Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Sciences

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An analysis of perceived leadership styles and levels of job satisfaction of sport administrators employed at tertiary institutions in South Africa.
(2007) Naidoo, Padmini.; Coopoo, Yoganathan.
The leadership role of sport administrators in South Africa is of prime importance as the local sports industry in South Africa is worth in excess of R2 billion annually. The most important variable in explaining sport administrators' success becomes leadership style. Sport administrators' roles are vital to the sporting industry and therefore the degree of job satisfaction they experience is of prime importance. The key objectives of the study were to determine the different styles of leadership available in sport administration departments, to identify factors affecting the progress and status of transformation in sport administration departments, to examine the factors affecting the progress of gender equity at tertiary institutions, to identify factors which influence job satisfaction or lack of it among sport administrators and coaches employed at tertiary institutions and to determine the organizational effectiveness of tertiary institution sport departments. The questionnaire was administered to 300 coaches who had to rate their sport administrators' leadership style and 140 sport administrators. A response rate of 78% (n=109) was obtained from sport administrators and 76% (n=227) were received from coaches. The data were analysed using the computer package SPSS. From the research the following conclusions can be drawn with respect to job satisfaction and leadership among sport administrators and coaches. The overall majority of the tertiary institution sport administrators adopted a transformational style of leadership. There was a lack of transformation in the industry and gender equity in the industry. There were reasonable de grees of satisfaction in the profession, however certain variables were more pronounced than others. The study proposed the following recommendations: Those sport administrators that are still practising a more transactional and laissez-faire approach to leadership should start adopting a more transformational approach to leadership. More females need to be placed in leadership positions at tertiary institution sport departments. With regard to transformation higher management at tertiary institutions should strive to create diversity by employing individuals from other race groups to ensure transformation at institutions of higher learning. This will also serve to rectify the imbalances of our past. Management at tertiary institutions should also strike a balance with regard to gender equity. With regard to improving coaches and sport administrators' job satisfaction higher management needs to adopt a policy of open communication between staff employed at the tertiary institution sport departments and themselves.
A comparison of the fitness levels of Indian high school boys in two cohorts : 1977 and 1997.
(2000) Naidoo, Krishnaveni.; Coopoo, Yoganathan.
The main aim of this study was to compare fitness levels of Indian high school boys in two cohorts: 1977 and 1997. A secondary aim was to identify if the same problem areas or strengths still exist in 1997 as in 1977 or if the levels of fitness have further deteriorated or improved, as well as the establishment of norms for boys 14 - 18 years. Ten different Secondary schools from the Durban Metropolitan area participated in this study. The test battery included eight tests measuring four components of motor fitness based on the Fleishman study. The tests that were used consisted of fifty metre shuttle run, fifty metre dash, sit-ups, pull-ups, medicine ball put, shot-put, 250m shuttle run and 12 minute run/walk test. Data from 500 hundred boys were included in the research analysis and these were categorized into 5 different age groups, 13,6 - 14,6 years; 14,7 - 15,6 years; 15,7 - 16,6 years; 16,7 - 17,6 years and 17,7 - 18,6 years. Basic statistical procedures were used to determine the normality of the samples for height and weight in each age group. Standard score tables were drawn for each age group. A paired t-test was used to determine if a significant difference between the means existed. The level of significance was set at 0,05. The means of both studies were compared to ascertain the difference in fitness levels in the two cohorts. The analysis of the data revealed that the fitness status of adolescent boys have deteriorated over two decades.
An economic impact analysis of the Comrades Marathon on the city of Durban.
(2009) Maharajh, Ashok.; Coopoo, Yoganathan.
Sport has become a major industry as well as a key cultural preoccupation in contemporary society. Cities are increasingly using major sporting events and activities to re-image themselves, promote urban development and fund economic growth and regeneration. Major sport events are often recognised for their ability to generate significant economic benefits for the host destination. The major difference between this study and other economic impact studies is that the event is tracked over a two-year period. This afforded the author the opportunity to compare and note the variations in the data over the two years. Initially, the study purports to analyse the economic impact of the Comrades Marathon on the City of Durban. A secondary objective is to demonstrate the value of such a major sporting event to the regional and provincial governments as well as the formal and informal businesses in the city. Durban like other key cities in the world is and will increasingly be confronted by two main and related challenges. Firstly, there is need to successfully compete in a universal economy characterised by increased competition and globalization. Secondly, there is need to eliminate poverty and address issues of inequality and marginalization. Thus, the Comrades Marathon, as a major sporting event, can be seen as a primary driver to create jobs and contribute to competitiveness. As stated the research was conducted over two years viz. 2004 and 2005 thus representing an "up" and a "down" run. The questionnaire method and interviews were employed for this study and were administered to accommodate the alternate runs. The questionnaire requested data on the age, gender, occupations, income levels, spending patterns and the types of activities that the population found attractive. The population consisted of foreign runners and supporters, runners and supporters that reside in other provinces of South Africa, stall holders at the Comrades Expo that is normally held over three days prior to the race, representatives of the sponsors of the event and vendors. The sample was selected randomly from the population. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with representatives from the hotel industry in Durban, the Acting-Chief Executive Officer and committee members of the Comrades Marathon Association and the Marketing Managers/Public Relations Officers of three major shopping malls located in Durban. Turco, Swart, Bob and Moodley (2003) reported that the leverage ratio that is public sector input against private sector response indicated that the 2001 Comrades Marathon together with other major sporting events held in the city were successful and contributed significantly to the Durban economy. The leverage ratio is illustrative of the amount of money that was accrued to the private sector with every Rand spend by the public sector. Consideration was given to the total revenue generated by peoples' average spending at the events and the total amount accruing to the accommodation industry. Cognisance must be taken that the leverage ratio does not consider overall spending in Durban as well as other general multipliers such as revenue generated from transport, other financial transactions, product suppliers, guided tours, established businesses and informal traders. The findings showed that the leverage ratio for 2004 was computed to be 1:216.38 that is for every Rand spent by the public sector on the event R216.38 was generated by the private sector. In addition, the leverage ratio for 2005 was computed to be 1:434.49 that is for every Rand spend by the public sector on the event R434.49 was generated by the private sector. Thus, the expenditure was considerably higher in 2005 with an upsurge of R31 819 272 that is an increase of 33%. The fundamental idea behind the economic impact of sporting events is that it injects a significant increase in the demand of goods and services into the economy. This effect is not simply the direct effect of consumer spending but also the indirect effects caused by the stimulus to the economic activities induced by the direct effects.
The effects of exercise and diet on selected physiological and biochemical parameters in a sedentary Indian male cohort.
(1995) Coopoo, Yoganathan.; Andrews, Barry Craig.
In common with other expatriate Indian Populations, the Indian community of South Africa has a high incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Little information is available on the effects of exercise and diet on risk factors in this group. The present study is directed at the functional changes occurring as a result of a moderate aerobic physical activity programme, comprising 30 minutes of supervised exercise, three times per week for 15 weeks. Healthy male volunteers were recruited from the staff of the University of Durban-Westville, who were not on any lipid lowering medication and were not involved in any programme of physical activity for at least 12 weeks before the start of the project. The 41 subjects were assigned into one of three groups: exercise only (E) (15 subjects); exercise and diet (ED) (14 subjects) and a control (C) (12 subjects) group on no intervention. Besides laboratory investigations all participants were subjected to standardized fitness and anthropomorphological evaluation, a brief family history for coronary artery disease and a detailed dietary history was compiled. Baseline lipid results indicate that only 7 of the 41 subjects had normal lipid profiles using as cut-off points 5.2 mmol/l for cholesterol, 1.5 mml!l for triglyceride and 0.9 mmol/l for HDL-C. Obesity was moderately prevalent before intervention, with a mean decrease of 25% in body fat in both E and BD groups(p~0.05). The experimental subjects became leaner. After the intervention programme an average 20 percent increase was evident in physical working capacity as measured by peak V~ in both experimental groups (p~0.01). The controls showed little variation over the 15 weeks. The indices of muscular endurance and flexibility showed statistically significant changes (P~ 0.05) in both experimental groups after intervention. This certainly indicates elevated levels of fitness after the intervention. The lipid profiles show little alteration in total cholesterol, with a 7.3% decrease in triglyceride levels in the E group (which was not statistically significant) compared with a 14.7% increase in the controls. HDL-C showed an increase in both experimental groups (p~0.01). The total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio had an average fall of 11.9% in the experimental groups (P~0.05) compared with a 5.6% decrease in the control group. These data support the claim that regular, moderate exercise reduces the risk of heart disease through its effects on coronary risk factors in a high risk South African population.
The effects of exercise on the aged.
(2002) Ellapen, Terry Jeremy.; Coopoo, Yoganathan.; Ramiah, Pramila Devi.
This study aimed to document the effects of regular exercise and physical activity on the aged. Subjects (n=S8) over the age of sixty-five participated in the study. All subjects were patrons from various retirement centers of the DAFTA organization (Durban Association for the Aged). The subjects completed a PAR-Q and informed consent form, which allowed the eligible to participate in the study. A pre and post-test battery was administered to measure the following parameters; body mass, height, girth measurement, agility and dynamic balance, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, co-ordination, dynamic grip strength and aerobic capacity. During the experimental period the subjects engaged in a structured intervention exercise programme of 30 weeks. The intervention programme composed of games, walking, stretching, flexibility and resistance training exercises aimed at improving the following fitness components; agility and dynamic balance, strength, flexibility, co-ordination and aerobic capacity. Inferential and differential statistical methods were employed in order to analyzethe data. The study indicated that regular exercise and physical activity positively impacted the senior citizens' functional capacity and improved their quality of life (p
Physiological and physical fitness profiles of elite South African surfers.
(2000) Patterson, Dean Kenneth.; Coopoo, Yoganathan.
The present study profiled the fitness characteristics of elite South African surfers. Sixty-one surfers volunteered to participate in the study. Each subject underwent a maximal tests in order to measure peak maximum oxygen uptake, anthropometery, co-ordination, agility, balance, Wingate test, and isokinetic strength assessments of the knee and shoulder in extension and flexion, including shoulder internal and external rotation. Lung function measurements were also measured to assess the lung capacity of the subjects. The cardiovascular demands of surfing was high showing a peak VO2 of 54.9 (+SD=9.73) ml.kg-1.min-t, and a peak VE of 98.3 (+SD=17.8) l.min-1. Actual lung function results obtained by the subjects were greater than predicted scores for age and weight. Anaerobic scores were excellent for surfers as compared to other sportpersons. Balance and agility scores were excellent. Good strength ratios and values were obtained through isokinetic testing, both for the shoulders and the knees. The subjects showed an above level of fitness in all the measurements as compared to other water-based athletes. As a result the research showed that surfing can be best enhanced through the principle of specificity, and that the subjects engaged in this sport can be regarded as elite athletes.
The role of the department of sport and recreation in the provision and delivery of sport and recreation in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2013) Mkwalo, Siyabulela Cecil.; Coopoo, Yoganathan.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sports and Recreation is mandated to provide and deliver sport and recreation in the province, which is done in collaboration with a number of stakeholders. These include the sports federations, South African Students Sports Union (SASSU) and United Schools Sports Association of South Africa (USSASA). Its promulgation as an independent Department in 2004 created expectations about the role it would play in transforming the sporting landscape across the province. To establish the extent to which this has occurred, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Sports and Recreation (DSR) with regards to its provision and delivery of sport and recreation services in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study, whereby three questionnaires were developed, one for the Department, another for the sports federations and the same one for USSASA and SASSU. The questionnaires were intended to obtain information about the provision and delivery of sport and recreation in the province. Each questionnaire was divided into three sections; Section A provided for demographic details, Section B dealt with availability of sporting facilities and transformation, and Section C addressed functions of the Department of Sport and Recreation. Three hundred selected respondents comprised of forty five (n=45) personnel from the Department; one hundred and ninety five (n=195) from provincial federations; thirty (n=30) from SASSU and thirty (n=30) from USSASA. The results of the study showed that significantly (p≤0.05) more respondents (63%) indicated that service delivery by the Department was more focused on urban areas than in townships (26%) and rural areas (11%). Seventy one percent (71%) of respondents from the federations, SASSU and USSASA indicated that there are insufficient facilities in the province and those that exist do not meet the qualifying standards of hosting provincial and national events. A significant (p≤0.05) majority (68%) of respondents from the federations, SASSU and USSASA believed that the Department did not have an integrated approach to planning as a key factor in the provision and delivery of sport and recreation in KwaZulu-Natal, while only 38% agreed that it involved them as partners during its planning of projects. Sixty six percent (p≤0.0001) of the study respondents indicated that the rate of sport and recreation service provision and delivery in KwaZulu-Natal was ‘fast’; 27% reported that it was ‘slow’; 4% revealed that it is ‘very fast’ and 3% responded that service delivery was ‘very slow’. Transformation with respect to women in key positions throughout the province was below 30%, and little effort had been made towards inclusion of people with disabilities in sport and recreation activities. The study revealed that the provision and delivery of sport and recreation by the KZN Department of Sport and Recreation has favoured urban areas, that men remain in key administrative positions, and that policies are not being implemented with respect to community access as a process of sports transformation. It is thus recommended that more resources be allocated to address the imbalance of facilities in rural areas, that more provision be made for women to enter decision making administrative posts, and that funding be consistently made available to the federations to assist with sport development.

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