Ward, PA, Ramsden, S, Coutts, AJ, Hulton, AT, and Drust, B. Positional differences in running and nonrunning activities during elite American football training. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2017-The aim of this investigation was to describe differences in training loads between position groups within professional American football. Integrated micro technology data were collected on 63 NFL football players during an American football training camp. Five key metrics (total distance, high-speed distance, player load (PL), PL per minute, and total inertial movement analysis [IMA]) served to quantify both running and nonrunning activities. Players were classified into position groups (defensive back [DB], defensive linemen [DL], linebacker, offensive linemen [OL], quarterback, running back, tight end, and wide receiver [WR]). Training sessions were identified by their relationship to the upcoming match (e.g., -4, -3, and -2). Running and nonrunning activities varied between position groups relative to the training day. Differences in total distance between DB and WR were observed to be unclear across the 3 training days (game day [GD] -4: 74 ± 392 m; GD -3: -122 ± 348 m; and GD -2: -222 ± 371 m). However, moderate to large differences were observed between these 2 positions and the other positional groups. A similar relationship was observed in PL and PL per minute, with the DB and WR groups performing greater amounts of load compared with other positional groups. Differences in high-speed distance varied across positional groups, indicating different outputs based on ergonomic demands. The OL and DL groups ran less but engaged in a higher amount of nonrunning activities (total IMA) with differences ranging from moderate to large across the 3 training days. Total IMA differences between offensive and defensive linemen were unclear on GD -4 (-4 ± 9) and GD -2 (-2 ± 8) and likely moderate on GD -3 (-9 ± 9). Positional differences with regard to running and nonrunning activities highlight the existence of position-specific training within a training microcycle. In addition, total IMA provides a useful metric for quantifying sport-specific movements within the game of American football.

This article explores a charity-led community gardening project working in a disadvantaged community in northern England and provides a detailed analysis of the outcomes for vulnerable people. This article contributes to the research on community gardens by emphasising the need to plan for long-term sustainability. The project received external funding for 3 years and implemented urban agriculture activities based around a community garden and a team of volunteers. The project successfully engaged marginalised people, who strongly voiced outcomes including increased skills and confidence, reduced isolation, improved health and wellbeing, and the opportunity to give back to their local community. Support from staff, volunteering in a team, enjoying gardening and accessing nature provided a strong platform for engagement and impacts. However, there were also significant challenges which required ongoing professional management such as ensuring a safe and comfortable environment. In addition, after the funding finished, the future of the community garden was fragile and marginalised participants were vulnerable to outcomes not being sustained in the long term. KEYWORDSCommunity gardening marginalised people charity volunteering long-term sustainabilityThis article critically analyses the potential for community gardens to bring long-term benefits to marginalised people. The article first describes the benefits and challenges of community gardens from the literature before then presenting the detailed case study of a charity-led, externally funded community garden in a disadvantaged urban area in the north of England. The research explores outcomes for marginalised people through focusing on the stories of participants, in line with Creamer' s (2015, 987) approach to understanding local interpretations of sustainability by allowing "themes to emerge unrestricted by preconceptions, frameworks and theories. " The participants describe how they volunteered with the project because they enjoyed gardening, wanted to work in a team and took the opportunity to be involved in a positive project which brought them out of their homes. Involvement in the garden brought a wide range of benefits including enjoyment, developing skills and confidence, reduced isolation, improved health and wellbeing, and the opportunity to give back to their local community. However, the participants also voiced a range of critical feedback on the project and were particularly concerned about the future of the community garden when the funding was due to finish. The article, therefore, provides an essential and sometimes overlooked perspective on the need to plan for long-term sustainability (Seghezzo 2009). Critically exploring the outcomes and challenges of a charity-led community gardening project provides important lessons for the growing number of other similar projects (Tornaghi 2014). Community gardening is a growing movement and there are many different types including: school gardens; entrepreneurial gardens; crime diversion gardens; ther...

This article explores the impacts of a charity project which aimed to help people vulnerable to fuel poverty improve their energy efficiency and reduce energy costs, through providing energy monitors and advice at a household-level. The research makes an important contribution to emerging but scarce research on how charities can help households vulnerable to fuel poverty. Interviews were conducted with 40 participants and 32 participants described how the project helped them (through one or a combination of the following): reduce inefficient energy use; switch tariffs; change from pre-payment meters; apply for subsidies for vulnerable people; and/ or improve their confidence to manage their household energy needs. Nineteen of the participants were vulnerable to fuel poverty and fifteen of these estimated that the project helped them save money. While achieving financial savings was the key motivation for participants, 15 households described that they participated in the project to reduce their CO2 emissions. However, the approach was limited and the impacts could have been increased through energy audits, property-level energy efficiency improvements, and support to raise issues with housing providers. The research argues that household-level face-to-face advice and support can help people vulnerable to fuel poverty and charities can operate effectively in a space between the government, energy companies, local authorities and households to provide this support. However, charities need access to technical expertise, reflexive funding, and effective coordination with local authorities to improve their long-term impact.

Background: Lower extremity (LEX) strains, including hamstring, quadriceps, adductor, and calf strains, are among the most common injuries in sports. These injuries lead to high burden, resulting in significant missed participation time. Purpose: To describe the incidence of LEX strains in professional American football. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: This study included all players who played in ≥1 National Football League (NFL) game or sustained a LEX strain during participation in the 2015-2019 seasons. LEX strain frequency was calculated by setting (game, practice, conditioning), timing in season (offseason, preseason, regular season, postseason), and roster position. Game incidence rates were calculated for season, roster position, and play type. LEX strains were identified in the standardized leaguewide electronic health record (n = 32 teams). Results: Across 5 years, 5780 LEX strains were reported among 2769 players (1-year risk, 26.7%; 95% CI, 26.0%-27.3%); 69% (n = 4015) resulted in time loss. Among all LEX strains, 54.7% were hamstring (n = 3163), 24.1% adductor (n = 1393), 12.6% calf (n = 728), 8.3% quadriceps (n = 477), and 0.3% multiple muscle groups (n = 19). Most were reported during preseason practices (n = 1076; 27%) and regular season games (n = 1060; 26%). The 2-week period of training camp practices comprised 19% of all time-loss strains. Among game injuries, preseason games had the highest rate of LEX strain (2.9/10,000 player-plays; 95% CI, 2.6-3.2). Defensive secondary players accounted for the highest proportion of time-loss LEX strains (27%; n = 1082). In games, punt plays had nearly twice the injury rate of kickoff plays (14.9/1000 plays [95% CI, 13.1-17.0] vs 7.5/1000 plays [95% CI, 6.2-8.9], respectively) and >3 times the rate of pass plays (4.3/1000 plays; 95% CI, 4.0-4.7) and run plays (2.6/1000 plays; 95% CI, 2.3-2.9). In aggregate, LEX strains led to an estimated 16,748 participation days missed each year and a median 12 days missed per injury. Conclusion: LEX strains affected 1 in 4 NFL players each year, resulting in a high burden of injury in terms of time lost from practice and competition. Safe return to the NFL season during training camp and reduction of injuries during regular season games are key focuses for future injury reduction.

This article contributes to emerging research on sustainable place-making, but makes an important contribution through a strong focus on outcomes for marginalised people and the need for long-term sustainability. Sustainable place-making combines ‘place-making’ and ‘sustainable development’ to describe locally focused action working towards social, economic and environmental goals (Franklin and Marsden, 2015). The article explores an externally funded charity-led project working in a deprived area of the UK, implementing urban agriculture, community gardening and household energy activities. The project successfully engaged marginalised people, who strongly voiced outcomes including reduced isolation, improved mental health and increased resilience and self-reliance. Support from staff, volunteering in a team, enjoying gardening, accessing nature and financial savings provided a platform for impacts. Environmental outcomes were less tangible but included improvements to the local environment and reduced energy usage. However, after the funding finished, marginalised participants were vulnerable to outcomes not being sustained in the long term.