Background Aggressive preventive actions were required to face the Covid-19 outbreak. However, from March 2020 on, many healthy youth football players have seen their sporting activities disrupted by the restrictions on outdoor exercise. This study describes physical activity and quality of life during April 2020 lockdown of young people participating in organized football. Methods 1163 young football

Within a group of adolescent Australian Rules Football (ARF) players, individuals of the same chronological age can differ greatly in biological maturation, with some players maturing vastly earlier or later than their peers. Such large differences in maturity can cause a disparity between physical performance, influence the perceptions of talent, and affect training practice. In attempts to address

The intent to improve a youth athlete’s ability is developed through structured focused training in the competencies within their sport. To date there is little evidence around how multi-discipline youth athletes organise their training load (TL) outlook in a multitude of sports. The aim of this study was to analyse the daily TL, distribution and wellness in aspiring 10-15yr old pentathletes (n = 31)

Identifying high-performing and promising athletes is an important task of national surf associations. However, the scientific foundation of performance indicators in surfing has only developed in recent years. This review aimed to (1) find out which performance characteristics discriminate between surfers of different skill levels, and (2) point out gaps in the existing literature and direct future

The purpose of this study was to analyze the potential positive and negative effects of team cohesion on team performance in a sport organization. Unbalanced panel data of 10 teams for the past 22 years (1997 season through the 2017–2018 season) from the Korean Basketball League were collected. A social network analysis approach was employed to measure network density as a proxy variable to measure

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between resting morning heart rate variability (HRV) metrics and indirect markers of hydration status in elite male athletes. Twenty-two field hockey players (age 26.8 ± 3.4 yr; height 178.4 ± 6.3 cm; body mass 76.2 ± 7.4 kg) were monitored over 10-d during a pre-Olympic training camp. Measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) during an orthostatic

This study aimed to search for age and sex differences on a manipulative eye-segmental (hand and foot) coordination task. It represents the first step towards a possible creation of a manipulative eye-hand and eye-foot coordination test that may be used in motor competence test batteries. One hundred and sixty-eight children (85 boys and 83 girls), with a mean age of 12.79 years old (±1.56) were assessed

This research studied the coaches’ perceptions of the innovation programs of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) during 2016-2020. The RFET is one of the most relevant national federations in Spain both in terms of results at the highest levels of the game as well as in terms of participation and grassroots tennis. Coaches are considered relevant stakeholders of any sport federation due to their

The current study examined the possible role of basic psychological needs and passion in Paralympians’ life satisfaction. A mediational model was tested where autonomy, competence and relatedness were hypothesized to be linked to athlete life satisfaction via harmonious and obsessive passion. The sample comprised 91 Portuguese Paralympians aged between 18 and 59 years (M = 31.01; SD = 3.78). Athletes

Previous studies investigating running distance in high performance soccer have led to contradictory evidence, potentially due to ignoring contextual information during match phases. The present study therefore examined the relationship between running performance and goal scoring in a football match for a standardised score line. In a sample of 302 matches from the first German Bundesliga, the first

This study compared the kinematic parameters of swing mechanics under toss batting (TB), motor imagery (MI), video projection (VP), and virtual reality (VR) conditions during baseball batting. Nine college baseball players performed three swings to hit a tossed ball under TB conditions or a virtual ball under MI, VP, and VR conditions. The results revealed that upper trunk backward rotation was smaller

The aim of this research was to analyze the player’s pass style with enhanced accuracy using the deep learning technique. We proposed Pass2vec, a passing style descriptor that can characterize each player’s passing style by combining detailed information on passes. Pass data was extracted from the ball event data from five European football leagues in the 2017–2018 season, which was divided into training

This study explored how the number of allowed ball touches per player possession affected the performance of different age groups (U9, U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19) during a Gk + 4vs4+Gk small-sided games. Each day, players randomly performed the following three conditions (for a total of 6 days): i) free-play (FP); ii) maximum of 2 touches (2 T); iii) 1 touch (1 T). Players’ positional data was used

Background Particularly at the level of professional athletics, injury prevention is of critical importance. We hypothesized that elevated in-game statistics over a period of 3-10 games places increased cumulative stress on players’ joints and thus predisposes players to injury. Methods Utilizing a comprehensive database of National Basketball Association (NBA) player statistics, we identified 34 NBA

Augmented feedback supplements or replaces task-intrinsic feedback and is common in team sports, however, no studies have reported on augmented feedback provision in professional Australian Football (AF) practice. This study investigated the effects of practice characteristics (feedback intervention frequency, practice time, practice type, season phase, practice activity form and competitive match

A major challenge to sport practitioners working across all levels of sport is ensuring that technological platforms are integrated effectively to assist learning along the development pathway. Under the framework of ecological dynamics, we introduce technology as a support opportunity for athletes to learn to become better attuned to, and utilise, key sources of information to self-regulate their

Previous studies on periodization have led to the view that most athletes fail to peak at major events. These conclusions might be based on definitions of “peak performance” that are too narrow. In this study, a track and field athlete was defined as succeeding in a competition if their outcome was within the acceptable range from the best result of the season. The data are from seven championship

The aims of this investigation were to describe the physical output of hockey relative to possession status, and to identify differences in physical output during each possession category with respect of match result. Ten international matches were analysed utilizing Sportscode to identify in and not in possession instances. 24 players (age 26 ± 4) wore a 10 Hz GPS device to track physical output.

The stimulus article, “Golf swing technician Jim Christine: Bridging the gap between the science of the golf swing and the art of golf coaching”, and the accompanying commentaries present some key issues in golf coaching, especially coach development, technology, coaching methods, and critical thinking.

Purpose This study aims to determine the effect of the distribution of practice on learning the forehand shot in tennis. Method Twenty-four beginner tennis players participated in the study (13 males and 11 female; 8.63 ± 0.92 years old). The players were separated after groups -massed practice (N = 12) and distributed practice (N = 12). Each group practiced the forehand shot for 12 sessions, 4 series

In volleyball, the opposite player is the most requested hitter since she/he is the player with a higher probability of successfully carrying out attacks. The main objective of this study was to analyze variables that predicted attack effectiveness, in top-level teams depending on gender. Inferential analysis and multinomial logistic regression were applied to analyze 1512 attacks of men and women

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of 4-week small-sided games (SSG) and high-intensity interval training with changes of direction (HIT-COD) on physical performance and specific technical skills in female collegiate basketball players. Nineteen players were divided into SSG (n = 9) and HIT-COD (n = 10) groups, that performed either SSG or HIT-COD three times per week for 4 weeks during

The aim of the study was to examine the evolution of players' perception of group variables (leadership, motivational climate, cohesion, and collective efficacy) and to determine whether the intercept and growth trajectory differed as a function of whether expectations have or have not been met in a sample of semi-professional Spanish football players. The results show that the levels of the variables

The aim of the present study was to examine how team composition of players with different roles constrains individual and collective tactical behaviours, and ball possession effectiveness, during competitive 3 vs 3 small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs) in youth soccer players. Fifteen male players (under 15 yrs, mean age 13.2 ± 1.03 years, mean years of practice: 4.2 ± 1.10 years) from the same

Maturation-related changes in body dimensions and performance can lead to physical mismatches and drop out from youth sport. Here, we propose a new method termed ‘discreet performance banding’ (DPB). We aimed to determine if dividing youths by actual physical performance of a discreet skill or ability (‘change or direction’ [COD] ability) could discriminate between the most and least skilled players

Often cognitive function is affected adversely during prolonged, high intensity exercise. We assessed whether hydrothermally modified corn starch (HMS) ingestion minimizes cognitive decline with soccer play. 11 men (177.7 ± 6.8 cm, 77.3 ± 7.9 kg, 22 ± 3 y, 12.8 ± 4.9% body fat, V˙O2max = 57.1 ± 3.9 ml•kg BM−1•min−1; mean ± SD) completed 60 min simulated soccer matches with HMS (8% CHO; 0.7 g•kg BM−1•h−1;

This controlled study investigated the effects of 7 weeks pre-season supplemental jump and sprint exercise training on sand (JSETS) on athletic ability in male handball players. Males (n = 40; 16.3 ± 0.4 years) were randomly assigned to a jump and sprint training (JSTG; n = 24) or a control (CG; n = 18) group. The JSETS replaced a part of the regular handball training of players. The tests included

This study describes exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) by player position and activity during a collegiate football season, and investigates the relationship between RHI and acute (i.e., daily and weekly) and short-term (i.e., pre- to post-season) changes in balance, reaction time, symptoms, and cognition. We recorded RHI exposure in twenty Division I collegiate American football players during

Research demonstrates the benefits of a more contemporary, ecological-dynamics led approach in sport coaching; however, traditional methods of practice design persist. Few studies have explored the intentions of performance tennis coaches as they design practice. This study explored performance tennis coach philosophies and approaches to practice design. Interviews took place with ten high performance

Although previous studies have uncovered various factors to understand sport coaches’ life, the role of positive emotions toward coaching experience and their impacts on behavioral and psychological outcomes remain unknown. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of sport coaches’ positive emotions on their work satisfaction and task performance and further measure the factors

In high performance tennis, different aspects like physical-conditioning, strategy-tactic, technical-biomechanical, psychology and skills acquisition have received large attention from the researchers. Nevertheless, the programming, periodization and planning of training sessions and competitions have not been as studied in depth. Coaches still use their experience, trial-error and subjective perceptions

This study aims to investigate the communicative content of nonverbal (emotion) expressions of soccer coaches during a game and how these provide information about the current situation and how this information might impact players’ self-confidence during a game. In Studies 1 (N = 137) and 2 (N = 102) we investigated if soccer coaches are estimated to be happier and are rated higher on dimensions related

Efforts to improve coaching effectiveness require an understanding of the common sources of coaches’ knowledge acquisition. Sports coaches utilise multiple learning sources, yet limited direct evidence elucidates the manner in which Chinese coaches learn to coach and the evolution of their learning sources throughout their careers’ development. This research examines the actual and preferred sources

This study aimed to investigate the association between training load indices and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) across different lag periods in elite soccer players. Internal training load was collected from 15 elite soccer players over one full season (40 weeks). Acute, chronic, Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR), Exponentially Weighted Moving Averages (EWMA) ACWR, 2, 3 and 4-week cumulative

This study set out to gain insight into the practices adopted by elite level Paralympic swimming coaches and to shed light on the knowledge and rationale underpinning their approaches. Coaching sessions were delivered by nine senior coaches from the British Para swimming (BPS) World Class Programme. A coaching session was observed from each coach and a semi-structured interview was recorded and transcribed

Esports has been the fastest-growing industry around the globe, as the number of games and prize earnings are dramatically increasing. Esports is defined as competitive sport video gaming; more individuals are beginning to pursue this as a profession. Just like the University of California, Irvine, which offers a program to enhance esports skills and performance, the number of such institutions are

Throwing a ball is a primary skill in team-handball and can be directly influenced by the properties of different types of balls. Therefore, the use of different balls (i.e., methodic ball) recommended by the handball federations (e.g., IHF) and the education guidelines, are important in teaching throwing. Previous studies have shown that movement patterns and throwing velocity can be influenced by

In rugby league and rugby union, the ball carrier is vulnerable to injury during a tackle. The height of the tackle has been associated with injury risk. The extent to which a ball carrier may alter their approach entering a tackle in response the tackler’s body height is unknown. This exploratory study aimed to identify if, when and how, the ball carrier modified their motion when being tackled in

Despite the importance and complexity of developing sprint performance in football code athletes, there are limited studies exploring practitioners’ practices to improves Sprinting. Therefore, this study aimed to describe and evaluate the practices used with elite football code athletes to develop sprint performance. Ninety subjects completed a survey comprised of four sections (coaching demographic

This study aimed to (1) track changes in body composition, lower body force-time characteristics, and swim start performance over a competitive season, and (2) investigate the intra-individual associations between changes in body composition and lower body force-time characteristics to swim start performance in five high performance swimmers (three males, two females). Over a ∼12-month period, body

The spike attack is one of the most important skills in beach volleyball, and as an overarm movement, places significant load on the shoulder joint that could lead to increased risk of injury. An analysis of the different techniques used by elite athletes could provide important insights regarding the etiology of these injuries. This study aimed to assess the spike attack arm swing techniques of Olympics

The aim of the research project was to gain an in-depth understanding of how children, coaches, and parents in youth soccer perceive parental support. In a preliminary study, a questionnaire was developed to assess satisfaction with parental support and sideline behavior in soccer. The multisection questionnaire was adapted to all three parties of interest—children, parents, and coaches—and administered

Purpose Monitoring maturation facilitates effective talent development. Various methods of maturity estimation exist with limited knowledge of concordance between methods. This study aims to establish agreement between methods of varied constructs to predict maturity status and compare concordance of methods to categorise players using established thresholds. Methods This study compared four maturity

Athlete health and sport performance research for athletes with disabilities has increased substantially over the years as the level of competition and intensity in Paralympic sport has grown. However, relative to able-bodied sport, there remains some key areas of parasport research which are distinctly lacking. Athlete recovery, as a counterbalance to training stress and an important factor in preventing

There is limited research investigating objective practice monitoring in team sports. This observational study examined the practice activities used by eight professional coaches across 72 different practice sessions in one season within a professional Australian football team. This study aimed to evaluate the extent to which these practice types differed from those shown to facilitate skill acquisition

The aims of this study were to (I) determine the differences and relationship between the overhead press and split jerk performance in athletes involved in weightlifting training, and (II) explore the magnitude of these differences in one-repetition maximum (1RM) performances between sexes. Sixty-one men (age: 30.4 ± 6.7 years; height: 1.8 ± 0.5 m; body mass 82.5 ± 8.5 kg; weightlifting training experience:

The study compared the tactical behaviour and skill efficacy of young novice basketball players during small-sided games (SSGs) in situations of numerical equality (3vs.3), numerical superiority (3vs.2), and a non-scorer floater (3vs.3 + 1). A total of forty-five schoolchildren (11.55 ± 0.49 years) from both sexes with no previous experience in basketball participated in ten four-minute SSGs of each

Removing the vulnerability of a stereotype threat can weaken the stereotype’s negative influence. However, stereotype threats can be produced simply by reminding individuals of their stigmatized social identity. In this study, a typical explicit stereotype threat was compared with two types of reports on positive role models to determine whether the influence of stereotypes varied according to the

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and the reliability of a swimming sensor to assess swimming performance and spatial-temporal variables. Six international male open-water swimmers completed a protocol which consisted of two training sets: a 6×100m individual medley and a continuous 800 m set in freestyle. Swimmers were equipped with a wearable sensor, the TritonWear to collect

The purpose of this study was to explore the association between coach leadership and the coach-athlete relationship. Eighty-one elite athletes (M = 20.4 years; SD = 3.8; 58% female and 42% male) responded to questionnaires pertaining to their coaches’ leadership behaviours and the quality of their relationship. The overall model for predicting the quality of the coach-athlete relationship according

Coaches play a critical role in shaping the sporting experiences of children and youth. In introductory-level grassroots sport programs, the coaching strategies used can greatly influence children’s and youths’ physical literacy development. This study identified behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used by coaches in an inclusive physical literacy-based grassroots sport program for children and youth

Objective To analyze intensity levels, modalities, types of physical activities, ambient temperature, and hydration levels during stimuli performed in training and competitionof studies that reported episodes of rhabdomyolysis in athletes. Method We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPERO, as number CRD42020126107. MedLine (via PubMed), Cochrane, LILACS

The current study aimed to compare locomotive outputs across English U16, U18 and U23 academy soccer and investigate possible relationships with neuromuscular and aerobic capacities. Participants included 46 outfield players from an English Category Two soccer academy. Global positioning system (18 Hz) data were utilised to analyse locomotive outputs across twenty eleven-a-side matches in each age

The literature regarding formal coach education and development highlights issues of transference of usable knowledge to the real-world context. This study sought to engage coaches from a Spanish football academy in a longitudinal work-based coach development program (CDP) focused on the delivery of post-match feedback. The CDP was delivered over a 23-month period through collaboration between a sport

Tactical Periodisation is a training methodology, originally developed for soccer, that focuses primarily on the systems of play that a team intends to use in competition. It has been popularised by successful European coaches and subsequently has been proposed as a model to follow for other sports such as rugby union and tennis in more recent times. Gaelic football is an amateur sport that has similarities

The purpose of this study was to quantify differences in barbell back squat stability as a function of gaze direction. Sixteen female subjects who were experienced in barbell back squatting performed six sets of three squat repetitions, randomized according to three gaze directions (DOWN, STRAIGHT, and UP). Stability was determined based on the displacement of center of pressure (COP) during each squat

This study compared the influence of changing floaters’ rules on player positioning in small-sided games (SSG) played by different age groups. A total of 48 youth soccer players (24 U-13 and 24 U-14) took part in the study, playing three different SSGs: regular 3vs3, 1-floater condition (one floater playing for both teams), and 2-floater condition (one floater per team, with alternate participation)

Sprint technical training, named the catapult start, is defined as partner assisted pulling of the hip backward at the set position and during block clearance, released by the forward motion of the athlete. This study investigated the characteristics of the catapult start and its influence on the following sprint start performance. Fourteen male sprinters performed a single 15-m control, catapult,

Performance in a volleyball match is the result of a dynamic and interactive process between two teams. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of the quality of opposition on skill performance indicators. A total of 550 teams’ performances (N = 550) from 275 sets of men’s European Championship 2019 was recorded and the effectiveness of 12 parameters from 5 basic volleyball skills was

This study compared the effects of integrative neuromuscular training (INT) versus FIFA 11+ protocols on sprint, change of direction performance and inter-limb asymmetries. Thirty young (U-11) male soccer players (age: 11.2 ± 0.7 years; height: 145.6 ± 6.8 cm; body mass: 72.5 ± 3.0 kg) were randomly assigned to each training group, which consisted of two sessions/week for a period of 6-weeks. The INT