Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• Engagement patterns in physical activity and sport are the different levels and types of participation shown by different social groups.
• Gender, race, religion, culture, age, family influence, peer influence and disability can all affect engagement patterns in physical activity and sport.
• Males and females often show different participation patterns in physical activity and sport.
• Sexism and gender stereotypes can reduce female participation by presenting some sports as more suitable for men than for women.
• Lower media coverage of women's sport reduces the visibility of female role models and can reduce girls' motivation to participate.
• Female role models can increase girls' participation by showing that success in sport is achievable and socially valued.
• Schools can affect girls' participation positively when physical education offers equal encouragement, equal opportunity and a wide range of suitable activities.
• Some women and girls participate more when clubs provide safe environments, suitable changing facilities and single-sex sessions.
• Engagement patterns can differ between racial, religious and cultural groups because attitudes, discrimination and access are not the same for all groups.
• Racism and racial stereotyping can discourage participation and reduce opportunities in teams, clubs and leadership roles.
• Cultural expectations can affect participation when a sport conflicts with beliefs about dress, behaviour or mixed-gender activity.
• Religious festivals and times of worship can affect training and competition schedules and therefore influence participation patterns.
• Sports participation can increase among religious and cultural groups when clothing rules, activity formats and facilities are adapted sensitively.
• Role models from a range of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds can increase participation by improving representation and belonging.
• Socio-economic inequality can reduce participation in some racial and cultural groups because fees, equipment, transport and club membership cost money.
• Age affects engagement patterns because physical ability, confidence, responsibility and leisure time change across the life course.
• Children often depend on adults for transport, payment and permission, so family support strongly affects young people's participation.
• School physical education and school clubs increase participation by making activities familiar, accessible and part of a routine.
• Teenagers may drop out of sport because peer pressure and concerns about body image can reduce confidence.
• Working-age adults often participate less because employment reduces available leisure time.
• Adults with caring responsibilities may participate less because family commitments limit time and energy for sport.
• Older adults may participate less in high-impact sport because ageing can reduce strength, flexibility, balance and recovery speed.
• Older adults are more likely to remain active when activities are low impact, social and easy to access.
• Family members, friends and peers can all increase or decrease participation in physical activity and sport.
• Parents and carers can increase participation by acting as role models, giving encouragement, paying costs and providing transport.
• Family members can reduce participation when sport is not valued, when money is limited or when family commitments take priority.
• Friends and peers can increase participation when social groups see physical activity as enjoyable, normal and worthwhile.
• Peer pressure can reduce participation when friendship groups see sport as unfashionable or exclude particular activities.
• People are more likely to join and continue activities that feel familiar within their family, school or friendship group.
• Disabled people often have lower participation rates when facilities, clubs and activities are not fully accessible or inclusive.
• Physical barriers such as inaccessible entrances, changing rooms, transport and equipment can prevent disabled people from taking part regularly.
• Negative attitudes and low expectations about disability can discourage participation more than impairment itself.
• Inclusive practice increases participation by adapting rules, equipment, communication and coaching to meet individual needs.
• Integrated sport allows disabled and non-disabled performers to take part together where appropriate and can reduce stereotyping.
• Adapted activities such as wheelchair basketball and seated volleyball increase participation by making competition possible and meaningful for disabled performers.
• Positive media coverage of disabled athletes can challenge stereotypes and provide role models that encourage participation.
• Commercialisation in sport is the process of promoting, staging and selling sport for financial gain.
• Commercialisation in sport depends on the relationship between sport, sponsorship and the media, which is often called the golden triangle.
• Sponsorship is an agreement in which a business gives money, goods or services to a sport, team, event or performer in return for publicity or association.
• The media are the communication channels that share sport with audiences, including television, radio, the press, the internet and social media.
• Media companies pay for broadcasting rights so that they can show popular sporting events to large audiences.
• Sponsors are more willing to invest in sports that receive regular media coverage because their brand is seen by more people.
• Media coverage can increase interest in a sport, which makes the sport more attractive to sponsors and advertisers.
• Sponsorship can provide direct financial support to a performer, team, club or event.
• Sponsorship can provide clothing, footwear and specialist equipment that reduce costs for performers and teams.
• Sponsorship can provide facilities such as training venues, gym equipment or improvements to sporting venues.
• Television can show live or recorded sport with commentary, replays and analysis.
• Radio can provide live commentary, interviews and updates for audiences who are not watching the event.
• The press can report fixtures, results, analysis and interviews in newspapers and magazines.
• The internet can deliver live streams, highlights, statistics and on-demand content to a global audience.
• Social media allow performers, clubs, media companies and fans to share sports content instantly and interact directly.
• Sponsorship can give performers income and free products that improve access to coaching, equipment and training time.
• Media coverage can raise a performer's profile, attract sponsorship deals and create further earning opportunities.
• Media attention and sponsorship obligations can reduce a performer's privacy and increase pressure to perform consistently.
• Sponsorship income can help a sport pay for better facilities, coaching, competitions and grassroots development.
• Media coverage can increase participation and popularity in a sport by making the sport more visible to new audiences.
• Commercial pressures can lead sports to change rules, formats or scheduling to suit television audiences rather than sporting priorities.
• Sports with little media coverage usually attract less sponsorship, so commercialisation can widen the gap between popular and less popular sports.
• Commercial income can allow officials in some sports to access better training, pay and equipment.
• Media scrutiny can expose officials to criticism, abuse and damage to reputation after controversial decisions.
• Media coverage gives audiences and spectators more ways to watch, follow and learn about sport without attending in person.
• Sponsorship and media income can improve the spectator experience through better venues, coverage and event presentation.
• Subscription fees, expensive tickets and constant advertising can make commercialised sport less accessible or less enjoyable for some spectators.
• Sponsorship and media coverage can increase a company's brand awareness, sales and association with the positive image of sport.
• A sponsor's reputation can be harmed if the sponsored sport, team or performer becomes linked to cheating, violence or scandal.
• Technology can help performers improve training through performance analysis, biometric monitoring and detailed feedback.
• Technology can improve performer safety through better protective equipment and more accurate monitoring of injury and workload.
• Expensive technology can give wealthier performers or teams an unfair advantage over those with fewer resources.
• Technology can be misused to gain an unfair advantage, including illegal mechanical methods or other forms of cheating.
• Technology can improve a sport by making timing, scoring and decision making more accurate.
• Technology can make sport more engaging through improved broadcasting, live statistics, graphics and replay analysis.
• Interruptions for technological reviews can slow games down and reduce the flow or excitement of a sport.
• Officials can use technology such as video replay, electronic timing and ball-tracking systems to reduce human error in decision making.
• Officials may still face criticism if technology is unavailable, inconclusive or produces decisions that remain controversial.
• Technology can improve the audience experience by offering replays, multiple camera angles, live statistics and interactive content.
• Access to the best viewing technology and paid digital services can exclude some spectators on cost grounds.
• Technology allows sponsors and companies to target advertising more precisely and measure the impact of campaigns linked to sport.
• Companies may need to invest heavily in new technology and digital advertising to stay competitive in the commercial sports market.
• Sporting conduct refers to the way performers behave towards opponents, officials and the sport itself.
• Etiquette is the unwritten code of polite behaviour expected in a particular sport.
• Shaking hands after a tennis match and staying silent during a golf shot are examples of sporting etiquette.
• Sportsmanship means playing by the rules and by the spirit of the game.
• Helping an injured opponent or accepting an official's decision without abuse are examples of sportsmanship.
• Gamesmanship is the attempt to gain an advantage by pushing the rules or distracting an opponent without directly breaking the rules.
• Time-wasting in football and deliberate sledging in cricket are examples of gamesmanship.
• The contract to compete is the expectation that every performer will try to win fairly by following the rules and giving a genuine effort.
• Match-fixing, deliberately losing and taking banned drugs all break the contract to compete.
• A prohibited substance is a drug or chemical banned by anti-doping rules because it can improve performance unfairly or endanger health.
• Anti-doping rules ban categories including stimulants, narcotic analgesics, anabolic agents, peptide hormones such as EPO and diuretics.
• Stimulants increase alertness, reduce tiredness and can speed up reaction time.
• A sprinter or games player may misuse stimulants to feel more alert and aggressive during competition.
• Side effects of stimulants include addiction, insomnia, raised blood pressure and a higher risk of heart problems.
• Narcotic analgesics are powerful painkillers that can allow a performer to keep competing despite injury.
• A rugby player may misuse narcotic analgesics to mask pain caused by heavy contact or overtraining.
• Side effects of narcotic analgesics include addiction, drowsiness and a greater risk of injury because pain warnings are reduced.
• Anabolic agents such as anabolic steroids increase muscle mass and strength.
• A bodybuilder, thrower or rugby player may misuse anabolic agents to improve power and recovery.
• Side effects of anabolic agents include liver damage, heart problems, high blood pressure and hormonal side effects.
• Peptide hormones are substances that act like natural hormones in the body to alter performance.
• EPO is a peptide hormone that increases red blood cell production and therefore increases the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
• Endurance performers such as cyclists and distance runners may misuse EPO to improve aerobic performance.
• Side effects of peptide hormones such as EPO include headaches, raised blood pressure and dangerously thick blood.
• Diuretics increase urine production and can cause rapid weight loss.
• A boxer or jockey may misuse diuretics to compete in a lower weight category, and some performers use diuretics to mask other banned drugs.
• Side effects of diuretics include dehydration, low blood pressure and muscle cramps.
• Blood doping is a prohibited method in which blood is removed several weeks before competition, stored and re-injected shortly before the event.
• Re-injecting stored blood increases red blood cell count and improves the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
• Blood doping mainly benefits endurance performers because it improves aerobic performance over long periods.
• Distance runners, cyclists, rowers and cross-country skiers are examples of performers who could benefit from blood doping.
• Blood doping is less useful in short, explosive events because those events depend mainly on anaerobic energy systems.
• Side effects of blood doping include thicker blood, infection, embolism and heart attack.
• Beta blockers reduce heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension by reducing the effects of adrenaline.
• Beta blockers can improve fine control and accuracy in sports that require steady movement.
• Shooters, archers and snooker players may misuse beta blockers because precise control is important in their sports.
• Side effects of beta blockers include nausea, weakness and heart problems.
• Beta blockers should only be taken when prescribed by a medical professional.
• Different banned methods and substances appeal to different performers because sports place different demands on strength, endurance, pain tolerance, alertness and control.
• Some performers take PEDs because they think PEDs increase the chance of winning.
• Sporting success can bring fame, prize money, sponsorship and selection opportunities, which can tempt performers to use PEDs.
• Some performers justify PED use by claiming that it levels the playing field if rivals are also cheating.
• Using PEDs is cheating because PEDs give an unfair advantage and break the rules of the sport.
• Using PEDs can lead to fines, suspensions, bans, lost sponsorship and lasting reputational damage for the performer.
• Using PEDs can seriously harm health, so any short-term performance gain comes with significant physical risk.
• Repeated doping scandals damage the reputation and credibility of a sport or event.
• Doping scandals can reduce trust among spectators, sponsors and the media because results seem less legitimate.
• Spectators can create atmosphere at matches and events, which can lift performers and improve performance.
• Support from home spectators can give a home-field advantage by increasing confidence and pressuring opponents.
• Spectators can also increase pressure on performers, and that pressure can harm performance.
• Booing, abuse and hostile chanting can distract performers and reduce concentration.
• Crowd trouble and hooliganism can make events less safe for performers, officials and spectators.
• The cost of policing, stewarding and stadium safety measures increases when spectator behaviour is poor.
• Negative spectator behaviour can discourage younger performers from taking part in sport.
• Hooliganism is violent, aggressive or destructive behaviour by groups of spectators.
• Rivalries between clubs or nations can increase the risk of hooliganism.
• Media hype around major matches can add excitement and tension that contribute to hooliganism.
• Alcohol and drugs can reduce self-control and make violent behaviour more likely among spectators.
• Gang culture can encourage spectators to treat sporting events as opportunities for group conflict.
• Frustration with officials' decisions can trigger aggressive behaviour among supporters.
• Some hooliganism is driven by a desire to display masculinity, status or dominance in front of peers.
• Early kick-offs can reduce hooliganism by leaving less time for drinking before matches.
• All-seater stadia make crowd movement easier to control and reduce opportunities for disorder.
• Separating rival fans inside and outside the venue reduces contact between groups that may fight.
• Improved security, including CCTV, searches and stewarding, can deter hooliganism and identify offenders.
• Alcohol restrictions inside and around venues can reduce aggressive behaviour linked to drinking.
• Travel restrictions and banning orders can stop known hooligans from attending matches.
• Education campaigns and high-profile endorsements can encourage supporters to behave responsibly.
• Anti-hooliganism measures can improve safety and reduce disorder, but high security costs can be a disadvantage for clubs and event organisers.

• Identify patterns of participation for different social groups in a named physical activity or sport.
• Explain how gender, race, religion, culture, age, family, peers or disability influence participation in a given example.
• Apply factors such as role models, media coverage, accessibility, stereotypes, socio-economic status and inclusiveness to explain low or high participation.
• Compare the likely participation barriers and solutions for two different social groups in sport.
• Interpret a sporting scenario using the relationship between sport, sponsorship and the media in the golden triangle.
• Classify examples of sponsorship as financial support, clothing and equipment, or facilities.
• Classify examples of media as television, radio, press, internet or social media.
• Analyse positive and negative effects of sponsorship and media on a performer, sport, official, spectator or sponsor.
• Evaluate positive and negative effects of technology on a performer, sport, official, spectator or sponsor.
• Justify whether a commercial or technological change benefits sport overall in a given example.
• Classify behaviour in a sporting scenario as etiquette, sportsmanship, gamesmanship or breaking the contract to compete.
• Explain how a named example of gamesmanship or cheating affects fairness and sporting conduct.
• Identify which category a named prohibited substance belongs to and describe its performance effects and side effects.
• Select the performers or sports most likely to misuse stimulants, narcotic analgesics, anabolic agents, peptide hormones, diuretics or beta blockers.
• Explain how blood doping increases performance and evaluate which performers benefit most from it.
• Justify why a performer might choose to use PEDs despite ethical, health and reputational risks.
• Analyse positive and negative effects of spectators on performer confidence, pressure, safety and participation.
• Explain how rivalries, media hype, alcohol, gang culture or frustration can contribute to hooliganism.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies such as early kick-offs, segregation, security, alcohol restrictions and banning orders in reducing hooliganism.