ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS

Sport  is  unique in  its  contribution to society   because  of  its  power   to  impact all  domains of  human development. Development  in   its  broadest  sense  refers  to  many   aspects   of  the   human  experience. Accordingly,sport can impact the physical,health,psychological and social facets of our humanity.It is this far reaching potential which sport  possesses which led to the United Nations declaring 2004 "The year of sport" and outlining eight millennium developmental goals ranging from  economic development to reduction of poverty and disease. Over ten years later,these goals are still pertinent. Sport  has always played  an integral role within Caribbean societies.Sports personalities have for a long  time been the Caribbean's heroes and so too sport has always been an iconic Caribbean pastime.This popularity has driven many state initiatives to use sport  as a tool for economic and social development. In addition to the professional/semi-professional and amateur athletes who  participate in competitive sport, there  are also those  who  engage in regular  exercise. However, many  persons  who  exercise do  not  meet  the  recommended guidelines and  may fail to reap the attendant benefits. As such, increased  initiatives to imbue physical  literacy in making physical  fitness  and regular  exercise a central part of the average citizens'lifestyle have also become a priority. This focus on sport at both the elite  and recreational level has also directed attention to the gendered disparities in access and equity.

Notwithstanding the central role that sport has had in the region and all the achievements that sportspersons have realized, there  has not  been  a sufficient paralleled growth of a science of sport  in the  Caribbean. In continuing to drive this impetus,the University of the West Indies  (St.Augustine) will host its 2nd biennial Interdisciplinary Conference on Sport Studies and Higher Education under  the  theme Physical  Literacy: Gender, Science, and Sport  for Development" at the University ofthe West Indies- St.Augustine Campus, Trinidad andTobago from May 18-20 , 2016.

This conference will contribute to the development of research and scholarship on sport which can support programmes of sport in tertiary and  higher education institutions. Such knowledge would also support the  needs of athletes,sporting and fitness  professionals,organizations and  practitioners at all levels of society, bringing into focus a new evidence-based approach to sport.We in the Caribbean recognize the importance and potential of sport as a vehicle  that has allowed our citizens  to reach  the  highest levels  of  human achievement. In short, sport has already proven its merit for our societies and as such its impact and potentialwithin these societies needs to be studied.

We hereby invite the submission of abstracts for consideration to be presented at this  conference.Submissions may be based on quantitative or qualitative studies and including but not limited to the following sub-themes:

• The Role of the State
• The History of Sport in the Caribbean
• Literary Discourses on Sport
• Sport for All- Development of the Whole Person
• Sexualities and Gender Identities in Sport
• Women and Sport:Issues and Challenges
• Physical Education
• Sporting Facilities
• Sport and Persons with Disabilities
• Movement and Physicality
• Sport Science
• Anti-Doping Policy
• SportTourism
• Sport Psychology
• Sociology of Sport
• Sport Economics
• Athletes: Student & Elite Athletes