|
 Sports
and Life Skills Program
Department of Kinesiology, MSU, January 20, 2004
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Aaron Moffett
and Gail Dummer have developed a Life Skills and Sports Program
for middle school students with physical disabilities. The
short-term purpose of the program is to teach life skills using
sports applications. The long-term purpose of the program is to
facilitate transition. The life skills that will be taught are
team-building, positive self-talk, optimism, goal setting,
social skills, and coping skills. These skills are related to
success in school, better interaction with peers, coping with
challenges, and higher self-esteem. The sports that will be
taught include soccer and martial arts. The program is free of
charge. If you would like to receive more information, please
contact Aaron Moffett at office: (517) 432-7121, home: (517)
699-3806, email:
moffetta@msu.edu.
Purpose: The Sports and Life Skills Program is part of a
federally funded research project designed to teach life skills
such as team-building, positive self-talk, optimism, goal
setting, social skills, and coping skills to middle school
students with physical disabilities. Learning these life skills
should help participants with success in school, social
interactions, and self-esteem, as well as facilitating their
transition to full and satisfying involvement in community life.
Students will practice life skills in a sports context because
it is fun and because accomplishments are visible in the sports
environment.
Participants:
Middle school boys and girls, grades 5-8, who have physical
disabilities (contact the program directors if you have
questions about eligibility).
Curriculum:
The 12-week program will meet for 90 minutes twice a week.
Each session will consist of 20 minutes instruction in life
skills, 50 minutes coaching in sports skills and practicing life
skills in the sports context, and 20 minutes discussing the
application and usefulness of life skills. Soccer will be taught
during the first six weeks of the program, and tae kwon do
during the last six weeks. Class size will be limited to 15
students. There will be a head coach and two assistant coaches
for sports activities, for a coach:athlete ratio of 1:5.
Research:
The major purpose of this research is to determine whether the
Sports and Life Skills Program works. Thus, students will
complete three brief surveys on three different occasions.
Schedule &
Location: Two sections of the Sports and Life Skills Program
will be offered in the spring, and two sections will be offered
in the summer. For research purposes, participants will be
randomly assigned to either the spring or summer program;
however, they will be able to choose the section that is most
convenient. The surveys will be administered just before and
just after each 12-week program.
| |
Mar 1-14 |
Mar 15 - May 7 |
May 8 – 16 |
May 17 – Aug 6 |
Aug 7 - 21 |
|
Group 1 |
Surveys |
Life Skills Program |
Surveys |
None |
Surveys |
|
Group 2 |
Surveys |
None |
Surveys |
Life Skills Program |
Surveys |
Students in the spring Life Skills Program may choose to
participate in Section #1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from
3:30-5:00 at Dwight Rich Middle School in south Lansing, or
in Section #2 on Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30-5:00 at
Gier Community Center in north Lansing. The schedule and
location of the summer Life Skills Program is yet to be
determined.
Cost: The Sports and Life Skills Program is free of
charge. Students will receive a free t shirt.
Program
Directors: Aaron Moffett is a doctoral student in adapted
physical activity, sport psychology, and rehabilitation
counseling at Michigan State University. Dr. Gail M. Dummer is a
professor of adapted physical activity at Michigan State
University. She has been the coordinator of the MSU Sports
Skills Program for children with disabilities since 1984.
For more information, please contact Aaron Moffett by phone at
his office (517) 432-7121 or home (517) 699-3806, or by email at
moffetta@msu.edu.
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