Performance analysis during match play is vital for the long-term development of tennis players. The primary goal of this study was to establish the differences between junior and entry professional tennis player's selected performance indicators in five-game situations. Data were collected using the Sagit/Tennis tracking system during six junior and four professional tennis matches. Eight boys performed

The doubles game has considerable relevance in professional tennis, especially in team competitions such as the Billie Jean King Cup (former Fed Cup) (BJKC) and the Davis Cup (DC). However, there are very few studies that have carried out quantitative notational analysis to provide information on the specific features of this tennis modality. The goal of this study was to analyse the differences in

The aim was to assess factor structure of player-reported fatigue and quantify within-subjects association between changes in training load measures and next day player-reported fatigue at different time points of an elite football season. Using longitudinal research design, twenty-four professional footballers, mean (SD) age of 25.7 (3.4) years, were monitored during their competitive season, including

This study aimed to identify what male coaches of elite female team sport athletes want to know about the menstrual cycle and its influence on athlete health and performance. Using a mixed-methods concept mapping approach, 18 male coaches of Australian female elite football-codes brainstormed what they wanted to know about the menstrual cycle to work more effectively with female athletes. Ideas were

The present study sought to provide support for the roles of both the social identity approach (group identification and identity leadership) and relational identification in adherence to group exercise classes. One hundred and twenty U.K. based group exercise class attendees completed an online survey in a cross-sectional design. Group identification, perceptions of identity leadership behaviour,

The purpose of this study was to assess current perceptions of strength and conditioning coaches’ use of sled towing (ST) as part of their training programs. One-hundred and twenty-five coaches responded to a survey of their ST practices. Themes investigated included the primary purpose and usefulness of using ST, the loads used in short and long distances, rest times between sprints, total volume

Employing an arched back posture during the bench press exercise is increasingly popular. Vertical displacement of the barbell is commonly believed to be the key difference influencing strength performance between an arched and flat back bench press technique. However, comparisons between these back postures using a free weight barbell are lacking. Directly comparing performance between each posture

Using situational leadership models, the current study examined direct and indirect relationships between coaching styles (i.e., democratic and autocratic) and athletes’ intent to continue participation via enjoyment in the sport of artistic swimming. Data were collected using an online survey with a snowball sampling method. A total of 202 artistic swimmers at the elite level from 22 countries participated

The understanding of coaches’ knowledge plays a critical role in coach development. This study aimed to examine the internal models of expert and novice tennis coaches and to identify the key distinguishing characteristics between levels. Data was captured by in-depth interviews and analysed using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The results revealed that the internal model

Due to the severe health consequences of sport related concussion (SRC), governments and sport governing bodies around the world have enacted numerous measures including changes to legislation and rules of the game, and increased emphasis on coach education. This study compared the legal consciousness of girls’ youth soccer coaches regarding concussion management under a statutory legal regime in the

This study aimed to evaluate the effects playing position, match location (home or away), quality of opposition (strong or weak), effective playing time (total time minus stoppages), and score-line on physical match performance in professional soccer players using a large-scale analysis. A total of 10,739 individual match observations of outfield players competing in the Spanish La Liga during the

Interval tennis rehabilitation programs (ITRPs) are advocated during later stages of shoulder and elbow rehabilitation. ITRPs utilize gradual increases in hitting or serving effort, based on perceived effort. Over-estimation of effort may increase stress. This investigation purpose was to determine actual tennis serve velocity when asked to hit serves at perceived effort of 50%, 75%. Thirty-nine healthy

The aim of this review was to consolidate and synthesise rugby union (RU) and rugby league (RL) studies on tackle and RU studies on ruck technique for rugby stakeholders. Forty-nine studies were identified (20 in RL and 29 in RU). RL studies primarily focussed on identifying factors that impact tackling ability. Leaner, fitter players, with greater lower body strength, tended to have more proficient

The aims of this study were to examine the influence of maturity timing on functional skills and game-related statistics amongst under-16 (U16) national team basketball players, and analyse which of these parameters were related to onward selection to the under-18 (U18) national team. Thirty-six U16 basketball players underwent anthropometric and overhead squat assessments during a national team training

We aimed to investigate if social networks measures can be used as indicators of training tasks' adjustment level to soccer players’ tactical skills. Twenty-four U17 male soccer players (16.89 ± 0.11 years) participated in this study. The System of Tactical Assessment in Football (FUT-SAT) was used to identify players’ tactical level and to organize them into three groups: Higher tactical level (Group

Growth-related and overuse injuries are commonly reported in young gymnasts. Two risk factors of these injuries are growth and maturation, and training load. However, little is known regarding current coaching knowledge and practice in relation to these risk factors. To help understand current knowledge and practice, 44 coaches of competitive, young gymnasts, from 3 gymnastics disciplines (men’s artistic

In an ecological dynamics rationale, the development of expertise in sports is shaped by interactions of personal, task and environmental constraints. A notable outcome of this process is the distinctive performance styles of athletes shaped by socio-cultural-historical constraints. To understand this process, we examined the role of socio-cultural constraints shaping the development of skill in Brazilian

The objective of the current study was to investigate the influence of the teaching methods and the leadership profile of the coach in relation to the positive development of young futsal practitioners. In total, 541 Brazilian adolescents (13.86 ± 1.61 years) and 34 Brazilian coaches (45.58 ± 5.81 years), from a public sports program in 29 public schools in the city of Curitiba, in the state of Paraná

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was officially introduced into Association Football (Soccer) regulations in 2018. The aim of this study was to examine how the implementation of this technology has modified the play in elite soccer. The sample consists of all 760 matches played in the Spanish LaLiga during the seasons before and after the implementation of the VAR system. The following variables were

The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the impact of a novel 8-week coach development intervention (MASTER) on game-based coaching practices of netball coaches from one netball club (n = 16; 8 intervention, 8 active-control; NSW Australia), and player outcomes for the junior athletes being coached. The multi-component MASTER intervention aimed to educate coaches on how to design

This study describes the contemporary practices of strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches in male professional cricket. Thirty-three S&C coaches working with international and professional club teams across seven countries completed an online survey. The survey consisted of 45 questions (35 fixed responses and 10 open-ended), with eight sections: (a) background information, (b) muscular strength and

The purpose of this study was to analyse selected serve characteristics in top-level male volleyball, with a special focus on detecting adaptations of the serve skill among seasons. The indicators examined were type, position, direction and quality of serve. The sample consisted of 5482 serves from three final phases of different top-level tournaments (Olympic Games 2012, N = 1942, World League 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of achievement goal orientation and perception of error on the sport-confidence of adolescent athletes and the moderating effect of perception of error in a competitive sports environment to provide basic data for improving the sport-confidence of adolescent athletes. The subjects of the study were middle and high school athletes (N = 300, Males = 218

Coaching turnover has significant implications for both athletic organizations and athletes. This study examined how the two distinctive types of passion were associated with turnover intention among high school athletic coaches. Moreover, this study used emotional exhaustion as an underlying mechanism in the relationship between passion and turnover intention. A total of 358 athletic coaches in the

The purpose of the current study was to examine attitudes towards lesbians and gay men among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II, and III coaches. Coaches (N = 290) from NCAA Division I (21%), II (22%), and III (56%) member institutions representing 31 different sports completed the Attitudes towards Lesbians and Gay Men scale and a demographic questionnaire. Overall, coaches

The current study investigated the association between sports nutrition knowledge and dietary quality in a sample of adult Irish male hurling players. Nutrition knowledge was measured by the validated Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (SNKQ). Diet quality was measured by the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) calculated from food frequency questionnaire data. Analysis of variance and linear

This study aimed to examine differences in sleep and perceived wellness between a group of adolescent academy football (soccer) players from sport high schools (SHS) and regular high schools (RHS) during different phases of the year, with a secondary focus on their school physical activity (s-PA) levels. Data were collected from 51 adolescent football players from one youth Australian academy in two

Despite a globally recognised need for inclusive diversity among sport workforces, women are underrepresented in the inherently stressful profession of sports coaching. This study aimed to work with women sports coaches to answer the following research questions: 1) What demographic and contract-related factors are associated with job stressors? 2) What associations exist between job stressors, strain

The aim of this study was to identify distinctive profiles (clusters) of high-level, young handball players according to their motivation, fear of failure and competitive state anxiety. In addition, we examined differences in the distribution of gender, age, and players’ position within each profile. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16–17 years old. Players

The ability to complete a large volume of high intensity jumps represents an important performance indicator in beach volleyball. Inertial measurement units are suitable tools to monitor those jump-specific loads but the applicability in beach volleyball lacks research. This study evaluates the accuracy of a commercially available inertial measurement device in beach volleyball for (i) jump count during

Offloads are an effective way of breaking through a defensive line in rugby union. Higher tackle heights are considered an effective strategy to defend against offloads. However, in a bid to reduce head injuries, there is a cultural shift within the rules of the game to tackle lower down on the body. This study used match video analysis of ten games from the 2019 Rugby World Cup to investigate whether

Servant leadership is a model of leadership based on ethics and benevolent service to others and has been associated with numerous positive outcomes for employees and organizations. Due to a limited number of studies examining servant leadership (SL) within sport, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relation of servant leadership and leader effectiveness outcomes in sport administration

A difficulty in identifying the optimal age, height, and body mass of swimmers is the heterogeneity of the athletes examined (i.e., gender, caliber), the variability in race distance and stroke, and the influence of time. Nonetheless, age, height, and body mass remains the most readily available data of all athlete characteristics, supporting their contribution to the prediction of performance. This

The purpose of this study was to analyse the effective playing time during the 2012-2018 Chinese Super League seasons. A linear mixed model with crossed random effects was used to assess the effects of match and technique characteristics on effective playing time. The key findings are as follows. (1) Matches played between the top eight teams, a tie at half time and increased audience participation

Stationary cycling is a common training mode of rowers, used to provide variety in training programs and prevent overuse injuries commonly associated with the repetitive nature of the rowing stroke. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in physiological responses on a Concept II BikeErg (Concept II BikeErg; Concept2 Inc., US) and Concept II RowErg (Concept II Model D; Concept2

The magnitude of loading artistic gymnasts experience during training is currently unknown. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) could assess loading, although the reliability of these devices must be established prior to implementation into the training environment. This study aimed to determine inter-trial reliability of using IMeasureU Blue Thunder IMUs to assess upper and lower limb loading when performing

The breakdown is a complex and dynamic facet of rugby union, often containing multiple players from each team. It is the responsibility of coaches and trainers to ensure players are prepared to comply with the World Rugby laws of the game to encourage safe and fair play between all participants. The aim of this study was to investigate player adherence and sanctioning of infringements at the breakdown

The present study examined the combined influence of two motivational key factors in the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning,1 enhanced expectancies (EE) and autonomy support (AS), on the learning of a dart-throwing task. In one group (AS/EE), participants were provided with a success criterion that could be met relatively easily (EE) and two small choices (AS). A control group practiced under neutral

This study explored whether gender differences exist in social support, optimism/pessimism, and psychological well-being among university student athletes and examined the relationship among these three variables and the mediating effect of optimism/pessimism. A total of 322 university student athletes (159 men and 163 women) who were Division 1 athletes participated in this study. The research instruments

Training load is commonly used to monitor training stress and is the product of external and internal physiological loads experienced by an athlete. With emerging wearable technology, it is possible to evolve existing external load measurement from duration or distance to runner-specific biomechanical data, which when combined with existing measures of internal load such as session rating of perceived

The aim of this study was to assess the vertical jump performance and the force-velocity profile of elite female handball and volleyball players. Forty-one female athletes were measured, 28 handball players (age: 24.0 ± 3.6 years, body height: 1.75 ± 0.05 m, body mass: 69.0 ± 7.3 kg) and 13 volleyball players (age: 24.1 ± 5.2 years, body height: 1.83 ± 0.07 m and body mass: 74.9 ± 7.9 kg). All players

High-performance sport coaches are leaders in their field; therefore, they sometimes operate under ‘regular’ workplace leadership role requirements. However, they are also subject to highly uncertain and pressured environments. Thus, most coaching/leadership positions in high-performance sport may be both ‘normal’ and ‘unique’ in leadership role requirement. Consequently, understanding what high-performance

The aim of this investigation was to analyse the external workload, tactical individual actions of passing, and perceived internal load during unbalanced small-sided games. Ball possession formats (4v3, 4v4 and 4v5) were played in three different playing area dimensions (20 × 15m, 25 × 20m and 30 × 25m) by under-23 football players. Data were analysed under opposition-based perspective, by fixing one

Objective This research examined the work-related ill- and well-being of Finnish sport coaches and the associations of job demands and resources with burnout and work engagement. Our study was based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. The JD-R model proposes that job demands relate especially to burnout and job resources relate especially to work engagement. Methods Finnish coaches (N = 499)

This study aimed to compare the anthropometric physical performance characteristics of Irish female international footballers at U17, U19, and Senior age groups. Fifty-five (U17, n =24, U19, n =21, Senior, n = 10) female international football players participated in this study. The subjects underwent anthropometric measurements (height and body mass) and physical performance tests countermovement

Talent identification and selection in soccer has been shown to be confounded by individual differences in relative age and biological maturation. Limited research has however, investigated whether these effects are reflected in coaches’ evaluations of performance. This study investigated relative and biological age associated differences in coach perceptions of performance in a professional soccer

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of competition standard and player position on the physical demands of Australian elite youth male soccer players during match-play. Twenty-three elite youth male soccer players from the same Australian U17 National Centre of Excellence program were observed across 8 National Youth League (NYL) and 21 National Premier League (NPL) competition

The current study examined how two high-level coaches in fencing and football perceived the challenges that emerged during a three-month coach education programme aimed at them delivering psychological skills training to athletes. We used action research as the study design and collected data using observations, six semi-structured interviews, and one focus group. We analysed the data using a thematic

Coach education has been positioned as an important catalyst in enabling coaches to maximise the positive influence of high school sport on student-athlete development. The purpose of the study was to conduct a subsequent season follow-up evaluation, examining longer-term changes in coach-athlete relationship, coach interpersonal behaviours, and life skills teaching in coaches who completed the Coaching

Golf putting requires accuracy and precision. However, environmental factors can influence the accuracy and stability of the putt. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the adjustment and stabilization strategies of elite college golfers putting under different wind conditions. A 3 D motion analysis system and two force plates were used to record the kinematic and ground reaction

Sport participation is an important means for adolescents to achieve moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), yet most high school students including athletes do not achieve the 60-minute daily MVPA guideline. As psychosocial factors influence athlete engagement and physical activity during sport, the perceived environment created by coaches could play a role in this influence. Guided by self-determination

The aim of this study was to evaluate New Zealand high school rugby union players’ and community coaches’ concussion knowledge (CK), concussion attitude (CA) and concussion reporting intentions (CRI) and to explore the impact gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, experience, and concussion history had on these outcome measures. This cross-sectional study utilised the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge

The purpose of this research was to determine the on-field playing positions of a group of football players based on their technical-tactical behaviour using machine learning algorithms. Each player was characterized according to a set of 52 non-spatiotemporal descriptors including offensive, defensive and build-up variables that were computed from OPTA’s on-ball event records of the matches for 18

Grounded in self-determination theory and the motivational model of the coach-athlete relationship, the purpose of this study was to explore the antecedents of youth sport coaches’ autonomy-supportive and controlling behaviours using a multimethod approach. Recreational level youth swimming and football coaches (N = 12) participated in semi-structured interviews and were observed leading a coaching

Talent selection in rowing is often solely based on anthropometric and performance variables, even though psychological characteristics are considered to be important contributors to successful talent development. Because multidimensional talent models and holistic theories represent the state-of-the-art in talent research, we aimed to find patterns connecting psychological and performance variables

Transition moments play a major role in match outcome and constitute an important part of the soccer coaching process. Nevertheless, the body of literature on match analysis reveals a lack of knowledge regarding transition moments, particularly the defensive ones. This study aimed to analyse how several situational and performance variables were associated with different defensive transition outcomes

Drawing on social cognitive theory, we examined a cross-level interaction between coach transformational leadership and the within-individual change in evaluations of perceived coaching competency over a season. We applied linear growth modeling to analyze 246 collegiate competitive basketball players (147 males and 99 females from 24 teams). Our results revealed that coaches with high transformational

The aims of this research were to (a) demonstrate how a principled approach using anthropometric measures of the hand can be used to identify the most appropriate basketball size for junior basketball players and (b) examine participants’ preferences in relation to the use of different sized basketballs after gameplay. The hand spans and hand lengths of junior and senior male basketball players were

Rhythmic movement, also referred to as “dance”, involves the execution of different motor skills as well as the integration and sequencing of actions between limbs, timing and spatial precision. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate and compare the effect of a 16-week rhythmic movement intervention on flexibility, dynamic balance, agility, power and local muscular endurance of academy

In contrast to the many studies in the business setting, few sport scientists have studied the predictors of athletes’ perception of justice. The present research aimed to determine the role of the interpersonal style of coaches (autonomy support) in enhancing perceived justice and its impact on satisfaction and performance. More precisely, two independent studies examined whether perceived justice