Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility through Physical Activity

Don Hellison, PhD, was a professor in the college of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was cofounder of the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Alliance. He worked extensively with high-risk youth, was a distinguished research fellow at Adelphi University, and was a visiting professor at numerous universities in the United States and in Canada. Much of Hellison’s work focused on the development, implementation, and evaluation of alternative physical activity program models that teach life skills and values, especially for underserved youth. He published numerous books, articles, and book chapters. Hellison received many awards, including the Gulick Medal (AAHPERD’s highest honor) and the International Olympic Committee’s President’s Prize. He received grant support for 25 projects, served on three editorial boards, and was editor of Quest for two years. He gave keynote addresses, made presentations at professional meetings, and conducted workshops for teachers and youth workers in most of the 50 U.S. states, several Canadian provinces, Israel, South Korea, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, England, and Spain. He also served on numerous committees for several professional associations. Don Hellison passed away in 2018.

Paul M. Wright, PhD, is a professor in the department of kinesiology and physical education at Northern Illinois University (NIU). He has specialized in the teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) instructional model since 1996, when he began working with Don Hellison. His scholarship is very applied and relates directly to fields such as positive youth development, social and emotional learning, and sport for development. Wright also has interests in policy and program evaluation in relation to youth sport and physical activity. He has published over 100 articles and book chapters, consulted for organizations such as UNESCO, and received funding from agencies such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U.S. Department of State. Reflecting the influence of his scholarship, he has been inducted as a fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology and served as the chair of SHAPE America’s Research Council. Wright leads the Physical Activity and Life Skills (PALS) Group at NIU, which serves as an engine for engaged scholarship on these topics.

Tom Martinek, EdD, is a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). During his 47-year tenure at UNCG, Martinek has focused his research efforts on the social and psychological dynamics of teaching and coaching. Martinek's work has been published in journals such as Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Quest, The Urban Review, Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, International Journal of Sport Science, and Community Youth Development Journal. He has also authored or coauthored five books. He has spent the past 31 years directing and teaching in youth development programs that have served over 600 underserved youth. He also provides preservice and in-service staff development programs for national and international practitioners who work with at-risk and underserved children and youth. His work with kids is informed by his past research on teacher expectancy effects, learned helplessness, and resiliency of children and youth.

David Walsh, PhD, is a professor in and the chair of the department of kinesiology at San Francisco State University. He specializes in physical activity–based youth development programs for youth in underserved urban communities. Walsh has almost 30 years of experience with the development of, implementation of, and research on the teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) model. He has published numerous book chapters and articles in journals such as Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport; Quest; Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance; and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. He has given keynote speeches, lectures, and workshops in many of the U.S. states and internationally in Australia, England, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. His research includes successful university–community collaborations, innovative programs for helping youth envision positive possible futures, strategies for effective service learning, impact of physical activity–based youth development programs, and support of LGBTQIA+ youth in sport-based and physical activity–based programs. Walsh’s broader scholarship is related to teaching the TPSR model to preservice and in-service teachers.