Category: Family

It is not unusual for an athlete to have a problem with an agent in the sporting industry. Alex Bregman joins the list of athletes who have had a problem with their agent. In 2020, Bregman parted ways with his agent Brodie Schofield because of the production of a documentary focusing on tracking the 2017 Astros sign-stealing cheating scandal (Valenzuela, 2020). Bregman felt angry and betrayed by the move to focus on producing a documentary on a scandal that damaged his image in 2017 (Valenzuela, 2020).

Bregman expected his agent Brodie to prevent the production of that documentary, especially by James affiliated Media Company. This is based on the fact that a sports agent is supposed to promote sports figure, handle endorsement deals, and manage their finances (Kamberg, 2017). Based on this, Bregman believed that Brodie failed to perform his duty as an agent by producing a documentary that would continue to impact his image in the industry negatively.

The situation that led to Bregman firing Brodie was Jamess intention to produce a documentary on the sign-stealing scandal. Brodie was representing Bregman at a company known as Klutch sports. Like Bregman, James, a basketball player, is represented by Klutch Sports (Valenzuela, 2020). However, apart from being a basketball player, James has a budding media company known as Uninterrupted, which announced that it is producing a sign-stealing documentary. Bregman believed that James intended to hurt his feelings, and his agent Brodie was doing nothing to prevent such a move. In addition, Bregman understands that the production of the documentary is likely to awaken the illegal scandal that tainted his image (Valenzuela, 2020).

In my view, Brodie as an agent does not have control over what is being documented by James media company. So, Bregman firing his agent could be tied to other issues and not because of the documentary.

References

Kamberg, M. L. (2017). A dream job as a sports agent (1^st ed.). The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Valenzuela, S. (2020). Astros Alex Bregman dumps his agent because of affiliation to LeBron James: reports. New York Daily News. Web.

The given article review will primarily focus on the doping control in sports, where the selected research investigates the elite athletes perception and trust in regards to the doping system within their corresponding areas. In short, the article reveals that two-thirds of all athletes in the sample found the current national system to be satisfactory, whereas the remaining one-third had some concerns. However, a majority of the participants did not fully trust the doping system of certain countries because they thought that these nations were not strict enough in order to win medals. In addition, an athletes negative experience with the doping system made him or her highly distrustful, and the ones who rely on its effectiveness experience more frustration.

The individuals were elite athletes from various sports, and they were surveyed through a web-based questionnaire. The total number of units in the sample was equal to 645, but the response rate was 43% (Overbye 10). The first key point of the article is the fact that the majority of the elite athlete had no problems with their corresponding nation anti-doping systems. Therefore, they were mostly satisfied with how these systems operated and worked. However, they still had certain concerns about the doping system of other nations since they mainly compete internationally. The main reason is manifested in the fact that some nations do not preserve the overall strictness of the anti-doping testing measures in order to increase the chances of winning medals for the specified country.

The second key point is that the elite athletes, who had a negative experience with the doping system or witnessed its flaws, were highly distrustful of it. It is also accompanied by the notion that the athletes, who rely more on the perfect functioning of the doping system, were more frustrated with imperfections and inaccuracies (Overbye 10). In other words, the athletes coming from nations where the anti-doping system is strict and accurate do not trust the systems of other countries, and thus, feel a sense of frustration in this regard.

The article illuminates both evident and non-obvious considerations of the athletes for the doping systems across the world. The main disadvantage of the article is the fact that it primarily focuses on Danish athletes, who mostly come from a single organization. Therefore, one might argue that the sample is not fully representative of both Danish and worldwide athletes. The methodology of a web-based questionnaire allows to conduct surveys internationally, or at least within the regions of the European Union. One can also argue that athletes from nations with a higher probability of corruption in the doping systems might be less satisfied with it.

The article provides valuable insight into the key driving forces behind athletes trust or distrust in the doping system. It provides a relevant information about the fact that the ones coming from strict and less corrupt systems might be more worried about their international rivals, who undergo less strict controls. Therefore, the study was able to generalize the results in a succinct and clear manner with proper precision within the context of the data acquired. However, it lacks a certain form of credibility due to the sampling method, which focused on athletes from a single organization (Overbye 10). Such an adherence might skew the general results towards a positive two-thirds value, whereas the real estimate would be lower. Thus, the article could be useful in the profession of sports management in regards to the doping system, but one needs to question these results and rely on experience as an additional factor.

Work Cited

Overbye, Marie. Doping Control in Sport: An Investigation of How Elite Athletes Perceive and Trust the Functioning of the Doping Testing System in Their Sport. Sport Management Review, vol. 19, no. 1, 2016, pp. 6-22.

Literature Review

Recently, there have been shifting patterns of marriage and family formation. Along with an increased number of divorces, there has been a rise in the number of people choosing cohabitation over marriage (Graf, 2019; Vorster, 2008). According to Graf (2019), 59% of US adults aged 18-44 have ever cohabited, while only 50% of them have ever been married. The trend of preferring cohabitation over marriage gives rise to concern for several reasons. First, cohabiting unions demonstrate less stability over time than marriage unions (Sassler & Lichter, 2020). Second, cohabiting individuals are less satisfied with their relationships than married ones (Graf, 2019).

Vorster (2008) also points out that children in cohabiting unions are more fragile than those in married families, and cohabiting unions with children are more likely to dissolve than married ones (p. 474). At the same time, researchers emphasize the role of religion in preserving traditional marriage and family patterns (Kogan & Weißmann, 2019; Vorster, 2008). Therefore, this study will aim to answer the research question of how the degrees of religiosity are related to peoples decision to cohabit.

For the purpose of this paper, it is necessary to provide operational definitions of religiosity and cohabitation. Religiosity is defined as an expression of the intensity of individuals religious beliefs, i.e., the degree to which individuals are involved in religious practices and their religious communitys life (Kogan & Weißmann, 2019, p. 3632). It will be measured in terms of the importance of religion to individuals and will include four degrees of religiosity, ranging from not at all important to very important. Cohabitation refers to a situation when a couple shares a residence but not a marriage (Griffiths et al., 2017, p. 310). The study will investigate whether individuals of various degrees of religiosity have had an experience cohabiting.

Researchers studied various factors associated with peoples choosing cohabitation over marriage. For example, Wilson, Chambers, and Woods (2005) explored the relationship between cohabitation and race. They found that never-married African Americans were more likely to have cohabited than their never-married Caucasian counterparts (Wilson et al., 2005). Researchers also found that Caucasians were more likely to transit to marriage after cohabitation, while for African Americans, the marriage did not follow cohabitation (Wilson et al., 2005).

Mexican Americans approve of cohabitation because they see it as a precursor of marriage, while Puerto Ricans view cohabitation as an alternative to marriage (Wilson et al., 2005). Thus, culture is a significant factor influencing individuals decisions regarding union formation. Since religion is part of the culture, it may be assumed that it also has an impact on peoples choice of marriage or cohabitation.

While culture is an important factor associated with family and marriage, various studies came to the conclusion that individuals choose cohabitation over marriage for economic reasons. For example, a recent survey by Pew Research Center revealed that 38% of cohabiting adults moved in with their partners for financial reasons, and 37% of them did so for convenience (Graf, 2019). Furthermore, among those cohabiters who plan to marry someday, 29% say that their partners are not ready financially for marriage yet, and 27% argue that they themselves lack finances for marriage (Graf, 2019).

Sassler and Lichter (2020) explain this by increasing income inequality and a gap between the middle and poor classes. Since marriage requires money, it is increasingly viewed as a luxury, so cohabitation represents a cheaper alternative, a kind of poor mans marriage (Sassler & Lichter, 2020, p. 42). Hence, individuals financial position is strongly related to their decision to cohabit rather than marry.

Although various factors are associated with union formation decisions, with individuals economic situation being one of the most important of them, there is a view that religion can be the factor restraining people from cohabiting. For example, Vorster (2008) provides an overview of Christian principles related to marriage. The researcher argues that the Bible views marriage not as a private matter but as a public one (Vorster, 2008).

From this perspective, cohabitation seems questionable because it neglects the significance of a vow and disregards the involvement of the fellow Christians as witnesses of the vow, the civil authorities and the extended family (Vorster, 2008, p. 474). Vorster (2008) comes to the conclusion that current trends in union formation are damaging from the Christian point of view. Therefore, Christians and churches may try to fix the negative trends by the dissemination of Christian principles related to marriage and family.

Various scholars studied the impact of religion on individuals relationships and attitudes toward different family patterns. Kogan and Weißmann (2019) examined the association between young peoples religion and religiosity and their attitudes toward sexual liberalization and pre-marital cohabitation. The participants of their study were immigrant adolescents in four immigrant-receiving countries  Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, and England. Researchers found that individuals adhering to Christianity or Islam and having a high degree of religiosity rejected pre-marital cohabitation and sexual liberalization (Kogan & Weißmann, 2019).

Such views pertain to Christians of both majority and minority ethnic views and cannot be explained by individuals ethnic or immigrant background and socio-demographic characteristics (Kogan & Weißmann, 2019). At the same time, less religious and non-religious youth, regardless of their religious affiliation, are more tolerant of pre-marital cohabitation (Kogan & Weißmann, 2019). Kogan and Weißmann (2019) also explained why highly religious Muslims intolerance toward sexual liberation drew more public attention than zealous Christians intolerance. The reason for this is that, among Muslims, there are more highly religious individuals than among Christians, and they change their religious convictions more rarely.

Another study aimed at exploring the differences in religiosity among single persons, married individuals, and those in non-formalized relationships. It was conducted by Czy|owska, Gurba, BiaBek, Czy|owska, and Kalus (2020), who studied the sample of 302 men and 321 women in Poland. They found that people in non-formalized relationships were less religious than married individuals (Czy|owska et al., 2020).

Researchers related these results to the fact that in Catholicism, marriage was highly valuable, while non-formalized relationships were unacceptable, so highly religious people chose this type of family pattern over cohabitation. Czy|owska et al. (2020) also discovered that there was no significant difference in religiosity between married men and women, which may indicate that people select partners with similar personal values.

Overall, researchers found significant differences in the values of married and non-married people. Married individuals valued traditions and security and were inclined to limit their aspirations for the sake of their partner, while individuals in non-formalized relationships appreciated self-direction, hedonism, excitement, and novelty (Czy|owska et al., 2020). Thus, the level of religiosity and personal values constitute a considerable difference between married and cohabiting couples.

One research focused on exploring the role of religion in the relationships of cohabiting individuals. Henderson, Ellison, and Glenn (2017) found that cohabiting and dating couples sharing common religious values were more satisfied with their relationships and more willing to marry someday than other individuals. However, researchers also reported that cohabiting partners attending religious services sometimes could experience social stigma because of their religious communities unacceptance of their non-formalized relationships (Henderson et al., 2017). Hence, religion is positively associated with the quality of relationships in same-faith couples.

To sum up, peoples decision to cohabit rather than marry is related to various factors, the most prominent among which is their financial situation. Yet, studies also show that higher religiosity leads people to choose marriage over cohabitation. Research also suggests that this choice is related to individuals degree of religiosity, while religious affiliation is not very important. The reviewed studies explored the association between religiosity and the decision to cohabit in European countries and were focused mainly on young people.

Research Design

The purpose of this study is to identify whether there is a relationship between individuals degree of religiosity and their involvement in cohabitation. The literature review suggests that, although there is a persistent trend toward choosing cohabitation over marriage, religion discourages people from cohabiting. Given these findings, this study hypothesizes that the higher the degree of individuals religiosity, the less likely they are to engage in cohabitation.

The independent variable will be religiosity because it is assumed that the degree of individuals religiosity influences their decision to cohabit or marry. Griffiths et al. (2017) state that an independent variable is used for the cause and a dependent variable refers to the effect. So, the dependent variable will be peoples decision to cohabit or marry. The research method will be a survey, which is an appropriate method for researching peoples reported individual behaviors and attitudes (Griffiths et al., 2017). To measure the independent variable, the survey will contain a question about the importance of religion for a person. The importance will range from 0 to 3, with 0 meaning that religion is not important for a person, and 3 meaning that religion is very important. The dependent variable will be measured by asking peoples relationship status and attitudes toward cohabitation.

The research design for this study will be non-experimental because the independent variable, i.e., religiosity, cannot be manipulated. A sample for the survey will include people aged over 18 who are currently in relationships that last at least one year. The survey will be administered via the Internet because this method is cost-effective and allows for reaching a large number of participants. In addition, an online survey excludes the possibility of interviewer bias.

The researcher will ensure that the study will have reliability and validity. The reliability of the survey will be ensured by composing questions that cannot be interpreted ambiguously and make respondents give the same answers each time they take the survey. The validity will be ensured by measuring the religiosity of married and cohabiting individuals to study the association between religiosity and the decision to cohabit rather than marry.

References

Czy|owska, D., Gurba, E., BiaBek, A., Czy|owska, N., & Kalus, A. (2020). Young adults in relationships and singles: Religiosity and the structure of values. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 41(4), 388-405. Web.

Graf, N. (2019). Key findings on marriage and cohabitation in the U.S. Pew Research Center. Web.

Griffiths, H., Keirns, N., Strayer, E., Cody-Rydzewski, S., Scaramuzzo, G., Sadler, T., & Jones, F. (2017). Introduction to sociology 2e. Houston, TX: Rice University.

Henderson, A. K., Ellison, C. G., & Glenn, N. D. (2017). Religion and relationship quality among cohabiting and dating couples. Journal of Family Issues, 39(7), 1904-1932. Web.

Kogan, I., & Weißmann, M. (2019). Religion and sexuality: Between- and within-individual differences in attitudes to pre-marital cohabitation among adolescents in four European countries. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 46(17), 3630-3654. Web.

Sassler, S., & Lichter, D. T. (2020). Cohabitation and marriage: Complexity and diversity in unionformation patterns. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 35-61. Web.

Vorster, J. M. (2008). Christian ethical perspectives on marriage and family life in modern Western culture. HTS, 64(1), 463-481.

Wilson, M. N., Chambers, A. L., & Woods, L. N. (2005). Fathers in African American families: The importance of social and cultural context. In W. M. Pinsof & J. L. Lebow (Eds.), Family psychology: The art of the science (pp. 327-348). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Physical culture and exercise play a vital role in peoples lives. It becomes a fundamental part of improving the health and well-being of a person and a key factor in developing the psychological state of an individual (Sparks et al. 2). With such meaningful participation in sports in human life, many people do not even think about a strong connection between physics and sports. In almost every sport, the laws of physics are present and applied.

The sport itself originally appeared in England, where carriers competed with each other, who were absolute professionals relative to other people. Initially, neither the vessels nor the so-called athletes themselves were similar to the sport that is now called sports rowing. Later, much was done to make the bulky and clumsy boats develop high speeds. Lighter materials were used to manufacture academic boats, making the vessels narrower and more streamlined. Additionally, a significant advance in rowing was the invention of a movable seat  bank, which made it possible to use all the strength of the legs.

During rowing, athletes use the muscles not only of the arms but also of the legs and back. The rowing itself is cyclical; the movements performed on the line on which the athletes  vessel moves are repeated and performed with the strength and speed fixed by the athlete. All the work that takes place during rowing aims to overcome wind resistance and resist the friction force of water and air. That is why, through the deepening of knowledge about the connection of academic rowing with physics, it is possible to eliminate some athletes mistakes and improve the teams results.

Modern academic vessels are divided into swing and pair vessels. Doubles are singles, twos, and fours; in pairs, the athlete rows with two oars, in the swing  with one. However, it should not be considered that it is easier to grow in a rowboat. There is only one paddle, but it is much longer and heavier than other ones. The size and weight of the boats vary depending on the athlete and his weight and height. Most miniature boats have high maneuverability and are convenient for use by a minimum number of athletes. The advantage of long twenty-meter boats is fast speed gain, many athletes, and close work between the competition participants.

This division of vessels is not accidental; it allows rowers with different physical characteristics to show their capabilities. In singles, for example, athletes with excellent coordination and a propensity for independent decisions usually succeed. On deuces with a coxswain, the rowers are more often tall, with great physical strength. In the top eight, trainers prefer to put athletes distinguished by their tightness and sense of rhythm. The correct position of the body is such that the back, during the start, is slightly pushed forward, the shoulders are relaxed and extended, the handles of the oars are held only by the fingers, the hand and forearm create a straight line (Labbé et al. 6). The rower should look in front of him so that oxygen will flow into the lungs, which will help avoid an accident.

There are two main points  this is the beginning and end of the stroke. The beginning is characterized by the entrance, the water hook with the oars, and the stroke itself. The end of the stroke is a position where the torso and legs form an obtuse angle, and the handles should approach the lower ribs. That is followed by the removal of the oars from the water and recovery. After that, cycling occurs, and the athlete continues to alternate these actions, that is, to row, until he comes to the finish line.

The force of resistance can help the rower and hinder since most of the more remarkable resistance comes from the wind. Therefore, turning the paddle blade by scrolling the handle becomes very important: we change it to the horizontal one from the vertical position. It will also increase the boats stability due to maintaining the exact distance of the blades from the water. The force of friction affects the boats movement on the water. That happens because even despite the most significant efforts of the rowers, if the force and maneuverability were not correctly positioned, the rowers would not be able to maintain balance on the boat. If the action of water and air did not hinder the boats movement, the boat would move evenly and straightforwardly for an unlimited time.

It is also important to note the effect of the physical force of the lever on more efficient control and movement of the boat. The lever is used to get more force on the short shoulder by using less force on the extended shoulder. In rowing, the second lever principle is used for more movement on the long shoulder with less movement on the short one. As an example, the influence of knowledge about physical properties on rowing is manifested during movement. For example, to increase the intensity of rowing and the boats speed, it is essential to increase the speed of the stroke and not the speed of preparation for it. That is achieved by the fact that the blade is in the water for less time, and, accordingly, braking is reduced due to water resistance.

Rowing is a beautiful sport, and the main difference between kayaks and canoes is the boats unique design. The movable seat allows sportspeople to bend their legs at the knees. Due to this, the muscles of the lower extremities are included in the work. At the same time, an extensive range of movements increases the load on the chest and shoulder girdle muscles. A particular stroke stretches the muscles of the back and abs. Classical rowing develops the entire human muscular system. Academic rowing is a challenging sport, both technically and physically. To achieve great success, athletes need to be solid and hardy to withstand all the loads and intelligent and resourceful to master the technique and adequately tune in to the race.

To conclude, due to the reasons listed above, it is so important to know the laws of physics that affect the objects around people. Each athlete or even a group of athletes can improve their results by applying them in practice because of their knowledge. It is also essential to correct the movements to an ideal state and bring them to be automatic. Those athletes who were able to feel the full force of the movements and the correctness of their execution can become real champions. Thus, by combining intelligence and strength, each athlete will become part of what will lead the entire team to victory.

References

Labbé, Romain, et al. Physics of Rowing Oars. New Journal of Physics, vol. 21, no. 9, 2019, pp. 1-12.

Sparks, Katherine V., et al. Conscious Processing and Rowing: A Field Study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2021, pp. 117. Web.

The case study under consideration is entitled Supporting the Organizations Mission (The Georges Hotel). It was created by Myrna Gusdorf in 2013. The author describes the current issues connected with the staffs behavior. The peculiar feature of the hotel is that it is run by the Mitchel Family. The case starts with the brief overview of the hotel and the Garden Terrace Restaurant. The hotel has one hundred sixty-three guest rooms that are served by seventy employees. Thirty-five employees work at the Garden Terrace Restaurant.

Owners of the Georges Hotel are Jeff and Chad Mitchell  two brothers that were involved in the hospitality business since childhood. Their parents had a motel, and boys grew up there. Jeff Mitchel was interested in a hospitality business since childhood. Jeff could do anything including cleaning rooms or sweeping the yard because he was passionate about working in hotels. On the contrary, Chad did not like this business, and he was not eager to help his family. Currently, Jeff is a chief executive officer at the Georges Hotel while Chad is a vice president of the community relations. Brothers attitude towards the hospitality business did not change. Jeff is ready to devote all his time and efforts to the work while Chad prefers playing golf and spending days in some other places. Chads wife, Cindy, saves the situation by executing her husbands responsibilities. Cindy is the director of human resources. Cindy is well-respected by other employees, and she is an excellent partner for Jeff.

Most of the employees are family members. Relatives and friends are employed throughout the hotel. Such situation occurred spontaneously. As a director of human resources, Cindy always preferred hiring by referral. She believed that it was the best way to find the right people. Even now, when the hotel has an available job offer, Cindy tries to hire by referral. Jeff, Chad, and Cindy have emphasized the significance of the family relations in the hotels mission. According to the case study, The hotels mission promises guests exemplary service and a memorable hotel experience. For employees, it promises a superior work environment and continued support for a satisfying career (Gusdorf, 2013, p. 5). Family members are often invited to lunches or parties organized by the hotel.

Jeff plans to build another hotel and establish a multiunit organization in several cities. However, Cindy is worried that the successful operation of several hotels cannot be achieved with the help of the current approach to human resources management. For example, the Georges Hotel does not have an employee handbook, policies, strict supervision, and structured procedure for complaints. Cindy realizes that the principle of nepotism has become valuable for this hotel, but it is not appropriate for the multiunit organization. Several cases prove that fact. For instance, being hired by a family member makes people think that they cannot be fired. As a result, they avoid hard work and any attempts to improve their performance. The work of supervisors seems to be useless as far as they cannot discipline members of their family. Cindy believes that she should find a way to solve these issues before opening a new hotel.

The second part of the case study is devoted to the description of the recent changes and the conflict that occurred at the restaurant. The restaurant was remodeled into an upscale establishment. New employees from culinary art school were hired to improve the quality of services. However, newcomers do not like long-time servers. New employees consider that others are not professional enough. Long-term servers do not favor young employees too. The major conflict occurred between a new employee Greg and a long-time expediter Estelle. Estelle frequently returned plates with wrong garnishes to Greg, and he thought that she tried to sabotage him. Greg received a complaint from the client recently. He had lost his temper and talked to the client using abusive language. Then, Greg came into the kitchen and started yelling at Estelle.

Reference

Gusdorf, M. (2013). Supporting the Organizations Mission (The Georges Hotel). Alexandria, VA: SHRM Publishing.

Prototype in life design infers getting a short preview of the possible future by gathering information on the topic from experts and experiencing a portion of that future to understand reality and perspectives better. It includes conceptualizing and arranging, then, at that point, encountering the expected future to check whether it fits you. School has instructed the majority of us to act based on general principles without a clear vision of reality, yet those are not extremely helpful mentalities when an individual is attempting to experiment. All things considered, prototype in life design is about pragmatism, and it implies individuals should begin with compassion and incline toward their interests.

As an example of prototyping in the life process, design can be my choice for becoming a paralegal. The time it takes to acquire legitimate information and to prepare is a big contribution. I will need to be certain that the chosen sphere merits my time. To begin, I will have a general analysis for some time to become familiar with information about filling in as a paralegal. It will be helpful to ask for some guidance from the actual paralegals and the legal counselors who enlist them. Taking interviews and asking about the details that are not provided anywhere else is a good approach for prototyping. I will utilize this expert opinion to assist me with settling on a wise, well-thought choice. It is consistently helpful to have all data in a single spot (Miller, 2021).

The path of becoming a paralegal is different for everyone. The requirements and documentation necessary to get hired as a paralegal significantly vary from one state to another (Miller, 2021). Consequently, I need to meet as many experts as possible to acquire dependable information that takes after the truth. Then, at that point, I may apply to a temporary position experience, which will permit me to apply hypothetical knowledge to a pragmatic setting, exhibiting my comprehension of lawful statutes and their capacity to work as a genuine paralegal. Temporary positions may likewise furnish me with freedoms to arrange and conceivably procure regular work post-graduation.

I agree with the concept that prototyping is tied in with rejuvenating reasonable or hypothetical thoughts and investigating their true effects before executing them. Rethinking also ensures that individuals are dealing with the right issue. Life configuration includes a lot of reframing that permits them to venture back, look at their inclinations and open up new spaces for opportunities. Rethinking is fundamental for tracking down the right issues and the right arrangements. There should be something in-between planning and actualization of the goal. On that account, prototyping in life design is about making sure that an individuals goal is sensible and feasible.

I like that you emphasize the importance of testing a persons interests according to the real circumstances and whether they can be implemented in real life. Prototyping comes in by giving a lot of devices and approaches for appropriately testing and investigating thoughts before a large number of assets gets utilized. Before anyone starts investing energy and resources into planning his or her optimal life, it is necessary to figure out how to adopt the thought processes of an originator. Similar to the provided example of becoming a potter, people first need interaction. This planning cycle would permit them to distinguish what they truly need to change and how they can approach making it.

References

Miller, R. (2021). Paralegal today the legal team at work. Cengage Learning.

Summary

The Stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) is based on pre-stretching and resistance principles that occur during typical human movements, such as jumping, walking, running, bending, and extending the arms. Pre-stretching improves performance during exercise and is linked to storing and releasing energy in the tendon. Specific training methods enhance preliminary muscle activity and athletic performance  plyometric and ballistic training. During countermovement jumps (CMJ), the sportsmen jump 2-4 cm higher than during the squat jump (SJ) because the CMJ engages the lowering before the stretch (Stretch-shortening cycle, 2021). This pre-stretching is the first element of the stretch-shortening cycle.

SSC consists of those phases  eccentric, shock absorption, and concentric. During SSC, there is a rapid cyclical muscular action: first, the muscle goes through an eccentric contraction, followed by a period of amortization or transition, and the cycle ends with a concentric contraction. SSC can be described in terms of a spring mechanism, where the compression of the spring causes it to rebound at an increased speed. Therefore, an increase in the speed or compression force will cause the spring to jump further and higher. SSC occurs during any movement where the limb changes direction, for example, in team sports.

Three Main Energy Pathways

In almost any sport, athletes use all three major energy pathways. For example, long-distance running or endurance running utilizes all three energy pathways  phosphagen, anaerobic, and aerobic. When athletes start, they use the phosphagen pathway for 30-60 seconds. Further, to achieve a steady state during endurance training, the runners body can go to the anaerobic path; this period lasts from 30 to 180 seconds.

Then, the runners body chooses the aerobic energy pathway during prolonged exercise to get energy for long periods. During the run, the athletes body can alternate methods of obtaining energy, depending on the bodys needs at a particular moment. The utilization of all three pathways is necessary for the runner to compete because each pathway provides energy for the different phases of the run  the phosphagen pathway ensures start, the anaerobic pathway helps the athlete to achieve steady-state running, and the aerobic pathway allows them to endure the prolonged exercise.

Energy pathways are how the body receives energy from the system of activating various chemical functions. The body gets energy from food, but that food needs to be converted to adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is a form of chemical energy used for all cell functions. The body stores only a minimal supply of ATP in the muscles, synthesizing it from food, and converting proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids. Once broken down, these substances are transported through the blood or stored for the future. ATP synthesis occurs using one of the energy systems  phosphagen, anaerobic, and aerobic.

The phosphagen system uses creatine phosphate by directly breaking down ATP to release energy. Creatine phosphate and ATP are present in small amounts in the body but are instantly available and used at the start of the activity and for short-term high-intensity exercise. Anaerobic glycolysis does not require oxygen and uses the resources in glucose to form ATP. This path is used for activities that require large bursts of energy of a longer duration. Aerobic glycolysis requires oxygen, burning fats and carbohydrates to produce ATP. This energy pathway is used for sustained energy production during prolonged, low-intensity exercise. The body goes into the aerobic pathway after the phosphagen and anaerobic systems are tired.

Plyometric Exercise

Plyometric is a form of intense exercise that uses the SSC principle. These workouts help athletes improve overall and explosive strength by training muscles for strength and speed. Plyometric exercise is a sequence of movements that involves stretching a muscle followed by an immediate contraction of the same muscle. These exercises are also called jump training and aim to improve explosive strength, that is, the ability to generate maximum strength in a minimum amount of time. Start sprinters and long jumpers use explosive force, which is expressed in the form of a high-energy and fast body push through space.

Examples of plyometric exercises include vertical jumps, long jumps, single-legged jumps, and clap push-ups. For exercise, athletes often use special metal platforms that allow jumping and descending, creating dynamics. Plyometric exercises place increased stress on tendons, ligaments, and joints and have an increased risk of injury, so they must be performed strictly in their traditional form. When performing, one needs to gradually increase the exercises duration, intensity, and complexity.

Exercises for the upper body include clap dips; this exercise starts from a plank position. Then the athlete needs to do regular push-ups, dropping to the floor, and when pushing up, push off hard enough and raise body and arms above the ground as high as possible. After that, the athlete needs to clap their hands and return to the starting position; the exercise must be repeated for 30 seconds. Lower-body plyometric exercises include leg exercises like squat jumping. The athlete should stand with their legs spread wider than their hips and squat, lowering the body. At the bottom, they need to straighten their feet, use their abdominals, and jump. During the jump, the athlete must raise their arms above their head and after landing, lower themselves back to a squatting position.

Test for Assessing the Explosive Strength

Explosive strength or power is an important indicator of training success. The broad jump is the most effective test to determine the athletes ability in this direction, as it requires demonstrating the elements of strength and speed. The athletes must perform tests to understand their bodys condition. To make a long jump, the athlete must stand on the line without stepping into it with their toes, choose a space in front and jump to it, and quickly bend their arms back when jumping. The secret is to make an energetic movement with arms, imagining that the bouncer is throwing a handful of pebbles from their hands on the ground with all their might. A positive result or test goal is to jump six to eight feet, measured to the point of landing of the heels.

SMR and Stretching

Self-myofascial release and stretching is a type of exercise using an external source of tension. For example, athletes can use a foam roller to pressure tendon organs to suppress muscle spindle activity. If an athlete has a problem due to an overactive muscle, they stretch the area of tension by applying a roller to the affected muscle. Examples of muscles that are prone to hyperactivity are hamstrings, glutes ad piriformis, latissimus dorsi and tricep, pectoralis group, upper trapezius, posterior glenohumeral, and hips.

SMR exercise for hamstrings is essential as these muscles are the largest and affect all movement while standing. For exercise, a high-density foam roller is used; SMR will help improve flexibility, flexion, and general movement. To start the exercise, an athlete needs to sit down with the back of their thighs on the roller and put both hands on the floor behind. It is necessary to scroll the hamstrings from just above the knees to just below the pelvis.

To increase the intensity, an athlete can shift the weight to one leg. A standard foam roller is used for SMR exercises for glutes and piriformis. The athlete sits on the roller, crossing an ankle over the opposite knee, and placing hands behind their body. The exercise is performed by slowly swinging back and forth on the buttock of the bent leg, and then the position of the legs needs to be changed.

To start the SMR exercise for latissimus dorsi and tricep, an athlete needs to lie on their side on the floor, stretch their arm over the roller, placing it in the armpit pressed against the latissimus muscle. The athlete should swing gently in all directions, keeping the body in areas of tension as long as pain can be tolerated. To start the SMR exercise for the pectoralis group, one needs to use a 36-inch roller and lie on it, resting on it with the entire spine from head to hips. For balance, the athlete should place their arms to the sides, bend their legs and leave their feet on the ground. The athlete should swing the whole body from side to side, not twisting the spine, but pumping the body like a log; the head moves in the opposite direction.

For the upper trapezius stretch, the athlete can use the cane to control the force by pressing on the overactive areas and holding pressure. Pectoralis major/minor stretch includes wall stretch, elbow wrap stretch, backbend stretch, lying chest stretch, standing chest expansion, and stability ball chest stretch. Posterior glenohumeral stretching includes forwarding flexion in the seating position, forward flexion in the supine position, and external rotation. To begin the hip flexor stretch exercise, the athlete should take a lying position, resting their hips on the roller, and supporting themselves with elbows and forearms, and slowly rolling back and forth on a roller just above the knees and just below the hips.

Reference

Stretch-shortening cycle. (2021). Science for Sport. Web.

In the podcast by The Daily, Juliet Macur, a sports reporter from The New York Times, and a host of the show discuss the life of Simone Biles. She is considered to be one of the best and most talented gymnasts in the whole world. She tried doing gymnastics on a daycare trip, where she showed surprising flexibility, strength, and mobility. At an early age, the sportswoman had exceptional air awareness, which is crucial for this sport  when she did her flips and twists, she knew exactly where her body was in relation to the ground. In 2016, she won 4 Olympic gold medals, becoming the best American gymnast the history has known.

However, she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics, not managing to repeat her previous Olympic record. Hence, this story makes me think how brave Simone Biles is for beginning a dialogue on the mental and physical well-being significance for people in sports.

Initially, in the podcast, the sports reporter talks on struggles Simone Biles had to deal with while achieving unprecedented goals in gymnastics. Definitely, I agree that gymnasts often go through a very traumatizing experience. From the news I know that a lot of athletes had to live through being victimized by former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, who abused Biles and tens of other girls in professional gymnastics. For a long time, athletes had to go through the double-trauma because they felt betrayed by the Olympic Committee, who could not protect the gold medalists who were practically children. You had one job and you could not protect us, Biles mentions (The Story of Simone Biles 8:18).

I am absolutely sure that the Olympic Committee has to control their workers and regulate safe sport better, so sportsmen and sportswomen do not have to deal with such complex trauma. Moreover, I think gymnasts should be supervised and taken care of because they manage to do exercises unbearable for a regular person.

Furthermore, Juliet Macur said that Simone Biles was thought to be capable of everything regarding psychological and mental abilities due to the statistics of her brilliant sports performance. On that note, I cannot agree with the sports reporter that Simone Biles pulling out of the race was her most memorable moment. Julia Macur mentions, One of the most amazing and shocking moments in Olympic history which is not what she does on the gymnastics floor its what she did off of it (The Story of Simone Biles 22:30).

Personally, I think Simone Biles is undoubtedly strong enough to quit the competition to work on her psychological and physical health; however, she will be remembered for her incomparable gymnastics skills. My friends and I recollect that the sportswoman earned 32 medals in total, showing wonderful abilities. Therefore, gymnasts and other athletes are remembered for their achievements, not their public actions.

To sum up, Simone Biles clarified the problem of being overpressured and seen as amusement in the sphere of sports. The gymnast showed by example that the Olympic community could be harmful and damaging instead of supportive towards the athletes. Clearly, Biles could not handle the pressure of being constantly perceived as a means to an end; that is why she made a powerful decision to get out of the race. Her determination in protecting the well-being of people in sports was inspiring for society. Nevertheless, I am convinced her athletic skills should be put in the first place in any dialogue and remembered by the International Olympic Committee acknowledging her contribution to gymnastics.

Reference

The Story of Simone Biles. Apple Music, uploaded by The Daily. New York Times, 2021. Web.