Neck injuries presenting to emergency departments in the United States from 1990 to 1999 for ice hockey, soccer, and American football.

Science.gov (United States)

Delaney, J S; Al-Kashmiri, A

2005-04-01

To examine the number and rate of neck injuries in the community as a whole for ice hockey, soccer, and American football by analysing data from patients presenting to emergency departments in the United States from 1990 to 1999. Data compiled for the US Consumer Product Safety Commission were used to generate estimates for the total number of neck injuries and the more specific diagnoses of neck fractures, dislocations, contusions, sprains, strains, and lacerations occurring nationally from 1990 to 1999. These data were combined with yearly participation figures to generate rates of injury presenting to emergency departments for each sport. There were an estimated 5038 neck injuries from ice hockey, 19,341 from soccer, and 114 706 from American football. These could be broken down as follows: 4964 contusions, sprains, or strains from ice hockey, 17,927 from soccer, and 104 483 from football; 105 neck fractures or dislocations from ice hockey, 214 from soccer, and 1588 from football; 199 neck lacerations for ice hockey, 0 for soccer, and 621 for football. The rates for total neck injuries and combined neck contusions, sprains, or strains were higher for football than for ice hockey or soccer in all years for which data were available. The rate of neck injury in the United States was higher in football than in ice hockey or soccer in the time period studied.

“Adiós soccer, here comes fútbol!”: Transnationalization of the Mexican Sports Communities in the U.S.

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Ingrid Kummels

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the sport dynamics of the Mexican communities in the United States in the context of soccer. From the analysis of Mexican groups which immigrated to the American territory, and from their soccer practices (of resistance, this research questions whether we would be witnessing a sportive “latinoamericanization” of the U.S. through the soccer practices. As a counter-response to a homogenization and subordination, the Mexican Americans (and, by extension, the Latinos in general have created new cultural practices (and, among them sportive ones that put together Mexican traditions with American values of society constituting, in that way, “a third space”, which extends beyond the borders of both national States. This paper, therefore, examines why a growing number of migrants strengthens relationships with their communities of origin in Mexico through the (recreation of a soccer world itself, expressing thereby a “transnational mexicanity”, which is not “harmonic” by itself, but marked by conflicts. In this “new mexicanities” gender, class and ethnic, national and local conflicts – which occur simultaneously in the U.S. and Mexico, influencing each other – appear.

Sports and soccer in the social formation of Brazilian people

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Marizabel Kowalski

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to map the codes of behaviors and manners in social relations and in the recent changes in sport organization in Brazil. Ideological, social, cultural, political and economic dimensions are given relevance here as a methodology in that they organize statements. In bibliographical sources interpreting sociologic discourses and in the outline of Brazilian society development and evolution we observe several characteristics pertaining to self-restraint and emotion control through sport. In the economic sphere, we evidence an explanation of social changes resulting from Brazil’s late development process. However, drawing from the empirical theory, preliminary results show the recent sociocultural phenomenon of soccer as a factor to be considered in the formation of Brazilian social behavior.

Return to sports after arthroscopic capsulolabral repair using knotless suture anchors for anterior shoulder instability in soccer players: minimum 5-year follow-up study.

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Alentorn-Geli, Eduard; Álvarez-Díaz, Pedro; Doblas, Jesús; Steinbacher, Gilbert; Seijas, Roberto; Ares, Oscar; Boffa, Juan José; Cuscó, Xavier; Cugat, Ramón

2016-02-01

To report the return to sports and recurrence rates in competitive soccer players after arthroscopic capsulolabral repair using knotless suture anchors at a minimum of 5 years of follow-up. All competitive soccer players with anterior glenohumeral instability treated by arthroscopic capsulolabral repair using knotless suture anchors between 2002 and 2009 were retrospectively identified through the medical records. Inclusion criteria were: no previous surgical treatment of the involved shoulder, absence of glenoid or tuberosity fractures, absence of large Hill-Sachs or glenoid bone defect, minimum follow-up of 5 years, instability during soccer practice or games, and failure of non-surgical treatment. The charts of included players were reviewed, and a phone call was performed in a cross-sectional manner to obtain information on: current soccer, return to soccer, recurrence of instability, shoulder function (Rowe score), and disability [Quick-Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score and Quick-DASH Sports/Performing Arts Module]. Fifty-seven young male soccer players were finally included with a median (range) follow-up of 8 (5-10) years. Forty-nine (86 %) of the soccer players were able to return to soccer and 36 of them (73 %) at the same pre-injury level. There were 6 (10.5 %) re-dislocations in the 57 players, all of them of traumatic origin produced during soccer and other unrelated activities. The main reasons to not return to soccer were: knee injuries (two players), changes in personal life (two players), and job-related (three players). None of the players quit playing soccer because of their shoulder instability injury. The median (range) Rowe score, Quick-DASH score, and Quick-DASH sports score were 80 (25-100), 2.3 (0-12.5), and 0 (0-18.8), respectively. Competitive soccer players undergoing arthroscopic capsulolabral repair with knotless suture anchors for shoulder instability without significant bone loss demonstrate excellent return to

Epidemiology, trends, assessment and management of sport-related concussion in United States high schools.

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Guerriero, Réjean M; Proctor, Mark R; Mannix, Rebekah; Meehan, William P

2012-12-01

Sport-related concussion affects athletes at every level of participation. The short and long-term effects of concussions that occur during childhood and adolescence are not fully understood. The purpose of this review is to describe the current burden of disease, current practice patterns and current recommendations for the assessment and management of sport-related concussions sustained by United States high school athletes. Millions of high school students participate in organized sports in the United States. Current estimates suggest that, across all sports, approximately 2.5 concussions occur for every 10 000 athletic exposures, in which an athletic exposure is defined as one athlete participating in one game or practice. At schools that employ at least one athletic trainer, most high school athletes who sustain sport-related concussions will be cared for by athletic trainers and primary care physicians. Approximately 40% will undergo computerized neurocognitive assessment. The number of high school athletes being diagnosed with sport-related concussions is rising. American football has the highest number of concussions in high school with girls' soccer having the second highest total number. Fortunately, coaches are becoming increasingly aware of these injuries and return-to-play guidelines are being implemented.

Sports members' participation in assessment of incidence rate of injuries in five sports from records of hospital-based clinical treatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kingma, J; ten Duis, HJ

This study is about the incidence rate of sports injuries in five different types of sports, gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, hockey, and basketball, for which 5,154 patients were admitted to the Emergency Unit of the Groningen University Hospital during the period 1990 through 1994. Incidence rate

Premenstrual syndrome and perception of impact on sport performance from brazilian indoor soccer athletes

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Patrícia Aparecida Gaion

2009-01-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2009v11n1p73   This study’s objective was to verify the association between Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS and perceived impact on sport performance from Brazilian indoor soccer athletes. A total of 112 athletes were enrolled, with ages varying from 18 to 31years old, and who participated in the Brazilian Clubs Cup in 2007. The instruments used were: a self-reported sheet based on criteria from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (2000 for the diagnosis of PMS and a sport performance impact perception sheet, organized in a Likert scale with values ranging from 0 (“not affected” to 3 (“extremely affected”. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test, Pearson’s chi-square and Poisson regression with robust variance. The prevalence of PMS was 47.32% and the perceived impact on sport performance for those with PMSwas RP 1.71 (95%CI 1.23 to 2.38. The symptoms associated with sport performance impact were depression, irritability, breast tenderness, difficulty concentrating, back pain and tiredness. The intensity with which the athletes with PMS feel their performance affected during the premenstrual phase was significant in the “lowly affected “(RP 2.1 95%CI 1.26 to 3.55 and “extremely affected” (RP 3.5 95%CI 2.23 to 5.62 categories. Athletes with 6 to 9 symptoms presented higher risk (RP 3.20 95%CI 1.53 to 6.71 than athletes with 4 to 5 symptoms (RP 2.82 95%CI 1.32 to 6.05 or with 2 to 3 symptoms (RP 2.57 95%CI 1.25 to 5.30. In conclusion, the presence of PMS, the number and the kind of symptoms all exhibited associations with the sport performance impact perceived by Brazilian indoor soccer athletes.

Premenstrual syndrome and perception of impact on sport performance from Brazilian indoor soccer athletes

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Patrícia Aparecida Gaion

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This study’s objective was to verify the association between Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS and perceived impact on sport performance from Brazilian indoor soccer athletes. A total of 112 athletes were enrolled, with ages varying from 18 to 31years old, and who participated in the Brazilian Clubs Cup in 2007. The instruments used were: a self-reported sheet based on criteria from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (2000 for the diagnosis of PMS and a sport performance impact perception sheet, organized in a Likert scale with values ranging from 0 (“notaffected” to 3 (“extremely affected”. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test, Pearson’s chi-square and Poisson regression with robust variance. The prevalence of PMS was 47.32% and the perceived impact on sport performance for those with PMS was RP 1.71 (95%CI 1.23 to 2.38. The symptoms associated with sport performanceimpact were depression, irritability, breast tenderness, difficulty concentrating, back pain and tiredness. The intensity with which the athletes with PMS feel their performance affected during the premenstrual phase was significant in the “lowly affected “(RP 2.195%CI 1.26 to 3.55 and “extremely affected” (RP 3.5 95%CI 2.23 to 5.62 categories. Athletes with 6 to 9 symptoms presented higher risk (RP 3.20 95%CI 1.53 to 6.71 than athletes with 4 to 5 symptoms (RP 2.82 95%CI 1.32 to 6.05 or with 2 to 3 symptoms (RP 2.57 95%CI 1.25 to 5.30. In conclusion, the presence of PMS, the number and thekind of symptoms all exhibited associations with the sport performance impact perceived by Brazilian indoor soccer athletes.

The effects of a Special Olympics Unified Sports Soccer training program on anthropometry, physical fitness and skilled performance in Special Olympics soccer athletes and non-disabled partners.

Science.gov (United States)

Baran, Funda; Aktop, Abdurrahman; Özer, Dilara; Nalbant, Sibel; Ağlamış, Ece; Barak, Sharon; Hutzler, Yeshayahu

2013-01-01

The study investigated the effects of a Special Olympics (SO) Unified Sport (UNS) soccer program on anthropometry, physical fitness and soccer skills of male youth athletes with and without intellectual disabilities (ID) who participated in a training group (TRG) and in a comparison group (CG) without specific training. Youth with ID (WID) were randomly selected out of all the students between the ages 12 and 15, with a diagnosis of educable mental retardation and no secondary disabilities, who were attending a special education school. Participants without ID (WoID) were randomly selected from a regular secondary school out of the same age groups of male students. All participants were given permission by their parents or guardians to participate in the study. Participants in the TRG included 23 youth WID and 23 youth WoID. Mean ages were = 14.1 (SD = 1.1) and 13.2 (SD = 0.79) respectively. Fifteen WID, and 15 WoID comprised the CG. Mean ages were 14.51 (SD = 0.81) and 13.78 (SD = 0.49) respectively. Prior to and following the program measurements were conducted, and data were collected on students' anthropometric and fitness components of the Brockport physical fitness test as well as a soccer skill performance based on the SO soccer skill test. Participants in the TRG trained 8 weeks, 1.5h per session, three times per week, in an after-school soccer program. CG did not participate in any sports program outside of the school physical education class. Dependent t tests and effect size calculations revealed that SO athletes and non-disabled partners scored significantly higher with regard to physical fitness and football skills in most variables compared with their CG. This Unified Program was successful in increasing fitness and soccer skill performance of youth WID as well as of those WoID. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The scientific foundations and associated injury risks of early soccer specialisation.

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Read, Paul J; Oliver, Jon L; De Ste Croix, Mark B A; Myer, Gregory D; Lloyd, Rhodri S

2016-12-01

Early specialisation is characterised by formal participation in a single sport at the exclusion of others. Limited data are available to support this approach in the development of soccer players who attain elite status later in life. Of growing concern is the associated increased risk of injury and suggestions that single sport specialisation is a risk factor independent of age, growth, biological maturation and training volumes. In the United Kingdom, elite soccer organisations have recently adopted an early sport specialisation approach following the introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan. A key tenet of this programme is increased opportunities for training through a marked rise in the specified on-pitch hours per week. The accumulation of high training hours may be less of a relevant marker for success, and the impact of such a significant increase in training volume for young athletes who are experiencing a range of growth and maturational processes is currently unknown. This critical commentary includes an evidence-based discussion of the effectiveness of early sport specialisation and the potential injury risks associated with such programmes placing a specific focus on elite male youth soccer players. Available data indicate that modifications to the existing Elite Player Performance Plan framework could enhance players' development and reduce injury risk. Proposed alterations include reduced volume of soccer-specific training at key stages of growth and maturation and guidelines for the provision of a greater variety of physical activities that are integrated within other programme components.

The Sports Background, Personality, Att Itudes, and Social Competencies of Coaches and Assistant Coaches in the Just Soccer Program for Pupils with Intellectual Disabilities

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Schliermann Rainer

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze the sports background, personality dimensions, attitudes, and social competencies of adult head coaches and young assistant coaches involved in the German Einfach Fußball (Just Soccer program, which promotes the participation of pupils with intellectual disabilities in soccer/sports and society. Methods. The study recruited 28 head coaches and 29 assistant coaches who completed a questionnaire battery of standardized instruments (NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Social Self-Efficacy as well as self-developed instruments. Analysis of the data involved descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. A descriptive comparison of the assistant coaches with a normative sample of males aged 16-20 years was performed. Results. The head coaches were found with little soccer/sports experience with persons with disabilities prior to participation in the Just Soccer program. However, the majority were familiar with these persons through personal/vocational contacts. Overall, the head coaches were differentiated by formal coaching levels and playing backgrounds, with very few holding any additional formal qualifications in special education. The assistant coaches presented below average scores in the analyzed five personality dimensions when compared with the normative sample. Their attitudes and social competencies did not change during their 8-month involvement in Just Soccer. Conclusions. The findings highlight the important role of the coaching staff in the success of the Just Soccer program. Coaches involved in such activities should be familiarized with needs of people with disabilities, be stress-resistant, and possess a balanced set of personality traits. In addition, the results suggest that such individuals should be coaches/players from conventional soccer clubs instead of special school physical education teachers.

Head Impact Biomechanics in Women's College Soccer.

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Lynall, Robert C; Clark, Michael D; Grand, Erin E; Stucker, Jaclyn C; Littleton, Ashley C; Aguilar, Alain J; Petschauer, Meredith A; Teel, Elizabeth F; Mihalik, Jason P

2016-09-01

There are limited nonlaboratory soccer head impact biomechanics data. This is surprising given soccer's global popularity. Epidemiological data suggest that female college soccer players are at a greater concussion injury risk than their male counterparts. Therefore, the purposes of our study were to quantify head impact frequency and magnitude during women's soccer practices and games in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and to characterize these data across event type, playing position, year on the team, and segment of game (first and second halves). Head impact biomechanics were collected from female college soccer players (n = 22; mean ± SD age = 19.1 ± 0.1 yr, height = 168.0 ± 3.5 cm, mass = 63.7 ± 6.0 kg). We employed a helmetless head impact measurement device (X2 Biosystems xPatch) before each competition and practice across a single season. Peak linear and rotational accelerations were categorized based on impact magnitude and subsequently analyzed using appropriate nonparametric analyses. Overall, women's college soccer players experience approximately seven impacts per 90 min of game play. The overwhelming majority (~90%) of all head impacts were categorized into our mildest linear acceleration impact classification (10g-20g). Interestingly, a higher percentage of practice impacts in the 20g-40g range compared with games (11% vs 7%) was observed. Head impact biomechanics studies have provided valuable insights into understanding collision sports and for informing evidence-based rule and policy changes. These have included changing the football kickoff, ice hockey body checking ages, and head-to-head hits in both sports. Given soccer's global popularity, and the growing public concern for the potential long-term neurological implications of collision and contact sports, studying soccer has the potential to impact many athletes and the sports medicine professionals caring for them.

Soccer: Moulding the Middle East and North Africa

OpenAIRE

Dorsey, J.M.

2016-01-01

Nowhere in the world has sports in general and soccer in particular played such a key role in the development of a region than in the Middle East and North Africa. Yet, the nexus of sports, politics and society is one area that Middle East studies with few exceptions have ignored. Similarly, sports studies have focused on all parts of the world with one exception: the Middle East and North Africa. Nonetheless, sports and particularly soccer has been in various parts of the Middle East key to ...

Sport Nutrition Knowledge, Behaviors and Beliefs of High School Soccer Players

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Melinda M. Manore

2017-04-01

Full Text Available For adolescent athletes (14–18 years, data on sport nutrition knowledge, behaviors and beliefs are limited, especially based on sex, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. High school soccer players (n = 535; 55% female; 51% White, 41% Latino; 41% National School Lunch Program (NSLP participants (80% Latino completed two questionnaires (demographic/health history and sport nutrition. The sport nutrition knowledge score was 45.6% with higher scores in NSLP-Whites vs. NSLP-Latinos (p < 0.01. Supplement knowledge differed by sex (16% lower in females; p = 0.047 and race/ethnicity (33% lower in Latinos; p < 0.001. Breakfast consumption was 57%; females ate breakfast less (50% than males (60%; p < 0.001; NSLP-participants ate breakfast less (47% than non-NSLP (62%; p < 0.001. Supplement use was 46%, with Latinos using more supplements than Whites do (p = 0.016. Overall, 30% used protein shakes, with females using less than males (p = 0.02, while use was twice as likely in Latino vs. White (p = 0.03. Overall, 45% reported their nutrient requirements were different from non-athlete peers. Latinos were less likely (p = 0.03 to report that their diet met nutritional requirements, but more than twice as likely to report that nutritional supplements were necessary for training (p < 0.001. Adolescent athletes, especially females and Latinos, would benefit from sport nutrition education that enhances food selection skills for health and sport performance.

The Relative Age Effect on Soccer Players in Formative Stages with Different Sport Expertise Levels

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Práxedes Alba

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Relative Age Effect (RAE in sport has been targeted by many research studies. The objective of this study was to analyze, in amateur clubs, the RAE of soccer players, according to the sport expertise level of the team (e.g., A, B, C and subsequent that they belong to within the same game category. 1,098 soccer players in formative stages took part in the study, with ages varying between 6 and 18 years old (U8 to U19 categories. All of them were members of 4 Spanish federated clubs. The birth dates were classified into 4 quartiles (Q1 = Jan-Mar; Q2 = Apr-Jun; Q3 = Jul-Sept; Q4 = Oct-Decaccording to the team they belonged to. The results obtained in the chi-squared test and d value (effect size revealed the existence of RAE in the teams with the highest expertise level, “A” (X2 = 15.342, p = .002, d = 0.4473 and “B” (X2 = 10.905, p = .012, d = 0.3657. However, in the lower level teams, “C and subsequent”, this effect was not observed. Present findings show that players born during the first months of the year tend to be selected to play in teams with a higher sport expertise level of each category, due to their physical maturity. Consequently, this causes differences in terms of the experience they accumulate and the motivation that this creates in these players.

The Relative Age Effect on Soccer Players in Formative Stages with Different Sport Expertise Levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Práxedes, Alba; Moreno, Alberto; García-González, Luis; Pizarro, David; Del Villar, Fernando

2017-12-01

The Relative Age Effect (RAE) in sport has been targeted by many research studies. The objective of this study was to analyze, in amateur clubs, the RAE of soccer players, according to the sport expertise level of the team (e.g., A, B, C and subsequent) that they belong to within the same game category. 1,098 soccer players in formative stages took part in the study, with ages varying between 6 and 18 years old (U8 to U19 categories). All of them were members of 4 Spanish federated clubs. The birth dates were classified into 4 quartiles (Q1 = Jan-Mar; Q2 = Apr-Jun; Q3 = Jul-Sept; Q4 = Oct-Dec)according to the team they belonged to. The results obtained in the chi-squared test and d value (effect size) revealed the existence of RAE in the teams with the highest expertise level, "A" (X2 = 15.342, p = .002, d = 0.4473) and "B" (X2 = 10.905, p = .012, d = 0.3657). However, in the lower level teams, "C and subsequent", this effect was not observed. Present findings show that players born during the first months of the year tend to be selected to play in teams with a higher sport expertise level of each category, due to their physical maturity. Consequently, this causes differences in terms of the experience they accumulate and the motivation that this creates in these players.

Comparison of Static and Dynamic Balance at Different Levels of Sport Competition in Professional and Junior Elite Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Jadczak, Łukasz; Grygorowicz, Monika; Dzudziński, Witold; Śliwowski, Robert

2018-04-12

Jadczak, Ł, Grygorowicz, M, Dzudziński, W, and Śliwowski, R. Comparison of static and dynamic balance at different levels of sport competition in professional and junior elite soccer players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The purpose of this study was to compare body balance control and balance recovery strategies of professional football players, representing various sports levels in static (eyes open, eyes closed) and dynamic conditions, both on the dominant and nondominant leg. Three groups of professional and junior elite soccer players were investigated: a PRO group (n = 52), a U-21 group (n = 55), and a U-19 group (n = 47). The study of body balance control was performed using a Delos Postural Proprioceptive System measurement tool. The analysis of the results showed an effect of group (p balance on both legs, which allows for a comprehensive comparison of body balance control and the balance recovery strategy depending on the represented sport level. Our study indicates that the higher the sport level of football players (the PRO group), the better their balance, which may indirectly contribute to the prevention of injuries and more effective performance of any actions directly related to the game.

Talent identification and development in soccer.

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Williams, A M; Reilly, T

2000-09-01

In this review, we attempt to integrate the main research findings concerned with talent identification and development in soccer. Research approaches in anthropometry, physiology, psychology and sociology are considered and, where possible, integrated. Although some progress has been made in identifying correlates of playing success, it appears that no unique characteristics can be isolated with confidence. Both biological and behavioural scientists have indicated a strong genetic component in performance of sports such as soccer; nevertheless, the influence of systematic training and development programmes should not be underestimated. We conclude that the sport and exercise sciences have an important support role in the processes of identifying, monitoring and nurturing talented soccer players towards realizing their potential.

Nosographic profile of soccer injuries according to the age group

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Karoline Pegoraro Silveira

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Soccer is one of the world’s most popular team sports and corresponds to one ofthe leading causes of sports injuries (SI. This study aimed to analyze the nosographic profile of the sports injuries common to soccer, according to theage group: childhood, youth and adulthood. We selected 209 soccer players, from amateurs to professional players of a sports club from Campo Grande/MS.Participants were divided into four age groups: G1 (childhood, G2 (juvenile,G3 (teenagers and G4 (adults. To obtain information about the injuries, we used a morbidity survey. Generally, 74 athletes reported sports injuries, with register of 92 SI. Concerning injury types, muscle injuries totalized 43.47%, followed by joint damage (34.78% and tendon injury (14.13%, respectively (p 0.05. A higher proportion of registers involved medical-therapeutic approach and asymptomatic return. The evidence shows a higher rate of muscle and joint injuries by contact in the lower limbs in soccer practitioners, regardless of age group. The practice of training seemsto be the main cause of injuries in adolescents and adults.

SoccerStories: a kick-off for visual soccer analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Perin, Charles; Vuillemot, Romain; Fekete, Jean-Daniel

2013-12-01

This article presents SoccerStories, a visualization interface to support analysts in exploring soccer data and communicating interesting insights. Currently, most analyses on such data relate to statistics on individual players or teams. However, soccer analysts we collaborated with consider that quantitative analysis alone does not convey the right picture of the game, as context, player positions and phases of player actions are the most relevant aspects. We designed SoccerStories to support the current practice of soccer analysts and to enrich it, both in the analysis and communication stages. Our system provides an overview+detail interface of game phases, and their aggregation into a series of connected visualizations, each visualization being tailored for actions such as a series of passes or a goal attempt. To evaluate our tool, we ran two qualitative user studies on recent games using SoccerStories with data from one of the world's leading live sports data providers. The first study resulted in a series of four articles on soccer tactics, by a tactics analyst, who said he would not have been able to write these otherwise. The second study consisted in an exploratory follow-up to investigate design alternatives for embedding soccer phases into word-sized graphics. For both experiments, we received a very enthusiastic feedback and participants consider further use of SoccerStories to enhance their current workflow.

Sports injuries in Finnish elite cross-country skiers, swimmers, long-distance runners and soccer players

OpenAIRE

Ristolainen, Leena

2011-01-01

In sports with different exercise-loading characteristics, acute and overuse injury profiles and gender differences in injuries were investigated. In addition, trainingrelated risk factors for overuse injuries in endurance athletes were studied. This twelve-month retrospective questionnaire study comprised Finnish elite crosscountry skiers (n=149), swimmers (n=154), long-distance runners (n=143) and soccer players (n=128) aged 15–35 years. Questionnaires were sent to the athlet...

Bridging social capital through sports: an explorative study on (improving inter-ethnic contact at two soccer clubs in the Netherlands

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Stijn Verhagen

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Bridging social capital through sports: an explorative study on (improving inter-ethnic contact at two soccer clubs in the NetherlandsIn the Netherlands, the social integration of minorities has been the subject of much debate in recent years. Historical events such as the murders of politician Pim Fortuyn and writer Theo van Gogh, and more recently the emergence of organizations such as Islamic State (IS, have had a major impact on public debate in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, belief in the socially integrative role of sport has increased. Sport, especially formal participation in sport, is expected to contribute positively to social cohesion and the social integration of minorities. Nonetheless, existing research shows that policymakers overestimate the impact of sport on social integration in society. Sport is no panacea. Sport can include people, but it can also exclude them by bringing together those who “look alike”. In this article we explore whether (and how sport, and in particular soccer, can lead to bridging social capital, despite the fact that people generally prefer to congregate with “equals”. We base our results on questionnaires and a limited number of additional interviews at two soccer clubs in the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. We conclude that although sport can reinforce segregation, formal participation in sport also has the ability to enhance social inclusion and inter-ethnic contacts. The research indicates that measures could be taken in order to promote understanding and respect.Overbruggend sociaal kapitaal door middel van sport: Een exploratief onderzoek naar (het verbeteren van inter-etnische contacten bij twee voetbalverenigingen in NederlandIn Nederland staat de sociale integratie van minderheden de laatste jaren ter discussie. Gebeurtenissen uit het verleden, zoals de moord op politicus Pim Fortuyn en publicist Theo van Gogh, en meer recent de opmars van internationale organisaties als Islamitische

Ball handling system for tech united soccer robots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerrits, K.P.; Molengraft, van de M.J.G.; Hoogendijk, R.; Steinbuch, M.

2012-01-01

This pre-master end project is done for team Tech United of Eindhoven University of Technology. The Tech United team is a group of students and employees who design, build and program soccer robots to compete in the RoboCup Middle Size League. RoboCup is a worldwide competition in which two teams of

Ball-Sport Endurance and Sprint Test (BEAST90): validity and reliability of a 90-minute soccer performance test.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Jeremy D; Abt, Grant; Kilding, Andrew E

2010-12-01

The aim of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of a 90-minute soccer performance test: Ball-sport Endurance and Sprint Test (BEAST90). Fifteen healthy male amateur soccer players participated and attended 5 testing sessions over a 10-day period to perform physiologic and soccer-specific assessments. This included familiarization sessions and 2 full trials of the BEAST90, separated by 7 days. The total 90-minute distance, mean percent peak heart rate (HRpeak), and estimated percent peak oxygen uptake of the BEAST90 were 8,097 ± 458 m, 85 ± 5% and 82 ± 14%, respectively. Measures obtained from trial 1 and trial 2 were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Reliability of measures over 90 minutes ranged from 0.9-25.5% (% typical error). The BEAST90 protocol replicated soccer match play in terms of time, movement patterns, physical demands (volume and intensity), distances, and mean and HRpeak values, as well as having an aerobic load similar to that observed during a soccer match. Reproducibility of key physical measures during the BEAST90 were mostly high, suggesting good reliability. The BEAST90 could be used in studies that wish to determine the effects of training or nutritional interventions on prolonged intermittent physical performance.

Nosographic profile of soccer injuries according to the age group

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Karoline Pegoraro Silveira

2013-04-01

Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2013v15n4p476 Soccer is one of the world’s most popular team sports and corresponds to one ofthe leading causes of sports injuries (SI. This study aimed to analyze the nosographic profile of the sports injuries common to soccer, according to the age group: childhood, youth and adulthood. We selected 209 soccer players, from amateurs to professional players of a sports club from Campo Grande/MS. Participants were divided into four age groups: G1 (childhood, G2 (juvenile,G3 (teenagers and G4 (adults. To obtain information about the injuries, we used a morbidity survey. Generally, 74 athletes reported sports injuries, with register of 92 SI. Concerning injury types, muscle injuries totalized 43.47%, followed by joint damage (34.78% and tendon injury (14.13%, respectively (p 0.05. A higher proportion of registers involved medical-therapeutic approach and asymptomatic return. The evidence shows ahigher rate of muscle and joint injuries by contact in the lower limbs in soccer practitioners, regardless of age group. The practice of training seems to be the main cause of injuries in adolescents and adults.

Motivational Climate Sport Youth Scale: Measurement Invariance Across Gender and Five Different Sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, Diogo; Borrego, Carla Chicau; Silva, Carlos; Moutão, João; Marinho, Daniel Almeida; Cid, Luís

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Motivational Climate Sport Youth Scale (MCSYSp) and invariance across gender and different sports (swimming, soccer, handball, basketball, futsal). A total of 4,569 athletes (3,053 males, 1,516 females) from soccer (1,098), swimming (1,049), basketball (1,754), futsal (340), and handball (328) participated in this study, with ages between 10 and 20 years (M = 15.13; SD = 1.95). The results show that the original model (two factors/12 items) did not adjust to the data in a satisfactory way; therefore, it was necessary to change the model by removing four items (two from each factor). Subsequently, the model adjusted to the data in a satisfactory way (χ 2 = 499.84; df = 19; χ 2 /df = 26.30; p sports (soccer, handball, basketball, futsal) (ΔCFK≤.01); however, it was not invariant between swimming and team sports (soccer, handball, basketball, futsal) (ΔCFI ≥ .01). In conclusion, the MCSYSp (two factors/eight items) is a valid and reliable choice that is transversal not only to gender, but also to the different studied team sports to measure the perception of the motivational climate in athletes. Future studies can research more deeply the invariance analysis between individual sports to better understand the invariance of the model between individual and team sports.

Executive Functioning in Highly Talented Soccer Players

Science.gov (United States)

Verburgh, Lot; Scherder, Erik J. A.; van Lange, Paul A.M.; Oosterlaan, Jaap

2014-01-01

Executive functions might be important for successful performance in sports, particularly in team sports requiring quick anticipation and adaptation to continuously changing situations in the field. The executive functions motor inhibition, attention and visuospatial working memory were examined in highly talented soccer players. Eighty-four highly talented youth soccer players (mean age 11.9), and forty-two age-matched amateur soccer players (mean age 11.8) in the age range 8 to 16 years performed a Stop Signal task (motor inhibition), the Attention Network Test (alerting, orienting, and executive attention) and a visuospatial working memory task. The highly talented soccer players followed the talent development program of the youth academy of a professional soccer club and played at the highest national soccer competition for their age. The amateur soccer players played at a regular soccer club in the same geographical region as the highly talented soccer players and play in a regular regional soccer competition. Group differences were tested using analyses of variance. The highly talented group showed superior motor inhibition as measured by stop signal reaction time (SSRT) on the Stop Signal task and a larger alerting effect on the Attention Network Test, indicating an enhanced ability to attain and maintain an alert state. No group differences were found for orienting and executive attention and visuospatial working memory. A logistic regression model with group (highly talented or amateur) as dependent variable and executive function measures that significantly distinguished between groups as predictors showed that these measures differentiated highly talented soccer players from amateur soccer players with 89% accuracy. Highly talented youth soccer players outperform youth amateur players on suppressing ongoing motor responses and on the ability to attain and maintain an alert state; both may be essential for success in soccer. PMID:24632735

Executive functioning in highly talented soccer players.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lot Verburgh

Full Text Available Executive functions might be important for successful performance in sports, particularly in team sports requiring quick anticipation and adaptation to continuously changing situations in the field. The executive functions motor inhibition, attention and visuospatial working memory were examined in highly talented soccer players. Eighty-four highly talented youth soccer players (mean age 11.9, and forty-two age-matched amateur soccer players (mean age 11.8 in the age range 8 to 16 years performed a Stop Signal task (motor inhibition, the Attention Network Test (alerting, orienting, and executive attention and a visuospatial working memory task. The highly talented soccer players followed the talent development program of the youth academy of a professional soccer club and played at the highest national soccer competition for their age. The amateur soccer players played at a regular soccer club in the same geographical region as the highly talented soccer players and play in a regular regional soccer competition. Group differences were tested using analyses of variance. The highly talented group showed superior motor inhibition as measured by stop signal reaction time (SSRT on the Stop Signal task and a larger alerting effect on the Attention Network Test, indicating an enhanced ability to attain and maintain an alert state. No group differences were found for orienting and executive attention and visuospatial working memory. A logistic regression model with group (highly talented or amateur as dependent variable and executive function measures that significantly distinguished between groups as predictors showed that these measures differentiated highly talented soccer players from amateur soccer players with 89% accuracy. Highly talented youth soccer players outperform youth amateur players on suppressing ongoing motor responses and on the ability to attain and maintain an alert state; both may be essential for success in soccer.

Mechanisms of injury for concussions in university football, ice hockey, and soccer.

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Delaney, J Scott; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Correa, José A

2014-05-01

To examine the mechanisms of injury for concussions in university football, ice hockey, and soccer. Prospective cohort design. McGill University Sport Medicine Clinic. Male and female athletes participating in varsity football, ice hockey, and soccer. Athletes were followed prospectively over a 10-year period to determine the mechanisms of injury for concussions and whether contact with certain areas of the body or individual variables predisposed to longer recovery from concussions. For soccer, data were collected on whether concussions occurred while attempting to head the ball. There were 226 concussions in 170 athletes over the study period. The side/temporal area of the head or helmet was the most common area to be struck resulting in concussion in all 3 sports. Contact from another player's head or helmet was the most probable mechanism in football and soccer. In hockey, concussion impacts were more likely to occur from contact with another body part or object rather than another head/helmet. Differences in mechanisms of injuries were found between males and females in soccer and ice hockey. Athletes with multiple concussions took longer to return to play with each subsequent concussion. Half of the concussions in soccer were related to attempting to head the soccer ball. The side of the head or helmet was the most common area to be struck resulting in concussion in all 3 sports. In ice hockey and soccer, there are differences in the mechanisms of injury for males and females within the same sport.

The Youth Soccer Coaches’ Visions and Thoughts of Leader Support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hertting Krister

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The Objectives: The European Commission has highlighted the use of sports as an important venue for engaging citizens in health-enhancing activities, physical activity, volunteerism and active citizenship. Coaching is a central component of sports for children and youth, but there is little research on the promotion of sports coaches’ health. In the light of this gap, the aim of this paper was to elucidate youth soccer coaches’ visions and thoughts regarding leadership support from clubs and soccer associations.

Effectiveness of multimedia-supported education in practical sports courses.

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Leser, Roland; Baca, Arnold; Uhlig, Johannes

2011-01-01

Multimedia-assisted teaching and learning have become standard forms of education. In sports, multimedia material has been used to teach practical aspects of courses, such as motor skills. The main goal of this study is to examine if multimedia technology impacts learning in the field of sport motor skill acquisition. This question was investigated during a practical sports education course involving 35 students who participated in a university soccer class. The whole course was split into two groups: Group A was taught traditionally with no assistance of multimedia and Group B was prepared with multimedia-assisted instructional units. To quantify selected skills of soccer technique and tactic, the test subjects performed a specific passing test and a tactical assessment. Furthermore, a ques-tionnaire was used to assess the subjective impressions of the test subjects. All testing instruments were applied before and after a six-week-long teaching period. A comparison of the gathered data between the two groups resulted in no significant differences, neither concerning the results of the technique test nor concerning the tactic test. However, the results of the ques-tionnaire showed a positive agreement among the participants in the usability and assistance of multimedia for the sports practical course. Considering the reviewed conditions, it can be concluded that the use of multimedia content doesn't affect the learning effects. Key pointsMultimedia-assisted learning showed no positive learning effects on technical skills in soccer.Multimedia-assisted learning showed no positive learning effects on tactical skills in soccer.Students participating in practical sports courses have very good attitudes towards the use of multi-media learning material. This may be considered for motivational effects.

Effectiveness of Multimedia-Supported Education in Practical Sports Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Leser, Roland; Baca, Arnold; Uhlig, Johannes

2011-01-01

Multimedia-assisted teaching and learning have become standard forms of education. In sports, multimedia material has been used to teach practical aspects of courses, such as motor skills. The main goal of this study is to examine if multimedia technology impacts learning in the field of sport motor skill acquisition. This question was investigated during a practical sports education course involving 35 students who participated in a university soccer class. The whole course was split into two groups: Group A was taught traditionally with no assistance of multimedia and Group B was prepared with multimedia-assisted instructional units. To quantify selected skills of soccer technique and tactic, the test subjects performed a specific passing test and a tactical assessment. Furthermore, a ques-tionnaire was used to assess the subjective impressions of the test subjects. All testing instruments were applied before and after a six-week-long teaching period. A comparison of the gathered data between the two groups resulted in no significant differences, neither concerning the results of the technique test nor concerning the tactic test. However, the results of the ques-tionnaire showed a positive agreement among the participants in the usability and assistance of multimedia for the sports practical course. Considering the reviewed conditions, it can be concluded that the use of multimedia content doesn’t affect the learning effects. Key points Multimedia-assisted learning showed no positive learning effects on technical skills in soccer. Multimedia-assisted learning showed no positive learning effects on tactical skills in soccer. Students participating in practical sports courses have very good attitudes towards the use of multi-media learning material. This may be considered for motivational effects. PMID:24149313

Game-specific characteristics of sport-related concussions.

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Helmich, Ingo

2018-01-01

Concussions are common incidences in sports. However, game-specific characteristics such as tactics, field positions, etc. might positively/negatively contribute to the occurrence of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) in various sports such as soccer, volleyball, handball, or basketball. Thus, the intention of this study was to analyze game-specific characteristics of concussive incidents in active players from the perspective of different sportive disciplines. Four sport-specific questionnaires for soccer, handball, volleyball and basketball were established using an online survey tool. A total of 3001 participants completed the questionnaires. 18% of the participants answered that they had experienced a concussion which significantly differed depending on the sport practiced (χ2(3)=56.868, Pconcussions on the amateur level, volleyball players experienced most on the professional level and basketball players during leisure play (χ2(9)=112.667, Pconcussions by a collision with another player, volleyball players instead experienced most concussions by hits from the ball (χ2(6)=211.260, Pconcussive incidences (χ2(7)=19.638, Pconcussions (χ2(6)=13.617, Pconcussions are sport-specific and particularly concern amateurs. This indicates that most concussions in ball games appear in situations, where medical care units are not necessarily present. Preventive measures should therefore especially address amateurs in ball sports.

Epidemiology of Basketball, Soccer, and Volleyball Injuries in Middle-School Female Athletes

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Barber Foss, Kim D.; Myer, Greg D.; Hewett, Timothy E.

2014-01-01

Background An estimated 30 to 40 million school children participate in sports in the United States; 34% of middle-school participants become injured and seek medical treatment at an annual cost close to $2 billion. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the injury incidence and rates in female athletes in the middle-school setting during the course of 3 seasons. Methods Female basketball, soccer, and volleyball players were recruited from a single county public school district in Kentucky consisting of 5 middle schools. A total of 268 female athletes (162 basketball, 26 soccer, and 80 volleyball) participated. Athletes were monitored for sports-related injury and number of athlete exposures (AEs) by an athletic trainer. Injury rates were calculated for specific types of injuries within each sport. Injury rates for games and practices were also calculated and compared for each sport. Results A total of 134 injuries were recorded during the 3 sport seasons. The knee was the most commonly injured body part (99 injuries [73.9%]), of which patellofemoral dysfunction (31.3%), Osgood-Schlatter disease (10.4%), and Sinding-Larsen-Johansson/patella tendinosis (9%) had the greatest incidence. The ankle was the second most commonly injured body part, accounting for 16.4% of all injuries. The overall rates of injury by sport were as follows: soccer, 6.66 per 1000 AEs; volleyball, 3.68 per 1000 AEs; and basketball, 2.86 per 1000 AEs. Conclusions Female middle-school athletes displayed comparable injury patterns to those seen in their high-school counterparts. Future work is warranted to determine the potential for improved outcomes in female middle-school athletes with access to athletic training services. Clinical Relevance As the participation levels and number of injuries continue to rise, middle-school athletes demonstrate an increasing need for medical services provided by a certified athletic trainer. PMID:24875981

Injury prevention for adult male soccer players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Beijsterveldt, A.M.C.

2013-01-01

Soccer causes the largest number of injuries each year (18% of all sports injuries) in the Netherlands. The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to the body of evidence on injury prevention for adult male soccer players. Chapter 1 is a general introduction and presents the “sequence of

Effectiveness of a stress management pilot program aimed at reducing the incidence of sports injuries in young football (soccer) players.

Science.gov (United States)

Olmedilla-Zafra, Aurelio; Rubio, Victor J; Ortega, Enrique; García-Mas, Alexandre

2017-03-01

Several attempts to reduce the incidence of sport injuries using psychosocial interventions produced fruitful, although inconclusive results. This paper presents the effectiveness and implementation issues of a pilot 3-month stress-management and muscle relaxation program aimed at reducing sport injury incidence. Pre-post treatment-non treatment group comparison. The program was administered by a trained psychologist on a once-a-week, 1-h session basis. Seventy-four male soccer players from four National Youth league teams voluntarily participated. Teams were randomly assigned to either treatment/non-treatment group. Injury protocol, Self-monitoring cards, Athletes' satisfaction and commitment survey, Coaches' interview. Group main effect and Time-Group interaction effect were both statistically significant, F(1,60) = 8.30, p = 0.005, η 2 p  = 0.121, with the average number of injuries larger in the post-treatment phase of non-treatment group (p = 0.005, η 2 p  = 0.077). There was a significant decrease in the average number of injuries for the intervention group before and after implementing the program (p youth soccer sport injuries, with a high level of satisfaction and commitment from the athletes, as well as high acceptance from the coaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

S-14: Soccer Injury Prevention Program; How Parents Can Play a Role?

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Reza Rahimi Moghaddam

2017-03-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Soccer is classified as a high to moderate-intensity contact sport. It is therefore of importance that the incidence of soccer injuries be reduced through preventive interventions. The purpose of this review is to conclude the importance of a prevention program and explore the role parents have towards minimizing soccer related injuries among children and adolescence football players.METHOD: 42 hand searches, 5 books, and 25 electronic articles were reviewed and relevant results were collected for the purpose of this paper. Selected studies were categorized as follows: soccer injury statistics, injury prevention program, and parents and prevention.RESULTS: 5-16 year of age is a critical age range for soccer related injuries. Some studies have confirmed soccer injuries can be reduced by preventive interventions, and mentioned the importance of prevention program and the role of parents in the program. A few studies reported the efficacy for a positive parent-child relationship and injury prevalence, while other reported the negative influence parental demand on injury rates among children. Moreover, suggestions were made of consideration to parents prior to allowing children to participate in soccer.CONCLUSIONS: Prevention of sports injuries is team work, and parent's role can be as vital as other members of the prevention team. In a successful preventive program, there are steps that parents can take to help kids stay safe on the soccer field or wherever they play or participate in sports activities. Educational materials should be provided to parents by soccer camp organizers before children involve in soccer programs.

Is Heading in Youth Soccer Dangerous Play?

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O'Kane, John W

2016-01-01

Soccer is among the most popular youth sports with over 3 million youth players registered in the U.S. Soccer is unique in that players intentionally use their head to strike the ball, leading to concerns that heading could cause acute or chronic brain injury, especially in the immature brains of children. Pub Med search without date restriction was conducted in November 2014 and August 2015 using the terms soccer and concussion, heading and concussion, and youth soccer and concussion. 310 articles were identified and reviewed for applicable content specifically relating to youth athletes, heading, and/or acute or chronic brain injury from soccer. Soccer is a low-risk sport for catastrophic head injury, but concussions are relatively common and heading often plays a role. At all levels of play, concussions are more likely to occur in the act of heading than with other facets of the game. While concussion from heading the ball without other contact to the head appears rare in adult players, some data suggests children are more susceptible to concussion from heading primarily in game situations. Contributing factors include biomechanical forces, less developed technique, and the immature brain's susceptibility to injury. There is no evidence that heading in youth soccer causes any permanent brain injury and there is limited evidence that heading in youth soccer can cause concussion. A reasonable approach based on U.S. Youth Soccer recommendations is to teach heading after age 10 in controlled settings, and heading in games should be delayed until skill acquisition and physical maturity allow the youth player to head correctly with confidence.

Global Mindedness as the "Goal": Soccer as a Pedagogical Tool in the Social Studies

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Busey, Christopher L.; Waring, Scott M.

2012-01-01

As evidenced by the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the World Cup, sports is a major part of global society, as millions of people throughout the world tune in to view renowned sporting events each and every week. This is especially true for soccer, which is the world's most popular and global sport. Because soccer is played in nearly every country…

Accuracy, intra- and inter-unit reliability, and comparison between GPS and UWB-based position-tracking systems used for time-motion analyses in soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastida Castillo, Alejandro; Gómez Carmona, Carlos D; De la Cruz Sánchez, Ernesto; Pino Ortega, José

2018-05-01

There is interest in the accuracy and inter-unit reliability of position-tracking systems to monitor players. Research into this technology, although relatively recent, has grown exponentially in the last years, and it is difficult to find professional team sport that does not use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology at least. The aim of this study is to know the accuracy of both GPS-based and Ultra Wide Band (UWB)-based systems on a soccer field and their inter- and intra-unit reliability. A secondary aim is to compare them for practical applications in sport science. Following institutional ethical approval and familiarization, 10 healthy and well-trained former soccer players (20 ± 1.6 years, 1.76 ± 0.08 cm, and 69.5 ± 9.8 kg) performed three course tests: (i) linear course, (ii) circular course, and (iii) a zig-zag course, all using UWB and GPS technologies. The average speed and distance covered were compared with timing gates and the real distance as references. The UWB technology showed better accuracy (bias: 0.57-5.85%), test-retest reliability (%TEM: 1.19), and inter-unit reliability (bias: 0.18) in determining distance covered than the GPS technology (bias: 0.69-6.05%; %TEM: 1.47; bias: 0.25) overall. Also, UWB showed better results (bias: 0.09; ICC: 0.979; bias: 0.01) for mean velocity measurement than GPS (bias: 0.18; ICC: 0.951; bias: 0.03).

Injuries in youth amateur soccer and rugby players—comparison of incidence and characteristics

OpenAIRE

Junge, A; Cheung, K; Edwards, T; Dvorak, J

2004-01-01

Objectives: In reviewing the literature on sports injuries, few studies could be found in which exposure related incidences of injury in different types of sport were compared. These studies indicated that ice hockey, handball, basketball, soccer, and rugby are popular team sports with a relatively high risk of injury. The aim of the study was to compare the characteristics and incidence of injuries in male youth amateur soccer and rugby players.

Effects of Sex and Event Type on Head Impact in Collegiate Soccer

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Reynolds, Bryson B.; Patrie, James; Henry, Erich J.; Goodkin, Howard P.; Broshek, Donna K.; Wintermark, Max; Druzgal, T. Jason

2017-01-01

Background: The effects of head impact in sports are of growing interest for clinicians, scientists, and athletes. Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, but the burden of head impact in collegiate soccer is still unknown. Purpose: To quantify head impact associated with practicing and playing collegiate soccer using wearable accelerometers. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: Mastoid patch accelerometers were used to quantify head impact in soccer, examining differences in head impact as a function of sex and event type (practice vs game). Seven female and 14 male collegiate soccer players wore mastoid patch accelerometers that measured head impacts during team events. Data were summarized for each athletic exposure, and statistical analyses evaluated the mean number of impacts, mean peak linear acceleration, mean peak rotational acceleration, and cumulative linear and rotational acceleration, each grouped by sex and event type. Results: There were no differences in the frequency or severity of head impacts between men’s and women’s soccer practices. For men’s soccer, games resulted in 285% more head impacts than practices, but there were no event-type differences in mean impact severity. Men’s soccer games resulted in more head impacts than practices across nearly all measured impact severities, which also resulted in men’s soccer games producing a greater cumulative impact burden. Conclusion: Similar to other sports, men’s soccer games have a greater impact burden when compared with practices, and this effect is driven by the quantity rather than severity of head impacts. In contrast, there were no differences in the quantity or severity of head impacts in men’s and women’s soccer practices. These data could prompt discussions of practical concern to collegiate soccer, such as understanding sex differences in head impact and whether games disproportionately contribute to an athlete’s head impact burden. PMID:28491885

Risk of injury in basketball, football, and soccer players, ages 15 years and older, 2003-2007.

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Carter, Elizabeth A; Westerman, Beverly J; Hunting, Katherine L

2011-01-01

A major challenge in the field of sports injury epidemiology is identifying the appropriate denominators for injury rates. To characterize risk of injury from participation in basketball, football, and soccer in the United States, using hours of participation as the measure of exposure, and to compare these rates with those derived using population estimates in the denominator. Descriptive epidemiology study. United States, 2003-2007. People ages 15 years and older who experienced an emergency department-treated injury while playing basketball, football, or soccer. Rates of emergency department-treated injuries resulting from participation in basketball, football, or soccer. Injury rates were calculated for people ages 15 and older for the years 2003-2007 using the U.S. population and hours of participation as the denominators. The risk of injury associated with each of these sports was compared for all participants and by sex. From 2003 through 2007, annual injury rates per 1000 U.S. population were as follows: 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30, 1.67) in basketball, 0.93 (95% CI = 0.82, 1.04) in football, and 0.43 (95% CI = 0.33, 0.53) in soccer. When the denominator was hours of participation, the injury rate in football (5.08 [95% CI = 4.46, 5.69]/10 000 hours) was almost twice as high as that for basketball (2.69 [95% CI = 2.35, 3.02]/10 000 hours) and soccer (2.69 [95% CI = 2.07, 3.30]/10 000 hours). Depending on the choice of denominator, interpretation of the risk of an emergency department-treated injury in basketball, football, or soccer varies greatly. Using the U.S. population as the denominator produced rates that were highest in basketball and lowest in soccer. However, using hours of participation as a more accurate measure of exposure demonstrated that football had a higher rate of injury than basketball or soccer for both males and females.

Injuries in Spanish female soccer players

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Juan Del Coso

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Epidemiologic research to learn the incidence, type, location, and severity of female soccer injuries and the risk factors for sustaining a sport injury is the first step in developing preventive policies. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of injuries in the population of female soccer players in Spain. Methods: The injuries incurred by 25,397 female soccer players were registered by the medical staff of the Spanish Football Federation during 1 season. A standardized medical questionnaire was used to classify the injury according to type, severity, location, and injury mechanism. A total of 2108 injuries was reported with an incidence of 0.083 injuries per player per season. Most injuries were in the lower limbs (74.0%, mainly affecting knee (30.4% and ankle joints (17.9%. Results: The proportion of injuries derived from contact with another player was higher during matches (33.7% than during training (11.4%; p  0.05. Conclusion: Most female soccer injuries were located at the knee and ankle; the injury mechanism determined the playing time lost; and the player's age did not affect injury characteristics. Keywords: Ankle, Epidemiology, Knee, Sport injuries, Women

Nutrition for young soccer players

OpenAIRE

Umaña Alvarado, Mónica

2005-01-01

El artículo también se encuentra escrito en español. The growing participation of young people in soccer is a motivation so that the trainers, physical educators and parents know which are the special requirements to practice this sport in a safe manner, specially the nutritional requirements. The present revision includes generalities on the physiological demands of soccer, the differences between young people and adults when making prolonged exercise, the necessities ...

Slip sliding away: Promoting ethical behaviours in soccer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Slip sliding away: Promoting ethical behaviours in soccer. ... African Journal for Physical Activity and Health Sciences ... after the 2010 Soccer World Cup, has led to increased demands on sport organisations, coaches and players ... While the natural law steers individuals to act morally, a performance ethic motivates many ...

Soccer and stock market risk: empirical evidence from the Istanbul Stock Exchange.

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Berument, M Hakan; Ceylan, Nildag Basak

2013-06-01

There is an emerging but important literature on the effects of sport events such as soccer on stock market returns. After a soccer team's win, agents discount future events more favorably and increase risk tolerance. Similarly, after a loss, risk tolerance decreases. This paper directly assesses risk tolerance after a sports event by using daily data from the three major soccer teams in Turkey (Beşiktaşç Fenerbahge and Galatasaray). Results provide evidence that risk tolerance increases after a win, but similar patterns were not found after a loss.

Coach autonomy support and quality of sport engagement in young soccer players.

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Alvarez, María Sol; Balaguer, Isabel; Castillo, Isabel; Duda, Joan L

2009-05-01

Based on the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), this study tested a model of the assumed sequential relationships between perceived autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and enjoyment/boredom. The hypothesized mediational roles of psychological need satisfaction and self-determined motivation were also studied. In a sample of 370 young male soccer players, path analysis results offered support for the proposed model. Total mediation was supported in the case of the psychological need satisfaction in the relationship between autonomy support and self-determined motivation, and partial mediation for self-determined motivation in the links between psychological need satisfaction and enjoyment (positive) and boredom (negative). Implications of autonomy-supportive behaviors provided by coaches for the quality of sport involvement among young athletes are discussed.

Heavy episodic drinking and soccer practice among high school students in Brazil: the contextual aspects of this relationship.

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Bedendo, André; Opaleye, Emérita S; Andrade, André Luiz Monezi; Noto, Ana Regina

2013-03-20

Heavy episodic drinking (HED) (consumption of five or more drinks on the same occasion) among adolescents is related to several problems and partaking in sport or physical activities has been suggested as an option to prevent or reduce alcohol consumption among this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between soccer practice and heavy episodic drinking among high school students from Brazil. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study among a representative sample of public and private high school students from all Brazilian state capitals (N=19,132). Only students aged from 14 to 18 who reported having taken part in soccer practice, other team sports or non-practicing sports in the last month were included. Characteristics of sport practice (frequency and motivation) and HED in the last month (type of drink; where and with whom they drank; frequency of HED) were also considered. Regression models were controlled for sociodemographic variables. For all groups studied most of the students reported drinking beer, with friends and at nightclubs or bars. Soccer practice was associated to HED when compared to non-practicing sports and to other team sports. Compared to other team sports, playing soccer for pleasure or profession, but not for keep fit or health reasons, were more associated to HED. Frequency of soccer practice from 1 to 5 days per month and 20 or more days per month, but not from 6 to 19 days per month, were also more associated to HED. The relationship between soccer and HED appears to be particularly stronger than in other team sports among adolescents in Brazil. Induced sociability of team sports practice cannot be assumed as the main reason for HED among soccer players. Possibly these results reflect the importance of a strong cultural association between soccer and beer in Brazil and these findings should be integrated to future prevention or intervention programs.

Effects of a Special Olympics Unified Sports Soccer Program on Psycho-Social Attributes of Youth with and without Intellectual Disability

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Ozer, D.; Baran, F.; Aktop, A.; Nalbant, S.; Aglamis, E.; Hutzler, Y.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of a Special Olympics (SO) Unified Sports (UNS) soccer program on psycho-social attributes of youth with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). Participants were 76 male youth with (n = 38) and without (n = 38) ID. Participants with ID were randomly allocated into a SO athletes group (n…

Conservative treatment of lumbar spondylolysis in young soccer players.

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Alvarez-Díaz, Pedro; Alentorn-Geli, Eduard; Steinbacher, Gilbert; Rius, Marta; Pellisé, Ferran; Cugat, Ramón

2011-12-01

The purpose of this study was to report the functional outcomes of young active soccer players with lumbar spondylolysis undergoing conservative treatment. Between 2002 and 2004, all soccer players diagnosed with spondylolysis with a minimum 2-year follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were treated nonoperatively with cessation of sports activity and rehabilitation for 3 months. The rehabilitation protocol was identical for all patients and emphasized strengthening of abdominal muscles, stretching of the hamstrings, "core" stability exercises, and trunk rotational movements in a pain-free basis. Those patients with pain at rest and with daily life activities were also treated with a thoracolumbar orthosis. Symptomatic patients or those with positive SPECT were not allowed to return to sports and continued the rehabilitation protocol for 3 more months. The mean time of cessation of sports activity was 3.9 months (SD 0.8) and 5.2 months (SD 2.1) for a complete return to sports. At the 2-year follow-up, 28 patients (82%) obtained excellent results, 4 (12%) good results, 1 patient (3%) a fair result, and 1 patient (3%) a poor result. Conservative treatment of spondylolysis in young soccer players with cessation of sports and rehabilitation, with or without thoracolumbar orthosis, was associated with excellent functional results in terms of return to sports and level of achievable physical activity.

Risk of Injury in Basketball, Football, and Soccer Players, Ages 15 Years and Older, 2003–2007

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Elizabeth A.; Westerman, Beverly J.; Hunting, Katherine L.

2011-01-01

Context: A major challenge in the field of sports injury epidemiology is identifying the appropriate denominators for injury rates. Objective: To characterize risk of injury from participation in basketball, football, and soccer in the United States, using hours of participation as the measure of exposure, and to compare these rates with those derived using population estimates in the denominator. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: United States, 2003–2007. Participants: People ages 15 years and older who experienced an emergency department–treated injury while playing basketball, football, or soccer. Main Outcome Measure(s): Rates of emergency department–treated injuries resulting from participation in basketball, football, or soccer. Injury rates were calculated for people ages 15 and older for the years 2003–2007 using the U.S. population and hours of participation as the denominators. The risk of injury associated with each of these sports was compared for all participants and by sex. Results: From 2003 through 2007, annual injury rates per 1000 U.S. population were as follows: 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30, 1.67) in basketball, 0.93 (95% CI = 0.82, 1.04) in football, and 0.43 (95% CI = 0.33, 0.53) in soccer. When the denominator was hours of participation, the injury rate in football (5.08 [95% CI = 4.46, 5.69]/10 000 hours) was almost twice as high as that for basketball (2.69 [95% CI = 2.35, 3.02]/10 000 hours) and soccer (2.69 [95% CI = 2.07, 3.30]/10 000 hours). Conclusions: Depending on the choice of denominator, interpretation of the risk of an emergency department–treated injury in basketball, football, or soccer varies greatly. Using the U.S. population as the denominator produced rates that were highest in basketball and lowest in soccer. However, using hours of participation as a more accurate measure of exposure demonstrated that football had a higher rate of injury than basketball or soccer for both males and

Soccer: Moulding the Middle East and North Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dorsey, J.M.

2016-01-01

Nowhere in the world has sports in general and soccer in particular played such a key role in the development of a region than in the Middle East and North Africa. Yet, the nexus of sports, politics and society is one area that Middle East studies with few exceptions have ignored. Similarly, sports

The beginnings of soccer in Ðakovo

OpenAIRE

Bijelić, Borislav

2008-01-01

We do not know much about the beginnings of soccer in Ðakovo. Based on modest and not always representative historical sources, as well as memories of the first soccer activists, I feel that we are today nevertheless able to offer a sufficiently coherent genesis of football in Ðakovo from its beginnings till the outbreak of World War I. Soccer first began to be played in an organized fashion within the Section of the sport society “Hrvatski sokol” that was established in 1908, and afterwards ...

Multivariate analyses of individual variation in soccer skill as a tool for talent identification and development: utilising evolutionary theory in sports science.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Robbie S; James, Rob S; David, Gwendolyn; Hermann, Ecki; Morgan, Oliver J; Niehaus, Amanda C; Hunter, Andrew; Thake, Doug; Smith, Michelle D

2016-11-01

The development of a comprehensive protocol for quantifying soccer-specific skill could markedly improve both talent identification and development. Surprisingly, most protocols for talent identification in soccer still focus on the more generic athletic attributes of team sports, such as speed, strength, agility and endurance, rather than on a player's technical skills. We used a multivariate methodology borrowed from evolutionary analyses of adaptation to develop our quantitative assessment of individual soccer-specific skill. We tested the performance of 40 individual academy-level players in eight different soccer-specific tasks across an age range of 13-18 years old. We first quantified the repeatability of each skill performance then explored the effects of age on soccer-specific skill, correlations between each of the pairs of skill tasks independent of age, and finally developed an individual metric of overall skill performance that could be easily used by coaches. All of our measured traits were highly repeatable when assessed over a short period and we found that an individual's overall skill - as well as their performance in their best task - was strongly positively correlated with age. Most importantly, our study established a simple but comprehensive methodology for assessing skill performance in soccer players, thus allowing coaches to rapidly assess the relative abilities of their players, identify promising youths and work on eliminating skill deficits in players.

Epidemiology of injuries in female high school soccer players ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Sport is a compulsory activity in schools in South Africa. Female learners participating in soccer are more vulnerable to injuries than males. Objective: This study determined the epidemiology of injuries in female high school soccer players. Methods: A cross sectional survey captured the epidemiology of ...

Mental skills training in soccer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diment, Gregory Michael

2014-01-01

Psychological Skills Training (PST) has been a tool used by sport psychology consultants. However, within soccer many of these programs have been delivered as workshops, homework tasks, or individual consultations with athletes. The aim of the project was to develop an ecological intervention...... by creating a series of drillbased sessions to train psychological skills, and educate coaches about how to implement and integrate PST as a natural part of daily training. The program was delivered to the youth academies in nine Danish professional soccer clubs and consisted of three phases: (a) planning...... of the program, (b) education and designing soccer drills, and (c) delivery of the drills on the soccer pitch. The program was well received by clubs, coaches, and players. With regards to project aims, the intervention was generally considered a success. Coaches reported that the drill-based nature...

Efficiency of Sports Leagues - The Economic Implications of Having Two Leagues in the Indian Cricket Market

OpenAIRE

Vig, Arun

2008-01-01

Worldwide more and more money is being invested in sports teams and professional sports leagues. There are numerous sports that are popular in different parts of the world. In the United States, its American Football, in Europe and UK it is Football (soccer); in the Indian sub-continent and Australia it is Cricket that attracts the largest crowds. If we study the professional sporting leagues around the world usually there is only one major/premier league in every sport. Smaller leagues e...

Effects of Soccer Heading on Brain Structure and Function

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Ana Carolina; Lasmar, Rodrigo Pace; Caramelli, Paulo

2016-01-01

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with more than 265 million players worldwide, including professional and amateur ones. Soccer is unique in comparison to other sports, as it is the only sport in which participants purposely use their head to hit the ball. Heading is considered as an offensive or defensive move whereby the player’s unprotected head is used to deliberately impact the ball and direct it during play. A soccer player can be subjected to an average of 6–12 incidents of heading the ball per competitive game, where the ball reaches high velocities. Moreover, in practice sessions, heading training, which involves heading the ball repeatedly at low velocities, is common. Although the scientific community, as well as the media, has focused on the effects of concussions in contact sports, the role of subconcussive impacts, as it can occur during heading, has recently gained attention, considering that it may represent an additional mechanism of cumulative brain injury. The purpose of this study is to review the existing literature regarding the effects of soccer heading on brain structure and function. Only in the last years, some investigations have addressed the impact of heading on brain structure, by using neuroimaging techniques. Similarly, there have been some recent studies investigating biochemical markers of brain injury in soccer players. There is evidence of association between heading and abnormal brain structure, but the data are still preliminary. Also, some studies have suggested that subconcussive head impacts, as heading, could cause cognitive impairment, whereas others have not corroborated this finding. Questions persist as to whether or not heading is deleterious to cognitive functioning. Further studies, especially with longitudinal designs, are needed to clarify the clinical significance of heading as a cause of brain injury and to identify risk factors. Such investigations might contribute to the establishment of safety

Effects of soccer heading on brain structure and function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Carolina Oliveira Rodrigues

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with more than 265 million players worldwide, including professional and amateur ones. Soccer is unique in comparison to other sports, as it is the only sport in which participants purposely use their head to hit the ball. Heading is considered an offensive or defensive move whereby the player’s unprotected head is used to deliberately impact the ball and direct it during play. A soccer player can be subjected to an average of six to twelve incidents of heading the ball per competitive game, where the ball reaches high velocities. Moreover, in practice sessions, heading training, which involves heading the ball repeatedly at low velocities, is common. Although the scientific community, as well as the media, has focused on the effects of concussions in contact sports, the role of subconcussive impacts, as it can occur during heading, has recently gained attention, considering that it may represent an additional mechanism of cumulative brain injury. The purpose of this study is to review the existing literature regarding the effects of soccer heading on brain structure and function. Only in the last years some investigations have addressed the impact of heading on brain structure, by using neuroimaging techniques. Similarly, there have been some recent studies investigating biochemical markers of brain injury in soccer players. There is evidence of association between heading and abnormal brain structure, but the data are still preliminary. Also, some studies have suggested that subconcussive head impacts, as heading, could cause cognitive impairment, whereas others have not corroborated this finding. Questions persist as to whether or not heading is deleterious to cognitive functioning. Further studies, especially with longitudinal designs, are needed to clarify the clinical significance of heading as a cause of brain injury and to identify risk factors. Such investigations might contribute to the

An Evidence-Based Discussion of Heading the Ball and Concussions in High School Soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Comstock, R Dawn; Currie, Dustin W; Pierpoint, Lauren A; Grubenhoff, Joseph A; Fields, Sarah K

2015-09-01

Soccer, originally introduced as a safer sport for children and adolescents, has seen a rapid increase in popularity in the United States over the past 3 decades. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding the safety of soccer ball heading (when an athlete attempts to play the ball in the air with his or her head) given the rise in concussion rates, with some calling for a ban on heading among soccer players younger than 14 years. To evaluate trends over time in boys' and girls' soccer concussions, to identify injury mechanisms commonly leading to concussions, to delineate soccer-specific activities during which most concussions occur, to detail heading-related soccer concussion mechanisms, and to compare concussion symptom patterns by injury mechanism. Retrospective analysis of longitudinal surveillance data collected from 2005-2006 through 2013-2014 in a large, nationally representative sample of US high schools. Participants were boys and girls who were high school soccer players. Concussions sustained during high school-sanctioned soccer games and practices. Mechanism and sport-specific activity of concussion. Overall, 627 concussions were sustained during 1,393,753 athlete exposures (AEs) among girls (4.50 concussions per 10,000 AEs), and 442 concussions were sustained during 1,592,238 AEs among boys (2.78 concussions per 10,000 AEs). For boys (68.8%) and girls (51.3%), contact with another player was the most common concussion mechanism. Heading was the most common soccer-specific activity, responsible for 30.6% of boys' concussions and 25.3% of girls' concussions. Contact with another player was the most common mechanism of injury in heading-related concussions among boys (78.1%) and girls (61.9%). There were few differences in concussion symptom patterns by injury mechanism. Although heading is the most common activity associated with concussions, the most frequent mechanism was athlete-athlete contact. Such information is needed to drive evidence

Diagnostic imaging of injuries and overuse in soccer players

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonge, M.C. de; Maas, M.; Kuijk, C. van

2002-01-01

Soccer is one of the most popular sports worldwide. There is a high incidence of injuries in soccer in which several intrinsic and extrinsic factors play a part. Most injuries are minor, self-limiting and do not need extensive medical treatment or imaging. Imaging can be required for several reasons e.g. when the clinical findings are doubtful, to replace arthroscopy (i. e. of the knee) or for prognostic reasons. All imaging modalities available to the radiologist can be used but MRI is the most valuable imaging modality with its superior contrast resolution and multiplanar capabilities. Basically, injuries in the soccer player can occur anywhere in the body like in every sport. The lower extremities, more specific the knee and ankle, are however the most injured parts. (orig.) [de

Psychological Gender and Emotional Intelligence in Youth Female Soccer Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rutkowska Katarzyna

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Many sports (for instance soccer are stereotypically perceived as a male activity. Even so, more and more women decide to become competitive athletes. Since the theory of sport requires comprehensive explanations and the practice of sport needs clear guidelines, interdisciplinary studies into the nature of sport, including its psychological aspects, are necessary. Analysing the psychological profile of female soccer players, particularly those who are about to become professional athletes, can provide many interesting insights into the specific character of female youth sport and show where improvements can be made in athletic training programmes (especially in mental training. It is therefore important to study psychological gender that determines social behaviours and to analyse female athletes’ emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is defined as a set of emotional competencies that determine the effectiveness of human behaviours. Psychological gender and emotional intelligence have a significant effect on human adaptability and the efficiency of psychosocial functioning. This research was undertaken with the dual purpose of identifying the psychological gender and emotional intelligence of female soccer players. It involved 54 secondary-school girls, some of whom attended a sports class and others played on the Polish national team. The following tools were used to carry out the research: the Gender Assessment Inventory (IPP [This and the other acronyms derive from the Polish language]-developed by Kuczyńska and the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (INTE; created by Jaworowska and Matczak. As shown by the analysis of the results, most female soccer players in the study were androgynous and the level of their emotional intelligence was significantly higher than in other participants. This also seems to point to their significantly greater adaptability. At the same time, the level of emotional intelligence in many players was

Psychological Gender and Emotional Intelligence in Youth Female Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutkowska, Katarzyna; Bergier, Józef

2015-09-29

Many sports (for instance soccer) are stereotypically perceived as a male activity. Even so, more and more women decide to become competitive athletes. Since the theory of sport requires comprehensive explanations and the practice of sport needs clear guidelines, interdisciplinary studies into the nature of sport, including its psychological aspects, are necessary. Analysing the psychological profile of female soccer players, particularly those who are about to become professional athletes, can provide many interesting insights into the specific character of female youth sport and show where improvements can be made in athletic training programmes (especially in mental training). It is therefore important to study psychological gender that determines social behaviours and to analyse female athletes' emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is defined as a set of emotional competencies that determine the effectiveness of human behaviours. Psychological gender and emotional intelligence have a significant effect on human adaptability and the efficiency of psychosocial functioning. This research was undertaken with the dual purpose of identifying the psychological gender and emotional intelligence of female soccer players. It involved 54 secondary-school girls, some of whom attended a sports class and others played on the Polish national team. The following tools were used to carry out the research: the Gender Assessment Inventory (IPP [This and the other acronyms derive from the Polish language]-developed by Kuczyńska) and the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (INTE; created by Jaworowska and Matczak). As shown by the analysis of the results, most female soccer players in the study were androgynous and the level of their emotional intelligence was significantly higher than in other participants. This also seems to point to their significantly greater adaptability. At the same time, the level of emotional intelligence in many players was average or low

Socially Vulnerable Youth and Volunteering in Sports: Analyzing a Brussels Training Program for Young Soccer Coaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evi Buelens

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A considerable number of young Europeans live or risk ending up in socially vulnerable situations. Different social channels (e.g., education, on the job training, leisure exist through which youths can enhance their chances to improve their social position. There is a growing belief that sports in particular can help personal and social development of socially vulnerable youths. Nevertheless, there is little understanding of the mechanisms through which sports can foster development. In addition to participating in sports, volunteering in sports is also regarded as providing developmental opportunities for socially vulnerable youths. Today, however, there is an underrepresentation of socially vulnerable youths in volunteering and volunteer training programs. A case study in Brussels was set up within a volunteer soccer training program focused on socially vulnerable youths. A qualitative research design was used to analyze developmental experiences of participants (n = 11 and program organizers (n = 3. The study also aimed to gain more insight into the mechanisms underlying the program. Participating youths indicated development in both technical and key competences. It is concluded that a systematic approach of the volunteer training program can play an important role in the development of competences of socially vulnerable youths both as a volunteer and an individual.

Cerebrovascular reactivity changes in asymptomatic female athletes attributable to high school soccer participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Svaldi, Diana O; McCuen, Emily C; Joshi, Chetas; Robinson, Meghan E; Nho, Yeseul; Hannemann, Robert; Nauman, Eric A; Leverenz, Larry J; Talavage, Thomas M

2017-02-01

As participation in women's soccer continues to grow and the longevity of female athletes' careers continues to increase, prevention and care for mTBI in women's soccer has become a major concern for female athletes since the long-term risks associated with a history of mTBI are well documented. Among women's sports, soccer exhibits among the highest concussion rates, on par with those of men's football at the collegiate level. Head impact monitoring technology has revealed that "concussive hits" occurring directly before symptomatic injury are not predictive of mTBI, suggesting that the cumulative effect of repetitive head impacts experienced by collision sport athletes should be assessed. Neuroimaging biomarkers have proven to be valuable in detecting brain changes that occur before neurocognitive symptoms in collision sport athletes. Quantifying the relationship between changes in these biomarkers and head impacts experienced by female soccer athletes may prove valuable to developing preventative measures for mTBI. This study paired functional magnetic resonance imaging with head impact monitoring to track cerebrovascular reactivity changes throughout a season and to test whether the observed changes could be attributed to mechanical loading experienced by female athletes participating in high school soccer. Marked cerebrovascular reactivity changes were observed in female soccer athletes, relative both to non-collision sport control measures and pre-season measures and were localized to fronto-temporal aspects of the brain. These changes persisted 4-5 months after the season ended and recovered by 8 months after the season. Segregation of the total soccer cohort into cumulative loading groups revealed that population-level changes were driven by athletes experiencing high cumulative loads, although athletes experiencing lower cumulative loads still contributed to group changes. The results of this study imply a non-linear relationship between cumulative

Do pattern recognition skills transfer across sports? A preliminary analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Smeeton, Nicholas J; Ward, Paul; Williams, A Mark

2004-02-01

The ability to recognize patterns of play is fundamental to performance in team sports. While typically assumed to be domain-specific, pattern recognition skills may transfer from one sport to another if similarities exist in the perceptual features and their relations and/or the strategies used to encode and retrieve relevant information. A transfer paradigm was employed to compare skilled and less skilled soccer, field hockey and volleyball players' pattern recognition skills. Participants viewed structured and unstructured action sequences from each sport, half of which were randomly represented with clips not previously seen. The task was to identify previously viewed action sequences quickly and accurately. Transfer of pattern recognition skill was dependent on the participant's skill, sport practised, nature of the task and degree of structure. The skilled soccer and hockey players were quicker than the skilled volleyball players at recognizing structured soccer and hockey action sequences. Performance differences were not observed on the structured volleyball trials between the skilled soccer, field hockey and volleyball players. The skilled field hockey and soccer players were able to transfer perceptual information or strategies between their respective sports. The less skilled participants' results were less clear. Implications for domain-specific expertise, transfer and diversity across domains are discussed.

Epidemiology of Patellar Tendinopathy in Elite Male Soccer Players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hägglund, Martin; Zwerver, Johannes; Ekstrand, Jan

Background: Patellar tendinopathy is common among athletes in jumping sports and in sports with prolonged repetitive stress of the knee extensor apparatus. The epidemiology in soccer is not well described. Purpose: This study was undertaken to investigate and describe the epidemiology of patellar

Sport activities differentiating match-play improvement in elite youth footballers - a 2-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Güllich, Arne; Kovar, Peter; Zart, Sebastian; Reimann, Ansgar

2017-02-01

This study examined contributions of different types of sport activities to the development of elite youth soccer performance. Match-play performance of 44 German male players was assessed by expert coaches twice, 24 months apart (age 11.1-13.1 years), based on videotaped 5v5 matches. Player pairs were matched by identical age and initial performance at t 1 . Each player was assigned to a group of either "Strong" or "Weak Responders" based on a higher or lower subsequent performance improvement at t 2 within each pair (mean Δperformance 29% vs. 7%). A questionnaire recorded current and earlier amounts of organised practice/training and non-organised sporting play, in soccer and other sports, respectively. Group comparison revealed that "Strong Responders" accumulated more non-organised soccer play and organised practice/training in other sports, but not more organised soccer practice/training. Subsequent multivariate analyses (multiple linear regression analyses (MLR)) highlighted that higher resultant match-play performance at t 2 was accounted for R 2 adj  = 0.65 by performance at t 1 , together with more non-organised soccer play and organised engagement in other sports, respectively, and greater current, but less earlier volume of organised soccer. The findings suggest that variable early sporting experience facilitates subsequent soccer performance development in German elite youth footballers.

Sport injuries treated at a physiotherapy center specialized in sports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guilherme S. Nunes

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: The risk of injuries related to physical activity and sports may increase if there is predisposition, inappropriate training and/or coach guidance, and absence of sports medicine follow-up. Objective: To assess the frequency of injuries in athletes treated at a physiotherapy center specialized in sports. Methods: For the data collection was carried out the survey of injuries in records of athletes treated in eight years of activities. The data collected included: characteristics of patients, sport, injury kind, injury characteristics and affected body part. Results: From 1090 patient/athlete records, the average age was 25 years old, the athletes were spread across 44 different sports modalities, being the great majority men (75%. The most common type of injury was joint injury, followed by muscular and bone injuries. Chronic injury was the most frequent (47%, while the most common body part injured was the knee, followed by ankle and shoulder. Among all the sports, soccer, futsal, and track and field presented the highest number of injured athletes, respectively. Conclusion: Soccer was the most common sport among the injured athletes, injury kind most frequent was joint injuries and knee was the body part most injured. Chronic injuries were the most common.

Oscillations of centroid position and surface area of soccer teams in small-sided games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frencken, Wouter; Lemmink, Koen; Delleman, Nico; Visscher, Chris

2011-01-01

There is a need for a collective variable that captures the dynamics of team sports like soccer at match level. The centroid positions and surface areas of two soccer teams potentially describe the coordinated flow of attacking and defending in small-sided soccer games at team level. The aim of the

Self-efficacy, soccer skills and the influence on students’ learning experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulkifli Ahmad Fahim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Study aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a student centered curricular intervention on students’ self-efficacy and soccer skills performance. Materials and methods: One group of 25 mixed-gender students (ages 11-13 participated in this study of student centered soccer lessons twice per week (30 minutes on a soccer field for three weeks at a Southwestern USA Middle School. The in­tervention was designed to engage students in the skill lessons by adopting a student-centered approach, and reciprocal/peer teaching of the soccer skills. Students’ self-efficacy was assessed using the modified Traits Sport-Confidence Inventory. Soccer skill performance was assessed using previously validated skill tests. Further, students’ perception of reciprocal teaching were gathered using exit slips. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests to explore pre/post differences. Results: The students’ skill performance slightly improved. Students’ self-efficacy related to soccer skills was significantly higher at post-test. Students’ positively perceived the opportunities to participate in student-centered lessons and the use recip­rocal teaching styles to work together in skill development. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that seventh-grade students could learn soccer skills, develop desirable perceptions and efficacy and improve their physical activity/sport participation levels as they engaged in student-centered teaching and learning.

Changes in perceived stress and recovery in overreached young elite soccer players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brink, M. S.; Visscher, C.; Coutts, A. J.; Lemmink, K. A. P. M.

The aim of this study was to prospectively monitor sport-specific performance and assess the stressrecovery balance in overreached (OR) soccer players and controls. During two competitive seasons, 94 players participated in the study. The stressrecovery balance (RESTQ-Sport) and sport-specific

Nine-year study of US high school soccer injuries: data from a national sports injury surveillance programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodaee, Morteza; Currie, Dustin W; Asif, Irfan M; Comstock, R Dawn

2017-02-01

Research on high school soccer injury epidemiology is sparse. To describe high school soccer injury rates, trends and patterns by type of athlete exposure (AE), position and sex. This descriptive epidemiological study used data from a large national high school sports injury surveillance programme to describe rates and patterns of soccer-related injuries including concussion sustained from 2005/2006 to 2013/2014. Injury rates are calculated per 1000 AEs. Overall, 6154 soccer injuries occurred during 2 985 991 AEs; injury rate=2.06 per 1000 AEs. Injury rates were higher during competition (4.42) than practice (1.05; rate ratio (RR)=4.19; 95% CI 3.98 to 4.41), and in girls (2.33) than boys (1.83; RR=1.27, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.34). Boys' non-concussion injury rates decreased significantly (p=0.001) during the study period while reported concussion rates increased significantly (p=0.002). Girls' non-concussion rates were relatively stable and reported concussion rates increased significantly (p=0.004). Player-player contact was the injury mechanism that led to the most competition injuries (injury proportion ratio (IPR)=2.87; 95% CI 2.57 to 3.21), while non-contact injuries were the most common mechanisms among practice injuries (IPR=2.10; 95% CI 1.86 to 2.38). Recovery from concussion was >7 days in a third of the cases. Injury patterns were similar between sexes with respect to position played and location on the field at the time of injury. High school soccer injury rates vary by sex and type of exposure, while injury patterns are more similar across sexes. Reported concussion rates increased significantly over the study period in male and female athletes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Biomechanical Differences of Multidirectional Jump Landings Among Female Basketball and Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Jeffrey B; Ford, Kevin R; Schmitz, Randy J; Ross, Scott E; Ackerman, Terry A; Shultz, Sandra J

2017-11-01

Taylor, JB, Ford, KR, Schmitz, RJ, Ross, SE, Ackerman, TA, and Shultz, SJ. Biomechanical differences of multidirectional jump landings among female basketball and soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 31(11): 3034-3045, 2017-Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention programs are less successful in basketball than soccer and may be due to distinct movement strategies that these athletes develop from sport-specific training. The purpose of this study was to identify biomechanical differences between female basketball and soccer players during multidirectional jump landings. Lower extremity biomechanics of 89 female athletes who played competitive basketball (n = 40) or soccer (n = 49) at the middle- or high-school level were analyzed with 3-dimensional motion analysis during a drop vertical jump, double- (SAG-DL) and single-leg forward jump (SAG-SL), and double- (FRONT-DL) and single-leg (FRONT-SL) lateral jump. Basketball players landed with either less hip or knee, or both hip and knee excursion during all tasks (p ≤ 0.05) except for the SAGSL task, basketball players landed with greater peak hip flexion angles (p = 0.04). The FRONT-SL task elicited the most distinct sport-specific differences, including decreased hip adduction (p soccer players exhibited a more protective landing strategy than basketball players, justifying future efforts toward sport-specific ACL injury prevention programs.

Is recreational soccer effective for improving VO_2max?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milanović, Zoran; Pantelić, Saša; Čović, Nedim

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, with a long history and currently more than 500 million active participants, of whom 300 million are registered football club members. On the basis of scientific findings showing positive fitness and health effects of recreational soccer, FIFA...... of recreational soccer on maximal oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]). METHODS: Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, CINAHL and Google Scholar) were searched for original research articles. A manual search was performed to cover the areas of recreational soccer, recreational...

Soccer-Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments: 1990-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Nicholas A; Chounthirath, Thiphalak; Xiang, Huiyun

2016-10-01

To investigate the epidemiology of youth soccer-related injuries treated in emergency departments in the United States. A retrospective analysis was conducted of soccer-related injuries among children 7 through 17 years of age from 1990 through 2014 with data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Injury rates were calculated from soccer participation data. An estimated 2 995 765 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2 309 112-3 682 418) children 7 through 17 years old were treated in US emergency departments for soccer-related injuries during the 25-year study period, averaging 119 831 (95% CI, 92 364-147 297) annually. The annual injury rate per 10 000 soccer participants increased significantly, by 111.4%, from 1990 to 2014. Patients 12 to 17 years old accounted for 72.7% of injuries, 55.5% of patients were male, and most injuries occurred in a place of sport or recreation (68.5%) or school (25.7%). Struck by (38.5%) and fell (28.7%) were the leading mechanisms of injury. Injuries most commonly were diagnosed as sprain or strain (34.6%), fracture (23.2%), and soft tissue injury (21.9%), and occurred to the upper extremity (20.7%), ankle (17.8%), and head or neck (17.7%). Concussions or other closed head injuries accounted for 7.3% of the injuries, but the annual rate of concussions/closed head injuries per 10 000 participants increased significantly, by 1595.6%, from 1990 to 2014. This study is the first to comprehensively investigate soccer-related injuries and calculate injury rates based on soccer participation data among children at the national level. The increasing number and rate of pediatric soccer-related injuries, especially soccer-related concussions/closed head injuries, underscore the need for increased efforts to prevent these injuries. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Changes in perceived stress and recovery in overreached young elite soccer players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brink, Michel; Visscher, Chris; Coutts, A.J.; Lemmink, Koen

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to prospectively monitor sport-specific performance and assess the stress-recovery balance in overreached (OR) soccer players and controls. During two competitive seasons, 94 players participated in the study. The stress-recovery balance (RESTQ-Sport) and sport-specific

Efficacy of injury prevention related coach education within netball and soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gianotti, Simon; Hume, Patria A; Tunstall, Helen

2010-01-01

In 2004, Netball New Zealand and New Zealand Football adapted a generic 10-point action plan for sports injury prevention, SportSmart, to create NetballSmart and SoccerSmart, as part of their coach education programmes. A small-size descriptive study was conducted in both sports, to assess the efficacy of integrating sports injury prevention into coach education. NetballSmart was evaluated at the end of 2005, via a telephone survey of 217 coaches (53% response rate) who had attended a NetballSmart course earlier in the year. SoccerSmart was evaluated at the start of 2007, via an Internet questionnaire completed by 71 coaches (20% response rate) who had attended a SoccerSmart course in 2006. The evaluations focused on the quality and use of the course resource material, as well as assessing the extent to which coaches had incorporated injury prevention behaviours into player practices. After attending a NetballSmart course, 89% of coaches changed the way they coached, with 95% reported using knowledge from the course and passing it on to players. Ninety-six percent of football/soccer coaches also changed the way they coached, with most change relating to warm-up/cool-down and stretch (65%), technique (63%), fitness (60%) and nutrition/hydration (58%) practices. Although this was a descriptive study in nature, with a small sample size, we conclude that integration of injury prevention content within coach education courses and resources may be a viable and effective strategy to help community coaches--and therefore community players--help reduce their risk of injury. Copyright (c) 2008 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of acute physiological demand for soccer

OpenAIRE

Coelho, Daniel Barbosa; Pimenta, Eduardo Mendonça; Veneroso, Christiano Eduardo; Morandi, Rodrigo Figueiredo; Pacheco, Diogo Antônio Soares; Pereira, Emerson Rodrigues; Coelho, Leonardo Gomes Martins; Silami-Garcia, Emerson

2013-01-01

Soccer is a sport practiced worldwide, on all continents. It is considered an intermittent activity of high intensity and long duration, in which movements that require great strength and speed, such as jumps and sprints, result in high levels of muscle microtrauma, hampering athletes' training and recovery. The present study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of changes in different markers of physiological demand resulting from a soccer match in healthy individuals. Ten healthy male physical e...

Encounter Group Effects of Soccer Team Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Magen, Zipora

1980-01-01

Suggests that a positive relationship exists between encounter group experience and the soccer team performance--a conclusion worthy of consideration in further research in the fields of psychology and sociology of sports. (Author)

Leg Preference and Interlateral Asymmetry of Balance Stability in Soccer Players

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Luis Augusto; de Oliveira, Dalton Lustosa; Romano, Rosangela Guimaraes; Correa, Sonia Cavalcanti

2011-01-01

To examine the effect of long lasting practice on pedal behavior in sport, we compared experienced adult soccer players and nonsoccer players on leg preference in motor tasks requiring general mobilization, soccer related mobilization, and body balance stabilization. We also evaluated performance asymmetry between the right and left legs in static…

Differences in neuromuscular strategies between landing and cutting tasks in female basketball and soccer athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowley, Hanni R; Ford, Kevin R; Myer, Gregory D; Kernozek, Thomas W; Hewett, Timothy E

2006-01-01

High school female athletes are most likely to sustain a serious knee injury during soccer or basketball, 2 sports that often involve a rapid deceleration before a change of direction or while landing from a jump. To determine if female high school basketball and soccer players show neuromuscular differences during landing and cutting tasks and to examine neuromuscular differences between tasks and between dominant and nondominant sides. A 3-way mixed factorial design investigating the effects of sport (basketball, soccer), task (jumping, cutting), and side (dominant, nondominant). Laboratory. Thirty high school female athletes who listed either basketball or soccer as their only sport of participation (basketball: n = 15, age = 15.1 +/- 1.7 years, experience = 6.9 +/- 2.2 years, height = 165.3 +/- 7.9 cm, mass = 61.8 +/- 9.3 kg; soccer: n = 15, age = 14.8 +/- 0.8 years, experience = 8.8 +/- 2.5 years, height = 161.8 +/- 4.1 cm, mass = 54.6 +/- 7.6 kg). Ground reaction forces, stance time, valgus angles, and valgus moments were assessed during (1) a drop vertical jump with an immediate maximal vertical jump and (2) an immediate side-step cut at a 45 degrees angle. Basketball athletes had greater ground reaction forces (P vertical jump, whereas soccer players had greater ground reaction forces (P vertical jump. Greater valgus moments (P = .006) were noted on the dominant side during cutting. Our subjects demonstrated differences in ground reaction forces and stance times during 2 movements associated with noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Knee valgus moment and angle were significantly influenced by the type of movement performed. Sport-specific neuromuscular training may be warranted, with basketball players focusing on jumping and landing and soccer players focusing on unanticipated cutting maneuvers.

HANDBOOK OF SOCCER MATCH ANALYSIS: A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO IMPROVING PERFORMANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Carling

2006-03-01

Full Text Available DESCRIPTION This book addresses and appropriately explains the soccer match analysis, looks at the very latest in match analysis research, and at the innovative technologies used by professional clubs. This handbook is also bridging the gap between research, theory and practice. The methods in it can be used by coaches, sport scientists and fitness coaches to improve: styles of play, technical ability and physical fitness; objective feedback to players; the development of specific training routines; use of available notation software, video analysis and manual systems; and understanding of current academic research in soccer notational analysis. PURPOSE The aim is to provide a prepared manual on soccer match analysis in general for coaches and sport scientists. Thus, the professionals in this field would gather objective data on the players and the team, which in turn could be used by coaches and players to learn more about performance as a whole and gain a competitive advantage as a result. The book efficiently meets these objectives. AUDIENCE The book is targeted the athlete, the coach, the sports scientist professional or any sport conscious person who wishes to analyze relevant soccer performance. The editors and the contributors are authorities in their respective fields and this handbook depend on their extensive experience and knowledge accumulated over the years. FEATURES The book demonstrates how a notation system can be established to produce data to analyze and improve performance in soccer. It is composed of 9 chapters which present the information in an order that is considered logical and progressive as in most texts. Chapter headings are: 1. Introduction to Soccer Match Analysis, 2. Developing a Manual Notation System, 3. Video and Computerized Match Analysis Technology, 4. General Advice on Analyzing Match Performance, 5. Analysis and Presentation of the Results, 6. Motion Analysis and Consequences for Training, 7. What Match

Epidemiology of concussions among United States high school athletes in 20 sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Marar, Mallika; McIlvain, Natalie M; Fields, Sarah K; Comstock, R Dawn

2012-04-01

In the United States (US), an estimated 300,000 sports-related concussions occur annually. Among individuals 15 to 24 years of age, sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of concussions. To investigate the epidemiology of concussions in high school athletes by comparing rates and patterns of concussion among 20 sports. Descriptive epidemiology study. Using an Internet-based data collection tool, RIO, certified athletic trainers from a large, nationally disperse sample of US high schools reported athlete exposure and injury data for 20 sports during the 2008-2010 academic years. During the study period, 1936 concussions were reported during 7,780,064 athlete-exposures (AEs) for an overall injury rate of 2.5 per 10,000 AEs. The injury rate was higher in competition (6.4) than practice (1.1) (rate ratio [RR], 5.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.2-6.3). The majority of concussions resulted from participation in football (47.1%, n = 912), followed by girls' soccer (8.2%, n = 159), boys' wrestling (5.8%, n = 112), and girls' basketball (5.5%, n = 107). Football had the highest concussion rate (6.4), followed by boys' ice hockey (5.4) and boys' lacrosse (4.0). Concussions represented a greater proportion of total injuries among boys' ice hockey (22.2%) than all other sports studied (13.0%) (injury proportion ratio [IPR], 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-2.1; P sports, girls had a higher concussion rate (1.7) than boys (1.0) (RR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-2.0). The most common mechanisms of injury were player-player contact (70.3%) and player-playing surface contact (17.2%). In more than 40% of athletes in sports other than girls' swimming and girls' track, concussion symptoms resolved in 3 days or less. Athletes most commonly returned to play in 1 to 3 weeks (55.3%), with 22.8% returning in less than 1 week and 2.0% returning in less than 1 day. Although interest in sports-related concussions is usually focused on full-contact sports like football and ice hockey

"Soccer": The Beautiful Game

Science.gov (United States)

Spires, Todd

2008-01-01

Soccer, or football as it is called in the rest of the world, is the most popular and fastest-growing global sport, with an estimated 240 million people regularly playing what Brazilian star Pele called "the beautiful game." Millions, worldwide, watch it on television. In 2006, the average viewership for each match of the month-long World Cup was…

Assessment and Accountability in Youth Soccer: How Parents Grade Coaching, Refereeing, and the Soccer Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Duffus, Lee

2012-01-01

The term accountability is used extensively in performance management. In youth soccer, accountability is often discussed in the context of issues such as quality of coaching, officiating, responsiveness to stakeholders, scheduling of games, building parental involvement and support, and philosophical orientation to the sport. As part of the…

Major international sport profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Dilip R; Stier, Bernhard; Luckstead, Eugene F

2002-08-01

Sports are part of the sociocultural fabric of all countries. Although different sports have their origins in different countries, many sports are now played worldwide. International sporting events bring athletes of many cultures together and provide the opportunity not only for athletic competition but also for sociocultural exchange and understanding among people. This article reviews five major sports with international appeal and participation: cricket, martial arts, field hockey, soccer, and tennis. For each sport, the major aspects of physiological and biomechanical demands, injuries, and prevention strategies are reviewed.

Injury surveillance in a soccer tournament in Kenya | Onywera ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The occurrence of injuries in sports and the negligence of the injured players are key factors in the early exit of talented players from competitive sport in developing countries. It is for this reason that this study prospectively observed and documented injuries to male soccer players who participated in the 2001 Moi Golden ...

Reasons for dropout in youth soccer: a comparison with other team sports Motivos de abandono en el fútbol juvenil: comparación con otros deportes colectivos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Molinero

2010-09-01

Full Text Available

The purpose of our study was to identify the main reasons for dropout in young soccer players and to compare withdrawal motives to those rated important by participants in other team sports. Dropouts (150 males and 159 females, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years were administered the Questionnaire of Reasons for Attrition by Gould, Feltz, Horn and Weiss (1982. Represented were youth who participated in the sport of soccer (n=127, basketball (n=122, and volleyball (n=60. The most important reasons for attrition from the different team sports were having other things to do, dislike of the coach, and lack of team spirit. Reasons related to the team work were also given high ratings. Less important reasons concerned old age, rewards and competition. Although discriminant analysis revealed some differences between sports, the finding remains that both conflict of interests and aspects of the sports environment are major motives for withdrawal from team sports.
Key Words: Dropout, team sport, soccer.

Sun exposure and sun protection behaviours among young adult sport competitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawler, Sheleigh; Spathonis, Kym; Eakin, Elizabeth; Gallois, Cindy; Leslie, Eva; Owen, Neville

2007-06-01

To explore the relationship between sun protection and physical activity in young adults (18-30 years) involved in four organised sports. Participants (n=237) in field hockey, soccer, tennis and surf sports completed a self-administered survey on demographic and sun-protective behaviours while playing sport. Differences in sun-protective behaviour were explored by sport and by gender. Sunburn during the previous sporting season was high (69%). There were differences between sports for sunburn, sunscreen use and reapplication of sunscreen. Lifesaving had the highest rates compared with the other three sports. Hats and sunglasses worn by participants varied significantly by sports. A greater proportion of soccer and hockey players indicated they were not allowed to wear a hat or sunglasses during competition. For all sports, competition was played mainly in the open with no shade provision for competitors while they were playing. There were some gender differences within each of the sports. Female soccer and tennis players were more likely to wear sunscreen compared with males. Female hockey players were more likely to wear a hat compared with males. Our findings highlight that there is still room for improvement in sun-protective behaviours among young adult sport competitors. There is a need for a systematic approach to sun protection in the sporting environments of young adults. Health promotion efforts to increase physical activity need to be paired with sun protection messages.

Soccer ball lift coefficients via trajectory analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goff, John Eric; Carre, Matt J

2010-01-01

We performed experiments in which a soccer ball was launched from a machine while two high-speed cameras recorded portions of the trajectory. Using the trajectory data and published drag coefficients, we extracted lift coefficients for a soccer ball. We determined lift coefficients for a wide range of spin parameters, including several spin parameters that have not been obtained by today's wind tunnels. Our trajectory analysis technique is not only a valuable tool for professional sports scientists, it is also accessible to students with a background in undergraduate-level classical mechanics.

Soccer ball lift coefficients via trajectory analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goff, John Eric [Department of Physics, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA 24501 (United States); Carre, Matt J, E-mail: goff@lynchburg.ed [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD (United Kingdom)

2010-07-15

We performed experiments in which a soccer ball was launched from a machine while two high-speed cameras recorded portions of the trajectory. Using the trajectory data and published drag coefficients, we extracted lift coefficients for a soccer ball. We determined lift coefficients for a wide range of spin parameters, including several spin parameters that have not been obtained by today's wind tunnels. Our trajectory analysis technique is not only a valuable tool for professional sports scientists, it is also accessible to students with a background in undergraduate-level classical mechanics.

Influence of carbohydrate supplementation on skill performance during a soccer match simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Mark; Benton, David; Kingsley, Michael

2012-07-01

This study investigated the influence of carbohydrate supplementation on skill performance throughout exercise that replicates soccer match-play. Experimentation was conducted in a randomised, double-blind and cross-over study design. After familiarization, 15 professional academy soccer players completed a soccer match simulation incorporating passing, dribbling and shooting on two separate occasions. Participants received a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (CHO) or electrolyte solution (PL). Precision, success rate, ball speed and an overall index (speed-precision-success; SPS) were determined for all skills. Blood samples were taken at rest, immediately before exercise, every 15 min during exercise (first half: 15, 30 and 45 min; second half: 60, 75 and 90 min), and 10 min into the half time (half-time). Carbohydrate supplementation influenced shooting (time×treatment interaction: pinteraction: pCarbohydrate supplementation attenuated decrements in shooting performance during simulated soccer match-play; however, further research is warranted to optimise carbohydrate supplementation regimes for high-intensity intermittent sports. Copyright © 2012 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in perceived stress and recovery in overreached young elite soccer players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C. Visscher; Koen A.P.M. Lemmink; M.S. Brink; A.J. Coutts

2012-01-01

Abstract: The aim of this study was to prospectively monitor sport-specific performance and assess the stress-recovery balance in overreached (OR) soccer players and controls. During two competitive seasons, 94 players participated in the study. The stress-recovery balance (RESTQ-Sport) and

Somatic parameters of 17 year old soccer players in the older youth category in relation to sports performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Kutáč

2013-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Somatic parameters are included not only in the general structure of sporting performance, but also in the structure of sporting performance in soccer. In light of this structure, higher performance players should have better somatic performance prerequisites, and their somatic parameters should differ from players with lower performance levels. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to assess the somatic parameters of players with different performance levels. METHODS: The research included 90 soccer players in the age of 17 years in three performance categories playing in the junior competition in the Czech Republic. Average age of the individual levels – highest performance 17.61 ± 0.48, middle performance 17.50 ± 0.50, lowest performance 17.50 ± 0.50 years. The following was monitored – basic anthropometric parameters (body weight, body height, somatotype (Heath-Carter, representation of body fat (BF, fat free mass (FFM and the total body water (TBW. The Tanita 418 MA tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance (BIA scale was used for the determination of the representation of BF and the TBW. All players were measured at the beginning of the competition period in the same year. All measurements were implemented in the morning hours by the same person with corresponding experience. RESULTS: The average values of somatic parameters measured in the individual performance categories show that we can only consider them to be an indicator of sporting performance up to a particular performance level. The boundary was the middle performance level (teams playing regional competition as their mean values of the monitored somatic parameters significantly differed from the mean values of players at the lowest performance level (teams playing at the district and municipal levels but they did not differ when compared with the mean values of the players at the highest performance level (teams playing the top junior league. CONCLUSIONS

EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTIMEDIA-SUPPORTED EDUCATION IN PRACTICAL SPORTS COURSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roland Leser

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Multimedia-assisted teaching and learning have become standard forms of education. In sports, multimedia material has been used to teach practical aspects of courses, such as motor skills. The main goal of this study is to examine if multimedia technology impacts learning in the field of sport motor skill acquisition. This question was investigated during a practical sports education course involving 35 students who participated in a university soccer class. The whole course was split into two groups: Group A was taught traditionally with no assistance of multimedia and Group B was prepared with multimedia-assisted instructional units. To quantify selected skills of soccer technique and tactic, the test subjects performed a specific passing test and a tactical assessment. Furthermore, a ques-tionnaire was used to assess the subjective impressions of the test subjects. All testing instruments were applied before and after a six-week-long teaching period. A comparison of the gathered data between the two groups resulted in no significant differences, neither concerning the results of the technique test nor concerning the tactic test. However, the results of the ques-tionnaire showed a positive agreement among the participants in the usability and assistance of multimedia for the sports practical course. Considering the reviewed conditions, it can be concluded that the use of multimedia content doesn't affect the learning effects.

The Effect of Gender Equality on International Soccer Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bredtmann, Julia; Crede, Carsten J.; Otten, Sebastian

2014-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new estimation strategy that uses the variation in success between the male and the female national soccer team within a country to identify the causal impact of gender equality on women’s soccer performance. In particular, we analyze whether within-country variations...... in labor force participation rates and life expectancies between the genders, which serve as measures for the country’s gender equality, are able to explain diff erences in the international success of male and female national soccer teams. Our results reveal that diff erences in male and female labor...... force participation rates and life expectancies are able to explain the international soccer performance of female teams, but not that of male teams, suggesting that gender equality is an important driver of female sport success....

Injury prevention for adult male soccer players. Blessure preventie voor volwassen, mannelijke voetballers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beijsterveldt, A.M.C. van

2013-01-01

Soccer causes the largest number of injuries each year (18% of all sports injuries) in the Netherlands. The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to the body of evidence on injury prevention for adult male soccer players. Chapter 1 is a general introduction and presents the “sequence of

Nutritional aspects of women's soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, J

1994-01-01

Female soccer players often have only limited time available to prepare and consume meals, due to the constraints faced by having to combine training and playing with full-time occupations. The energy expenditure of females playing soccer has been estimated at approximately 70% VO2 max, corresponding to an energy production of around 4600 kJ (1100 kcal). As with male soccer players, carbohydrate consumption is essential to support the demands of playing, training and to facilitate recovery. There are some reports to suggest that females in team sports may consume diets with a low energy intake, due to the desire to lose or maintain body weight. In extreme cases, this can result in eating disorders. However, there is no clear evidence to suggest that this problem is common among female soccer players. To maintain a consistent balance between energy intake and expenditure, players should receive nutritional advice to cover all phases of the year, not just the competitive season. Dietary calcium and iron supplements may be a useful precautionary measure, in players who are known to be at risk of deficiencies in these areas. Correct and sensitive nutritional counselling is essential for players and coaches.

Traditional vs. Sport-Specific Vertical Jump Tests: Reliability, Validity, and Relationship With the Legs Strength and Sprint Performance in Adult and Teen Soccer and Basketball Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Rosell, David; Mora-Custodio, Ricardo; Franco-Márquez, Felipe; Yáñez-García, Juan M; González-Badillo, Juan J

2017-01-01

Rodríguez-Rosell, D, Mora-Custodio, R, Franco-Márquez, F, Yáñez-García, JM, González-Badillo, JJ. Traditional vs. sport-specific vertical jump tests: reliability, validity, and relationship with the legs strength and sprint performance in adult and teen soccer and basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 31(1): 196-206, 2017-The vertical jump is considered an essential motor skill in many team sports. Many protocols have been used to assess vertical jump ability. However, controversy regarding test selection still exists based on the reliability and specificity of the tests. The main aim of this study was to analyze the reliability and validity of 2 standardized (countermovement jump [CMJ] and Abalakov jump [AJ]) and 2 sport-specific (run-up with 2 [2-LEGS] or 1 leg [1-LEG] take-off jump) vertical jump tests, and their usefulness as predictors of sprint and strength performance for soccer (n = 127) and basketball (n = 59) players in 3 different categories (Under-15, Under-18, and Adults). Three attempts for each of the 4 jump tests were recorded. Twenty-meter sprint time and estimated 1 repetition maximum in full squat were also evaluated. All jump tests showed high intraclass correlation coefficients (0.969-0.995) and low coefficients of variation (1.54-4.82%), although 1-LEG was the jump test with the lowest absolute and relative reliability. All selected jump tests were significantly correlated (r = 0.580-0.983). Factor analysis resulted in the extraction of one principal component, which explained 82.90-95.79% of the variance of all jump tests. The 1-LEG test showed the lowest associations with sprint and strength performance. The results of this study suggest that CMJ and AJ are the most reliable tests for the estimation of explosive force in soccer and basketball players in different age categories.

Assessment of acute physiological demand for soccer.

OpenAIRE

Coelho, Daniel Barbosa; Pimenta, Eduardo Mendonça; Veneroso, Christiano Eduardo; Pacheco, Diogo Antônio Soares; Pereira, Emerson Rodrigues; Coelho, Leonardo Gomes Martins; Silami-Garcia, Emerson

2013-01-01

Soccer is a sport practiced worldwide, on all continents. It is considered an intermittent activity of high intensity and long duration, in which movements that require great strength and speed, such as jumps and sprints, result in high levels of muscle microtrauma, hampering athletes’ training and recovery. The present study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of changes in different markers of physiological demand resulting from a soccer match in healthy individuals. Ten healthy male physical e...

Preseason physiological profile of soccer and basketball players in different divisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Metaxas, Thomas I; Koutlianos, Nikos; Sendelides, Thomas; Mandroukas, Athanasios

2009-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the cardiorespiratory performance and isokinetic muscle strength between Greek soccer and basketball players of different divisions before starting the training season. Study participants included 100 soccer players and 61 basketball players, who were assigned according to the kind of sport and division. All participants underwent anthropometric measurements and performed an exercise test on a treadmill to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Peak torque for quadriceps and hamstring muscles was measured on isokinetic dynamometer at angular velocity of 60 degrees/s(-1), 180 degrees/s(-1), and 300 degrees/s(-1). The statistical p value was set at p duration of the maintenance period and to the effect of the training session on each sport, respectively. Finally, a higher level of muscle strength would be preferable in soccer and basketball and would reduce the risk for injuries in the maintenance and rebuilding training periods.

PPARα gene variants as predicted performance-enhancing polymorphisms in professional Italian soccer players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Proia P

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Patrizia Proia,1 Antonino Bianco,1 Gabriella Schiera,2 Patrizia Saladino,2 Valentina Contrò,1 Giovanni Caramazza,3 Marcello Traina,1 Keith A Grimaldi,4 Antonio Palma,1 Antonio Paoli5 1Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, 2Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 3Regional Sports School of CONI Sicilia, Sicily, Italy; 4Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece; 5Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padua, Italy Background: The PPARα gene encodes the peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor alpha, a central regulator of expression of other genes involved in fatty acid metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of G allele of the PPARα intron 7 G/C polymorphism (rs4253778 in professional Italian soccer players. Methods: Sixty professional soccer players and 30 sedentary volunteers were enrolled in the study. Samples of venous blood were obtained at rest, in the morning, by conventional clinical procedures; blood serum was collected and total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured. An aliquot of anticoagulant-treated blood was used to prepare genomic DNA from whole blood. The G/C polymorphic site in PPARα intron 7 was scanned by using the PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism protocol with TaqI enzyme. Results: We found variations in genotype distribution of PPARα polymorphism between professional soccer players and sedentary volunteers. Particularly, G alleles and the GG genotype were significantly more frequent in soccer players compared with healthy controls (64% versus 48%. No significant correlations were found between lipid profile and genotype background. Conclusion: Previous results

Analysis of the profile, areas of action and abilities of Brazilian sports physical therapists working with soccer and volleyball.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Anderson A; Bittencourt, Natália F N; Mendonça, Luciana M; Tirado, Marcella G; Sampaio, Rosana F; Fonseca, Sérgio T

2011-01-01

To analyze the profile of Brazilian physical therapists working with soccer and volleyball professional teams, by verifying their level of education (graduate or undergraduate), as well as their role and insertion within the interdisciplinary team. Structured questionnaires were administered to forty-nine physical therapists working at soccer, volleyball clubs and Brazilian national teams. These questionnaires provided data on social demographic, characteristics of the work environment and organization of clinical practice and its domains. From the 49 participants in this study only five were female. Mean age of all participants was 32.2 years. The majority of the sports physical therapists had specialization degrees in different areas (78.2%), were hired through referral (78.2%), worked more than 8 hours a day or were exclusively dedicated to their clubs (80.0%) and earned seven to ten Brazilian minimal wages (58.2%). They reported to have participation in the domains of emergency care (87.3%), prevention (92.7%), functional rehabilitation (98.2%) and return to competition (100%). They had interdisciplinary relationships with physical educators during functional rehabilitation programs (70.9%) and with physicians in the decision process of return to activity after rehabilitation (74.5%) and on the veto of an athlete to take part in practices or matches (63.6%). Therapists also complained of threats to their professional autonomy, specially directed by the team's physician. There is still a need to invest in continuing education of sports physical therapists with the objective to improve their educational level and to strengthen their professional autonomy.

Doping in sport

African Journals Online (AJOL)

strategies. Methods. This was a ... Soccer. Cricket. Swimming. Hockey. Athletics. Golf. Rugby. Netball. Tennis. Squash ... Q5: I currently use a legal substance or method, e.g. nutritional supplement to improve my sports performance. Strongly ...

Biomechanical differences in female basketball and soccer players during multi-directional jump landings.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Jeffrey B; Ford, Kevin R; Schmitz, Randy J; Ross, Scott E; Ackerman, Terry A; Shultz, Sandra J

2017-07-14

Anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention programs are less successful in basketball than soccer and may be due to distinct movement strategies that these athletes develop from sport-specific training. The purpose of this study was to identify biomechanical differences between female basketball and soccer players during multi-directional jump landings. Lower extremity biomechanics of eighty-nine female athletes who played competitive basketball (n=40) or soccer (n=49) at the middle- or high-school level were analyzed with three-dimensional motion analysis during a drop vertical jump (DVJ), double- (SAG-DL) and single-leg forward jump (SAG-SL), and double- (FRONT-DL) and single-leg (FRONT-SL) lateral jump. Basketball players landed with less hip and/or knee excursion during all tasks (pbasketball players landed with greater peak hip flexion angles (p=.04). The FRONT-SL task elicited the most distinct sport-specific differences, including decreased hip adduction (pbasketball players. Additionally, the FRONT-SL task elicited greater forces in knee abduction (p=.003) and lesser forces in hip adduction (p=.001) and knee external rotation (pbasketball players. Joint energetics were different during the FRONT-DL task, as basketball players exhibited less sagittal plane energy absorption at the hip (pjump landing tasks, such that soccer players exhibited a more protective landing strategy than basketball players, justifying future efforts toward sport-specific ACL injury prevention programs.

Analysis of psychological factors which interfere in soccer athletes’ behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constanza Pujals

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to analyze the psychological factors which interfere in soccer athletes’s behaviour, juvenile and infant categories. 40 athletes from a soccer school in Maringá – PR were studied and the instruments used were: inventories, interviews, questionnaires and research diary. Data were collected individually and in group. Intervention occurred for 12 months through observation, evaluation and showed the following factors: motivation, anxiety, aggression and self confidence. Results pointed out that the positive emotions expressed by the athletes were good mood, happiness, relaxation, interest in improving and hope while negative emotions were anxiety, rage, aggressiveness, low self-confidence, lack of motivation, insecurity, feeling of failure, pessimism and group instability. Relatives and coach were also generating factors of stress and anxiety. Thus, this sporting context shows that the sports psychology seems to be highly efficient to reduce anxiety and agression indexes as well as to increase motivation and self-confidence, demonstrating the importance of psychological preparation for sporting training.

Defining the Process of a Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Program: Lessons Learnt From Cardiac Assessment of Elite Soccer Players in the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Speers, Christopher; Seth, Ajai Narain; Patel, Kiran Chhaganbhai; Rakhit, Dhrubo Jyoti; Gillett, Mark James

2017-12-14

Retrospectively analyze the cardiac assessment process for elite soccer players, and provide team physicians with a systematic guide to managing longitudinal cardiac risk. Descriptive Epidemiology Study. Cardiac assessments incorporating clinical examination, 12-lead ECG, echocardiography, and health questionnaire. Soccer players at 5 professional clubs in England, the United Kingdom. Data was retrospectively collected, inspected, and analyzed to determine their clinical management and subsequent follow-up. Over 2 years, 265 soccer players, aged 13 to 37 years with 66% of white European ethnicity, were included in the cohort. Eleven percent had "not-normal" assessments, of these assessments, 83% were considered gray screens, falling into three broad categories: structural cardiac features (including valvular abnormalities), functional cardiac features, and electrocardiogram changes. After cardiology consultation, all assessments were grouped into low, enhanced and high-risk categories for ongoing longitudinal risk management. Overall clear-cut pathology was identified in 2%. Cardiovascular assessment is a vital tool in identifying athletes at risk of sudden cardiac death to mitigate their risk through surveillance, intervention, or participation restriction. The decision whether a player is fit to play or not requires a robust risk assessment followed by input from a multidisciplinary team that includes both the team physician and cardiologist. This educational article proposes a clinical management pathway to aid clinicians with this process. Sudden cardiac death is the important medical cause of death during exercise. The team physician should assume responsibility for the management of the longitudinal risk of their players' cardiac assessments in conjunction with sports cardiologist.

Groin Problems in Male Soccer Players Are More Common Than Previously Reported

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harøy, Joar; Clarsen, Ben; Thorborg, Kristian

2017-01-01

surveillance method developed to capture acute and overuse problems. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: We registered groin problems during a 6-week period of match congestion using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire. A total of 240 players from 15 teams......BACKGROUND: The majority of surveillance studies in soccer have used a time-loss injury definition, and many groin problems result from overuse, leading to gradually increasing pain and/or reduced performance without necessarily causing an absence from soccer training or match play. Thus......, the magnitude of groin problems in soccer has probably been underestimated in previous studies based on traditional injury surveillance methods. PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of groin problems among soccer players of both sexes and among male soccer players at different levels of play through a new...

Freedom between the Lines: Clothing Behavior and Identity Work among Young Female Soccer Players

Science.gov (United States)

Hendley, Alexandra; Bielby, Denise D.

2012-01-01

Our research examines the relationship among identity, age, gender and athleticism through a study of the association between sports clothing and the identity work of pre-adolescent female soccer players. Based on participant-observation and interviews conducted at three co-ed youth soccer camps, we find that age is an important element of…

National survey on sports injuries in the Netherlands: target populations for sports injury prevention programs.

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Schmikli, Sandor L; Backx, Frank J G; Kemler, Helena J; van Mechelen, Willem

2009-03-01

To define target populations for sports injury prevention programs. A computer-assisted telephone survey on sports injuries and sports participation during 2000-2005 using a 3-month recall period. Data obtained from a representative sample of Dutch citizens. Fifty-eight thousand four hundred five Dutch citizens aged older than 3 years. Age, gender, and type of sports were used to distinguish subgroups with a substantial contribution to sports injuries. The absolute number of sports injuries, the incidence of sports injuries per 10,000 hours, the severity, and costs of sports injuries. Sports participation was associated with 1.5 million injuries per year and 10 injuries per 10,000 hours; of these, 50% had to be treated medically. Two-thirds of all medically treated sports injuries were associated with 9 sports (representing 18 subpopulations, all younger than 55 years): outdoor soccer (males 4-54 years and females 4-17 years), indoor soccer (males 18-34 years), tennis (males/females 35-54 years), volleyball (females 18-54 years), field hockey (males 18-34 years and females 4-17 years), running/jogging (males/females 35-54 years), gymnastics (males/females 4-17 years), skiing/snowboarding (males 4-17 years and females 18-34 years), and equestrian sports (females 18-34 years). These groups showed more than average injury rates and covered two-thirds of all direct and indirect costs (euro 400 million). The survey identified the most important (sports-, age-, and gender-specific) target populations for injury prevention programs in the Netherlands. Sports participants aged older than 55 years were excluded from these target groups because of their limited contribution to the total sports injury problem.

Sexual Harassment and Manly Sports: Are They Related?

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Murolo, Nancy Maurer; Schmelkin, Liora Pedhazur

This study investigates the relationship between sexual harassment and participation in "manly" sports (i.e., football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and wrestling) at the high school level. Manly sports are defined as those sports that celebrate values of dominance, aggression, male solidarity, and female exclusion. Participants were 353 11th-…

Nutrition status of junior elite Canadian female soccer athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Jennifer C; Stuart-Hill, Lynneth; Martin, Steven; Gaul, Catherine

2011-12-01

Adolescent female team-sport athletes are faced with the challenge of meeting nutrition requirements for growth and development, as well as sport performance. There is a paucity of evidence describing the dietary adequacy of this population in respect to these physiological demands. Therefore, the aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the nutrition status of junior elite female soccer athletes. A total of 33 athletes (15.7 ± 0.7 yr) completed anthropometric assessment, 4-day food records analyzed for macro- and micronutrient intake, and hematological analysis. Energy expenditure was estimated using predictive equations. Mean sum of 7 skinfolds was 103.1 ± 35.2 mm, and body-mass index was 22.7 ± 2.7. Mean energy intake was 2,079 ± 460 kcal/day, and estimated energy expenditure was 2,546 ± 190 kcal/day. Of the athletes, 51.5% consumed nutrition status may affect soccer performance and physiological growth and development. More research is needed to understand the unique nutrition needs of this population and inform sport nutrition practice and research.

A multilateral modelling of Youth Soccer Performance Index (YSPI)

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Bisyri Husin Musawi Maliki, Ahmad; Razali Abdullah, Mohamad; Juahir, Hafizan; Abdullah, Farhana; Ain Shahirah Abdullah, Nurul; Muazu Musa, Rabiu; Musliha Mat-Rasid, Siti; Adnan, Aleesha; Azura Kosni, Norlaila; Muhamad, Wan Siti Amalina Wan; Afiqah Mohamad Nasir, Nur

2018-04-01

This study aims to identify the most dominant factors that influencing performance of soccer player and to predict group performance for soccer players. A total of 184 of youth soccer players from Malaysia sport school and six soccer academy encompasses as respondence of the study. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were computed to identify the most dominant factors whereas reducing the initial 26 parameters with recommended >0.5 of factor loading. Meanwhile, prediction of the soccer performance was predicted by regression model. CFA revealed that sit and reach, vertical jump, VO2max, age, weight, height, sitting height, calf circumference (cc), medial upper arm circumference (muac), maturation, bicep, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, 5M, 10M, and 20M speed were the most dominant factors. Further index analysis forming Youth Soccer Performance Index (YSPI) resulting by categorizing three groups namely, high, moderate, and low. The regression model for this study was significant set as p < 0.001 and R2 is 0.8222 which explained that the model contributed a total of 82% prediction ability to predict the whole set of the variables. The significant parameters in contributing prediction of YSPI are discussed. As a conclusion, the precision of the prediction models by integrating a multilateral factor reflecting for predicting potential soccer player and hopefully can create a competitive soccer games.

Evaluation of functional limitations in female soccer players and their relationship with sports level--a cross sectional study.

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Monika Grygorowicz

Full Text Available THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: the aim of this study was to analyze: a abnormalities in the length of lower limb muscles, b the correctness of movement patterns, and c the impact of functional limitations of muscles on the correctness of fundamental movement patterns in a group of female soccer players, in relation to their skill level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 21 female soccer players from Polish Ekstraklasa and 22 players from the 1(st Division were tested for lower limb muscle length restrictions and level of fundamental movement skills (with the Fundamental Movement Screen™ test concept by Gray Cook. Chi-square test was used for categorical unrelated variables. Differences between groups in absolute point values were analyzed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Statistically significant higher number of measurements indicating an abnormal length of rectus femoris was observed in the 1st Division group (p = 0.0433. In the group of Ekstraklasa the authors obtained a significantly higher number of abnormal hamstring test results (p = 0.0006. Ekstraklasa players scored higher in the rotational stability test of the trunk (p = 0.0008, whereas the 1st Division players scored higher in the following tests: deep squat (p = 0.0220, in-line lunge (p = 0.0042 and active straight leg raise (p = 0.0125. The results suggest that there are different functional reasons affecting point values obtained in the FMS™ tests in both analyzed groups. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in the flexibility of rectus femoris and hamstring muscle observed between female soccer players with different levels of training, may result from a long-term impact of soccer training on the muscle-tendon system and articular structures. Different causes of abnormalities in fundamental movement patterns in both analyzed groups suggest the need for tailoring prevention programs to the level of sport

Outcome analysis of sports-related multiple facial fractures.

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Hwang, Kun; You, Sun Hye; Lee, Hong Sik

2009-05-01

In this paper, we report a retrospective study of 236 patients with facial bone fractures from various sports who were treated at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, South Korea, between February 1996 and April 2007. The medical records of these patients were reviewed and analyzed to determine the clinical characteristics and treatment of the sports-related facial bone fractures. The highest frequency of sports-related facial bone fractures was in the age group 11 to 20 years (40.3%); there was a significant male predominance in all age groups (13.75:1). The most common causes of the injury were soccer (38.1%), baseball (16.1%), basketball (12.7%), martial arts (6.4%), and skiing or snowboarding (11%). Fractures of the nasal bone were the most common in all sports; mandible fractures were common in soccer and martial arts, orbital bone fractures were common in baseball, basketball, and ice sports, and fractures of the zygoma were frequently seen in soccer and martial arts. The main causes of the sports injuries were direct body contact (50.8%), and the most commonly associated soft tissue injuries were found in the head and neck regions (92.3%). Nasal bone fractures were the most common (54.2%), and tripod fractures were the most common type of complex injuries (4.2%). The complication rate was 3.0%. Long-term epidemiological data regarding the natural history of sports-related facial bone fractures are important for the evaluation of existing preventative measures and for the development of new methods of injury prevention and treatment.

Postural stability does not differ among female sports with high risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.

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Cortes, Nelson; Porter, Larissa D; Ambegaonkar, Jatin P; Caswell, Shane V

2014-12-01

Dancers have a lower incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury compared to athletes in sports that involve cutting and landing motions. Balance can impact ACL injury risk and is related to neuromuscular control during movement. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether balance differences exist among female dancers and female soccer and basketball athletes. Fifty-eight female dancers, soccer, and basketball athletes (16.5 ± 1.6 yrs, 1.6 ± 0.2 m, 60.2 ± 14.1 kg) completed the Stability Evaluation Test (SET) on the NeuroCom VSR Sport (NeuroCom International, Clackamas, OR) to measure sway velocity. Video records of the SET test were used for Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) test scoring. A oneway ANCOVA compared composite sway velocity and BESS scores among sports. There was no statistically significant difference for sway velocity or BESS among sports (sway velocity soccer 2.3 ± 0.4, dance 2.2 ± 0.4, and basketball 2.4 ± 0.4; BESS soccer 13.6 ± 5.0, dance 11.9 ± 5.5, and basketball 14.9 ± 5.1, p>0.05). Balance was similar among athletes participating in different sports (dance, basketball, and soccer). Quasi-static balance may not play a significant role in neuromuscular control during movement and not be a significant risk factor to explain the disparity in ACL injury incidence among sports. Future research should examine the effects of dynamic balance and limb asymmetries among sports to elucidate on the existing differences on ACL injury incidence rates.

The Betting Odds Rating System: Using soccer forecasts to forecast soccer.

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Wunderlich, Fabian; Memmert, Daniel

2018-01-01

Betting odds are frequently found to outperform mathematical models in sports related forecasting tasks, however the factors contributing to betting odds are not fully traceable and in contrast to rating-based forecasts no straightforward measure of team-specific quality is deducible from the betting odds. The present study investigates the approach of combining the methods of mathematical models and the information included in betting odds. A soccer forecasting model based on the well-known ELO rating system and taking advantage of betting odds as a source of information is presented. Data from almost 15.000 soccer matches (seasons 2007/2008 until 2016/2017) are used, including both domestic matches (English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish Primera Division and Italian Serie A) and international matches (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europe League). The novel betting odds based ELO model is shown to outperform classic ELO models, thus demonstrating that betting odds prior to a match contain more relevant information than the result of the match itself. It is shown how the novel model can help to gain valuable insights into the quality of soccer teams and its development over time, thus having a practical benefit in performance analysis. Moreover, it is argued that network based approaches might help in further improving rating and forecasting methods.

Psychological Characteristics in Talented Soccer Players - Recommendations on How to Improve Coaches' Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Musculus, Lisa; Lobinger, Babett H

2018-01-01

Psychological characteristics, including personality traits and psychological skills, have been shown to be relevant predictors of soccer performance. In research, general and sport specific standardized self-report questionnaires have been applied in psychological diagnostics of sports talent. However, with regard to the assessment of psychological characteristics of talented soccer players, a gap between research and practice is apparent. While soccer clubs often ask their coaches to assess their players on self-designed, unevaluated scouting sheets, research widely neglects expert coaches' and clubs' perspectives on relevant performance characteristics. As we believe that expert coaches' assessments could be a valid predictor of a player's current performance and future success, we provide recommendations on how to improve coaches' assessment of psychological characteristics. As the quality of the assessment of psychological characteristics is crucial, we provide recommendations on how to ensure the central diagnostic standards: objectivity, reliability, and validity in talent assessment. Further, we argue that assessing psychological characteristics should combine self ratings of players and external ratings of coaches in talent development. Sport psychologists should assist clubs and coaches in improving the diagnostics of psychological characteristics as well as in embedding psychological diagnostics and interventions in the talent development process.

One of the first literary sports writer “Islam Cupi” and a study on sports authoring

OpenAIRE

İlhan, Erol; Çelik, Elçin

2018-01-01

Football is one of thegreatest phenomena in the world which has mass audiences and  increasingly got popular during the the 20thand 21st centuries both in Turkey and World wide. Sports has become a globalindustry with its developing structures. Sports (soccer), media is the dominantfactor reach the audiences. On the other hand Sports journalism is a field thatconnected to football and media, which is followed by the people who shows a greatinterest to this field (area). Recently sports journa...

The Effect Specialization and Diversification Involvement on Learning of Sports Skills According To Deliberate Practice and Deliberate Play

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Mahdi Fahimi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim was effect deliberate practice and deliberate play on sports skills with emphasis on specialization and diversification in boys 10-12. Methods: The 120 male students randomly divided into four groups of volleyball, soccer, basketball deliberate practice and deliberate play. Pretest and posttest were AAHPERD volleyball, soccer, and Basketball sports skills. Duration of the project was 16 weeks and 3 sessions per week and 90 minutes each session began. Data obtained from questionnaires and personal details about sports experience and test were adjusted using parametric tests, such as T-dependent test and MANOVA with Tukey post hoc test, and software Statistical SPSS19. Results: The results of the study showed that compared four groups, deliberate plays to other deliberate practices have a better motor skill in volleyball, soccer and Basketball sports skills (P<0.05. Volleyball and soccer deliberate practice group had developed Soccer Dribble Test and Control dribble and Defensive movement basketball skills test. Basketball deliberate practice group had not developed the others soccer and volleyball skills. Conclusion: The results showed that diversification participation in some exercises during the early stages of growth, can facilitate the development of general cognitive and physiological skills and create a rich environment for children.

Effect of Caffeine Contained in Sports Drink on Hormones Producing Energy Following Sprint Test Performance in Male Soccer Players

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Mohammad Fayiz Abumoh'd

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the effect of caffeine contained in sports drink on hormones producing energy and sprint test performance in male soccer players. Twelve participants (25.97 ± 2.70 y performed the test under thre e conditions (one week apart: caffeine with sports drink (SD-CAF, sports drink (SD, and placebo (PLA. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover protocol, participants performed SD-CAF trial (5 mg/kg of caffeine contained in 300 ml of sports drink 30 minutes prior to sprinting test (7 × 30 m, SD trial (solely 300 ml of sports drink 30 minutes prior to sprinting test, or placebo. Blood analysis indicated significantly higher level of free thyroxine in SD-CAF (21.450 ± 3.048 compared to SD (18.742 ± 1.151 and PLA (16.983 ± 1.783. Similar findings existed regarding insulin (P 0.05. No significant differences were observed between trials in first–fourth repetitions (P > 0.05. Time of fifth-seventh repetitions were significantly lower in SD-CAF compared to SD and PLA (P < 0.05, and were significantly lower in SD than that in PLA (P < 0.05. The time of 7th repetition was (4.331 ± 0.210, 4.610 ± 0.197, 4.81 6 ± 0.171 s for SD-CAF, SD, and PLA, respectively; P < 0.05. In conclusion, caffeine interferes hormones that are responsible for producing energy which in turn have a positive effect on repeated sprint bouts.

Hip Strength Testing of Soccer Players With Long-Standing Hip and Groin Pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rafn, Bolette S; Tang, Lars; Nielsen, Peter Martin

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether self-reported pain during hip strength testing correlates to a large degree with hip muscle strength in soccer players with long-standing unilateral hip and groin pain. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Clinical assessments at Sports Orthopaedic Research...... Center-Copenhagen (SORC-C), Arthroscopic Centre Amager, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four male soccer players with unilateral long-standing hip and groin pain. INTERVENTIONS: The soccer players performed 5 reliable hip muscle strength tests (isometric hip flexion...... strength (Spearman rho = -0.44, P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported pain during testing does not seem to correlate with the majority of hip muscle strength tests used in soccer players with long-standing hip and groin pain....

Cognitive Representations and Cognitive Processing of Team-Specific Tactics in Soccer

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Lex, Heiko; Essig, Kai; Knoblauch, Andreas; Schack, Thomas

2015-01-01

Two core elements for the coordination of different actions in sport are tactical information and knowledge about tactical situations. The current study describes two experiments to learn about the memory structure and the cognitive processing of tactical information. Experiment 1 investigated the storage and structuring of team-specific tactics in humans’ long-term memory with regard to different expertise levels. Experiment 2 investigated tactical decision-making skills and the corresponding gaze behavior, in presenting participants the identical match situations in a reaction time task. The results showed that more experienced soccer players, in contrast to less experienced soccer players, possess a functionally organized cognitive representation of team-specific tactics in soccer. Moreover, the more experienced soccer players reacted faster in tactical decisions, because they needed less fixations of similar duration as compared to less experienced soccer players. Combined, these experiments offer evidence that a functionally organized memory structure leads to a reaction time and a perceptual advantage in tactical decision-making in soccer. The discussion emphasizes theoretical and applied implications of the current results of the study. PMID:25714486

Cognitive representations and cognitive processing of team-specific tactics in soccer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heiko Lex

Full Text Available Two core elements for the coordination of different actions in sport are tactical information and knowledge about tactical situations. The current study describes two experiments to learn about the memory structure and the cognitive processing of tactical information. Experiment 1 investigated the storage and structuring of team-specific tactics in humans' long-term memory with regard to different expertise levels. Experiment 2 investigated tactical decision-making skills and the corresponding gaze behavior, in presenting participants the identical match situations in a reaction time task. The results showed that more experienced soccer players, in contrast to less experienced soccer players, possess a functionally organized cognitive representation of team-specific tactics in soccer. Moreover, the more experienced soccer players reacted faster in tactical decisions, because they needed less fixations of similar duration as compared to less experienced soccer players. Combined, these experiments offer evidence that a functionally organized memory structure leads to a reaction time and a perceptual advantage in tactical decision-making in soccer. The discussion emphasizes theoretical and applied implications of the current results of the study.

Cognitive representations and cognitive processing of team-specific tactics in soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lex, Heiko; Essig, Kai; Knoblauch, Andreas; Schack, Thomas

2015-01-01

Two core elements for the coordination of different actions in sport are tactical information and knowledge about tactical situations. The current study describes two experiments to learn about the memory structure and the cognitive processing of tactical information. Experiment 1 investigated the storage and structuring of team-specific tactics in humans' long-term memory with regard to different expertise levels. Experiment 2 investigated tactical decision-making skills and the corresponding gaze behavior, in presenting participants the identical match situations in a reaction time task. The results showed that more experienced soccer players, in contrast to less experienced soccer players, possess a functionally organized cognitive representation of team-specific tactics in soccer. Moreover, the more experienced soccer players reacted faster in tactical decisions, because they needed less fixations of similar duration as compared to less experienced soccer players. Combined, these experiments offer evidence that a functionally organized memory structure leads to a reaction time and a perceptual advantage in tactical decision-making in soccer. The discussion emphasizes theoretical and applied implications of the current results of the study.

Aggressor-Victim Dissent in Perceived Legitimacy of Aggression in Soccer: The Moderating Role of Situational Background

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Rascle, Olivier; Traclet, Alan; Souchon, Nicolas; Coulomb-Cabagno, Genevieve; Petrucci, Carrie

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the aggressor-victim difference in perceived legitimacy of aggression in soccer as a function of score information (tied, favorable, unfavorable), sporting penalization (no risk, yellow card, red card), and type of aggression (instrumental, hostile). French male soccer players (N = 133) read written…

Nonverbal behavior in soccer: the influence of dominant and submissive body language on the impression formation and expectancy of success of soccer players.

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Furley, Philip; Dicks, Matt; Memmert, Daniel

2012-02-01

In the present article, we investigate the effects of specific nonverbal behaviors signaling dominance and submissiveness on impression formation and outcome expectation in the soccer penalty kick situation. In Experiment 1, results indicated that penalty takers with dominant body language are perceived more positively by soccer goalkeepers and players and are expected to perform better than players with a submissive body language. This effect was similar for both video and point-light displays. Moreover, in contrast to previous studies, we found no effect of clothing (red vs. white) in the video condition. In Experiment 2, we used the implicit association test to demonstrate that dominant body language is implicitly associated with a positive soccer player schema whereas submissive body language is implicitly associated with a negative soccer player schema. The implications of our findings are discussed with reference to future implications for theory and research in the study of person perception in sport.

[Competitive sports and dilated cardiomyopathy: the case of a 32-year-old soccer player with ventricular tachycardia].

Science.gov (United States)

Scharhag, J; Meyer, T; Görge, G; Kindermann, W

2003-01-24

A 32-year-old competitive soccer player presented with palpitations he had felt for 4 weeks during maximal activity (soccer training and match). The physical examination and an exercise electrocardiogram were carried out by his general practitioner up to 19 s at 350 W and a heart rate of 147/min without showing any abnormalities. All blood parameters revealed no signs of illness. During treadmill exercise at a heart rate of 181/min, a non-sustained ventricular tachycardia was induced. Echocardiography showed a dilated left ventricle with an enddiastolic diameter of 70 mm and low fractional shortening (28 %). Cardiac catheterization demonstrated a diminished left ventricular ejection fraction (38 %) and an enlarged enddiastolic volume (199 ml) without signs of coronary artery disease. Electrophysiologic testing induced a non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. The echocardiographic and angiographic results indicated a dilated cardiomyopathy. Competitive sports activities were stopped and treatment with a beta-blocker (metoprolol) and an ACE-antagonist (ramipril) was started. In young male and female athletes, the possibility of severe cardiac abnormalities have to be considered even in the presence of good physical fitness and performance. To reach a high sensitivity for diagnostic ergometry, the work-load must reach the maximal capacity of the cardio-pulmonary system. Differences in the exercise performance of athletes and untrained subjects have to be considered.

CHANGES IN THE ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD IN AN ANNUAL CYCLE OF SPORT TRAINING OF YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS

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Robert Śliwowski

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess changes in the anaerobic threshold of young soccer players in an annual training cycle. A group of highly trained 15-18 year old players of KKS Lech Poznań were tested. The tests included an annual training macrocycle, and its individual stages resulted from the time structure of the sports training. In order to assess the level of exercise capacities of the players, a field exercise test of increasing intensity was carried out on a soccer pitch. The test made it possible to determine the 4 millimolar lactate threshold (T LA 4 mmol · l-1 on the basis of the lactate concentration in blood [LA], to establish the threshold running speed and the threshold heart rate [HR]. The threshold running speed at the level of the 4 millimolar lactate threshold was established using the two-point form of the equation of a straight line. The obtained indicators of the threshold running speed allowed for precise establishment of effort intensity used in individual training in developing aerobic endurance. In order to test the significance of differences in mean values between four dates of tests, a non-parametric Friedman ANOVA test was used. The significance of differences between consecutive dates of tests was determined using a post-hoc Friedman ANOVA test. The tests showed significant differences in values of selected indicators determined at the anaerobic threshold in various stages of an annual training cycle of young soccer players. The most beneficial changes in terms of the threshold running speed were noted on the fourth date of tests, when the participants had the highest values of 4.01 m · s-1 for older juniors, and 3.80 m · s-1 for younger juniors. This may be indicative of effective application of an individualized programme of training loads and of good preparation of teams for competition in terms of players’ aerobic endurance.

Preliminary baropodometric analysis of young soccer players while walking: geometric morphometrics and comparative evaluation.

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Mantini, S; Bruner, E; Colaiacomo, B; Ciccarelli, A; Redaelli, A; Ripani, M

2012-04-01

The plantar support and its modifications are widely studied because of their bearing on posture. In particular, past studies have focused on the support modification during specific athletic tasks to highlight the eventual correlations between foot type and the most frequent sport injuries, due to intrinsic and extrinsic components that involve the structural and functional dynamics that act on the plantar vault during static and dynamic condition. These studies have been conducted by analyzing the morphological variation of the footprint during the performance. In the present study the variation in shape of the baropodometrical footprint of young soccer players, has been analyzed using geometric morphometrics. This approach permits a quantification of the morphological variation of the subjects using Cartesian coordinates placed at specific points on the footprint outline, and to correlate them with physical variables. In the present study the young soccer players displayed a narrowing of the footprint due to a transversal variation on the isthmus, when compared to children of the same age who did not play soccer. These results suggest a physiological and biomechanical organization of the foot type in soccer due to the specific athletic tasks involved. As the foot type, in sport, is strictly associated to recurrent injuries, the result obtained in this study should be considered as indicative for future analysis. In fact, a clear and univocal knowledge of this phenomenon would be useful in the planning of a training protocol to reduce the incidence of sport related injuries.

Sports causing most injuries in Hong Kong.

OpenAIRE

Chan, K M; Yuan, Y; Li, C K; Chien, P; Tsang, G

1993-01-01

A prospective survey was carried out on 2293 patients attending the Sports Injury Clinic in the Prince of Wales Hospital between May 1984 and December 1990. A Sports Injury Report Form was completed for each patient. Subjects in this study represent a group of nonprofessional and non-élite athletes in a metropolitan area. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, long-distance running and cycling in descending order were the five most common sports causing injury. Different sports produced different in...

Sports-related genitourinary injuries presenting to United States emergency departments.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagga, Herman S; Fisher, Patrick B; Tasian, Gregory E; Blaschko, Sarah D; McCulloch, Charles E; McAninch, Jack W; Breyer, Benjamin N

2015-01-01

To describe epidemiologic features of sports-related genitourinary (GU) injuries and determine patient cohorts and particular sporting activities associated with increased GU injury risk. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a data set validated to provide a probability sample of injury-related US emergency department (ED) presentations, was analyzed to characterize GU injuries between 2002 and 2010. A total of 13,851 observations were analyzed to derive national estimates. Between 2002 and 2010, an estimated 137,525 individuals (95% confidence interval, 104,490-170,620) presented to US EDs with GU injuries sustained during sporting activities. Nearly three-quarters of injuries occurred in the pediatric population. The most common product involved was a bicycle, representing approximately one-third of injuries in both adult and pediatric populations. Injuries related to team sports such as football, baseball or softball, basketball, and soccer were also common, particularly among boys where they represented a combined third of all injuries. Eighty-nine percent of all patients were evaluated and treated in the ED without inpatient admission. The large majority of injuries involved the external genitalia (60%), and significant injuries of paired GU organs (kidneys and testicles) requiring inpatient admission were rare (8.5%). Sports-related GU injuries are most commonly sustained during the use of a bicycle. However, there are other associated activities with identifiable high-risk cohorts, products, and situations. Consumers, practitioners, and injury-prevention experts can use our epidemiologic data to prioritize and develop strategies aimed at the prevention and limitation of such injuries, particularly when counseling at-risk cohorts, such as those with solitary kidneys or testicles. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

DETERMINATION OF CLINICALLY RELEVANT DIFFERENCES IN FRONTAL PLANE HOP TESTS IN WOMEN'S COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL AND SOCCER PLAYERS

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Hardesty, Kelly; Hegedus, Eric J.; Ford, Kevin R.; Nguyen, Anh‐Dung

2017-01-01

Background ACL injury prevention programs are less successful in female basketball players than in soccer players. Previous authors have identified anthropometric and biomechanical differences between the athletes and different sport‐specific demands, including a higher frequency of frontal plane activities in basketball. Current injury risk screening and preventive training practices do not place a strong emphasis on frontal plane activities. The medial and lateral triple hop for distance tests may be beneficial for use in the basketball population. Hypothesis/Purpose To 1) establish normative values for the medial and lateral triple hop tests in healthy female collegiate athletes, and 2) analyze differences in test scores between female basketball and soccer players. It was hypothesized that due to the frequent frontal plane demands of their sport, basketball players would exhibit greater performance during these frontal plane performance tests. Study Design Cross‐sectional. Methods Thirty‐two NCAA Division‐1 female athletes (20 soccer, 12 basketball) performed three trials each of a medial and lateral triple hop for distance test. Distances were normalized to height and mass in order to account for anthropometric differences. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to identify statistically significant main effects of sport (basketball vs. soccer), and side (right vs. left), and sport x side interactions. Results After accounting for anthropometric differences, soccer players exhibited significantly better performance than basketball players in the medial and lateral triple hop tests (p jumped farther on their left (400.3 ± 41.5 cm) than right (387.9 ± 43.4 cm) limbs, but no side differences were identified in the lateral triple hop. No significant side x sport interactions were identified. Conclusions Women's basketball players exhibit decreased performance of frontal plane hop tests when compared to women's soccer players. Additionally

Differences in game reading between selected and non-selected youth soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Den Hartigh, Ruud J R; Van Der Steen, Steffie; Hakvoort, Bas; Frencken, Wouter G P; Lemmink, Koen A P M

2018-02-01

Applying an established theory of cognitive development-Skill Theory-the current study compares the game-reading skills of youth players selected for a soccer school of a professional soccer club (n = 49) and their non-selected peers (n = 38). Participants described the actions taking place in videos of soccer game plays, and their verbalisations were coded using Skill Theory. Compared to the non-selected players, the selected players generally demonstrated higher levels of complexity in their game-reading, and structured the information of game elements-primarily the player, teammate and field-at higher complexity levels. These results demonstrate how Skill Theory can be used to assess, and distinguish game-reading of youth players with different expertise, a skill important for soccer, but also for other sports.

Effect of Kinesiotape Applications on Ball Velocity and Accuracy in Amateur Soccer and Handball.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Carsten; Brandes, Mirko

2015-12-22

Evidence supporting performance enhancing effects of kinesiotape in sports is missing. The aims of this study were to evaluate effects of kinesiotape applications with regard to shooting and throwing performance in 26 amateur soccer and 32 handball players, and to further investigate if these effects were influenced by the players' level of performance. Ball speed as the primary outcome and accuracy of soccer kicks and handball throws were analyzed with and without kinesiotape by means of radar units and video recordings. The application of kinesiotapes significantly increased ball speed in soccer by 1.4 km/h (p=0.047) and accuracy with a lesser distance from the target by -6.9 cm (p=0.039). Ball velocity in handball throws also significantly increased by 1.2 km/h (p=0.013), while accuracy was deteriorated with a greater distance from the target by 3.4 cm (p=0.005). Larger effects with respect to ball speed were found in players with a lower performance level in kicking (1.7 km/h, p=0.028) and throwing (1.8 km/h, p=0.001) compared with higher level soccer and handball players (1.2 km/h, p=0.346 and 0.5 km/h, p=0.511, respectively). In conclusion, the applications of kinesiotape used in this study might have beneficial effects on performance in amateur soccer, but the gain in ball speed in handball is counteracted by a significant deterioration of accuracy. Subgroup analyses indicate that kinesiotape may yield larger effects on ball velocity in athletes with lower kicking and throwing skills.

User Survey of 3 Ankle Braces in Soccer, Volleyball, and Running: Which Brace Fits Best?

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Kasper; Van Den Berg, Anjulie; Van Mechelen, Willem; Verhagen, Evert

2017-08-01

  Recurrence rates for ankle sprains are high. Therefore, preventive measures such as ankle bracing during sports are recommended.   To systematically evaluate the perceived ease of use, quality, comfort, stability, and hindrance of and the overall satisfaction with 3 contemporary brace types in 3 types of sports.   Randomized comparative user survey.   Recreational sports: soccer, volleyball, and running.   Young adult recreational athletes (29 soccer players, 26 volleyball players, and 31 runners).   Compression brace (CB), lace-up brace (LB), and semirigid brace (SB).   Rating of perceived ease of use, quality, comfort, stability, and hindrance of and overall satisfaction with the brace types during sports on a 5-point Likert scale. The secondary outcome measure was participants' willingness to buy the tested brace.   Overall, the 3 brace types received high mean scores for ease of use and quality. Soccer players preferred the CB over both alternatives, considering the higher scores for comfort (CB = 4.0, LB = 3.5, SB = 2.8), hindrance (CB = 3.7, LB = 2.9, SB = 2.8), overall satisfaction (CB = 3.6, LB = 3.0, SB = 2.5), and greatest willingness to buy this brace. Volleyball players preferred the LB over both alternatives, considering the higher scores for stability (LB = 4.2, CB = 3.2, SB = 3.3), overall satisfaction (LB = 3.8, CB = 3.0, SB = 3.0), and greatest willingness to buy this brace. Runners preferred the CB over both alternatives considering the better score for hindrance (CB = 3.6, LB = 2.8, SB = 2.9) and greatest willingness to buy this brace.   All 3 ankle-brace types scored high on perceived ease of use and quality. Regarding the brace types, soccer players, volleyball players, and runners differed in their assessments of subjective evaluation of comfort, stability, hindrance, overall satisfaction, and willingness to buy the brace. Soccer players and runners preferred the CB, whereas volleyball players preferred the LB.

Splenic injury after blunt abdominal trauma during a soccer (football) game.

Science.gov (United States)

Padlipsky, Patricia S; Brindis, Seth; Young, Kelly D

2014-10-01

The spleen is the most commonly injured abdominal organ in children who sustain blunt abdominal trauma, and pediatric splenic injury may result from minor mechanisms of injury, including sports participation. We present 2 cases of splenic injury in soccer goalies because of blunt abdominal trauma sustained during game play. Although abdominal organ injuries are uncommon in soccer, emergency medicine and primary care physicians must be aware of the possibility. A high index of suspicion and careful physical examination are key in making the diagnosis.

Sport and team differences on baseline measures of sport-related concussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmer, Adam; Piecora, Kyle; Schuster, Danielle; Webbe, Frank

2013-01-01

With the advent of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA's) mandating the presence and practice of concussion-management plans in collegiate athletic programs, institutions will consider potential approaches for concussion management, including both baseline and normative comparison approaches. To examine sport and team differences in baseline performance on a computer-based neurocognitive measure and 2 standard sideline measures of cognition and balance and to determine the potential effect of premorbid factors sex and height on baseline performance. Cross-sectional study. University laboratory. A total of 437 NCAA Division II student-athletes (males = 273, females = 164; age = 19.61 ± 1.64 years, height = 69.89 ± 4.04 inches [177.52 ± 10.26 cm]) were recruited during mandatory preseason testing conducted in a concussion-management program. The computerized Concussion Resolution Index (CRI), the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (Form A; SAC), and the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS). Players on the men's basketball team tended to perform worse on the baseline measures, whereas soccer players tended to perform better. We found a difference in total BESS scores between these sports (P = .002). We saw a difference between sports on the hard-surface portion of the BESS (F6,347 = 3.33, P = .003, ηp(2) = 0.05). No sport, team, or sex differences were found with SAC scores (P > .05). We noted differences between sports and teams in the CRI indices, with basketball, particularly the men's team, performing worse than soccer (P sport differences, height was a covariate for the team (F1,385 = 5.109, P = .02, ηp(2) = 0.013) and sport (F1,326 = 11.212, P = .001, ηp(2) = 0.033) analyses, but the interaction of sex and sport on CRI indices was not significant in any test (P > .05). Given that differences in neurocognitive functioning and performance among sports and teams exist, the comparison of posttraumatic and baseline assessment may lead to more

Psychological Characteristics in Talented Soccer Players – Recommendations on How to Improve Coaches’ Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Musculus, Lisa; Lobinger, Babett H.

2018-01-01

Psychological characteristics, including personality traits and psychological skills, have been shown to be relevant predictors of soccer performance. In research, general and sport specific standardized self-report questionnaires have been applied in psychological diagnostics of sports talent. However, with regard to the assessment of psychological characteristics of talented soccer players, a gap between research and practice is apparent. While soccer clubs often ask their coaches to assess their players on self-designed, unevaluated scouting sheets, research widely neglects expert coaches’ and clubs’ perspectives on relevant performance characteristics. As we believe that expert coaches’ assessments could be a valid predictor of a player’s current performance and future success, we provide recommendations on how to improve coaches’ assessment of psychological characteristics. As the quality of the assessment of psychological characteristics is crucial, we provide recommendations on how to ensure the central diagnostic standards: objectivity, reliability, and validity in talent assessment. Further, we argue that assessing psychological characteristics should combine self ratings of players and external ratings of coaches in talent development. Sport psychologists should assist clubs and coaches in improving the diagnostics of psychological characteristics as well as in embedding psychological diagnostics and interventions in the talent development process. PMID:29459839

Psychological Characteristics in Talented Soccer Players – Recommendations on How to Improve Coaches’ Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Musculus

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Psychological characteristics, including personality traits and psychological skills, have been shown to be relevant predictors of soccer performance. In research, general and sport specific standardized self-report questionnaires have been applied in psychological diagnostics of sports talent. However, with regard to the assessment of psychological characteristics of talented soccer players, a gap between research and practice is apparent. While soccer clubs often ask their coaches to assess their players on self-designed, unevaluated scouting sheets, research widely neglects expert coaches’ and clubs’ perspectives on relevant performance characteristics. As we believe that expert coaches’ assessments could be a valid predictor of a player’s current performance and future success, we provide recommendations on how to improve coaches’ assessment of psychological characteristics. As the quality of the assessment of psychological characteristics is crucial, we provide recommendations on how to ensure the central diagnostic standards: objectivity, reliability, and validity in talent assessment. Further, we argue that assessing psychological characteristics should combine self ratings of players and external ratings of coaches in talent development. Sport psychologists should assist clubs and coaches in improving the diagnostics of psychological characteristics as well as in embedding psychological diagnostics and interventions in the talent development process.

Acute sports injuries requiring hospital care.

OpenAIRE

Sandelin, J

1986-01-01

The present investigation reports 138 consecutive patients injured in sports, who needed treatment as in-patients in a one year period. More injuries were sustained in soccer than in other sports. The lower extremity was the site of most injuries, fractures and dislocations being the most common type of injury. At follow-up 50% of the patients complained of discomfort. The average stay in hospital after a sports injury requiring hospital care was 6 days. In 52% of the patients the duration of...

Association of Soccer and Genu Varum in Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Asadi, Kamran; Mirbolook, Ahmadreza; Heidarzadeh, Abtin; Mardani Kivi, Mohsen; Emami Meybodi, Mohammad Kazem; Rouhi Rad, Melina

2015-01-01

Background: Genu varum is a physical deformity marked by bowing of the leg. One of the risk factors of this musculoskeletal alignment is stress on the knee joint such as with exercise. Objectives: Since the evaluation of genu varum has not been widely studies, this study was conducted to examine the association between genu varum and playing soccer. Materials and Methods: Between Septembers 2010-2012, 750 soccer players and 750 non-soccer players 10-18 years of age were included in the study. A questionnaire of data including age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), years of soccer participation, the average time of playing soccer per week, previous trauma to the lower limbs, history of any fractures of the knee, previous hospitalizations, and the distance of joint lines between the knees was assessed for all subjects. Chi-square, student t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis by SPSS v.19.0 software. In all tests, a P value of less than 0.05 was construed as statistically significant. Results: Both soccer players and controls had genu varum. However, the incidence of genu varum was higher in the soccer players (P = 0.0001) and it was more prevalent in the 16-18 year age group (P = 0.0001). The results revealed a statistically significant association between the degree of practices and the prevalence of genu varum (P = 0.0001). Moreover, previous trauma to the knees and practicing in load-bearing sports led to an increase in the degree of genu varum (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: There was a higher incidence of genu varum in soccer players than in control adolescents; the stress and load imposed on the knee joint led to more severe genu varum. PMID:26290852

Postural performance and strategy in the unipedal stance of soccer players at different levels of competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Paillard, Thierry; Noé, Frédéric; Rivière, Terence; Marion, Vincent; Montoya, Richard; Dupui, Philippe

2006-01-01

Sport training enhances the ability to use somatosensory and otolithic information, which improves postural capabilities. Postural changes are different according to the sport practiced, but few authors have analyzed subjects' postural performances to discriminate the expertise level among highly skilled athletes within a specific discipline. To compare the postural performance and the postural strategy between soccer players at different levels of competition (national and regional). Repeated measures with 1 between-groups factor (level of competition: national or regional) and 1 within-groups factor (vision: eyes open or eyes closed). Dependent variables were center-of-pressure surface area and velocity; total spectral energy; and percentage of low-, medium-, and high-frequency band. Sports performance laboratory. Fifteen national male soccer players (age = 24 +/- 3 years, height = 179 +/- 5 cm, mass = 72 +/- 3 kg) and 15 regional male soccer players (age = 23 +/- 3 years, height = 174 +/- 4 cm, mass = 68 +/- 5 kg) participated in the study. The subjects performed posturographic tests with eyes open and closed. While subjects performed static and dynamic posturographic tests, we measured the center of foot pressure on a force platform. Spatiotemporal center-of-pressure measurements were used to evaluate the postural performance, and a frequency analysis of the center-of-pressure excursions (fast Fourier transform) was conducted to estimate the postural strategy. Within a laboratory task, national soccer players produced better postural performances than regional players and had a different postural strategy. The national players were more stable than the regional players and used proprioception and vision information differently. In the test conditions specific to playing soccer, level of playing experience influenced postural control performance measures and strategies.

Activity Demands During Multi-Directional Team Sports: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Jeffrey B; Wright, Alexis A; Dischiavi, Steven L; Townsend, M Allison; Marmon, Adam R

2017-12-01

Late-stage rehabilitation programs often incorporate 'sport-specific' demands, but may not optimally simulate the in-game volume or intensity of such activities as sprinting, cutting, jumping, and lateral movement. The aim of this review was to characterize, quantify, and compare straight-line running and multi-directional demands during sport competition. A systematic review of PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases was conducted. Studies that reported time-motion analysis data on straight-line running, accelerations/decelerations, activity changes, jumping, cutting, or lateral movement over the course of an entire competition in a multi-directional sport (soccer, basketball, lacrosse, handball, field hockey, futsal, volleyball) were included. Data was organized based on sport, age level, and sex and descriptive statistics of the frequency, intensity, time, and volume of the characteristics of running and multi-directional demands were extracted from each study. Eighty-one studies were included in the review (n = 47 soccer, n = 11 basketball, n = 9 handball, n = 7 field hockey, n = 3 futsal, n = 4 volleyball). Variability of sport demand data was found across sports, sexes, and age levels. Specifically, soccer and field hockey demanded the most volume of running, while basketball required the highest ratio of high-intensity running to sprinting. Athletes change activity between 500 and 3000 times over the course of a competition, or once every 2-4 s. Studies of soccer reported the most frequent cutting (up to 800 per game), while studies of basketball reported the highest frequency of lateral movement (up to 450 per game). Basketball (42-56 per game), handball (up to 90 per game), and volleyball (up to 35 per game) were found to require the most jumping. These data may provide an incomplete view of an athlete's straight-line running load, considering that only competition and not practice data was

How effective are exercise-based injury prevention programmes for soccer players?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beijsterveldt, A.M.C. van; Horst, N. van der; Port, I.G.L. van de; Backx, F.J.G.

2013-01-01

The incidence of soccer (football) injuries is among the highest in sports. Despite this high rate, insufficient evidence is available on the efficacy of preventive training programmes on injury incidence. Objective To systematically study the evidence on preventive exercise-based training

Core executive functions are associated with success in young elite soccer players.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torbjörn Vestberg

Full Text Available Physical capacity and coordination cannot alone predict success in team sports such as soccer. Instead, more focus has been directed towards the importance of cognitive abilities, and it has been suggested that executive functions (EF are fundamentally important for success in soccer. However, executive functions are going through a steep development from adolescence to adulthood. Moreover, more complex EF involving manipulation of information (higher level EF develop later than simple executive functions such as those linked to simple working memory capacity (Core EF. The link between EF and success in young soccer players is therefore not obvious. In the present study we investigated whether EF are associated with success in soccer in young elite soccer players. We performed tests measuring core EF (a demanding working memory task involving a variable n-back task; dWM and higher level EF (Design Fluency test; DF. Color-Word Interference Test and Trail Making Test were performed on an exploratory level as they contain a linguistic element. The lower level EF test (dWM was taken from CogStateSport computerized concussion testing and the higher level EF test (DF was from Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System test battery (D-KEFS. In a group of young elite soccer players (n = 30; aged 12-19 years we show that they perform better than the norm in both the dWM (+0.49 SD and DF (+0.86 SD. Moreover, we could show that both dWM and DF correlate with the number of goals the players perform during the season. The effect was more prominent for dWM (r = 0.437 than for DF (r = 0.349, but strongest for a combined measurement (r = 0.550. The effect was still present when we controlled for intelligence, length and age in a partial correlation analysis. Thus, our study suggests that both core and higher level EF may predict success in soccer also in young players.

Acute injuries in soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, judo, and karate: analysis of national registry data.

OpenAIRE

Kujala, U. M.; Taimela, S.; Antti-Poika, I.; Orava, S.; Tuominen, R.; Myllynen, P.

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To determine the acute injury profile in each of six sports and compare the injury rates between the sports. DESIGN--Analysis of national sports injury insurance registry data. SETTING--Finland during 1987-91. SUBJECTS--621,691 person years of exposure among participants in soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, judo, or karate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Acute sports injuries requiring medical treatment and reported to the insurance company on structured forms by the patients and...

Soccer Injury Movement Screen (SIMS) Composite Score Is Not Associated With Injury Among Semi-Professional Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

McCunn, Robert; Fünten, Karen Aus der; Whalan, Matthew; Sampson, John A; Meyer, Tim

2018-05-08

Study Design Prospective cohort. Background The association between movement quality and injury is equivocal. No soccer-specific movement assessment has been prospectively investigated in relation to injury risk. Objectives To investigate the association between a soccer-specific movement quality assessment and injury risk among semi-professional soccer players. Methods Semi-professional soccer players (n=306) from 12 clubs completed the Soccer Injury Movement Screen (SIMS) during the pre-season period. Individual training/match exposure and non-contact time loss injuries were recorded prospectively for the entirety of the 2016 season. Relative risks (RR) were calculated, and presented with 90% confidence intervals (CI), for the SIMS composite and individual sub-test scores from generalized linear models with Poisson distribution offset for exposure. Results When considering non-contact time loss lower extremity injuries (primary level of analysis), there was a most likely trivial association with the SIMS composite score. Similarly, SIMS composite score demonstrated most likely to likely trivial associations to all injury categories included in the secondary level of analysis (non-contact time loss hip/groin, thigh, knee and ankle injuries). When considering hamstring strains and ankle sprains specifically (tertiary level of analysis) the SIMS composite score, again, demonstrated very likely trivial associations. A total of 262 non-contact time loss injuries were recorded. The overall (training and match exposure combined) incidence of non-contact time loss injury was 12/1000 hours. Conclusion The SIMS composite score demonstrated no association to any of the investigated categories of soccer-related injury. The SIMS composite score should not be used to group players into 'high' or 'low' risk groups. Level of Evidence Prognosis, level 4. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 8 May 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.8037.

Patellar tendinopathy in young elite soccer- clinical and sonographical analysis of a German elite soccer academy.

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Bode, Gerrit; Hammer, Thorsten; Karvouniaris, N; Feucht, M J; Konstantinidis, L; Südkamp, N P; Hirschmüller, A

2017-08-08

The prevalence of patellar tendinopathy is elevated in elite soccer compared to less explosive sports. While the burden of training hours and load is comparably high in youth elite players (age soccer academy. One hundred nineteen male youth soccer players (age 15,97 ± 2,24 years, height 174, 60 ± 10,16 cm, BMI 21, 24 ± 2,65) of the U-13 to U-23 teams were part of the study. Data acquisition included sport specific parameters such as footwear, amount of training hours, leg dominance, history of tendon pathologies, and clinical examination for palpatory pain, indurations, muscular circumference, and range of motion. Subjective complaints were measured with the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment Patellar (VISA-P) Score. Furthermore, sonographical examinations (Aplio SSA-770A/80; Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan) with 12-MHz multifrequency linear transducers (8-14 MHz) of both patellar tendons were performed with special emphasis on hyper- and hypo echogenic areas, diameter and neovascularization. The prevalence of patellar tendinopathies was 13.4%. Seventy-five percent of the players complained of pain of their dominant leg with onset of pain at training in 87.5%. The injured players showed a medium amount of 10.34 ± 3.85 training hours and a medium duration of symptoms of 11.94 ± 18.75 weeks. Two thirds of players with patellar tendinopathy were at the age of 15-17 (Odds ratio 1.89) while no differences between players of the national or regional league were observed. In case of patellar tendinopathy, VISA-P was significantly lower in comparison to healthy players (mean ± SD 76.80 ± 28.56 points vs. 95.85 ± 10.37). The clinical examination revealed local pain at the distal patella, pain at stretching, and thickening of the patellar tendon (p = 0.02). The mean tendon diameter measured 2 cm distally to the patella was 4.10 ± 0.68 mm with a significantly increased diameter of 0.15 mm in case of an underlying tendinopathy (p = 0.00). The

A comparison of paediatric soccer, gaelic football and rugby injuries presenting to an emergency department in Ireland.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Rourke, K P

2012-02-03

OBJECTIVES: Children presenting with sport related injuries (SRIs) as a result of soccer, rugby and gaelic football are frequently seen in an emergency medicine (EM) setting in Ireland. A comparison of the demographics of injuries in these three sports has however not previously been performed. The purpose of this study was to provide up-to-date data on the nature of these SRIs. METHOD: Data was collected retrospectively on all children (<17 years of age), injured in these three sports, presenting to an emergency medicine department over 6 months, and was entered into a database for analysis. RESULTS: Retrospective analysis was performed on 23,000 charts, and 409 SRIs were identified over a 6-month period. None of the children reported using any form of protective gear, and 27% reported a previous presentation to the emergency department with a SRI. Most injuries were as a result of soccer (56%), with 24% occurring in gaelic football, and 20% occurring in rugby. The predominant mechanism of injury was different in each sport, in soccer-falls (38%), in gaelic football-collisions with objects (balls) (37%), and in rugby-collision with persons (55%). Although the predominant type of injury in soccer and gaelic football was a fracture, accounting for 50% and 42% of injuries, respectively, in rugby however, skin\\/soft tissue injuries presented more commonly, accounting for 44% of injuries. When the general site of injury was investigated, the upper limb accounted for the majority of SRIs in each sport. In the management of SRIs, oral analgesics were prescribed in 50%, however, it was observed that no use was made of topical, intramuscular or rectal analgesic routes of administration. In addition it was observed that RICE\\/general injury advice was given in only 27%, physiotherapy was requested in 2%, and no injury prevention advice was given to any child. Overall, 8% required admission. CONCLUSIONS: The data provided from this study may raise awareness of the nature

Relationship between Nutrition Knowledge and Physical Fitness in Semiprofessional Soccer Players

OpenAIRE

Nikolaidis, P. T.; Theodoropoulou, E.

2014-01-01

Whereas nutrition has a crucial role on sport performance, it is not clear to what extent nutrition knowledge is associated with physical fitness. The aim of this study was to examine the current level of nutrition knowledge of soccer players and whether this level is associated with physical fitness. Soccer players (n = 185, aged 21.3 ± 4.9 yr, weight 72.3 ± 8.4 kg, and height 177.5 ± 6.4 cm) performed a battery of physical fitness tests (sit-and-reach test, SAR; physical working capacity in...

Exercise physiology and nutritional perspectives of elite soccer refereeing.

Science.gov (United States)

Schenk, K; Bizzini, M; Gatterer, H

2018-03-01

Referees are an integral part of soccer, and their performance is fundamental for regular match flow, irrespective of the competition level or age classes. So far, scientific interest was mainly limited to aspects of exercise physiology and match performance of soccer referees, whereas recommendations for nutrition were adopted from active professional soccer. In contrast to elite soccer players, most referees are non-professional and engaged in different occupations. Furthermore, elite referees and soccer players differ in regard to age, body composition, aerobic capacity, and training load. Thus, referees' caloric needs and recommended daily carbohydrate intake may generally be lower compared to active soccer players, with higher intakes limited to periods of increased training load and match days or for referees engaged in physical demanding occupations. With respect to fluid intake, pre-match and in-match hydration strategies generally valid in sports are recommended also for referees to avoid cognitive and physical performance loss, especially when officiating in extreme climates and altitude. In contrast to elite soccer, professional assistance concerning nutrition and training is rarely available for national elite referees of most countries. Therefore, special attention on education about adequate nutrition and fluid intake, about the dietary prevention of deficiencies (iron in female referees, vitamin D irrespective of sex and age), and basic precautions for travels abroad is warranted. In conclusion, the simple adoption of nutritional considerations from active soccer for referees may not be appropriate. Recommendations should respect gender differences, population-specific physical characteristics, and demands just as well as individual characteristics and special needs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cartilage Repair in Football (Soccer) Athletes

Science.gov (United States)

Bekkers, J.E.J.; de Windt, Th.S.; Brittberg, M.

2012-01-01

The prevalence of focal articular cartilage lesions among athletes is higher than in the general population. Treatment goals differ considerably between the professional and recreational athlete. High financial stakes and the short duration of a professional career influence the treatment selection for the professional athlete, while such parameters weigh differently in recreational sports. This article describes our investigation of the relation between sports and a high prevalence of focal cartilage lesions. In addition, we provide a critical review of the best available evidence for cartilage surgery and treatment selection, evaluate specific patient profiles for professional and recreational athletes, and propose a treatment algorithm for the treatment of focal cartilage lesions in football (soccer) players. PMID:26069606

The development of aerobic and skill assessment in soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Reilly, John; Wong, Stephen H S

2012-12-01

work has been completed to date, there is still a need for further focused investigations, which can more closely assess the physiological demands of an elite soccer player, with a particular emphasis on sport-specific exercises during the execution of soccer skills. In this regard, more reliable and specific performance tests can be designed to more efficiently assess soccer players in the future.

Neuroplus biofeedback improves attention, resilience, and injury prevention in elite soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Rusciano, Aiace; Corradini, Giuliano; Stoianov, Ivilin

2017-06-01

Performance and injury prevention in elite soccer players are typically investigated from physical-tactical, biomechanical, and metabolic perspectives. However, executive functions, visuospatial abilities, and psychophysiological adaptability or resilience are also fundamental for efficiency and well-being in sports. Based on previous research associating autonomic flexibility with prefrontal cortical control, we designed a novel integrated autonomic biofeedback training method called Neuroplus to improve resilience, visual attention, and injury prevention. Herein, we introduce the method and provide an evaluation of 20 elite soccer players from the Italian Soccer High Division (Serie-A): 10 players trained with Neuroplus and 10 trained with a control treatment. The assessments included psychophysiological stress profiles, a visual search task, and indexes of injury prevention, which were measured pre- and posttreatment. The analysis showed a significant enhancement of physiological adaptability, recovery following stress, visual selective attention, and injury prevention that were specific to the Neuroplus group. Enhancing the interplay between autonomic and cognitive functions through biofeedback may become a key principle for obtaining excellence and well-being in sports. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that shows improvement in visual selective attention following intense autonomic biofeedback. © 2017 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Morphological and maturational predictors of technical performance in young soccer players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo de Oliveira Matta

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study is to describe the association between chronological age, morphology, biological maturation and sport experience in relation to technical performance in young Brazilian soccer players. Technical, maturation and anthropometric variables were assessed in 119 soccer players, 74 and 45 in the under-15 and under-17 categories, respectively. Data were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. Adiposity was negatively associated with technical performance regardless the age-category. Weight was negatively associated with technical performance in under-15 and positively with the under-17 category, respectively. In under-17 biological maturation was negatively related to the dribbling test and positively associated with the ball control test. Years of experience proved to be positively associated with technique taught to soccer player in the under-17 category. The explained variance was different between categories. The technical performance of Brazilian soccer players aged 14-to-17 seems to be related to biological maturation, adiposity, weight and years of experience.

Sport-related concussions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jéssica Natuline Ianof

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI is a major cause of lifelong disability and death worldwide. Sport-related traumatic brain injury is an important public health concern. The purpose of this review was to highlight the importance of sport-related concussions. Concussion refers to a transient alteration in consciousness induced by external biomechanical forces transmitted directly or indirectly to the brain. It is a common, although most likely underreported, condition. Contact sports such as American football, rugby, soccer, boxing, basketball and hockey are associated with a relatively high prevalence of concussion. Various factors may be associated with a greater risk of sport-related concussion, such as age, sex, sport played, level of sport played and equipment used. Physical complaints (headache, fatigue, dizziness, behavioral changes (depression, anxiety, irritability and cognitive impairment are very common after a concussion. The risk of premature return to activities includes the prolongation of post-concussive symptoms and increased risk of concussion recurrence.

Assessment of acute physiological demand for soccer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Barbosa Coelho

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Soccer is a sport practiced worldwide, on all continents. It is considered an intermittent activity of high intensity and long duration, in which movements that require great strength and speed, such as jumps and sprints, result in high levels of muscle microtrauma, hampering athletes’ training and recovery. The present study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of changes in different markers of physiological demand resulting from a soccer match in healthy individuals. Ten healthy male physical education students participated in the study and were evaluated in two matches: the semi-final and final games of the college tournament at the federal university where they studied. Blood samples were collected from each volunteer pre- and post-match. Cortisol, IL-6 and CK concentrations were increased after the match (p < 0.05. Testosterone and alpha-actin concentrations did not change. Our results indicate that changes in some of the acute response markers evaluated in players before and after competitive soccer matches provide important information for planning training or recovery, as well as nutritional strategies for improving performance.

"It's just everywhere!" Children and parents discuss the marketing of sports wagering in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitt, Hannah; Thomas, Samantha L; Bestman, Amy; Stoneham, Melissa; Daube, Mike

2016-10-01

To investigate how children and adults recall the content and promotional channels for sports wagering marketing. A mixed methods study of 152 parent/child (8-16 years) dyads was conducted at AFL (Australian Football League), NRL (National Rugby League), and soccer sporting sites in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Questions related to the frequency of viewing AFL and NRL matches, sports wagering promotions and perceptions of the normalisation of wagering in sport. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. Children recruited from NRL (n=75, 96.2%) and AFL (n=46, 92.0%) sites were significantly more likely to have recalled having ever seen a promotion for sports wagering as compared to children from Soccer sites (n=18, 75.0%) (pmarketing, particularly as seen on television or at sporting matches. Regulation should comprehensively address the placement, quantity and content of wagering marketing aligned with sport to prevent current and/or future gambling harm. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Sex differences in sport-related concussion long-term outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Covassin, Tracey; Savage, Jennifer L; Bretzin, Abigail C; Fox, Meghan E

2017-09-18

Approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million recreational and sports-related concussions (SRC) occur each year in the Unites States. Research suggest that female athletes are at a greater risk for a SRC compared to male athletes competing in comparable sports (i.e., soccer, basketball). Moreover, female athletes have reported more total symptoms and greater neurocognitive impairments following a SRC. Female athletes have been found to report greater symptom provocation as measured by the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), and increased brain activation compared to males. There is a scarcity of research on long-term effects of SRC in male and female athletes. Therefore, the aim of this review article is to summarize the existing literature on sex differences in acute and sub-acute SRC outcomes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Factors affecting athletes? motor behavior after the observation of scenes of cooperation and competition in competitive sport: the effect of sport attitude

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Stefani, Elisa De; De Marco, Doriana; Gentilucci, Maurizio

2015-01-01

AbstractAim: This study delineated how observing sports scenes of cooperation or competition modulated an action of interaction, in expert athletes, depending on their specific sport attitude. Method: In a kinematic study, athletes were divided into two groups depending on their attitude towards teammates (cooperative or competitive). Participants observed sport scenes of cooperation and competition (basketball, soccer, water polo, volleyball, and rugby) and then they reached for, picked u...

Heart Rate Variability Discriminates Competitive Levels in Professional Soccer Players.

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Proietti, Riccardo; di Fronso, Selenia; Pereira, Lucas A; Bortoli, Laura; Robazza, Claudio; Nakamura, Fabio Y; Bertollo, Maurizio

2017-06-01

Heart rate variability (HRV) has been increasingly used to monitor team sports athletes. Besides the traditional time domain indices (i.e., the SD of successive RR intervals [SDNN] and the root mean square difference of successive normal RR intervals [RMSSD]), recently the use of the stress score (SS), which is an inverse function of the SD2 index derived from the Poincaré plot, and the sympathetic/parasympathetic ratio (S/PS) to monitor soccer players has been proposed. However, the reliability of these new indices and the ability of HRV to differentiate between soccer competitive levels are unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the reliability of the different HRV-derived indices in professional soccer players during the competitive period and to compare HRV of professional soccer players from 3 teams of distinct competitive levels (i.e., Italian Second Division [2D], European League [EL], and Champions League [CL]). Fifty-four male professional soccer players from 3 different teams of 2 European countries (Italy and Germany) participated in the study. The intraclass correlation coefficient values of the HRV indices varied from 0.78 (very large) to 0.90 (near perfect). The coefficient of variation (CV) values for RMSSD and SDNN were all soccer players and is able to differentiate between international- and national-level players.

Small-sided and conditioned games in soccer training the science and practical applications

CERN Document Server

Clemente, Filipe Manuel

2016-01-01

This book reviews the general acute effects and adaptations of small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs) in terms of physiological responses, technical performance and methodology/periodization in the game of soccer. It also reviews the many studies conducted in the past decade to investigate the influence of SSCGs on physiological responses and technical performance in soccer training. SSCGs, which are smaller and adapted versions of formal team sports, are very popular training drills for players at all ability levels and competitive levels and offer an alternative to traditional fitness training. Exploring their role in depth, this book offers a valuable resource for academics, researchers and coaches with an interest in developing improved training techniques for soccer.

Is Participation in Certain Sports Associated With Knee Osteoarthritis? A Systematic Review.

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Driban, Jeffrey B; Hootman, Jennifer M; Sitler, Michael R; Harris, Kyle P; Cattano, Nicole M

2017-06-02

  Information regarding the relative risks of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA) as a result of sport participation is critical for shaping public health messages and for informing knee-OA prevention strategies. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the association between participation in specific sports and knee OA.   We completed a systematic literature search in September 2012 using 6 bibliographic databases (PubMed; Ovid MEDLINE; Journals@Ovid; American College of Physicians Journal Club; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects; and Ovid HealthStar), manual searches (4 journals), and reference lists (56 articles).   Studies were included if they met the following 4 criteria: (1) an aim was to investigate an association between sport participation and knee OA; (2) the outcome measure was radiographic knee OA, clinical knee OA, total knee replacement, self-reported diagnosis of knee OA, or placement on a waiting list for a total knee replacement; (3) the study design was case control or cohort; and (4) the study was written in English. Articles were excluded if the study population had an underlying condition other than knee OA.   One investigator extracted data (eg, group descriptions, knee OA prevalence, source of nonexposed controls).   The overall knee-OA prevalence in sport participants (n = 3759) was 7.7%, compared with 7.3% among nonexposed controls (referent group n = 4730, odds ratio [OR] = 1.1). Specific sports with a significantly higher prevalence of knee OA were soccer (OR = 3.5), elite-level long-distance running (OR = 3.3), competitive weight lifting (OR = 6.9), and wrestling (OR = 3.8). Elite-sport (soccer or orienteering) and nonelite-sport (soccer or American football) participants without a history of knee injury had a greater prevalence of knee OA than nonexposed participants.   Participants in soccer (elite and nonelite

"Adiós soccer, here comes fútbol!": transnacionalização de comunidades esportivas mexicanas nos Estados Unidos "Adiós soccer, here comes fútbol!": transnationalization of the Mexican sports communities in the U.S.

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Ingrid Kummels

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Este artigo discute a dinâmica esportiva de comunidades mexicanas nos Estados Unidos no contexto do futebol. A partir da análise de grupos mexicanos que imigraram para o território americano e de suas práticas futebolísticas (de resistência, esta pesquisa se questiona se estaríamos presenciando uma "latino-americanização" esportiva dos EUA através do futebol. Como contrarresposta a uma homogeneização e subordinação, os mexicanos-americanos (e, por extensão, os latinos em geral criaram novas práticas culturais (e, dentre elas, as práticas esportivas que amalgamam tradições mexicanas com valores da sociedade estadunidense, constituindo, assim, um terceiro espaço (a third space que transpõe as fronteiras de ambos os Estados nacionais. O presente artigo, portanto, analisa por que um crescente número de imigrantes reforça as relações com suas comunidades de origem no México através da (recriação de um universo futebolístico próprio, expressando, com isso, uma "mexicanidade transnacional" que não é "harmônica", mas é marcada por linhas de conflito. Nessa "nova mexicanidade" manifestam-se conflitos de gênero, de classe e étnicos, locais e nacionais, que se dão simultaneamente nos EUA e no México, e que se influenciam mutuamente.This article discusses the sport dynamics of the Mexican communities in the United States in the context of soccer. From the analysis of Mexican groups which immigrated to the American territory, and from their soccer practices (of resistance, this research questions whether we would be witnessing a sportive "latinoamericanization" of the U.S. through the soccer practices. As a counter-response to a homogenization and subordination, the Mexican Americans (and, by extension, the Latinos in general have created new cultural practices (and, among them sportive ones that put together Mexican traditions with American values of society constituting, in that way, "a third space", which extends

Sport in Ruhleben: An example of survival in captivity | van der ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Initially only soccer was played and was by far the most popular sport, as rugby was prohibited yet did make an appearance later. The main driving force behind it was the South African, Lt. J. Moresby-White. When it became too hot to play soccer, the prisoners of war played cricket and later also tennis. With 10 professional ...

Eating and nutrition habits in young competitive athletes: a comparison between soccer players and cyclists.

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Galanti, Giorgio; Stefani, Laura; Scacciati, Irene; Mascherini, Gabriele; Buti, Gabriella; Maffulli, Nicola

2015-01-01

The study evaluated the dietary habits in two groups of young athletes, practicing two different sports: soccer players and cycling. The dietary habits of 47 athletes were investigated by questionnaire. Body Mass Index, Fat Mass, Free Fat Mass, Total Body, Intracellular, Extracellular Water and Phase Angle were measured by bioimpedance. The t-Student test for unpaired data was used. Significance was set at P soccer player group (soccer players: 63.8±1.96%; cyclists : 59.8 ± 8.7%; and soccer players 43.9±3.1%, cyclists 43.8 ±2.1%, respectively). Fatty mass of the soccer player group (14.5±2.9%) was significantly lower than that of the cyclist group (19.5±3.6%). Daily food intake was similar between the two groups (2844 kCal/die for soccer players /2630 kcal/die for cyclists), and lower than recommended. There was a low intake of Calcium (soccer players 1120±128.9 mg/die, cyclists 718±309 mg/die) for both groups, and a low intake of Potassium for soccer player (2576 mg/die ± 52.4) The caloric intake of adolescent athletes is lower than recommended. Body composition is significantly different between soccer players and cyclists.

Soccer and Relative Age Effect: A Walk among Elite Players and Young Players

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Manuel Jacob Sierra-Díaz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Grouping people according to chronological age is popular in fields such as education and sport. Athletes who are born in the first months of the year usually have cognitive and physical development differences in contrast to those born in the last months of the same year. That is why competitive teams tend to select older players more often than youngsters. Age differences between athletes born in the same year as well as an over-representation of older players are known as the Relative Age Effect. This effect is extensively described in young and elite team sports such as basketball, volleyball or, ice-hockey, as well as in soccer. The purpose of this study is to examine the state-of-the-art of the Relative Age Effect in youth and elite soccer players. This review summarizes recent research articles on the Relative Age Effect related to competitive soccer from 2010 to 2016. The systematic literature search was conducted in four databases: SPORTDiscus, Medline, EBSCO host and Google Scholar. Although causes and final solutions have not been clearly achieved yet, it is necessary to continue investigating this phenomenon in order to provide a starting point for future research.

Effectiveness of an injury prevention programme for adult male amateur soccer players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

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van Beijsterveldt, Anna M C; van de Port, Ingrid G L; Krist, Mark R; Schmikli, Sandor L; Stubbe, Janine H; Frederiks, Janet E; Backx, Frank J G

2012-01-01

Background The incidence rate of soccer injuries is among the highest in sports, particularly for adult male soccer players. Purpose To investigate the effect of the ‘The11’ injury prevention programme on injury incidence and injury severity in adult male amateur soccer players. Study design Cluster-randomised controlled trial. Methods Teams from two high-level amateur soccer competitions were randomly assigned to an intervention (n=11 teams, 223 players) or control group (n=12 teams, 233 players). The intervention group was instructed to perform The11 in each practice session during one soccer season. The11 focuses on core stability, eccentric training of thigh muscles, proprioceptive training, dynamic stabilisation and plyometrics with straight leg alignment. All participants of the control group continued their practice sessions as usual. Results In total, 427 injuries were recorded, affecting 274 of 456 players (60.1%). Compliance with the intervention programme was good (team compliance=73%, player compliance=71%). Contrary to the hypothesis, injury incidences were almost equal between the two study groups: 9.6 per 1000 sports hours (8.4–11.0) for the intervention group and 9.7 (8.5–11.1) for the control group. No significant differences were found in injury severity, but a significant difference was observed in the location of the injuries: players in the intervention group sustained significantly less knee injuries. Conclusions This study did not find significant differences in the overall injury incidence or injury severity between the intervention and control group of adult male soccer players. More research is recommended, focusing on injury aetiology and risk factors in adult male amateur soccer players. PMID:22878257

Morphological, maturational, functional and technical profile of young Brazilian soccer players

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Marcelo de Oliveira Matta

2014-03-01

The objectives of this study were to describe and compare the anthropometric profile, physical fitness and soccer-specific skills between under-15 and under-17 Brazilian soccer players, as well as to evaluate possible differences in these variables according to biological maturation in the age categories. The sample consisted of 245 male soccer players (under-15: n=161; under-17: n=84. Anthropometric measures included weight, height and skinfolds. Biological maturation was assessed based on pubic hair development. The following tests were used for functional assessment: static and countermovement jump, Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test (level 2, RAST, 5- and 30-meter running speed, and agility T-test. Soccer-specific skills were assessed using three tests: ball control, dribbling, and kick accuracy. Descriptive statistics, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. The results showed a larger body size (stature and body mass, longer sports experience (years of formal training and better performance in most of the functional tests for under-17 soccer players compared to under-15 players. There were no significant differences in adiposity or soccer-specific skills between levels of competition. Significant differences as a function of maturation stage were observed in anthropometric and functional variables only in the under-15 category. In conclusion, the under-17 category differs from the under-15 category in terms of anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics. However, no difference was observed in two of the three soccer-specific skills. Physical fitness components and soccer-specific skills were associated with maturity only in the under-15 category.

Child development and pediatric sport and recreational injuries by age.

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Schwebel, David C; Brezausek, Carl M

2014-01-01

In 2010, 8.6 million children were treated for unintentional injuries in American emergency departments. Child engagement in sports and recreation offers many health benefits but also exposure to injury risks. In this analysis, we consider possible developmental risk factors in a review of age, sex, and incidence of 39 sport and recreational injuries. To assess (1) how the incidence of 39 sport and recreational injuries changed through each year of child and adolescent development, ages 1 to 18 years, and (2) sex differences. Design : Descriptive epidemiology study. Emergency department visits across the United States, as reported in the 2001-2008 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database. Data represent population-wide emergency department visits in the United States. Main Outcome Measure(s) : Pediatric sport- and recreation-related injuries requiring treatment in hospital emergency departments. Almost 37 pediatric sport or recreational injuries are treated hourly in the United States. The incidence of sport- and recreation-related injuries peaks at widely different ages. Team-sport injuries tend to peak in the middle teen years, playground injuries peak in the early elementary ages and then drop off slowly, and bicycling injuries peak in the preteen years but are a common cause of injury throughout childhood and adolescence. Bowling injuries peaked at the earliest age (4 years), and injuries linked to camping and personal watercraft peaked at the oldest age (18 years). The 5 most common causes of sport and recreational injuries across development, in order, were basketball, football, bicycling, playgrounds, and soccer. Sex disparities were common in the incidence of pediatric sport and recreational injuries. Both biological and sociocultural factors likely influence the developmental aspects of pediatric sport and recreational injury risk. Biologically, changes in perception, cognition, and motor control might influence injury risk. Socioculturally

Strategies for hydration and energy provision during soccer-specific exercise.

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Clarke, N D; Drust, B; MacLaren, D P M; Reilly, T

2005-12-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of manipulating the provision of sports drink during soccer-specific exercise on metabolism and performance. Soccer players (N = 12) performed a soccer-specific protocol on three occasions. On two, 7 mL/kg carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHOv) or placebo (PLA) solutions were ingested at 0 and 45 min. On a third, the same total volume of carbohydrate-electrolyte was consumed (CHOf) in smaller volumes at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 min. Plasma glucose, glycerol, non-esterified free fatty acids (NEFA), cortisol, and CHO oxidation were not significantly different between CHOv and CHOf (P > 0.05). Sprint power was not significantly affected (P > 0.05) by the experimental trials. This study demonstrates when the total volume of carbohydrate consumed is equal, manipulating the timing and volume of ingestion elicits similar metabolic responses without affecting exercise performance.

Luck is Hard to Beat: The Difficulty of Sports Prediction

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Aoki, Raquel YS; Assuncao, Renato M; de Melo, Pedro OS Vaz

2017-01-01

Predicting the outcome of sports events is a hard task. We quantify this difficulty with a coefficient that measures the distance between the observed final results of sports leagues and idealized perfectly balanced competitions in terms of skill. This indicates the relative presence of luck and skill. We collected and analyzed all games from 198 sports leagues comprising 1503 seasons from 84 countries of 4 different sports: basketball, soccer, volleyball and handball. We measured the competi...

A comparison of paediatric soccer, gaelic football and rugby injuries presenting to an emergency department in Ireland.

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O'Rourke, K P; Quinn, F; Mun, S; Browne, M; Sheehan, J; Cusack, S; Molloy, M

2007-01-01

Children presenting with sport related injuries (SRIs) as a result of soccer, rugby and gaelic football are frequently seen in an emergency medicine (EM) setting in Ireland. A comparison of the demographics of injuries in these three sports has however not previously been performed. The purpose of this study was to provide up-to-date data on the nature of these SRIs. Data was collected retrospectively on all children (emergency medicine department over 6 months, and was entered into a database for analysis. Retrospective analysis was performed on 23,000 charts, and 409 SRIs were identified over a 6-month period. None of the children reported using any form of protective gear, and 27% reported a previous presentation to the emergency department with a SRI. Most injuries were as a result of soccer (56%), with 24% occurring in gaelic football, and 20% occurring in rugby. The predominant mechanism of injury was different in each sport, in soccer-falls (38%), in gaelic football-collisions with objects (balls) (37%), and in rugby-collision with persons (55%). Although the predominant type of injury in soccer and gaelic football was a fracture, accounting for 50% and 42% of injuries, respectively, in rugby however, skin/soft tissue injuries presented more commonly, accounting for 44% of injuries. When the general site of injury was investigated, the upper limb accounted for the majority of SRIs in each sport. In the management of SRIs, oral analgesics were prescribed in 50%, however, it was observed that no use was made of topical, intramuscular or rectal analgesic routes of administration. In addition it was observed that RICE/general injury advice was given in only 27%, physiotherapy was requested in 2%, and no injury prevention advice was given to any child. Overall, 8% required admission. The data provided from this study may raise awareness of the nature of SRIs affecting children in each of these three sports, and may be useful in formulating much needed injury

Determinants of feedback retention in soccer players

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Januário Nuno

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study analyzed soccer players’ retention of coaches’ feedback during training sessions. We intended to determine if the retention of information was influenced by the athletes’ personal characteristic (age, gender and the sports level, the quantity of information included in coach’s feedback (the number of ideas and redundancy, athletes’ perception of the relevance of the feedback information and athletes’ motivation as well as the attention level. The study that was conducted over the course of 18 sessions of soccer practice, involved 12 coaches (8 males, 4 females and 342 athletes (246 males, 96 females, aged between 10 and 18 years old. All coach and athlete interventions were transposed to a written protocol and submitted to content analysis. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were calculated. The results showed that a substantial part of the information was not retained by the athletes; in 65.5% of cases, athletes experienced difficulty in completely reproducing the ideas of the coaches and, on average, the value of feedback retention was 57.0%. Six variables with a statistically significant value were found: gender, the athletes’ sports level, redundancy, the number of transmitted ideas, athletes’ perception of the relevance of the feedback information and the athletes’ motivation level.

Testing of tactical performance in youth elite soccer.

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Memmert, Daniel

2010-01-01

This is a twofold study with the goals of evaluating tactical oriented game test situations for 12-13-year old highly-talented soccer players and to analyze dynamic, intra-individual developments of the players. A cross-sectional design was carried in study 1, using game test situations to measure specific tactics and creative performance for 195 expert players. The results from five evaluation criteria show that both diagnostic instruments can be used for recording football-specific creativity and game intelligence in talented young players. They produced tactical indicators that can be described as objective and valid, exhibit a sufficient degree of differentiation and are easy to record. Study 2 uses a longitudinal design to present a dynamic performance diagnostic tool for analyzing intra-individual improvements of German Soccer Foundation talents according to football-specific creativity and game intelligence. The results with respect to divergent tactical thinking clearly show that very different change processes were observed in the German Soccer Foundation players. Finally, the practical implications for the training process are discussed on the basis of both studies. Key pointsWith game test situations it is possible to assess tactical performance as game intelligence and creativity objective, valid, with a sufficient degree of differentiation, and economically.The results with respect to game intelligence and creativity show that very different change processes were observed in the German Soccer Foundation players dependend on the bases (trainers).Current literature on tactics for school sports as well as for children's, youth and high performance soccer at the club level should place much more emphasis on individual and group-tactical requirements in soccer.

The acute phase response and exercise: court and field sports

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Fallon, K; Fallon, S; Boston, T

2001-01-01

Objective—To determine the presence or absence of an acute phase response after training for court and field sports. Participants—All members of the Australian women's soccer team (n = 18) and all members of the Australian Institute of Sport netball team (n = 14). Methods—Twelve acute phase reactants (white blood cell count, neutrophil count, platelet count, serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin, percentage transferrin saturation, α1 antitrypsin, caeruloplasmin, α2 acid glycoprotein, C reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) were measured during a rest period and after moderate and heavy training weeks in members of elite netball and women's soccer teams. Results—Responses consistent with an acute phase response were found in five of 24 tests in the soccer players, and in three of 24 tests in the netball players. Responses in the opposite direction were found in seven of 24 tests in the soccer players and two of 24 tests in the netballers. The most sensitive reactant measured, C reactive protein, did not respond in a manner typical of an acute phase response. Conclusion—An acute phase response does not seem to occur as a consequence of the levels of training typical of elite female netball and soccer teams. This has implications for the interpretation of biochemical variables in these groups. Key Words: acute phase response; iron; plasma proteins; inflammation PMID:11375875

Generic anthropometric and performance characteristics among elite adolescent boys in nine different sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Pion, Johan; Segers, Veerle; Fransen, Job; Debuyck, Gijs; Deprez, Dieter; Haerens, Leen; Vaeyens, Roel; Philippaerts, Renaat; Lenoir, Matthieu

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the Flemish Sports Compass (FSC), a non-sport-specific generic testing battery. It was hypothesised that a set of 22 tests would have sufficient discriminant power to allocate athletes to their own sport based on a unique combination of test scores. First, discriminant analyses were applied to the 22 tests of anthropometry, physical fitness and motor coordination in 141 boys under age 18 (16.1 ± 0.8 years) and post age at peak height velocity (maturity offset = 2.674 ± 0.926) from Flemish Top Sport Academies for badminton, basketball, gymnastics, handball, judo, soccer, table tennis, triathlon and volleyball. Second, nine sequential discriminant analyses were used to assess the ability of a set of relevant performance characteristics classifying participants and non-participants for the respective sports. Discriminant analyses resulted in a 96.4% correct classification of all participants for the nine different sports. When focusing on relevant performance characteristics, 80.1% to 97.2% of the total test sample was classified correctly within their respective disciplines. The discriminating characteristics were briefly the following: flexibility in gymnastics, explosive lower-limb strength in badminton and volleyball, speed and agility in badminton, judo, soccer and volleyball, upper-body strength in badminton, basketball and gymnastics, cardiorespiratory endurance in triathletes, dribbling skills in handball, basketball and soccer and overhead-throwing skills in badminton and volleyball. The generic talent characteristics of the FSC enable the distinction of adolescent boys according to their particular sport. Implications for talent programmes are discussed.

Altered Neurochemistry in Former Professional Soccer Players without a History of Concussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Koerte, Inga K; Lin, Alexander P; Muehlmann, Marc; Merugumala, Sai; Liao, Huijun; Starr, Tyler; Kaufmann, David; Mayinger, Michael; Steffinger, Denise; Fisch, Barbara; Karch, Susanne; Heinen, Florian; Ertl-Wagner, Birgit; Reiser, Maximilian; Stern, Robert A; Zafonte, Ross; Shenton, Martha E

2015-09-01

Soccer is played by more than 250 million people worldwide. Repeatedly heading the ball may place soccer players at high risk for repetitive subconcussive head impacts (RSHI). This study evaluates the long-term effects of RSHI on neurochemistry in athletes without a history of clinically diagnosed concussion, but with a high exposure to RSHI. Eleven former professional soccer players (mean age 52.0±6.8 years) and a comparison cohort of 14 age- and gender-matched, former non-contact sport athletes (mean age 46.9±7.9 years) underwent 3T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and neurocognitive evaluation. In the soccer players a significant increase was observed in both choline (Cho), a membrane marker, and myo-inositol (ml), a marker of glial activation, compared with control athletes. Additionally, ml and glutathione (GSH) were significantly correlated with lifetime estimate of RSHI within the soccer group. There was no significant difference in neurocognitive tests between groups. Results of this study suggest an association between RSHI in soccer players and MRS markers of neuroinflammation, suggesting that even subconcussive head impacts affect the neurochemistry of the brain and may precede neurocognitive changes. Future studies will need to determine the role of neuroinflammation in RSHI and the effect on neurocognitive function.

Sports injuries profile of a first division Brazilian soccer team: a descriptive cohort study

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Guilherme F. Reis

2015-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTObjective:To establish the injury profile of soccer players from a first division Brazilian soccer team. In addition, we investigated the association between the characteristics of the injuries and the player's age and position.Method: Forty-eight players from a Brazilian first division soccer team were followed during one season. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the injury profile. Spearman's tests were used to verify the association between the number and severity of injuries and the player's age. Chi-square test was used to verify the association between type of injury and player's position. Fisher's exact test was used to verify the association between the severity of injuries and player's position.Results: The incidence of injuries was 42.84/1000 hours in matches and 2.40/1000 hours in training. The injury severity was 19.5±34.4 days off competition or training. Lower limb was the most common location of injury and most injuries were muscular/tendinous, overuse, non-recurrent, and non-contact injuries. Player's age correlated with the amount and severity of muscle and tendon injuries. Defenders had more minimal injuries (1-3 days lost, while forwards had more moderate (8-28 days lost and severe injuries (>28 days lost. Furthermore, wingbacks had more muscle and tendon injuries, while midfielders had more joint and ligament injuries.Conclusion: The injury profile of the Brazilian players investigated in this study reflected regional differences in soccer practices. Results confirm the influence of the player's age and position on the soccer injuries profile.

Sports injuries profile of a first division Brazilian soccer team: a descriptive cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Reis, Guilherme F; Santos, Thiago R T; Lasmar, Rodrigo C P; Oliveira Júnior, Otaviano; Lopes, Rômulo F F; Fonseca, Sérgio T

2015-01-01

To establish the injury profile of soccer players from a first division Brazilian soccer team. In addition, we investigated the association between the characteristics of the injuries and the player's age and position. Forty-eight players from a Brazilian first division soccer team were followed during one season. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the injury profile. Spearman's tests were used to verify the association between the number and severity of injuries and the player's age. Chi-square test was used to verify the association between type of injury and player's position. Fisher's exact test was used to verify the association between the severity of injuries and player's position. The incidence of injuries was 42.84/1000 hours in matches and 2.40/1000 hours in training. The injury severity was 19.5±34.4 days off competition or training. Lower limb was the most common location of injury and most injuries were muscular/tendinous, overuse, non-recurrent, and non-contact injuries. Player's age correlated with the amount and severity of muscle and tendon injuries. Defenders had more minimal injuries (1-3 days lost), while forwards had more moderate (8-28 days lost) and severe injuries (>28 days lost). Furthermore, wingbacks had more muscle and tendon injuries, while midfielders had more joint and ligament injuries. The injury profile of the Brazilian players investigated in this study reflected regional differences in soccer practices. Results confirm the influence of the player's age and position on the soccer injuries profile.

Isokinetic hamstrings-to-quadriceps peak torque ratio: the influence of sport modality, gender, and angular velocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Marilia Dos Santos; De Lira, Claudio Andre Barbosa; Koffes, Fabiana De Carvalho; Mascarin, Naryana Cristina; Benedito-Silva, Ana Amélia; Da Silva, Antonio Carlos

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in hamstrings-to-quadriceps (H/Q) peak torque ratios evaluated at different angular velocities between men and women who participate in judo, handball or soccer. A total of 166 athletes, including 58 judokas (26 females and 32 males), 39 handball players (22 females and 17 males), and 69 soccer players (17 females and 52 males), were evaluated using an isokinetic dynamometer. The H/Q isokinetic peak torque ratios were calculated at angular velocities of 1.05 rad · s⁻¹ and 5.23 rad · s⁻¹. In the analysis by gender, female soccer players produced lower H/Q peak torque ratios at 1.05 rad · s⁻¹ than males involved in the same sport. However, when H/Q peak torque ratio was assessed at 5.23 rad · s⁻¹, there were no significant differences between the sexes. In the analysis by sport, there were no differences among females at 1.05 rad · s⁻¹. In contrast, male soccer players had significantly higher H/Q peak torque ratios than judokas (66 ± 12% vs. 57 ± 14%, respectively). Female handball players produced significantly lower peak torque ratios at 5.23 rad · s⁻¹ than judokas or soccer players, whereas males presented no ratio differences among sports At 5.23 rad · s⁻¹. In the analysis by velocity, women's muscular ratios assessed at 1.05 rad · s⁻¹ were significantly lower than at 5.23 rad · s⁻¹ for all sports; among men, only judokas presented lower ratios at 1.05 rad · s⁻¹ than at 5.23 rad · s⁻¹. The present results suggest that sport modality and angular velocity influence the isokinetic strength profiles of men and women.

Physical Performance and Anthropometric Characteristics of Male South African University Soccer Players

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Kubayi Alliance

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide. Despite its global acclaim, scientific studies of soccer have tended to focus on tactics and techniques, thereby neglecting the physical and physiological profile of the players. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine physical and anthropometric characteristics of male South African university soccer players. Twenty-seven male soccer players aged 19 to 24 (mean age: 22.1 years; s = 1.5 years volunteered to participate in the study. The results showed that goalkeepers (77.5 ± 9.7 kg and defenders (68.2 ± 6.5 kg were the heaviest compared to players in other playing positions. The goalkeepers also had the highest percentage of body fat (11.3 ± 2.3%, in contrast to midfielders who had the lowest body fat content (9.1 ± 0.9%. With regard to flexibility, defenders (45.1 ± 4.9 cm and midfielders (45.9 ± 5.4 cm performed better than goalkeepers (37.1 ± 4.3 cm and strikers (40.1 ± 3.4 cm. Midfielders (57.2 ± 3.1 ml1·kg−1·min1 and defenders (56.1 ± 5.1 ml1·kg−1·min1 had significantly higher values of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max than goalkeepers (47.9 ± 0.2 ml−1·kg−1·min−1 and strikers (49.8 ± 6.2 ml−1·kg−1·min−1. No significant (p > 0.05 differences were observed for all other variables, with the exception of body height, body mass, and VO2max. It was therefore concluded that sports scientists and coaches should tailor conditioning programmes in soccer according to players’ positions in view of the implications for successful performance.

Physical Performance and Anthropometric Characteristics of Male South African University Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubayi, Alliance; Paul, Yvonne; Mahlangu, Prescott; Toriola, Abel

2017-12-01

Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide. Despite its global acclaim, scientific studies of soccer have tended to focus on tactics and techniques, thereby neglecting the physical and physiological profile of the players. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine physical and anthropometric characteristics of male South African university soccer players. Twenty-seven male soccer players aged 19 to 24 (mean age: 22.1 years; s = 1.5 years) volunteered to participate in the study. The results showed that goalkeepers (77.5 ± 9.7 kg) and defenders (68.2 ± 6.5 kg) were the heaviest compared to players in other playing positions. The goalkeepers also had the highest percentage of body fat (11.3 ± 2.3%), in contrast to midfielders who had the lowest body fat content (9.1 ± 0.9%). With regard to flexibility, defenders (45.1 ± 4.9 cm) and midfielders (45.9 ± 5.4 cm) performed better than goalkeepers (37.1 ± 4.3 cm) and strikers (40.1 ± 3.4 cm). Midfielders (57.2 ± 3.1 ml 1 ·kg -1 ·min 1 ) and defenders (56.1 ± 5.1 ml 1 ·kg -1 ·min 1 ) had significantly higher values of maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max ) than goalkeepers (47.9 ± 0.2 ml -1 ·kg -1 ·min -1 ) and strikers (49.8 ± 6.2 ml -1 ·kg -1 ·min -1 ). No significant (p > 0.05) differences were observed for all other variables, with the exception of body height, body mass, and VO 2max . It was therefore concluded that sports scientists and coaches should tailor conditioning programmes in soccer according to players' positions in view of the implications for successful performance.

Caffeine-containing energy drink improves physical performance in female soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Lara, Beatriz; Gonzalez-Millán, Cristina; Salinero, Juan Jose; Abian-Vicen, Javier; Areces, Francisco; Barbero-Alvarez, Jose Carlos; Muñoz, Víctor; Portillo, Luis Javier; Gonzalez-Rave, Jose Maria; Del Coso, Juan

2014-05-01

There is little information about the effects of caffeine intake on female team-sport performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a caffeine-containing energy drink to improve physical performance in female soccer players during a simulated game. A double-blind, placebo controlled and randomized experimental design was used in this investigation. In two different sessions, 18 women soccer players ingested 3 mg of caffeine/kg in the form of an energy drink or an identical drink with no caffeine content (placebo). After 60 min, they performed a countermovement jump (CMJ) and a 7 × 30 m sprint test followed by a simulated soccer match (2 × 40 min). Individual running distance and speed were measured using GPS devices. In comparison to the placebo drink, the ingestion of the caffeinated energy drink increased the CMJ height (26.6 ± 4.0 vs 27.4 ± 3.8 cm; P 18 km/h (161 ± 99 vs 216 ± 103 m; P caffeine/kg might be an effective ergogenic aid to improve physical performance in female soccer players.

THE MANAGEMENT AND THE PROFESSIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION: a view in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Augusto Sfoggia Verardi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This qualitative study, of descriptive and exploratory manner, aims to determine the formation of youth soccer association structure in the professional soccer clubs in the Rio Pardo and Taquari valleys, in order to modernize the sport nowadays. The subjects of this study are five male administrators of different soccer clubs. The results show that in four of these clubs, the work with youth soccer association is recent, covering only the categories for children, junior and youth with various forms of admissions; but all coaches believe in the commitment of such work. It is observed that its main objective is to train athletes in this association to supply the professional team, without, however, a usual line of tactical system to be observed at different levels. The sponsorship is the main income source for the maintenance of these activities, not being exploited for the dissemination and marketing initiatives. All clubs have trained athletes from the youth soccer association playing in their professional teams, but only one club indicated some indices of those players who were sold or borrowed to other clubs. Thus, it shows that the youth soccer association has received some attention from the sports administrators, but there is still the lack of a better professional management on it, developing its various aspects. So, it could provide more satisfactory results, as a profitable alternative to prepare players for professional teams. Keywords: soccer; structure; clubs, training of athletes.

Assessment of acute physiological demand for soccer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Barbosa Coelho

2013-08-01

Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2013v15n6p667 Soccer is a sport practiced worldwide, on all continents. It is considered an intermittent activity of high intensity and long duration, in which movements that require great strength and speed, such as jumps and sprints, result in high levels of muscle microtrauma, hampering athletes’ training and recovery. The present study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of changes in different markers of physiological demand resulting from a soccer match in healthy individuals. Ten healthy male physical education students participated in the study and were evaluated in two matches: the semi-final and final games of the college tournament at the federal university where they studied. Blood samples were collected from each volunteer pre- and post-match. Cortisol, IL-6 and CK concentrations were increased after the match (p < 0.05. Testosterone and alpha-actin concentrations did not change. Our results indicate that changes in some of the acute response markers evaluated in players before and after competitive soccer matches provide important information for planning training or recovery, as well as nutritional strategies for improving performance.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotional Expenditures in Sports and Sporting Events - United States, 1992-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Agaku, Israel T; Odani, Satomi; Sturgis, Stephanie; Harless, Charles; Glover-Kudon, Rebecca

2016-08-19

Smokeless tobacco has been actively promoted by tobacco companies using endorsements by major sport figures, and research indicates that tobacco advertising can lead to youth initiation of tobacco use (1,2). Television and radio advertisements for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco have been prohibited since 1969,* and the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement(†) further prohibited tobacco companies from targeting youths with tobacco product advertisements in specified areas. In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under authority of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA), prohibited tobacco-brand sponsorship (i.e., sponsorship of sports and entertainment events or other social or cultural events using the tobacco brand name or anything identifiable with any brand of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco).(§) However, corporate-name tobacco sponsorship (i.e., sponsorship using the name of the corporation that manufactures regulated tobacco products) is still permitted under certain conditions.(¶) To monitor tobacco advertising and promotional activities in sports in the United States, CDC analyzed trends in sports-related marketing expenditures for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco during 1992-2013 using data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). During 1992-2013, sports-related marketing expenditures, adjusted by the consumer price index to constant 2013 dollars, decreased significantly for both cigarettes (from $136 million in 1992 to $0 in 2013) and smokeless tobacco (from $34.8 million in 1992 to $2.1 million in 2013). During 2010-2013, after the prohibition of tobacco-brand sponsorship in sports under the FSPTCA, cigarette manufacturers reported no spending (i.e., $0) on sports-related advertising and promotional activities; in contrast, smokeless tobacco manufacturers reported expenditures of $16.3 million on advertising and promoting smokeless tobacco in sports during 2010-2013. These findings indicate that despite prohibitions

College Sports-Related Injuries - United States, 2009-10 Through 2013-14 Academic Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, Zachary Y; Marshall, Stephen W; Dompier, Thomas P; Corlette, Jill; Klossner, David A; Gilchrist, Julie

2015-12-11

Sports-related injuries can have a substantial impact on the long-term health of student-athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) monitors injuries among college student-athletes at member schools. In academic year 2013-14, a total of 1,113 member schools fielded 19,334 teams with 478,869 participating student-athletes in NCAA championship sports (i.e., sports with NCAA championship competition) (1). External researchers and CDC used information reported to the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) by a sample of championship sports programs to summarize the estimated national cumulative and annual average numbers of injuries during the 5 academic years from 2009-10 through 2013-14. Analyses were restricted to injuries reported among student-athletes in 25 NCAA championship sports. During this period, 1,053,370 injuries were estimated to have occurred during an estimated 176.7 million athlete-exposures to potential injury (i.e., one athlete's participation in one competition or one practice). Injury incidence varied widely by sport. Among all sports, men's football accounted for the largest average annual estimated number of injuries (47,199) and the highest competition injury rate (39.9 per 1,000 athlete-exposures). Men's wrestling experienced the highest overall injury rate (13.1 per 1,000) and practice injury rate (10.2 per 1,000). Among women's sports, gymnastics had the highest overall injury rate (10.4 per 1,000) and practice injury rate (10.0 per 1,000), although soccer had the highest competition injury rate (17.2 per 1,000). More injuries were estimated to have occurred from practice than from competition for all sports, with the exception of men's ice hockey and baseball. However, injuries incurred during competition were somewhat more severe (e.g., requiring ≥7 days to return to full participation) than those acquired during practice. Multiple strategies are employed by NCAA and others to reduce the number of injuries in

The differences in acceleration, maximal speed and agility between soccer, basketball, volleyball and handball players

OpenAIRE

Šimonek, Jaromír; Horička, Pavol; Hianik, Ján

2017-01-01

Complex reaction speed, acceleration, maximum speed, speed of whole-body change of direction and agility represent the basic components of sport performance mainly in sport games and combat sports. However, contradictory findings have been reported as to the extent of the relationship between the different speed and agility components. This study comprised 117 players (soccer – 56, basketball – 17, volleyball – 20, and handball – 24) playing youth leagues U15-U17 who were assessed for 10-m sp...

Refugee youth, belonging and community sport

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spaaij, R.

2015-01-01

This article examines community sport as a site where refugee youth negotiate belonging, which is conceptualised as a dynamic dialectic of ‘seeking’ and ‘granting’. Drawing on three years of ethnographic fieldwork among Somali Australian youth at community football (soccer) clubs in Melbourne, the

Normative data on regional sweat-sodium concentrations of professional male team-sport athletes.

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Ranchordas, Mayur K; Tiller, Nicholas B; Ramchandani, Girish; Jutley, Raj; Blow, Andrew; Tye, Jonny; Drury, Ben

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to report normative data on regional sweat sweat-sodium concentrations of various professional male team-sport athletes, and to compare sweat-sodium concentrations among sports. Data to this effect would inform our understanding of athlete sodium requirements, thus allowing for the individualisation of sodium replacement strategies. Accordingly, data from 696 athletes (Soccer, n = 270; Rugby, n = 181; Baseball, n = 133; American Football, n = 60; Basketball, n = 52) were compiled for a retrospective analysis. Regional sweat-sodium concentrations were collected using the pilocarpine iontophoresis method, and compared to self-reported measures collected via questionnaire. Sweat-sodium concentrations were significantly higher ( p soccer (43.2 ± 12.0 mmol·L -1 ) or rugby (44.0 ± 12.1 mmol·L -1 ), but with no differences among the N.American or British sports. There were strong positive correlations between sweat-sodium concentrations and self-reported sodium losses in American football ( r s = 0.962, p soccer ( r s = 0.748, p strategies to meet the sodium demands of professional team-sport athletes. Moreover, these novel data suggest that self-reported measures of sodium loss might serve as an effective surrogate in the absence of direct measures; i.e., those which are more expensive or non-readily available.

Mood states of soccer players in the english leagues: reflections of an increasing workload

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R Thatcher

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this investigation was to assess whether the demands of the modern English competitive soccer season would be reflected in the mood states of professional soccer players. Sixty-nine male participants either activity competing in English soccer leagues or resident in England were recruited and grouped accordingly as professional soccer players, university level soccer players, Sunday league soccer players, or non-sporting controls. On three separate occasions; at the beginning, at the middle, and finally towards the end of the English soccer season, participants completed both the Profile of Mood States (POMS questionnaire as well as a questionnaire related to their teams’ performance in addition to their perceived life stress. Results showed the POMS scores to differ over the season in relation to the groups’ standard of competition. ANOVAs demonstrated this pattern to be significant for the dependent measures of tension, depression, and confusion with significant group by time interactions (95% level of confidence. At the outset of the season professionals had the most positive POMS profile, however, as the season progressed they showed the greatest change towards a negative profile. These results indicate that English soccer is placing professional players at a predisposition of demonstrating POMS commensurate with negative adaptation to training, having important implications for their long-term performance and health.

Sports injuries in Saudi Arabia.

OpenAIRE

Sadat-Ali, M; Sankaran-Kutty, M

1985-01-01

Saudi Arabia has now a wealth of sporting facilities of which the youth of the country is making full use. A prospective study of sports related injuries was conducted during the twelve months of 1983. We present an analysis of 846 such injuries seen at the King Fahd University Hospital, Al Khobar. These injuries formed 8.36% of those who attended after an accident for emergency treatment, of which 63% were under 20 years. The majority was sustained during soccer games. The most frequent site...

Isoinertial technology for rehabilitation and prevention of muscle injuries of soccer players: literature review

OpenAIRE

Prieto-Mondragón, Laura del Pilar; Camargo-Rojas, Diana Alexandra; Quiceno, Christian Alexander

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Soccer is the sport with the highest risk of muscle injury for players. Eccentric exercise is fundamental for reducing injury rates and isoinertial technology devices cause an increase in eccentric demands after a concentric contraction. Objective: To identify the use of isoinertial technology in the fields of physical activity and sports for rehabilitation and prevention of muscle injuries reported in scientific literature. Materials and methods: A search of scienti...

Commitment, enjoyment and motivation in young soccer competitive players.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Mas, Alexandre; Palou, Pere; Gili, Margarita; Ponseti, Xavier; Borras, Pere A; Vidal, Josep; Cruz, Jaume; Torregrosa, Miquel; Villamarín, Francisco; Sousa, Catarina

2010-11-01

Building upon Deci's and Ryan (1985) Self-determination theory as well as the sportive behavioral correlates of the model of Commitment (Scanlan et al., 1976), this study tries to establish the relationship between motivation and commitment in youth sport. For this purpose 454 young competitive soccer players answered the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) and the Sport Commitment Questionnaire (SCQ) during the regular season. The SMS measures the three dimensions of the Motivational continuum (the Amotivation, the Extrinsic Motivation and the Intrinsic Motivation). The SCQ measures the Sportive Commitment and its composing factors such as the Enjoyment, the Alternatives to the sport, and the Social Pressure. Our findings provided a clear pattern of the influence of motivation in sport enjoyment and commitment, outlining the positive contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to enjoyment and commitment. Amotivation, contributes positively to alternatives to sport and negatively to enjoyment and commitment, It should be noted that extrinsic motivation has a higher contribution to enjoyment whereas intrinsic motivation has a higher contribution to commitment.

Computational fluid dynamics for sport simulation

CERN Document Server

2009-01-01

All over the world sport plays a prominent role in society: as a leisure activity for many, as an ingredient of culture, as a business and as a matter of national prestige in such major events as the World Cup in soccer or the Olympic Games. Hence, it is not surprising that science has entered the realm of sports, and, in particular, that computer simulation has become highly relevant in recent years. This is explored in this book by choosing five different sports as examples, demonstrating that computational science and engineering (CSE) can make essential contributions to research on sports topics on both the fundamental level and, eventually, by supporting athletes’ performance.

Soccer player recognition by pixel classification in a hybrid color space

Science.gov (United States)

Vandenbroucke, Nicolas; Macaire, Ludovic; Postaire, Jack-Gerard

1997-08-01

Soccer is a very popular sport all over the world, Coaches and sport commentators need accurate information about soccer games, especially about the players behavior. These information can be gathered by inspectors who watch the soccer match and report manually the actions of the players involved in the principal phases of the game. Generally, these inspectors focus their attention on the few players standing near the ball and don't report about the motion of all the other players. So it seems desirable to design a system which automatically tracks all the players in real- time. That's why we propose to automatically track each player through the successive color images of the sequences acquired by a fixed color camera. Each player which is present in the image, is modelized by an active contour model or snake. When, during the soccer match, a player is hidden by another, the snakes which track these two players merge. So, it becomes impossible to track the players, except if the snakes are interactively re-initialized. Fortunately, in most cases, the two players don't belong to the same team. That is why we present an algorithm which recognizes the teams of the players by pixels representing the soccer ground which must be withdrawn before considering the players themselves. To eliminate these pixels, the color characteristics of the ground are determined interactively. In a second step, dealing with windows containing only one player of one team, the color features which yield the best discrimination between the two teams are selected. Thanks to these color features, the pixels associated to the players of the two teams form two separated clusters into a color space. In fact, there are many color representation systems and it's interesting to evaluate the features which provide the best separation between the two classes of pixels according to the players soccer suit. Finally, the classification process for image segmentation is based on the three most

Implementation of the 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement in contact and collision sports: a joint position statement from 11 national and international sports organisations

Science.gov (United States)

Patricios, Jon S; Hislop, Michael David; Aubry, Mark; Bloomfield, Paul; Broderick, Carolyn; Clifton, Patrick; Ellenbogen, Richard G; Falvey, Éanna Cian; Grand, Julie; Hack, Dallas; Harcourt, Peter Rex; Hughes, David; McGuirk, Nathan; Meeuwisse, Willem; Miller, Jeffrey; Parsons, John T; Richiger, Simona; Sills, Allen; Moran, Kevin B; Shute, Jenny; Raftery, Martin

2018-01-01

The 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement provides a global summary of best practice in concussion prevention, diagnosis and management, underpinned by systematic reviews and expert consensus. Due to their different settings and rules, individual sports need to adapt concussion guidelines according to their specific regulatory environment. At the same time, consistent application of the Berlin Consensus Statement’s themes across sporting codes is likely to facilitate superior and uniform diagnosis and management, improve concussion education and highlight collaborative research opportunities. This document summarises the approaches discussed by medical representatives from the governing bodies of 10 different contact and collision sports in Dublin, Ireland in July 2017. Those sports are: American football, Australian football, basketball, cricket, equestrian sports, football/soccer, ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and skiing. This document had been endorsed by 11 sport governing bodies/national federations at the time of being published. PMID:29500252

11.361 sports injuries in a 15-year survey of a Level I emergency trauma department reveal different severe injury types in the 6 most common team sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Krutsch, Werner; Krutsch, Volker; Hilber, Franz; Pfeifer, Christian; Baumann, Florian; Weber, Johannes; Schmitz, Paul; Kerschbaum, Maximilian; Nerlich, Michael; Angele, Peter

2018-06-01

 Severe sports-related injuries are a common affliction treated in Level I trauma departments. Detailed knowledge on injury characteristics from different medical settings is essential to improve the development of injury prevention strategies in different team sports.  Team sport injuries were retrospectively analysed in a Level I trauma department registry over 15 years. Injury and treatment data were compared with regard to competition and training exposure. Injury data such as "time of visitation", "type of injury", "multiple injured body regions" and "immediate hospitalisation" helped to define the severity level of each team sports injury.  At the Level I trauma department, 11.361 sports-related injuries were seen over 15 years, of which 34.0 % were sustained during team sports. Soccer injuries were the most common injuries of all team sports (71.4 %). The lower extremity was the most affected body region overall, followed by the upper extremity. Head injuries were mainly seen in Ice hockey and American football and concussion additionally frequently in team handball. Slight injuries like sprains or contusions occurred most frequently in all team sports. In soccer and team handball, injuries sustained in competition were significantly more severe (p team sports, injury prevention strategies should address competitive as well as training situations, whichmay need different strategies. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Player-Driven Video Analysis to Enhance Reflective Soccer Practice in Talent Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjort, Anders; Henriksen, Kristoffer; Elbæk, Lars

2018-01-01

consistent video analyses and tagging; coaches are important as role models and providers of feedback; and that the use of the platform primarily stimulated deliberate practice activities. PU can be seen as a source of inspiration for soccer players and clubs as to how analytical platforms can motivate......In the present article, we investigate the introduction of a cloud-based video analysis platform called Player Universe (PU). Video analysis is not a new performance-enhancing element in sports, but PU is innovative in how it facilitates reflective learning. Video analysis is executed in the PU...... platform by involving the players in the analysis process, in the sense that they are encouraged to tag game actions in video-documented soccer matches. Following this, players can get virtual feedback from their coach. Findings show that PU can improve youth soccer players' reflection skills through...

Oxidative stress status in elite athletes engaged in different sport disciplines.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadžović-Džuvo, Almira; Valjevac, Amina; Lepara, Orhan; Pjanić, Samra; Hadžimuratović, Adnan; Mekić, Amel

2014-05-01

Exercise training may increase production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species in different ways. The training type and intensity may influence free radicals production, which leads to differences in oxidative stress status between athletes, but the results of the previous studies are incosistent. The aim of our study was to estimate oxidative stress status in elite athletes engaged in different sport disciplines. The study included 39 male highly skilled professional competitors with international experience (2 Olympic players): 12 wrestlers, 14 soccer players and 13 basketball players in whom we determined the levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as markers of oxidative stress and the total antioxidative capacity (ImAnOX) using commercially available assay kits. The mean AOPP concentration was not significantly different between soccer players, wrestler and basketball players (60.0 ± 23.0 vs. 68.5 ± 30.8 and 80.72 ± 29.1 μmol/L respectively). Mean ImAnOX concentration was not different between soccer players (344.8 ± 35.6 μmol/L), wrestlers (342.5 ± 36.2 μmol/L) and basketball players (347.95 ± 31.3 μmol/L). Mean MDA concentration was significantly higher in basketball players (1912.1 ± 667.7 ng/mL) compared to soccer players (1060.1 ± 391.0 ng/mL, p=0.003). In spite of this fact, oxidative stress markers levels were increased compared to referral values provided by the manufacturer. Type of sports (soccer, wrestler or basketball) have no impact on the levels of oxidative stress markers. Elite sports engagement is a potent stimulus of oxidative stress that leads to the large recruitment of antioxidative defense. Oxidative stress status monitoring followed by appropriate use of antioxidants is recommended as a part of training regime.

Oxidative stress status in elite athletes engaged in different sport disciplines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Almira Hadžović - Džuvo

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Exercise training may increase production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species in different ways. The training type and intensity may influence free radicals production, which leads to differences in oxidative stress status between athletes, but the results of the previous studies are incosistent. The aim of our study was to estimate oxidative stress status in elite athletes engaged in different sport disciplines. The study included 39 male highly skilled professional competitors with international experience (2 Olympic players: 12 wrestlers, 14 soccer players and 13 basketball players in whom we determined the levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP and malondialdehyde (MDA, as markers of oxidative stress and the total antioxidative capacity (ImAnOX using commercially available assay kits. The mean AOPP concentration was not significantly different between soccer players, wrestler and basketball players (60.0 ± 23.0 vs. 68.5 ± 30.8 and 80.72 ± 29.1 μmol/L respectively. Mean ImAnOX concentration was not different between soccer players (344.8 ± 35.6 μmol/L, wrestlers (342.5 ± 36.2 μmol/L and basketball players (347.95 ± 31.3 μmol/L. Mean MDA concentration was significantly higher in basketball players (1912.1 ± 667.7 ng/mL compared to soccer players (1060.1 ± 391.0 ng/mL, p=0.003. In spite of this fact, oxidative stress markers levels were increased compared to referral values provided by the manufacturer. Type of sports (soccer, wrestler or basketball have no impact on the levels of oxidative stress markers. Elite sports engagement is a potent stimulus of oxidative stress that leads to the large recruitment of antioxidative defense. Oxidative stress status monitoring followed by appropriate use of antioxidants is recommended as a part of training regime.

Homogeneity of Prototypical Attributes in Soccer Teams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Zepp

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Research indicates that the homogeneous perception of prototypical attributes influences several intragroup processes. The aim of the present study was to describe the homogeneous perception of the prototype and to identify specific prototypical subcategories, which are perceived as homogeneous within sport teams. The sample consists of N = 20 soccer teams with a total of N = 278 athletes (age M = 23.5 years, SD = 5.0 years. The results reveal that subcategories describing the cohesiveness of the team and motivational attributes are mentioned homogeneously within sport teams. In addition, gender, identification, team size, and the championship ranking significantly correlate with the homogeneous perception of prototypical attributes. The results are discussed on the basis of theoretical and practical implications.

The Strategy and Competitive Advantage of Indoor Sports Industry in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Tan, Kar Fai

2011-01-01

The sports industry in Malaysia is an industry which is full of potential as it is considered young in this country. The most popular sports in Malaysia are football (soccer) and badminton. Other sports such as squash, cycling, hockey are also quite popular due to our national representative success in the international arena. The purpose of this study is to determine the strategy taken by firms operating in indoor sports industry in Malaysia and to know their competitive advantage. The me...

Sports injuries in Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadat-Ali, M; Sankaran-Kutty, M

1985-03-01

Saudi Arabia has now a wealth of sporting facilities of which the youth of the country is making full use. A prospective study of sports related injuries was conducted during the twelve months of 1983. We present an analysis of 846 such injuries seen at the King Fahd University Hospital, Al Khobar. These injuries formed 8.36% of those who attended after an accident for emergency treatment, of which 63% were under 20 years. The majority was sustained during soccer games. The most frequent site of injury was the knee. We believe that specialised Sports Injury Clinics, initially based at the University Hospitals should be established here, to give guidance and education concerning avoidance of injuries, and for the treatment and follow-up of those injured and enable them to return to sports early.

Osteoarthritis of the ankle and foot complex in former Greek soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Armenis, Elias; Pefanis, Nikolaos; Tsiganos, Georgios; Karagounis, Panagiotis; Baltopoulos, Panagiotis

2011-12-01

Sports activities cause increased loads in elite athletes' joints. Current scientific knowledge highlights the importance of applied mechanical loads on the physiology and pathophysiology of the articular cartilage. Thus, it is possible that sporting activity has a role in the development of osteoarthritis (OA), a painful and damaging joint disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate and record osteoarthritic alterations in the ankle and foot complex in former Greek soccer players and also compare them with those in the general population. The study sample consisted of 170 male, former elite soccer players, aged between 42 and 55 years (mean = 49.8 years, standard deviation [SD] = 7.4). A control group of 132 men, aged between 42 and 55 years (mean, 50.7 years, SD = 9.9), with no regular athletic activity were examined. The development of osteoarthritic alterations was recorded through a questionnaire and clinical and radiological examination. Radiographic analysis of the images in former athletes group showed not only more signs of cartilage degeneration in comparison with the control group (P .05). Osteophyte formation is a frequent disease among former soccer players--with variations on radiographic images--but it does not appear in their clinical picture. However, it is likely that both spurs and subchondral sclerosis (main findings) are preclinical manifestations of OA. Prognostic, Level II.

How to make sense of team sport data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stein, Manuel; Janetzko, Halldór; Seebacher, Daniel

2017-01-01

commercial and research interest. The analysis of team ball games can serve many goals, e.g., in coaching to understand effects of strategies and tactics, or to derive insights improving performance. Also, it is often decisive to trainers and analysts to understand why a certain movement of a player...... data perspectives, including high-dimensional, video, and movement data, as well as considering team behavior and rules (constraints) given in the particular team sport. We identify important components of team sport data, exemplified by the soccer case, and explain how to analyze team sport data...

Perceptions of a disability sport unit in general physical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Grenier, Michelle; Collins, Karen; Wright, Steven; Kearns, Catherine

2014-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess the effectiveness of a disability sport unit in shaping perceptions of disability. Data from interviews, observations, and documents were collected on 87 elementary-aged students, one physical education teacher, and one teaching intern. Comparisons were drawn between fifth graders engaged in a five-week disability sport unit to fourth graders participating in their standard physical education curriculum. Findings revealed differences in the way fourth and fifth graders came to view individuals with disabilities. The results support an analysis of curriculum development that underscores the significance of the social model in positively impacting constructions of disability. Recommendations include the use of disability sports in physical education as an effective strategy for educating students in game play, knowledge of the Paralympics, and the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in a variety of sporting venues.

Parents role in the development of soccer players / Papel dos pais no desenvolvimento de jovens futebolistas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Carlos Moraes

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the role of parents in the development of soccer players. Twenty parents and 12 soccer players, between 15 and 18 years old participated in the study. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used by administrating questionnaires forms and interviews. It was observed that few changes occurred in the family routines and that parents were minimally involved in their sons' sport activities. This did not appear to be a constraint for their sons' development because of their passion for soccer, the total amount of practice, and a potential lucrative professional career. Researchers should carefully adopt important paradigms from first world countries to another country with contextual differences.

Assessment of acute physiological demand for soccer

OpenAIRE

Daniel Barbosa Coelho; Eduardo Mendonça Pimenta; Christiano Eduardo Veneroso; Rodrigo Figueiredo Morandi; Diogo Antônio Soares Pacheco; Emerson Rodrigues Pereira; Leonardo Gomes Martins Coelho; Emerson Silami Garcia

2013-01-01

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2013v15n6p667 Soccer is a sport practiced worldwide, on all continents. It is considered an intermittent activity of high intensity and long duration, in which movements that require great strength and speed, such as jumps and sprints, result in high levels of muscle microtrauma, hampering athletes’ training and recovery. The present study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of changes in different markers of physiological demand resulting from a socce...

Current Approaches to Tactical Performance Analyses in Soccer Using Position Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Memmert, Daniel; Lemmink, Koen A P M; Sampaio, Jaime

2017-01-01

Tactical match performance depends on the quality of actions of individual players or teams in space and time during match-play in order to be successful. Technological innovations have led to new possibilities to capture accurate spatio-temporal information of all players and unravel the dynamics and complexity of soccer matches. The main aim of this article is to give an overview of the current state of development of the analysis of position data in soccer. Based on the same single set of position data of a high-level 11 versus 11 match (Bayern Munich against FC Barcelona) three different promising approaches from the perspective of dynamic systems and neural networks will be presented: Tactical performance analysis revealed inter-player coordination, inter-team and inter-line coordination before critical events, as well as team-team interaction and compactness coefficients. This could lead to a multi-disciplinary discussion on match analyses in sport science and new avenues for theoretical and practical implications in soccer.

Eccentric utilization ratio: effect of sport and phase of training.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuigan, Michael R; Doyle, Timothy L A; Newton, Michael; Edwards, Dylan J; Nimphius, Sophia; Newton, Robert U

2006-11-01

The eccentric utilization ratio (EUR), which is the ratio of countermovement jump (CMJ) to static jump (SJ) performance, has been suggested as a useful indicator of power performance in athletes. The purpose of the study was to compare the EUR of athletes from a variety of different sports and during different phases of training. A total of 142 athletes from rugby union, Australian Rules Football, soccer, softball, and field hockey were tested. Subjects performed both CMJ and SJ on a force plate integrated with a position transducer. The EUR was measured as the ratio of CMJ to SJ for jump height and peak power. The rugby union, Australian Rules Football, and hockey athletes were tested during off-season and preseason to provide EUR data during different phases of training. For men, EUR for soccer, Australian Rules Football, and rugby was greater than softball (effect size range, 0.83-0.92). For women, EUR for soccer was greater than field hockey and softball (0.86- 1.0). There was a significant difference between the jump height and peak power method for the Australian Rules Football, rugby, and field hockey tests conducted preseason (p sports such as soccer, rugby union, and Australian Rules Football appear to have higher EUR values, which reflects the greater reliance on stretch shortening activities in these sports. It does appear that EUR can be used to track changes in training with the values significantly increasing from off-season to preseason. The EUR provides the practitioner with information about the performance of athletes and appears to be sensitive to changes in the type of training being undertaken.

Using Sport Education to Implement a CrossFit Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Sibley, Benjamin A.

2012-01-01

The sport education (SE) model has been used extensively to teach sports at the middle and high school levels, and the flexibility of the model has been demonstrated in its application to fitness units as well. Infusing new content into this well-established and familiar curricular model can increase student motivation and interest while…

Relationship between Nutrition Knowledge and Physical Fitness in Semiprofessional Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolaidis, P T; Theodoropoulou, E

2014-01-01

Whereas nutrition has a crucial role on sport performance, it is not clear to what extent nutrition knowledge is associated with physical fitness. The aim of this study was to examine the current level of nutrition knowledge of soccer players and whether this level is associated with physical fitness. Soccer players (n = 185, aged 21.3 ± 4.9 yr, weight 72.3 ± 8.4 kg, and height 177.5 ± 6.4 cm) performed a battery of physical fitness tests (sit-and-reach test, SAR; physical working capacity in heart rate 170, PWC170; and Wingate anaerobic test, WAnT) and completed an 11-item nutrition knowledge questionnaire (NKQ). Low to moderate Pearson correlations (0.15 Soccer players with high score in NKQ were older (4.4 yr (2.2; 6.6), mean difference (95% confidence intervals)) and heavier (4.5 kg (0.6; 8.3)) with higher FFM (4.0 kg (1.1; 6.8)) and peak power (59 W (2; 116)) than their counterparts with low score. The moderate score in the NKQ suggests that soccer players should be targeted for nutrition education. Although the association between NKQ and physical fitness was low to moderate, there were indications that better nutrition knowledge might result in higher physical fitness and, consequently, soccer performance.

Soccer practice as an add-on treatment in the management of individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia

Science.gov (United States)

Battaglia, Giuseppe; Alesi, Marianna; Inguglia, Michele; Roccella, Michele; Caramazza, Giovanni; Bellafiore, Marianna; Palma, Antonio

2013-01-01

Physical activity is an important aspect of good health for everyone; it is even more important for psychiatric patients who usually live an unhealthy lifestyle. In recent years, there has been growing focus on the use of soccer as a vehicle to improve the health of subjects with severe mental illness. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soccer practice on the self-reported health quality of life (SRHQL) and sports performance (SP) in psychotic subjects. Eighteen male patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia were randomized into either a trained (TG) or a control group (CG). The TG was trained for 12 weeks using two soccer training sessions per week. The CG did not perform any regular sports activity during the experimental period. Anthropometric measurements, SRHQL, personal time records in a 30 meter sprint test and slalom test running with a ball were evaluated before and after the experimental period. SRHQL was assessed using Short Form-12 questionnaire measuring physical and mental component summary scores. After the training period, the TG showed a relevant decrease by 4.6% in bodyweight (BW) and body mass index compared to baseline. Conversely, the CG showed an increased BW and body mass index by 1.8% from baseline to posttest. Moreover, after 12 weeks we found that control patients increased their BW significantly when compared to trained patients (Δ = 5.4%; P < 0.05). After the training period, comparing the baseline TG’s Short Form-12-scores to posttest results, we found an improvement of 10.5% and 10.8% in physical component summary and mental component summary, respectively. In addition, performances on the 30 meter sprint test and slalom test running with a ball in the TG improved significantly (P < 0.01) from baseline to posttest when compared to CG. Soccer practice appears able to improve psychophysical health in individuals with diagnosis of schizophrenia. Indeed, our study demonstrated that programmed soccer physical activity

Relationship between postural changes and injuries of the locomotor system in indoor soccer athletes

OpenAIRE

Ribeiro, Cintia Zucareli Pinto; Akashi, Paula Marie Hanai; Sacco, Isabel de Camargo Neves; Pedrinelli, André

2003-01-01

Nowadays, the sport practice has been initiated precociously. These precocious beginning of competitive sports may result in changes on the young athletes' posture alignment, because the child's bone and muscle systems are still developing and these systems are more susceptible to stress and injuries. The purpose of this study was to verify the indoor soccer (Futsal) injuries and the changes of posture alignment in players between 9 to 16 years old. We examined the posture of 50 volunteers yo...

Sport physiology, dopamine and nitric oxide - Some speculations and hypothesis generation.

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Landers, J G; Esch, Tobias

2015-12-01

Elite Spanish professional soccer players surprisingly showed a preponderance of an allele coding for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) that resulted in lower nitric oxide (NO) compared with Spanish endurance and power athletes and sedentary men. The present paper attempts a speculative explanation. Soccer is an "externally-paced" (EP) sport and team work dependent, requiring "executive function skills". We accept that time interval estimation skill is, in part, also an executive skill. Dopamine (DA) is prominent among the neurotransmitters with a role in such skills. Polymorphisms affecting dopamine (especially DRD2/ANKK1-Taq1a which leads to lower density of dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum, leading to increased striatal dopamine synthesis) and COMT val 158 met (which prolongs the action of dopamine in the cortex) feature both in the time interval estimation and the executive skills literatures. Our paper may be a pioneering attempt to stimulate empirical efforts to show how genotypes among soccer players may be connected via neurotransmitters to certain cognitive abilities that predict sporting success, perhaps also in some other externally-paced team sports. Graphing DA levels against time interval estimation accuracy and also against certain executive skills reveals an inverted-U relationship. A pathway from DA, via endogenous morphine and mu3 receptors on endothelia, to the generation of NO in tiny quantities has been demonstrated. Exercise up-regulates DA and this pathway. With somewhat excessive exercise, negative feedback from NO down-regulates DA, hypothetically keeping it near the peak of the inverted-U. Other research, not yet done on higher animals or humans, shows NO "fine-tuning" movement. We speculate that Caucasian men, playing soccer recreationally, would exemplify the above pattern and their nitric oxide synthase (NOS) would reflect the norm of their community, whereas professional players of soccer and perhaps other EP sports, with DA boosted by

The relationship between movement speed and duration during soccer matches

Science.gov (United States)

Mahler, Hubert; Heyde, Christian; Röll, Mareike; Gollhofer, Albert

2017-01-01

The relationship between the time duration of movement (t(dur)) and related maximum possible power output has been studied and modeled under many conditions. Inspired by the so-called power profiles known for discontinuous endurance sports like cycling, and the critical power concept of Monod and Scherrer, the aim of this study was to evaluate the numerical characteristics of the function between maximum horizontal movement velocity (HSpeed) and t(dur) in soccer. To evaluate this relationship, GPS data from 38 healthy soccer players and 82 game participations (≥30 min active playtime) were used to select maximum HSpeed for 21 distinct t(dur) values (between 0.3 s and 2,700 s) based on moving medians with an incremental t(dur) window-size. As a result, the relationship between HSpeed and Log(t(dur)) appeared reproducibly as a sigmoidal decay function, and could be fitted to a five-parameter equation with upper and lower asymptotes, and an inflection point, power and decrease rate. Thus, the first three parameters described individual characteristics if evaluated using mixed-model analysis. This study shows for the first time the general numerical relationship between t(dur) and HSpeed in soccer games. In contrast to former descriptions that have evaluated speed against power, HSpeed against t(dur) always yields a sigmoidal shape with a new upper asymptote. The evaluated curve fit potentially describes the maximum moving speed of individual players during the game, and allows for concise interpretations of the functional state of team sports athletes. PMID:28742832

1998 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Awards.

Science.gov (United States)

Chenoweth, Karin; Evelyn, Jamilah

1998-01-01

Announces the Sports Scholars Awards for 1998. One male and one female college athlete are profiled, and others are named for baseball, softball, basketball, fencing, riflery, bowling, football, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, swimming/diving, gymnastics, crew, tennis, golf, volleyball, track/field, cross country, downhill skiing, and…

Soccer Players Cultural Capital and Its Impact on Migration

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Križaj Jožef

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to identify factors that constituted the cultural capital among soccer players. We assumed that in the increasingly globalized world of professional soccer, a player’s success would often depend on migrating and adjusting to life in other countries. Willingness to migrate and successful adjustment are tied to player’s previous attitudes and/or behaviours (habitus, significant support from others, including family members, and previous experiences and success in sports and education. Our hypothesised model of the cultural capital was based on the Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework. It consisted of 26 variables related to three sets of factors: soccer experiences, a family context and support, and educational achievements of the players and their parents. The model was tested using a sample of 79 current soccer coaches who also had been players at the elite level. A factor analysis was used to empirically verify the content of the hypothetical model of the soccer players’ cultural capital. Nine latent factors were extracted and together, they accounted for 55.01% of the total model variance. Individual factors obtained showed a sufficient level of substantial connection. The Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.77 confirmed the internal consistency of the operationalised variables in the hypothetical model. In addition, the impact of these aforementioned life dimensions on the migration of soccer players was studied. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that the first factor of the hypothetical model (F1 had 2.2 times and the second factor (F8 had 3.9 times higher odds for migration abroad. Sociocultural findings using this new assessment approach could help create better “success conditions” in the talent development of young players.

Soccer Players Cultural Capital and Its Impact on Migration

Science.gov (United States)

Leskošek, Bojan; Vodičar, Janez; Topič, Mojca Doupona

2016-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify factors that constituted the cultural capital among soccer players. We assumed that in the increasingly globalized world of professional soccer, a player’s success would often depend on migrating and adjusting to life in other countries. Willingness to migrate and successful adjustment are tied to player’s previous attitudes and/or behaviours (habitus), significant support from others, including family members, and previous experiences and success in sports and education. Our hypothesised model of the cultural capital was based on the Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework. It consisted of 26 variables related to three sets of factors: soccer experiences, a family context and support, and educational achievements of the players and their parents. The model was tested using a sample of 79 current soccer coaches who also had been players at the elite level. A factor analysis was used to empirically verify the content of the hypothetical model of the soccer players’ cultural capital. Nine latent factors were extracted and together, they accounted for 55.01% of the total model variance. Individual factors obtained showed a sufficient level of substantial connection. The Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.77 confirmed the internal consistency of the operationalised variables in the hypothetical model. In addition, the impact of these aforementioned life dimensions on the migration of soccer players was studied. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that the first factor of the hypothetical model (F1) had 2.2 times and the second factor (F8) had 3.9 times higher odds for migration abroad. Sociocultural findings using this new assessment approach could help create better “success conditions” in the talent development of young players. PMID:28031770

The “FIFA 11+” warm-up programme for preventing injuries in soccer players: a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex de Andrade Fernandes

Full Text Available Introduction Soccer is among the sports with the highest injury rate. A group of international experts from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association — FIFA’s Medical Assessment and Research Centre — have developed the “FIFA 11+”, a warm-up programme whose main goal is to reduce the risk of common injuries in both male and female soccer players. Objective To conduct a literature review in order to check the efficiency of the “FIFA 11 +” warm-up programme in preventing injuries in soccer players. Methods We conducted a systematic review of studies in the databases MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO, ScienceDirect and SPORTDiscus, using the following keywords in combination with one another: “injury”, “prevention” and “warm-up”. Results Five studies met the inclusion criteria. In four studies, the authors conclude that the “FIFA 11 +” warm-up programme is effective for preventing injuries in soccer players. In one study, this protective effect was not observed. Conclusion The analyzed studies indicate that the FIFA 11+ warm-up programme for the prevention of sports injuries show positive signs that the use of the programme may help reduce the incidence of injuries in girls aged 13–17 years. In a male children population the results are inconclusive and further research is needed.

A four year prospective study of injuries in elite Ontario youth provincial and national soccer players during training and matchplay

Science.gov (United States)

Mohib, Milad; Moser, Nicholas; Kim, Richard; Thillai, Maathavan; Gringmuth, Robert

2014-01-01

Introduction: With over 200 million amateur players worldwide, soccer is one of the most popular and internationally recognized sports today. By understanding how and why soccer injuries occur we hope to reduce prevalent injuries amongst elite soccer athletes. Methods: Via a prospective cohort, we examined both male and female soccer players eligible to train with the Ontario Soccer Association provincial program between the ages of 13 to 17 during the period of October 10, 2008 and April 20, 2012. Data collection occurred during all player exposures to potential injury. Exposures occurred at the Soccer Centre, Ontario Training grounds and various other venues on multiple playing surfaces. Results: A total number of 733 injuries were recorded. Muscle strain, pull or tightness was responsible for 45.6% of all injuries and ranked as the most prevalent injury. Discussion: As anticipated, the highest injury reported was muscular strain, which warrants more suitable preventive programs aimed at strengthening and properly warming up the players’ muscles. PMID:25550661

Prevalent knee pain and sport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hahn, Thomas; Foldspang, Anders

1998-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of knee pain in active athletes and to investigate potential associations to type, amount and duration of sports participation. MEASUREMENTS: 339 athletes gave information about occupation, sports activity and different features of knee pain, based...... on a self-filled questionnaire. MAIN RESULTS: The prevalence of knee pain within the preceding 12 months, constant or recurrent knee pain, absence from sport and absence from work due to knee pain, was 54%, 34%, 19% and 4%, respectively. Knee pain was positively associated with years of jogging...... and with weekly hours of participation in competitive gymnastics but negatively with weekly hours of tennis. Constant or recurrent knee pain was positively associated with years of swimming. Absence from sport due to knee pain was positively associated with weekly hours of soccer participation. CONCLUSIONS: Knee...

1997 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholars Awards.

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, Ronald

1997-01-01

Winners of the "Black Issues in Higher Education" Arthur Ashe Jr. 1997 athletes of the year, one male and one female, are profiled and Sport Scholars are listed for baseball, softball, basketball, fencing, archery, football, handball, soccer, field hockey, crew, swimming, gymnastics, tennis, squash, golf, volleyball, lacrosse, wrestling, water…

The Effects Of Different Environmental Conditions (Cold, Heat and Altitude On Soccer Players' Performance And Health

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Cem Sinan ASLAN

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Sports are divided into sub-headings according to structural characteristics as team sports and individual sports; according to the physiological characteristics as aerobic- and anaerobic-based sports. In addition, they may be described as "in-door" and "out-door", as well. While basketball, handball, volleyball are classified as "in-door" sports; cross country, mountaineering, skiing are classified as "out-door" sports. Football is one of the outdoor sports, and is highly influenced by external factors. Indeed, beyond affecting players’ performance, sometimes these factors may lead to unwanted consequences regarding the athlete’s health. In this review, it is targeted to examine the effects of different environmental conditions such as cold, heat and altitude on soccer players' performance and health, through referring to the results of previous studies.

50 CFR 32.7 - What refuge units are open to hunting and/or sport fishing?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

.../or sport fishing? 32.7 Section 32.7 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE... Provisions § 32.7 What refuge units are open to hunting and/or sport fishing? Refuge units open to hunting and/or sport fishing in accordance with the provisions of subpart A of this part and §§ 32.20-32.72...

Seasonal Variation in Objectively Assessed Physical Activity among Young Norwegian Talented Soccer Players: A Description of Daily Physical Activity Level.

Science.gov (United States)

Sæther, Stig A; Aspvik, Nils P

2014-12-01

'Practise makes perfect' is a well-known expression in most sports, including top-level soccer. However, a high training and match load increases the risk for injury, overtraining and burnout. With the use of accelerometers and a self-report questionnaire, the aim of this study was to describe talented players' physical activity (PA) level. Data were collected three times during the 2011 Norwegian Football season (March, June and October). The accelerometer output, counts·min(-1) (counts per unit time registered), reports the daily PA-level for young talented soccer players. Results showed a stable PA-level across the season (March: 901.2 counts·min(-1), June: 854.9 counts·min(-1), October: 861.5 counts·min(-1)). Furthermore, comparison of five different training sessions across the season showed that the PA-level ranged from 2435.8 to 3745.4 counts·min(-1). A one-way ANOVA showed no significant differences between the three measured weeks during the soccer season (p≤0.814). However, the training sessions in January had a significantly higher PA-level than those in June and October (p≤0.001). Based on these results, we discuss how potential implications of PA-level affect factors such as risk of injury, overtraining and burnout. We argue that player development must be seen as part of an overall picture in which club training and match load should be regarded as one of many variables influencing players' PA-level. Key pointsIt is well established that to achieve a high performance level in sport, one must implement a high training and match load in childhood and youth.With the use of accelerometers and a self-reported questionnaire, the aim of this study was to describe talented players' total physical activity (PA) load.These results indicate that young talented soccer players must overcome large doses of PA on a weekly basis, exposing them to a high risk of injury, overtraining and burnout.

Body Composition of Elite Female Players in Five Different Sports Games

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Mala Lucia

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study was to identify and compare body composition (BC variables in elite female athletes (age ± years: volleyball (27.4 ± 4.1, softball (23.6 ± 4.9, basketball (25.9 ± 4.2, soccer (23.2 ± 4.2 and handball (24.0 ± 3.5 players. Fat-free mass (FFM, fat mass, percentage of fat mass (FMP, body cell mass (BCM, extracellular mass (ECM, their ratio, the percentage of BCM in FFM, the phase angle (α, and total body water, with a distinction between extracellular (ECW and intracellular water, were measured using bioimpedance analysis. MANOVA showed significant differences in BC variables for athletes in different sports (F60.256 = 2.93, p 0.05. Significant changes in other BC variables were found in analyses when sport was used as an independent variable. Soccer players exhibited the most distinct BC, differing from players of other sports in 8 out of 10 variables. In contrast, the athletes with the most similar BC were volleyball and basketball players, who did not differ in any of the compared variables. Discriminant analysis revealed two significant functions (p < 0.01. The first discriminant function primarily represented differences based on the FFM proportion (volleyball, basketball vs. softball, soccer. The second discriminant function represented differences based on the ECW proportion (softball vs. soccer. Although all of the members of the studied groups competed at elite professional levels, significant differences in the selected BC variables were found. The results of the present study may serve as normative values for comparison or target values for training purposes.

Body composition of elite female players in five different sports games.

Science.gov (United States)

Mala, Lucia; Maly, Tomas; Zahalka, František; Bunc, Vaclav; Kaplan, Ales; Jebavy, Radim; Tuma, Martin

2015-03-29

The goal of this study was to identify and compare body composition (BC) variables in elite female athletes (age ± years): volleyball (27.4 ± 4.1), softball (23.6 ± 4.9), basketball (25.9 ± 4.2), soccer (23.2 ± 4.2) and handball (24.0 ± 3.5) players. Fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass, percentage of fat mass (FMP), body cell mass (BCM), extracellular mass (ECM), their ratio, the percentage of BCM in FFM, the phase angle (α), and total body water, with a distinction between extracellular (ECW) and intracellular water, were measured using bioimpedance analysis. MANOVA showed significant differences in BC variables for athletes in different sports (F60.256 = 2.93, p 0.05). Significant changes in other BC variables were found in analyses when sport was used as an independent variable. Soccer players exhibited the most distinct BC, differing from players of other sports in 8 out of 10 variables. In contrast, the athletes with the most similar BC were volleyball and basketball players, who did not differ in any of the compared variables. Discriminant analysis revealed two significant functions (p < 0.01). The first discriminant function primarily represented differences based on the FFM proportion (volleyball, basketball vs. softball, soccer). The second discriminant function represented differences based on the ECW proportion (softball vs. soccer). Although all of the members of the studied groups competed at elite professional levels, significant differences in the selected BC variables were found. The results of the present study may serve as normative values for comparison or target values for training purposes.

A literature review of sports-related orofacial trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumamoto, David P; Maeda, Yoshinobu

2004-01-01

This literature review evaluates the significance of dental injuries and their relationship to specific sports activities. Many studies have been published on individual sports or groups of sports but most pertain to specific age groups or levels of competition. Research suggests that many sports that do not require mouthguards should encourage male and female participants to use orofacial protectors. Athletes, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, parents, and members of the dental community should be aware of how individuals who participate in sporting activities are at risk for dental trauma. Any sport where the potential for dental trauma can exist (such as basketball, soccer, or wrestling) should consider utilizing mouthguards to protect the competitors. The establishment of mouthguard programs for athletes of all ages, genders, and sports may help to reduce the incidence of dental trauma. A sports-related, orofacial/dental trauma reporting system is considered.

Maximal heart rate in soccer players: Measured versus age-predicted

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Pantelis T Nikolaidis

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Although maximal heart rate (HR max is widely used to assess exercise intensity in sport training, and particularly in soccer, there are limited data with regards to the use of age-based prediction equations of HR max in soccer players. The aim of this study was to compare the measured-HR max with two prediction equations (Fox-HR max = 220 – age and Tanaka-HR max = 208 – 0.7 × age in soccer players. Methods: Adolescent (n = 162, 15.8 ± 1.5 years and adult players (n = 158, 23.4 ± 4.6 years, all members of competitive clubs, voluntarily performed a graded exercise field test (Conconi protocol to assess HR max . Results: The measured-HR max (197.6 ± 9.4 bpm in total, 200.2 ± 7.9 bpm in adolescent players, and 195.0 ± 10.0 bpm in adult players was explained by the formula HR max = 212.3 – 0.75 × age (r = −0.41, standard error of the estimate = 8.6. In the total sample, Fox-HR max overestimated measured-HR max [mean difference (95% confidence intervals = 2.8 bpm (1.6; 3.9], while Tanaka-HR max underestimated HR max [–3.3 bpm (–4.5; –2.2]. In adolescents, Fox-HR max overestimated measured-HR max [4.0 bpm (2.5; 5.5] and Tanaka-HR max underestimated HR max [– 3.2 bpm (–4.7; –1.8]. In adults, Tanaka-HR max underestimated HR max [–5.0 bpm (–5.3; –4.7], while there was not any difference between Fox-HR max and measured-HR max [1.6 bpm (–3.4; 0.2]. Conclusions: The results of this study failed to validate two widely used prediction equations in a large sample of soccer players, indicating the need for a sport-specific equation. On the other hand, the new equation that we presented should be investigated further by future studies before being adopted by coaches and fitness trainers.

Relationship as an aspect of psychological climate of women's soccer team

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Huzar V.N.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to determine the level of psychological climate of women's soccer team. Studied levels of interpersonal relationships in women's football team. Material : in the study, which lasted 2 years, 14 football players participated Kherson female football club "Crystal". Results : It was determined that the team is dominated by emotional (0.6 and cognitive components (0.5. Girls come to know and understand each other, training takes place on a good emotional background. Observations and indicators of behavioral component (0.35, found that football players often do not yield to their teammates in stressful situations. Sometimes this leads to conflict situations. Conclusions : recommend indicators of relationships in women's soccer team coaches of team sports in building healthy psychological atmosphere.

Relationship as an aspect of psychological climate of women's soccer team

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.N. Huzar

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to determine the level of psychological climate of women's soccer team. Studied levels of interpersonal relationships in women's football team. Material : in the study, which lasted 2 years, 14 football players participated Kherson female football club "Crystal". Results : It was determined that the team is dominated by emotional (0.6 and cognitive components (0.5. Girls come to know and understand each other, training takes place on a good emotional background. Observations and indicators of behavioral component (0.35, found that football players often do not yield to their teammates in stressful situations. Sometimes this leads to conflict situations. Conclusions : recommend indicators of relationships in women's soccer team coaches of team sports in building healthy psychological atmosphere.

Physical fitness and anthropometric characteristics in professional soccer players of the United Arab Emirates

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M. Magalhães Sales

2014-09-01

Conclusion: The anthropometric profile of soccer players that act in the United Arab Emirates is similar to others around the world. However, regarding the physical fitness, results are still inconclusive, since findings from other studies suggest that the anaerobic power of our sample is alike or lower than other elite players throughout the world. Likewise indirect VO2max, especially given the acknowledged limitations of obtaining indirectly this variable. In addition, making an analysis by playing position, the results of this study are similar to previous research.

Sports Drove Silva to Teach Wellness

Science.gov (United States)

Deschenie, Tina

2008-01-01

This article profiles teacher Leroy Silva (Laguna), 27, a.k.a. "Buster". Silva describes himself as an active guy who stays busy working out, playing basketball, softball, and more recently golf, soccer, and lacrosse. He teaches personal wellness and sports (not physical education), a job he began in 2006. Before that he was a trainer at…

Implementation of the 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement in contact and collision sports: a joint position statement from 11 national and international sports organisations.

Science.gov (United States)

Patricios, Jon S; Ardern, Clare L; Hislop, Michael David; Aubry, Mark; Bloomfield, Paul; Broderick, Carolyn; Clifton, Patrick; Echemendia, Ruben J; Ellenbogen, Richard G; Falvey, Éanna Cian; Fuller, Gordon Ward; Grand, Julie; Hack, Dallas; Harcourt, Peter Rex; Hughes, David; McGuirk, Nathan; Meeuwisse, Willem; Miller, Jeffrey; Parsons, John T; Richiger, Simona; Sills, Allen; Moran, Kevin B; Shute, Jenny; Raftery, Martin

2018-05-01

The 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement provides a global summary of best practice in concussion prevention, diagnosis and management, underpinned by systematic reviews and expert consensus. Due to their different settings and rules, individual sports need to adapt concussion guidelines according to their specific regulatory environment. At the same time, consistent application of the Berlin Consensus Statement's themes across sporting codes is likely to facilitate superior and uniform diagnosis and management, improve concussion education and highlight collaborative research opportunities. This document summarises the approaches discussed by medical representatives from the governing bodies of 10 different contact and collision sports in Dublin, Ireland in July 2017. Those sports are: American football, Australian football, basketball, cricket, equestrian sports, football/soccer, ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and skiing. This document had been endorsed by 11 sport governing bodies/national federations at the time of being published. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation. ... of parents, children and coaches of 9-a-side football in an under-8 competition ... and goals scored in soccer matches: Implications for coaching and training ...

Is an elevated submaximal heart rate associated with psychomotor slowness in young elite soccer players?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brink, Michel S.; Visscher, Chris; Schmikli, Sandor L.; Nederhof, E.; Lemmink, Koen A. P. M.

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study was to find early markers for overreaching that are applicable in sport practice. In a group of elite soccer players aged 1518, the stressrecovery balance and reaction times before and after exercise were assessed. Overreaching was indicated by an elevated submaximal

ŽENE I SPORT U CRNOJ GORI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheryl Cooky

2011-08-01

Full Text Available This paper is part of a larger study that identifies who plays sport in Montenegro, and the factors (family, education, economic, religious, cultural stereotypes, and so on that contribute to girls and women’s participation in sport or that limit girls and women’s participation in sport. This study is the first evidencebased research assessing the current status of girls and women’s sport participation in Montenegro, at all institutional levels. Using mixed-methodologies (quantitative assessment, survey data and qualitative focus group interviews this study will determine the numbers of girls and women participating in sport, as compared to boys and men in similar demographic categories, and to examine why girls and women do or do not participate in sport and what are their experiences in sport. Initial findings from the demographic assessment of sport in Montenegro illustrate overall gender disparities in sport participation in the 7 most popular sports; the majority of athletes, coaches, managers and decision-makers, medical staff, referees and sport delegates were men. We found the greatest gender imbalance in soccer and basketball, which were overwhelmingly male-dominated, and the greatest gender parity in handball and volleyball- and in some cases there were more female participants than male participants in these sports. We also examined overall trends in gender and sport participation across the different geographical regions, which were similar. However, there were differences in the types of sports men and women played in the different regions, which may indicate that some sports were more popular, or accepted, or easier to access for women in the central part of the country while other sports were more popular, or accepted or easier to access for women in the northern and southern regions. The project is a collaborative partnership with US- and Montenegro based scholars, the International Olympic Committee, the Montenegrin

Goal orientations, beliefs about success, and performance improvement among young elite Dutch soccer players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Yperen, Nico W.; Duda, Joan L.

1999-01-01

Extending past work testing goal perspective theory in sport, one purpose of this study was to examine, via a longitudinal design, the relationship of goal orientations to the beliefs about the causes of success in the case of elite male Dutch soccer players. A second purpose was to determine the

Adult sports-related traumatic brain injury in United States trauma centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, Ethan A; Yue, John K; Burke, John F; Chan, Andrew K; Dhall, Sanjay S; Berger, Mitchel S; Manley, Geoffrey T; Tarapore, Phiroz E

2016-04-01

OBJECTIVE Sports-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important public health concern estimated to affect 300,000 to 3.8 million people annually in the United States. Although injuries to professional athletes dominate the media, this group represents only a small proportion of the overall population. Here, the authors characterize the demographics of sports-related TBI in adults from a community-based trauma population and identify predictors of prolonged hospitalization and increased morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS Utilizing the National Sample Program of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB), the authors retrospectively analyzed sports-related TBI data from adults (age ≥ 18 years) across 5 sporting categories-fall or interpersonal contact (FIC), roller sports, skiing/snowboarding, equestrian sports, and aquatic sports. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify predictors of prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS), medical complications, inpatient mortality rates, and hospital discharge disposition. Statistical significance was assessed at α sports-related TBIs were documented in the NTDB, which represented 18,310 incidents nationally. Equestrian sports were the greatest contributors to sports-related TBI (45.2%). Mild TBI represented nearly 86% of injuries overall. Mean (± SEM) LOSs in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) were 4.25 ± 0.09 days and 1.60 ± 0.06 days, respectively. The mortality rate was 3.0% across all patients, but was statistically higher in TBI from roller sports (4.1%) and aquatic sports (7.7%). Age, hypotension on admission to the emergency department (ED), and the severity of head and extracranial injuries were statistically significant predictors of prolonged hospital and ICU LOSs, medical complications, failure to discharge to home, and death. Traumatic brain injury during aquatic sports was similarly associated with prolonged ICU and hospital LOSs, medical complications, and failure to be discharged to

Sports Skills and Conditioning: Grades K-6.

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD.

The activities and terminology used in this course of study are intended to establish a more uniform and meaningful approach to the teaching of sports skills to elementary school children in the Montgomery County Public Schools. Areas of activity concentration specifically relate to soccer, volleyball, softball, and track and field. A sequential…

Heading and head injuries in soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkendall, D T; Jordan, S E; Garrett, W E

2001-01-01

In the world of sports, soccer is unique because of the purposeful use of the unprotected head for controlling and advancing the ball. This skill obviously places the player at risk of head injury and the game does carry some risk. Head injury can be a result of contact of the head with another head (or other body parts), ground, goal post, other unknown objects or even the ball. Such impacts can lead to contusions, fractures, eye injuries, concussions or even, in rare cases, death. Coaches, players, parents and physicians are rightly concerned about the risk of head injury in soccer. Current research shows that selected soccer players have some degree of cognitive dysfunction. It is important to determine the reasons behind such deficits. Purposeful heading has been blamed, but a closer look at the studies that focus on heading has revealed methodological concerns that question the validity of blaming purposeful heading of the ball. The player's history and age (did they play when the ball was leather and could absorb significant amounts of water), alcohol intake, drug intake, learning disabilities, concussion definition and control group use/composition are all factors that cloud the ability to blame purposeful heading. What does seem clear is that a player's history of concussive episodes is a more likely explanation for cognitive deficits. While it is likely that the subconcussive impact of purposeful heading is a doubtful factor in the noted deficits, it is unknown whether multiple subconcussive impacts might have some lingering effects. In addition, it is unknown whether the noted deficits have any affect on daily life. Proper instruction in the technique is critical because if the ball contacts an unprepared head (as in accidental head-ball contacts), the potential for serious injury is possible. To further our understanding of the relationship of heading, head injury and cognitive deficits, we need to: learn more about the actual impact of a ball on the

Gender differences in sport injury risk and types of inju-ries: a retrospective twelve-month study on cross-country skiers, swimmers, long-distance runners and soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Ristolainen, Leena; Heinonen, Ari; Waller, Benjamin; Kujala, Urho M; Kettunen, Jyrki A

2009-01-01

This twelve months survey compared injury risk and injury types by genders (312 females, 262 males) in 15- to 35-year-old cross-country skiers, swimmers, long- distance runners and soccer players. More male than female athletes reported at least one acute injury (44% vs. 35%, p gender differences in either of these comparisons. After adjustment for sport event males were at increased risk for posterior thigh overuse injuries compared to females (relative risk (RR) 5.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3 to 26.4, p difference between the sexes in overuse injury to the ankle persisted (female 0.11 vs. male 0.02 injuries/1000 exposure hours, p difference was found in such injuries when calculated per 1000 exposure hours. In conclusion, we found some gender differences in sport-related injuries, but most of these differences seemed to be explained at least in part by differences in the amount of training. Key pointsOnly a few sport injury studies have compared in-jury rates between the sexesOverall gender-related risk for acute and overuse injuries in top-level athletes between the sexes was smallSome gender differences in the specific anatomical locations of injuries as well as in specific injuries in sports were foundSome of these differences seem to be explained by the differences in the amount of training.

Descriptive-comparative study of aerobic performance parameters between soccer and futsal athletes. DOI: 10.5007/1980-0037.2011v13n3p170

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Manfredini Baroni

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Although soccer and futsal are sports with similar motor actions, the differences in size and match dynamics result in distinct physiological requirements. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare parameters of aerobic capacity between professional soccer and futsal athletes. A total of 553 ergospirometric evaluations were performed: 367 soccer players (32 goalkeepers, 335 on-court players and 186 futsal athletes (22 goalkeepers, 164 on-court players. The results were analyzed separately for each modality (comparison between goalkeepers and on-court players and compared between soccer and futsal athletes. Soccer and futsal goalkeepers presented lower maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, second ventilatory threshold (VT2, and speed to reach these thresholds than on-court players of the respective modalities. Soccer goalkeepers were superior in terms of these parameters when compared to futsal goalkeepers. No differences in VO2max or VT2 were observed between soccer and futsal on-court players, although soccer athletes reached the thresholds at higher speeds. In conclusion, soccer and futsal goalkeepers present lower aerobic capacity than on-court players. Soccer players show better performance in aerobic tests than futsal athletes

Effects of Soccer Training on Anthropometry, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness during a Soccer Season in Female Elite Young Athletes: A Prospective Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lesinski, Melanie; Prieske, Olaf; Helm, Norman; Granacher, Urs

2017-01-01

The objectives of this study were to (i) describe soccer training (e.g., volume, types), anthropometry, body composition, and physical fitness and (ii) compute associations between soccer training data and relative changes of anthropometry, body composition, and physical fitness during a soccer season in female elite young athletes. Seasonal training (i.e., day-to-day training volume/types) as well as variations in anthropometry (e.g., body height/mass), body composition (e.g., lean body/fat mass), and physical fitness (e.g., muscle strength/power, speed, balance) were collected from 17 female elite young soccer players (15.3 ± 0.5 years) over the training periods (i.e., preparation, competition, transition) of a soccer season that resulted in the German championship title in under-17 female soccer. Training volume/types, anthropometrics, body composition, and physical fitness significantly varied over a soccer season. During the two preparation periods, higher volumes in resistance and endurance training were performed (2.00 ≤ d ≤ 18.15; p < 0.05), while higher sprint and tactical training volumes were applied during the two competition periods (2.22 ≤ d ≤ 11.18; p < 0.05). Body height and lean body mass increased over the season (2.50 ≤ d ≤ 3.39; p < 0.01). In terms of physical fitness, significant performance improvements were found over the soccer season in measures of balance, endurance, and sport-specific performance (2.52 ≤ d ≤ 3.95; p < 0.05). In contrast, no statistically significant changes were observed for measures of muscle power/endurance, speed, and change-of-direction speed. Of note, variables of muscle strength (i.e., leg extensors) significantly decreased (d = 2.39; p < 0.01) over the entire season. Our period-specific sub-analyses revealed significant performance improvements during the first round of the season for measures of muscle power/endurance, and balance (0.89 ≤ d ≤ 4.01; p < 0.05). Moreover, change

Effects of Soccer Training on Anthropometry, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness during a Soccer Season in Female Elite Young Athletes: A Prospective Cohort Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie Lesinski

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to (i describe soccer training (e.g., volume, types, anthropometry, body composition, and physical fitness and (ii compute associations between soccer training data and relative changes of anthropometry, body composition, and physical fitness during a soccer season in female elite young athletes. Seasonal training (i.e., day-to-day training volume/types as well as variations in anthropometry (e.g., body height/mass, body composition (e.g., lean body/fat mass, and physical fitness (e.g., muscle strength/power, speed, balance were collected from 17 female elite young soccer players (15.3 ± 0.5 years over the training periods (i.e., preparation, competition, transition of a soccer season that resulted in the German championship title in under-17 female soccer. Training volume/types, anthropometrics, body composition, and physical fitness significantly varied over a soccer season. During the two preparation periods, higher volumes in resistance and endurance training were performed (2.00 ≤ d ≤ 18.15; p < 0.05, while higher sprint and tactical training volumes were applied during the two competition periods (2.22 ≤ d ≤ 11.18; p < 0.05. Body height and lean body mass increased over the season (2.50 ≤ d ≤ 3.39; p < 0.01. In terms of physical fitness, significant performance improvements were found over the soccer season in measures of balance, endurance, and sport-specific performance (2.52 ≤ d ≤ 3.95; p < 0.05. In contrast, no statistically significant changes were observed for measures of muscle power/endurance, speed, and change-of-direction speed. Of note, variables of muscle strength (i.e., leg extensors significantly decreased (d = 2.39; p < 0.01 over the entire season. Our period-specific sub-analyses revealed significant performance improvements during the first round of the season for measures of muscle power/endurance, and balance (0.89 ≤ d ≤ 4.01; p < 0.05. Moreover, change

Prevention of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in soccer players. Part 1: Mechanisms of injury and underlying risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Alentorn-Geli, Eduard; Myer, Gregory D; Silvers, Holly J; Samitier, Gonzalo; Romero, Daniel; Lázaro-Haro, Cristina; Cugat, Ramón

2009-07-01

Soccer is the most commonly played sport in the world, with an estimated 265 million active soccer players by 2006. Inherent to this sport is the higher risk of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) relative to other sports. ACL injury causes the most time lost from competition in soccer which has influenced a strong research focus to determine the risk factors for injury. This research emphasis has afforded a rapid influx of literature defining potential modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that increase the risk of injury. The purpose of the current review is to sequence the most recent literature that reports potential mechanisms and risk factors for non-contact ACL injury in soccer players. Most ACL tears in soccer players are non-contact in nature. Common playing situations precluding a non-contact ACL injury include: change of direction or cutting maneuvers combined with deceleration, landing from a jump in or near full extension, and pivoting with knee near full extension and a planted foot. The most common non-contact ACL injury mechanism include a deceleration task with high knee internal extension torque (with or without perturbation) combined with dynamic valgus rotation with the body weight shifted over the injured leg and the plantar surface of the foot fixed flat on the playing surface. Potential extrinsic non-contact ACL injury risk factors include: dry weather and surface, and artificial surface instead of natural grass. Commonly purported intrinsic risk factors include: generalized and specific knee joint laxity, small and narrow intercondylar notch width (ratio of notch width to the diameter and cross sectional area of the ACL), pre-ovulatory phase of menstrual cycle in females not using oral contraceptives, decreased relative (to quadriceps) hamstring strength and recruitment, muscular fatigue by altering neuromuscular control, decreased "core" strength and proprioception, low trunk, hip, and knee flexion angles, and high

Can you treat the cheat in sports?

Science.gov (United States)

Glick, Ira D; Begel, Dan

2015-07-01

This editorial examines the issue of "cheating" (broadly defined) in sports from youth through professional sports. We describe possible underlying causes focusing on the development of a "personality disorder" and psychiatric/psychodynamic needs (e.g. a pathological need to be the best). We detail treatment and management from a medical-psychiatric perspective as well as implications for coaches, teams, leagues and professional organizations (e.g. soccer, bicycling, etc). Cheating behavior exists in other fields, for example, politics, law among others and some of the management principles mentioned here may apply there.

Sport psychology group consultation using social networking web sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Frederick; Shipherd, Amber M; Gershgoren, Lael; Filho, Edson Medeiros; Basevitch, Itay

2012-08-01

A social networking Web site, Facebook, was used to deliver long-term sport psychology consultation services to student-athletes (i.e., soccer players) in 30- to 60-min weekly sessions. Additional short-term team building, group cohesion, communication, anger management, injury rehabilitation, mental toughness, commitment, and leadership workshops were provided. Cohesion and overall relationships between both the student-athletes and the sport psychology consultants benefited from this process. Social networking Web sites offer a practical way of providing sport psychology consulting services that does not require use of major resources. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

A STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT OF THE ONLINE SPORTS BETTING INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

OpenAIRE

Skogman, Ville

2015-01-01

A strategic assessment of the sports betting industry in the United Kingdom. The dissertation focuses on the field of strategic management, through which it tries to identify the competitive advantage of three operators in the United Kingdom online sports betting market; Betfair Group plc, Bet365 and William Hill plc.

Neck injuries presenting to emergency departments in the United States from 1990 to 1999 for ice hockey, soccer, and American football

OpenAIRE

Delaney, J; Al-Kashmiri, A

2005-01-01

Objective: To examine the number and rate of neck injuries in the community as a whole for ice hockey, soccer, and American football by analysing data from patients presenting to emergency departments in the United States from 1990 to 1999.

Return to Play After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement in Professional Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Locks, Renato; Utsunomiya, Hajime; Briggs, Karen K; McNamara, Shannen; Chahla, Jorge; Philippon, Marc J

2018-02-01

Arthroscopic hip surgery has been shown to be effective in returning professional athletes back to play at a high level of performance in different sports. Limited information exists regarding professional soccer players and their return to play. To determine the rate and time to return to sport for professional soccer players after hip arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and to identify possible risk factors associated with a delay in returning to play. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Professional soccer players who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI by a single surgeon between 2005 and 2015 were evaluated. Data retrieved from www.mlssoccer.com , www.fifa.com , www.transfermarkt.co.uk , and www.wikipedia.org included information on each player's professional career, participation on the national team, length of professional career before surgery, number of appearances (games) before surgery, time between surgery and first appearance in a professional game, and number of appearances after surgery. Other data were obtained from the patient's medical records. Twenty-four professional soccer players (26 hips) were included. The mean age at surgery was 25.0 ± 4.0 years (range, 19-32 years). A total of 96% of patients were able to return to play at the professional level. The mean time between surgery and the first professional game played was 9.2 months (range, 1.9-24.0 months). On average, players played in 70 games after surgery (range, 0-224). National team players were able to return to play significantly earlier than the rest of the players (median, 5.7 months vs 11.6 months, respectively; P = .018). Severe chondral damage and microfracture did not interfere with return to play. The arthroscopic management of FAI in symptomatic professional soccer players allowed 96% of them to return to play. Players with national team experience were able to return to play earlier than those without it. Severe chondral damage

Hemophilia and Sports: Guidelines for Participation. Case Report.

Science.gov (United States)

McLain, Larry G.; Heldrich, Fred T.

1990-01-01

Presents a case report of a 15-year-old boy with severe hemophilia who played soccer 1 school year but was denied continued participation following another screening examination. Before deciding about participation, physicians must assess the type and severity of hemophilia and risk factors for injury. Appropriate sports for hemophiliacs are…

The Influence of Sports Celebrity Credibility on Purchase Intention: The Moderating Effect of Gender and Consumer Sports-Involvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie Bragança Düsenberg

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the effects of sport’s celebrity endorsement on purchase intention. More specifically, this study seeks to (1 identify the extent to which the sports celebrity’s credibility influences consumer purchase intention; (2 the extent to which gender moderates the effect of sports celebrity endorsement on purchase intention; and (3 to what extent consumer sports-involvement moderates the effect of a sports celebrity endorsement on purchase intention. One famous Brazilian soccer player and four product categories were used as stimuli. The research method used was a survey, which has included 1,025 respondents. Data analysis was performed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA. Structural equation modeling (SEM, using the ADF technique, was applied to test the substantive hypotheses. To test the hypotheses of the moderating effect of gender and consumer sports-involvement, the research used the multigroup analysis technique. The empirical results support the relationship between a sport celebrity’s endorsement and purchase intention. The moderating effects of gender and sports-involvement were also empirically supported, but only partially.

Postural stability decreases in elite young soccer players after a competitive soccer match

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brito, João; Fontes, Ivo; Ribeiro, Fernando

2012-01-01

To investigate the effects of an official soccer match on postural stability in youth elite soccer players.......To investigate the effects of an official soccer match on postural stability in youth elite soccer players....

Is an elevated submaximal heart rate associated with psychomotor slowness in young elite soccer players?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koen A.P.M. Lemmink; E. Nederhof; C. Visscher; S.L. Schmikli; Michel S. Brink

2013-01-01

Abstract The aim of the present study was to find early markers for overreaching that are applicable in sport practice. In a group of elite soccer players aged 15–18, the stress–recovery balance and reaction times before and after exercise were assessed. Overreaching was indicated by an elevated

Effects of Plyometric and Sprint Training on Physical and Technical Skill Performance in Adolescent Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Sáez de Villarreal, Eduardo; Suarez-Arrones, Luis; Requena, Bernardo; Haff, Gregory G; Ferrete, Carlos

2015-07-01

To determine the influence of a short-term combined plyometric and sprint training (9 weeks) within regular soccer practice on explosive and technical actions of pubertal soccer players during the in-season. Twenty-six players were randomly assigned to 2 groups: control group (CG) (soccer training only) and combined group (CombG) (plyometric + acceleration + dribbling + shooting). All players trained soccer 4 times per week and the experimental groups supplemented the soccer training with a proposed plyometric-sprint training program for 40 minutes (2 days per weeks). Ten-meter sprint, 10-m agility with and without ball, CMJ and Abalakov vertical jump, ball-shooting speed, and Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test were measured before and after training. The experimental group followed a 9-week plyometric and sprint program (i.e., jumping, hurdling, bouncing, skipping, and footwork) implemented before the soccer training. Baseline-training results showed no significant differences between the groups in any of the variables tested. No improvement was found in the CG; however, meaningful improvement was found in all variables in the experimental group: CMJ (effect size [ES] = 0.9), Abalakov vertical jump (ES = 1.3), 10-m sprint (ES = 0.7-0.9), 10-m agility (ES = 0.8-1.2), and ball-shooting speed (ES = 0.7-0.8). A specific combined plyometric and sprint training within regular soccer practice improved explosive actions compared with conventional soccer training only. Therefore, the short-term combined program had a beneficial impact on explosive actions, such as sprinting, change of direction, jumping, and ball-shooting speed which are important determinants of match-winning actions in soccer performance. Therefore, we propose modifications to current training methodology for pubertal soccer players to include combined plyometric and speed training for athlete preparation in this sport.

Using budget-friendly methods to analyze sport specific movements

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Lindsay; Williams, Sarah; Ferrara, Davon

2015-03-01

When breaking down the physics behind sport specific movements, athletes, usually professional, are often assessed in multimillion-dollar laboratories and facilities. Budget-friendly methods, such as video analysis using low-cost cameras, iPhone sensors, or inexpensive force sensors can make this process more accessible to amateur athletes, which in-turn can give insight into injury mechanisms. Here we present a comparison of two methods of determining the forces experienced by a cheerleader during co-education stunting and soccer goalies while side-diving. For the cheerleader, accelerometer measurements were taken by an iPhone 5 and compared to video analysis. The measurements done on the soccer players were taken using FlexiForce force sensors and again compared to video analysis. While these budget-friendly methods could use some refining, they show promise for producing usable measurements for possibly increasing our understanding of injury in amateur players. Furthermore, low-cost physics experiments with sports can foster an active learning environment for students with minimum physics and mathematical background.

Relationship between Nutrition Knowledge and Physical Fitness in Semiprofessional Soccer Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. T. Nikolaidis

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Whereas nutrition has a crucial role on sport performance, it is not clear to what extent nutrition knowledge is associated with physical fitness. The aim of this study was to examine the current level of nutrition knowledge of soccer players and whether this level is associated with physical fitness. Soccer players (n=185, aged 21.3±4.9 yr, weight 72.3±8.4 kg, and height 177.5±6.4 cm performed a battery of physical fitness tests (sit-and-reach test, SAR; physical working capacity in heart rate 170, PWC170; and Wingate anaerobic test, WAnT and completed an 11-item nutrition knowledge questionnaire (NKQ. Low to moderate Pearson correlations (0.15Soccer players with high score in NKQ were older (4.4 yr (2.2; 6.6, mean difference (95% confidence intervals and heavier (4.5 kg (0.6; 8.3 with higher FFM (4.0 kg (1.1; 6.8 and peak power (59 W (2; 116 than their counterparts with low score. The moderate score in the NKQ suggests that soccer players should be targeted for nutrition education. Although the association between NKQ and physical fitness was low to moderate, there were indications that better nutrition knowledge might result in higher physical fitness and, consequently, soccer performance.

Eccentric Exercises Reduce Hamstring Strains in Elite Adult Male Soccer Players: A Critically Appraised Topic.

Science.gov (United States)

Shadle, Ian B; Cacolice, Paul A

2017-11-01

Clinical Scenario: Hamstring strains are a common sport-related injury, which may limit athletic performance for an extended period of time. These injuries are common in the soccer setting. As such, it is important to determine an appropriate prevention program to minimize the risk of such an injury for these athletes. Eccentric hamstring training may be an effective and practical hamstring strain prevention strategy. What is the effect of eccentric exercises on hamstring strain prevention in adult male soccer players? Summary of Key Findings: Current literature was searched for studies of level 2 evidence or higher that investigated the effect of eccentric exercises in preventing hamstring strains in adult male soccer players. Three articles returned from the literature search met the inclusion criteria. A fourth article looked at differences in strength gains between eccentric and concentric hamstring strengthening exercises, but did not record hamstring strain incidence. A fifth article, a systematic review, met all the criteria except for the correct population. Of the 3 studies, 2 were randomized control trails and 1 was a cohort study. Clinical Bottom Line: There is robust supportive evidence that eccentric hamstring exercises can prevent a hamstring injury to an elite adult male soccer player. Therefore, it is recommended that athletic trainers and other sports medicine providers evaluate current practices relating to reducing hamstring strains and consider implementing eccentric exercise based prevention programs. Strength of Recommendation: All evidence was attained from articles with a level of evidence 2b or higher, based on the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) criteria, stating that eccentric exercises can decrease hamstring strains.

Determination of the effects of playing soccer on physical fitness in individuals with transtibial amputation.

Science.gov (United States)

Guchan, Zehra; Bayramlar, Kezban; Ergun, Nevin

2017-06-01

The aim of this paper is to determine the effects of playing soccer on various components of physical performance such as body composition, muscular endurance, anaerobic power, flexibility, balance, and speed of individuals with transtibial amputation. Twelve amputee football players aged 26.67±7.76 years and twelve sedentary individuals aged 33±6.7 years were involved in this study. Body composition, and isotonic and isometric endurance of trunk muscles were assessed. Vertical jump test, sit-and-reach test, modified Thomas test, Berg Balance Scale, L test, and figure-of-eight walk (F8W) test were used to assess other physical fitness parameters. The Body Mass Index, waist circumference and body fat percentages of the amputee soccer players were significantly lower than the sedentary amputees (Psoccer group (119.33±47.15 s) than the endurance in the control group (26.25±15.96 s) (Psoccer group had significantly higher anaerobic power than those in the control group (Psoccer group (P=0.002), whereas the modified Thomas test, which is also used to measure flexibility, indicated no significant difference among both groups (P>0.05). Balance was higher in the soccer group (P=0.023). The completion period of the F8W test was significantly lower in the soccer group (4.54±0.9 s) than in the control group (7.71±2.25 s) (Psoccer on physical fitness parameters of amputees, but further studies with randomized controlled trials, with larger populations, and with other sport branches should be conducted to motivate all amputees to participate in sports.

The Role of Involvement and Pride in Price Bundling Consumption Decisions: A Study on Soccer Match Tickets in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Hoffmann Sampaio

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the influence of price bundling on decision to buy and consume soccer match tickets in Brazil, also testing the effect that pride and involvement play in purchase decisions. The marketing literature shows solid evidence that price bundling influences consumers decisions. Therefore, studies found the occurrence of a phenomenon called transaction decoupling which involves the level of coupling of costs and benefits of consumption situations and could be a strong motivational factor moderating in this relationship. In the sports context, another variable that may influence on fans is pride. This sentiment is the keystone of sports consumption and the fans are driven by it. Thereby, the involvement and pride variables are tested as possible moderating effects on soccer matches tickets consumption. We designed an experiment to test these relationships. Results indicate a direct effect of involvement on transaction decoupling, but not of price bundling or pride. People more highly involved with soccer game were more likely to attend matches due to their greater attention to irrecoverable costs, and experience more pain, regret, repurchase intention and sense of waste than less involved individuals. Performance does not seem to influence people’s decision-making process, as it is merely one of the antecedents in rooting for a team. The main contribution of this paper is show that coupling of transaction costs and benefits can be motivated by the intensity of the relationship between an individual and a sports objective.  

Dental and facial injuries following sports accidents: a study of 130 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, C M; Crosher, R F; Mason, D A

1985-08-01

Details of injuries to the face and teeth have been collected over a five-year period. One hundred and thirty patients were seen with injuries resulting from 21 different sports. Estimates of the numbers of people playing various team sports in the Bradford area suggest that the incidence of facial injuries is most common in rugby, followed by soccer and cricket. Miniature motor cycling and horse-riding are the most dangerous individual sports. The ages of injured patients varied widely in different sports, but the severity of injuries sustained is less than those due to other causes.

Yin and yang, or peas in a pod? Individual-sport versus team-sport athletes and altitude training.

Science.gov (United States)

Aughey, Robert J; Buchheit, Martin; Garvican-Lewis, Laura A; Roach, Gregory D; Sargent, Charli; Billaut, François; Varley, Matthew C; Bourdon, Pitre C; Gore, Christopher J

2013-12-01

The question of whether altitude training can enhance subsequent sea-level performance has been well investigated over many decades. However, research on this topic has focused on athletes from individual or endurance sports, with scant number of studies on team-sport athletes. Questions that need to be answered include whether this type of training may enhance team-sport athlete performance, when success in team-sport is often more based on technical and tactical ability rather than physical capacity per se. This review will contrast and compare athletes from two sports representative of endurance (cycling) and team-sports (soccer). Specifically, we draw on the respective competition schedules, physiological capacities, activity profiles and energetics of each sport to compare the similarities between athletes from these sports and discuss the relative merits of altitude training for these athletes. The application of conventional live-high, train-high; live-high, train-low; and intermittent hypoxic training for team-sport athletes in the context of the above will be presented. When the above points are considered, we will conclude that dependent on resources and training objectives, altitude training can be seen as an attractive proposition to enhance the physical performance of team-sport athletes without the need for an obvious increase in training load.

Yin and yang, or peas in a pod? Individual-sport versus team-sport athletes and altitude training

Science.gov (United States)

Aughey, Robert J; Buchheit, Martin; Garvican-Lewis, Laura A; Roach, Gregory D; Sargent, Charli; Billaut, François; Varley, Matthew C; Bourdon, Pitre C; Gore, Christopher J

2013-01-01

The question of whether altitude training can enhance subsequent sea-level performance has been well investigated over many decades. However, research on this topic has focused on athletes from individual or endurance sports, with scant number of studies on team-sport athletes. Questions that need to be answered include whether this type of training may enhance team-sport athlete performance, when success in team-sport is often more based on technical and tactical ability rather than physical capacity per se. This review will contrast and compare athletes from two sports representative of endurance (cycling) and team-sports (soccer). Specifically, we draw on the respective competition schedules, physiological capacities, activity profiles and energetics of each sport to compare the similarities between athletes from these sports and discuss the relative merits of altitude training for these athletes. The application of conventional live-high, train-high; live-high, train-low; and intermittent hypoxic training for team-sport athletes in the context of the above will be presented. When the above points are considered, we will conclude that dependent on resources and training objectives, altitude training can be seen as an attractive proposition to enhance the physical performance of team-sport athletes without the need for an obvious increase in training load. PMID:24255910

Sport and active recreation injuries in Australia: evidence from emergency department presentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Finch, C; Valuri, G; Ozanne-Smith, J

1998-09-01

Despite the rise in specialist clinical services for the management of sports and active recreation injury, many patients attend hospital emergency departments for treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe sports injury cases presented to selected hospital emergency departments around Australia for the period 1989-1993. Routinely collected emergency department injury presentation data from the Australian National Injury Surveillance Unit were examined. Data on 98,040 sports and active recreation emergency department presentations were analysed. Sports and active recreation activities were ranked according to frequency of presentation. Relative proportions of injury type and body region injured were determined. Data are presented separately for children (15 years of age). Among the 10 activities that most commonly led to a sports or active recreation injury presentation for all ages were cycling, Australian football, basketball, soccer, cricket, netball, and rugby. For children, injuries were also commonly associated with roller skating/blading, skateboarding, and trampolining. Hockey, martial arts, and dancing injuries were frequent in adults. Most sporting injuries occurred during organised competition or practice whereas the active recreation injuries occurred in a variety of settings. Fractures, strains, and sprains, particularly to the lower and upper extremities, were common types of injury. The rich, but nevertheless limited, information available about sports and active recreation injuries from data collected in emergency departments indicates that these activities are a common context for injury at the community level in Australia.

Sport and active recreation injuries in Australia: evidence from emergency department presentations

Science.gov (United States)

Finch, C.; Valuri, G.; Ozanne-Smith, J.

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Despite the rise in specialist clinical services for the management of sports and active recreation injury, many patients attend hospital emergency departments for treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe sports injury cases presented to selected hospital emergency departments around Australia for the period 1989-1993. METHODS: Routinely collected emergency department injury presentation data from the Australian National Injury Surveillance Unit were examined. Data on 98,040 sports and active recreation emergency department presentations were analysed. Sports and active recreation activities were ranked according to frequency of presentation. Relative proportions of injury type and body region injured were determined. Data are presented separately for children (15 years of age). RESULTS: Among the 10 activities that most commonly led to a sports or active recreation injury presentation for all ages were cycling, Australian football, basketball, soccer, cricket, netball, and rugby. For children, injuries were also commonly associated with roller skating/blading, skateboarding, and trampolining. Hockey, martial arts, and dancing injuries were frequent in adults. Most sporting injuries occurred during organised competition or practice whereas the active recreation injuries occurred in a variety of settings. Fractures, strains, and sprains, particularly to the lower and upper extremities, were common types of injury. CONCLUSION: The rich, but nevertheless limited, information available about sports and active recreation injuries from data collected in emergency departments indicates that these activities are a common context for injury at the community level in Australia. 


 PMID:9773170

Traumatic deep vein thrombosis in a soccer player: A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Upshur Ross EG

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract A 42 year-old male former semi-professional soccer player sustained a right lower extremity popliteal contusion during a soccer game. He was clinically diagnosed with a possible traumatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT, and sent for confirmatory tests. A duplex doppler ultrasound was positive for DVT, and the patient was admitted to hospital for anticoagulation (unfractionated heparin, warfarin. Upon discharge from hospital the patient continued oral warfarin anticoagulation (six months, and the use of compression stockings (nine months. He followed up with his family doctor at regular intervals for serial coagulation measurements, and ultrasound examinations. The patient's only identified major thrombotic risk factor was the traumatic injury. One year after the initial deep vein thrombosis (DVT the patient returned to contact sport, however he continued to have intermittent symptoms of right lower leg pain and right knee effusion. Athletes can develop vascular injuries in a variety of contact and non-contact sports. Trauma is one of the most common causes of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT, however athletic injuries involving lower extremity traumatic DVT are seldom reported. This diagnosis and the associated risk factors must be considered during the initial physical examination. The primary method of radiological diagnosis of lower extremity DVT is a complete bilateral duplex sonography, which can be augmented by other methods such as evidence-based risk factor analysis. Antithrombotic medication is the current standard of treatment for DVT. Acute thrombolytic treatment has demonstrated an improved therapeutic efficacy, and a decrease in post-DVT symptoms. There is a lack of scientific literature concerning the return to sport protocol following a DVT event. Athletic individuals who desire to return to sport after a DVT need to be fully informed about their treatment and risk of reoccurrence, so that appropriate decisions can be

Mechanisms of team-sport-related brain injuries in children 5 to 19 years old: opportunities for prevention.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D Cusimano

Full Text Available There is a gap in knowledge about the mechanisms of sports-related brain injuries. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanisms of brain injuries among children and youth participating in team sports.We conducted a retrospective case series of brain injuries suffered by children participating in team sports. The Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP database was searched for brain injury cases among 5-19 year-olds playing ice hockey, soccer, American football (football, basketball, baseball, or rugby between 1990 and 2009. Mechanisms of injury were classified as "struck by player," "struck by object," "struck by sport implement," "struck surface," and "other." A descriptive analysis was performed.There were 12,799 brain injuries related to six team sports (16.2% of all brain injuries registered in CHIRPP. Males represented 81% of injuries and the mean age was 13.2 years. Ice hockey accounted for the greatest number of brain injuries (44.3%, followed by soccer (19.0% and football (12.9%. In ice hockey, rugby, and basketball, striking another player was the most common injury mechanism. Football, basketball, and soccer also demonstrated high proportions of injuries due to contact with an object (e.g., post among younger players. In baseball, a common mechanism in the 5-9 year-old group was being hit with a bat as a result of standing too close to the batter (26.1% males, 28.3% females.Many sports-related brain injury mechanisms are preventable. The results suggest that further efforts aimed at universal rule changes, safer playing environments, and the education of coaches, players, and parents should be targeted in maximizing prevention of sport-related brain injury using a multifaceted approach.

Soccer Players Formation: Historical and Process Bases for Development in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Furegato Moraes

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This article aims to demonstrate how Brazilian literature describes the historical process of soccer player’s development - especially regarding periods, learning sites, educational agents and methods. This research also aims to present a brief historical overview on the process, filling a gap on this subject. Thus, we performed a systematic review based on dissertations, thesis, and articles in Capes Periodical Portal. Due to the low number of studies, we used quoted works and books about the subject. The analysis considered the categorization of the material in five chronological periods that depict the evolution of training process in Brazil, which showed that soccer training started with an elitist model - held mainly in social and sports clubs – and evolved to a popular, informal and free practice, held in the streets and informal fields. The sport later became fully formalized - restricted, controlled and based on scientific methods, being held in the development categories of traditional clubs and clubs-company in order to form players “to sell”. The findings allow us to achieve a synthesis containing all training periods, leading educational agents and teaching methodologies employed in each of them, which may serve as reference for future studies and new researches.

A study on the birth and globalization of sports originated from each continent

OpenAIRE

Lee, Byung Jin; Kim, Tae Young

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research is to see how continent specific sports rose to its modern-day status through globalization. This research focuses on the historical background of how England?s football, America?s national pastime, baseball, Japan?s Judo, and Korea?s Taekwondo developed into sports in addition to the reasoning behind its globalization. Promoted by England and the rest of the European continent, Soccer is considered to be one of the world?s most popular sports and has served its f...

Sport Skill-Specific Expertise Biases Sensory Integration for Spatial Referencing and Postural Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Thalassinos, Michalis; Fotiadis, Giorgos; Arabatzi, Fotini; Isableu, Brice; Hatzitaki, Vassilia

2017-09-15

The authors asked how sport expertise modulates visual field dependence and sensory reweighting for controlling posture. Experienced soccer athletes, ballet dancers, and nonathletes performed (a) a Rod and Frame test and (b) a 100-s bipedal stance task during which vision and proprioception were successively or concurrently disrupted in 20-s blocks. Postural adaptation was assessed in the mean center of pressure displacement, root mean square of center of pressure velocity and ankle muscles integrated electromyography activity. Soccer athletes were more field dependent than were nonathletes. During standing, dancers were more destabilized by vibration and required more time to reweigh sensory information compared with the other 2 groups. These findings reveal a sport skill-specific bias in the reweighing of sensory inputs for spatial orientation and postural control.

Designing information visualizations for elite soccer children's different levels of comprehension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herdal, Thor; Pedersen, Jeppe Gerner; Knudsen, Søren

2016-01-01

We describe a study that sought to understand elite soccer children's use of visualizations to learn about, and improve their own sports performance. We specifically investigate how visualizations support the players' data comprehension. In this process, we design and evaluate visualizations base...... on real data. Finally, we discuss how the players' level of comprehension might depend on factors such as their general literacy and visualization literacy, and the role of visualization in coaching children....

Do Elite and Amateur Soccer Players Outperform Non-Athletes on Neurocognitive Functioning? A Study Among 8-12 Year Old Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Verburgh, Lot; Scherder, Erik J A; Van Lange, Paul A M; Oosterlaan, Jaap

2016-01-01

Research suggested a positive association between physical fitness and neurocognitive functioning in children. Aim of the present study is to investigate possible dose-response relationships between diverse daily physical activities and a broad range of neurocognitive functions in preadolescent children. Furthermore, the relationship between several sedentary behaviours, including TV-watching, gaming and computer time, and neurocognitive functioning will be investigated in this group of children. A total of 168 preadolescent boys, aged 8 to 12 years, were recruited from various locations, including primary schools, an amateur soccer club, and a professional soccer club, to increase variability in the amount of participation in sports. All children performed neurocognitive tasks measuring inhibition, short term memory, working memory, attention and information processing speed. Regression analyses examined the predictive power of a broad range of physical activities, including sports, active transport to school, physical education (PE), outdoor play, and sedentary behaviour such as TV-watching and gaming, for neurocognitive functioning. Time spent in sports significantly accounted for the variance in inhibition, short term memory, working memory and lapses of attention, where more time spent in sports was associated with better performance. Outdoor play was also positively associated with working memory. In contrast, time spent on the computer was negatively associated with inhibition. Results of the current study suggest a positive relationship between participation in sports and several important neurocognitive functions. Interventions are recommended to increase sports participation and to reduce sedentary behaviour in preadolescent children.

Do Elite and Amateur Soccer Players Outperform Non-Athletes on Neurocognitive Functioning? A Study Among 8-12 Year Old Children.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lot Verburgh

Full Text Available Research suggested a positive association between physical fitness and neurocognitive functioning in children. Aim of the present study is to investigate possible dose-response relationships between diverse daily physical activities and a broad range of neurocognitive functions in preadolescent children. Furthermore, the relationship between several sedentary behaviours, including TV-watching, gaming and computer time, and neurocognitive functioning will be investigated in this group of children.A total of 168 preadolescent boys, aged 8 to 12 years, were recruited from various locations, including primary schools, an amateur soccer club, and a professional soccer club, to increase variability in the amount of participation in sports. All children performed neurocognitive tasks measuring inhibition, short term memory, working memory, attention and information processing speed. Regression analyses examined the predictive power of a broad range of physical activities, including sports, active transport to school, physical education (PE, outdoor play, and sedentary behaviour such as TV-watching and gaming, for neurocognitive functioning.Time spent in sports significantly accounted for the variance in inhibition, short term memory, working memory and lapses of attention, where more time spent in sports was associated with better performance. Outdoor play was also positively associated with working memory. In contrast, time spent on the computer was negatively associated with inhibition.Results of the current study suggest a positive relationship between participation in sports and several important neurocognitive functions. Interventions are recommended to increase sports participation and to reduce sedentary behaviour in preadolescent children.

WAVE~Ripples for Change Obesity Two-Year Intervention in High School Soccer Players: Process Evaluation, Best Practices, and Youth Engagement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Meng

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the process data on program fidelity, best practices for intervention implementation, youth and coach engagement, and youth application of knowledge and skills for the two-year WAVE~Ripples for Change (WAVE obesity prevention intervention program focused on healthy eating, physical activity, and life skills with high school (HS soccer players aged 14–19 years. Internal (staff: n = 7; volunteers: n = 27 and external (youth: n = 100; coaches: n = 9 stakeholders were interviewed/ surveyed. Staff rated program fidelity as high (94%, as did volunteers (85%. Best practices included coach encouragement for athlete participation, use of on-line consent for enrollment, building relationships with HS staff to complete assessments, sending text reminders, and providing incentives. Study results showed an enrollment rate of 72%, completion of baseline assessments of 89–98%, attendance of sports nutrition lessons in Year 1 and Year 2 of 90% and 39%, respectively, and team-building workshop (TBW attendance of 25–31%. Activities exceeding youth expectations (>90% included, (1 activities with their soccer team; (2 the TBW-cooking; and (3 sports nutrition lessons. The obesity prevention skills most applied by youth were obtained from the TBW-gardening and harvesting (49%, the TBW-cooking (43%, and sports nutrition lessons (44%. Coaches also rated the sports nutrition lessons highly and reported increased awareness for hydration/fueling during sport by the athletes. Using sport teams/clubs to engage youth in obesity prevention is a feasible model for future study.

Frequency of spondylolysis and chronic low back pain in young soccer players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Vaz De Lima

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To demonstrate the safety of soccer for adolescents in terms of chronic lesions of the lumbar spine, particularly spondylolysis. Methods: 54 young players underwent a pre-season assessment. The athletes were submitted to radiography of the lumbosacral spine. Players complaining of chronic low back pain were later submitted to more specific tests. Results: only 1 athlete (1.85 % of our sample had complaints of chronic low back pain. In this case, the radiograph showed olisthesis grade I spondylolysis at the L5 level. Conclusion: Soccer proved to be a very safe sport in terms of the risk of developing chronic lesions of the lumbosacral spine. However, the actual incidence of spondylolysis in these athletes was not determined because only plain radiographs were used in this study.

The wisdom of ignorant crowds: Predicting sport outcomes by mere recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan M. Herzog

2011-02-01

Full Text Available that bets on the fact that people's recognition knowledge of names is a proxy for their competitiveness: In sports, it predicts that the better-known team or player wins a game. We present two studies on the predictive power of recognition in forecasting soccer games (World Cup 2006 and UEFA Euro 2008 and analyze previously published results. The performance of the collective recognition heuristic is compared to two benchmarks: predictions based on official rankings and aggregated betting odds. Across three soccer and two tennis tournaments, the predictions based on recognition performed similar to those based on rankings; when compared with betting odds, the heuristic fared reasonably well. Forecasts based on rankings---but not on betting odds---were improved by incorporating collective recognition information. We discuss the use of recognition for forecasting in sports and conclude that aggregating across individual ignorance spawns collective wisdom.

Sport and Sex-Specific Reporting Trends in the Epidemiology of Concussions Sustained by High School Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schallmo, Michael S; Weiner, Joseph A; Hsu, Wellington K

2017-08-02

Approximately 300,000 U.S. adolescents sustain concussions annually while participating in organized athletics. This study aimed to track sex and sport-specific trends among high school sports-related concussions over time, to identify whether a particular sport predisposes athletes to a higher risk, and to assess whether traumatic brain injury law enactments have been successful in improving recognition. Injury data for academic years 2005 to 2014 were collected from annual reports generated by High School RIO (Reporting Information Online). The relative proportions of total estimated concussions to total estimated injuries were compared using an injury proportion ratio. The concussion rate was defined as the number of concussions per 10,000 athlete exposures (1 athlete participating in 1 practice or competition), with rates compared using a rate ratio. To evaluate the impact of legislation on sports-related concussions in this population, trends in concussion rates and proportions were analyzed before enactment (academic years 2005-2009) and after enactment (academic years 2010-2014). Between 2005-2006 and 2014-2015, a significant increase (p concussions for all sports combined, the overall concussion rate (rate ratio, 2.30 [95% confidence interval, 2.04 to 2.59]), and the overall proportion of concussions (injury proportion ratio, 2.68 [95% confidence interval, 2.66 to 2.70]) was seen. Based on the injury proportion ratio, during the 2014-2015 academic year, concussions were more common in girls' soccer than in any other sport (p concussion prevention and recognition measures continue to be emphasized in high school contact sports. The data in our study suggest that significant increases in the overall rate and proportion of reported concussions during the past decade could have been affected by traumatic brain injury legislation. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that girls' soccer players may have an even greater risk of sustaining a concussion

Terminology and nomenclature in sport and exercise medicine

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The example set by cricket was followed by soccer[2] and then rugby[3]. Both documents go into detail about the definitions of injury and factors to consider in calculating exposure in the respective sports. This results in studies on the incidence of injury being expressed in a comparable way. As with the research in cricket, ...

Effects of age on the soccer-specific cognitive-motor performance of elite young soccer players: Comparison between objective measurements and coaches’ evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Chauvin, Alan; Chassot, Steve; Chenevière, Xavier; Taube, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

The cognitive-motor performance (CMP), defined here as the capacity to rapidly use sensory information and transfer it into efficient motor output, represents a major contributor to performance in almost all sports, including soccer. Here, we used a high-technology system (COGNIFOOT) which combines a visual environment simulator fully synchronized with a motion capture system. This system allowed us to measure objective real-time CMP parameters (passing accuracy/speed and response times) in a large turf-artificial grass playfield. Forty-six (46) young elite soccer players (including 2 female players) aged between 11 and 16 years who belonged to the same youth soccer academy were tested. Each player had to pass the ball as fast and as accurately as possible towards visual targets projected onto a large screen located 5.32 meters in front of him (a short pass situation). We observed a linear age-related increase in the CMP: the passing accuracy, speed and reactiveness of players improved by 4 centimeters, 2.3 km/h and 30 milliseconds per year of age, respectively. These data were converted into 5 point-scales and compared to the judgement of expert coaches, who also used a 5 point-scale to evaluate the same CMP parameters but based on their experience with the players during games and training. The objectively-measured age-related CMP changes were also observed in expert coaches’ judgments although these were more variable across coaches and age categories. This demonstrates that high-technology systems like COGNIFOOT can be used in complement to traditional approaches of talent identification and to objectively monitor the progress of soccer players throughout a cognitive-motor training cycle. PMID:28953958

Effects of age on the soccer-specific cognitive-motor performance of elite young soccer players: Comparison between objective measurements and coaches' evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicheur, Halim; Chauvin, Alan; Chassot, Steve; Chenevière, Xavier; Taube, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

The cognitive-motor performance (CMP), defined here as the capacity to rapidly use sensory information and transfer it into efficient motor output, represents a major contributor to performance in almost all sports, including soccer. Here, we used a high-technology system (COGNIFOOT) which combines a visual environment simulator fully synchronized with a motion capture system. This system allowed us to measure objective real-time CMP parameters (passing accuracy/speed and response times) in a large turf-artificial grass playfield. Forty-six (46) young elite soccer players (including 2 female players) aged between 11 and 16 years who belonged to the same youth soccer academy were tested. Each player had to pass the ball as fast and as accurately as possible towards visual targets projected onto a large screen located 5.32 meters in front of him (a short pass situation). We observed a linear age-related increase in the CMP: the passing accuracy, speed and reactiveness of players improved by 4 centimeters, 2.3 km/h and 30 milliseconds per year of age, respectively. These data were converted into 5 point-scales and compared to the judgement of expert coaches, who also used a 5 point-scale to evaluate the same CMP parameters but based on their experience with the players during games and training. The objectively-measured age-related CMP changes were also observed in expert coaches' judgments although these were more variable across coaches and age categories. This demonstrates that high-technology systems like COGNIFOOT can be used in complement to traditional approaches of talent identification and to objectively monitor the progress of soccer players throughout a cognitive-motor training cycle.

Effects of age on the soccer-specific cognitive-motor performance of elite young soccer players: Comparison between objective measurements and coaches' evaluation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halim Hicheur

Full Text Available The cognitive-motor performance (CMP, defined here as the capacity to rapidly use sensory information and transfer it into efficient motor output, represents a major contributor to performance in almost all sports, including soccer. Here, we used a high-technology system (COGNIFOOT which combines a visual environment simulator fully synchronized with a motion capture system. This system allowed us to measure objective real-time CMP parameters (passing accuracy/speed and response times in a large turf-artificial grass playfield. Forty-six (46 young elite soccer players (including 2 female players aged between 11 and 16 years who belonged to the same youth soccer academy were tested. Each player had to pass the ball as fast and as accurately as possible towards visual targets projected onto a large screen located 5.32 meters in front of him (a short pass situation. We observed a linear age-related increase in the CMP: the passing accuracy, speed and reactiveness of players improved by 4 centimeters, 2.3 km/h and 30 milliseconds per year of age, respectively. These data were converted into 5 point-scales and compared to the judgement of expert coaches, who also used a 5 point-scale to evaluate the same CMP parameters but based on their experience with the players during games and training. The objectively-measured age-related CMP changes were also observed in expert coaches' judgments although these were more variable across coaches and age categories. This demonstrates that high-technology systems like COGNIFOOT can be used in complement to traditional approaches of talent identification and to objectively monitor the progress of soccer players throughout a cognitive-motor training cycle.

Football versus football: effect of topic on /r/ realization in American and English sports fans.

Science.gov (United States)

Love, Jessica; Walker, Abby

2013-12-01

Can the topic of a conversation, when heavily associated with a particular dialect region, influence how a speaker realizes a linguistic variable? We interviewed fans of English Premier League soccer at a pub in Columbus, Ohio. Nine speakers of British English and eleven speakers of American English were interviewed about their favorite American football and English soccer teams. We present evidence that the soccer fans in this speech community produce variants more consistent with Standard American English when talking about American football than English soccer. Specifically, speakers were overall more /r/-ful (F3 values were lower in rhotic environments) when talking about their favorite American football team. Numeric trends in the data also suggest that exposure to both American and British English, being a fan of both sports, and task may mediate these effects.

Pediatric sports-related traumatic brain injury in United States trauma centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, John K; Winkler, Ethan A; Burke, John F; Chan, Andrew K; Dhall, Sanjay S; Berger, Mitchel S; Manley, Geoffrey T; Tarapore, Phiroz E

2016-04-01

OBJECTIVE Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children is a significant public health concern estimated to result in over 500,000 emergency department (ED) visits and more than 60,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually. Sports activities are one important mechanism leading to pediatric TBI. In this study, the authors characterize the demographics of sports-related TBI in the pediatric population and identify predictors of prolonged hospitalization and of increased morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS Utilizing the National Sample Program of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB), the authors retrospectively analyzed sports-related TBI data from children (age 0-17 years) across 5 sports categories: fall or interpersonal contact (FIC), roller sports, skiing/snowboarding, equestrian sports, and aquatic sports. Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify predictors of prolonged length of stay (LOS) in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU), medical complications, inpatient mortality rates, and hospital discharge disposition. Statistical significance was assessed at α sports-related TBIs were recorded in the NTDB, and these injuries represented 11,614 incidents nationally after sample weighting. Fall or interpersonal contact events were the greatest contributors to sports-related TBI (47.4%). Mild TBI represented 87.1% of the injuries overall. Mean (± SEM) LOSs in the hospital and ICU were 2.68 ± 0.07 days and 2.73 ± 0.12 days, respectively. The overall mortality rate was 0.8%, and the prevalence of medical complications was 2.1% across all patients. Severities of head and extracranial injuries were significant predictors of prolonged hospital and ICU LOSs, medical complications, failure to discharge to home, and death. Hypotension on admission to the ED was a significant predictor of failure to discharge to home (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.03-0.07, p sports was independently associated with prolonged hospital LOS compared with FIC events (mean increase

A prospective study of injury and activity profile in elite soccer referees and assistant referees.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Wilson, F

2010-03-01

Injuries to soccer players have been extensively examined, but not the injury experience of referees and assistant referees. This study aimed to determine the injury incidence and activity profile of soccer match officials. A 12 month prospective cohort study was used to collect activity and injury data of 31 participants who reported their training and match exposure and their injury incidence by means of weekly online questionnaire. Study participants spent a mean of 2632 hrs training and 1704 hrs officiating over the 12 month study period. Thirty eight injuries were recorded, (8.8 injuries\\/1000 hr of training (CI 6.2 to 12.0) and 16.4 injuries\\/1000 hr for match officiating (CI 10.9 to 23.8)), (Risk Ratio 4.3, 2.1 to 8.9). Fifty five percent (CI 40 to 70%) of the injuries were to muscles, and 76% (CI 61 to 87%) were to the lower leg. Overuse injuries represented 61% (CI 45 to 74%) of all cases. Findings showed that the injury frequency rate associated with soccer referees is higher than that in a number of other non contact sports. The injury incidence associated with training for soccer referees is higher than that associated with training for soccer players. Further prospective studies are merited to examine effectiveness and availability of injury management programmes to establish the welfare of this population.

The Q-angle and sport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hahn, Thomas; Foldspang, Anders

1997-01-01

Quadriceps muscle contraction tends to straighten the Q angle. We expected that sports comprising a high amount of quadriceps training could be associated with low Q angles. The aim of the present study was to estimate the Q angle in athletes and to investigate its potential associations with par......Quadriceps muscle contraction tends to straighten the Q angle. We expected that sports comprising a high amount of quadriceps training could be associated with low Q angles. The aim of the present study was to estimate the Q angle in athletes and to investigate its potential associations...... with participation in sport. Three hundred and thirty-nine athletes had their Q angle measured. The mean of right-side Q angles was higher than left side, and the mean Q angle was higher in women than in men. The Q angle was positively associated with years of jogging, and negatively with years of soccer, swimming...... and sports participation at all. It is concluded that the use of Q angle measurements is questionable....

Solar soccer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2012-11-01

What do Italy and Germany have in common? The world's largest PV markets and world class soccer. But while PV systems are frequently found on the rooftops of Germany's soccer stadiums, Italy has left this potential largely untapped.

‘Re-branding’ women’s football by means of a new sports product

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cortsen, Kenneth

2017-01-01

Women’s football (soccer in the US) does not reach the same overall popularity levels as men’s football measured on a variety of factors, i.e. league attendances, participants, media attention, fan engagement or strength of business models as it translates into brand equity and revenue generation....... This article investigates how a new sports product, i.e. a new football (soccer ball) labelled ‘Sensational 1’, and its interaction with positive participation numbers concerning women’s football in Denmark can enhance the brand equity of women’s football in Denmark and exploit the associated commercial...... opportunities. In doing so, the article discusses how this development relates to factors like winning and success, passion and the business of sports, accountability and role models, brand articulation and marketability in the context of women’s football in Denmark....

The policies and practices of sports governing bodies in relation to assessing the safety of sports grounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Swan, Peter; Otago, Leonie; Finch, Caroline F; Payne, Warren R

2009-01-01

Sport is an important context for physical activity and it is critical that safe environments are provided for such activity. Sports safety is influenced by the presence of sports ground environmental hazards such as ground hardness, poorly maintained playing fields, surface irregularities and the presence of debris/rubbish. To reduce injury risk, sports governing bodies need to ensure regular assessment of grounds safety and the removal of identified hazards. This study describes sports ground safety guidelines and recommendations of a sample of sports governing bodies and provides recommendations for how they could be improved. Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with nominees of state governing bodies for Australian football, cricket, soccer and hockey. The use of matchday checklists to identify ground hazards, as mandated by insurance companies was widely promoted across all levels of play. Sports governing bodies had more direct involvement in assessing grounds used for higher level of play, than grounds used for community or junior sport. There was a general presumption that identified hazards on community grounds would be corrected by local councils or clubs before anyone played on them, but this was rarely monitored. Sports governing bodies run the risk of being negligent in their duty of care to sports participants if they do not formally monitor the implementation of their ground safety polices and guidelines. There is also further scope for sports bodies to work closely with insurers to develop ground safety assessment guidelines specific to their sport.

Developmental activities and the acquisition of superior anticipation and decision making in soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Roca, André; Williams, A Mark; Ford, Paul R

2012-01-01

We examined whether soccer players with varying levels of perceptual-cognitive expertise can be differentiated based on their engagement in various types and amounts of activity during their development. A total of 64 participants interacted with life-size video clips of 11 versus 11 dynamic situations in soccer, viewed from the first-person perspective of a central defender. They were required to anticipate the actions of their opponents and to make appropriate decisions as to how best to respond. Response accuracy scores were used to categorise elite players (n = 48) as high- (n = 16) and low-performing (n = 16) participants. A group of recreational players (n = 16) who had lower response accuracy scores compared to the elite groups acted as controls. The participation history profiles of players were recorded using retrospective recall questionnaires. The average hours accumulated per year during childhood in soccer-specific play activity was the strongest predictor of perceptual-cognitive expertise. Soccer-specific practice activity during adolescence was also a predictor, albeit its impact was relatively modest. No differences were reported across groups for number of other sports engaged in during development, or for some of the key milestones achieved. A number of implications for talent development are discussed.

Visual Soccer Analytics: Understanding the Characteristics of Collective Team Movement Based on Feature-Driven Analysis and Abstraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Stein

2015-10-01

Full Text Available With recent advances in sensor technologies, large amounts of movement data have become available in many application areas. A novel, promising application is the data-driven analysis of team sport. Specifically, soccer matches comprise rich, multivariate movement data at high temporal and geospatial resolution. Capturing and analyzing complex movement patterns and interdependencies between the players with respect to various characteristics is challenging. So far, soccer experts manually post-analyze game situations and depict certain patterns with respect to their experience. We propose a visual analysis system for interactive identification of soccer patterns and situations being of interest to the analyst. Our approach builds on a preliminary system, which is enhanced by semantic features defined together with a soccer domain expert. The system includes a range of useful visualizations to show the ranking of features over time and plots the change of game play situations, both helping the analyst to interpret complex game situations. A novel workflow includes improving the analysis process by a learning stage, taking into account user feedback. We evaluate our approach by analyzing real-world soccer matches, illustrate several use cases and collect additional expert feedback. The resulting findings are discussed with subject matter experts.

Mechanisms and situations of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in professional male soccer players: a YouTube-based video analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grassi, Alberto; Smiley, Stephen Paul; Roberti di Sarsina, Tommaso; Signorelli, Cecilia; Marcheggiani Muccioli, Giulio Maria; Bondi, Alice; Romagnoli, Matteo; Agostini, Alessandra; Zaffagnini, Stefano

2017-10-01

Soccer is considered the most popular sport in the world concerning both audience and athlete participation, and the incidence of ACL injury in this sport is high. The understanding of injury situations and mechanisms could be useful as substratum for preventive actions. To conduct a video analysis evaluating the situations and mechanisms of ACL injury in a homogeneous population of professional male soccer players, through a search entirely performed on the YouTube.com Web site focusing on the most recent years. A video analysis was conducted obtaining videos of ACL injury in professional male soccer players from the Web site YouTube. Details regarding injured players, events and situations were obtained. The mechanism of injury was defined on the basis of the action, duel type, contact or non-contact injury, and on the hip, knee and foot position. Thirty-four videos were analyzed, mostly from the 2014-2015 season. Injuries occurred mostly in the first 9 min of the match (26%), in the penalty area (32%) or near the side-lines (44%), and in non-rainy conditions (97%). Non-contact injuries occurred in 44% of cases, while indirect injuries occurred in 65%, mostly during pressing, dribbling or tackling. The most recurrent mechanism was with an abducted and flexed hip, with knee at first degrees of flexion and under valgus stress. Through a YouTube-based video analysis, it was possible to delineate recurrent temporal, spatial and mechanical characteristics of ACL injury in male professional soccer players. Level IV, case series.

Rumination and Performance in Dynamic, Team Sport

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Michael eRoy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available People high in rumination are good at tasks that require persistence whereas people low in rumination are good at tasks that require flexibility. Here we examine real world implications of these differences in dynamic, team sport. In two studies, we found that professional male football (soccer players from Germany and female field hockey players on the US national team were lower in rumination than were non-athletes. Further, low levels of rumination were associated with a longer career at a higher level in football players. Results indicate that athletes in dynamic, team sport might benefit from the flexibility associated with being low in rumination.

The Sport Education Model: A Track and Field Unit Application

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neil, Kason; Krause, Jennifer M.

2016-01-01

Track and field is a traditional instructional unit often taught in secondary physical education settings due to its history, variety of events, and potential for student interest. This article provides an approach to teaching this unit using the sport education model (SEM) of instruction, which has traditionally been presented as a model for team…

Sports medicine in The Netherlands: consultation with a sports physician without referral by a general practitioner

Science.gov (United States)

de Bruijn, Matthijs C; Kollen, Boudewijn J; Baarveld, Frank

2013-01-01

Background In The Netherlands, sports medicine physicians are involved in the care of about 8% of all sports injuries that occur each year. Some patients consult a sports physician directly, without being referred by a general practitioner. This study aims to determine how many patients consult a sports physician directly, and to explore differences in the profiles of these patients compared with those who are referred. Methods This was an exploratory cross-sectional study in which all new patients presenting with an injury to a regional sports medical center during September 2010 were identified. The characteristics of patients who self-referred and those who were referred by other medical professionals were compared. Results A total of 234 patients were included (mean age 33.7 years, 59.1% male). Most of the injuries occurred during soccer and running, particularly injuries of the knee and ankle. In this cohort, 39.3% of patients consulted a sports physician directly. These patients were significantly more often involved in individual sports, consulted a sports physician relatively rapidly after the onset of injury, and had received significantly less care before this new event from medical professionals compared with patients who were referred. Conclusion In this study, 39.3% of patients with sports injuries consulted a sports physician directly without being referred by another medical professional. The profile of this group of patients differed from that of patients who were referred. The specific roles of general practitioners and sports physicians in medical sports care in The Netherlands needs to be defined further. PMID:24379706

The relative age effect in European professional soccer: did ten years of research make any difference?

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Helsen, Werner F; Baker, Joseph; Michiels, Stijn; Schorer, Joerg; Van Winckel, Jan; Williams, A Mark

2012-01-01

The relative age effect (RAE) refers to an asymmetry in the birth-date distribution favouring players born early in the selection year and discriminating against participants born later in the year. While the RAE effect was initially reported in sport more than two decades ago, there have been few attempts to examine whether player selection strategies have changed over time in light of our improved understanding of the phenomenon. We compared the birth-date distributions of professional soccer players in ten European countries over a 10-year period involving the 2000-2001 and 2010-2011 competitive seasons, respectively. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests were used to compare differences between the observed and expected birth-date distributions across selection years. Generally, results indicated no change in the RAE over the past 10 years in professional soccer, emphasizing the robust nature of this phenomenon. We propose a change in the structure of youth involvement in soccer to reduce the impact of the RAE on talent identification and selection.

Goal or gold: overlapping reward processes in soccer players upon scoring and winning money.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Niklas Häusler

Full Text Available Social rewards are important incentives for human behavior. This is especially true in team sports such as the most popular one worldwide: soccer. We investigated reward processing upon scoring a soccer goal in a standard two-versus-one situation and in comparison to winning in a monetary incentive task. The results show a strong overlap in brain activity between the two conditions in established reward regions of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial pre-frontal cortex. The three main components of reward-associated learning, i.e., reward probability (RP, reward reception (RR and reward prediction errors (RPE showed highly similar activation in both con-texts, with only the RR and RPE components displaying overlapping reward activity. Passing and shooting behavior did not correlate with individual egoism scores, but we observe a positive correlation be-tween egoism and activity in the left middle frontal gyrus upon scoring after a pass versus a direct shot. Our findings suggest that rewards in the context of soccer and monetary incentives are based on similar neural processes.

Goal or Gold: Overlapping Reward Processes in Soccer Players upon Scoring and Winning Money

Science.gov (United States)

Häusler, Alexander Niklas; Becker, Benjamin; Bartling, Marcel; Weber, Bernd

2015-01-01

Social rewards are important incentives for human behavior. This is especially true in team sports such as the most popular one worldwide: soccer. We investigated reward processing upon scoring a soccer goal in a standard two-versus-one situation and in comparison to winning in a monetary incentive task. The results show a strong overlap in brain activity between the two conditions in established reward regions of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial pre-frontal cortex. The three main components of reward-associated learning i.e. reward probability (RP), reward reception (RR) and reward prediction errors (RPE) showed highly similar activation in both con-texts, with only the RR and RPE components displaying overlapping reward activity. Passing and shooting behavior did not correlate with individual egoism scores, but we observe a positive correlation be-tween egoism and activity in the left middle frontal gyrus upon scoring after a pass versus a direct shot. Our findings suggest that rewards in the context of soccer and monetary incentives are based on similar neural processes. PMID:25875594

A new method for comparing rankings through complex networks: Model and analysis of competitiveness of major European soccer leagues

Science.gov (United States)

Criado, Regino; García, Esther; Pedroche, Francisco; Romance, Miguel

2013-12-01

In this paper, we show a new technique to analyze families of rankings. In particular, we focus on sports rankings and, more precisely, on soccer leagues. We consider that two teams compete when they change their relative positions in consecutive rankings. This allows to define a graph by linking teams that compete. We show how to use some structural properties of this competitivity graph to measure to what extend the teams in a league compete. These structural properties are the mean degree, the mean strength, and the clustering coefficient. We give a generalization of the Kendall's correlation coefficient to more than two rankings. We also show how to make a dynamic analysis of a league and how to compare different leagues. We apply this technique to analyze the four major European soccer leagues: Bundesliga, Italian Lega, Spanish Liga, and Premier League. We compare our results with the classical analysis of sport ranking based on measures of competitive balance.

Physiological characteristics of elite soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Tumilty, D

1993-08-01

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. There is still much uncertainty and debate surrounding its physiological requirements because emphasis is on skills to the neglect of fitness, conservative training methods and the difficulty of studying the sport scientifically. The frequently found values for total distance covered in a game of about 10 km and an above-average, though not outstanding, maximum oxygen uptake of 60 ml/kg/min suggest a moderate overall aerobic demand. A comparison of top teams and players with less able participants indicates that the components of anaerobic fitness-speed, power, strength and the capacity of the lactic acid system may differentiate better between the 2 groups. Generally, there is a reduction in the level of activity in the second half of games compared with the first. There is some evidence that increased aerobic fitness may help counteract this. Progressively lower muscle glycogen stores are one likely cause of reduction in activity, and nutrition also appears to be a key factor in minimising performance deterioration, both in terms of overall diet and, more particularly, the ingestion of carbohydrates immediately before, during and after a game. There are evolutionary trends in the sport such as greater frequency of games, changes in the roles of players, and new strategies and tactics which are placing increasing demands on the all-round fitness of players. Many studies indicate scope for improvement in player fitness. The challenge for coaches and players is to meet these fitness requirements without sacrificing the skill work which makes the sport unique.

Students' Autobiographical Memory of Participation in Multiple Sport Education Seasons

Science.gov (United States)

Sinelnikov, Oleg A.; Hastie, Peter A.

2010-01-01

This study examines the recollections of the Sport Education experiences of a cohort of students (15 boys and 19 girls) who had participated in seasons of basketball, soccer and badminton across grades six through eight (average age at data collection = 15.6 years). Using autobiographic memory theory techniques, the students completed surveys and…

Nutritional profile of the Brazilian Amputee Soccer Team during the precompetition period for the world championship.

Science.gov (United States)

Innocencio da Silva Gomes, Ainá; Gonçalves Ribeiro, Beatriz; de Abreu Soares, Eliane

2006-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the dietary and anthropometric profiles of the Brazilian amputee soccer players during the training period before the world soccer amputee championship, according to their positional roles in the game. Fifteen male athletes participated in the study. Data on height, weight, skinfold thickness, and circumferences were collected to assess nutritional status. Dietary intake was obtained by using 6-d dietary records, analyzed by a Nutrition Support Program for total energy intake, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. One-way analysis of variance was used to identify differences in groups (P nutritional orientation and the lack of information about disabled sports and athletes highlights the need for more studies in this area.

[Adaptation of the MSCI for the measurement of cohesion in Spanish young soccer players].

Science.gov (United States)

García Quinteiro, Eva María; Rodríguez Casal, Mauro; Andrade, Elena M; Arce, Constantino

2006-08-01

This work describes the Spanish adaptation and studies the psychometric properties of Yukelson, Weinberg, and Jackson's Multidimensional Sport Cohesion Instrument (MSCI) with a sample of 173 soccer players. The Spanish version is composed of 22 items grouped in four factors: quality of teamwork (performance aspects), attraction to the group, valued roles and quality of teamwork (interpersonal relationships), that accounted for 53.30% of the total variance. Reliability coefficients (Cronbach's Alphas) for the factors ranged from .84 (factor 1) to .56 (factor 4). Suggestions are made for future research on the validity of the scale, mainly in terms of convergence with other multidimensional measures of sport cohesion.

Analýza struktury trhu práce: MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

OpenAIRE

Hrdina, Martin

2013-01-01

This thesis deals with the determination of the player labour market for the American professional sports league Major League Soccer (MLS). In the theoretical part I focus on the description of the league's development along with the salary politics rules. Using the two stages least square method in the empirical part I then provide the model for the estimation of player's marginal productivity (MRP). In the first step I explain the correlation between the percentages of obtained points by te...

Sports and Regional Growth in Sweden - Is a successful professional sports team good for regional economic growth?

OpenAIRE

Värja, Emelie

2014-01-01

This study investigates whether net inbound migration and per capita income growth of a municipality is affected when a local sports team enters or exits the premium national leagues in ice hockey or soccer in Sweden. Local governments frequently support a local professional team through direct subsidies; beneficial funding of arenas, etc., which often is motivated by alleged, positive externalities through effects on the attractiveness of the municipality as a leisure-travel destination, or ...

Brain-Behavior Mechanisms for the Transfer of Neuromuscular Training Adaptions to Simulated Sport: Initial Findings from the Train the Brain Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Grooms, Dustin R; Kiefer, Adam W; Riley, Michael A; Ellis, Jonathan D; Thomas, Staci; Kitchen, Katie; DiCesare, Christopher; Bonnette, Scott; Gadd, Brooke; Barber Foss, Kim D; Yuan, Weihong; Silva, Paula; Galloway, Ryan; Diekfuss, Jed; Leach, James; Berz, Kate; Myer, Gregory D

2018-03-27

A limiting factor for reducing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk is ensuring that the movement adaptions made during the prevention program transfer to sport-specific activity. Virtual reality provides a mechanism to assess transferability and neuroimaging provides a means to assay the neural processes allowing for such skill transfer. To determine the neural mechanisms for injury risk reducing biomechanics transfer to sport after ACL injury prevention training. Cohort study Setting: Research laboratory Participants: Four healthy high school soccer athletes. Participants completed augmented neuromuscular training utilizing real-time visual feedback. An unloaded knee extension task and a loaded leg-press task was completed with neuroimaging before and after training. A virtual reality soccer specific landing task was also competed following training to assess transfer of movement mechanics. Landing mechanics during the virtual reality soccer task and blood oxygen level dependent signal change during neuroimaging. Increased motor planning, sensory and visual region activity during unloaded knee extension and decreased motor cortex activity during loaded leg-press were highly correlated with improvements in landing mechanics (decreased hip adduction and knee rotation). Changes in brain activity may underlie adaptation and transfer of injury risk reducing movement mechanics to sport activity. Clinicians may be able to target these specific brain processes with adjunctive therapy to facilitate intervention improvements transferring to sport.

Incidence and body location of reported acute sport injuries in seven sports using a national insurance database.

Science.gov (United States)

Åman, M; Forssblad, M; Larsén, K

2018-03-01

Sports with high numbers of athletes and acute injuries are an important target for preventive actions at a national level. Both for the health of the athlete and to reduce costs associated with injury. The aim of this study was to identify injuries where injury prevention should focus, in order to have major impact on decreasing acute injury rates at a national level. All athletes in the seven investigated sport federations (automobile sports, basketball, floorball, football (soccer), handball, ice hockey, and motor sports) were insured by the same insurance company. Using this insurance database, the incidence and proportion of acute injuries, and injuries leading to permanent medical impairment (PMI), at each body location, was calculated. Comparisons were made between sports, sex, and age. In total, there were 84 754 registered injuries during the study period (year 2006-2013). Athletes in team sports, except in male ice hockey, had the highest risk to sustain an injury and PMI in the lower limb. Females had higher risk of injury and PMI in the lower limb compared to males, in all sports except in ice hockey. This study recommends that injury prevention at national level should particularly focus on lower limb injuries. In ice hockey and motor sports, head/neck and upper limb injuries also need attention. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seasonal Variation in Objectively Assessed Physical Activity among Young Norwegian Talented Soccer Players: A Description of Daily Physical Activity Level

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Stig A. Sæther, Nils P. Aspvik

2014-12-01

Full Text Available ‘Practise makes perfect’ is a well-known expression in most sports, including top-level soccer. However, a high training and match load increases the risk for injury, overtraining and burnout. With the use of accelerometers and a self-report questionnaire, the aim of this study was to describe talented players’ physical activity (PA level. Data were collected three times during the 2011 Norwegian Football season (March, June and October. The accelerometer output, counts·min–1 (counts per unit time registered, reports the daily PA-level for young talented soccer players. Results showed a stable PA-level across the season (March: 901.2 counts·min–1, June: 854.9 counts·min–1, October: 861.5 counts·min–1. Furthermore, comparison of five different training sessions across the season showed that the PA-level ranged from 2435.8 to 3745.4 counts·min–1. A one-way ANOVA showed no significant differences between the three measured weeks during the soccer season (p≤0.814. However, the training sessions in January had a significantly higher PA-level than those in June and October (p≤0.001. Based on these results, we discuss how potential implications of PA-level affect factors such as risk of injury, overtraining and burnout. We argue that player development must be seen as part of an overall picture in which club training and match load should be regarded as one of many variables influencing players’ PA-level.

Sport specialization's association with an increased risk of developing anterior knee pain in adolescent female athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Randon; Barber Foss, Kim; Hewett, Timothy E; Myer, Gregory D

2015-02-01

To determine if sport specialization increases the risk of anterior knee pain in adolescent female athletes. Retrospective cohort epidemiology study. Female basketball, soccer, and volleyball players (N = 546) were recruited from a single county public school district in Kentucky consisting of 5 middle schools and 4 high schools. A total of 357 multisport and 189 single-sport (66 basketball, 57 soccer, and 66 volleyball) athlete subjects were included due to their diagnosis of patellofemoral pain (PFP) on physical exam. Testing consisted of a standardized history and physician-administered physical examination to determine the presence of PFP. This study compared self-reported multisport athletes with sport-specialized athletes participating in only 1 sport. The sports-participation data were normalized by sport season, with each sport accounting for 1 season of exposure. Incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and used to determine significant differences between athletes who specialized in sport in early youth and multisport athletes. Specialization in a single sport increased the relative risk of PFP incidence 1.5-fold (95% CI 1.0-2.2, P = .038) for cumulative PFP diagnoses. Specific diagnoses such as Sinding Larsen Johansson/ patellar tendinopathy (95% CI 1.5-10.1, P = .005) and Osgood Schlatter disease (95% CI 1.5-10.1, P = .005) demonstrated a 4-fold greater relative risk in single-sport compared with multisport athletes. Incidence of other specific PFP diagnoses such as fat pad, plica, trauma, pes anserine bursitis, and iliotibial-band tendonitis was not different between single-sport and multisport participants (P > .05). Early sport specialization in female adolescents is associated with increased risk of anterior knee-pain disorders including PFP, Osgood Schlatter, Sinding Larsen-Johansson compared with multisport athletes.

SoccerNet: A Scalable Dataset for Action Spotting in Soccer Videos

KAUST Repository

Giancola, Silvio; Amine, Mohieddine; Dghaily, Tarek; Ghanem, Bernard

2018-01-01

In this paper, we introduce SoccerNet, a benchmark for action spotting in soccer videos. The dataset is composed of 500 complete soccer games from six main European leagues, covering three seasons from 2014 to 2017 and a total duration of 764 hours. A total of 6,637 temporal annotations are automatically parsed from online match reports at a one minute resolution for three main classes of events (Goal, Yellow/Red Card, and Substitution). As such, the dataset is easily scalable. These annotations are manually refined to a one second resolution by anchoring them at a single timestamp following well-defined soccer rules. With an average of one event every 6.9 minutes, this dataset focuses on the problem of localizing very sparse events within long videos. We define the task of spotting as finding the anchors of soccer events in a video. Making use of recent developments in the realm of generic action recognition and detection in video, we provide strong baselines for detecting soccer events. We show that our best model for classifying temporal segments of length one minute reaches a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 67.8%. For the spotting task, our baseline reaches an Average-mAP of 49.7% for tolerances $\\delta$ ranging from 5 to 60 seconds.

SoccerNet: A Scalable Dataset for Action Spotting in Soccer Videos

KAUST Repository

Giancola, Silvio

2018-04-12

In this paper, we introduce SoccerNet, a benchmark for action spotting in soccer videos. The dataset is composed of 500 complete soccer games from six main European leagues, covering three seasons from 2014 to 2017 and a total duration of 764 hours. A total of 6,637 temporal annotations are automatically parsed from online match reports at a one minute resolution for three main classes of events (Goal, Yellow/Red Card, and Substitution). As such, the dataset is easily scalable. These annotations are manually refined to a one second resolution by anchoring them at a single timestamp following well-defined soccer rules. With an average of one event every 6.9 minutes, this dataset focuses on the problem of localizing very sparse events within long videos. We define the task of spotting as finding the anchors of soccer events in a video. Making use of recent developments in the realm of generic action recognition and detection in video, we provide strong baselines for detecting soccer events. We show that our best model for classifying temporal segments of length one minute reaches a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 67.8%. For the spotting task, our baseline reaches an Average-mAP of 49.7% for tolerances $\\\\delta$ ranging from 5 to 60 seconds.

Perfectionism and perceptions of parenting styles in male youth soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sapieja, Klaudia M; Dunn J, G H; Holt, Nicholas L

2011-02-01

Although perfectionist orientations have been linked to a variety of cognitive, affective, and behavioral correlates in youth sport, little is known about antecedent factors that may influence adolescent athletes' perfectionist orientations. The purpose of this study was to determine whether perceptions of parenting styles differ as a function of adolescent athletes' perfectionist orientations. A total of 194 male youth soccer players (M age = 13.64 years; SD = 1.51; range, 10.67-16.25 years) completed measures of their perfectionist orientations in sport and of their perceptions of maternal and paternal parenting styles. Scores from the parenting style measure were calculated such that higher scores were reflective of higher parental authoritativeness (as perceived by the athletes). Cluster analyses conducted on perfectionism responses produced independent clusters of unhealthy perfectionists, healthy perfectionists, and nonperfectionists. MANOVA results revealed that both healthy- and nonperfectionists had significantly higher perceptions of maternal and paternal authoritativeness than unhealthy perfectionists (ps authoritative parenting may play a role in developing healthy perfectionist orientations (or decrease the likelihood of developing unhealthy perfectionist orientations) in youth sport.

Analysis of cohesion and collective efficacy profiles for the performance of soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Leo, Francisco M; Sánchez-Miguel, Pedro A; Sánchez-Oliva, David; Amado, Diana; García-Calvo, Tomás

2013-12-18

The principal aims of the study were to define different profiles of cohesion and perceived efficacy in soccer players and to measure their differences in performance. The subjects were 235 soccer players in the under-18 category who played in the National League in Spain and 15 coaches whose ages ranged from 29 to 45 years. Diverse instruments to assess cohesion, perceived efficacy, and expectations of success were used in the study. Moreover, we measured playing time and performance. The results of the study proved the existence of four cohesion and efficacy profiles that presented significant differences in expectations of success, playing time, and performance. Furthermore, significant differences were found in the distribution of players in the teams as a function of performance. The main conclusion of this study is that soccer players with higher cohesion and collective efficacy levels belonged to teams that completed the season at the top-level classification. In contrast, athletes with low cohesion and collective efficacy usually played in unsuccessful teams. Coaches and sports psychologists are encouraged to promote both social and task cohesion and collective efficacy to enhance team performance.

Relationship between Procedural Tactical Knowledge and Specific Motor Skills in Young Soccer Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Aquino

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between offensive tactical knowledge and the soccer-specific motor skills performance. Fifteen participants were submitted to two evaluation tests, one to assess their technical and tactical analysis. The motor skills performance was measured through four tests of technical soccer skills: ball control, shooting, passing and dribbling. The tactical performance was based on a tactical assessment system called FUT-SAT (Analyses of Procedural Tactical Knowledge in Soccer. Afterwards, technical and tactical evaluation scores were ranked with and without the use of the cluster method. A positive, weak correlation was perceived in both analyses (rho = 0.39, not significant p = 0.14 (with cluster analysis; and rho = 0.35; not significant p = 0.20 (without cluster analysis. We can conclude that there was a weak association between the technical and the offensive tactical knowledge. This shows the need to reflect on the use of such tests to assess technical skills in team sports since they do not take into account the variability and unpredictability of game actions and disregard the inherent needs to assess such skill performance in the game.

Two-year changes in anthropometric and motor ability values as talent identification indexes in youth soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirose, Norikazu; Seki, Taigo

2016-02-01

The present study examined 2-year changes in anthropometric variables and motor abilities in elite male youth soccer players to identify potential talent identification indexes. This was a cross-sequential study examining two different age groups at two time points. Height, weight, 40-m sprint speed, muscular power (5-step bounding), and change of direction (COD) ability (10 m×5 COD) were measured in 12- and 14-year-old soccer players and repeated after 2 years (at 14 and 16 years of age). Correlations and changes in ranking between the two measurements were determined. Both groups had small ranking changes in height (12-14-year-olds: r=0.80, 14-16-year-olds: r=0.89; ptalent identification index for youth soccer players. On the other hand, muscular power and COD ability is changeable during growth period suggests that these parameters is not useful for talent identification index. Copyright © 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMPARING THE COMPETITIVENESS BETWEEN BRAZILIAN AND EUROPEAN FOOTBALL (SOCCER (G-5 – INTERPRETATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

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Cláudio Vicente di Gioia F. Silva

2013-11-01

Full Text Available World sport has been seen as a growing industry, generating revenues of roughly US$ 1 trillion a year. Playing a major role in this industry, football (soccer is accountable for an annual turnover of approximately US$ 250 billion – Brazil’s share being approximately 1% of that amount. The growing marketing and globalization of football has brought up new topics such as: the risks associated with competitiveness; the need for professional management; creating corporate teams; sports strategies and marketing; accounting; accountability.This paper aims at: i understanding the risks associated with the competitiveness of football leagues; ii comparing the competitive balance in the five largest European football markets (Germany, Spain, France, England and Italy in relation with Brazilian football and; iii interpreting these results in view of the literature concerning sports administration.

Diagnostic imaging of injuries and overuse in soccer players; Bildgebende Diagnostik von Verletzungen und Ueberlastungsschaeden bei Fussballern

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Jonge, M.C. de; Maas, M.; Kuijk, C. van [Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2002-10-01

Soccer is one of the most popular sports worldwide. There is a high incidence of injuries in soccer in which several intrinsic and extrinsic factors play a part. Most injuries are minor, self-limiting and do not need extensive medical treatment or imaging. Imaging can be required for several reasons e.g. when the clinical findings are doubtful, to replace arthroscopy (i. e. of the knee) or for prognostic reasons. All imaging modalities available to the radiologist can be used but MRI is the most valuable imaging modality with its superior contrast resolution and multiplanar capabilities. Basically, injuries in the soccer player can occur anywhere in the body like in every sport. The lower extremities, more specific the knee and ankle, are however the most injured parts. (orig.) [German] Fussball ist eine der weltweit populaersten Sportarten, und Verletzungen sind mit hoher Inzidenz zu finden, wobei bestimmte intrinsische und extrinsische Faktoren eine pathogenetisch wesentliche Rolle spielen. Der Schweregrad von Verletzungen ist meist gering und selbstlimitierend, eine ausgiebige Behandlung oder die Durchfuehrung bildgebender diagnostischer Massnahmen sind nicht noetig. Die radiologische Untersuchung ist indiziert bei klinisch unklaren Befunden, zur Planung einer etwaigen Arthroskopie oder zur klinisch-prognostischen Einschaetzung der Veraenderungen. Von den verfuegbaren Modalitaeten ist die MRT von groesster Bedeutung. Verletzungen als Folge des Fussballspielens sind in allen Koerperabschnitten zu beobachten, v. a. an den unteren Extremitaeten und hier besonders an Knie- und Sprunggelenk. (orig.)

Coexistence and sport: the Israeli case

OpenAIRE

Yair Galily; Michael Leitner; Pini Shimon

2013-01-01

Utilizing sports and other recreational activities to foster peaceful relations and coexistence is an idea that has gained popularity in recent years, particularly in Israel. The aim of the current research is to fill a gap in the research literature on the subject of coexistence programming. The Mifalot organization conducts a program called “Get to Know Your Neighbor” in which Palestinian, Jordanian, and Israeli youth play soccer together. The program, based mainly on the participants’ love...

Analysis of Reaction Times and Aerobic Capacities of Soccer Players According to Their Playing Positions

Science.gov (United States)

Taskin, Cengiz; Karakoc, Onder; Taskin, Mine; Dural, Murat

2016-01-01

70 soccer players in Gaziantep amateur league voluntarily participated in this study, (average of their ages 19,17±1,34years, average of their heights 181,28±5,06 cm, average of their body weights 76,75±4,43 kg and average of their sports experiences 3,78±0,95 years) to analyze visual and auditory reaction times and aerobic capacities of amateur…

Sports medicine in The Netherlands: consultation with a sports physician without referral by a general practitioner

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de Bruijn MC

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Matthijs C de Bruijn,1 Boudewijn J Kollen,2 Frank Baarveld21Center for Sports Medicine, 2Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The NetherlandsBackground: In The Netherlands, sports medicine physicians are involved in the care of about 8% of all sports injuries that occur each year. Some patients consult a sports physician directly, without being referred by a general practitioner. This study aims to determine how many patients consult a sports physician directly, and to explore differences in the profiles of these patients compared with those who are referred.Methods: This was an exploratory cross-sectional study in which all new patients presenting with an injury to a regional sports medical center during September 2010 were identified. The characteristics of patients who self-referred and those who were referred by other medical professionals were compared.Results: A total of 234 patients were included (mean age 33.7 years, 59.1% male. Most of the injuries occurred during soccer and running, particularly injuries of the knee and ankle. In this cohort, 39.3% of patients consulted a sports physician directly. These patients were significantly more often involved in individual sports, consulted a sports physician relatively rapidly after the onset of injury, and had received significantly less care before this new event from medical professionals compared with patients who were referred.Conclusion: In this study, 39.3% of patients with sports injuries consulted a sports physician directly without being referred by another medical professional. The profile of this group of patients differed from that of patients who were referred. The specific roles of general practitioners and sports physicians in medical sports care in The Netherlands needs to be defined further.Keywords: sports injuries, sports medicine physician, primary care, secondary care

The phenomenon of soccer in some literary texts: Classical and contemporary

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Victor Gil Castañeda

2009-11-01

Full Text Available This article talks about how in the literature history, many authors had shown a profound interest in describing the phenomenon of football soccer, one of the most popular sports on earth. We can see this aspect in pre-Hispanic texts like: Popol Vuh, also in some modern intellectuals like Eduardo Galeano (Uruguayan, in his book: El footboy a sol y sombra. The document also mentioned other literary texts which prominent figures, narrative atmospheres, sail in the aesthetic description of the football

P-18: Comparison of Lateral Abdominal Muscle Thickness in Young Male Soccer Players With and Without Low Back Pain

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Bahareh Tavana

2017-03-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To compare the lateral abdominal muscle thickness and other possible functional risk factors in young soccer players with and without low back pain (LBP.METHOD: In total, 30 young soccer players between 16 and 20 years old, with and without LBP, from the premier league participated in this study. The thicknesses of external oblique, internal oblique and transversus abdominis on both sides were measured via ultrasound imaging. In addition, hamstring flexibility, active lumbar forward flexion, and isometric muscle endurance of trunk extensors were measured and were compared regarding the history of LBP.RESULTS: Mean ± SD age of the subjects was 17.4 ± 1.1 years. There was no statistically significant difference regarding age, BMI, weekly training hours and age of starting to compete between groups. Subjects with sports-life, last year and last month history ofLBP had a statistically significant lower external oblique muscle thickness in both right and left side, and both dominant and non-dominant feet (p<0.05. Subjects with sportslife history of LBP had lower internal oblique muscle thickness in both side and both feet (p<0.05. Moreover, those with a sports-life history of LBP had a significantly higher degree of hamstring muscle tightness than non-LBP group on the dominant foot (p <0.05.CONCLUSION: In this sample group of young soccer players, abdominal muscles seem to have an important role in the stability of the spine and prevention of LBP. Further longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the role of these muscles as a risk factor for soccer players.

Active knee joint flexibility and sports activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hahn, Thomas; Foldspang, Anders; Vestergaard, E

1999-01-01

was significantly higher in women than in men and significantly positively associated with weekly hours of swimming and weekly hours of competitive gymnastics. Active knee flexion was significantly positively associated with participation in basketball, and significantly negatively associated with age and weekly......The aim of the study was to estimate active knee flexion and active knee extension in athletes and to investigate the potential association of each to different types of sports activity. Active knee extension and active knee flexion was measured in 339 athletes. Active knee extension...... hours of soccer, European team handball and swimming. The results point to sport-specific adaptation of active knee flexion and active knee extension. Udgivelsesdato: 1999-Apr...

Fluid Balance in Team Sport Athletes and the Effect of Hypohydration on Cognitive, Technical, and Physical Performance.

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Nuccio, Ryan P; Barnes, Kelly A; Carter, James M; Baker, Lindsay B

2017-10-01

Sweat losses in team sports can be significant due to repeated bursts of high-intensity activity, as well as the large body size of athletes, equipment and uniform requirements, and environmental heat stress often present during training and competition. In this paper we aimed to: (1) describe sweat losses and fluid balance changes reported in team sport athletes, (2) review the literature assessing the impact of hypohydration on cognitive, technical, and physical performance in sports-specific studies, (3) briefly review the potential mechanisms by which hypohydration may impact team sport performance, and (4) discuss considerations for future directions. Significant hypohydration (mean body mass loss (BML) >2%) has been reported most consistently in soccer. Although American Football, rugby, basketball, tennis, and ice hockey have reported high sweating rates, fluid balance disturbances have generally been mild (mean BML sport performance has been studied mostly in soccer, basketball, cricket, and baseball, with mixed results. Hypohydration typically impaired performance at higher levels of BML (3-4%) and when the method of dehydration involved heat stress. Increased subjective ratings of fatigue and perceived exertion consistently accompanied hypohydration and could explain, in part, the performance impairments reported in some studies. More research is needed to develop valid, reliable, and sensitive sport-specific protocols and should be used in future studies to determine the effects of hypohydration and modifying factors (e.g., age, sex, athlete caliber) on team sport performance.

The economic value of the 2010 Soccer World Cup

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M. Saayman

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this article is to estimate the potential economic value of the 2010 Soccer World Cup for South Africa. Problem investigated: The Soccer World Cup (SWC is regarded as the largest sporting event to be hosted and South Africa is investing billions of Rand in the hosting thereof. Based on this the question that comes to mind is, what is the potential economic value of such an event? Previous research attempts to determine the economic value were limited in their focus on what should be included when economic modelling of events is conducted. Most of these studies were done by consultants on behalf of various government departments and consequently, the results of these attempts are criticised for their over-inflating and overestimations by various other researchers. Methodology: The literature review identified many aspects that need to be taken into account when modelling the economic impact of such an event together with aspects identified in the literature review. Lessons from the 2002 Korea/Japan and 2006 Germany Soccer World Cups were used as premise for our estimations. In this article, Computable General Equilibrium (CGE modelling is used to estimate the potential economic value. Findings: The results showed that the 2010 Soccer World Cup would in all probability have positive impacts on the economy of the country in terms of GDP growth and employment, with possible negative effects that include higher inflation and net export losses. Value of research: The value of this research lies in the approach that was followed firstly, by introducing lessons learned from previous World Cups as well as aspects not taken into consideration previously in economic modelling and secondly, by using CGE modelling in determining the economic value. Conclusion: The hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup is a major achievement not only for South Africa, but also for the rest of Africa, especially from a marketing point of view. From an

Acute injuries in soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, judo, and karate: analysis of national registry data.

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Kujala, U M; Taimela, S; Antti-Poika, I; Orava, S; Tuominen, R; Myllynen, P

1995-12-02

To determine the acute injury profile in each of six sports and compare the injury rates between the sports. Analysis of national sports injury insurance registry data. Finland during 1987-91. 621,691 person years of exposure among participants in soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, judo, or karate. Acute sports injuries requiring medical treatment and reported to the insurance company on structured forms by the patients and their doctors. 54,186 sports injuries were recorded. Injury rates were low in athletes aged under 15, while 20-24 year olds had the highest rates. Differences in injury rates between the sports were minor in this adult age group. Overall injury rates were higher in sports entailing more frequent and powerful body contact. Each sport had a specific injury profile. Fractures and dental injuries were most common in ice hockey and karate and least frequent in volleyball. Knee injuries were the most common cause of permanent disability. Based on the defined injury profiles in the different sports it is recommended that sports specific preventive measures should be employed to decrease the number of violent contacts between athletes, including improved game rules supported by careful refereeing. To prevent dental injuries the wearing of mouth guards should be encouraged, especially in ice hockey, karate, and basketball.

Epidemiology of sports-related injuries in children and youth presenting to Canadian emergency departments from 2007-2010.

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Fridman, Liraz; Fraser-Thomas, Jessica L; McFaull, Steven R; Macpherson, Alison K

2013-12-23

Although injuries related to sports and recreation represent a significant burden to children and youth, few studies have examined the descriptive epidemiology of sports-related injury since 2005, and some sports such as ringette have not been evaluated to date. The primary purpose of this study was to provide the descriptive epidemiology of sports-related injuries treated in emergency departments for children and youth aged 5 - 19. A retrospective data analysis was performed using data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program [CHIRPP] from fiscal years (April - March) 2007/08 to 2009/10. CHIRPP is a computerized information system designed by the Public Health Agency of Canada that collects information about injuries to people evaluated in emergency departments across 11 pediatric hospitals and 5 general hospitals in Canada. Thirteen sports or activities were analyzed (baseball, basketball, cycling, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, ringette, rugby, skiing, sledding, snowboarding, soccer, and volleyball). Descriptive statistics, including frequency by sport, age and sex, as well as the percent of concussions within each sport were calculated. Out of a total of 56, 691 reported sports and recreational injuries, soccer accounted for the largest proportion of injuries with 11,941 reported cases over the 3 year time period. Of these, approximately 30% were fractures. The 10 - 14 year age group reported the greatest proportion of injuries in 10 out of the 13 sports analyzed. In addition, males reported a greater number of overall injuries than females in 11 out of the 13 sports analyzed. The largest percentage of concussions was reported in ringette; these injuries accounted for 17.1% of overall injuries within this sport. Injury prevention programs in Canada should focus on improving evidence-based programs to reduce the burden of injuries in all sports.

Orienting Recovery as Predictor of Higher Emotional Regulation in Soccer Players

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Srilekha Saha

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the present study was to extrapolate intricate relationships between autonomic indices of emotionality in predicting changes in transient as well as dispositional emotionality. Performance excellence in sports and games, particularly in soccer has been referred to as resultant of mental toughness or more specifically the aspect of emotional flexibility and hardiness of the athlete. One hundred thirty five high-achiever young-adult male competitive soccer players, who were residents of Kota Bharu region volunteered as participants. All of them were subjected to evaluation of inner psychobiological status (decomposed indices of phasic skin conductance activity – viz. orienting recovery time; rise time and skin conductance adaptation levels; assessment of projective analyses of unconscious core of emotionality (employing Rorschach Ink-Blot Test in the form of evaluation indices of impulsivity, irritability, integrity. Results however revealed corroborative relationships between psychobiological autonomic indices in predicting differential aspects of inner core emotionality. Multiple linear regression analyses were done to identify differential possibilities of direct, inverse, moderating and supportive relationships between decomposition indices of autonomic orienting activity related to cognitive-affective and affective-motivational aspects of sports behaviour. Analyses of autonomic activation and arousal modulation and various indices habituation paradigm indices were found as significant predictors of changes in dispositional emotional constellation observed in the athletes. Orienting latency was observed as the most significant contributor in influencing recovery from autonomic arousal (orienting recovery in predicting changes in emotional hardiness as well as in flexibility.

USEFULNESS OF Β-HYDROXY-Β-METHYLBUTYRATE (HMB) SUPPLEMENTATION IN DIFFERENT SPORTS: AN UPDATE AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS.

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Albert, Francisco J; Morente-Sánchez, Jaime; Ortega, Francisco B; Castillo, Manuel J; Gutiérrez, Ángel

2015-07-01

although -hydroxy--methylbutyrate (HMB) is generally marketed as a supplement for increasing muscle mass and strength, it is still not fully understood how and in which particular sports and conditions HMB can be more effective. the primary purpose of this review is to update and summarize the current knowledge about the usefulness of HMB and to organize this information by different sports with specific reference to sports with high wear and tear phenomena as soccer, rugby or football. a search was performed in PubMed database. This review presents the results about HMB use in sport. the articles identified in this review support the notion that HMB could help to attenuate tissue catabolism and initiate muscle anabolism particularly in untrained individuals exposed to strenuous exercise or when trained individual are exposed to periods of high physical stress. HMB could therefore be applied in some specific periods of athlete's season where there are high-intensity training periods, high density of competitions and little recovery time between them, starting recovery phases from an injury period and/or any other different situation where performance or recovery could be affected by a great catabolic environment. this update contributes to clarify and define possible mechanisms and/or effectiveness of HMB supplementation related to endurance sports (i.e. cycling and athletics), strength-power sports (i.e. resistance training, football, rugby, soccer, judo, waterpolo and rowing) and recreational activities. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Fatigue in soccer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohr, Magni; Krustrup, Peter; Bangsbo, Jens

2005-01-01

This review describes when fatigue may develop during soccer games and the potential physiological mechanisms that cause fatigue in soccer. According to time?-?motion analyses and performance measures during match-play, fatigue or reduced performance seems to occur at three different stages......, acidity or the breakdown of creatine phosphate. Instead, it may be related to disturbances in muscle ion homeostasis and an impaired excitation of the sarcolemma. Soccer players' ability to perform maximally is inhibited in the initial phase of the second half, which may be due to lower muscle...... concentrations in a considerable number of individual muscle fibres. In a hot and humid environment, dehydration and a reduced cerebral function may also contribute to the deterioration in performance. In conclusion, fatigue or impaired performance in soccer occurs during various phases in a game, and different...

DIFFERENCES OF THE ROLE AMBIGUITY IN OFFENSE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEAM SPORTS

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Karamousalidis, G.

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to investigate the differences of the role ambiguity in offense responsibilitiesfor athletes of team sports. As sample were used 421 athletes of basketball (n=125, handball (n=106, volleyball(n=78 and soccer (n=112. We used the role ambiguity questionnaire (Role Ambiguity Scale, Beauchamp et al.,2002 and referred to the athletes’ responsibilities in offense.The correlations of items were high and ranged from .57 to .75, p <.01 whereas from the one way analysis (oneway, Anova appeared some statistically serious differences in one factor of role ambiguity (ambiguity inrelation to the scope of responsibilities in offense, F (3,415 = 4,416, p <.005. The volleyball and the handballathletes had more well defined roles regardless the scope of their responsibilities in offense, in relation to thoseof soccer. On the whole we come to the conclusion that among team sports there are not any differences in roleambiguity in offense responsibilities, except in one factor. More researches are necessary in connection to othervariables.

Game Demands of Seven-A-Side Soccer in Young Players.

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Barbero-Alvarez, José C; Gómez-López, Maite; Castagna, Carlo; Barbero-Alvarez, Verónica; Romero, David V; Blanchfield, Anthony W; Nakamura, Fábio Y

2017-07-01

Barbero-Alvarez, JC, Gómez-López, M, Castagna, C, Barbero-Alvarez, V, Romero, DV, Blanchfield, AW, and Nakamura, FY. Game demands of seven-a-side soccer in young players. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1771-1779, 2017-The aim of this study was to examine the activity patterns and physiological demands of 7-a-side youth soccer matches across 2 chronological age categories (U12 and U14). Twenty-two soccer players of a national youth soccer academy were investigated. Players of each age category performed 2 training matches (2 × 25 minutes) and were monitored by global positioning system and heart rate monitor units. Players of both categories covered similar total distance (5,348 ± 307 m), at similar mean heart rate values (86 ± 4% of maximum). However, the number of high-intensity runs (82.5 ± 17.4 vs. 69.7 ± 15.2) and total distance covered during sprints (264 ± 207 vs. 128 ± 74 m) were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in U14 compared with U12. The results suggest a highly demanding nature of 7-a-side soccer for skilled players, with physical maturity possibly influencing the match-related high-intensity performance at these ages.

Unilateral jumps in different directions: a novel assessment of soccer-associated power?

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Murtagh, Conall F; Vanrenterghem, Jos; O'Boyle, Andrew; Morgans, Ryland; Drust, Barry; Erskine, Robert M

2017-11-01

We aimed to determine whether countermovement jumps (CMJs; unilateral and bilateral) performed in different directions assessed independent lower-limb power qualities, and if unilateral CMJs would better differentiate between elite and non-elite soccer players than the bilateral vertical (BV) CMJ. Elite (n=23; age, 18.1±1.0years) and non-elite (n=20; age, 22.3±2.7years) soccer players performed three BV, unilateral vertical (UV), unilateral horizontal-forward (UH) and unilateral medial (UM) CMJs. Jump performance (height and projectile range), kinetic and kinematic variables from ground reaction forces, and peak activation levels of the vastus lateralis and biceps femoris (BF) muscles from surface electromyography, were compared between jumps and groups of players. Peak vertical power (V-power) was greater in BV (220.2±30.1W/kg) compared to UV (144.1±16.2W/kg), which was greater than UH (86.7±18.3W/kg) and UM (85.5±13.5W/kg) (all, pprojectile range than non-elite (51.6±15.4 vs. 40.4±10.4cm, p=0.009). We have shown that UH, UV and UM CMJs assess distinct lower-limb muscular power capabilities in soccer players. Furthermore, as elite players outperformed non-elite players during unilateral but not BV CMJs, unilateral CMJs in different directions should be included in soccer-specific muscular power assessment and talent identification protocols, rather than the BV CMJ. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of plyometric training on soccer related physical fitness variables of intercollegiate female soccer players

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Mesfin Mengesh

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Plyometric training is an important training program in improving physical fitness and soccer skills of players. The study was conducted to find out the effects of plyometric training on soccer related physical fitness variables of Haramaya University intercollegiate female soccer players. For this study forty female (age, 20±1.5 years; height, 1.61±0.7 m; BMI, 20.41±0.7Kg/cm2 soccer players were selected through purposive sampling. Experimental group (n= 20 participants were engaged in a supervised plyometric training program 3 days/week for 12 weeks. The control group (n= 20 did not participate in any of the program except regular soccer training however, the tests were conducted for them. The physical fitness and soccer skill variables selected for the study were: Speed, Explosive power, Agility, Dribbling, Kicking Right and Left Feet. Tests were taken three times at pre training, during training and post training. Comparison of mean was done by paired t-test. The results obtained in this study indicated that there was significant improvement in selected physical fitness and soccer skill variables due to the effects of plyometric training. After 12 weeks of plyometric training participant’s speed (0.78 m/sec., agility (2.64 sec, and explosive power (7.85 cm were changed significantly (p<0.05. Participant’s dribbling soccer skill (1.92 sec., kicking right foot for distance (2.19 m and kicking left foot for distance (2.91 m were significantly improved through plyometric training. This study proved that plyometric training was significantly better in improving the physical fitness variables and soccer skills of female soccer players.

A practical implementation of free viewpoint video system for soccer games

Science.gov (United States)

Suenaga, Ryo; Suzuki, Kazuyoshi; Tezuka, Tomoyuki; Panahpour Tehrani, Mehrdad; Takahashi, Keita; Fujii, Toshiaki

2015-03-01

In this paper, we present a free viewpoint video generation system with billboard representation for soccer games. Free viewpoint video generation is a technology that enables users to watch 3-D objects from their desired viewpoints. Practical implementation of free viewpoint video for sports events is highly demanded. However, a commercially acceptable system has not yet been developed. The main obstacles are insufficient user-end quality of the synthesized images and highly complex procedures that sometimes require manual operations. In this work, we aim to develop a commercially acceptable free viewpoint video system with a billboard representation. A supposed scenario is that soccer games during the day can be broadcasted in 3-D, even in the evening of the same day. Our work is still ongoing. However, we have already developed several techniques to support our goal. First, we captured an actual soccer game at an official stadium where we used 20 full-HD professional cameras. Second, we have implemented several tools for free viewpoint video generation as follow. In order to facilitate free viewpoint video generation, all cameras should be calibrated. We calibrated all cameras using checker board images and feature points on the field (cross points of the soccer field lines). We extract each player region from captured images manually. The background region is estimated by observing chrominance changes of each pixel in temporal domain (automatically). Additionally, we have developed a user interface for visualizing free viewpoint video generation using a graphic library (OpenGL), which is suitable for not only commercialized TV sets but also devices such as smartphones. However, practical system has not yet been completed and our study is still ongoing.

Incidence of Patients With Knee Strain and Sprain Occurring at Sports or Recreation Venues and Presenting to United States Emergency Departments.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Aaron M; Buford, William L

2015-11-01

Knee injuries account for a substantial percentage of all athletic injuries. The relative rates of knee injury for a variety of sports by sex and age need to be understood so we can better allocate resources, such as athletic trainers, to properly assess and treat injuries and reduce injury risk. To describe the epidemiology of patients with sport-related knee strain and sprain presenting to US emergency departments from 2002 to 2011. Cross-sectional study. Using the Consumer Products Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and the US Census Bureau, we extracted raw data to estimate national rates of patients with knee strain and sprain presenting to emergency departments. Participants were individuals sustaining a knee strain or sprain at sports or recreation venues and presenting to local emergency departments for treatment. We included 12 popular sports for males and 11 for females. Ages were categorized in six 5-year increments for ages 5 to 34 years and one 10-year increment for ages 35 to 44 years. Incidence rates were calculated using weights provided by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and reported with their 95% confidence intervals for sport, sex, and age. Strain and sprain injury rates varied greatly by sport, sex, and age group. The highest injury rates occurred in football and basketball for males and in soccer and basketball for females. The most at-risk population was 15 to 19 years for both sexes. Athletes experience different rates of knee strain and sprain according to sport, sex, and age. Increased employment of athletic trainers to care for the highest-risk populations, aged 10 to 19 years, is recommended to reduce emergency department use and implement injury-prevention practices.

"Which pass is better?" Novel approaches to assess passing effectiveness in elite soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Rein, Robert; Raabe, Dominik; Memmert, Daniel

2017-10-01

Passing behaviour is a key property of successful performance in team sports. Previous investigations however have mainly focused on notational measurements like total passing frequencies which provide little information about what actually constitutes successful passing behaviour. Consequently, this has hampered the transfer of research findings into applied settings. Here we present two novel approaches to assess passing effectiveness in elite soccer by evaluating their effects on majority situations and space control in front of the goal. Majority situations are assessed by calculating the number of defenders between the ball carrier and the goal. Control of space is estimated using Voronoi-diagrams based on the player's positions on the pitch. Both methods were applied to position data from 103 German First division games from the 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2014/2015 seasons using a big data approach. The results show that both measures are significantly related to successful game play with respect to the number of goals scored and to the probability of winning a game. The results further show that on average passes from the mid-field into the attacking area are most effective. The presented passing efficiency measures thereby offer new opportunities for future applications in soccer and other sports disciplines whilst maintaining practical relevance with respect to tactical training regimes or game performances analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Black Generation Y gender differences in Premier Soccer League spectator motives : sport marketing

OpenAIRE

T.E. Mofokeng; A.L. Bevan-Dye

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are gender differences concerning Premier Soccer League (PSL) spectator motives amongst black Generation Y students in South Africa. In South Africa, the black Generation Y cohort (individuals born between 1986 and 2005) represents an important but under-researched market segment in that, in 2013, they made up 32 percent of the country's population. From a PSL marketing perspective, understanding the motives that drive game spectatorshi...

Applied physiology of female soccer: an update.

Science.gov (United States)

Datson, Naomi; Hulton, Andrew; Andersson, Helena; Lewis, Tracy; Weston, Matthew; Drust, Barry; Gregson, Warren

2014-09-01

The popularity and professionalism of female soccer has increased markedly in recent years, with elite players now employed on either a professional or semi-professional basis. The previous review of the physiological demands of female soccer was undertaken two decades ago when the sport was in its relative infancy. Increased research coupled with greater training and competition demands warrants an updated review to consider the effect on physical performance and injury patterns. The physical demands of match-play along with the influence of factors such as the standard of competition, playing position and fatigue have been explored. Total distance covered for elite female players is approximately 10 km, with 1.7 km completed at high speed (>15 kmh(-1)) [corrected].Elite players complete 28% more high-speed running and 24 % more sprinting than moderate-level players. Decrements in high-speed running distance have been reported between and within halves, which may indicate an inability to maintain high-intensity activity. Although the physical capacity of female players is the most thoroughly researched area, comparisons are difficult due to differing protocols. Elite players exhibit maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) values of 49.4-57.6 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1), Yo Yo Intermittent Endurance test level 2 (YYIE2) scores of 1,774 ± 532 m [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] and 20 m sprint times of 3.17 ± 0.03 s (mean ± SD). Reasons for the increased prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in females (2-6 times greater than males) are discussed, with anatomical, biomechanical loading and neuromuscular activation differences being cited in the literature. This review presents an in-depth contemporary examination of the applied physiology of the female soccer player.

Anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries in sports: incidence, time of practice until injury, and limitations caused after trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Astur, Diego Costa; Xerez, Marcos; Rozas, João; Debieux, Pedro Vargas; Franciozi, Carlos Eduardo; Cohen, Moises

2016-01-01

To analyze the incidence of ACL and meniscal injuries in a population of recreational and elite athletes from Brazil and the relation of these injuries with their sports activities. This was a prospective observational study of 240 patients with ACL and/or meniscal injuries submitted to surgical treatment. Data of patients and sport modality, as well as Tegner score were registered in the first clinical evaluation. The patients were divided into three groups: (1) isolated rupture of the ACL; (2) ACL injury associated with meniscal injury; (3) isolated menisci injury. The majority of the patients belonged to group 1 (44.58%), followed by group 2 (30.2%) and 3 (25%). Most patients were soccer players. The mean time from sport practice to injury in group 1 was 17.81 years. In group 2, it was 17.3 years, and in group 3, 26.91 years. Soccer athletes presented ACL injury in 0.523/1000 h of practice and meniscal injury in 0.448/1000 h of practice. Before the injury, the mean Tegner score obtained for groups 1, 2, and 3 were 7.18, 7.34, and 6.53, respectively. After knee injury, those values were 3.07, 3.18, and 2.87, respectively. Soccer was the sport that caused the majority of lesions, regardless the group. Furthermore, patients from groups 1 and 2 had less time of practice prior to the injury (17.81 and 17.3 years) than the patients of group 3 (26.91 years). Women presented a higher risk to develop ACL and meniscal injuries in 1000 h of game/practice. Running, volleyball, and weightlifting are in ascending order of risk for ACL and/or meniscal injury. Regarding the return to sport practice, the efficiency of all athletes was impaired because of the injury.

Anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries in sports: incidence, time of practice until injury, and limitations caused after trauma

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Diego Costa Astur

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence of ACL and meniscal injuries in a population of recreational and elite athletes from Brazil and the relation of these injuries with their sports activities. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of 240 patients with ACL and/or meniscal injuries submitted to surgical treatment. Data of patients and sport modality, as well as Tegner score were registered in the first clinical evaluation. The patients were divided into three groups: (1 isolated rupture of the ACL; (2 ACL injury associated with meniscal injury; (3 isolated menisci injury. RESULTS: The majority of the patients belonged to group 1 (44.58%, followed by group 2 (30.2% and 3 (25%. Most patients were soccer players. The mean time from sport practice to injury in group 1 was 17.81 years. In group 2, it was 17.3 years, and in group 3, 26.91 years. Soccer athletes presented ACL injury in 0.523/1000 h of practice and meniscal injury in 0.448/1000 h of practice. Before the injury, the mean Tegner score obtained for groups 1, 2, and 3 were 7.18, 7.34, and 6.53, respectively. After knee injury, those values were 3.07, 3.18, and 2.87, respectively. CONCLUSION: Soccer was the sport that caused the majority of lesions, regardless the group. Furthermore, patients from groups 1 and 2 had less time of practice prior to the injury (17.81 and 17.3 years than the patients of group 3 (26.91 years. Women presented a higher risk to develop ACL and meniscal injuries in 1000 h of game/practice. Running, volleyball, and weightlifting are in ascending order of risk for ACL and/or meniscal injury. Regarding the return to sport practice, the efficiency of all athletes was impaired because of the injury.

Bridging the semantic gap in sports

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Li, Baoxin; Errico, James; Pan, Hao; Sezan, M. Ibrahim

2003-01-01

One of the major challenges facing current media management systems and the related applications is the so-called "semantic gap" between the rich meaning that a user desires and the shallowness of the content descriptions that are automatically extracted from the media. In this paper, we address the problem of bridging this gap in the sports domain. We propose a general framework for indexing and summarizing sports broadcast programs. The framework is based on a high-level model of sports broadcast video using the concept of an event, defined according to domain-specific knowledge for different types of sports. Within this general framework, we develop automatic event detection algorithms that are based on automatic analysis of the visual and aural signals in the media. We have successfully applied the event detection algorithms to different types of sports including American football, baseball, Japanese sumo wrestling, and soccer. Event modeling and detection contribute to the reduction of the semantic gap by providing rudimentary semantic information obtained through media analysis. We further propose a novel approach, which makes use of independently generated rich textual metadata, to fill the gap completely through synchronization of the information-laden textual data with the basic event segments. An MPEG-7 compliant prototype browsing system has been implemented to demonstrate semantic retrieval and summarization of sports video.

The acute:chonic workload ratio in relation to injury risk in professional soccer.

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Malone, Shane; Owen, Adam; Newton, Matt; Mendes, Bruno; Collins, Kieran D; Gabbett, Tim J

2017-06-01

To examine the association between combined sRPE measures and injury risk in elite professional soccer. Observational cohort study. Forty-eight professional soccer players (mean±SD age of 25.3±3.1 yr) from two elite European teams were involved within a one season study. Players completed a test of intermittent-aerobic capacity (Yo-YoIR1) to assess player's injury risk in relation to intermittent aerobic capacity. Weekly workload measures and time loss injuries were recorded during the entire period. Rolling weekly sums and week-to-week changes in workload were measured, allowing for the calculation of the acute:chronic workload ratio, which was calculated by dividing the acute (1-weekly) and chronic (4-weekly) workloads. All derived workload measures were modelled against injury data using logistic regression. Odds ratios (OR) were reported against a reference group. Players who exerted pre-season 1-weekly loads of ≥1500 to ≤2120AU were at significantly higher risk of injury compared to the reference group of ≤1500AU (OR=1.95, p=0.006). Players with increased intermittent-aerobic capacity were better able to tolerate increased 1-weekly absolute changes in training load than players with lower fitness levels (OR=4.52, p=0.011). Players who exerted in-season acute:chronic workload ratios of >1.00 to soccer players. A higher intermittent-aerobic capacity appears to offer greater injury protection when players are exposed to rapid changes in workload in elite soccer players. Moderate workloads, coupled with moderate-low to moderate-high acute:chronic workload ratios, appear to be protective for professional soccer players. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The fun integration theory: toward sustaining children and adolescents sport participation.

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Visek, Amanda J; Achrati, Sara M; Mannix, Heather; McDonnell, Karen; Harris, Brandonn S; DiPietro, Loretta

2015-03-01

Children cite "fun" as the primary reason for participation in organized sport and its absence as the number-one reason for youth sport attrition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical framework of fun using a novel mixed-method assessment of participants in sport (FUN MAPS) via concept mapping. Youth soccer players (n = 142), coaches (n = 37), and parents (n = 57) were stratified by age, sex, and competition level and contributed their ideas through (a) qualitative brainstorming, identifying all of the things that make playing sports fun for players; (b) sorting of ideas; and (c) rating each idea on its importance, frequency, and feasibility. The FUN MAPS identify the 4 fundamental tenets of fun in youth sport within 11 fun-dimensions composed of 81 specific fun-determinants, while also establishing the youth sport ethos. The FUN MAPS provide pictorial evidence-based blueprints for the fun integration theory (FIT), which is a multitheoretical, multidimensional, and stakeholder derived framework that can be used to maximize fun for children and adolescents to promote and sustain an active and healthy lifestyle through sport.

Efeito ergogênico de uma bebida esportiva cafeinada sobre a performance em testes de habilidades específicas do futebol Ergogenic effect of a caffeinated sports drink on performance in soccer specific abilities tests

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Ana Paula Muniz Guttierres

2009-12-01

Full Text Available O consumo de cafeína tem demonstrado promover efeitos ergogênicos sobre a performance de atletas de esportes coletivos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar o efeito de uma bebida esportiva cafeinada (BEC frente a uma bebida carboidratada comercial (BCC sobre a performance durante a execução de testes físico-motores de habilidades específicas do futebol. Os atletas foram submetidos a dois testes, salto vertical (Sargent Jump e teste de agilidade (Illinois Agility Test, que foram executados antes e após as partidas durante as quais foram consumidas BEC (7% de carboidratos (CHO, concentração de cafeína correspondente a 250mg.l-1 ou BCC (sem cafeína, 7% de CHO. Os resultados demonstraram que BEC aumentou significantemente (p Consumption of caffeine has been shown to promote ergogenic effects on the performance of team sports' athletes. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of the consumption of a caffeinated sports drink (CSD and an advertised carbohydrate drink (ACD on soccer players' performance in tests to evaluate physical-motor soccer game skills. The athletes were submitted to two tests, vertical jump (Sargent Jump and Illinois Agility Test, which were performed before and after the games during which CSD (7% of carbohydrate (CHO, caffeine concentration equivalent to 250 mg.l-1 or ACD (no caffeine, 7% of CHO were ingested. The results indicated that CSD significantly increased (p<0.01 the height reached in the jump compared to before its consumption and to after ACD consumption (p=0.02. ACD did not increase power of lower limbs (PLL. Neither CSD (p =0.62 nor ACD (p = 0.93 increased test skills evaluated after the game in comparison to before the game. Neither drinks improved performance in the test skills after the game (p = 0.95. The consumption of CSD led to soccer player ergogenic effect by increasing the PLL explosive strength. However, in terms of skill, it was not possible to identify advantages in

The effect of laryngoscope handle size on possible endotracheal intubation success in university football, ice hockey, and soccer players.

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Delaney, J Scott; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Baylis, Penny-Jane; Aljufaili, Mahmood; Correa, José A

2012-07-01

To assess the effectiveness of a standard long-handle laryngoscope and a short-handle laryngoscope on ease of possible intubation in football, ice hockey, and soccer players. Prospective crossover study. University Sport Medicine Clinic. Sixty-two university varsity football (62 males), 45 ice hockey (26 males and 19 females), and 39 soccer players (20 males, 19 females). Athletes were assessed for different airway and physical characteristics. Three different physicians then assessed the use of laryngoscopes of different handle sizes in supine athletes who were wearing protective equipment while in-line cervical spine immobilization was maintained. The ease of passage of a laryngoscope blade into the posterior oropharynx of a supine athlete was assessed using both a standard long-handle and a short-handle laryngoscope. Use of a short-handle laryngoscope was easier for all physicians in all sports as compared with a standard-sized laryngoscope. Passage of a laryngoscope blade into the posterior oropharynx of a supine athlete was easiest in soccer players and most difficult in football and ice hockey players for both sizes of laryngoscope. Interference from chest or shoulder pads was a common cause for difficulty in passing the laryngoscope blade into the posterior oropharynx for football and ice hockey players. In the rare instances that an endotracheal intubation is to be attempted on an unconscious athlete, a short-handle laryngoscope may provide the best chance for successful intubation.

LEADERSHIP POWER PERCEPTION OF AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL SOCCER COACHES ACCORDING TO THEIR MARITAL STATUS

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E. Konter

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyse the leadership power perception of amateur and professional soccer coaches according to their marital status. Data were collected from 165 male soccer coaches (n=71 technical director-manager and A license, n=46 B license, n=48 amateur license. An adapted Turkish version of Power in Soccer Questionnaire-Self (PSQ-S for coaches and an information form were used for the data collection [21]. Cronbach reliability alphas of PSQ-S range between 0.65 and 0.84. Coaches’ data were analysed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Kruskal-Wallis analysis of PSQ-S revealed significant differences between leadership power perception of amateur and professional soccer coaches according to their marital status related to Referent Power (RP [χ[sup]2[/sup] (3 = 9.61, p0.05. The results indicated that married coaches have higher perception of RP than single coaches, irrespective of being an amateur or a professional. Comparison of professional and amateur coaches suggests that while single professional coaches have higher perception of EP than married professional coaches, the results are the reverse for amateur coaches; in other words, amateur married coaches have higher perception of EP than amateur single coaches. There is a lack of research to draw more certain conclusions. Future researchers should also take into consideration personality, psychological skills, sport experience, age, taking responsibility, attributions, expectations, emotions, perception of achievement, etc.

Changes in Passive Tension of the Hamstring Muscles During a Simulated Soccer Match.

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Marshall, Paul W; Lovell, Ric; Siegler, Jason C

2016-07-01

Passive muscle tension is increased after damaging eccentric exercise. Hamstring-strain injury is associated with damaging eccentric muscle actions, but no research has examined changes in hamstring passive muscle tension throughout a simulated sport activity. The authors measured hamstring passive tension throughout a 90-min simulated soccer match (SAFT90), including the warm-up period and every 15 min throughout the 90-min simulation. Passive hamstring tension of 15 amateur male soccer players was measured using the instrumented straight-leg-raise test. Absolute torque (Nm) and slope (Nm/°) of the recorded torque-angular position curve were used for data analysis, in addition to total leg range of motion (ROM). Players performed a 15-min prematch warm-up, then performed the SAFT90 including a 15-min halftime rest period. Reductions in passive stiffness of 20-50° of passive hip flexion of 22.1-29.2% (P hamstring ROM (P = .0009). The findings of this study imply that hamstring passive tension is reduced after an active warm-up that includes dynamic stretching but does not increase in a pattern suggestive of eccentric induced muscle damage during soccer-specific intermittent exercise. Hamstring ROM and passive tension increases are best explained by improved stretch tolerance.

On-Line Detection and Segmentation of Sports Motions Using a Wearable Sensor

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Woosuk Kim

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In sports motion analysis, observation is a prerequisite for understanding the quality of motions. This paper introduces a novel approach to detect and segment sports motions using a wearable sensor for supporting systematic observation. The main goal is, for convenient analysis, to automatically provide motion data, which are temporally classified according to the phase definition. For explicit segmentation, a motion model is defined as a sequence of sub-motions with boundary states. A sequence classifier based on deep neural networks is designed to detect sports motions from continuous sensor inputs. The evaluation on two types of motions (soccer kicking and two-handed ball throwing verifies that the proposed method is successful for the accurate detection and segmentation of sports motions. By developing a sports motion analysis system using the motion model and the sequence classifier, we show that the proposed method is useful for observation of sports motions by automatically providing relevant motion data for analysis.

On-Line Detection and Segmentation of Sports Motions Using a Wearable Sensor.

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Kim, Woosuk; Kim, Myunggyu

2018-03-19

In sports motion analysis, observation is a prerequisite for understanding the quality of motions. This paper introduces a novel approach to detect and segment sports motions using a wearable sensor for supporting systematic observation. The main goal is, for convenient analysis, to automatically provide motion data, which are temporally classified according to the phase definition. For explicit segmentation, a motion model is defined as a sequence of sub-motions with boundary states. A sequence classifier based on deep neural networks is designed to detect sports motions from continuous sensor inputs. The evaluation on two types of motions (soccer kicking and two-handed ball throwing) verifies that the proposed method is successful for the accurate detection and segmentation of sports motions. By developing a sports motion analysis system using the motion model and the sequence classifier, we show that the proposed method is useful for observation of sports motions by automatically providing relevant motion data for analysis.

Making the Rules of Sports Fairer

OpenAIRE

Brams, Steven; Ismail, Mehmet

2018-01-01

The rules of many sports are not fair — they do not ensure that equally skilled competitors have the same probability of winning. As an example, the penalty shootout in soccer, wherein a coin toss determines which team kicks first on all five penalty kicks, gives a substantial advantage to the first-kicking team, both in theory and practice. We show that a so-called Catch-Up Rule for determining the order of kicking would not only make the shootout fairer but also is essentially strategy proo...

Acute injuries in soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, judo, and karate: analysis of national registry data.

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Kujala, U. M.; Taimela, S.; Antti-Poika, I.; Orava, S.; Tuominen, R.; Myllynen, P.

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To determine the acute injury profile in each of six sports and compare the injury rates between the sports. DESIGN--Analysis of national sports injury insurance registry data. SETTING--Finland during 1987-91. SUBJECTS--621,691 person years of exposure among participants in soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, judo, or karate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Acute sports injuries requiring medical treatment and reported to the insurance company on structured forms by the patients and their doctors. RESULTS--54,186 sports injuries were recorded. Injury rates were low in athletes aged under 15, while 20-24 year olds had the highest rates. Differences in injury rates between the sports were minor in this adult age group. Overall injury rates were higher in sports entailing more frequent and powerful body contact. Each sport had a specific injury profile. Fractures and dental injuries were most common in ice hockey and karate and least frequent in volleyball. Knee injuries were the most common cause of permanent disability. CONCLUSIONS--Based on the defined injury profiles in the different sports it is recommended that sports specific preventive measures should be employed to decrease the number of violent contacts between athletes, including improved game rules supported by careful refereeing. To prevent dental injuries the wearing of mouth guards should be encouraged, especially in ice hockey, karate, and basketball. PMID:8520333

Which Screening Tools Can Predict Injury to the Lower Extremities in Team Sports? A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dallinga, Joan M.; Benjaminse, Anne; Lemmink, Koen A. P. M.

2012-01-01

Background: Injuries to lower extremities are common in team sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, football and field hockey. Considering personal grief, disabling consequences and high costs caused by injuries to lower extremities, the importance for the prevention of these injuries is

Prevalence of Jumper's knee among nonelite athletes from different sports: a cross-sectional survey.

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Zwerver, Johannes; Bredeweg, Steven W; van den Akker-Scheek, Inge

2011-09-01

The prevalence of jumper's knee among nonelite athletes from different sports is unknown. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of jumper's knee in nonelite athletes from different sports and to determine potential risk factors for jumper's knee. Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 2. The authors interviewed 891 male and female nonelite athletes from 7 popular sports in The Netherlands: basketball, volleyball, handball, korfball, soccer, field hockey, and track and field. Using a specially developed questionnaire, information was obtained about individual characteristics (age, height, and weight), training background, previous and actual knee problems, and the VISA-P (Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella) score. The overall prevalence of current jumper's knee was 8.5% (78 of 891 athletes), showing a significant difference between sports with different loading characteristics. Prevalence was highest among volleyball players (14.4%) and lowest among soccer players (2.5%); it was significantly higher among male athletes (51 of 502 [10.2%]) than female athletes (25 of 389 [6.4%]) (χ(2) = 3.91, P = .048). The mean duration of symptoms was 18.9 months (standard deviation [SD], 21.6; median value, 12.0; range, 2.0-59.8). The mean VISA-P score of the athletes with jumper's knee was 71.4 (SD, 13.8). Athletes with jumper's knee were significantly younger, taller, and heavier than those without jumper's knee. Prevalence of jumper's knee is high among nonelite athletes and varies between 14.4% and 2.5% for different sports. Jumper's knee is almost twice as common among male nonelite athletes compared with female athletes. Different sport-specific loading characteristics of the knee extensor apparatus, a younger age, a taller body stature, and higher body weight seem to be risk factors associated with patellar tendinopathy.

Using self-determination theory to explain sport persistence and dropout in adolescent athletes.

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García Calvo, Tomás; Cervelló, Eduardo; Jiménez, Ruth; Iglesias, Damián; Moreno Murcia, Juan Antonio

2010-11-01

Motivational characteristics are influential in shaping adolescents' desire to persist in sport or to discontinue their sport participation. Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) was utilized as the theoretical framework for this study. This theory examines whether sustained participatory involvement, defined as continued participation in the sport through the next year, was influenced by individuals' self-determined motivation and by the fulfillment of the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Four hundred ninety two soccer players between the ages of 13 and 17 years comprised the sample. Results indicated sport dropout was explained by higher levels of amotivation, external regulation, and introjected regulation and by lower satisfaction of relatedness and autonomy needs. The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge base on sport dropout as they supported many of self-determination theory.

Eating and Nutrition Habits in Young Competitive Athletes: A Comparison between Soccer Players and Cyclists

OpenAIRE

2015-01-01

The study evaluated the dietary habits in two groups of young athletes, practicing two different sports: soccer players and cycling. The dietary habits of 47 athletes were investigated by questionnaire. Body Mass Index, Fat Mass, Free Fat Mass, Total Body, Intracellular, Extracellular Water and Phase Angle were measured by bioimpedance. The t-Student test for unpaired data was used. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Body Mass Index was similar between the groups, wh...

Interpreting physical performance in professional soccer match-play: Should we be more pragmatic in our approach?

OpenAIRE

Carling, C.

2013-01-01

Academic and practitioner interest in the physical performance of male professional soccer players in the competition setting determined via time-motion analyses has grown substantially over the last four decades leading to a substantial body of published research and aiding development of a more systematic evidence-based framework for physical conditioning. Findings have forcibly shaped contemporary opinions in the sport with researchers and practitioners frequently emphasising the important...

National Survey of Interscholastic Sport Sponsorship in the United States

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DAVID PIERCE

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Due to cuts in educational funding in the United States, interscholastic athletic administrators have turned to corporate sponsorship to fund athletic departments. While the academic literature in sport management has extensively covered corporate sponsorship at the intercollegiate and professional level, the purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence, nature, and importance of sponsorship to high school athletics in the United States. This paper identified factors that predicted the use of sponsorship, the amount of revenue generated from sponsorship, who is responsible for selling sponsorship, motivators behind not soliciting sponsorship, and the extent to which fundraising and participation fees are utilized to supplement athletic department budgets. The most common form of alternative revenue generation is fund raising (87% of schools followed by, sponsorship (57% and participation fees (34%. One-third of schools reported using sponsorship in response to budget cuts, and over one-fourth solicited sponsorship to prevent charging participation fees. Results also indicated that while the majority of high school athletic departments solicited corporate sponsorship, administrators were cautious in the so-licitation of sponsorship as evidenced by the small dollar amounts involved and overall impact on the budget, reliance on game program advertisements and facility signage to activate sponsorships, and a lack of outsourcing to sport marketing firms to sell the sponsorships. There is clearly room for growth in the interscholastic sport sponsorship market.

Modelling The Effect of Changing Point Systems to Teams’ Competition Standing in A Malaysian Soccer Super League

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Mat Yusof, Muhammad; Khalid, Ruzelan; Hamid, Mohamad Shukri Abdul; Mansor, Rosnalini; Sulaiman, Tajularipin

2018-05-01

In a sports league such as in a soccer league, the teams’ competition standing is based on a cumulative point system. Typically, the standard point system is given to every single match for win, draw and lose teams is the 3-1-0 point system. In this paper, we explore the effect of changing point systems to teams’ competition standing by changing the weightage values for win, draw and lose teams. Three types of point systems are explored in our soccer simulation model; firstly the 3-1-0, secondly the 2-1-0 and thirdly the 4-1-0 point system. Based on the teams participating in a Malaysian soccer Super League, our simulation result shows that there are small changes in term of teams’ competition standing when we compared the actual rank and the simulation rank position. However, the 4-1-0 point system recorded the highest Pearson correlation value which is 0.97, followed by the 2-1-0 point system (0.95) and thirdly the 3-1-0 point system (0.94).

Hydration in soccer: a review

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Monteiro Cristiano Ralo

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Hydration should be considered before, during and after the exercise. This review intends to approach the main points of hydration process in soccer. The replacement of fluids during exercise is proportional to some factors, such as: exercise intensity; climatic conditions; the athlete's acclimatization; the athlete's physical conditioning; physiologic individual characteristics and the player's biomechanics. Performance is improved when players ingest not only water but also carbohydrate. The rates that carbohydrate and water are absorbed by the organism are limited by the rates of gastric emptying and intestinal absorption. The composition of drinks offered to the players should be influenced by the relative importance of the need of supplying carbohydrates or water; it should be remembered that the depletion of carbohydrate can result in fatigue and decrease of performance, but it is not usually a life-threatening condition. The addition of carbohydrate in these drinks increases the concentrations of blood glucose, increases the use of external fuel through the increase of the glucose oxidation in the muscles and it spares muscle glycogen. So, the ingestion of carbohydrate before and during the exercise can delay the emergence of fatigue and increase the players' performance. Several tactics can be used to avoid dehydration, like hyperhydration before exercise and player's acclimatization. The ideal situation to restore the player's fluid losses is between the sessions of exercises. Since soccer is a sport with quite peculiar characteristics related to hydration, the players should be concerned and educated about the importance of fluid ingestion before, during and after the exercise.

Soccer injuries and recovery in dutch male amateur soccer players: Results of a prospective cohort study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beijsterveldt, A.M. van; Steffen, K.; Stubbe, J.H.; Frederiks, J.E.; Port, I.G.L. van de; Backx, F.J.G.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE:: To describe characteristics of outdoor soccer injury and recovery among Dutch soccer players. DESIGN:: Prospective cohort study. SETTING:: The 2009-2010 competitive season (33 weeks). PARTICIPANTS:: Four hundred fifty-six Dutch male soccer players of 23 amateur teams. MAIN OUTCOME

Distribution of Arsenic and Risk Assessment of Activities on Soccer Pitches Irrigated with Arsenic-Contaminated Water

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Nadia Martínez-Villegas

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to estimate the risk of human exposure to arsenic due to sporting activities in a private soccer club in Mexico, where arsenic-contaminated water was regularly used for irrigation. For this purpose, the total concentration in the topsoil was considered for risk assessment. This was accomplished through three main objectives: (1 measuring arsenic concentrations in irrigation water and irrigated soils, (2 determining arsenic spatial distribution in shallow soils with Geographical Information Systems (GIS using geostatistical analysis, and (3 collecting field and survey data to develop a risk assessment calculation for soccer activities in the soccer club. The results showed that the average arsenic concentrations in shallow soils (138.1 mg/kg were 6.2 times higher than the Mexican threshold for domestic soils (22 mg/kg. Furthermore, dermal contact between exposed users and contaminated soils accounted for a maximum carcinogenic risk value of 1.8 × 10−5, which is one order of magnitude higher than the recommended risk value, while arsenic concentrations in the irrigation water were higher (6 mg/L than the WHO’s permissible threshold in drinking water, explaining the contamination of soils after irrigation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first risk study regarding dermal contact with arsenic following regular grass irrigation with contaminated water in soccer pitches.

The Assessment of Airway Maneuvers and Interventions in University Canadian Football, Ice Hockey, and Soccer Players

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Delaney, J. Scott; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Baylis, Penny-Jane; Troutman, Tracy; Aljufaili, Mahmood; Correa, José A.

2011-01-01

Abstract Context: Managing an airway in an unconscious athlete is a lifesaving skill that may be made more difficult by the recent changes in protective equipment. Different airway maneuvers and techniques may be required to help ventilate an unconscious athlete who is wearing full protective equipment. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of different airway maneuvers with football, ice hockey, and soccer players wearing full protective equipment. Design: Crossover study. Setting: University sports medicine clinic. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 146 university varsity athletes, consisting of 62 football, 45 ice hockey, and 39 soccer players. Intervention(s): Athletes were assessed for different airway and physical characteristics. Three investigators then evaluated the effectiveness of different bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation techniques in supine athletes who were wearing protective equipment while inline cervical spine immobilization was maintained. Main Outcome Measure(s): The effectiveness of 1-person BVM ventilation (1-BVM), 2-person BVM ventilation (2-BVM), and inline immobilization and ventilation (IIV) was judged by each investigator for each athlete using a 4-point rating scale. Results: All forms of ventilation were least difficult in soccer players and most difficult in football players. When compared with 1-BVM, both 2-BVM and IIV were deemed more effective by all investigators for all athletes. Interference from the helmet and stabilizer were common reasons for difficult ventilation in football and ice hockey players. Conclusions: Sports medicine professionals should practice and be comfortable with different ventilation techniques for athletes wearing full equipment. The use of a new ventilation technique, termed inline immobilization and ventilation, may be beneficial, especially when the number of responders is limited. PMID:21391796

Relationship Between the Brazilian Soccer Confederation Rankings and the Economical-Financial Indicators of Soccer Teams

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Cleston Alexandre dos Santos

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Brazilian soccer teams are required to present good results inside and outside the field. The main demand is about winning titles, to present continuous and increasing profits, and, consequently, to reach economic-financial stability. The present study aims at analyzing the relationship between the ranking formed by the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF and the economic-financial indicators of the Brazilian soccer teams. The sample consisted of 36 Brazilian soccer teams that belong to the series A, B and C. Such teams are linked to CBF and published their financial statements of 2014. For data analysis, we used multi-criteria decision making method VIKOR that was applied along with Kendall rank correlation. Results revealed that the majority of Brazilian soccer teams have insufficient economical liquidity; they cannot bear their own expenses; they dependent of third-party resources; and they present negative profitability. Results also showed, through VIKOR technique, that the soccer teams studied occupy different positions in CBF ranking and in the economical-financial indicators, except for Botafogo club. Kendall rank correlation revealed no correlation and no significance between the rankings. Findings seem to support the idea that there is no relationship between CBF rankings and the economical-financial indicators of Brazilian soccer teams.

Body Size of Male Youth Soccer Players: 1978-2015.

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Malina, Robert M; Figueiredo, António J; Coelho-E-Silva, Manuel J

2017-10-01

Studies of the body size and proportions of athletes have a long history. Comparisons of athletes within specific sports across time, though not extensive, indicate both positive and negative trends. To evaluate secular variation in heights and weights of male youth soccer players reported in studies between 1978 and 2015. Reported mean ages, heights, and weights of male soccer players 9-18 years of age were extracted from the literature and grouped into two intervals: 1978-99 and 2000-15. A third-order polynomial was fitted to the mean heights and weights across the age range for each interval, while the Preece-Baines model 1 was fitted to the grand means of mean heights and mean weights within each chronological year to estimate ages at peak height velocity and peak weight velocity for each time interval. Third-order polynomials applied to all data points and estimates based on the Preece-Baines model applied to grand means for each age group provided similar fits. Both indicated secular changes in body size between the two intervals. Secular increases in height and weight between 1978-99 and 2000-15 were especially apparent between 13 and 16 years of age, but estimated ages at peak height velocity (13.01 and 12.91 years) and peak weight velocity (13.86 and 13.77 years) did not differ between the time intervals. Although the body size of youth soccer players increased between 1978-99 and 2000-15, estimated ages at peak height velocity and peak weight velocity did not change. The increase in height and weight likely reflected improved health and nutritional conditions, in addition to the selectivity of soccer reflected in systematic selection and retention of players advanced in maturity status, and exclusion of late maturing players beginning at about 12-13 years of age. Enhanced training programs aimed at the development of strength and power are probably an additional factor contributing to secular increases in body weight.

Practice and play as determinants of self-determined motivation in youth soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendry, David T; Crocker, Peter R E; Hodges, Nicola J

2014-01-01

Based upon predictions derived from the Developmental Model of Sports Participation, we tested whether hours in domain-specific play (self-led activities) and practice (coach-led activities) during childhood (~5-12 year) in an elite group of youth soccer players from the UK (N = 144) were related to motivation. Independent analysis of three different age groups (Under 13, 15 and 17 year) did not show relations between play and practice activities during childhood and global measures of motivation. However, secondary analysis showed that when controlling for years in soccer, years in the UK Academy system were negatively related to global indices of self-determined motivation (SDI) and positively related to controlled motivation for the oldest players. Despite predictions, there was no evidence that play during childhood was positively related to more SDI. Prospective research is recommended to enable more robust conclusions about the role of early developmental practice activities, especially early specialisation in a high-performance system, on both skill and psychosocial development.

Understanding How Organized Youth Sport May Be Harming Individual Players within the Family Unit: A Literature Review

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Corliss N. Bean

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Within the United States, close to 45 million youths between the ages of 6 and 18 participate in some form of organized sports. While recent reviews have shown the positive effects of youth sport participation on youth health, there are also several negative factors surrounding the youth sport environment. To date, a comprehensive review of the negative physical and psychological effects of organized sport on youth has not been done and little thus far has documented the effect organized sport has on other players within a family, particularly on parents and siblings. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to conduct a review of studies on the negative effects of organized sport on the youth athlete and their parents and siblings. Articles were found by searching multiple databases (Physical Education Index and Sociology, Psychology databases (Proquest, SPORTDiscus and Health, History, Management databases (EBSCOhost, Science, Social Science, Arts and Humanities on Web of Science (ISI, SCOPUS and Scirus (Elsevier. Results show the darker side of organized sport for actors within the family unit. A model is proposed to explain under which circumstances sport leads to positive versus negative outcomes, ideas for future research are drawn and recommendations are made to optimize the youth sport experience and family health.

Understanding How Organized Youth Sport May Be Harming Individual Players within the Family Unit: A Literature Review

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Bean, Corliss N.; Fortier, Michelle; Post, Courtney; Chima, Karam

2014-01-01

Within the United States, close to 45 million youths between the ages of 6 and 18 participate in some form of organized sports. While recent reviews have shown the positive effects of youth sport participation on youth health, there are also several negative factors surrounding the youth sport environment. To date, a comprehensive review of the negative physical and psychological effects of organized sport on youth has not been done and little thus far has documented the effect organized sport has on other players within a family, particularly on parents and siblings. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to conduct a review of studies on the negative effects of organized sport on the youth athlete and their parents and siblings. Articles were found by searching multiple databases (Physical Education Index and Sociology, Psychology databases (Proquest), SPORTDiscus and Health, History, Management databases (EBSCOhost), Science, Social Science, Arts and Humanities on Web of Science (ISI), SCOPUS and Scirus (Elsevier). Results show the darker side of organized sport for actors within the family unit. A model is proposed to explain under which circumstances sport leads to positive versus negative outcomes, ideas for future research are drawn and recommendations are made to optimize the youth sport experience and family health. PMID:25275889

Social cognitive correlates of young adult sport competitors' sunscreen use.

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Berndt, Nadine C; O'Riordan, David L; Winkler, Elisabeth; McDermott, Liane; Spathonis, Kym; Owen, Neville

2011-02-01

Young adults participating in outdoor sports represent a high-risk group for excessive sun exposure. The purpose of this study was to identify modifiable social cognitive correlates of sunscreen use among young adult competitors. Participants aged 18 to 30 years who competed in soccer (n = 65), surf-lifesaving (n = 63), hockey (n = 61), and tennis (n = 48) completed a sun habits survey. Almost half (n = 113) of the participants used sunscreen inadequately and 30% (n = 70) reported not using sunscreen. In fully adjusted models, social cognitive attributes significantly (p competitors and as a result may be useful in informing behavior change interventions within the sporting context.

Are Elite Female Soccer Athletes at Risk for Disordered Eating Attitudes, Menstrual Dysfunction, and Stress Fractures?

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Prather, Heidi; Hunt, Devyani; McKeon, Kathryn; Simpson, Scott; Meyer, E Blair; Yemm, Ted; Brophy, Robert

2016-03-01

To determine the prevalence of stress fractures, menstrual dysfunction and disordered eating attitudes in elite female soccer athletes. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Female soccer athletes were recruited from a national level youth soccer club, an NCAA Division I university team, and a women's professional team. Two hundred twenty female soccer athletes with a mean age of 16.4 ± 4 years and BMI of 20.8 ± 2 kg/m(2) completed the study, representing all athletes from the included teams. One-time surveys completed by the athletes. Height and weight were recorded, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated for each athlete. Athletes reported age of menarche, history of missing 3 or more menses within a 12-month period and stress fracture. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was used to assess the athlete's body perception and attitudes toward eating. Of the 220 soccer athletes, 3 athletes (1.6%) had a low BMI for their age, and 19 (8.6%) reported stress fractures of the lower extremity. Among athletes who had reached menarche, the average onset was 13 + 1 year; menstrual dysfunction were present in 21 (19.3%). On the EAT-26, 1 player scored in the high risk range (>20) and 17 (7.7%) scored in the intermediate risk range (10-19) for eating disorders. Athletes with an EAT-26 score ≥ 10 points had a significantly higher prevalence of menstrual dysfunction in the past year compared to athletes with an EAT-26 score of less than 10 (P = .02). Elite female soccer athletes are susceptible to stress fractures and menstrual dysfunction and have delayed onset of menarche despite normal BMI and appropriate body perception and attitudes towards eating. Further studies are needed to better understand stress fracture risk in female soccer athletes and in other team sports to determine how these findings relate to long-term bone health in this population. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sport Sociology: Contemporary Themes.

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Yiannakis, Andrew, Ed.; And Others

Intended for beginning and intermediate level students of sport and society, this anthology of 43 articles is organized into twelve, self-contained teaching units with unit introductions and study questions. Topics addressed include: (1) the sociological study of sport; (2) sport and American society; (3) the interdependence of sport, politics,…

Action Regulation Introducing Stress Management Techniques and High Performance in Soccer

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Saha Soumendra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Fifty-two high performing soccer players of South-East Asian contingent were selected by three expert soccer instructors on the basis of their consistent high performance and on the basis of their performance on psychomotor and psychobiological parameters. All of these players were subjected to pre-intervention analyses of Sc orienting reflex indices (phasic components of electrodermal activity as well as sympathovagal activity based on HRV indices which were assessed simultaneously while the players were engaged in psychomotor reaction ability performances. Structural equations were done to identify the path regression related to performance excellence, which were suggestive of incoherence between the predictors. Short-term intensive self-regulation as well as action-regulation training modules was developed to foster ideomotor orientation in the players, which however was found effective in modification of the intrinsic psychobiological mechanism leading towards excellence in performance in the high-performer soccer players. Thus they were randomly categorised into four groups, comprising of one no-intervention control group (N = 13; experimental group I (N = 13 who received action-regulation training; experimental group II (N = 13, who received training of electromyography (EMG biofeedback, and experimental group III (N = 13, who received combined training of action - regulation and electromyography (EMG biofeedback (for 15 min.s/day, for 3 days per week, for 12 weeks. Repeated measure of ANOVA and multiple linear and polynomial regression analyses along with the predictive structural analyses were done to identify relationships between the psychobiological processes, in relation to the cognitive-affective and affective-motivational aspects of sports behaviour, revealed by the projective analyses of emotionality. These models were aptly able to explain the efficacy of the action-regulation intervention techniques, in inducing the cognitive

Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in a Brazilian premier league soccer team

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Fachina RJ

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Rafael Júlio de Freitas Guina Fachina,1,2 Marília dos Santos Andrade,3 Fernando Roberto Silva,4 Silas Waszczuk-Junior,4 Paulo César Montagner,1 João Paulo Borin,1 Claudio Andre Barbosa de Lira5 1Departamento de Ciência do Esporte, Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil; 2Confederação Brasileira de Basketball (CBB, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 3Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 4Grêmio Barueri Futebol LTDA, Barueri, Brazil; 5Setor de Fisiologia Humana e do Exercício, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Câmpus Jataí, Jataí, Brazil Abstract: Soccer, which has a large number of participants, has a high injury incidence that causes both financial and time burdens. Therefore, knowledge about the epidemiology of soccer injuries could allow sports-medicine professionals, such as physicians and physiotherapists, to direct their work in specific preventive programs. Thus, our aim was to conduct an epidemiological survey of injuries sustained by professional soccer players from the same team who participated in the Brazilian championship premier league in 2009. To this end, we evaluated retrospectively player medical records from the team, which included name, date of birth, position, date of injury, mechanism of injury, and type of injury. In the period of study, 95 injuries were recorded: 42 (44.2% were recorded during matches, and 53 (55.8% during the training period. Injuries occurred more frequently in midfielders and strikers. All injuries happened in the lower limb, most of the injuries were muscular, and most occurred as the result of collisions with other athletes. In summary, this study demonstrates that there is a need for greater safety awareness in the training environment. Keywords: injuries, epidemiology, soccer players

How effective are exercise-based injury prevention programmes for soccer players? : A systematic review.

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van Beijsterveldt, A M C; van der Horst, Nick; van de Port, Ingrid G L; Backx, Frank J G

2013-04-01

The incidence of soccer (football) injuries is among the highest in sports. Despite this high rate, insufficient evidence is available on the efficacy of preventive training programmes on injury incidence. To systematically study the evidence on preventive exercise-based training programmes to reduce the incidence of injuries in soccer. The databases EMBASE/MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of controlled trials, PEDro and SPORTDiscus™ were searched for relevant articles, from inception until 20 December 2011. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. The inclusion criteria for this review were (1) randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials; (2) primary outcome of the study is the number of soccer injuries and/or injury incidence; (3) intervention focusing on a preventive training programme, including a set of exercises aimed at improving strength, coordination, flexibility or agility; and (4) study sample of soccer players (no restrictions as to level of play, age or sex). The exclusion criteria were: (1) the article was not available as full text; (2) the article was not published in English, German or Dutch; and (3) the trial and/or training programme relates only to specific injuries and/or specific joints. To compare the effects of the different interventions, we calculated the incidence risk ratio (IRR) for each study. Six studies involving a total of 6,099 participants met the inclusion criteria. The results of the included studies were contradictory. Two of the six studies (one of high and one of moderate quality) reported a statistical significant reduction in terms of their primary outcome, i.e. injuries overall. Four of the six studies described an overall preventive effect (IRRbased programmes to prevent soccer injuries. Some reasons for the contradictory findings could be different study samples (in terms of sex and soccer type) in the included studies, differences between

Leadership power perception of amateur and professional soccer coaches and players according to their belief in good luck or not.

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Konter, Erkut

2010-09-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the leadership power perception of amateur and professional soccer coaches and players according to their belief in good luck or not. Data collected from 165 male soccer coaches and 870 male soccer players including professionals and amateurs. The coaches had a mean age of 40.24 years (SD = 8.40) and had been coaching for an average of 8.56 years (SD = 6.75). The players had a mean age of 18.40 years (SD = 4.00) and had been playing soccer for an average of 6.00 years (SD = 4.15) with license. Adapted Turkish version of Power in Soccer Questionnaire-Other (PSQ-O for soccer players), Power in Soccer Questionnaire-Self (PSQ-S for coaches) and an information form were used for the data collection. Cronbach Reliability Alphas of PSQ-O and PSQ-S range between 0.60 and 0.84. Players' and coaches' data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney Tests. Analysis of PSQ-O revealed significant differences related to Coersive Power-CP [chi2 (3) = 8.46, p Referent Power-RP [chi2 (3) = 14.84, p 0.05). Results of PSQ-O and PSQ-S indicated complex relationships related to belief in good luck or not. Overall, there are differences between coaches' and players'perception of CP, LP and EP related to belief in good luck or not. The only similarity appears to be in perception of RP. However, there is lack of research to make more certain conclusions. Future researchers should also take into consideration gender, sport experience, age, taking responsibility, self-confidence, attributions, expectations, superstitions, emotions, perception of achievement etc.

[Medicine in sports or sport medicine?] ].

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Heimer, S; Tonković-Lojović, M

2001-01-01

Sports medicine is a profession pertaining to primary health care of sport population (competitors, coaches, referees, participants in sports recreation). It embraces the physical and mental health protection and promotion of participants in relation to a particular sport activity and sport environment, directing athletes to a sport and adapting them to sport and the sport to them. Sports medicine takes part in selection procedure, training process planning and programming, and cares for epidemiological, hygienic, nutritional and other problems in sport. The Republic of Croatia belongs to those world states in which the field of sports medicine is regulated neither by a law or by profession. A consequence is that wide circle of physicians and paramedics work in clubs and various medical units without any legal or/and professional control not being adequately educated nor having licence for it. This review is an appeal to the Croatian Medical Chamber and the Ministry of Health to make efforts to promote the education and medical profession in sports medicine.

Acute avulsion fractures of the pelvis in adolescent competitive athletes: prevalence, location and sports distribution of 203 cases collected

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Rossi, F.; Dragoni, S. [Sports Science Inst., Rome (Italy)

2001-03-01

Objective. To describe the prevalence, location and sports distribution of pelvic avulsion fractures in adolescent competitive athletes. Design and patients. One thousand two hundred and thirty-eight radiographs of the pelvis taken for focal traumatic symptoms in athletes with an age range of 11-35 years over a period of 22 years were reviewed. Results. One hundred and ninety-eight adolescent athletes were affected by 203 avulsion fractures of the pelvic apophyses (five cases presented multiple locations). The localisation was the ischial tuberosity (IT) in 109 cases, anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) in 45 cases, anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) in 39 cases, superior corner of pubic symphysis (SCPS) in 7 cases and iliac crest (IC) in 3 cases. Soccer (74 cases) and gymnastics (55 cases) were the sports with the highest number of avulsion fractures documented. Conclusions. Apophyseal avulsion fractures of the pelvis in adolescent competitive athletes are most common in soccer and gymnastics. The lesions are usually the consequence of sudden and forceful muscle-tendon contractions during sport activities. Plain radiographs, are determinant for the diagnosis. (orig.)

Acute avulsion fractures of the pelvis in adolescent competitive athletes: prevalence, location and sports distribution of 203 cases collected

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, F.; Dragoni, S.

2001-01-01

Objective. To describe the prevalence, location and sports distribution of pelvic avulsion fractures in adolescent competitive athletes. Design and patients. One thousand two hundred and thirty-eight radiographs of the pelvis taken for focal traumatic symptoms in athletes with an age range of 11-35 years over a period of 22 years were reviewed. Results. One hundred and ninety-eight adolescent athletes were affected by 203 avulsion fractures of the pelvic apophyses (five cases presented multiple locations). The localisation was the ischial tuberosity (IT) in 109 cases, anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) in 45 cases, anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) in 39 cases, superior corner of pubic symphysis (SCPS) in 7 cases and iliac crest (IC) in 3 cases. Soccer (74 cases) and gymnastics (55 cases) were the sports with the highest number of avulsion fractures documented. Conclusions. Apophyseal avulsion fractures of the pelvis in adolescent competitive athletes are most common in soccer and gymnastics. The lesions are usually the consequence of sudden and forceful muscle-tendon contractions during sport activities. Plain radiographs, are determinant for the diagnosis. (orig.)

The Effects of Cupping on Hamstring Flexibility in Collegiate Soccer Players.

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Williams, Jeffrey G; Gard, Hannah I; Gregory, Jeana M; Gibson, Amy; Austin, Jennifer

2018-01-24

Collegiate soccer players suffer hamstring injuries due to inflexibility and repetitive motions involving intense hamstring lengthening and contraction during sport. Although a popular intervention for muscular injury, there exists limited evidence of the effects of therapeutic cupping on hamstring flexibility. To determine the effect of cupping therapy on hamstring flexibility in collegiate soccer players. Cohort design. Athletic training clinic. Twenty-five, asymptomatic, NCAA Division III soccer players (10 males, 15 females) (age = 19.4 ± 1.30 years, height = 175.1 ± 8.2 cm, mass = 69.5 ± 6.6 kg). A 7-minute therapeutic cupping treatment was delivered to the treatment group. Four 2-inch cups were fixed atop trigger point locations within the hamstring muscle bellies of participants' dominant legs. Control group participants received no intervention between pre- and post-test measurements. Pretest and posttest measurements of hamstring flexibility, using a Passive Straight Leg Raise (PSLR), were performed on both groups. PSLR measurements were conducted by blinded examiners using a digital inclinometer. An independent samples t-test was used to analyze changes in hamstring flexibility from pre- to post-treatment with p-values set a priori at 0.05. An independent samples t-test demonstrated no significant difference in change in hamstring flexibility between participants in the treatment group and those in the control group (t 23 = -.961, p = .35). The findings of this study demonstrated no statistically significant changes in hamstring flexibility following a cupping treatment.

Functional Assessment and Injury Risk in a Professional Soccer Team

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Pedro Gómez-Piqueras

2017-01-01

Full Text Available At the last World Conference on Sport and Physical Therapy celebrated in Bern (Switzerland, 2015, it was confirmed that the functional skills of an athlete are a very important variable to be considered in the recovery of an injury. On the other hand, its use as a predictive risk tool still lacks solid evidence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a battery of functional tests (FPT could be used as a preliminary measure for the season in order to identify the injury risk in a professional soccer team in the Spanish Second Division B League. Fifty-two soccer players (ages of 25.3 ± 4.6 years, 10.33% ± 0.9% fat were functionally assessed during two seasons (2012–2013 and 2013–2014 and analyzed from an injury perspective. A total of 125 injuries were recorded. The sample was grouped based on the number of injuries and the required absence days. Except for the bipodal vertical jump (CMJ, none of the functional tests revealed differences among the groups. The correlation study between the functional condition and the suffered injuries did not show any significant results.

Monitoring Elite Soccer Players' External Loads Using Real-Time Data.

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Barrett, Steve

2017-11-01

To assess the validity of measuring locomotor activities and PlayerLoad using real-time (RT) data collection during soccer training. Twenty-nine English soccer players participated. Each player wore the same MEMS device (Micromechanical Electrical Systems; S5, Optimeye; CatapultSports, Melbourne, Australia) during 21 training sessions (N = 331 data sets) in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. An RT receiver (TRX; Catapultsports, Melbourne, Australia) was used to collect the locomotor activities and PlayerLoad data in RT and compared with the postevent downloaded (PED) data. PlayerLoad and locomotor activities (total distance covered; total high-speed running distance covered, >5.5#x00A0;m/s; total sprinting distance covered, >7 m/s; maximum velocity) were analyzed. Correlations were near perfect for all variables analyzed (r = .98-1.00), with a varied level of noise between RT and PED also (0.3-9.7% coefficient of variation). Locomotor activities and PlayerLoad can use both RT and PED concurrently to quantify a player's physical output during a training session. Caution should be taken with higher-velocity-based locomotor activities during RT compared to PED.

Are Subjective Evaluations Biased by Social Factors or Connections? An Econometric Analysis of Soccer Referee Decisions

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Scoppa, Vincenzo

2008-01-01

Many incentive contracts are based on subjective evaluations and contractual disputes depend on judges’ decisions. However, subjective evaluations raise risks of favouritism and distortions. Sport contests are a fruitful field for testing empirically theories of incentives. In this paper the behaviour of the referees in the Italian soccer (football) league (“Serie A”) is analyzed. Using data on injury (or extra) time subjectively assigned by the referee at the end of the match and controlling...

Sports Nutrition Knowledge among Mid-Major Division I University Student-Athletes

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Ashley Andrews

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Competitive athletes have goals to optimize performance and to maintain healthy body composition. Sports nutrition is a component of training programs often overlooked by student-athletes and their coaches. The purpose of this study was to examine student-athletes’ sports nutrition knowledge across sex, class level, team, and completion of prior nutrition coursework. Participants included 123 mid-major Division I university student-athletes (47 females and 76 males from baseball, softball, men’s soccer, track and field, and tennis. The student-athletes completed a survey questionnaire to determine adequate sports nutrition knowledge (mean ≥ 75%. The overall mean sports nutrition knowledge score for the student-athletes was 56.9% which was considered inadequate sports nutrition knowledge (mean < 75%. Only 12 student-athletes achieved adequate sports nutrition knowledge score of 75% or higher. There were no differences by sex, class level, team, and completion of prior nutrition coursework. Student-athletes’ inadequate sports nutrition knowledge may place them at nutrition risk, lead to impaired performance, and affect their lean body mass and energy levels. Athletics personnel should not assume student-athletes have adequate sports nutrition knowledge. Athletic departments may make available a board certified Sports Dietitian or Registered Dietitian and offer classroom or online courses facilitating student-athletes to optimize nutrition knowledge and behaviors.

Monitoring performance, pituitary-adrenal hormones and mood profiles: how to diagnose non-functional over-reaching in male elite junior soccer players.

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Schmikli, Sándor L; de Vries, Wouter R; Brink, Michel S; Backx, Frank Jg

2012-11-01

To verify if in male elite junior soccer players a minimum 1-month performance decrease is accompanied by a mood profile and hormone levels typical of non-functional over-reaching (NFOR). A prospective case-control study using a monthly performance monitor with a standardised field test to detect the performance changes. Players with a performance decrease lasting at least 1 month were compared with control players without a performance decrease on mood scores and pre-exercise and postexercise levels of stress hormones. Sporting field and sports medical laboratory. Ninety-four young elite soccer players were monitored during the 2006-2008 seasons. Twenty-one players were invited to the laboratory, seven of whom showed a significant performance decrease. Performance change over time, scores on the profile of mood states and premaximal and postmaximal exercise serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), growth hormone (GH) and cortisol. Players with a performance decrease showed psychological and hormonal changes typical of the non-functional state of over-reaching. Scores were higher on depression and anger, whereas the resting GH levels and ACTH levels after maximal exercise were reduced. ACTH and GH were capable of classifying all but one player correctly as either NFOR or control. Performance-related criteria in field tests are capable of identifying players with worsened mood and adaptations of the endocrine system that fit the definition of NFOR. Performance, mood and hormone levels may therefore be considered as valid instruments to diagnose NFOR in young elite soccer players.

The Fun Integration Theory: Towards Sustaining Children and Adolescents Sport Participation

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Visek, Amanda J.; Achrati, Sara M.; Manning, Heather; McDonnell, Karen; Harris, Brandonn S.; DiPietro, Loretta

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Children cite ‘fun’ as the primary reason for participation in organized sport and its absence as the number one reason for youth sport attrition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical framework of fun using a novel mixed-method assessment of participants in sport (FUN MAPS) via concept mapping. METHODS Youth soccer players (n = 142), coaches (n = 37), and parents (n = 57) were stratified by age, sex, and competition level and contributed their “fun” ideas through: (a) qualitative brainstorming, identifying all of the things that make playing sports fun for players; (b) sorting of ideas; and (c) rating each idea on its importance, frequency, and feasibility. RESULTS The FUN MAPS identify the four fundamental tenets of fun in youth sport within 11 fun-dimensions composed of 81 specific fun-determinants, while also establishing the youth sport ethos. CONCLUSION The FUN MAPS provide pictorial evidence-based blueprints for the fun integration theory (FIT), which is a multi-theoretical, multidimensional, and stakeholder derived framework that can be used to maximize fun for children and adolescents in order to promote and sustain an active and healthy lifestyle through sport. PMID:24770788

School sports accidents: analysis of causes, modes, and frequencies.

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Kelm, J; Ahlhelm, F; Pape, D; Pitsch, W; Engel, C

2001-01-01

About 5% of all school children are seriously injured during physical education every year. Because of its influence on children's attitude toward sports and the economic aspects, an evaluation of causes and medical consequences is necessary. In this study, 213 school sports accidents were investigated. Besides diagnosis, the localization of injuries, as well as the duration of the sick leave were documented. Average age of injured students was 13 years. Most of the injured students blamed themselves for the accident. The most common injuries were sprains, contusions, and fractures. Main reasons for the accidents were faults in basic motion training. Playing soccer and basketball were the most frequent reasons for injuries. The upper extremity was more frequently involved than the lower extremity. Sports physicians and teachers should work out a program outlining the individual needs and capabilities of the injured students to reintegrate them into physical education.

The efficacy of acute nutritional interventions on soccer skill performance.

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Russell, Mark; Kingsley, Michael

2014-07-01

The use of nutritional ergogenic aids in team sports such as soccer is now commonplace. Aligned with the primary aim of soccer, which is to score more goals than the opposition within the allotted time, the quality of performance of technical actions (i.e., skills) executed during soccer-specific exercise is likely to determine success. However, when seeking to maintain soccer skill performance, information about the efficacy of nutritional interventions is lacking and factors which might modulate the efficacy of such strategies are unclear. This review aimed (i) to systematically evaluate the current research that examines the efficacy of nutritional interventions on soccer skills, and (ii) to provide a qualitative commentary on factors that have the potential to modulate the efficacy of such strategies. Relevant databases (PubMed and SPORTDiscus) were searched up to and including 1 July, 2013 for studies that investigated the efficacy of acute nutritional interventions on soccer skill performances. Overall, 279 records were retrieved. Articles were sequentially excluded from the review based on specific criteria, being: (A) articles that did not report outcomes directly relating to skilled performances in soccer, (B) articles that examined the influence of interventions that were not nutritional in origin and/or were nutritional in origin but provided >3 hours before skill testing commenced, (C) articles that were review papers, and (D) post-acceptance withdrawal of articles methods from database. Articles were independently assessed for the quality of the methods employed based upon the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Records achieving a minimum PEDro score of 5 out of 10 were included in this review. Qualitative appraisal of 13 articles was performed after the application of exclusion criteria and quality assurance processes. The majority (n = 8) of articles examined the influence of carbohydrates on technical performance whereas fewer studies

Automatic summarization of soccer highlights using audio-visual descriptors.

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Raventós, A; Quijada, R; Torres, Luis; Tarrés, Francesc

2015-01-01

Automatic summarization generation of sports video content has been object of great interest for many years. Although semantic descriptions techniques have been proposed, many of the approaches still rely on low-level video descriptors that render quite limited results due to the complexity of the problem and to the low capability of the descriptors to represent semantic content. In this paper, a new approach for automatic highlights summarization generation of soccer videos using audio-visual descriptors is presented. The approach is based on the segmentation of the video sequence into shots that will be further analyzed to determine its relevance and interest. Of special interest in the approach is the use of the audio information that provides additional robustness to the overall performance of the summarization system. For every video shot a set of low and mid level audio-visual descriptors are computed and lately adequately combined in order to obtain different relevance measures based on empirical knowledge rules. The final summary is generated by selecting those shots with highest interest according to the specifications of the user and the results of relevance measures. A variety of results are presented with real soccer video sequences that prove the validity of the approach.

Level of functional capacities following soccer-specific warm-up methods among elite collegiate soccer players.

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Vazini Taher, Amir; Parnow, Abdolhossein

2017-05-01

Different methods of warm-up may have implications in improving various aspects of soccer performance. The present study aimed to investigate acute effects of soccer specific warm-up protocols on functional performance tests. This study using randomized within-subject design, investigated the performance of 22 collegiate elite soccer player following soccer specific warm-ups using dynamic stretching, static stretching, and FIFA 11+ program. Post warm-up examinations consisted: 1) Illinois Agility Test; 2) vertical jump; 3) 30 meter sprint; 4) consecutive turns; 5) flexibility of knee. Vertical jump performance was significantly lower following static stretching, as compared to dynamic stretching (P=0.005). Sprint performance declined significantly following static stretching as compared to FIFA 11+ (P=0.023). Agility time was significantly faster following dynamic stretching as compared to FIFA 11+ (P=0.001) and static stretching (P=0.001). Knee flexibility scores were significantly improved following the static stretching as compared to dynamic stretching (P=016). No significant difference was observed for consecutive turns between three warm-up protocol. The present finding showed that a soccer specific warm-up protocol relied on dynamic stretching is preferable in enhancing performance as compared to protocols relying on static stretches and FIFA 11+ program. Investigators suggest that while different soccer specific warm-up protocols have varied types of effects on performance, acute effects of dynamic stretching on performance in elite soccer players are assured, however application of static stretching in reducing muscle stiffness is demonstrated.

Surgical treatment of rectus femoris injury in soccer playing athletes: report of two cases.

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Shimba, Leandro Girardi; Latorre, Gabriel Carmona; Pochini, Alberto de Castro; Astur, Diego Costa; Andreoli, Carlos Vicente

2017-01-01

Muscle injury is the most common injury during sport practice. It represents 31% of all lesions in soccer, 16% in track and field, 10.4% in rugby, 17.7% in basketball, and between 22% and 46% in American football. The cicatrization with the formation of fibrotic tissue can compromise the muscle function, resulting in a challenging problem for orthopedics. Although conservative treatment presents adequate functional results in the majority of the athletes who have muscle injury, the consequences of treatment failure can be dramatic, possibly compromising the return to sport practice. The biarticular muscles with prevalence of type II muscle fibers, which are submitted to excentric contraction, present higher lesion risk. The quadriceps femoris is one example. The femoris rectus is the quadriceps femoris muscle most frequently involved in stretching injuries. The rupture occurs in the acceleration phase of running, jump, ball kicking, or in contraction against resistance. Although the conservative treatment shows good results, it is common that the patient has lower muscle strength, difficulty in return to sports, and a permanent and visible gap. Surgical treatment can be an option for a more efficient return to sports.

Surgical treatment of rectus femoris injury in soccer playing athletes: report of two cases

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Leandro Girardi Shimba

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Muscle injury is the most common injury during sport practice. It represents 31% of all lesions in soccer, 16% in track and field, 10.4% in rugby, 17.7% in basketball, and between 22% and 46% in American football. The cicatrization with the formation of fibrotic tissue can compromise the muscle function, resulting in a challenging problem for orthopedics. Although conservative treatment presents adequate functional results in the majority of the athletes who have muscle injury, the consequences of treatment failure can be dramatic, possibly compromising the return to sport practice. The biarticular muscles with prevalence of type II muscle fibers, which are submitted to excentric contraction, present higher lesion risk. The quadriceps femoris is one example. The femoris rectus is the quadriceps femoris muscle most frequently involved in stretching injuries. The rupture occurs in the acceleration phase of running, jump, ball kicking, or in contraction against resistance. Although the conservative treatment shows good results, it is common that the patient has lower muscle strength, difficulty in return to sports, and a permanent and visible gap. Surgical treatment can be an option for a more efficient return to sports.

Intelligent Prediction of Soccer Technical Skill on Youth Soccer Player's Relative Performance Using Multivariate Analysis and Artificial Neural Network Techniques

OpenAIRE

Abdullah, M. R; Maliki, A. B. H. M; Musa, R. M; Kosni, N. A; Juahir, H

2016-01-01

This study aims to predict the potential pattern of soccer technical skill on Malaysia youth soccer players relative performance using multivariate analysis and artificial neural network techniques. 184 male youth soccer players were recruited in Malaysia soccer academy (average age = 15.2±2.0) underwent to, physical fitness test, anthropometric, maturity, motivation and the level of skill related soccer. Unsupervised pattern recognition of principal component analysis (PCA) was used to ident...

Talent identification in youth soccer.

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Unnithan, Viswanath; White, Jordan; Georgiou, Andreas; Iga, John; Drust, Barry

2012-01-01

The purpose of this review article was firstly to evaluate the traditional approach to talent identification in youth soccer and secondly present pilot data on a more holistic method for talent identification. Research evidence exists to suggest that talent identification mechanisms that are predicated upon the physical (anthropometric) attributes of the early maturing individual only serve to identify current performance levels. Greater body mass and stature have both been related to faster ball shooting speed and vertical jump capacity respectively in elite youth soccer players. This approach, however, may prematurely exclude those late maturing individuals. Multiple physiological measures have also been used in an effort to determine key predictors of performance; with agility and sprint times, being identified as variables that could discriminate between elite and sub-elite groups of adolescent soccer players. Successful soccer performance is the product of multiple systems interacting with one another. Consequently, a more holistic approach to talent identification should be considered. Recent work, with elite youth soccer players, has considered whether multiple small-sided games could act as a talent identification tool in this population. The results demonstrated that there was a moderate agreement between the more technically gifted soccer player and success during multiple small-sided games.

[Nutritional study of a third division soccer team].

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Martínez Reñón, Cristian; Sánchez Collado, Pilar

2013-01-01

To analyze the nutritional habits and attitudes of a semiprofessional soccer team. Nutritional study of 21 semiprofessional soccer players (18-35 years) by analyzing the daily energy intake and expenditure also the distribution of macro and micro-nutrients, differentiated type of day (normal, training or competition). The energy balance is negative in the three days studied (- 31%, - 38% and -31% respectively). There were significant differences in caloric intake between the day of competition, a normal day and a day of training. These differences are observed both in absolute values (2,438 kcal vs 2,127 y 2,221 kcal respectively) as referring to body weight (30.5 kcal/kg vs 27 y 28 kcal/kg respectively). Regarding macronutrient intake, the samples eat a diet with an insufficient amount of carbohydrates (328 g vs 371 and 540 g recommended in function of physical activity). There were no significant differences in the composition of micronutrients. The football players studied show a negative energy balance with a diet low in carbohydrates. This poor nutritional status may interfere with the development of their sporting performance and, ultimately, increase the risk of lesions. This implies the need for design and implementation of a diet and introducing nutritional education programs for these athletes. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SPORTS BIOMECHANICS: NEW DAWN OR FALSE HOPE?

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Roger Bartlett

2006-12-01

Full Text Available This article reviews developments in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI in sports biomechanics over the last decade. It outlines possible uses of Expert Systems as diagnostic tools for evaluating faults in sports movements ('techniques' and presents some example knowledge rules for such an expert system. It then compares the analysis of sports techniques, in which Expert Systems have found little place to date, with gait analysis, in which they are routinely used. Consideration is then given to the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs in sports biomechanics, focusing on Kohonen self-organizing maps, which have been the most widely used in technique analysis, and multi-layer networks, which have been far more widely used in biomechanics in general. Examples of the use of ANNs in sports biomechanics are presented for javelin and discus throwing, shot putting and football kicking. I also present an example of the use of Evolutionary Computation in movement optimization in the soccer throw in, which predicted an optimal technique close to that in the coaching literature. After briefly overviewing the use of AI in both sports science and biomechanics in general, the article concludes with some speculations about future uses of AI in sports biomechanics.

Gender- and Sport-Specific Associations Between Religiousness and Doping Behavior in High-Level Team Sports.

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Zvan, Milan; Zenic, Natasa; Sekulic, Damir; Cubela, Mladen; Lesnik, Blaz

2017-08-01

Religiousness is known to be specifically associated with substance abuse, but there is an evident lack of studies investigating the association between religiousness and doping behavior as a specific type of substance abuse in athletes. This study aimed to provide evidence for possible gender- and sport-specific associations between religiousness and doping behavior among team-sport athletes of both genders. The participants were 886 athletes (21.9 ± 3.8 years of age; 352 females) involved in four sports: volleyball (n = 154; 78 females), handball (n = 206; 68 females), soccer (n = 316; 110 females) and basketball (n = 230; 96 females) from Croatia and Slovenia (all traditionally Roman Catholics). The data were collected using a previously validated structured questionnaire that examined sociodemographic, sport- and doping-related factors. In addition, religiousness was captured by the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith questionnaire (SCSRF). Gender-stratified simple logistic regressions were applied to determine associations between covariates and doping behavior (criterion). There was no significant difference in potential doping behavior between males and females (OR 1.06, 95 % CI 0.76-1.46), while females reported higher religiousness (SCSRF: 23.11 ± 3.23 and 25.46 ± 7.2 for males and females, respectively; t test = 1.82, p sport and age, the SCSRF remained a significant predictor of potential doping behavior (OR 0.95, 95 % CI 0.91-0.99). For males, the belief that doping was present in sport was strongly associated with a higher likelihood of doping. Our results suggest that highly religious females involved in three of the studies sports (i.e., volleyball, handball and basketball) show a weaker tendency toward doping. Meanwhile, there is no evidence that religiousness influences doping behavior among male team-sport athletes. Therefore, sport-specific and gender-specific approach in studying possible relationships that exist

An audit of injuries in six english professional soccer academies.

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Read, Paul J; Oliver, Jon L; De Ste Croix, Mark B A; Myer, Gregory D; Lloyd, Rhodri S

2018-07-01

Regulations now state that professional academies in the United Kingdom are required to substantially increase the volume of soccer training. This study assessed the current injury occurrence, providing an update to reports published prior to the introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). 608 soccer players aged 11-18 years from six professional soccer clubs were prospectively monitored, recording injuries during the 2014-2015 season. An injury rate of 1.32 injuries per player/season was indicated with a mean time loss of 21.9 days per injury. The greatest time loss per injury was in the U14s-U15s, and the highest rate of severe injuries in the U15s. Strains and sprains were the most common injury type, with the knee and ankle the most frequently injured anatomical sites. Seasonal variation indicated two peaks in injury incidence, occurring in September and January. In comparison to a published audit prior to the inception of the EPPP, this study indicates that academy soccer players are three-times more likely to experience an injury. Given that time loss and injury severity also increased during periods that typically follow rapid growth, these players should be considered an important group for training load monitoring and injury prevention strategies.

The Importance of Vitaminsfor Soccer Players.

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Eskici, Günay

2015-12-01

Soccer is one of the most widely played and complex sports in the world, where success depends on technical, tactical and physical skills of the players. Studies to improve performance in soccer have often focused on technique and tactics. However, nutrition is one of the most important factors influencing athletic performance of the players. The duration of matches is long and the training is intense. This leads to increased requirements for energy and nutrients, as well as increased reactive oxygen radicals and hence increased muscle damage. Vitamins are micronutrients that a living organism requires in trace quantities for health. As these assume crucial functions in the body, the performance of the player is negatively affected particularly during long-term deficiency. Beta-carotene, C and E vitamins are antioxidants that protect against oxygen radicals. In case of their deficiency, oxidative stress and muscle fatigue increases. Vitamin D is involved in maintaining mineral balance, and it increases absorption of dietary calcium and phosphorus. In case of vitamin D deficiency, injuries resulting from the musculoskeletal system might increase. B Vitamins (B1, B2, niacin, B6, B12, biotin, folic acid and pantothenic acid) perform duties such as energy production, absorption and transport of iron and blood cell production. Athletes who follow an energy-restricted and imbalanced diet might develop vitamin deficiency. In such a case, supplements can be used as recommended by the doctor/dietician. It is further reported that supplement use by athletes who have an adequate and balanced nutrition does not increase performance.

Comparison of Physical Fitness Parameters with EUROFIT Test Battery of Male Adolescent Soccer Players and Sedentary Counterparts

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Özgür ERİKOĞLU

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to compare physical fitness parameters of male adolescent soccer players and sedentary counterparts. A total of 26 male adolescents participated in this study voluntarily: Active soccer players (n: 3, age x : 13,00 ± 0,00 and sedentary counterparts (n: 13, age x :12,92 ± 0,75. The EUROFIT test battery was used to determine physical fitness. The test battery includes body height and weight measurements, touching the discs, flamingo balan ce, throwing health ball, vertical jumping, sit and reach, sit - up for 30 s, 20 meter sprint run, and 20 meter shuttle run tests. Data were analyzed by Mann Whitney U test. Significance was defined as p.05. In conclusion, children who do sports are more successful on most of the fitness parameters than sedentary children.

Dealing with negative stereotypes in sports: the role of cognitive anxiety when multiple identities are activated in sensorimotor tasks.

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Martiny, Sarah E; Gleibs, Ilka H; Parks-Stamm, Elizabeth J; Martiny-Huenger, Torsten; Froehlich, Laura; Harter, Anna Lena; Roth, Jenny

2015-08-01

Based on research on stereotype threat and multiple identities, this work explores the beneficial effects of activating a positive social identity when a negative identity is salient on women's performance in sports. Further, in line with research on the effects of anxiety in sports, we investigate whether the activation of a positive social identity buffers performance from cognitive anxiety associated with a negative stereotype. Two experiments tested these predictions in field settings. Experiment 1 (N = 83) shows that the simultaneous activation of a positive (i.e., member of a soccer team) and a negative social identity (i.e., woman) led to better performance than the activation of only a negative social identity for female soccer players. Experiment 2 (N = 46) demonstrates that identity condition moderated the effect of cognitive anxiety on performance for female basketball players. Results are discussed concerning multiple identities' potential for dealing with stressful situations.

An assessment of the nutritional intake of soccer referees.

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Martínez Reñón, Cristian; Collado, Pilar S

2015-01-01

The present study aims to analyze the eating habits and attitudes of a group of soccer referees and linesmen. A nutritional study was undertaken of thirty-five soccer referees (aged between 18 and 50) refereeing at different levels, from the Spanish national third division down to the provincial second division. Through the use of a 3-day food diary and 24-hour recall, this study analyzed the intake and distribution of macro- and micro-nutrients and of dietary fiber consumed on different types of day (normal, training, and match days). There were no significant differences in calorie intake related to the three types of day (normal, training, and match days). This was true both of overall amounts (2371.1 kcal, 2479.7 kcal, and 2368.4 kcal, respectively) and amounts per unit of body weight (32.4 kcal/kg, 33.9 kcal/kg, and 32.4 kcal/kg, respectively). In respect of macro-nutrient intake, more specifically carbohydrates, the subjects consumed a diet with an insufficient amount of carbohydrates: 279 g, as against the 371 g (REC1) or 540 g (REC2) recommended according to physical activity levels. Slight increases were observed on game days, but were not statistically significant. Consideration of micro-nutrients showed that the quantities of three vitamins (B6, B12, and C) consumed were above the recommended amounts. However, this was not an issue, since the figures related to water-soluble vitamins. Finally, the amounts of minerals (Ca, Mg, and Fe) and fiber consumed were close to recommended values, regardless of the type of day being considered. This study found that the group of referees investigated consumed a diet that did not have sufficient calories from carbohydrates, in view of their occupation. This poor nutritional status might interfere with the development of their sporting performance and ultimately increase the risk of injury. This implies a need to design and implement a diet and to introduce educational programs on nutrition for these

Performance in sports - with specific emphasis on the effect of intensified training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bangsbo, Jens

2015-01-01

Performance in most sports is determined by the athlete's technical, tactical, physiological and psychological/social characteristics. In the present article, the physical aspect will be evaluated with a focus on what limits performance, and how training can be conducted to improve performance...... with aerobic high-intensity sessions, also performance during longer events. Athletes in team sports involving intense exercise actions and endurance aspects, such as soccer and basketball, can also benefit from intensified training. Speed endurance training does reduce energy expenditure and increase...... expression of muscle Na(+) , K(+) pump α subunits, which may preserve muscle cell excitability and delay fatigue development during intense exercise. When various types of training are conducted in the same period (concurrent training), as done in a number of sports, one type of training may blunt the effect...

Contact sport and osteoarthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Molloy, Michael G

2011-04-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease in the world and the single largest cause of disability for those over 18 years. It affects more than twice as many people as does cardiac disease, and increases in incidence and prevalence with age. Animal and human studies have shown no evidence of increased risk of hip or knee OA with moderate exercise and in the absence of traumatic injury, sporting activity has a protective effect. One age-matched case control study found recreational runners who ran 12-14 miles per week for up to 40 years had no increase in radiological or symptomatic hip or knee OA. However, higher rates of hip OA occur in contact sports than in age-matched controls, with the highest rate in professional players. Soccer players with torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) are more likely to develop knee OA than those with intact ACL. Early ACL repair reduces the risk of knee OA, but does not prevent it. Established injury prevention programmes have been refined to prevent injuries such as ACL rupture.

Sports-related and gender differences on neuropsychological measures of frontal lobe functioning.

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Ryan, Jeanne P; Atkinson, Thomas M; Dunham, Katherine T

2004-01-01

To determine similarities and differences in the performance of female and male athletes on neuropsychological measures of frontal lobe functioning. A cross-sectional study of male and female college-aged athletes involved in one of the following sports: hockey, basketball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and track. Division III college. A total of 262 athletes (male, n=157; female, n=105) participated in the study. Controlled Oral Word Association (letters F, A, S), Cognitive Assessment System (Planned Codes, Planned Connections, Number Detection), and WAIS-R-NI Vocabulary were administered to all athletes. MANCOVA was performed with gender and sport as fixed factors. Female athletes displayed faster and more accurate performance on perceptual-motor tasks (Pgender and sport. Gender- and sport-specific performances on perceptual-motor and verbal fluency tasks were found. Adding cognitive components to base functions eliminates gender- and sports-related distinctions, suggesting that existing differences are related to basic, fundamental skills, which are inherent and practiced within the respective sport. Understanding the differences and similarities across sports and gender on various neurocognitive measures is relevant for determining group differences in studies examining the consequences of mild traumatic brain injury among athletes.

Soccer-Related Facial Trauma: A Nationwide Perspective.

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Bobian, Michael R; Hanba, Curtis J; Svider, Peter F; Hojjat, Houmehr; Folbe, Adam J; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Shkoukani, Mahdi A

2016-12-01

Soccer participation continues to increase among all ages in the US. Our objective was to analyze trends in soccer-related facial injury epidemiology, demographics, and mechanisms of injury. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was evaluated for soccer-related facial injuries from 2010 through 2014. Results for product code "soccer" were filtered for injures to the face. Number of injuries was extrapolated, and data were analyzed for age, sex, specific injury diagnoses, locations, and mechanisms. In all, 2054 soccer-related facial trauma entries were analyzed. During this time, the number of injures remained relatively stable. Lacerations were the most common diagnosis (44.2%), followed by contusions and fractures. The most common sites of fracture were the nose (75.1%). Of fractures with a reported mechanism of injury, the most common was head-to-head collisions (39.0%). Patients soccer-related facial trauma has remained stable, but the severity of such injuries remain a danger. Facial protection in soccer is virtually absent, and our findings reinforce the need to educate athletes, families, and physicians on injury awareness and prevention. © The Author(s) 2016.

A preliminary examination of neurocognitive performance and symptoms following a bout of soccer heading in athletes wearing protective soccer headbands.

Science.gov (United States)

Elbin, R J; Beatty, Amanda; Covassin, Tracey; Schatz, Philip; Hydeman, Ana; Kontos, Anthony P

2015-01-01

This study compared changes in neurocognitive performance and symptom reports following an acute bout of soccer heading among athletes with and without protective soccer headgear. A total of 25 participants headed a soccer ball 15 times over a 15-minute period, using a proper linear heading technique. Participants in the experimental group completed the heading exercise while wearing a protective soccer headband and controls performed the heading exercise without wearing the soccer headband. Neurocognitive performance and symptom reports were assessed before and after the acute bout of heading. Participants wearing the headband showed significant decreases on verbal memory (p = 0.02) compared with the no headband group, while the no headband group demonstrated significantly faster reaction time (p = 0.03) than the headband group following the heading exercise. These findings suggest that protective soccer headgear likely does not mitigate the subtle neurocognitive effects of acute soccer heading.

Enhancing Collegiate Women’s Soccer Psychosocial and Performance Outcomes by Promoting Intrinsic Sources of Sport Enjoyment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott P. Barnicle, Damon Burton

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study examined the effectiveness of an applied mental skills training (MST intervention utilizing mental skills to enhance intrinsic sources of enjoyment (ISOEs as a means of promoting self-confidence, motivational style, and athletic performance, while also decreasing trait anxiety. The intervention project was designed to increase intrinsic SOE using a systematic and individualized mental training protocol, and then examine its relationships to mental skills and soccer performance. A Division 1 collegiate women’s soccer team was randomly assigned to treatment (n = 8 and control (n = 11 groups, equally distributed by academic year, position, and pre-season coach-evaluated starters and non-starts. Results revealed that the MST intervention significantly increased intrinsic enjoyment targeted psychological and competitive outcomes, both in practice and competition within the treatment group as compared to the control group. This study’s support for the impact mental skills training may have had on ISOEs, as well as other psychosocial outcomes and athletic performance can serve to highlight a mental skill often overlooked by consultants and coaches.