PESS e-Zine

Research Outreach Features News

PESS| |February 2014

3rd Edition

Head of Department WelcomeOn behalf of the Department of Physical Education and SportSciences (PESS) I wish to welcome you to the third edition ofthe PESS e-Zine. My thanks go again to all those involved inthe editing and contribution of submissions to the e-Zine.

We mark the retirement of Dr. Deborah Tannehill in thisedition. On retiring, Deborah takes on the title of EmeritusLecturer within PESS which allows us to retain to someextent the passion and expertise that has led to her status onan international front.

The Department hosted the inaugural All-IrelandPostgraduate Conference in Sport Sciences and PhysicalEducation towards the end of January 2014 and we weredelighted with the number of postgraduate students whocontributed to the programme. It is anticipated that this wouldbe an annual event and positive feedback from the eventsupports this. You can read more about the Conference inthis edition.

PESS will advertise in March 2014 an opportunity forindividuals to spend up to eight weeks in PESS gainingexperience in one of four research areas, (1) Food for Health,(2) Physical Activity and Health, (3) Sport and HumanPerformance and (4) Sport Pedagogy. The internship allowsindividuals an opportunity to work with PESS faculty, explorefurther their interest and disposition to postgraduate studyand / or to consider working in a university setting.

The opportunity to apply for PESS PhD Scholarships will alsoarise in March 2014. Scholarships are held for up to fouryears and the recipient is expected to work on a full timebasis on their PhD and enroll on the Education and HealthSciences structured PhD programme. Scholarship recipientsare also expected to contribute hours to PESS-related tasks(e.g., teaching, demonstrating, organisation of events) for theduration of their scholarship.

I trust you will find the third edition of PESS e-Zine asinformative and engaging as previous additions. As always,if you have any interest in collaborating with PESS acrossareas of teaching and / or research please do not hesitateto contact me at Ann.MacPhail@ul.ie

Note from the Editors

Welcome to the third edition of the This issue looks at the breath of some of the research activities, and events that havehappened or are ongoing in the Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) Department since September 2013.Many thanks to all our contributors to the February 2014 issue. The inaugural All-Ireland PostgraduateConference in Sport Science and Physical Education is featured in detail in this issue. A special feature on theinductees of the UL Sports Hall of Fame who were graduates/staff of the department of Physical Education andSport Sciences is also presented. Louise McCagh (World Taekwondo Champion 2013) describes what is like tobe an international athlete and final year Sport and Exercise Sciences student in the department. Biomechanicsresearch on total knee replacement and physical education research on communities of practice for teachersis included as well as a feature on a PESS visit to a primary school in Dublin during Science Week. Sport andExercise Students also take time out to describe their Co-op placements in 2013. The e-Zine also highlightsstaff and student achievements since the last edition.

We hope you enjoy this edition.

Rhoda Sohun and Ian Kenny

The 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.

Dr. Ann MacPhail and Emeritus Lecturer Dr. P.J. Smyth

CONTENTSPhysical Education & Sport Sciences| |Feb 2014

Research

7 New Research Staff in PESS join the Food for Health Ireland Research Programme

8 C-PAHR Winter Seminar

13 Total Knee Replacement and Return to Sport Dr. Ian Kenny

17 Leading by Example: Teacher Educators' Professional Learning through Communities of Practice Dr. Melissa Parker

Outreach Activities

6 The Science of Sport - PESS visit to Booterstown Primary School Dr. Mark Campbell and Ian Sherwin

Features

4 Inaugural Postgraduate Conference in Sport Sciences and Physical Education

10 Deborah Tannehill - An exemplary teacher educator and scholar Dr. Ann MacPhail & Prof. Mary OSullivan

16 Louise McCagh - World Taekwondo Champion and Sport and Exercise Sciences Student

14 Sport and Exercise Sciences Co-op Placements 2013 5 Student Experiences

18 UL Sport Hall of Fame

News

2 Head of Department Welcome Dr. Ann MacPhail

9 Dance in Schools Dance Graduate Nicole MacDonald wins funding bid Brigitte Moody

10 Setting Goals and Planning for Success Dr. Jaimie McMullen and Colleagues

21 PESS Student Ball

22 PESS Winter Graduations 2014

23 PESS Staff, Student & Graduate Achievements

24 Publications

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PESS host the inaugural All IrelandPostgraduate Conference in Sport Sciencesand Physical Education in January 2014

On Friday 24th January the Department of Physical Education and Sport Scienceshosted the All Ireland Post Graduate Conference in Sport Sciences and PhysicalEducation. The inaugural conference was organised by Dr. Mark Lyons, Dr. AnnMacPhail and Ms. Leanne Coll.

The aim of the one day conference was to give research students the opportunity topresent their work to their peers and interested academics in a supportive andcollaborative environment. The inaugural conference saw 60 delegates representing13 different Irish institutions. Delegates undertaking research for a postgraduatequalification presented in the following thematic areas:

- Sports Performance (8 oral presentations and 11 posters presented)- Physical Activity and Health (8 oral presentations and 11 posters presented)- Physical Education and Pedagogy (4 oral presentations and1 poster presented)

Keynote speakers included Dr. Niamh Murphy (WaterfordInstitute of Technology) who delivered a keynote onPostgraduate Pathways to Practice and Policy - Reflections onthe role of research in sport, health and physical activity and Professor Alan Nevill(University of Wolverhampton) who delivered a presentation on Careful preparationis the key to quality postgraduate research

The conference also offered two workshops for delegates to attend which arediscussed in more detail in the feature:

Workshop 1: Getting Your Research PublishedWorkshop 2: Using Your Minds Eye - Imagery in Sport, Exercise and RehabilitationContextsDr. Mark Lyons Dr. Ann MacPhail Ms. Leanne Coll

A Short Review of Workshop 1Getting your Research Published

Hannah McManus(Psychology Coop Student in PESS)

Professor Alan Nevill the editor in Chief of the Journal ofSports Sciences (University of Wolverhampton) delivered theworkshop Getting Your Research Published at theinaugural conference. During his lecture, Professor Nevilloutlined the essential tips to help researchers getting theirresearch published. In addition the workshop identified someof the common pitfalls authors fall into that lead to theirarticles being rejected.

Choosing a research question which will have impact is keyto getting research published, particularly in the areas ofquality of life, sports performance, health, social cohesionand/or education. Secondly, he emphasized the importanceof journal selection. Professor Nevill indicated closed accessjournals as his preferred option for publication of research,instead of open access. In relation to rejection aftersubmission of research for publication, Prof. Neville remindedthe audience that if and when rejection occurs, theresearcher should read the review comments, take them onboard and make changes, and then publish the article to

another journal. In Prof. Nevilles opinion, the main causesfor articles getting rejected include: submission of article tothe wrong journal, articles being too long or too short, poorgrammar, article not being proofread, and poor presentationof article.

I found Professor Alan Nevills workshop extremelyinformative, interesting and worthwhile. I am now aware ofthe steps I would need to take in order to increase myliklihood of publication in the future, and to decrease thechances of my research ever getting rejected, if I am to writeresearch articles in the future. Professor Alan Nevillsworkshop was well received by the delegates and muchdiscussion was generated at the question and answersection.

5The Psychological Society of Ireland accredited CPDworkshop entitled Using your minds eye: Known knownsand unknowns was headed by Dr. Tadhg MacIntyre (PESS),Dr. Alan Ringland (Paralympics Ireland), Dr. Olivia Hurley(IADT), and Dr. Laura McAvinue (Dept. of PsychologyUniversity of Limerick). Dr. Mark Campbell (PESS) and Dr.James Matthews (University College Dublin) were additionalmembers of the team that developed the workshop concepts.

A pre-workshop survey evaluated the workshop attendeesperceptions of imagery, their practitioner experience ofimagery, their imagery abilities and their individual motivesfor attending the workshop. Survey results indicated that themajority of those who attended were interested inperformance psychology and predominately interested in therole of imagery in sport contexts. Attendees also includedthose who worked in rehabilitation contexts and the field ofphysical activity. The key survey findings were presented atthe beginning of the ninety minute workshop to the 25attendees who ranged from undergraduate students, todoctoral candidates to experienced practitioners working inthe field.

Imagery is more than just seeing something in your mindseye or visualising something, which is why the phrase mentalimagery is preferred to the term visualisation. Imagery is nowemployed in multiple ways and the traditional approach ofusing mental practice has been superceded by other possibleoutcomes from imagery use (Guillot & Collet, 2008). Threeareas were emphasised: the use of imagery in performanceenhancement and performance restoration, the need forindividualised interventions and the role of imagery abilityassessment. It is hypothsised that imagery is grounded inour experience and consequently related to our expertise.For example, an architect may have an enhanced spatialimagery ability, a gymnast who uses imagery to rehearse avault may have high motor imagery abilities, and a field gameplayer who may be focused on simulating a dynamic open-skill, may require heightened abilities across a range ofabilities. When an expert performer simulates a skill throughimagery, the duration of that image will correspond to thetime to execute the movement-the so-called mental traveleffect.

Consequently, it was suggested that the correlation betweenthe simulation time and motor execution time is an effectivemeasure of imagery quality. Furthermore, the traditionalrecommendation of employing all your senses duringimagery was called into question as the cognitive load ormental effort may diminish the accuracy of the imagery in themost pertinent senses (e.g. motor imagery). While imageryisnt constrained in the same way as physical practice, it maystill be fatiguing-a possible contraindication being the use ofimagery for long durations. Using mental imagery in order topractice a skill or movement can be exhausting; the areas ofthe brain are activated in the same way (the information isprocessed in the same way) as physically executing the skillor movement. The overlap between action observation

(watching someone perform a skill) and simulation (imagininga skill) are interrelated processes (Vogt et al., 2013).

Dr. Laura McAvinue, a cognitive neuroscientistat UL, discussed a case study on the use ofmotor imagery to reduce phantom limb pain(McAvinue & Robertson, 2011). Dr. McAvinueintroduced us to the idea that although the bodyis physically damaged the neurons in the brainare unharmed, and lie idle. With no physicallimb to activate, they may begin to randomly firecausing different sensations from a tickle or an itch, to anache or stabbing pain in a limb that no longer exists. Ratherthan allow these neurons to remain idle, Dr. McAvinueemployed motor imagery as an intervention and taught herparticipants the skills to activate the mind. Motor imageryactivates similar pathways to the actual movement, and thusthe idle neurons would no longer be idle and as a result, thephantom limb pain could be alleviated.

Dr McAvinue found contrasting results in her study, withsome participants reporting a decrease in phantom limb painand some reporting no affect from the treatment. What thisstudy showed us was that there is potentially a way to recoverfrom injury and manage pain by using mental imagery. Thebrain is tricked into thinking it is using a limb that is immobileor no longer there. What this means is that athletes canphysically recover without having to put excess strain orstress on an injured limb. They will hopefully not lose theability that they had pre injury and the mind stays focused onthe task of recovery. Return to play is a much smootherprocess and the gap between physical readiness andpsychological readiness can be reduced.

In the workshop we were presented with 3 cases studies.They included an international female rugby player (out-half);a 20 year old academy rugby player who had injured his ACLand was in recovery, and a 77 year old female who hassuffered a stroke. All case studies challenged us to find theoptimum use of mental imagery for the individual in question.As with every aspect of sport science support, it is not a onesize fits all scenario. The timing and use of imagery will differdepending on the needs of the individual. The sensesemployed and the emotions evoked will also differ. Arecovering athlete will utilise the sensations within the injuredlimb, mental imagery can decrease anxiety, aid intrinsicmotivation and increase self-confidence in both the injuredand non-injured athlete according to research by Guillot andCollet (2008).

Mental imagery just like any other skill needs to be practicedand developed. Instructing an athlete to change the way theythink, how they think and when they think is like changing anyother skill: it will take time getting used to it. During that timeit is not unreasonable to expect for their performance tosuffer, but once the skill has been honed through practice andimplementation, imagery can improve performance,psycholgical well-being and aid recovery. Beyond the lessonslearnt, connections were made across the community ofpractice and the images of this workshop will resonate withpractitioners and researchers long into the future. The work-shop was based upon an expert statement which was funded bythe British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).

Hannah McCormackPESS Postgraduate Student

A Review of Workshop 2

http://www.bases.org.uk/Use-of-Mental-Imagery-in-Sport-Exercise-and-Rehabilitation-Contexts

Guillot, A. & Collet, C. (2008). Construction of the motor imagery integrative model insport: A review and theoretical investigation of motor imagery use. International Re-view of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1 (1), 31-44.

McAvinue, L. & Robertson, I. (20). Individual differences in response to phantomlimb movement therapy. Disability and Rehabilitation, 33(2324), 21862195.

Vogt, S., Di Rienzo, F., Collet, C., Collins, A. & Guillot, A. (2013). Multiple roles ofmotor imagery during action observation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 807.

6Willow Park School is based in Booterstown, Co. Dublinand is a Primary School with a student population ofapproximately 650 boys. The parents association or WPA isheavily involved in the school and arranges various eventsand weeks during the school year to complement theexisting curriculum. Science week, runs simultaneously toNational Science week in November each year and is one ofthe biggest events undertaken by the WPA. The immenseorganisation of the week involves all of 6th form and theirparents.

The Science of SportThe Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences take part in

Science Week in a prominent Dublin School

Dr. Mark Campbell, Ian SherwinDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences

Science Week involves learning about Science in all its formsand its aim is to be fun and interactive for the pupils. Theschools theme for the Science Week 2013 was How theOrdinary in our lives can be Xtraordinary. The Human body,guide dogs and the Garda Mounted Unit featured prominentlyand for the first time since the event took on its high profile inthe school the WPA included science in the sporting context.

Willow Park School is a feeder school to Blackrock Collegewith a combined attendance of 1800 boys with an emphasison many sports including rugby, golf, cricket, swimming,football and tennis. There is also an emphasis on science andan opportunity to demonstrate the expertise of the PhysicalEducation and Sport Sciences (PESS) department in UL wasnot to be missed. We were delighted to accept the invitationto highlight the research, teaching and various disciplines onoffer in the University of Limerick.

by the team to ascertain results for Elite sportsmen and someof the schools high profile past pupils so that the currentstudents could compare their scores.

Hannah McCormack (PhD Researcher) and Ian Sherwin(PhD Researcher) entertained the more than willing subjectsat two BATAK stations, upright using a ten light reactionprogramme and the table top 12-light version. Some greatreaction skills and bilateral dexterity were displayed by thepupils as they underwent the 30-second trials andimmediately re-joined the end of the lengthening queues inan effort to better their score at the next trial.

There was no doubt about the most popular test, the golfputting test. Using SAMPutt technology software themovement variability of the putter was assessed for eachstroke of the club as the boys attempted a 2.43m (8ft) putt ona practice putting green. Dr Mark Campbell was more thanimpressed by the metronomic stroke of one of the boys whoalthough still in primary school is already playing off a single-figure handicap!

Such was the popularity of the PESS visit, the exhibition overran by 90 minutes and more than 250 pupils got a chance toexperience the tests. The feedback from the teachers andWPA has been hugely positive in terms of interest, diversityand sheer entertainmentyour Sport Science experimentswere undoubtedly the highlight of the week.

The feedback continued saying ..Willow provides sport forevery boy in the school, and is always looking to make itrelevant for the talented children and importantly not sotalented boys and so the teachers were delighted to havesomeone with your expertise at school.

We hope that this will become an annual event for the PESSdepartment and cultivate a long and fruitful relationship withthe school.

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SCIENCE WEEK 2013

MINI SPORTS PERFORMANCE EXHIBITION CENTRE

A variety of equipment was transported from the labs in PESSto create a mini exhibition centre in the school. Three stationswere installed around the substantial gym with 5 tests for thepupils to sample. The exhibits at each station were bothscientifically and practically explained to the boys so that theycould equate each test to where it fits into sport. Its probablynot disingenuous to say that the how and the why may havepassed some of them by such was the enthusiasm to tryeverything and outdo their friends!

The pupils were rotated through the gym every 30 minutes,spending around 10 minutes at each station. Niamh Whelan(PhD Researcher) and Nuala ODonovan (4th Yr SES)supervised the Counter movement jump and 10m Speed testexhibits. The counter movement jump was assessed usingthe Optojump and details of the scores were given to thepupils after their test. Background research was carried out

Pupils are assessed on the counter-movement jump and 10m Speed Tests

Pupils reaction times are assessed on the BATAK stations

Pupils take part in the golf putting test (left) and the BATAK reaction timetest (right)

7Five new research staff have recently joined the departmentas part of phase 2 of Food for Health Irelands (FHI) researchprogramme. The researchers, Katie Hughes, Robert Davies,Beate Gillson, Alexandra Cremona and Dr. Orla Power workon different aspects of the FHI research programme. FHI is aresearch programme funded by Enterprise Ireland and is anacademic-industrial collaboration. There are 7 public researchorganisations (UCC, UCD, NUIG, Maynooth, DCU, UL,Teagasc) and 5 industry partners (Kerry, Dairygold, Glanbia,Carbery, Irish Dairy Cooperative).

Within UL there are two main areas of research, healthyaging and performance nutrition (PESS) and milk mining (LifeSciences). The healthy aging and performance nutrition workprogramme is led by four principal investigators - Prof. PhilJakeman and Dr Brian Carson (PESS), Dr Pat Kiely and Prof.Sean Arkins (Life Sciences). The University of Limerick hasbeen awarded 3million in Phase 2 of FHI Irelands researchprogramme. The overall objective of the research is to designmilk based nutrient formulations to: Maintain lean tissue mass and promote healthy aging Improve sports performance (reduce oxidative stress,

improve muscle function and immune competence) Conduct human trials in order to provide scientific

evidence to substantiate health claims associated withthe products

The Healthy Aging and Performance Nutrition Health pillarrequires a multidisciplinary approach and is guided under thedirection of Prof. Phil Jakeman (lead Principal Investigator)

Katie Hughes Research AssistantPhysiotherapist

Katie is a graduate of UCD with a BSc and MScin physiotherapy. Katie has worked clinically inboth the geriatric and sports populations andcontinues to work clinically with a musculo-skeletal population. Within the FHI programmeKatie will undertake analysis of body composition, muscleand activity of daily living function. In addition Katie will beinvolved in the delivery of the exercise interventions. Katiesprincipal research interest is the effect of exercise interven-tions for chronic medical conditions and long-term patientadherence to exercise interventions.

Robert Davies Research AssistantExercise Physiology

Rob is a graduate of Bangor University, NorthWales with a BSc in Sports Science and anMRes Exercise Physiology. In the past Rob hasworked as a research statistics tutor andstrength and conditioning coach. Within the FHIprogramme Rob will undertake physiological measurement ofhuman performance, focusing on optimal post-exerciserecovery, immunity and augmentation of the adaptiveprocesses stimulated through chronic exercise. Robsprincipal research interest is exercise and manipulation of the

systems that regulate the physiological processesthat underpin the adaptive response and conse-quently athletic performance.

Beate Gillson - Research AssistantPhlebotomy

Beate has a diploma in general nursingwith specialist training in ENT andOncology nursing. Beate has significantclinical experience having previously worked inUniversity Hospital Limerick, Mater Private andin Germany. Within the FHI programme Beatewill collect blood samples and perform DXA

scans on participants. In addition, Beate will provide mentor-ing and supervision to new staff in the area of venepuncture.

Alexandra Cremona Research AssistantNutrition & Dietetics/Performance Nutrition

Alexandra is a graduate of StrathclydeUniversity with a BSc in Sports and ExerciseScience and PGD in Dietetics from GlasgowCaledonian University. Within the FHI researchprogramme Alexandra will be undertaking research todevelop novel nutrient formulas to support immunity andperformance, exercise recovery and post-exercise immunity.She will work towards extending the knowledge in the fieldof dietary antioxidant intake reference base to the athletic.Alexandras principal research interests lie in lifestyleinterventions in consort with nutrient product development asa means of exploiting anthropometrics and enhancingnutritional status to advance human health and sportingexcellence.

Dr. Orla Power Post Doctoral Researcher

Orla is a graduate of the University of Limerick,with a BSc in Biochemistry, MSc in NutritionalBiochemistry and a PhD in Food Science andHealth. In the past Orla has worked in industryand in a government funded food researchcentre. Within the FHI research programmeOrla will be involved in: Development and evaluation of novel nutrient formulations

to support healthy aging and human performance; Evaluate the in vitro and in vivo bioactivity of novel peptides

and related nutrients in the regulation of human skeletalmuscle metabolism at rest, during and in the recovery fromexercise.

Orlas principal research interest is the bioactive properties ofmilk peptides. She is particularly interested in understandingthe relationship between in vitro bioactivities of peptides andthe translation of these bioactive properties in humans.

New Research Staff Join the Food for Health Ireland(FHI) Research Programme at the Department of

Physical Education and Sport Sciences

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Measurement and quantification of physical behaviourfrom the perspective of Medicine: framework andresearch examplesProfessor Hans Bussman, Erasmus MCUniversity Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Professor Bussman discussed the issues ofrecording activity levels in specific clinicalpopulations, including people with Spina Bifida,cerebral Palsy and Spinal Cord Injury. Hispresentation discussed the limitations ofself-reported activity measurement, and theapplication of activity measurement ininterventions to increase physical activity. The differencebetween measurement of specific activities such as walkingand more generic activity measurement via accelerometrycounts was also reviewed.

Event-based analysis of free-living Physical BehavioursProfessor Malcolm Granat, University of Salford,Manchester, UK.

Examination of free-living physical activities isimportant in understanding how physicalactivity and also sedentary behaviours impacton health. Quantification of these behaviours isimportant in determining how interventionsmight modify free-living behaviour to enhancehealth. Professor Granat presented a PhysicalBehaviour Model, which explained conceptual approachesto body motion. Through the use of accelerometers, move-ment data and activities can be classified. The volumes andpatterns of these activities are a measure of human physicalbehaviour. With the integration of geographical informationsystem (GIS) data and global positioning system (GPS) data,with accelerometer data, researchers can become moreinformed about physical behaviour of the individual, house-holds and the community.

The University of Limerick will be the host for the June 2015International Conference on Ambulatory Monitoring of PhysicalActivity and Movement

www.ul.ie/cpahr

The Centre for Physical Activity andHealth Research (C-PAHR), based atthe University of Limerick, conductsmultidisciplinary and translationalresearch in physical activity and health.The director of C-PAHR is ProfessorAlan Donnelly (PESS Department).

The centres mission is to improve health, well-being andquality of life in individuals via the application ofknowledge of physical activity, movement and health foroptimum daily living, occupation and sport. C-PAHR aims tostrategically enhance an existing network of successfulpartnerships between researchers from a range of disciplineswho work within the domain of movement and health.

The Centre is a collaboration of researchers from physiology,biomechanics, sports and exercise science, physiotherapy,occupational therapy, psychology, nursing and midwifery,medicine, electronic engineering and ergonomics. Thestrength of the centre will be its multidisciplinary approach,linking health science researchers with technology focussedresearchers to create an effective platform for researchcollaboration and productivity. The Centre has sharedinterests and links with NUI Galway and other researchcentres and units within the University of Limerick (PE PAYS,CSI-R, Centre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation &Immunity (4i), and the Biomechanics Research Unit).

The Centre has identified three core areas of research:

Movement and Technology Movement for Function Physical Activity for Health across the lifespan

In December 2013, C-PAHR hosted a winter seminar onState of the art in physical activity measurement.Professor Alan Donnelly introduced the programme whichincluded:

Current Issues in Physical Activity Assessment:Total Volume and Harmonizing Across StudiesProf David Bassett, University of Tennessee, Knoxville,Tennessee, USA.

Professor Bassett presented the case ofexamining total volume of physical activityinstead of focusing on the amount of timeaccumulated in moderate to vigorous physicalactivity. Total activity counts (TAC), a proxy totalvolume of physical activity energy expenditure(PAEE) offers health benefits to the individual.The current public health recommendations for physicalactivity do not capture light physical activity which whenaccumulated over the duration of a day can have a significanthealth benefit.

(L-R) Dr. John Nelson, Prof. Alan Donnelly, Prof. David Basett, Prof.Hans Bussman, Prof. Malcom Granat, Dr. Susan Coote, Dr. Pepijn Vande Ven

9Dance in SchoolsDance Graduate Nicole MacDonald Wins Funding Bid

Brigitte MoodyDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences N

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Nicole MacDonald is one of fivegraduates from the department ofPhysical Education and SportSciences (PESS) to receive herMasters in Dance award at therecent Winter ConferringCeremony from the Faculty ofEducation and Health Sciences.

The 2 year part-time taughtmasters programme has beenrunning in PESS for 16 years andattracts a wide range of peoplewith a passion for dance andsharing it with others.

Its alumni includes officers from the Arts Council of Ireland,PESS BSc Physical Education graduates, primary and postprimary teachers, professional dancers and thosespecialising in working with people with disabilities. In the last6 years alone, twenty six students have successfullycompleted the programme and graduated with the postgraduate degree.

Nicole follows a pattern of graduates to receive funding topromote dance in schools based on her Maters dissertationresearch. Dance in Schools is a new initiative funded by theMinister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, Jimmy DeenihanT.D. with sponsorship from Allianz. It is designed to supportdance professionals going into schools and delivering danceas part of the Physical Education curriculum aiming toencourage young people to take part in and enjoy physicalactivity.

Nicole's application for this funding stood out from all theothers because it was based on Master's level research. Inshort, as the promoting organisation for the project, 'MonicaLoughman Ballet', said: 'It represents a starting point and asolution'. The Minister presented Nicole with her fundingaward at a ceremony in the INEC in December 2013. Dancein Schools is already rolled out in 6 schools and the hope isit will become a national programme.

Nicole brings a great deal of professional dance experienceto her work with young people. She is the director SteptacularPerforming Arts, in Dublin; is head of dance for Bull AlleyTheatre Training College and the faculty at SallynogginCollege of Further Education.

Speaking about her Masters research Nicole says: "Myexperience as a qualified teacher of dance in the privatesector was the driving force behind the design and implemen-tation of a dance programme for young adolescents as partof their physical education programme. Recently completinga Masters in Dance with Brigitte Moody, the programmedirector for the Masters in Dance in PESS, enabled me todevelop my professional skills and teaching methods andlearn to adapt approaches to teaching dance in a way that

would suit me and my students. It also led me to recognisehow important dance can be as part of second leveleducation."

The dance programme designed by Nicole as part of herdissertation was a partnership between her and the students,recruited at Firhouse Community College, Dublin. Thispartnership enabled the cultural influences and interests ofthe students to be represented in the dance lesson content,allowing them to become co-creators of their danceprogramme and active agents in their own learning. It alsolead to a design that was age appropriate, physicallychallenging and which promoted a more meaningfulexperience for everyone taking part. A six week danceprogramme for 4th and 5th year students was delivered as partof their Physical Education curriculum, combining corestrength and physical flexibility with improvisation andcreativity.

Geraldine Murphy, the Head of Physical Education atFirhouse Community College, spoke of Nicole's research inthe college: "Our students loved the course and had theopportunity during their PE class to acquire new skills in anon-competitive environment. The dance programme addedgreat value on top of the schools usual activities. Its anextremely welcome development."

Graduate Diploma/MA Dance

This is a two year part timepostgraduate programme designed tooffer students the opportunity tocontinue to explore practical andtheoretical aspects of dance. Thestrengths of the course are to encourage reflection onvalues and beliefs about dance, revisit choreographicpractices, develop a somatic approach to movementand build confidence for planning and delivering danceworkshops using innovative dance pedagogicalapproaches. A feature of the programme is anopportunity to develop knowledge and skills in dancefor children or adults with disabilities. There is an optionto exit the course at the end of year 1 with a GraduateDiploma in Dance (60 ECTS credits). Progression toMasters in year 2 (60 ECTS credits) is a researchthesis. The programme is particularly suited toteachers, community dance artists and professionaldancers.

ContactDepartment: Physical Education and Sport Sciences.Course Director: Ms. Brigitte Moody.Tel : 353-61-202807Email :brigitte.moody@ul.ie

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After eight years in the Department of Physical Educationand Sport Sciences at UL, and a lifetime of contributingto teaching physical education in schools, coaching athletesand physical education teacher education, Deborah Tannehillretired in December 2013. Fortunately for the department,Deborah takes up the position of Emeritus Senior Lecturer onher retirement.

Deborahs research and scholarship over 35 years focusedon contributing to the scholarship of teaching in physicaleducation (be it curriculum models, assessment strategies)and teacher education (mentoring of cooperating teachers,communities of practice, and building partnerships amongteachers, teacher educators and pre-service students). Sheconnects with teachers and pre-service teachers in ways thatallow them to grow and deepen their interest in the disciplineand in providing students with quality school physicaleducation experiences. She has done this across significantcultural boundaries and national states and continues tomotivate and inspire members of the physical education

community.

Deborah achieved her undergraduate degree in PhysicalEducation from Washington State University (1970), herMasters in Guidance Counselling from Seattle University(1975) and her PhD in Teacher Education from the Universityof Idaho (1987). Deborah was a physical education teacherfor ten years, a university coach for six years and a physicaleducation teacher educator for 26 years. The latter took herto Ohio State University (1987-1998), Pacific Lutheran Uni-versity (1999-2005) and University of Limerick (2005-2013).

Her contribution and dedication to the physical educationprofession has been unfaltering throughout her career. Whilebased in the US she held positions as the President and VicePresident of Washington American Alliance for Health,Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), wasa member of the Executive Board of North West District ofAAHPERD and a Cabinet Member and PublicationsCoordinator of the National Association for Sport andPhysical Education (NASPE).

Deborah Tannehill

An Exemplary Teacher Educator and Scholar

Dr. Ann MacPhailDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences

Prof. Mary OSullivanFaculty of Education and Health Sciences

Deborah was Co-Editor then Editor of the Journal ofTeaching in Physical Education (2000-2004) and served onthe Editorial Board of the same journal. She was the FeatureEditor and Editorial Board member for Journal of PhysicalEducation, Recreation and Dance (JOPERD) (2000-2008)and has served on the Editorial Board of The PhysicalEducator and Quest. Deborah was also the Taskforce Chairfor NASPE Beginning Teacher Standards (1991-1995).

On arriving in Ireland Deborah very quickly supported thework of the Physical Education Association of Ireland andbecame Co-Director of the Physical Education, PhysicalActivity and Youth Sport Research Centre (PE-PAYS). Herinvestment of time and energy with practicing physicaleducation teachers and her ability to connect with theprofession has resulted in her being highly respected andsought as someone who can encourage and sustaincommunities of practicing physical education teachers andteacher educators.

Deborah continues to be invited to deliver Keynotesthroughout the world and delivered the highly distinguishedCurriculum and Instruction Academy Lecture at AAPHERD in2009 and gave the 2013 Scholar Lecturer to the BritishEducational Research Association Physical Education andSport Pedagogy Special Interest Group.

Deborah Tannehill at Deniz Hnks PhD viva with Prof. Dr. Levent Ince

Professor Anne Flintoff presenting Deborah with a memento to markher BERA PESP presentation as the 2013 Scholar Lecturer

Deborah Tannehill presenting at the Physical Education Association ofIreland Conference.

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Deborah has accumulated numerous awards including theUniversity Professor of the Year (2003), Joy of Effort Award,AAHPERD (2004), and the Amy Homans Scholar Lecture,NAPEK in Higher Education (2005). It is perhaps the criteriafor the Joy of Effort reward that most accurately conveys whatDeborah has epitomized throughout her career,

It is in recognition of those persons who by performanceand style, have personified the concept that the effortmade to enrich the goals and objectives of physicaleducation and sport is a labor of love, inspired by

commitment and dedication.

Deborah is an exemplary teacher educator and her passionis still evident in her day to day practices with pre-serviceteachers and with teachers. Working with Deborah is easy inthe sense that anything and everything she is asked to do shecompletes without fail, the glass is always half full, she carespassionately about providing students with a meaningful,relevant and worthwhile experience, she freely providessupport and guidance to all levels of staff and faculty whoapproach her and she can find humour in instance whereothers are not sure if it is appropriate to laugh.

Deborahs commitment to the teaching of physical educationin schools and to physical education teacher education isconveyed in the four books that she has co-authored; Building Effective Physical Education Programs (2014) Standards Based Curriculum Development in Physical

Education (in press 3rd edition), Research and Practice in Physical Education (2013) Developing Teaching Skills in Physical Education

(1999 4th edition).

Deborah Tannehill with Michelle Dillon at her PhD graduation ceremony

Deborah has written 22 book chapters and 42 peer-reviewedarticles. An interesting statistic and testimony to hercontinuing contribution to the field over the years is that shehad six refereed journal articles published in 2012 alone!

In inviting Deborahs past colleagues across the globe toprovide a statement in response to her retirement, numerouspeople chose to focus on the impact Deborah has had onthem and the profession;

I just wanted to send Deborah my regards and thank her forher inspiration, support, and commitment to ensuring PETEis undefined by people who care about teaching, learning andlearners, and as a role model for not allowing practice andpedagogy in our field to be consumed by theoretical jargon atthe expense of what matters most. Kirsten Petrie, University of Waikato, NZ

Thank you for the many gracious and encouragingcomments and actions you've sent my way over the years.You're a genuine hero and role model for me.

Sarah Doolittle, Adelphi University, USA

I have to thank you for all the great articles, books andadvice you shared with physical educators like me over theyears. The Franklin County Physical Education Teachersgroup you and your colleagues started to encourage collabo-ration and share best practices across districts, helped facili-tate valuable friendships and working relationships that arestill in place today.

Diane Barnes, Physical Education teacher, Ohio

Deborahs involvement in teacher education will be asignificant loss not only to PESS and UL but to Ireland andinternationally. For so long Deborah has been respected asone of the most prominent true physical education teachereducators. Her legacy is evident not only in the people whoshe has positively affected but also in her writings on how andwhat it means to be an effective, caring and appropriatelycritical teacher. As Emeritus Senior Lecturer in PESS shehas agreed to lead the Sport Pedagogy research themewithin the department and will avail of the numerous requestsfor her to present and work with other universities. Deborahis a truly caring, committed and unique teacher and scholarin physical education teacher education.

Deborah Tannehill is presented with a framed caricature of herself,drawn by PESS student Sen Ryan at her retirement function.

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This spring two faculty members and two postdoctoralstudents from the department of Physical Education andSport Sciences have enrolled to take modules as part of theCentre for Teaching and Learnings (CTL) Specialist Diplomain Teaching, Learning and Scholarship. The SpecialistDiploma was developed to help support the professionalactivities of early career academics and doctoral candidatesand includes several learning outcomes relative to teaching,learning and scholarship respectively.

Dr. Tadgh MacIntyre (lecturer in sport psychology) and Dr.Jaimie McMullen (lecturer in physical education), haveenrolled to complete the Specialist Diploma for careerdevelopment and as continued professional development.While both already hold doctorates in their respective fieldsthey both believe in the value of lifelong learning. HannahMcCormack and Ian Sherwinn are postgraduate studentsand as part of the Faculty of Education and Health Sciencesstructured Doctoral Programme (sPhD) students are request-ed to elect specialist modules to the value of 18 credits. It isrecommended that the modules taken will enhance thelearning outcomes of their own PhD. Hannah and Ian haveelected to enrol in two of the modules offered through theSpecialist Diploma Research Planning and Preparationand Scholarly Presentation and Dialogue in Research andAcademic Writing. Another postdoctoral PESS student,Michelle Norris, will also be joining the group for one module.

Therefore as a group we have decided to provide someinsight into our reasons for enrolling on the course and ourexperience of the first module to date and what we hope toachieve at its conclusion.

Hannah McCormackI have to conduct research so I may as well learnhow to plan and prepare for it. A nonchalantapproach definitely, but what I got out it will beinvaluable to me for the duration of my academiccareer. The module gave me a unique insight intothe world of academia from the perspective ofpeople who have all been through the journey. Ilearned that the issues around planning, research and writingare faced by nearly everyone, irrespective of the stage oftheir academic career. Finding the time, creating the spaceand protecting these from both internal and externaldistraction; setting goals for writing; planning the process;choosing the right journal; developing a thick skin andimmersing myself into a productive writing environment willall be instrumental to me successfully publishing articles.

Ian SherwinDespite some investigation before deciding totake this module as an elective for my structuredPhD I wasnt certain what to expect or how Id usethe information. It became evident very quickly.Writing research is critical and its disseminationeven more so. Devising a plan with a clearoutcome and a specific strategy for each piecewill facilitate a smoother writing process. As Ive only juststarted my PhD I believed I didnt have much to write about,

New

s Setting Goals and Planning for SuccessDr. Jaimie McMullen & Dr. Tadhg MacIntyre

Hannah McCormack & Ian Sherwin

Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences

however after completing a peer-led writing consultation Ihave short, medium and long term writing goals beginningimmediately by completing a long overdue paper. Planning atime to write, protecting that time and prioritising deadlineswill shape my diary for the foreseeable future. Im going toenjoy it!

Tadgh MacIntyreReflections on a kaleidoscope of images.Academic writing is not typically imaginative noremotional but the writing process is all of these.This module facilitated by Dr. Patricia MannixMcNamara took us on a journey through thepathway of publishing research. It progressesfrom the inception of an idea through the disseminationprocess, to the translation of that output into change on aparticipant, practice, policy or public level. Ideally all researchshould firstly inform the participants as well as making animpact at other levels. The sepia coloured image of researchas a volumious tome gathering dust is one we should discard.Research has a pulse and requires emotional engagement tobuild connectivity with our collaborators in the first instance.

Emotional engagement was a central theme of the workshopand excellent facilitation meant we were all proded, provokedand probed to engage with our peers. The reflective formatenabled candid engagement and challenges we faced weremirrored in many participants experiences. Insights aboutthe creativity required for the inception of our research,reflections on the energy and motivation to pursue it and,finally, discourse on the resilience required to rebound fromset-backs in the review process, above all, reminded us allthat research is an emotion laden process.

Jaimie McMullenI have to admit that I was hesitant to enrol in theSpecialist Diploma because I initially saw it asone more thing to add to my already long list ofto-dos. After completing the first module I cansee that this course will be instrumental to helpme accomplish my professional research andwriting goals. I have already recognised severalweaknesses and barriers that exist in the way I structure mywriting/research time and immediately made adjustments. Itwas comforting to hear about the struggles and triumphs ofother early career academics because I now understand thatI am not alone. I really feel that the other students in themodule will be a great support to me as I try to achieve mywriting goals. This module has provided me with a fresh spark(that I needed) to get going on several projects that havebeen sitting on my desk for far too long. I have set a goal tohave three papers submitted to journals for review by the endof the spring semester. I hope that I can report in the nextissue of the e-zine that all or some of those have beenaccepted for publication! In the words of Henry Ford -Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.Anyone who keeps learning stays young.

.

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The rate of Total Knee Replacement (TKR) is increasing globally as a result of population growth, clinical success ofjoint replacement and changing demographic patterns. 40% of 40 year olds will have radiographic evidence of kneeosteoarthritis with approximately half of these presenting with symptoms. Between 2005 and 2030, the prevalence ofprimary and revision TKR procedures in the United States is predicted to increase 673% and 601% respectively.Based on VHI statistics, the number of Irish TKRs has increased by 173.4% between 1999 and 2009. There were4,300 Total Knee Replacements in Ireland in 2011, 1900 public, 2400 private. Interestingly 14% of patients weredissatisfied (Noble et al., 2005) and 18.2% were not satisfied (Baker et al., 2007) following TKR. With over 150 kneereplacement designs available Orthopaedic Surgeons have large choice of knee implants. Published researchassessing this range of knee implants offers little help to the surgeons as most outcome research is short-term,non-comparative and ignores the surgeons case-mix.

Total Knee Replacement and Return to SportDr. Ian Kenny Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences

Mr. Pauraic Murray and Ms Jane Campbell: Galway Clinic

Ian Kenny joined the Physical Education and Sport Sciences department in2007. Ian previously worked for the R&A, St. Andrews while completing hisPhD, then lectured at the University of Ulster Jordanstown. He teachesbiomechanics, functional anatomy and kinesiology and within the PESSBiomechanics Research Unit researches in his specialist area of appliedsports biomechanics and musculoskeletal modelling.

Figure 2: Mean ensemble knee flexion for all subjects showing the variablemovement of knee surgery subjects (top) compared to healthy subjects(bottom) for golf

Figure 1. Knee Model and Golfer Models

Since 2010 Ian Kenny, Galway Clinicconsultant orthopaedic surgeon ParaicMurray and research physiotherapistJane Campbell have been investigatingthe effects of different knee surgery onrehabilitation and knee movement for thelikes of walking, stair climbing and the golfswing (Kenny et al., 2012; Kenny et al.,2013). Figure 1 shows the developmentof knee replacement and full body humanmodels and Figure 2 shows some of thevariation in knee movement that kneesurgery patients showed, even after sixmonths of full rehabilitation.

One of the recent advancements in the field is that ofKinematically Aligned Total Knee Replacement (kTKR)which involves MRI scanning and three-dimensional (3D)modelling of a patients knee to determine their unique TKRalignment. The basis behind this technique is that eachpatient has their own natural lower leg alignment and planeof movement which might be a degree or two different fromthe next person. This work in progress suggests that bespokedevelopment of knee replacement devices for a patients ownknee alignment might result in an outcome that is moresimilar to their pre-operative knee structure. The most recentstudy between PESS and the Galway Clinic is comparingintegrated three-dimensional (3D) kinematics (movementpatterns) and in vivo kinetics (muscle electrical activity EMG)of the knee of daily tasks of walking, golf and stair-climbingfor traditional knee replacements, new kinematically alignedknee replacements and healthy matched controls, over athree year period.

Even after surgery, restoration of unimpaired functional abilityafter Total Knee Replacement is in the minority, with only33% of patients reporting no functional limitations post TKR(Wright et al., 2004). Medial leg muscle activation is currentlyconsidered to be the single most important factor insuccessful return to daily living tasks following TKR (Barkeret al., 2012). Medial leg muscle activation primarily assistswith knee stability and knee extension. While the theorybehind kinematically aligned TKR (kTKR) suggests thatimplants tailored with bone alignment cuts for a particularpatient's femoro-tibial orthogonal orientation will produce aflexion-extension plane better matched to their pre-operativeplane, the mechanisms for kTKR recovery and return tonormal function have not been investigated.

Research N

ews

Knee Surgery Subjects

Healthy Subjects

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Richmond Football Club,Melbourne, Australia and Special OlympicsIreland, Eastern Region.

A typical training day started at 8.30am. I setup 24 GPS units and gave them to selectedplayers, as instructed by management. Oncetraining started I monitored training, collected rate of perceivedexertions for each drill and kept the Elite Performance managerinformed of the distance covered in training. Post training Iuploaded all data, tidied away all GPS equipment and prepareda GPS report on training which was used by management andother sport science/medical staff to monitor players performanceand training load. On game days I inserted GPS in all the jerseys.A typical non-training day was generally shorter and I worked onprojects, as requested by the head coach, such as looking forcorrelation between length of pre-season training and placing inthe championship or trends in GPS game data and training data.I was also involved in some cogstate testing and performancetesting in the gym.

A Typical Day with Special Olympics Ireland was spent in theoffice, organising and planning events (Coaches Forum), bookingvenues, working on presentations and assisting RegionalDevelopment Officers for Sport.

Computer skills as well as somebiomechanics while with Richmond. Special Olympics introducedme to working as part of an organisation and communicationskills were highly important.

The most rewardingaspect with Richmond was seeing the work I did being put touse by management and other members of the sport sciencestaff. The most rewarding part of working with Special Olympicswas when an event that I helped organise went off well andeverybody enjoyed themselves.

My advice for co-op is to go anddo what you want to do. I chose to split my placement, and gottwo completely different experiences. If I was to go on co-opagain I would do exactly the same thing. Take every opportunitythat comes to you.

Leinster Rugby subAcademy (Strength and Conditioning)

Working with the Leinster Rugby Under18, 19 and 20 rugby teams and Leinster

Conditioning Coaches with a view to preparing teams for theinterprovincial competitions in September.

A typical day began at 8.30 am with a 30 minute speed andplyometric session, followed by a weights session. During theafternoon rugby session sessions I worked with any injuredplayers, who were unable to take part in the rugby session. Thiswas usually extra conditioning work, specifically tailored to theinjured player. As I had also gained experience throughcompeting in several Olympic weightlifting competitions, theLeinster strength and conditioning staff encouraged me to coachplayers on Olympic weightlifting during the gym sessions. I wasoften tasked with coaching any new players entering the subAcademy.

Getting to work with sucha large group of rugby players. I gained great experienceworking with players from under 16 up to under 20 and I gaineda great understanding of their development pathway all the wayup to senior level.

I would advise Co-Op studentsin the field of strength and conditioning to try to get as muchexperience as possible prior to going on Co-Op. I believe that Igained great experience working with Limerick underage hurlingteams that stood to me during my Co-Op.

Dublin City University andLoughborough University.

Physiological testing for a Europeanfunded DEXLIFE project in the School ofExercise and Health and Performance in DCU.My responsibilities included calibratingmetabolic machines used for VO2 max(running performance) testing, equipment preparation, anthropo-metric and body composition measurements, heart ratevariability tests on subjects using Vagus machines, preparationof subjects for ECG measurement and monitoring of subjectsduring performance tests. On another project which includedglucose tolerance testing, I was responsible for preparingglucose drinks, calibrating biochemistry equipment for bloodprocessing (e.g. calibrating centrifuge), and processing bloodsamples. On other days I helped PhD students with their datacollection, helped with the running of exercise classes for peoplerecovering from chronic illnesses, learned to use new equipmentand helped with FYPs.

While in Loughborough, I had a biomechanics placement. Thesystem I spent most of my time with was the Vicon MotionAnalysis system which consists of 18 cameras and computers.Calibration of the system takes a lot of time and calibrating itproperly takes lots of practice. Helping out with Masters and PhD

A Look at the Cooperative Experience of 5 Sport and ExerciseSciences Students

In 2013, 55 Sport and Exercise Sciences students went on coop, with eight students opting for Study Abroad Placements. Coop experiences varied for students with placements in strength andconditioning with elite clubs and teams, Special Olympics, research in academic departments, Sports Partnerships, physical therapy, schools and the leisure industry. There were 14 internationalplacements (Australia, New Zealand, USA and South Africa), 5 placements in the UK and the remainder in Ireland. In this feature, five Sport and Exercise Sciences 4th Year Students talk about theirCooperative Education Experience in 2013- the skills they used, the rewarding aspects of the placement and they offer some advice for Sport and Exercise Sciences students going on placement in thefuture.

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A Look at the Cooperative Experience of 5 Sport and ExerciseSciences Students

In 2013, 55 Sport and Exercise Sciences students went on coop, with eight students opting for Study Abroad Placements. Coop experiences varied for students with placements in strength andconditioning with elite clubs and teams, Special Olympics, research in academic departments, Sports Partnerships, physical therapy, schools and the leisure industry. There were 14 internationalplacements (Australia, New Zealand, USA and South Africa), 5 placements in the UK and the remainder in Ireland. In this feature, five Sport and Exercise Sciences 4th Year Students talk about theirCooperative Education Experience in 2013- the skills they used, the rewarding aspects of the placement and they offer some advice for Sport and Exercise Sciences students going on placement in the

projects was one of the main parts of my placement. Labelling3D data that was collected from trials performed by the Englishcricket teams were a large part of a typical day in Loughborough.These data were then used to produce reports on the bowlingtechniques of the bowlers. I also got the chance to work with theEnglish Cricket Board, Shane Warne (elite cricket bowler), and SkySports on rare occasions.

Interpersonal skills for meeting and greeting subjects,organisational skills (completing tasks and in the correct order)and computer skills (processing data and using new software).

The most rewarding aspect of my Coop was gaining experienceworking with people who are excellent at what they do in theirgiven fields and gaining hands on experience in the sportscience world.

Sport Science Assistantat West Coast EaglesAustralian FootballLeague Club (Perth,Australia).

On a typical day I worked closely with the players collectingdata which were used to monitor training loads, prevent injuriesand maximise performance. Daily tasks included managementof the GPS time-motion system and central database(smartabase), collection of wellness, exertion and risk factorvariables. I also attended all sport science and trainingplanning meetings that included all sport science, conditioning,rehab and physiotherapy staff. I was part of research andinnovations at the club where I collected and summarisedrelevant articles to improve the processes at the football club.

Learning from leaders inthe field of elite sport. Being at one of the most sophisticatedsport science departments in world sport, I had constant accessto expert advice and excellent learning resources to improve myacademic/professional ability. Being in a new country with adifferent culture was also an unforgettable life experience.

Get experience in a field you areinterested in. For me, I very much enjoyed the atmosphere andenvironment of an elite sports team, but it is not for everyone. Ifyou have a particular interest in an area try to get experience inthis area. Contact as many companies/people as you can to getthe best possible experience in your chosen field of interest. Alsokeep an open mind: during my placement at the Eagles Idiscovered future career interests I would not have expected, andalso ruled out possible career paths I previously desired.

PESS Department, workingas an assistant to Healthy Ageing Researchteam.

Days varied depending onthe phase of testing but this variety was oneof the most enjoyable parts of the work.During data collection days we would start around 7am andassist with collection of blood samples & DXA body scans. Otherdays I would assist with collection of data for strength andfunction which affect everyday life. Outside of these test weekswork would mainly consist of delivering exercise classes,answering participants queries, analysis of data and working inthe biochemistry lab to prepare blood samples for analysis.

As a physiology-based placement most of the skills were relatedto this discipline but there was a lot of overlap, and thismulti-disciplinary approach is probably more like the real worldof sport science. A lot of the lab work was new to me but reallyenjoyable. The exercise classes obviously involved coaching andsome of the skills from S&C and sports injuries modules helpedin this area. While I had a few years of coaching experiencebefore coop it had nearly all been with underage groups sothere was definitely some learning working with 50-70 year oldswho often had little or no experience of resistance training. Whilesport science skills were important, communication wasprobably the most used skill, whether it was with participants,postgraduate students or any other members of the department.I can honestly there wasnt a day that didnt involve talking,emailing or ringing someone and without it the rest of the systemsimply wouldnt work.

Seeing improvements in participants during the 12 weeks ofexercise classes and the enjoyment they got as they improved.

ASK QUESTIONS!!! Once you actually ask you learn so much moreand everyone was really supportive and helpful. Its a case of themore you put in the more you get out of it, so just be enthusiastic,enjoy it and hopefully pick up a few skills along the way too.

Dr. Brian Carson is the Cooperative Education coordinatorfor the Sport and Exercise Sciences programme. His role isto act as the academic link between the CooperativeEducation division, respective employers and students onplacement. As part of this remit he is involved in identifyingappropriate employment opportunities through industry andapplied sport and exercise practitioner links and conductingand assigning academic site visits. Academic visits to theworkplace are a particularly important element of theprocess which enable the PESS department to assess the suitability ofplacements, the performance of students, employer satisfaction and mostimportantly to foster relationships with employers in the field of sport andexercise science. The feedback received from employers in recent yearshas been extremely positive which reinforces the SES programme designand delivery and is testament to the high standard of our 3rd year students.

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LOUISE MCCAGH2013 WORLD TAEKWON-DO CHAMPION

I could be training anywhere between12-22 hours a week depending on thetime of year. Training consists ofsparring sessions, gym based weightssessions, conditioning sessions,

RESULTS TO DATE2013 World Championships, Benidorm, Spain. Gold -62kg sparring, Bronze Team sparring2013 European Championships, Skovde, Sweden. Silver Special Technique and Silver Team special technique2012 World Cup, Brighton, England. Gold and Bronze Special Technique (spilt into 2 separate categories for world Cups), Silver Sparring -58kg. Best Overall Senior Female Competitor2012 European Championships, Maribor, Slovenia. Silver sparring -58kg, Bronze Special technique and Bronze Team sparring

2009 until Present: 1st place National Ranking2009 World Championships, Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Silver -55kg Sparring, Silver Special technique, Bronze Patterns,

Bronze Special technique, Bronze Team Patterns. Captain of Junior Female Team

fitness and plyometric sessions. Thegym and 1:1 sparring sessions mostlytake place here in UL. The fitnesssessions at home or on the track in ULand my club sessions take place inShannon. However in the Summer Iwas based in Dublin with my co-op atNADA (National Athlete DevelopmentAcademy) so I was training with a fewdifferent clubs and was able to use thegym at NADA. The variety of fightersat NADA was a big help in the lead upto the World Championships.

Life as a full time student and athletecan be tough, as both are pretty timeconsuming. Preparation is key as Ihave to cook meals in advance andarrange training around lectures. Ialso have my own Tae Kwon-Do Clubwhere I coach 4 hours a week to helpfund my competing. I just have toprioritise depending on the time ofyear. The world championships andworld cup take place in October, so Iam able to focus on my studies oncethe competition is over.

The European Championships takeplace at the end of April/ start of Maywhich is just before exams. This canbe quite stressful and means bringinga laptop and notes to the competitionand studying during downtime.

My time management has improvedmassively over the past four years andall my lecturers in the departmenthave been very understanding.

SPORT & EXERCISE SCIENCES AT UL

TRAINING SESSIONS

Louise McCagh is a 4th year, Sport andExercise Sciences student in PESS,and in October 2013, aged 19, becamethe first Irish woman to win anInternational Taekwon-do Federation(ITF) World title at the ITF Taekwon-DoWorld Championships which were heldin Spain. Louise has become the fourthindividual senior champion from Irelandand the first ever female winner of asenior title. Louises incredibleachievement followed wins overcompetitors from Argentina, Norway,and Hungary. On route she also beatthe three time world champion andeight time European champion fromPoland, Ilona Omiecinska.

Louise is coached by Adrian Byrne whois a Coach Education DevelopmentOfficer in Coaching Ireland. Adrian is aPESS graduate and graduated fromUL with a BSc in Sport and ExerciseSciences in 2003. Adrian Byrne, wasthe head coach of the Irish delegationof 48 competitors and 7 coaches andmanagers.

In this feature, Louise takes time out todescribe what it is like to be a full timestudent and international athlete.

STUDENT AND ATHLETE

I chose to study Sport and ExerciseSciences initially to become as educatedas possible about my own trainingmethods as an athlete. I was looking foranything that would give me an edgeagainst other competitors. Through thecourse I have been able to keep in linewith the latest training methods,nutritional strategies, sports psychologyand recovery. This has helped me makelarge improvements in my performance.My final year project examines attentionalfocus and its effect on pattern perceptionin elite Taekwondo athletes.

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HIGHLIGHTS TO DATE & FUTURE PLANSThe World Championships is my highlightto date. It was something I have beenobsessed with since the age of 7 and itreally was a dream come true. Beatingopponents I had looked up to andwatched videos of when I was youngeren route to the gold medal was a massivehighlight too. Fighting in the Final of theWorld Cup in 2012 was a greatexperience. The final took place in agala. There was a huge crowd therewatching and the atmosphere wasindescribable. In terms of future plans, Ihope to retain the world championshiptitle in 2 years time and become one ofthe most successful females in TaeKwon-Do. I hope to graduate with a 1:1and then perhaps a Masters.

Ireland head coach Adrian Byrne with LouiseMcCagh at the World Championships.

Above left: Louise McCagh lands a counter backkick as Ilona Omiecinska comes forward.Above right: Louise McCagh and Chloe Aboud.Best overall senior and best overall juniorcompetitors at the 2012 ITF World Cup, Brighton.

Louise receives her medal along with Ilona Omiecinska(Silver) and Joanna Paprocka (Bronze) of Poland

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This feature reviews a recent publication by Dr.Ann MacPhail, Dr. Melissa Parker, Dr. DeborahTannehill (UL) and Dr. Kevin Patton (CaliforniaState University).

It is considered that 1) professional development (PD) isdesigned to transform teaching and is determined byteachers, 2) teachers view themselves as learners both interms of the process of learning in PD as well as the productof a specific PD situation, and 3) success for teachers isstudent learning. All three are equally powerful to teachereducators if one is to simply replace teachers with teachereducators. Yet, there has been a limited interest inexamining physical education teacher educators role andpractices in embedding professional responsibility, commit-ment to continued professional learning, for both teachereducators and pre-service teachers (PSTs) in physicaleducation teacher education (PETE) programmes (MacPhail,2011). Considerably less is known, when compared within-service teachers, about what constitutes continuingprofessional learning and development opportunities withinPETE programmes that have potential to instil in teachereducators and PSTs an appreciation for experiences that willcontribute to lifelong learning.

While the concept of communities of practice (CoP) has beenfrequently applied to ongoing professional development, littleis currently known about how professional learning structuresin teacher education might support these stages. Inparticular, the discussion and investigation of developmentas teacher educators and researchers is often overlooked.Directed by a landscape of CoP as PD (Parker, Patton, &Tannehill, 2012), where CoP are represented by thecomponents of success, guideposts, roadblocks, the role ofthe facilitator, and potential, four case studies are shared thatdemonstrate the extent to which PETE learning can bemapped onto the landscape. The four examples are framedby Wengers (2007) three distinguishing CoP elements: theyshare a domain of interest, members actively pursue thatinterest, and through sustained interaction they develop ashared practice.

CASESIn one case physical education teacher educators encouragea community with PSTs through modeling learning. The caseis set in a four-year PETE concurrent programme. In year oneof the programme, PSTs undertake a module in which theyare introduced to pedagogical principles and generalteaching strategies. While the pedagogical principles wereexplicit throughout the year one module, there was concernthat faculty were not capitalizing on other opportunities wherethe pedagogical principles could be revisited. This concernled to faculty choosing pedagogical principles to revisit,reinforce, and discuss further throughout other relevantteaching and learning opportunities in the programme.

A second case shares a PETE faculty and their strive forprogramme coherence that did not evolve as the members ofthe group initially envisioned. The group consisted of five

teacher education faculty; four of whom formed thecore of the teacher education programme and whowere administratively supported by a fifth. The PETEprogramme had recently been revised by one of thefour (with encouragement of the fifth), one facultyjoined the group just at the end of the revisedprogramme creation, and the other two faculty were new tothe programme and the institution. The hope was that allcould coalesce around the delivery of the PETE programme.

It is assumed that collaboration in research is 'a good thing'and that it should be encouraged. As such it is a source ofstimulation and creativity, providing intellectual companion-ship while extending an individual researcher's network. Thethird case portrays an example of a successful researchcollaboration. It depicts how a pair of PETE researcherssuccessfully navigated the process of creating andmaintaining a collaborative relationship across two institu-tions and in essence, formed a mini-CoP.

Case study 4 is about the coming together of two sets ofcollaborative relationships into a research team with acommon focus in teacher education research. Eachcollaboration included a senior academic and a younger,capable scholar at the peak of his or her career. The twosenior colleagues were experienced PhD advisors, well-developed and published researchers and teachereducators, yet over the past number of years had reducedtheir involvement in and output of research. On the otherhand, the two younger colleagues were both prominentresearchers in their own right.

DISCUSSIONIn each of the cases there was a shared construction ofknowledge that continued over time resulting from frequentdiscourse and active and social engagement that varied indegree depending on the stage of CoP development. Yet, itwas clear that the embedded components within thelandscape were enacted in diverse ways and to variousextents across the four case studies; thus resulting in theclassifications of collections of teachers, established groups,and true CoP. In essence, a CoP that is sustained over time,involves shared member goals, frequent discourse, is activeand social, and characterized by problems being solved bythe members has exudes more potential for participantprofessional learning. The ideas in this paper in tandem withWengers (1998) CoP process can encourage teacher edu-cators to consider whether opportunities undertaken in aPETE programme, and with colleagues external to the PETEprogramme encourage an authentic CoP.

References MacPhail, A. (2011) Professional learning as a physical education teacher educator,

Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 16(4), 435-45. Parker, M., Patton, K., & Tannehill, D. 2012. Mapping the landscape of communities

of practice as professional development in Irish physical education. Irish Education-al Studies, 31, 311-327.

Wenger, E. (2007). Communities of practice. A brief introduction.Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

More information about this study can be found at:

MacPhail, A., Patton, K., Parker, M., & Tannehill, D. 2014. Leading byExample: Teachers Professional Learning Through Communities ofPractice. Quest. 66 (1), 39-56. DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2013.826139

Leading by Example: Teacher Educators'Professional Learning through Communities of Practice

Dr. Melissa ParkerDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences

Research

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In recognition of the University of Limericks uniquecontribution to sport regionally, nationally and internationallyand to round off an excellent year of events celebrating UL40,the University of Limerick Sports Hall of Fame was unveiledon Saturday 28 September at UL Arena. The sixteen retiredathletes chosen as inaugural inductees have been selectedfrom the four decades of sporting excellence in ULs history.According to Professor Don Barry, President, University ofLimerick These sixteen individuals.have reached thepinnacle of their sporting careers and have earned ourhighest esteem and gratitude for their contribution to ULSport .

Of the 16 inductees, eleven are either graduates of thedepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciencesor formerly Thomond College of Education, or have beenteaching faculty of the department. The achievements ofthese eleven inductees are described in this feature. Thedepartment would also like to acknowledge the otherinductees and congratulate them on their sportingachievements. They are as follows:

Gerard Hartmann (Triathlon) Eddie Keher (Hurling) Sen McMahon (Hurling) Sen OGrady (Paralympic Athletics) Ray Silke (Gaelic Football)

Sarahjane Belton was a student atthe department of Physical Educa-tion and Sport Sciences andgraduated in 2001 with a BSc. inPhysical Education. She laterembarked upon postgraduateresearch under the supervision ofDr. Ciaran MacDonncha andgraduated with a PhD in 2006.Sarahjane is a lecturer in thedepartment of health and human

Graduates and Staff from the Departmentof Physical Education and Sport Sciencesrecognised in the UL Sport Hall of Fame

Eddie OSullivan, Sarahjane Belton, Declan Kidney and Tony Ward at the UL Hallof Fame celebrations in October 2013.

performance at Dublin City University. After taking up rugbyin 1999, Sarahjane Belton played for Munster and Ireland andcaptained her country on 26 occasions. She led Ireland toqualify for the 2006 World Cup finals and was selected atout-half on the World All-Star XV team, the only Irish playerever to bestowed this honour. Belton played rugby with theUniversity of Limerick and coached the team to two All-Ireland and two intervarsity titles in the mid-2000s. She wasone of the founding players of UL-Bohemian Womens RugbyTeam and won 8 All-Ireland titles with the team.

Eimear Cregan was a student atthe department of Physical Educa-tion and Sport Sciences andgraduated in 2005 with a BSc. inSport and Exercise Sciences andin 2008 with a Graduate Diplomain Education (Physical Education).With 171 appearances for Ireland,Eimear was the most capped Irishhockey player of all time when sheretired in 2011. She scored 26international goals, played in fourEuropean championships and oneWorld Cup and captained Ireland from 2008-2011. Creganwon an Outstanding Achievement Alumni Award for Sport atthe University of Limerick in 2010. Cregan played camogiefor Limerick at all levels and was part of the University ofLimerick team that won the Ashbourne Cup in 2005.

Jimmy Deenihan was student ofThomond College of Educationand graduated in 1976 with a B.Ed.Physical Education. Kerry foot-baller, Jimmy Deenihan won oneUnder-21 All Ireland, sevenprovincial, four National Leagueand five All-Ireland Senior medalsbetween 1973 and 1982. In 1981,Deenihan collected his seventhMunster Championship medal,captained Kerry to their fourthconsecutive All-Ireland win and earned an All-Star award.

Deenihan was elected to Dail Eireann in 1987. He wasappointed Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in2011.

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Liam Hennessy was as student ofThomond College of Education andgraduated in 1981 with a B.A. inPhysical Education and in 1993with a PhD. Liam Hennesycompeted on more than 55occasions for Ireland at the polevault and holds the Munster Under-23 mens indoor record to this day.An exercise physiologist andstrength and conditioning coach ofinternatinal repute, Hennessy hasworked withsome of the wolrds most prestigious sportingindividuals and teams, including the Atlanta 1996 IrishOlympic athletes, the IRFU, Padraig Harrington, the TitleistPerformance Institute, inter-county Gaelic football and hurlingteams and professional soccer teams in Germany, Italy andEngland.

Sinead Millea was a student at thedepartment of Physical Educationand Sport Sciences and graduatedin 1997 with a B.A. in PhysicalEducation. During her outstandingcareer in camogie, Sinead Milleawon seven Leinster Champion-ships, four National League andtwo All-Ireland Championshipmedals with Kilkenny. Millea was akey member of the University ofLimerick team that won theAshbourne Cup in 1995 and wonthe Ashbourne Shield in 1996 and was selected on theCombined Universities team on four occasions. She was therecipient of an All-Star award in 2004.

Brian Mullins was a student ofThomond College of Educationand graduated in 1976 with a B.Ed.in Physical Education. BrianMullins won four All-Ireland andnine Leinster Championshipmedals between 1974 and 1985.He was honoured with All-Starawards following the 1976 and1977 All-Ireland wins andcaptained Dublin in 1985.

Ciara Peelo was a student at thedepartment of Physical Educationand Sport Sciences and graduatedin 2005 with a BSc. in PhysicalEducation. Ciara Peelo represent-ed Ireland at the 2008 OlympicGames in Bejing in the womensLaser Radial class. Peelo servedas coach for the Irish Youth teamsin a number of classes, at Worldand European Championshipsduring the 2000s.

Eddie OSullivan was a student ofThomond College of Educationand graduated in 1980 with a B.A.in Physical Education. DuringEddie OSullivans reign as headcoach of the national rugby teamfrom 2001-2008, Ireland won threeTriple Crowns in four years,finished second in the Six Nationson four occasions and rose to thirdin the world rankings in 2003 and2006.

Pat Spillane was a student ofThomond College of Educationand graduated in 1977 with a B.Edin Physical Education. One of themost decorated footballers in Irishhistory, Pat Spillane won eight All-Ireland football Senior Footballmedals with Kerry and earned nineAll-Star awards, a feat matched byno other Gaelic Footballer. He waschosen on the GAAs FootballTeam of the Centrury in 1984 andTeam of the Millennium in 2000.

Carmel Vekins was a lecturer atthe department of Physical Educa-tion and Sport Sciences /ThomondCollege of Education from 1975-2006. During her 35 year careerCarmel Vekins was a national andinternational competitor andadministrator in kayaking andcanoe polo. She won numerousinternational medals including aworld cup bronze medal inWomens K2 in 1985. Vekins heldadministrative positions at home,at European and at world level with the International CanoeFederation. Vekins designed and delivered the first canoepolo coach education programme in Ireland.

Tony Ward was a student of Thomond College of Educationand graduated in 1978 with a B.A.in Physical Education. Tony Wardplayed for Munster, Leinster,Ireland, the Barbarians and theBritish and Irish Lions during 1975-1987. Ward played a pivotal rolein Munsters historic 12-0 defeat ofthe All Blacks in 1978. He won 19caps and scored 113 points forIreland and was named EuropeanRugby Player of the Year in 1979.Ward continues to contribute toIrish rugby in a coaching capacityand as a respected journalist and commentator.All photos from Corporate Affairs, University of Limerick

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Achievements

The 3rd Annual Presidents Volunteer Award Ceremony took place at the University of Limerick on the 16thOctober 2013. Over 150 UL student volunteers were recognised and rewarded for their commitment tocommunity development by the President of University of Limerick, Professor Don Barry. This yearsstudent body amassed a staggering 10,500 volunteering hours with 65 local, regional, national andinternational communities. Five students/graduates from the PESS department received awards at theUL Presidents Volunteer Award ceremony.

Laura-Anne Furling (PESS PG) received an award as a result of time given to the Irish HockeyAssociation, UL Clubs and Societies (specifically UL Handball Club) and Concern.

Orla Foley from the MSc. in Sports Performance, received an award for her work related to theBoru Three Peaks race every year (Orla Foley at the awards, pictured right).

Niall Touhy and Lt. Conor Hurley (SES graduates 2013) also received awards. Nialls andConors awards were related to the huge amounts of time they gave to Clubs and Societieswhile studying in UL.

Kevin Bolger in year 4 of the BSc Physical Education programme also received an award.

PRESIDENTS VOLUNTEER AWARDS 2013

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORT SCIENCES STUDENT BALL 2013The PESS Ball 2013 experienced a refreshing change ofpace, with the organisation of the event being entirely studentled. The committee demonstrated tremendous teamwork,with representatives from both the Sports Science and Phys-ical Education programmes working in unison to make theevent a success. In honour of the many years of dedicationCian ONeill (past lecturer of the PESS department) gave tothe planning and organisation of the event, the committeechose a charity close to Cians heart to donate the proceedsfrom the occasion.

Ians Trust is a charity, initiated by John and Oorla Cusack,Ians parents, for the support of sufferers and families ofchildren with Acquired Brain Injuries. Cian is a friend of thefamily who worked closely with Ian on his rehabilitation aftera tragic road traffic accident. The charity was founded afterIans untimely passing on August 17th 2012 aged 9. Ian or ashe was known Ian Bean was a very special boy who alwayswanted to be a Superhero, he loved life and laughed eventhrough the toughest days and could bring a smile to anyone.

The sum of 1,800 raised on the night was dedicated to IansTrust in order to facilitate John and Oorla in the work theycarry out day to day. They have set up and Ians trust websitewww.ianstrust.com where events can be followed. John andOorla Cusack, as well as Cian ONeill, were distinguishedguests on the night. Kind words from Oorla Cusack,accompanied by the excellent MC work of Daniel Tindall(PESS Department), helped to make the night a hugesuccess.

The night would not have been possible without the hardwork and dedication displayed by the student representativeson the committee. Their ability to work as a unit, guided byUrsula McCarthy (PESS Department), enabled the night tobe a huge success. The 2013 PESS Ball created unquestion-able cohesion between the Sport Science and PhysicalEducation students within the department, which will hopeful-ly be continued in years to come. Special recognition is givento the Committee members who took time from their hecticcollege lives in order to make the night a massive success:Aoife Courtney (3rd yr PE) and Aisling Reid (4th yr SES) [ChiefOrganisers], Eoghan Hogan (4th yr PE), Noirin Murphy (3rd yrPE), Cormac Powell (Post-Grad Rep), Alana Frattaroli (3rd yrSES), Maeve Hurley (2nd yr PE), Padraig Lillis (2nd yr SES),Tony McBride (1st yr PE), Leanne Moore (1st yr PE) and MilaMaguire (1st yr SES).

These words were sent infrom Oorla Cusack on behalfof herself and John thefounders of the Trust.

Both John and I had thegreat privilege of beinginvited to the PESS ballwhich was dedicated to Ian'sTrust this year. What struckme initially was the beauty ofthe room and the way it wasdecorated in Ian's favouritecolours with moons andstars. The committee went tosuch great lengths to havethings perfect. It moved meto tears. The night was justamazing and speaking to everyone and telling them aboutour work was a true honour. A Brain Injury has such adevastating effect on the whole family and I felt all of thestudents listened to our message and I feel they all left thatnight with a new awareness of ABI. We both enjoyedsharing this great night with you all.Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts...To themoon and back..John & Oorla Cusack

1. (L-R) Laura O'Sullivan, Tara Staunton and Aoife Courtney2. (L-R) Cait De Van, Claire Hughes, Eabha Howard, Julia white and Niamh O'Dea(3rd year PE)3. (L-R) Michelle Fleming, Aisling Reid, Dr. Brian Carson, Dr. Mark Lyons & Dervla Kilmartin

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The inaugural University Hospital Limerick (UHL) Research Symposium was held on October 18th 2013 at the Strand Hotel inLimerick. Organised by the Graduate Entry Medical School, the purpose of the research symposium was to showcase thebreadth, depth and quality of health related research that is being progressed at University hospitals, in primary care and rightacross the University Campus. A number of staff and postgraduate students from