Jacqueline Chen
Industrial design 6
DNH603_19se2
Factors Underpinning at Least Three Years of Participant Adherence to a Community-Focused Modified Boxing Program
Abstract
• From 2012-2016, a Box’Tag program was run at a Police Community Youth Club (PCYC) in Canberra
• 38 (18 F, 20 M) who had been involved in the program for at least three years
• Four major themes emerged, covering the program environment, the underlying concept, the timetable and the characteristics and outcomes of the training itself.
• The program timetable was regarded as accommodating and flexible, and the training itself was described as safe, fun and beneficial in multiple respects
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Figure 1. Components of the automated scoring system used in Box’Tag. The image shows an instrumented vest and a conductive patch on a glove. Wires connecting vest to transceiver also can be seen. When connected, the transceiver sits in a pocket on the upper back (Photograph provided by Kris Arnold Photography, Canberra, Australia)
Figure 2. Outside view of the Canberra PCYC with one of three prominent signs displaying the partnership between the PCYC and the University of Canberra.
Approach to Investigation
• followed the examples of Bloor & Macintosh, McLaughlin & Ritchie and Kirschbaum & Knafl by re-using existing data to tease out new understandings about a situation.
• The use of this approach was considered justified on the following three grounds:
- Compatibility of the primary data with secondary analysis
- Position of the secondary analyst
- Ethical issues
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• Philosophical Assumptions
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• Data Generation
- The third part of the form posed eight open-ended questions, as follows:
1) Are the any additional exercises/training drills you would add to the program?
2) Were there enough training sessions?
3) Were the training times suitable?
4) As a result of participating in this modified form of boxing, would you be likely to compete
in and/or train for conventional boxing?
5) Can you please describe the best features of the program?
6) Are there any aspects of the program that you think could have been improved, changed
or deleted?
7) Has your participation in this program been beneficial? If yes, please explain how.
8) Can you please share your experience of the program?
(Table1)
• Data Analysis
(Table2)
Table1. Details of the purposeful sample used to obtain varying first-hand accounts of the experience.
Table2. The steps by which data were analysed. Following this process enabled interpretation of each individual account and the development of integrated themes.
Results
• The analytical process outlined above revealed four major themes:
- The environment: It was friendly, welcoming and supportive
- The concept: It was more than a sport program—we were a community
- The timetable: It was accommodating and flexible
- The training: It was safe, fun and beneficial
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Figure 3. Number of study participants reporting specific health benefits that they attributed to their sustained involvement with the Canberra PCYC Box’Tag program.
Figure 4. Number of study participants attributing improvement of specific personal attributes to their long-term participation in the Box’Tag program.
Figure 5. Number of study participants reporting improvement of specific sporting skills as a result of sustained participation in the Canberra PCYC Box’Tag program. Box’Tag-specific skills include footwork, movement patterns and attacking and defensive actions. The “Other” category includes weightlifting, running, jumping, skipping, throwing and catching.
Discussion
• club membership is being negatively influenced by the fact that Australians:
- Are increasingly time-poor
- Have limited budgets and are being inundated by new forms of entertainment
- Have new preferences towards fun and fitness
- Are increasingly favouring more flexible, non-organised forms of physical activity
- Are developing new tastes as the population becomes more culturally diverse
- Are sometimes self-conscious and embarrassed by their lack of sporting ability, with this applying especially to adolescents
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Conclusion
• complex skills added to the attraction of the program
• focused solely on the use of boxing-related activities to build physical fitness
• design and deployment of various constrained games (participant enjoyment)
• a strong sense of community
• Diversity in the age, physical fitness and functionality of participants was seen by the participants as a major program strength (general emphasis on co-operation rather than competition between program members)
• female-friendly and suitable for whole family involvement
• clearly applicable to other sport and physical activity domains
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