Towards the development of a quality youth sport experience measure: Understanding participant and stakeholder perspectives.

Quality sport experiences may be a key underlying mechanism through which continued sport participation may facilitate positive youth development. However, what constitutes a quality sport experience for youth is poorly understood due to a lack of comprehensiveness among existing measures. This study aimed to identify the salient factors that constitute quality sport experience for youth by capturing athletes and stakeholder perspectives with a broader goal of developing a more robust quality sport experiences measure. A total of 53 youth athletes and stakeholders (i.e., parents, coaches, and sport administrators) completed semi-structured interviews or focus groups about what they felt were important aspects of a quality sport experience for youth. Inductive content analysis of the data identified four themes representing important indicators for a quality sport experience for youth: fun and enjoyment, opportunity for sport skill development and progress, social support and sense of belonging, and open and effective communication. These higher order themes were found among each of the groups that have important interpersonal relationships with athletes, as well as among athletes themselves. Each of these themes were also related to one another. Collectively, findings outline a framework to understand what constitutes a quality sport experience for youth. The Quality Sport Experience Framework for Youth will help in the development of a quantitative tool to assess this construct and enable researchers to examine how these experiences contribute to continued engagement in sport and positive developmental outcomes among youth sport participants.

Intracerebral Delivery in Complex 3D Arrays: The Intracerebral Microinjection Instrument.

OBJECTIVE: This video article describes and illustrates the function and application of the intracerebral microinjection instrument (IMI). This newly developed technology allows delivery of therapeutic agents within the human brain in complex 3-dimensional arrays using a single pass or minimal overlying penetrations through brain tissue. METHODS: The IMI uses a delivery microcannula with a reduced diameter that minimizes local trauma and is capable of delivering precise volumes of therapeutic agents to discrete brain substructures. The IMI also permits simultaneous recording of neural activity during the delivery procedure, enabling extreme precision using electrophysiologic mapping. Surgical planning software designed specifically for the IMI enables strategic placement of multiple injections. RESULTS: This technology platform is presently being used successfully to deliver therapeutic stem cells to restore function in stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: Additional applications of the IMI include delivery of viral vectors for gene therapy, infusion of neurotrophic factors, targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents, and delivery of antiretroviral medications.