Football Experience Research Articles

Heart rate and movement pattern in street soccer for homeless women

Street soccer has been shown to be effective in improving cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness in homeless men, due to high heart rate (HR) and multiple intense actions. The purpose of this study was to investigate HR, movement pattern, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), flow and worry during street soccer for homeless women. Fifteen homeless women (30.3 ± 5.0 years [± standard deviation, SD], 1.65 ± 0.08 m, 65.1 ± 11.0 kg, 5 ± 4 years football experience) from three countries participated in 4‑a-side street soccer games in Women’s Homeless World Cup 2015. Mean and peak HR were 174 ± 7 and 188 ± 10 beats per minute (bpm), respectively, and >160 bpm 76 ± 23% of the playing time (11.1 ± 2.6 min). Distance covered per minute was 68.6 ± 8.9 m of which 82 ± 14, 15 ± 6 and 3 ± 3% were covered with low- (0–9 km/h), moderate- (9–13 km/h) and high-speed (>13 km/h) running, respectively. The 43 ± 5, 45 ± 3 and 12 ± 3% of the distance were covered running forward, sideways, and backward, respectively. Player Load was 9.2 ± 1.7 arbitrary units (AU) per minute and the number of accelerations >1.5 ms–2 was 15.3 ± 2.7 per minute. The score for flow was high (5.5 ± 0.8), whereas rating of perceived exertion (RPE) values (4.8 ± 2.5) and the score for worry (4.6 ± 1.3) were moderate. Street soccer for homeless women elicits high HR and a movement pattern comparable and for some parameters even higher than street soccer and recreational football for homeless and untrained men. Street soccer may be a suitable training intervention for homeless women, and especially moderate RPE and high flow score speaks in favour of an expectation of high participation and adherence.

Associations between BMI Change and Cardiometabolic Risk in Retired Football Players.

Elevated rates of cardiometabolic diseases have been observed in former American football players. The current study sought to determine whether change in body mass index (ΔBMI) after retirement influences the prevalence of CHD, diabetes, or high blood pressure (HBP) in former professional football players. Retired professional football players (n = 3729) were sent a survey with questions regarding health status, playing history, and demographic information. Self-reported BMI at the time of retirement was subtracted from current self-reported BMI to calculate ΔBMI. Prevalence of CHD, diabetes, and HBP were determined by asking participants if they had ever been diagnosed by a health care professional. Binomial regression with a Poisson residual and robust variance estimation was used to compute crude prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each outcome. Adjusted PR values were calculated by adjusting for BMI at the time of retirement, age, years of football experience, race, exercise habits, alcohol use, steroid history, smoking history, and playing position. Complete data were available for 2062 respondents. Prevalence of CHD increased 25%-31% for each five-point increase in ΔBMI after retirement (crude PR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.03-1.52, P = 0.026; adjusted PR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.11-1.55, P = 0.001). Diabetes prevalence increased 69%-88% for each five-point ΔBMI increase (crude = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.45-2.44, P < 0.001; adjusted = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.32-2.15, P < 0.001). A five-point increase in ΔBMI was associated with a 35%-40% increase in HBP prevalence (crude = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.27-1.53, P < 0.001; adjusted = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.24-1.47, P < 0.001). After controlling for relevant covariates, postretirement ΔBMI was positively and independently associated with prevalence of CHD, diabetes, and HBP. Postretirement interventions using diet and/or exercise to influence body composition may improve long-term health in retired football players.

Neophyte experiences of football (soccer) match analysis: a multiple case study approach

ABSTRACTPerformance analysis is extensively used in sport, but its pedagogical application is little understood. Given its expanding role across football, this study explored the experiences of neophyte performance analysts. Experiences of six analysis interns, across three professional football clubs, were investigated as multiple cases of new match analysis. Each intern was interviewed after their first season, with archival data providing background information. Four themes emerged from qualitative analysis: (1) “building of relationships” was important, along with trust and role clarity; (2) “establishing an analysis system” was difficult due to tacit coach knowledge, but analysis was established; (3) the quality of the “feedback process” hinged on coaching styles, with balance of feedback and athlete engagement considered essential; (4) “establishing effect” was complex with no statistical effects reported; yet enhanced relationships, role clarity, and improved performances were reported. Other emic accounts are required to further understand occupational culture within performance analysis.

"The Early Specialised Bird Catches the Worm!" - A Specialised Sampling Model in the Development of Football Talents.

Characteristics of learning activities in early sport participation play a key role in the development of the sporting talent. Therefore, pathways of specialisation or diversification/sampling are as well debated as the implementation of practice- or play-oriented activities. The related issues are currently perceived as a two-dimensional construct of domain specificity and performance orientation. In this context, it has been shown that early specialisation, with experiences in practice and play, has led to Swiss junior national team football players reaching higher success levels as adults. This study aimed to examine whether a similar approach improves chances of even being selected for junior national teams from a broader sample. Hence, 294 youth players answered retrospective questionnaires on their early sport participation when entering the Swiss football talent development programme. Using the person-oriented Linking of Clusters after removal of a Residue (LICUR) method, volumes of in-club practice, free play and activities besides football until 12 years of age were analysed along with age at initial club participation. According to the results, clusters of Football enthusiasts (p = 0.01) with the most free play and above average in-club practice and Club players (p = 0.02) with the most in-club practice and average free play had a greater chance of reaching junior national team level. Thus, high levels of domain-specific activities seem to increase the chances of junior national team participation. Furthermore, the most successful constellation (Football enthusiasts) may illustrate the relevance of domain-specific diversity, induced by several types of practice and play. In line with previous studies, specialising in football and sampling different experiences within this specific domain seems to be the most promising pathway. Therefore, we argue that the optimal model for the development of football talents is a specialised sampling model.

‘We don’t need no education’? Exploring the educational experiences of young footballers

Drawing upon data generated by 303 young male footballers employed in 21 professional clubs in England and Wales, this article explores some key aspects of players’ masculinities, identities and engagement with education. Although many players described their educational experiences in largely negative terms, some aspired towards averageness, or middling, which is often central to working-class identifications with education. Other players found education ‘easy’, engaged in effortless achievement and had begun to internalize elements of the neoliberal achievement ideology. The propensity for players to engage in copying and pasting from the work of others, and to regard their courses as being almost impossible to fail, was consistent with neoliberal ideologies of credentialism and performativity. The findings suggest that a more nuanced understanding of young footballers’ education is warranted, and their aspirations and experiences can at least be partly understood as responses to the prevailing neoliberal learning environments which they inhabit.

Balance Regularity Among Former High School Football Players With or Without a History of Concussion.

Subclinical postural-control changes may persist beyond the point when athletes are considered clinically recovered postconcussion. To compare postural-control performance between former high school football players with or without a history of concussion using linear and nonlinear metrics. Case-control study. Clinical research laboratory. A total of 11 former high school football players (age range, 45-60 years) with 2 or more concussions and 11 age- and height-matched former high school football players without a history of concussion. No participant had college or professional football experience. Participants completed the Sensory Organization Test. We compared postural control (linear: equilibrium scores; nonlinear: sample and multiscale entropy) between groups using a 2 × 3 analysis of variance across conditions 4 to 6 (4: eyes open, sway-referenced platform; 5: eyes closed, sway-referenced platform; 6: eyes open, sway-referenced surround and platform). We observed a group-by-condition interaction effect for medial-lateral sample entropy ( F2,40 = 3.26, P = .049, ηp2 = 0.140). Participants with a history of concussion presented with more regular medial-lateral sample entropy values (0.90 ± 0.41) for condition 5 than participants without a history of concussion (1.30 ± 0.35; mean difference = -0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.74, -0.06; t20 = -2.48, P = .02), but conditions 4 (mean difference = -0.11; 95% CI: -0.37, 0.15; t20 = -0.86, P = .40) and 6 (mean difference = -0.25; 95% CI: -0.55, 0.06; t20 = -1.66, P = .11) did not differ between groups. Postconcussion deficits, detected using nonlinear metrics, may persist long after injury resolution. Subclinical concussion deficits may persist for years beyond clinical concussion recovery.

Acute Changes in Plasma Total Tau Levels Are Independent of Subconcussive Head Impacts in College Football Players.

Athletes in contact sports sustain repetitive subconcussive head impacts in a brief window, yet neurophysiological sequelae from repetitive subconcussion remain unclear. This prospective longitudinal study examined a relationship between changes in plasma Tau protein levels and subconcussive impact kinematic data in 23 Division I collegiate football players during a series of pre-season practices. Plasma measures for Tau and S100β proteins, symptom scores, and near point of convergence were obtained at pre-season baseline and pre-/post-practices. During each practice, impact frequency and linear and rotational head accelerations were recorded via an accelerometer-embedded mouth guard. There were significant elevations in plasma Tau levels at all post-practice time-points, compared with those of pre-practice and baseline levels. However, the highest degree of elevation in plasma Tau was observed after the first practice, for which players sustained the lowest number of hits and magnitudes for these hits. Subconcussive impact exposure during practice (e.g., head impact frequency and magnitude) did not predict increased plasma Tau levels. Concussion history and years of football experience also were unrelated to changes in plasma Tau levels. Increases in plasma Tau levels were associated with increases in S100β levels only after the first practice. There were no significant associations between changes in Tau levels, symptom scores, or near point of convergence. These data suggest that the changes in levels of circulating Tau protein were independent of subconcussive head impact exposure, pointing to the possibility that other factors may have played roles in changes in plasma Tau levels.

Football teams for people with intellectual disabilities living in the community: “it helps your self-esteem and that, don’t it?”

Purpose People with intellectual disabilities (ID) can be vulnerable to developing mental health problems. It has been found that participating in regular exercise can help to improve emotional well-being, both in typically developing people and those with ID. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of community clients with ID who have engaged in a football training programme, and the perceived impacts on attitudes, mood and behaviour. Design/methodology/approach Interviews with seven patients from generic or forensic community ID services were conducted. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings Two master themes were identified from the interviews, “Striving” and “Togetherness”. Originality/value The most important factors related to taking part in the football programme were the social, emotional and personal growth associated with being part of a team and general enjoyment of being part of something. Although aspects of football knowledge and physical fitness were still evident, their impact seemed to be less significant. The experience of football was overwhelmingly positive.

Mental toughness and behavioural perseverance: A conceptual replication and extension

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to conduct a conceptual replication of the proposition that mental toughness is associated positively with behavioural perseverance. DesignRepeated-measures design. MethodsIn total, 38 male Australian rules footballers took part in this study (age, 21±3 y; mass, 82.7±11.0kg; height, 1.84±.07m; football experience, 13±4 y). Participants self-reported mental toughness approximately one week prior to their first testing session where we assessed their aerobic capacity via the measurement of peak oxygen consumption (V˙O2peak). Approximately one week later, participants completed a 20m shuttle run test (MST). The final testing session took place approximately one week later, where participants completed a simulated team game circuit (STGC; 60min) to simulate game-relevant level of fatigue, which was followed immediately by a 20m MST. ResultsMental toughness was a salient determinant of the variation in behavioural perseverance under typical circumstances, when prior knowledge from past research was incorporated directly into the estimation process. However, the positive association between mental toughness and behavioural perseverance did not generalise to a performance context in which participants were fatigued. ConclusionsThe results of the current study suggest that mental toughness represents a salient psychological correlate of behavioural perseverance in a discrete physical task that taxes the aerobic energy system in some but not all situations. When fatigued, the effect of mental toughness is outweighed by greater underlying fitness.

EVIDÊNCIA E ESPECULAÇÃO: “A ORIGEM” DO FUTEBOL NO RIO DE JANEIRO (1898-1902)

Há décadas, têm sido usuais os debates sobre “a origem” do futebol no Brasil. Não poucas vezes marcadas por disputas identitárias e por tendências celebratórias, tais discussões são um indicador da intensa presença social dessa prática. Neste artigo, discutem-se algumas evidências de experiências com o futebol que ocorreram no Rio de Janeiro entre os anos de 1898 e 1902. Para alcance do objetivo, como fontes, foram utilizados periódicos publicados na cidade, especialmente o The Rio News. Para interpretação do material, tiveram-se em conta as sugestões de Luca (2005), considerando-se o que foi veiculado como representações relacionadas ao perfil do cronista e/ou jornal/revista. Questionando a natureza de sustentação de algumas afirmações sobre os primórdios do futebol no Rio de Janeiro, inferiu-se que, entre 1898 e 1902, foram realizados os primeiros jogos em diferentes esferas, se estruturou um pioneiro calendário e começou a se conformar um campo que iria rapidamente se estabelecer.

Deselection from elite Australian football as the catalyst for a return to sub-elite competitions: when elite players feel there is ‘still more to give.’

Career transitions in sport are inevitable and can be normative or non-normative. Thus, retirement experiences are significantly dependent on how the athletes perceive the circumstances surrounding their retirement. While the discontinuation of a sports career is an important transition, it is not the only transition faced by athletes. The aim of this study therefore, was to investigate the experiences of Australian footballers who are deselected from elite competition and return to sub-elite competitions. This study utilises narrative inquiry through a life history approach to explore the transition experiences of Australian footballers who return to the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) sub-elite competition. Ten footballers took part in semi-structured interviews covering topics including experiences in the national Australian Football League competition, the difficulties faced by footballers during the transition process back to the SANFL competition, the support needed by footballers during this period and the responsibility for player well-being. Lacking control over the timing of their transition compounds the loss experienced by the footballers. However, returning to state based competition offers important avenues for the reconnection of former support networks which can be a protective factor in achieving a smooth transition out of elite sport. This study highlights that the current processes for maintaining contact and supporting transitioning footballers are ineffective therefore proposes that the development of an exit transition programme would be beneficial.

Relationship between goal orientation and perceived motivational climate in football players of different playing positions

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether the characteristics of goal orientation and perceived motivational climate change according to the playing positions of amateur footballers. Material and Methods: Four hundred and sixty amateur male football players participated in the study (age, 21.72±4.63 years; football experience, 9.24±4.18 years). Footballers were named as the defence (n=199), midfield (n=187) and forward (n=74) according to their playing position. The scores of perceived motivational climate and goal orientation were determined by the Turkish versions of ‘The Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire’ and ‘The Perceived Motivation Climate Questionnaire’, which were adopted by Toros (2002). Results: Pearson correlation analyses showed that football experience had no effect on task orientation, ego orientation, mastery climate, and performance climate. ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests showed that task orientation and mastery climate scores were higher in defence players than midfield players (p=0.003 vs. p<0.001). Ego orientation and performance climate scores of the midfield and defence players differed in favour of the midfield players (p<0.001 vs. p<0.001). Although there were no statistically significant differences in terms of the scores of task orientation and ego orientation among forward, defence, and midfield players, performance climate scores were higher in forward players than midfield players (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, players who have higher task orientation and mastery climate scores can play as defence players, and other players who have higher ego orientation and performance climate scores can play as midfield players. With the need for more extensive studies to determine the goal orientation and motivational climate scores of forward players, scores that are obtained from questionnaires should be evaluated with physical and physiological tests.

“From Heroes to Zeroes” – self-initiated expatriation of talented young footballers

PurposeThe sports industry is a forerunner in the international quest for talent as the search by sport clubs and the corresponding self-initiated expatriation of athletes starts at a very early age. The purpose of this paper is to address this phenomenon by exploring the experiences of talented young Icelandic footballers (soccer players) in their transition from Iceland into senior-level professional football in European leagues across six dimensions – three individual and three cultural.Design/methodology/approachBiographical narrative interviews have been conducted with eight Icelandic players moving overseas at a young age with the purpose of advancing their career. To investigate the coping strategies applied, a purposeful sampling approach was chosen, given that half of the participants successfully dealt with transitions in their career, while the other half did not experience the same success.FindingsAs an overall result, the expatriate journey for young footballers is complex, influenced by many events, expectations, conditions and pressures that affect their support web and ability to adjust. Reflecting on the experiences of successful transitions, problem-focused coping strategies have been more effective than emotion-focused coping.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights some necessary conditions and coping strategies for young self-initiated sports expatriates to cope with the expatriate transition successfully.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to research on expatriation, as this specific group of “young professionals” has not yet been addressed by the research within international human resource management. Our research framework responds to calls in the literature to consider additional stages of player development and an array of individual and cultural factors that may have a significant role in shaping players’ careers abroad.

One of the few: the experiences of female elite-level coaches in Norwegian football

The aim of this article is to explore the experiences of female elite-level Norwegian coaches in football. More precisely, we wanted to find out the meaning of gender for these coaches’ football experiences. The results presented are based on five in-depth interviews with female elite-level coaches between 36 and 50 years of age. A feminist cultural and a gender perspective are used to understand and discuss the findings. As shown in other studies, the culture of football in Norway is very gendered. This has an impact on the female football coaches’ experiences, both in relation to how they perceive their own role, their coach education and with respect to their self-confidence and how they look upon their own chances in the job market. As a group, they represent a form of pariah femininity, and very little resistance femininity and a liberal feminist perspective, i.e. equality on the men’s premises.

Estimate of Glomerular Filtration Rate among Players of a West African Football Team during a Competition

Introduction: A football match could cause transient adverse effects in the players’ kidney function. The purpose of this study is to determine the development of glomerular filtration rate among football players during a match and a competition in Benin. Methods: It was a cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted from November 2015 to May 2016. Participants included black footballer, aged above 17 years, who has been residing in Benin for at least one year, attending regular training sessions and having given his informed consent to participate in the study. During a series of 4 matches, blood sampling was regularly carried out before, just at the end and 24 hours after each match. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated by CKD-EPI formula from blood creatinine. Results: A total of 14 players were included in each match. The participating players were averagely aged 23 ± 2.21 years and had 2 years of experience in first division football. The estimate of the players’ medium GFR during the 1st match was 129.35 ± 17.39 ml/min/1.73 m2 before the beginning, 90.31 ± 17.39 ml/min/1.73 m2 at the end and 123.96 ± 18.72 ml/min/1.73 m2 24 hours later. During a 4- match competition, the GFR declines at the end of each match and rise up again in the next 24 hours. Conclusion: The glomerular filtration rate declines drastically and transiently during a match of football competition in a hot and humid climate. There is need for players to rehydrate before, during and after each match.

During play, the break, and the drive home: the meaning of parental verbal behaviour in youth sport

Problems surrounding parental involvement in youth sport have received much attention in the international academic community. Most of the focus has surrounded the frequency and nature of parental verbal behaviour such as criticism, swearing and abuse. While such behaviour has the potential to exert a negative influence in youth sport, little is known about the socially constructed meaning of parental verbal behaviour. In other words, there is a current lack of understanding surrounding the social significance (or lack thereof) of parental comments, criticisms and abuse in the context of youth sport. Addressing this oversight is important given that parents and youth do not always share a common appreciation of parental involvement in sport. This paper reports on a study which sought to generate a greater understanding of parental involvement in the junior Australian football experience. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with parents and youth participants (n = 86) currently involved in a competitive Australian football season. Data were manually transcribed verbatim and subjected to a thematic analysis. The findings reveal how parents and youth attribute different social meaning to parental verbal behaviour during play, the breaks and the drive home. While youth appear to experience parental verbal behaviour in polarising ways, parents rationalise their own verbal behaviour and in doing so, contribute to a broader social reproduction of sport parenting behaviour.

Does the Motivation, Anxiety and Imagery Skills Contributes to Football (Soccer) Experience?

Abstract The article is devoted to football psychology, especially how motivation, imagery skills and trait and state anxiety contributes to sport experience of athletes. 162 male football (soccer) players, mean age=16,93±3,93 yrs participated in the research. According to the results, professional athletes outperform other groups of footballers in frequency of imagery use in sport: mostly in cognitive-specific imagery and cognitive general imagery. The professional footballers in comparison with less experienced football players are more intrinsically motivated to experience emotional stimulation in sport and to know new methods and techniques to enhance sport performance.

Female fan experiences and interpretations of the 1958 Munich air disaster, the 1966 World Cup finals and the rise of footballers as sexualised national celebrities

The experiences of female sports fans have largely been neglected in academic research to date with socio-historical accounts focusing almost exclusively on male fans. Through an excavation of the sporting histories of female football fans this article aims to make one contribution towards changing this. Drawing on Glaser and Strauss’s ‘grounded theory’ approach, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with female football fans in England, aged between 50 and 80 years old. My findings begin by examining female fans’ memories of the 1958 Munich air disaster. I move on to examine female experiences and interpretations of the 1966 World Cup finals, before finally discussing the rise of football players in England as sexualised national celebrities. To conclude, I call for further socio-historical research to explore female experiences of football in earlier decades.

An exploratory examination of the strategic direction of the Gaelic Athletic Association via the application of sports marketing segmentation bases

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to go beyond the predominantly conceptual or normative approach found in the market segmentation literature and focus not only on its actual application but to review the empirical findings themselves (Foedermayr and Diamantopoulos, 2008) so as to provide the basis for identifying and understanding new segments and assessing the strategic development of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland in order to ensure its continued survival, growth and prosperity. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory methodology is operationalised in this study using qualitative data obtained from 27 participants possessing relevant knowledge and experience of Gaelic football via a range in-depth interviews and focus groups. Findings – This study identifies those existing segmentation bases that are both applicable and non-applicable, to the indigenous amateur game of Gaelic football in Ireland, whilst additionally identifying and developing an understanding of new segmentation bases. Furthermore, it highlights the challenges and opportunities that will require strategic management if the GAA is to successfully maintain and develop its domestic market whilst simultaneously developing its overseas markets. Research limitations/implications – The findings of this study are limited to the indigenous amateur game of Gaelic football in Ireland. They reaffirm the need to develop segmentation bases for individual sports markets. They highlight issues that will have a strategic impact upon the operations of the GAA and make recommendations for addressing and realising the opportunities that these will present. Originality/value – This study addresses a research gap in the knowledge in regards to the strategic development and application of existing sports marketing segmentation bases to indigenous amateur sport.

Three types of transnational players: differing women's football mobility projects in core and developing countries

Mobile players in men's football are highly skilled professionals who move to a country other than the one where they grew up and started their careers. They are commonly described as migrants or expatriate players. Due to a much less advanced stage of professionalism and production of the game in women's football mobility projects are different. At describing the cases of Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Mexico, Colombia and Portugal, the aim of this paper is to conceptualise an umbrella category for mobile players that can include current realities in the women's game, namely the transnational player who has gained and displays transnational football experience in different countries and socio-culturally contexts. Furthermore, analyses allow introducing two new subcategories besides the “expatriate”, namely diaspora players and new citizens.