The developmental activities of women's professional pathway cricketers.

The growth of investment in women's cricket has led to the development of new professional pathways. However, there is lack of specific evidence to support the development of these athletes. This study aimed to take a first step in understanding the participation histories of female cricketers selected into English women's professional academies. 84 players completed the Participation History Questionnaire (PHQ) to capture details of activities engaged in across development, including milestones, cricket activity, and engagement in other sport activities. There were relative age effects where players' birthdate distributions differed from national norms (X2 = 8.451, p = .003, V = 0.227), and more players than expected attended independent schools (X2 = 7.980, p = .005, V = 0.232). Participants engaged in cricket informally before coach led training, have siblings (particularly brothers) interested in cricket and often played boy's cricket before engaging in the girl's or women's game. Developmental activities were characterised by early engagement, high levels of diversification, and very low levels of play compared to high levels of formal practice and match play. These findings have implications for the advancement of talent identification and development policies and processes in women's cricket.

Diagnosis and management of childhood obesity: a survey of general practitioners in South West Sydney.

AIM: To describe general practitioners' (GPs) diagnosis and management of overweight and obesity in children, their attitudes regarding obesity and their awareness of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) clinical practice guidelines. METHOD: A cross-sectional written survey of members of the Liverpool Division of General Practice (located in South West Sydney, Australia). RESULTS: Of 137 questionnaires sent, 85 (62%) were returned. Although the majority prescribed the correct interventions, there was variability in complications screening, ranging from 75% screening for psychosocial problems to 30% for fatty liver. Less than a third (28%) of GPs used NHMRC guidelines in their practice and only 9% used body mass index charts to correctly diagnose childhood obesity. GPs felt that childhood obesity was a significant issue and identified parental denial and lack of community support as barriers to treatment. CONCLUSION: Although NHMRC guideline adherence was far from universal, the GPs in our survey are motivated and aware of the importance of managing childhood obesity. If the primary care approach is to work, then GPs need support and education in an environment where there is greater community awareness of the impact of childhood obesity.