title: Navigating the athlete role: identity construction within New Zealand’s elite sport environment

authors: Ryan, Christina

subjects: Athlete identity

abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore how involvement within New Zealand’s elite athlete development programme – athlete carding – has impacted the identity construction of this elite athlete population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 17 carded athletes from 8 different sports, followed by inductive thematic analysis of emerging key themes. In order to ensure that participants’ voices were accounted for throughout the data representation process, athlete’s individual stories were collated into collective accounts and represented using direct quotes. The potential for participants to become engulfed within the athlete role was evident throughout each of the carded athletes’ stories. In many cases this role was consolidated through expectations on athletes’ time and energies, as well as external scrutiny and performance pressures resulting from their involvement within the carding system. Whilst many athletes appeared to passively accept an increasing emphasis being placed upon their athlete role identity, some seasoned participants questioned why the carding system encouraged this solitary existence at the expense of a more multi-dimensional sense of self. Results suggest that the carded athlete system it is not currently meeting its potential to develop world class ‘holistic’ athletes. As such, it is important that High Performance Sport New Zealand re-examines its policy of performance-based funding and engages in a wide-reaching education programme which promotes the importance of athletes developing a well-balanced sense of self alongside their sporting potential.

text: Navigating the athlete role: identity construction within New Zealand’s elite sport environment The purpose of this study was to explore how involvement within New Zealand’s elite athlete development programme – athlete carding – has impacted the identity construction of this elite athlete population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 17 carded athletes from 8 different sports, followed by inductive thematic analysis of emerging key themes. In order to ensure that participants’ voices were accounted for throughout the data representation process, athlete’s individual stories were collated into collective accounts and represented using direct quotes. The potential for participants to become engulfed within the athlete role was evident throughout each of the carded athletes’ stories. In many cases this role was consolidated through expectations on athletes’ time and energies, as well as external scrutiny and performance pressures resulting from their involvement within the carding system. Whilst many athletes appeared to passively accept an increasing emphasis being placed upon their athlete role identity, some seasoned participants questioned why the carding system encouraged this solitary existence at the expense of a more multi-dimensional sense of self. Results suggest that the carded athlete system it is not currently meeting its potential to develop world class ‘holistic’ athletes. As such, it is important that High Performance Sport New Zealand re-examines its policy of performance-based funding and engages in a wide-reaching education programme which promotes the importance of athletes developing a well-balanced sense of self alongside their sporting potential.

year: 2018

title: Regional Assessment of Soil Change in Antarctica

authors: Balks, Megan R.

abstract: Antarctica has a total area of 13.9 × 106 km², of which 44 890 km² (0.32 percent) is ice-free (Fox and Cooper, 1994; British Antarctic Survey, 2005) with potential for soil development. Ice free areas are mainly confined to the Antarctic Peninsula, a few places around the perimeter of the continent and along the Transantarctic Mountains. The largest ice-free area (approximately 5 000 km²) is the McMurdo Dry Valleys in the Ross Sea Region.

text: Regional Assessment of Soil Change in Antarctica Antarctica has a total area of 13.9 × 106 km², of which 44 890 km² (0.32 percent) is ice-free (Fox and Cooper, 1994; British Antarctic Survey, 2005) with potential for soil development. Ice free areas are mainly confined to the Antarctic Peninsula, a few places around the perimeter of the continent and along the Transantarctic Mountains. The largest ice-free area (approximately 5 000 km²) is the McMurdo Dry Valleys in the Ross Sea Region.

year: 2015

title: Weaving the realities and responsibilities: Crossing culture and concepts of healing within co-existing mental health and addictive disorders.

authors: McLachlan, Andre David

subjects: Maori

abstract: Within ‘Mainstream’ western and Kaupapa Māori services, competing priorities often mean that cultural and clinical services are not implemented in unison. Without this ‘unison’, treatment of Māori with co-existing mental health and addictive disorders may be ineffective. This paper reflects the journey of a small social service agency ‘Pai Ake Solutions Limited’ (PASL) in integrating western clinical approaches within tikanga Māori values. 
Pai Ake Solutions Limited (PASL) provides a range of group and individual services to whānau who are affected by mental illness and co-existing substance use problems. The initial development of the service was based on the whakaaro of providing ‘pai ake’ (better) services for whānau in the greater Waikato. These services were initially founded on the strong values of founders Mihaka Hohua and the late Ritchie Re Cribb, which were influenced by the practices and experiences of Ngati Kahangungu, Ngati Haua, and Waikato-Maniopoto. From an initial non-clinical service provision contract, PASL began receiving referrals from individuals and whānau whose needs were not being met by mainstream service providers. Encouraging outcomes and an internal agency review of clientele utilising the service, identified that those accessing PASL services were experiencing socially and clinically significant mental and physical health, addiction and psychosocial problems.

text: Weaving the realities and responsibilities: Crossing culture and concepts of healing within co-existing mental health and addictive disorders. Within ‘Mainstream’ western and Kaupapa Māori services, competing priorities often mean that cultural and clinical services are not implemented in unison. Without this ‘unison’, treatment of Māori with co-existing mental health and addictive disorders may be ineffective. This paper reflects the journey of a small social service agency ‘Pai Ake Solutions Limited’ (PASL) in integrating western clinical approaches within tikanga Māori values. 
Pai Ake Solutions Limited (PASL) provides a range of group and individual services to whānau who are affected by mental illness and co-existing substance use problems. The initial development of the service was based on the whakaaro of providing ‘pai ake’ (better) services for whānau in the greater Waikato. These services were initially founded on the strong values of founders Mihaka Hohua and the late Ritchie Re Cribb, which were influenced by the practices and experiences of Ngati Kahangungu, Ngati Haua, and Waikato-Maniopoto. From an initial non-clinical service provision contract, PASL began receiving referrals from individuals and whānau whose needs were not being met by mainstream service providers. Encouraging outcomes and an internal agency review of clientele utilising the service, identified that those accessing PASL services were experiencing socially and clinically significant mental and physical health, addiction and psychosocial problems.

year: 2008