Sporting Bodies Research Articles

Implementing the community sport legacy: the limits of partnerships, contracts and performance management

ABSTRACTResearch questions: Community sport policy is at the centre of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy plans. Specifically, the policy goal is to achieve year-on-year growth in mass sports participation. The government has committed significant public funding to the policy (£950 million between 2008 and 2017), a specific delivery system has been developed, and a number of techniques have been employed to manage and oversee policy implementation. This paper utilises Marsh and Smith’s [(2000). Understanding policy networks: Towards a dialectical approach. Political studies, 48, 4–21. doi:10.1111/1467-9248.00247] dialectical network approach to examine the community sport policy process, drawing particular attention to the effect of contemporary technologies of governing policy implementation [Green, M. (2009). Podium or participation? Analysing policy priorities under changing modes of sport governance in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 1(2), 121–144. doi:10.1080/19406940902950697].Research methods: The study is guided by a critical realist ontology and based on an analysis of qualitative data from 42 semi-structured interviews undertaken within three sub-regional partnerships in England. The interviews were conducted with senior managers and board representatives from National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), local authorities, and County Sport Partnerships (CSPs). The data were recorded, transcribed and analysed through the application of principles from Grounded Theory, namely open and axial coding, in order to identify significant themes as well as relationships between themes.Results and findings: The findings reveal a number of factors that restrict or inhibit the implementation of policy by community sport agents. These include the conflicting beliefs and values of key policy agents, the challenges associated with enforced partnerships, a lack of open discussion regarding policy learning, funding decisions which prioritise new staff for NGBs and CSPs, leaving limited funding for implementation, and NGBs’ insular approach to planning implementation of policy.Implications: Whilst partnerships, contracts, and performance management systems may be considered vital to contemporary governance, the evidence suggests that such tools may have adverse effects on policy implementation and, at least in the case of enforced partnerships, make the process of implementing policy more challenging than it otherwise might be.

European Sports Federations: A Critical Review of the Options for Incorporation

Most sports men and women would regard competition at the European and international level as one of the high points of a sporting career. In order to organise competitions at European level it is usually a pre-requisite to create a European association to organise the sport. From the earliest days of international sporting competitions in the nineteenth century to the present time, the strategic choices to be made when creating an international sport association have remained constant. These are: where to locate the association, geographically, and what legal form the international association should adopt? These basic questions have to be addressed, not only by those wishing to create new, international sports associations, but also by existing international associations. With regard to existing international sports associations, some of these may have to review their existing structures and locations as a result of expanding national memberships or the increasing commercial and legal pressures on the sports that they govern and represent. This article suggests that there is a strong case to be made for new and existing European sports associations to consider establishing some form of legal presence in Brussels, the administrative and political centre of the European Union. This is because, amongst other things, Brussels is the location where European sporting bodies might be better able to influence the regulatory and political decisions that may affect their various sports. This article then proceeds to consider what form that presence could take. Various options are examined and due attention is given to the special legal structures made available to international not-for-profit sports associations under Belgian law. What is of particular interest in this connection is the new Belgian Law of 2 May 2002 on not-for-profit associations, which came into force in July 2003. It is suggested that this new law provides two improved legal structures that could be valuable to those wishing to create new European sporting associations and to those existing associations who may be reviewing their existing structures to be more effective promoters of their sports.

The Application of EC Treaty Rules to Sport: the Approach of the European Court of First Instance in the <i>Meca Medina</i> and <i>Piau</i> cases

In the Meca Medina and Piau cases, the European Court of First Instance had to deal for the first time with the application of EC Treaty provisions to sports bodies’ rules. The first of these two cases concerned anti-doping rules adopted by the IOC and the second one concerned FIFA regulations on players’ agents. According to case-law of the European Court of Justice, rules ‘of purely sporting interest’ do not fall within the scope of the EC Treaty. However, an overview of the relevant judgments shows that the test adopted since Walrave to assess the ‘purely sporting’ nature of such rules is not fully clear and has not always been applied in a consistent way, in particular after Bosman. The Meca Medina case, in which the European Court of First Instance has applied the test in a slightly different manner, opens the door to substantial simplification of future case-law. On the other hand, the European Court of First Instance has also taken the view that the test, which had only been applied up to now by the European Court of Justice to EC Treaty rules on free movement of workers and free provision of services, extends also to the rules on competition. Piau, delivered by the European Court of First Instance some months later, has confirmed the confusion that may derive from traditional case-law and has shown the risks that may derive from the adoption of divergent decisions within the European judicial system.

Dispute Resolution in Irish Sport: The Courts as Reluctant Interlopers

In the past decade there have been a number of judicial review cases involving sports governing bodies in Ireland. While the courts have been willing to hear such cases, it has been repeatedly emphasised that judicial intervention in the decisions of sporting organisations should not occur lightly and recourse to the courts should only happen in the most exceptional of circumstances. The Irish courts have referred to the need for sports bodies to submit their dispute to arbitration or mediation. In Ireland there are two domestic bodies offering alternative dispute resolution in the sporting context: Just Sport Ireland (JSI) and the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The availability of alternative forms of dispute resolution in Ireland provides a welcome alternative to the expensive, often divisive, option of judicial review proceedings. Given the benefits of resolution of disputes through the DRA or JSI and in light of the Irish courts’ general reluctance to become involved in sporting disputes, it is likely that these processes will become increasingly availed of, most pertinently as Sport Ireland (formerly Irish Sports Council (ISC)) has made it a condition for recognition for new governing bodies and has been actively encouraging existing sports governing bodies to insert a referral clause in their rules.

‘No hint of bulging muscles’: The surveillance of sportswomen’s bodies in British print media

Since the inception of second wave feminism, feminists have placed female bodies at the centre of the equality discourse. The female body is a contested site for feminist scholars who have identified the under- and mis-representation of sportswomen’s bodies in the media. This article investigates how surveillance techniques are employed in British Sunday newspapers as a function of hegemonic power to influence gendered notions of sport and the display of female bodies in line with normative femininity. Data stem from a semi-longitudinal study which analysed the quantitative and qualitative representation of sportswomen in British print media during January 2008–December 2009. Foucault’s analysis of the Panopticon and Mulvey’s concept of ‘gaze’ are used to interpret the data through the lens of surveillance. Findings demonstrate how the surveillance of female sporting bodies occurred in four distinct ways. The categories, which emerged from the data, include the body as (1) trivialised, (2) secondary, (3) commercial and (4) feminine.

Modernisation and governance in UK national governing bodies of sport: how modernisation influences the way board members perceive and enact their roles

ABSTRACTModernisation has been a key objective of many national governments for at least the last two decades. A significant element of the modernisation agenda has been the focus on improving the governance of public sector and, more recently, voluntary sector organisations. In the UK voluntary sport sector, this has involved policy statements, governance monitoring systems linked to public funding and a number of ‘good governance’ guides, aimed primarily at the boards of national governing bodies of sport (NGBs). Previous research has critically analysed modernisation and explored its effects, most often at a macro level. Very little research, to date, however, has looked at the influence of modernisation on the boards of NGBs. This article seeks to do just that, drawing on the first national survey of board-level governance in the UK and an in-depth, longitudinal case study of one UK-based NGB. It empirically examines which board roles NGBs consider most important and statistically compares large and small NGBs. It then draws on direct observation of board and committee meetings, in-depth interviews and analysis of key organisational documents to examine how modernisation influences the way board members perceive and enact their roles. In doing so, this article draws together the political science research on modernisation and the sport governance research on board roles and seeks to promote closer integration between these complementary streams of research.

The promise of ‘sporting bodies’ in phenomenological thinking – how exceptional cases of practice can contribute to develop foundational phenomenological concepts

For decades, qualitative researchers have used phenomenological thinking to advance reflections on particular kinds of lifeworlds. As emphasised by Allen-Collinson phenomenology offers a continuing promise of ‘bringing the body back in’ to theories on sport and physical activity. Turning to philosophy, traditionally, phenomenologists have not paid much attention to qualitative research. Nevertheless, phenomenology does contain a strong emphasis on using ‘data’ or experiences from daily life and on drawing on data from medical pathology. In other words while qualitative researchers employ phenomenology to empirically investigate the domain of sport and exercise, phenomenologists employ empirical data to substantiate their claims concerning foundational conditions of our being-in-the-world. In this article, we suggest a way to enhance the collaboration between the two fields by pointing out and giving examples of the resource of ‘the factual variation.’ Coined by Shaun Gallagher and developed from the Husserlian eidetic variation, the factual variation uses exceptional cases, normally from pathology, to shed new light on foundational phenomenological concepts. Drawing on our research of sports dancers and expert musicians, we indicate how qualitative researchers across the board, through the factual variation, can contribute to phenomenological thinking and thereby also strengthen their own theoretical foundation.

International Student-Athletes in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS): Perceptions, Motivations, and Experiences

This exploratory study investigated the landscape of international student-athletes participating in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the governing body for university sport in Canada, with respect to number, sport, and gender breakdown, as well as their perceptions, motivations, and experiences. Of the over 11,000 CIS student-athletes competing in 2012–14, 5.1% were international. In addition, the sports with the highest number of international student-athletes were basketball and soccer. Semistructured interviews with 16 international student-athletes from the four regional associations determined that the majority of participants were motivated to attend a Canadian university for the opportunity to combine athletics with academics. Furthermore, the experiences of those international student-athletes interviewed were mostly positive. This study may benefit university institutions, their athletics programs, as well as the CIS by providing knowledge of the motives of international student-athletes as...

“The Only Thing I Am Guilty of Is Taking Too Many Jump Shots1”: A Deleuzian Media Analysis of Diana Taurasi’s Drug Charge in 2010

In November 2010, the US media reported that basketball player Diana Taurasi tested positive for a banned substance while playing in Turkey. In this study, we explore the media coverage of Taurasi’s positive drug test from a Deleuzian perspective. We consider the media coverage as an assemblage (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987; Malins, 2004) to analyze how Taurasi’s drug using body is articulated with the elite female sporting body in the coverage of her doping incident (Markula, 2004; Wise, 2011). Our analysis demonstrates that Taurasi’s position as a professional basketball player in the US dominated the discussion to legitimize her exoneration of banned substance use. In addition, Turkey, its “amateur” sport and poor drug control procedure, was located to the periphery to normalize a certain type of professionalism, doping control, and body as the desirable elements of sporting practice.

Triathlon Magazine Canada and the (Re-)Construction of Female Sporting Bodies

This paper provides a critical look at the ways in which the female sporting body is discursively constructed within Triathlon Magazine Canada (TMC), Canada’s only triathlon-exclusive magazine. By exploring both visual and narrative representations of the athletic female sporting body, this paper exposes some of the discursive tensions that seem to persist in this popular triathlon-specific text. Both the sport of triathlon and the bodies of triathletes may each be understood as sites where essentialist ideas about the body can be effectively disrupted or challenged but TMC represents a façade of gender progressivism insofar as it (re)produces many of the same heteronormative representations of gender found in other popular sport magazines.

‘Trying to get our message across’: successes and challenges in an evidence-based professional development programme for sport coaches

ABSTRACTThis paper reports data from the evaluation of a coach education programme provided by a major national governing body of sport (NGB) in the UK. The programme was designed for youth sport coaches based on research evidence that suggests that CPD is most effective in supporting practitioner learning when it is interactive, collaborative and located in practice. At the same time, the NGB was keen to ensure that in order to meet the objectives of the organisation, there was some consistency in delivery across the various practice sites. The research aimed to investigate how the original CPD programme was enacted across eight professional sports clubs, and to understand how professional knowledge was interpreted and negotiated between participants at the NGB and sports club levels. Over a 2-year period, data were collected from a series of focus groups and extended individual semi-structured interviews. Participants were 7 senior managers, 8 coach educators, 8 Academy club directors and 12 sports club coaches. Data were initially analysed inductively and, drawing on the theoretical work of Bernstein [(1999). Vertical and horizontal discourse: An essay. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 20(2), 157–173, (2000). Pedagogy, symbolic control and identity: Theory, research, critique (Rev. ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield], illustrate the numerous ways in which programme knowledge was interpreted, facilitated and blocked at different levels of the organisation. The paper adds new insights into the complexities of coach education settings and the inherent challenges faced when attempting to ‘roll out’ a coach education intervention – even when it is ‘evidence-based’.

SEPARABILITY AND INSEPARABILITY OF SPORT AND POLITICS: THE REALITY IN AFRICA TODAY

INTRODUCTION:Interference is an act of coming in or hindering by a powerful body when either an unacceptable or acceptable situation is prevailing. The power dynamics stand to dominate the trajectory of the development for the benefit of those with power. Politics has been regarded as an external force that should not interfere with sport activities. Sociologists in Eshuys, Guest and Lawrence,(1987), Rowe (1995) in Amusa et al (2005), argue that the relationship between sport and orthodox politics is marked by a contradiction between denial of politics in sport and political mobilization of sport. Further to that, there is an existing and unresolved controversy between governments and sport administrators, many argue that politics has no place in sport and some say it is impossible to separate politics and sport.The constructive or positive use of sport in politics began with the ancient Greeks. Leading athletes were paid the equivalent of thousands of dollars to enhance the prestige of their city -states. In Rome, according to Davis, Kimmet and Auty (1986), political groups used charioteers to para de their political causes. During the Middle Ages, both in East and West, jousting and other ritualized sports tested the administrative strengths and loyalties of court retainers. Nineteenth century has seen sports and games used to encourage desirable social characteristics.The two, politics and sport seemed to cordially work together for the good of each other but a wave of change was precipitated by the Black September's Fedayeen smash into the Olympic Village by terrorists in 1972, (Davis et al, 1986). So the Munich massacre marked a paradigm shift that saw sport authorities agitating for the separation of sport and politics, as states wanted to take advantage of sport to settle their political misunderstandings. The competitive power with sport has been singled out by nations as a fertile ground and opportunity to demonstrate expression of political grievances. Nations have joined international sport bodies not for show-casing sport excellence only, but even for advancing political mirages. Consequen tly, sport has suffered and also benefited at times. However, sport sociologists have remained adamant that political interference is detrimental to sport development. Therefore, this study is motivated by this argument, thereby, elaborating the connectedness between sport and politics today, the bad side of political interference into sport and the way forward.Individual athletes have their careers been shuttered if their nations have been banned from participating in international sport events. For instance, the controversy over South African-born Zola Budd (Eshuys et al 1987:127) and whether she should have been issued with a British passport in order for her to compete for Great Britain, the Russian military presence in Afghanistan was protested by Brit ain and USA by asking sportsmen and women not to take part in Moscow in 1980, thus, sport became a weapon of foreign policy. Developing nations suffered economic under development once they are excluded from sport competitions globally, for example, South Africa during its apartheid rule until 1994. Sport could be used as a tool to bring political independence, development and fair practice of human rights by states to their people that is the goodness of the interference, but could be used by those privil eged to power to advance their minority supremacy, that is the worst side of it. With that note, this study aims to draw the reality on the ground, that is, the relationship between sport and politics and the way forward.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:Political interference finds expression in sport today as politicians demand appearance and their visibility during sport events. Sport authorities find themselves at cross -roads whether to avoid politicians during sport development in order to abide by sociological perspective or to include them for the development and success of sport, that leaves out an unanswered question, Is sport and politics mixable? …

Predicting the Evolution of Sports Federation Membership: AnImportant Tool to Asses National Governing Bodies’ Strategic Planning

Quantifying the potential market of sports licenses is key in order for National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs) to be able to design good strategic planning. We compared the classical methods of univariate prediction and the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) methods. Reliability of the available data was verified with the Time Series Regression with ARIMA Noise, Missing and Outliers (TRAMO) method, and the existence of a trend was verified using Daniel’s test. For the purposes of this study—the researches collected and analysed secondary data from a 40-year series in 45 sports in Spain covering a very long period of time in a variety of sport disciplines. The study shows that, with the available data, short-and mid-term forecasting is possible in a number of sports, but not in all of them. It also proves that Holt’s classical method of exponential smoothing is the one that yields best results. Golf, Basketball, Athletics and Hunting NGB show worrying prospects of decline levels and need an immediate change in the strategic plans. Other than for forecasting the evolution of athletes in the mid-term in order to improve strategic planning in NGBs, the present findings can be useful for public authorities to define their aid policies for NGBs, and they can also helpcompanies in the industry to anticipate market developments.

Justifying the civic interest in sport: Boltanski and Thévenot, the six worlds of justification, and hosting the Olympic games

This paper examines and applies the widely influential work of Boltanski and Thévenot in order to investigate and understand the political issues or disputes within sport. We provide a critical elaboration of Boltanski and Thévenot’s theory of the six ‘orders of worth’ or ‘worlds’ of justification that are drawn upon by social actors within these disputes. We examine how social actors may draw upon multiple justifications (or worlds) in order to advance their positions or interests; how power differences arise between these worlds; and, how weak worlds of justification may extend their influence within specific issues. To elaborate our analysis, we discuss the public issue of Olympic bidding and hosting, and how key social actors or stakeholders (such as local and national governments, event sponsors, and sport bodies) draw on different worlds of justification, particularly in advocating the staging of these events. This issue indicates that the six worlds are organized hierarchically into three ‘levels of worth’: the market, fame, and domestic worlds are the most prominent, while civic world arguments have least influence. These power differentials are reflected further in the criticisms and compromises that arise between the civic world and other worlds. We conclude by examining how civic world justifications may be accorded greater prominence within sport and other public issues, such as those relating to Olympic bidding and hosting.

Action Sports, Social Media, and New Technologies

Action sport participants have always been actively involved in the consumption and production of niche cultural media. However, the proliferation of new media technologies is playing an evermore important role in the ongoing progression of skills among athletes and committed recreational participants, and building a sense of community among enthusiasts and audiences across local, national, and global contexts. More than repeating previous patterns, such media technologies are contributing to new relationships between corporations, action sporting bodies, and communities. This article sets out a research agenda for understanding new media developments in action sports. In the first part of this article, I detail how new digital media are being used by corporations, athletes, and everyday participants, and in so doing, are transforming the networks and connections within and across action sport communities. In the second, I describe how new media technologies such as GoPros™, camera drones, and GPS tracking devices are changing action sport experiences and the relationship between “human” and “nonhuman” sporting bodies. As well as revealing emerging issues, this article also poses a series of critical questions and challenges to researchers interested in contributing to new understandings of the latest media technologies in action sport cultures.

Sporting Justice: An Arbitrator's Perspective

Drawing on my experience of a number of sports dispute resolution tribunals the UK and Ireland (such as Sports Resolutions UK; Just Sport Ireland; the Football Association of Ireland’s Disciplinary Panel and the Gaelic Athletic Association’s Dispute Resolution Authority) I intend to use this paper to review the legal arguments typically made sports-related arbitrations. These points of interest can be summarised as a series of three questions: the fairness question; the liability question; the penalty question. In answer to the fairness question, the aim is to give a brief outline on best practice establishing a sports disciplinary tribunal. The answer, I believe, is always twofold nature: first, and to paraphrase Lord Steyn R v Secretary of State For The Home Department, Ex Parte Daly [2001] UKHL 26 at [28] in law, context is everything – translated into the present matter, this means that sports disciplinary cases, the more serious the charges against the individual (in terms of reputational damage, economic impact and/or length of sanction); the more tightly wrapped the procedural safeguards surrounding any subsequent disciplinary hearing must be. A fair disciplinary system will be discussed the context of the principles laid down Article 8 of the World Anti-Doping Code which, effect, acts as sport’s Article 6 of the ECHR on a right to a fair trial. Following on from the above, the 60 or so sports arbitrations that I have heard, there are two further points of interest. First, the claim before the arbitral panel will often be framed an argument that, for various reasons of substantive and procedural irregularity, the sanction imposed on the appellant should be quashed (the liability). Second, and alternative, that the sanction imposed was wholly disproportionate (the penalty). The liability issue usually breaks down into two further questions. First, what is the nature of the legal duty upon a sports body exercising its disciplinary remit? Second, to what extent does a de novo hearing on appeal cure any apparent defects a hearing of first instance? The first issue often results an arbitral panel debating the contra preferentum approach to the interpretation of a contested rule i.e., the sports body’s rules question are so ambiguous that they should be interpreted a manner to the detriment of the rule maker and favour of the appellant. On the second matter, it now appears to be a general principle of sports law, administrative law and even human rights law that even if a violation of the principles of natural justice takes place at the first instance stage of a disciplinary process, they may be cured on de novo appeal. Authority for this approach can be found at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and particular CAS 2009/A/1920 FK Pobeda, Aleksandar Zabrcanec, Nikolce Zdraveski v UEFA at para 87. The question on proportionality asks what, aside from precedent found within the decisions of the sports body question, are the general legal principles against which a sanction by a sports disciplinary body can be benchmarked order to ascertain whether it is disproportionate length or even irrational nature? On the matter of (dis)proportionality of sanction, the debate is usually guided by the authority Bradley v the Jockey Club [2004] EWHC 2164 (QB) and affirmed at [2005] EWCA Civ 1056. The Bradley principles on proportionality of sports-specific sanctions, recently cited with approval at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, will be examined this presentation. Finally, an interesting application of many of the above principles (and others such as the appropriate standard of proof sports disciplinary procedures) can be made to recent match-fixing or corruption related hearings held by the British Horse Racing Authority, the integrity units of snooker and tennis, and at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Moderating Role of Physical Self-Perceptions in the Relationship Between Maturity Status and Physical Self-Worth

Purpose: We tested the moderating role of physical self-perceptions in the relationship between physical maturity and physical self-worth (PSW). Method: Students in Grades 5 through 8 (N = 241; 57% females; Mage = 12.30 years) completed a questionnaire assessing physical self-perceptions (i.e., perceived sport competence, conditioning, strength, and body attractiveness), PSW, and maturity status. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test interactions between maturity and physical self-perceptions predicting PSW separately for boys and girls. Results: For girls, maturity level and physical self-perceptions explained significant variance, F(5, 131) = 73.44, p < .001, R2 = .74, with interactions explaining a little extra variance, ΔF = 3.42, p = .01, ΔR2 = .03. Perceived attractiveness interacted with maturity status to predict PSW (p = .01), indicating that maturity was positively related to PSW only for girls with higher body attractiveness. Maturity status and physical self-perceptions also significantly predicted PSW in boys, F(5, 98) = 46.52, p < .001, R2 = .70, with interactions explaining a little extra variance, ΔF = 3.16, p = .02, ΔR2 = .04. A statistically significant interaction between perceived strength and maturity (p < .001) indicated that maturity related positively to PSW, but only for boys with higher perceived strength. Conclusions: The maturity–PSW relationship differs by gender and depends partly on physical self-perceptions. This finding reinforces previous findings that illustrate the relative importance of perceived attractiveness and strength for girls and boys, respectively. PSW is an important predictor of physical activity behavior; therefore, it is critical to understand the interplay between these key antecedents.

Wide Boys, Scammers or Cheats? The 'Courtsiding' Phenomenon and the Reaction by Sporting Institutions

Originating in the world of tennis, courtsiding (or pitchsiding) is the practice of relaying real time information to remote locations in order to take advantage of technological, broadcasting delays that may facilitate the manipulation of bets on what will happen (or already has) by gamblers and/or sports books.Frequently associated with match and spot fixing, courtsiding has attracted similar prohibitions, particularly from the sporting organisations affected. It is not at all certain however, that the legislative and regulatory response to fraudulently manipulating events within a sporting contest for personal gain can (or should) sanction courtsiding behaviour to the same degree.This paper investigates the phenomenon of courtsiding in the context of the existing and newly enacted sanctions against match fixing. The attitude and actions of sporting bodies in trying to control the practice is also canvassed. As a result, it seems that when placing a bet is not an offence, it is likely that contractually proscribing gambling practices within sporting venues is a rational response by sports bodies wanting to remove any taint of gaming activity from their sport. However, whether courtsiding should be seen in the same vein as match or spot fixing is not clear and whether the activity is in some way (illegally) influencing a ‘betting outcome’ (as required by the statutory prohibitions) remains a moot point.

Dolor podal en niños futbolistas colombianos de 12 a 14 años

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of foot pain in children between 12 and 14 years of age of soccer training schools in five Colombian cities, and to associate foot pain with podometric variables, of sport practice and body mass index (BMI). Material and methodsa cross-sectional correlational study with a probability sample for each of the cities under study was conducted. 1067 male children between 12 and 14 years of ages in 220 soccer schools in the cities of Cali, Manizales, Neiva, Sincelejo and Armenia (Colombia) were assessed. Socio-demographic data, of sport practice and BMI was recorded, and the pain of the last year was characterized. Plantar prints were taken, and the Herzco method was used to determine podometric measurements and the typology of both feet. Results27% of foot pain prevalence in the last year (CI95%.=25-30%) with an average duration of 8 days was found. The most common cause was overuse, mainly present after practicing sports. The predominant foot pain location was in the hindfoot, and mainly on the right foot. Significant associations of foot pain with foot type and use of insoles, heel pads and ankle bandage were found. Conclusionshigh prevalence of foot pain in Colombian soccer training schools was found, and it demands developing prevention strategies of intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors.

Lifetime injury prevention: The sport profile model*

Participation in sporting activities carries an injury risk. Conversely, the increased awareness that physical inactivity is a major risk factor for disease has led government agencies and the medical community to encourage increased levels of physical activity. Many people will achieve this through participation in sport. Injury inevitably leads to a reduction in participation on a temporary or permanent basis, but the injury experience may also influence the lifelong physical activity behaviour. Few studies adequately examine the possible long-term consequences of sport participation after the competitive period has been completed, but by understanding the patterns of injuries in different sports one test can develop strategies to prevent and better manage the conditions that occur and promote lifelong physical activity. There is a need to develop models of understanding of injury risk at different life phases and levels of participation in a specific sport. The risk assessment of sport participation has to be relevant to a particular sport, the level of participation, skill, age and potential future health consequences. This article describes a sport-specific model which will improve guidance for coaches and healthcare professionals. It poses questions for sports physicians, healthcare providers, educators and for governing bodies of sports to address in a systematic fashion. Additionally the governing body, as an employer, will need to meet the requirements for risk assessment for professional sport and its ethical responsibility to the athlete.