport andExercise Sciences beginning September2008. At this time the Swimming HighPerformance centre was running with afull time programme under head coachRonald Claes and contained topswimmers from all around the country.

AN EARLY SWIMMER

Takes time-out to describe what it is like to be aninternational Irish swimmer and student at the

University of Limerick

Starting in September 2006 anopportunity arose that decided thenext 5 years of my career. The firstIrish High Performance swimmingcentre was being set up in Ireland’sfirst ever 50m Olympic size swimmingpool in the University Arena, Limerick.I was given an opportunity to reallytrain and see if I had what it took to

be an International athlete. Itravelled back and forth to

Limerick twice a daywhich involved settingmy alarm for 4.10a.m. six

mornings a week and leavingschool early each afternoon. Throughmy own keen interest in science,mathematics and my obviousobsession in sport my C.A.O. Univer-sity application form was compiledwith the various science and maths

The Elite squad programme involves upto 10/11 swim sessions on a regularweek. Training starts in the morning ondeck at 5.10a.m., where 20-30mins ofdry land work is done.

Dry land training involves:● Skipping (used as a warm up.)● Sit up’s/back up’s/plank variations.

(To increase core stability strengthand endurance)

● Shoulder endurance exercises andpush ups.

● Hand paddle stretch cord work.(Technique focus and strengthendurance/power work).

WHY UL CAMPUS

ELITE SQUAD PROGRAMME

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Then to the pool! Morning sessions can be from 5/6km up to17/18km all depending on time in the training cycle & seasonand the week intensity! Of course all swimmers in the squadsare broken up into their groups based on their race distance.(Sprint/Middle Distance/Open Water).

In the evening we begin at 2pm if we have gym or circuittraining or 2.30pm if we just have a choice land warm up/‘loosen out’ before the swim session. We then begin in thewater at 3pm. Distance in the evening is usually less, rangingfrom 3-7km.

This regime was my life for the next four years. I progressedfrom qualifying for youth international competitions to beingIreland’s first top 8 finisher since 2004 at the WorldChampionships. In 2012, I missed out on a photo finish forthe 25th man at the Olympics, 10k Open Water Swim. I hadunfortunately contracted a virus the week of the qualifier.

important to control inorder to train hard and

race fast whilemaintaining asound happy mind.Sport can be cate-gorised into indi-vidual and teamsports, but I would

argue that all sportis a team sport.

My dream was always to race the best in the world since Iwas old enough to imagine it. It’s not every day that you lookback on things to see where you came from and try andunderstand the vast amount of work and obstacles topathletes do to get there. The determination and drive tokeep moving forward often blinds you from the progressionsyou’ve actually made. The high performance lifestyle is notfor everybody. It is not just the hours swimming up anddown the pool, or the time spent getting stronger in the gym.It’s about becoming an all-round athlete, body and mind,mastering all the skills necessary to manage the demandinglifestyle. What you do outside of training is as important astraining itself - rest and recovery, nutrition, timemanagement and social life. All life skills are hugely

SUPPORTFull Time Coach

DieticianPerformance Analyst

PhysiotherapistSports PsychologistSports Physiologist

Strength & ConditioningMedical Officer

In any Olympic performance the amount of work, time andsupport that goes into maximising that one performance isphenomenal. I work as part of the High Performace centreUL team and my team are lilsted above. It is with the help ofeach of these individuals and the encouragement andenvironment created by my fellow teammates that ultimatelypush me to reach my utmost potential.

It is with the help and guidance of this team in co-ordinationwith the Univeristy of Limerick, Irish Institute of Sport and theIrish Sports Council that help me to manage my lifestyle andhelp me train as effectively and efficienty as possible.

I was encouraged and helped through the Institutes Athletesupport programme to break up my undergraduate degreecourse over 5 years into manageable chunks. Through theconstant and continued support from the University and PESSstaff and their interest and understanding of the demands inHigh Performance sport, I have been able to optimallymanage both my Sporting and Academic lifestlye. Withoutthis support it would not have been possible to achieve whatI have.

It is my intention to finishmy degree in 2013 andcontinue in my pursuit ofexcellence in sport. I amconfident the lifestyle andacademic knowledge Ihave acquired over thepast four years will standto me for the rest of mysporting and professionalcareer.

I believe it has also mademe into the person I amtoday. I hope to continueto enjoy and excell in theworld of sport.

Some people dream ofsuccess... Others stayawake to achieve it!

Chris Bryan finishes first at the 2012 Frances Thornton MemorialGalway Bay Swim

Chris Bryan accepts a feed during an Open Water Competition

Chris Bryan training in the pool in the UL Arena Pool

ALL ROUND ATHLETE

MY SUPPORT TEAM

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On completion of my undergraduate degree in Sport andExercise Sciences (SES) in 2007, I was keen to extend myfinal year thesis to a Masters level of postgraduate research.Reflecting many of the performance issues I encountered asboth an athlete and coach, these studies examined theeffects of Cryotherapy and forms of Contrast Water Therapyon the recovery of muscle post exercise. Findings from thesestudies have been presented at conferences and published in2011 in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science inSport with colleagues Joe Costello and Prof. Alan Donnelly.

To gain a more rounded experience I have also worked atPhysiotherapy and Osteopathy clinics (Riverview Clinic,Limerick and Cork). These diverse experiences have rewardedme as a more competent therapist, by developing myinterpersonal skills and interactive capability throughinteraction with clients and colleagues.

A MultidisciplinaryApproach to Sport Science

Lynne Algar, M.Sc.Lynne Algar is a PhD student in the PESS Department. She is a qualified physical therapist, TriathlonIreland Tutor, Irish Triathlon Coach and has represented Ireland in Sport at International competition.In this feature, Lynne explains how her qualifications and experiences to date have helped her gain aholistic understanding of athlete performance and development.

Masters Research

Physical Therapy

Reflecting on my involvement in sport I have always beenkeen to ensure that my studies have practical applications toboth coaches and athletes. During my Masters, I registeredand completed my qualifications as a Physical Therapist (IrishInstitute of Physical Therapy, 2009), and operated a smallclinic mainly working with sports people. The flexibility of thepart-time diploma combined with strategic management ofmy time allowed me to complete both qualifications at thesame time. Recovery and injury care are two areas whichathletes must manage correctly in order to progress. As atherapist, my treatments can include, recording case historiesand physical assessments of the client, deep tissue work,mobility and stretching, strength and stability work, dryneedling and strapping. I have travelled with elite triathleteand athletic squads to altitude and warm weather trainingcamps and to international competition to provide both preand post -training-race treatment.

Doctoral Research

My postgraduate studies until 2010 primarily focused onphysiological and conditioning aspects of sport performance.As a coach and athlete I recognised the importance of havinga holistic understanding of athlete performance anddevelopment. Furthermore, I understood the importance ofgaining an interdisciplinary appreciation of athlete perform-ance and development that included both physiological,psychological, systematic and social issues. My current PhDresearch primarily focuses on the critical factors in sportsperformance contributing to the success of elite athletes. Thisresearch aims to provide a method for sports organisationsto assess and monitor the effectiveness of their supportstructure along with recommendations to strategically man-age developmental and high performance environments.

Teaching

On registering for my PhD in 2010 I accepted a 2 yearscholarship from the PESS department for which I wasresponsible for designing, delivering and evaluating a numberof modules in Physical Education and/or Sport and ExerciseSciences (SES). I have worked both independently and aspart of a collaborative team on various undergraduate sportand exercise science modules including; Basic ExercisePhysiology and Qualitative Biomechanics.

Lynne, with Junior Elite Triathletes Aaron O Brien (L) and Chris Mintern(R), Team Manager Elena Maslova (middle) at London Junior EliteTriathlon September 2012.

Triathlon Ireland Tutor

I believe that it is important to advance both my academicand coaching experience and knowledge in order to maximisethe impact I can have in the sport performance field; inessence these two factors should work hand-in-hand. For thepast two years I have worked part-time as a Tutor forTriathlon Ireland to facilitate Level 1 and Level 2 TriathlonCoaching courses. In order to fulfil my role as tutor I amrequired to contribute to the course content and prepare thedelivery method in a structure that is effective for the coach’slearning. Practical assignments, guest speakers, problembased learning case studies, and peer supervised coachingsessions are all methods I use for the delivery of the course

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content. As a tutor I conform to the standards set byCoaching Ireland by ensuring that the course content meetsthe International Triathlon Union’s (ITU) accreditation. Thecurriculum includes the following, Safety and Accident Care,Ethics and Child protection, Physiology of Triathlon, and TheCoach-Athlete Relationship.

From a young age I competed both nationally andinternationally at Tetrathlon events (cross-country running,pistol shooting, horse-riding, and swimming). On winning theInternational events consecutively in 2000 and 2002, I madethe transition to Modern Pentathlon. At the time the ModernPentathlon Association of Ireland was in its infancy, and I waskindly invited to train part-time with Great Britain’s femalecoach Istvan Nemeth at Bath University. The facilities, socialresources and coaching I was offered were significantlybeneficial to my development. Since then, I have continuedto compete at a national level in various sports like triathlon,and open water swimming.

Although my qualifications allow me to work in amulti-disciplinary way, it has been the experiences of workingwith coaches, therapists, athletes, parents, and students thathas shaped me. I am always learning. If you are not movingforward then you’ll be left behind!

Coach

As a qualified Level 2 Triathlon Coach I have worked as partof Triathlon Ireland’s Junior coaching squad under theguidance and mentorship of High Performance Director, MrChris Jones. As a coach I am requested to attend talentidentification trials twice a year for detection of potentialdevelopmental youth and junior triathletes. At these trialscurrent members of the squad, some of whom are under myown coaching programme, are required to re-trial todemonstrate progress and maintain their position on thesquad.

To maintain coherence of the high performance sportsystem, the coaching and support staff of the organisationalso meet annually to encourage discussion, communicationand ensure transparency of the talent developmentprogramme. On a more regular basis, I provide monthlyupdates on the progress of the athletes with whom I work,including, run/ bike/ swim performance indicators, andcompetition results.

Athletic Experience

PUBLICATIONS

Costello JT, Algar LA, Donnelly AE . 2011, Effects of whole-bodycryotherapy (-110°C) on proprioception and indices of muscledamage.  Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01292.x. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 21477164

Costello JT., Algar LA, Kehoe BJ., Kelleher SW, Coughlan LJ., 1,Donnelly AE., 2010,    Effects of Cold Air Cryotherapy (-110 oC)on Muscle Soreness and Function Following Eccentric Exercise inHumans  J Physiol  Proc Physiol Soc 19 C16

Algar LA, Doyle KM, Conan LP, O'Sullivan LM, Donnelly AE (2009)The effects of alternating hot and cold water immersion onrecovery of muscle function after resistance training in humans.Proc Physiol Soc 15, PC110

Algar LA., & MacNamara A., 2011, An Investigation of thesupport required for development of high performance swim-mers, Br J Sports Med : A2 doi:10.1136/bjsports-2011-090606.6

Elite Irish Team at The European Duathlon Championships held inLimerick in 2011. (Lynne Algar, backrow, on the left)

To further my education as a performance coach,Triathlon Ireland have nominated me to take part inthe Irish Institute of Sport Pursuit of ExcellenceProgramme. This programme is designed to reflectthe need to develop and support Ireland’s top juniorand development coaches. This programme I hopewill allow me to develop my coaching skills in aperformance driven context, through self directedlearning, and mentorship.

To maintain transparency between the sport system and thedevelopment of individual athletes it is necessary to share thecontent of each athlete’s training programme and theathlete’s prospective seasonal and long term objectives withthe Performance Director. In 2010, at a review meeting it wasidentified that weaknesses emerged in the athletes’ strengthand conditioning fitness. In response I created a generic andindividual training programme for each athlete on the Juniorsquad. I also produced an assessment template applicable tothe demands of the sport and held conversations andsessions with the coaches and athletes to educate them incorrect technical performance of the exercises. Prior tonominating a Junior athlete to competition, it is myresponsibility to consider athlete’s fitness, mental readiness,and psychological maturity as well as the the organisationsbudgetary constraints.

Lynne Algar has recently beenappointed to the position of Trainingand Development Tutor (AthleteSupport Officer) at Bath University.

Her roles include; delivering vocationalqualifications, managing/ educatingstudent-athletes, and coordinating theTalented Athlete Support Scheme atthe University.

Approach to Sport Science

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JAGI graduated from the BSc. in Sport and Exercise Sciences inAugust 2009 with a first class honours degree. I completedmy co-operative education placement in Cardiff MetropolitanUniversity with the Sports Biomechanics research group. Thisplacement focused on biomechanics and coaching andworking as part of a multi-million pound research projectlooking at feedback in elite sprinting. In addition, I worked assport science support to the Welsh Rugby Union and WelshAthletics. I obtained a diploma in sports massage during thistime and worked as a therapist in the university clinic, with anumber of different sports teams in the Cardiff area and theBritish Army.

In October 2009, I commenced my PhD research in tendonstiffness in the Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS)department under the supervision of Dr. Drew Harrison.

Not long after starting, I received an email looking forvolunteer strength and conditioning coaches to work

with the Irish Hockey Association’s (IHA) underageinternational teams. As I had been a keen hockey player sincesecondary school and had completed my Level 1 coachingcourse, this caught my eye. My application was strengthenednot only by having a degree in Sport and Exercise Science butalso the practical experience of working with athletes.

The IHA is responsible for overseeing and developing allareas of the sport in the 32 counties.

Hockey is played by 37,000 people inIreland with 65% of players aged U18

Hockey fever hit Ireland in 2012 when Ireland succeeded innot only attracting the men’s Olympic Qualifier to Dublin inMarch but also the success of both the men’s and women’ssenior sides qualifying for the qualifier finals. The men’sOlympic hopes were shattered with a goal in the last eightseconds from the Koreans but building the road to Rio haswell and truly started.Gaining Experience

LAURA-ANNE FURLONG TALKS

HOCKEYLaura-Anne Furlong is a PhD student in the Physical Education and Sport Sciences Department. Her PhD research involves thedesign of a novel, controlled method of studying muscle-tendon interaction and mechanics of the plantarflexors in vivo duringdynamic activities. This methodology is currently being used to study differences between healthy and injured tendon. Herresearch is funded by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) and by a University of LimerickAdvanced Scholars award. Laura-Anne is well known in Irish Hockey circles. She is the Strength and Conditioning Coordinatorwith the Irish Hockey Association for all underage (U16, U18, U21) international teams. In 2012 Laura-Anne received a GoldPresident’s Volunteer Award and one of three Outstanding Achievement awards from the University of Limerick for her contributionto Irish Hockey. In this feature Laura-Anne talks about the importance of volunteering in sport and explains how her researchexperience and knowledge is playing a key part in identifying appropriate strength and conditioning programmes for the youngathlete and preventing overuse injuries.

Irish Hockey Association

JAG (Junior Age Group)

The junior age group (JAG) teams refer to the U16, U18 andU21 teams who are all managed and coached by a large teamof volunteers. The JAGs are where the majority of my workhas been concentrated and the group I find most rewardingto work with.

When working with youth athletes, the primary aim shouldnever be to win all around (the ‘peaking for Friday’approach). Instead, you look to develop players for thefuture, building foundations for players who you hope willone day represent Ireland at senior international level. Evenif they do not become full seniors, you try to instil a love ofphysical activity and sport into them and know that you arehelping them build good habits from a young age.

Irish U18 Girls at the European Championships, Holland, 2011

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Since I started with the IHA, I have coached two U16 and oneU18 team to European Championships (Spain 2010, 2002 andHolland 2011 respectively) as well as one U17 team whichplayed in the Youth Olympics in Singapore, the first timeIreland had ever sent a team sport to the Games. Myresponsibilities involved:

● Designing prehabilitation programmes● Testing● Periodisation● Programme Design and Individualisation

This could only be achieved by attending all the nationalcamps in Dublin and Belfast and meeting with all players.

to the fundamental stage where basic movementliteracy is established in young children.

A Multi-faceted Role

Application of Sport Science

Although my role was as a strength and conditioning coach,I was in essence working as the team sport scientist. Mostgoverning bodies are now working with much smallerbudgets than before so need people who can multi-task. Thebroad and varied nature of the Sport and Exercise Sciences(SES) degree in the PESS department gives students a broadfoundation and experience in all the key areas of sport science.

Approaching the Europeans Championships (Holland 2011), Iwas responsible for other aspects of sport science such ashydration testing, video analysis, recovery strategy designand massage. A key role of the conditioning coach is themonitoring of player welfare. All players’ physical activitylevels were recorded in diary form every week. I examinedathlete’s diaries and monitors for indicators of burnout, aproblem which can commonly occur in U18 players who arealso studying for their Leaving Certificate. At the moment weare looking to build that into an online system which not onlyaids player management but is also an additional coachingresource and is a lot more interactive for players.

In 2010 I was appointed as the co-ordinator of all JAGstrength and conditioning with responsibility for all the

strength and conditioning coaches and sport science supportat U16, U18 and U21 level for both boys and girls. Thisinvolved overseeing the recruitment of coaches for each teamand acting as the link between the senior and JAG coaches.This is vital in any NGB to ensure continuity between teamsand that athletes develop along a continuum.

An aspect of this job that is of particular relevance to my workin PESS is identification of research projects that may be ofparticular interest to the IHA. This year we have four finalyear SES students investigating injury patterns and notationalanalysis of elite underage hockey in Ireland. These projectsare of great practical importance to the IHA in terms ofhelping the association utilise an evidence-based practiceapproach and aids in optimising the JAG strength andconditioning programmes.

Hooked for Life-A Model of Athlete Development

Over the last two years I have been involved with a workinggroup to develop a model of athlete development. “Hookedfor Life”, is Irish Hockey’s athlete development model, whichwas launched in October 2011. This model was novel in itsincorporation of a recreational as well as elite performancestrand in addition to accounting for players who havedropped out of the sport but would now like to return. I ledthe sport science and sport medicine section and contributed

Bridging the Gap in Knowledge

The group as a whole was involved in givingfeedback in relation to technical and tacticaldevelopment, coaching courses, the competitionscalendar, game design, player retention,involvement of college-age players in social hockeyand resources design. One of the hardest parts of myrole was to make literature written for the exercisephysiologist, biomechanist or psychologist accessible

I learnt a huge amount over the course of the last three yearsin areas I never thought I would have worked. I have gainedinsights and invaluable experience the lecture hall can neverreplace across a wide range of sport science-related areas.My roles from the outside may look different but they are allinterlinked. My work has not just been of benefit to theorganisation but has also helped players and coaches to helpthemselves in the long-term which should be something weall should aim for in our work.

In recognition of my voluntary work with the IHA, last yearI received a Gold President’s Volunteer Award and one of

three Outstanding Achievement awards from the Universityof Limerick. Seeing one of my players make her first seniorinternational debut last year was a proud moment of equalmeasure, knowing I’d played a small part in helping her getthere. It also gives me a great sense of achievement knowingthat I am giving something back to a sport I enjoyed so muchwhen I younger. In terms of my academic career, the IHA hasfilled my CV with a wealth of experience.

Students and graduates need to search for the differentvoluntary positions available within sporting organisationsand teams. They should apply for them and get involved, asin my case…. you never know what or where it may lead to.

Irish U16 Girls at the European Championships, Spain 2010

to the general public. Too often sport scientists can pitchscientific concepts at a level too high for the layman, whentheir aim should be to bridge the gap between science andthe practitioner or athlete. It was key to make sure theinformation provided for parents and coaches was easy tofollow, and resources created are now in hockey clubs andschools around the country.

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The University of Limerick established thePresident’s Volunteer Award Programme

in 2010 to encourage students to engagewith their communities and become lifelongbelievers in social responsibility. On October17th 2012, 130 Students representing

undergraduate, postgraduate, international and Erasmusstudents were honoured at the President’s Volunteer AwardCeremony. Six PESS students were honoured: Sean Foden,Barry O’Brien, Edel Ni Mhurchu, Eanna Kennedy, Laura-AnneFurlong, and Seamus Gallagher.

Laura-Anne Furlong was also selected to receive the‘Outstanding Award’ which is presented in recognition ofindividuals who have made exceptional contributions tosociety through their volunteering work. Laura-Anne washonoured for her exceptional volunteer work towards thedevelopment of the Irish Hockey Association.

PESS RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS 2012In 2012, three full time PESS PhD Students were awarded a PostgraduateResearch Scholarship from the PESS Department. Each scholarship is forthe duration of 4 years. The postgraduate scholars and their areas ofresearch are :

KRIS BEATTIEResearch: The effect of strength training on performance

in endurance athletes

NIAMH WHELANResearch: Analysis of kinematics and muscle activation patterns in

athletic practices

LUNA RIZZOResearch: The effect of sedentary behaviour on risk factors for

cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes in adults

PRESIDENT VOLUNTEER AWARDS 2012

Professor Don Barry with the three outstanding Award Winners, PaulThomas, Liam Guilfoyle, Laura-Anne Furlong, at the President’s VolunteerAwards in October 2012.

On Sunday, April 22nd 2012 the ‘Jacinta O’Brien Plassey 10k’ was hosted by theUniversity Arena. This event was organised by 3rd year Sport and Exercise Science

students from the PESS Department as part of the Coaching Science and Performance 3Module. In 2012, the students chose to raise the awareness of Sudden Cardiac Death(SCD). Students raised €2,000 for  SADS Ireland (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome),SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and €2,000 for The Cormac Trust Foundation.Lynne Algar and Ciaran Kelly were the tutors who worked with the students in organisingthis event.

JACINTA O’BRIEN PLASSEY 10K 2012

Year 2 Sport and Exercise Sciences 2012 Class who organised the JacintaO’Brien Plassey 10K and hosted by the UL Arena.

Presentation of Cheques to Charities. (L-R) Catherine Power, Jennifer Higgins,SADS Represenative, Coramc Trust Represenative, Mark White, Kevin Quinlan

PhD Postgraduate Scholars Luna Rizzo and KrisBeattie with Head of Department Dr. Ann MacPhail

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B.Sc. Physical Education

B.Sc. Sport & Exercise Sciences

Professional Diploma in Education(Physical Education)

Graduate Diploma/M.Sc in TeachingPhysical Education, Sport and

Physical Activity

Graduate Diploma and MA Dance

M.Sc Sports Performance (Taught)

Structured PhD

Certificate in Exercise & HealthFitness (CEHF)

Diploma in Exercise & HealthFitness (DEHF)

Bachelor of Science in Exercise &Health Fitness (B.Sc.)

The PESS Department has one of thelargest ERASMUS and Internationalsemester exchange programmes inthe EHS Faculty.

On average 23 ERASMUS andInternational students are receivedinto PESS undergraduate andpostgraduate modules eachsemester, and an average 11 PESSundergraduate students are selectedto study abroad each semester.

In 2012 four new bilateral staff andstudent exchange agreements weresigned: Illinois State University,California State University LongBeach, University of Chichester andStellenbosch University South Africa.

Dr. Catherine TuckerLecturer in Sport and Exercise

BiomechanicsLeeds Metropolitan University

Dr. Sarah BreenAssistant Professor - Sports

BiomechanicsNorthern Michigan University

Dr. Joe CostelloPost Doc Research FellowQUT, Brisbane, Australia

Dr. Michelle DillonLecturer in Physical Education

Dublin City University

Niamh Ni CheilleachairLecturer in Sports Science

Athlone Institute of Technology

Lynne AlgarAthlete Support Officer

Bath University

2012 PhD GraduateAppointments

ERASMUS & InternationalExchange Agreements

PESS & PESS AffiliatedProgrammes

PESS GRADUATIONS 20121. Dr. Ross Anderson, ADAA

and newly conferredDr. Catherine Tucker.

2. Dr. Deborah Tannehillcongratulating the newlyconferred Dr. MichelleDillon.

3. Dr. Sarah Breen picturedwith supervisors Dr. DrewHarrison and Dr. IanKenny.

4. B.Sc. Sport and ExerciseSciences graduating classof 2012.

5. Prof. Alan Donnelly (ADR)and the newly conferredDr. Kieran Dowd.

6. Dr. Cian O’Neill with An-drew Murphy who gradu-ated with an M.Sc.

7. Dr. Ann MacPhail (Head ofDepartment) with two ofher newly graduated PhDstudents, Dr. AnnMarieYoung and Dr. J.T.Deenihan.

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For the 4th year in succession, Dr Cian O’ Neillcoached a team to the All Ireland Final. Havinghelped guide Tipperary to 3 successive finals, heswitched codes back to football in 2012 andguided Mayo to the All Ireland Final. Thedepartment wishes Cian all the best in his newrole for 2013 with Kerry Football. Cian was alsopart of the backroom team of the UL HuskiesBasketball team that won both the League andNational Cup double last year.

Dr Ross Anderson was been appointed ExternalExaminer, University of Ulster for a four year term.

Dr Ian Kenny was been appointed ExternalExaminer, Athlone IT for a three year term.

MSc in Sport Performance was professionallyaccredited by two international bodies:● National Strength and Conditioning Associa-

tion of America (NSCA)● International Society for Performance Analysis

in Sports (ISPAS)

Dr. Ann MacPhail and Professor MaryO’Sullivan  were  Guest Editors in a publishedspecial issue of the journal Quest featuring papersfrom keynote speakers from the 2012 AIESEPconference hosted by the University of Limerick,Education and Health Sciences, PhysicalEducation and Sport Sciences and the PEPAYSResearch Centre.

Dr. Ann MacPhail was Guest Editor in a publishedspecial issue of the journal Physical Education andSport Pedagogy featuring refereed papers from2012 AIESEP International Conference hosted bythe University of Limerick, Education and HealthSciences, Physical Education and Sport Sciencesand the PEPAYS Research Centre.

Professor Mary O’Sullivan and Professor JudyOslin were Guest Editors in a published specialissue of Irish Education Studies (Vol. 31, No. 3)featuring the work of numerous PEPAYSresearchers.

Dr Ian Kenny was appointed to editorial board forthe journal Sports Engineering.

The 5th Annual PESS Ball took place on October31st in the Strand Hotel with 310 guests from thePESS student and staff population attending thisevent. Organised by Dr Cian O’ Neill (CourseDirector for the BSc. Physical Education), thisevent raised €3,500 Euro for Pieta House inLimerick City, the charity chosen by the PESSstudents themselves. This Annual Event has nowraised over €12,000 Euro for charities in theLimerick city and county region over the course ofthe last 5 years.

6th March, 3rd April, 1st May 2013PESS UL40 Research Seminar Series

PESS Faculty and Researcher talks on:● Motor Development● Physical Education Teacher Education● Golf Performance Analysis● Ulster Rugby S&C.

See PESS Facebook for details

21st April 2013Jacinta O’Brien Plassey 10k

See www.jacintaobrien10k.com for updates andregistration closer to the date

13th & 14th June 2013PE PAYS Research Forum

Dublin City University2013 theme ‘Youth Sport’See PE PAYS 2013 Info

8th March 2013PESS Building Official Opening

● 16h00 PESS Graduate Talks● 17h00 Reception● 18h00 Minister Jimmy Deenihan T.D.

Official Opening

BOOK LAUNCH

Research and Practice inPhysical Education

London: Routledge

Tannehill, D., MacPhail, A., Halbert,G. & Murphy, F. (2013)

13th MarchP1033 PESS Lecture Theatre

Launch by Prof Sarah Moore and Anne Moran

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1. Bowles, R. & O'Sullivan, M. 2012. Rhetoric and reality: the roleof the teacher in shaping a school sport programme. PHYSICALEDUCATION AND SPORT PEDAGOGY   Volume: 17  Issue:3  Special Issue: SI  Pages: 303-316  DOI:10.1080/17408989.2012.690383  Published: JUL 2012

2. Collins, P., Al-Nakeeb, Y., Nevill, A. and Lyons, M. 2012. Theimpact of the built environment on young people's physical activitypatterns: a suburban-rural comparison using GPS. INTERNATION-AL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLICHEALTH   Volume: 9  Issue: 9  Pages: 3030-3050  DOI:10.3390/ijerph9093030  Published: SEP 2012

3. Costello, J.T., Algar, L.A., Donnelly, A.E. 2012. Effects ofwhole-body cryotherapy (-110 degrees C) on proprioception andindices of muscle damage. SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF MEDI-CINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS   Volume: 22  Issue: 2  Pages: 190-198  DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01292.x

4. Costello, J., Culligan, K., Selfe, J. and A.E. Donnelly. 2012.Comparison of the effects of cold air (-110 degrees C) and water (8degrees C) cryotherapy on intramuscular temperature. MEDICINEAND SCIENCE IN SPORTS AND EXERCISE   Volume:44  Supplement: 2  Pages: 748-749  Published: MAY 2012

5. Costello, J.T., McInerney, C.D., Bleakley, C.M., Selfe, J. andDonnelly, A.E. 2012. The use of thermal imaging in assessingskin temperature following cryotherapy: a review. JOURNAL OFTHERMAL BIOLOGY   Volume: 37  Issue: 2  Pages: 103-110  DOI:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2011.11.008  Published: FEB 2012

6. Costello, J.T., Culligan, K., Selfe, J. and Donnelly, A.E. 2012.Muscle, skin and core temperature after-110 degrees C cold air and8 degrees C water treatment. PLOS ONE   Volume: 7  Issue:11    Article Number: e48190  DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0048190  Published: NOV 6 2012

7. Dowd, K.P., Harrington, D.M., Bourke, A.K. and Donnelly, A.E.2012. The measurement of sedentary patterns and behavioursusing the activPAL (TM) Professional physical activity monitor.Conference: 2nd International Conference on Ambulatory Monitor-ing of Physical Activity and Movement (ICAMPAM) Location: Glas-gow Caledonian Univ, Glasgow, SCOTLAND Date: MAY 24-27, 2011. PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT.   Volume: 33  Issue:11  Pages: 1887-1899  DOI: 10.1088/0967-3334/33/11/1887  Published: NOV 2012 .

8. Dowd, K.P., Harrington, D.M., Donnelly, A.E. 2012. Criterionand concurrent validity of the activPAL (TM) professional physicalactivity monitor in adolescent females. PLOS ONE   Volume:7  Issue: 10    Article Number: e47633  DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0047633  Published: OCT 19 2012

9. Dowd, K.P., Hughes, S.M., Gastinger, S., Hayes, G., Harrison, M.,Macken, A.P, O’Gorman, C.S., Moyna, N.M and Donnelly, A.E.2012. Relation between Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour andSelected Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adolescent Female.MEDICINE AND SCIENCE IN SPORTS AND EXERCISE   Volume:44  Supplement: 2  Pages: 678-678  Published: MAY 2012

10. Enright, E. & O'Sullivan, M. 2012. Physical education "in allsorts of corners": student activists transgressing formal physicaleducation curricular boundaries. Source: RESEARCH QUARTERLYFOR EXERCISE AND SPORT   Volume: 83  Issue: 2  Pages: 255-267  Published: JUN 2012

11. Enright, E. & O'Sullivan, M. 2012. 'Producing different knowl-edge and producing knowledge differently': rethinking physical ed-ucation research and practice through participatory visual methods.SPORT EDUCATION AND SOCIETY   Volume: 17  Issue: 1  Pages:35-55  DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2011.607911  Published: 2012

12. Harrington, D.M., Dowd, K. P., Tudor-Locke, C. and Donnelly,A.E. 2012. A steps/minute value for moderate intensity physicalactivity in adolescent females. PEDIATRIC EXERCISE SCIENCE  Volume: 24  Issue: 3  Pages: 399-408  Published: AUG 2012

13. Harrison, M., Moyna, N.M., Zderic, T.W., O’Gorman, D.J., McCaf-frey, N., Carson, B.P., and Hamilton, M.T. Lipoprotein particledistribution and skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity afteracute exercise. LIPIDS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE   Volume:11    Article Number: 64  DOI: 10.1186/1476-511X-11-64  Published: JUN 6 2012

14. Joyce, J., Donnelly, A.E., Smyth, P. J., and Davranche, K. 2012.Does acute exercise benefit reaction time performance and cogni-tive control in adults aged 60-70 years? JOURNAL OF AGING AND

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY   Volume: 20  Supplement: S  Pages: S38-S38  Published: AUG 2012

15. Toomey, C., McCreesh, K. and Jakeman, P.M. 2012. The influ-ence of abdominal fat on bone mineral density. Journal of agingand physical activity.  Volume: 20  Supplement: S  Pages: S178-S178  Published: AUG 2012

16. Kennedy, T., Rowan, F., Condon, F., Kenny, I., Anderson, R.and Dunne, C. 2012. Anterior knee pain in competitive cyclists.IRISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE.   Volume:181  Supplement: 6  Pages: S157-S158  Meeting Abstract:22  Published: SEP 2012

17. Kenny, I., O’Caireallain, A. and Comyns, T.M. 2012. Validation ofan electronic jump mat to assess stretch-shortening cycle function.JOURNAL OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING RESEARCH   Vol-ume: 26  Issue: 6  Pages: 1601-1608  DOI:10.1519/JSC.0b013e318234ebb8  Published: JUN 2012

18. Kinchin, G.D., MacPhail, A. and Ni Chroinin, D. 2012. Irish pri-mary school teachers' experiences with Sport Education. IRISHEDUCATIONAL STUDIES   Volume: 31  Issue: 2  Pages: 207-222  DOI: 10.1080/03323315.2011.649403  Published: 2012

19. Leahy, S., O'Neill, C., Sohun, R. and Jakeman, P.M. 2012. Acomparison of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioelectricalimpedance analysis to measure total and segmental body composi-tion in healthy young adults. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIEDPHYSIOLOGY   Volume: 112  Issue: 2  Pages: 589-595  DOI:10.1007/s00421-011-2010-4  Published: FEB 2012

20. Leahy, S., Toomey, C., McCreesh, K., O’Neill, C. and Jakeman,PM. 2012. Ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous adipose tis-sue thickness accurately predicts total and segmental body fat ofyoung adults. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY   Vol-ume: 38  Issue: 1  Pages: 28-34  DOI:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2011.10.011  Published: JAN 2012

21. MacPhail, A. 2012. Moving people, moving forward. Papers fromthe AIESEP 2011 International Conference. PHYSICAL EDUCATIONAND SPORT PEDAGOGY   Volume: 17  Issue: 3  Special Issue:SI  Pages: 227-229  DOI:10.1080/17408989.2012.686582  Published: JUL 2012

22. MacPhail, A. & O'Sullivan, M. 2012. Special Issue: Moving Peo-ple, Moving Forward: Keynote Addresses from the AIESEP 2011International Conference Introduction. QUEST   Volume: 64  Issue:2  Special Issue: SI  Pages: 76-78  DOI:10.1080/00336297.2012.669315  Published: 2012

23. MacPhail, A. & Tannehill, D. 2012. Helping pre-service and be-ginning teachers examine and reframe assumptions about them-selves as teachers and change agents: "Who is going to listen toyou anyway?" QUEST   Volume: 64  Issue: 4  Pages: 299-312  DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2012.706885  Published: 2012

24. Ni Chroinin, D., Tormey, R. & O' Sullivan, M. 2012. Beginningteacher standards for physical education: Promoting a democraticideal? TEACHING AND TEACHER EDUCATION   Volume: 28  Issue:1  Pages: 78-88  DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2011.08.001  Published: JAN2012

25. O'Sullivan, M. & Oslin, J.L. 2012. Special Issue: Physical Educa-tion. IRISH EDUCATIONAL STUDIES   Volume: 31  Issue:3  Special Issue: SI  Pages: 245-250  DOI:10.1080/03323315.2012.710060  Published: 2012

26. Parker, M., Patton, K. and Tannehill, D. 2012. Mapping the land-scape of communities of practice as professional development inIrish physical education. IRISH EDUCATIONAL STUDIES   Volume:31  Issue: 3  Special Issue: SI  Pages: 311-327  DOI:10.1080/03323315.2012.710067  Published: 2012

27. Puri, B. K., Jakeman, P. M., Agour, M. Gunatilake, K.D., Fernan-do, K.A., Gurusinghe, A.I., Treasaden, I.H, Waldman, A.D. andGishen, P. 2012. Regional grey and white matter volumetricchanges in myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome): avoxel-based morphometry 3 T MRI study. BRITISH JOURNAL OFRADIOLOGY   Volume: 85  Issue: 1015  Pages: E270-E273  DOI:10.1259/bjr/93889091  Published: JUL 2012

28. Woods, C.B., Tannehill, D. and Walsh, J. 2012. An examinationof the relationship between enjoyment, physical education, physicalactivity and health in Irish adolescents. IRISH EDUCATIONALSTUDIES   Volume: 31  Issue: 3  Special Issue: SI  Pages: 263-280  DOI: 10.1080/03323315.2012.710068  Published: 2012

Physical Education & Sport SciencesDepartment

Telephone: + 353 61 202896

FAX: + 353 61 202814

EMAIL: PESS@ul.ie

www.ul.ie/pess

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