Sport Science

There are a number of reasons for the relatively extensive collaboration activities within sport science, with close links to current development within sport, health and school sectors. Not least among our staff there are a number of co-workers who have solid experience and great knowledge about the operative activities within these fields.

Collaboration primarily takes place in connection to research and development commissions (R&D) and various forms of courses and programmes. But also for evaluations, conferences, process support and method development. In particular, the research being carried out in connection to sports issues makes important contributions to sports activities within clubs, confederations and organisations, etc.

A number of researchers participate frequently in sports education contexts and regularly produce R&D reports or similar, like for instance:

• Finding and developing talent – a study of sports' talent scouting activities
• Mapping, analysis and development of coaching programmes in Sweden
• The sports coach as a pedagogue
• Paths to the national team – on Swedish elite athletes' choice of sport and specialisation
• Paths from the national team – on elite sports, career and closure
• Good development opportunities within sports
• Parents of sporting children
• The fitness revolution
• Ironman and family life

Collaboration is also in place with two special sports confederations in particular – athletics and tennis. These sports have established national centres in collaboration with Linnaeus University and, in these cases, Växjö municipality. The activities focus, in addition to making it easier for elite athletes to combine studies and sports, on education, evaluation and R&D activities. With close ties to the sports activities, there is also a High Performance Center that carries out test and training activities where we participate from sport science at Linnaeus University.

The development of sport science knowledge at the department makes up an important basis for the development of the practical activities at different levels within sports. At the operative level, the research contributes to developing teachers' and leaders' critical approach and ability to handle complex situations and better understand the consequences of their teaching/activities. Organisational and societal conditions are also visualised and problematised, providing a basis for positive change of the activities.

Another form of collaboration takes place continuously in relation to the first-cycle degree programmes in sport science offered at the department of sport science. The programmes are for instance aimed at those who want to work with management and development of individuals, teams and organisations within the growing sports, health and outdoor sectors. The degree programmes offer links to the working life, in particular on courses dealing with entrepreneurship, project management, and through field studies and degree projects. In addition, people from different activities take part frequently in the educations, usually as guest lecturers or debate participants.

Developed collaboration

The idea is that the knowledge development carried out within sport science should be utilised to an even larger extent in the development of activities within a number of different fields. This can be, for instance, the extensive research and education carried out within current areas like physical activity and health, health of elderly people, and the importance of outdoor activities. Among other things, a research project was recently carried out on the effects of physical activity and UV radiation when designing school yards and the health effects of being outdoors for elderly people.

There is also knowledge development carried out within the field of teaching, based on sport traditions and pedagogical research, which demonstrates norms within the school subject and the teacher education that risk strengthening old traditions and ultimately contribute to an unequal society. These are questions with high relevance for the further development of good activities.

The knowledge environment that has been established around good sport environments to both develop the sporting ability and to keep youth in a developing and nurturing environment plays an important role. As one part in this work, sport science has created a meeting place in the form of a Centre for sports development (CIU) that currently has its basis in an office at Arenastaden in Växjö, with proximity to a number of actors in sports. The idea is that this should facilitate collaboration.