Traditional Games as Cultural Heritage: The Case of Canary Islands (Spain) From an Ethnomotor Perspective

The Feeling of Pleasure for Overweight Children during Different Types of Physical Activity

The feeling of pleasure during physical education (PE) could increase with physical activity participation and adherence for overweight children. While traditional games are known to have positive benefits on motor skill development, especially for children with poorer motor skills, and on the body mass of children, little is known about overweight children's feelings of enjoyment when playing these games. To identify a program of physical activity appreciated by overweight children, we tested the effect of different activities, namely soccer (SO), shot put (SP), and traditional motor games (TMGs), on the feelings of pleasure for 28 overweight male children (aged 12.11 ± 0.63 years, BMI 26.89 ± 0.15 kg·m-2) participating in a 3-month cross-over study. To measure affective responses to exercises, we applied a validated feeling scale. The data were collected during eight PE lessons, which were organized for each cycle taught. Post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed a significant difference (Z = -3.195, p < 0.01) between the mean feeling score reported after the SO cycle (2.48 ± 0.41) and that after the TMGs (3.04 ± 0.32). A similar significant difference (Z = -3.304, p < 0.01) was found between the mean feeling scores reported after the SP cycle (2.27 ± 0.32) and the TMGs (3.04 ± 0.32). There was no significant difference between the mean feeling scores reported after the SO (2.48 ± 0.41) and SP cycles (2.27 ± 0.32). In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that TMGs may have beneficial effects on the feelings of pleasure for overweight children. Therefore, TMGs might potentially be considered as an alternative to conventional physical activities.

Roles, relationships, and motor aggressions: Keys to unveiling the emotions of a traditional sporting game

International organizations such as the UN and UNESCO set priority goals for education in the 21st century. This article shows the educational contribution of the Traditional Sporting Game (TSG) of Bear Guardian and Hunters that involves the three-chained roles. The three roles test players who share a unique social interaction ritual. This study was part of a training experience for university students in physical activity and sports sciences in the theory and practice of motor games subject at INEFC, University of Lleida (Spain). This research investigated the emotional intensity in these three roles, the emotional meaning units, and their correspondence with the emotional triad. This study is a mixed-methods research. After playing the game involved, 131 university students (46 women and 85 men) aged 18-35 years (M = 20.19, SD = 2.42) answered the validated GES-II scale indicating the intensity and causes of five basic emotions. The data were analyzed using different strategies (qualitative data: content analysis; quantitative data: descriptive statistical analysis, inferential and association rules). The methodology employed has revealed part of this game's secret (intimate and subjective) code: the affectivity invisible to external observation. Among the findings, we highlight: (a) each role originates different intensities and units of emotional meaning; (b) the three roles feedback, need and complement each other in this socio-affective network of interdependent relationships; (c) the Bear is the central role of the game. The emotional meanings concerning the motor aggression of the Bear operate as a magnet that attracts four itineraries of association rules of meanings and emotional triads. In the hands of intelligent, prepared and sustainable teachers, this game can help students learn to live together and educate them to control and respectfully channel motor aggression. In this way, students will be active actors in the process of civilization in favor of sustainable development.

After-school sports programmes and social inclusion processes in culturally diverse contexts: Results of an international multicase study

This research aimed to understand the role of after-school sports programs in social inclusion processes in culturally diverse contexts through a multicase study within two locations. The first location was in Spain where immigrant and Spanish students were enrolled, and the other was in Chile with Mapuche-Huilliche students, immigrant and Chilean students. The implemented programs at both sites were similar in their educational focus on socio-educational values, and teaching models (hybridization of teaching games for understanding and cooperative learning) that enhance social inclusion. Using individual and group interviews with teachers, sports coordinators, parents, and students, a qualitative approach was used to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder the social inclusion processes. In addition, the researchers used qualitative observations of the programs over six months using "notes logbook" to record their impressions during the observation process. Results indicated that the implemented sports programs successfully facilitated social inclusion processes, enabling the development of interpersonal skills and relationships between students from different cultural backgrounds. The previous training and experiences of teachers in culturally diverse contexts, and incorporation of traditional sporting games from all cultures, seems to be an important facilitator factor for the inclusion potential of the implemented programs.

Emotional Well-Being and Traditional Cypriot Easter Games: A Qualitative Analysis

The aim of the current study is to examine the effect of the Traditional Easter Games of Cyprus on the emotional well-being of the participants. Data were collected using a qualitative analysis. It consisted of interviews from 51 participants aged 32-93 years old, and observations were made from audiovisual material of the Traditional Cypriot Easter Games being played by a sample of 20 children aged 6-14 years old and 43 adults aged 18-65 years old. Demographic data were collected by using interviews and analyzed using IBM SPSS program. The observations of the audiovisual material focused on the emotions of the participants and were grouped into prevailing and secondary emotions according to frequency and duration. The results indicate that games produce emotions such as joy, excitement, and euphoria. Emotions such as embarrassment, frustration, and anger were also observed occasionally, specifically in situations of competitiveness and defeat. In addition, the differences and similarities between adults and children were recorded. The findings of the present study extend previous work by demonstrating the positive impact of the traditional games on children's and adult's emotional well-being.