Junior Athletes Research Articles

Resultant linear acceleration of an instrumented head form does not differ between junior and collegiate taekwondo athletes' kicks

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare the effects of various taekwondo kicks and age (school level) in absolute terms and relative body mass on the resultant linear acceleration (RLA) of an instrumented head form. MethodsForty-eight male (middle school: 16; high school: 16; university: 16) taekwondo athletes were recruited for this study. Subjects performed 10 turning, 10 jump spinning hook, and 10 jump back kicks on a Hybrid II head mounted on a height-adjustable frame. ResultsA 2-way (School × Kick) MANOVA was used to determine the differences in RLA between schools (age groups) by type of kick. There was no univariate School main effect for absolute RLA (η2 = 0.06) and RLA relative to body mass (η2 = 0.06). No univariate Kick main effects were found for absolute (η2 = 0.06) and relative RLA (η2 = 0.06). ConclusionIt is of concern that RLA did not significantly differ between school levels, implying that young taekwondo athletes generate similar forces to their adult counterparts, possibly exposing young athletes to an increased risk for head injuries.

Monitoring recovery from iron deficiency using total hemoglobin mass.

Using hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) to diagnose borderline iron deficiency and monitor the progress of its treatment is difficult because of the confounding effects of plasma volume. Because hemoglobin mass (Hbmass) is not affected by plasma volume, it may be a more sensitive parameter. The aim of this study was to monitor Hbmass, iron storage, and maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2max) during and after oral iron therapy in subjects with severe and moderate iron deficiency. Three groups of female recreational athletes were monitored for at least 22 wk, as follows: 1) severe iron deficiency group (SID) (n = 8; ferritin, ≤12 ng·mL), 2) moderate iron deficiency group (MID) (n = 14; ferritin, ≤25 ng·mL), and 3) control group (n = 8; ferritin, >25 ng·mL). Hbmass and iron status were determined before, during, and up to 12 wk after at least 10 wk of oral iron supplementation. In total, five V˙O2max tests were performed before, during, and after the supplementation period. Hbmass increased markedly in the SID group (15.6% ± 11.0%, P < 0.001) and slightly in the MID group (2.2% ± 3.7%, P < 0.05) by the end of the supplementation period and remained at this level for the following 12 wk. [Hb] and Hbmass were similarly affected, but Hbmass was more closely related to mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin than [Hb]. The SID group incorporated 534 ± 127 mg of iron into ferritin and hemoglobin, whereas the MID group incorporated 282 ± 68 mg of iron. V˙O2max increased only in the SID group by 0.20 ± 0.18 L·min (P < 0.05) and was closely related to Hbmass (P < 0.01). Hbmass is a sensitive tool for monitoring recovery from iron deficiency anemia and assessing the effectiveness of iron supplementation in individuals with severe or moderate iron deficiency.

Effects of Training Program wearing Balance Shoes to Reduce Knee and Lower Extremity Injuries in Junior Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to compare the effectiveness of an original 15-minute exercise program wearing the ReaLine Balanceshoes (RBS) and a conventional injury prevention program in reducing lower extremity injuries. Methods: We recruited athletic club teams from local junior high schools. Inclusion criteria were adolescents who were a member of their interscholastic athletic club team. Players with an injury within 6 weeks that prevented full participation in sports, a history of systemic disease or neurologic disorder at the start of the intervention, and those already using an injury prevention program were excluded. Participants were individually randomized within a team into one of the study groups (RBS or control). The RBS group used the RBS, a shoe-type training device designed for correcting dynamic knee valgus. A 6-staged progressive exercise program was developed, including slow closed kinetic chain strengthening, joint realignment, balancing, feedforward, feedback, and plyometric components. The control group performed an injury prevention program previously used to reduce injury risk. One 15-minute session was performed 3 days/week for 12 months. The primary outcome was incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and acute knee injuries. Results: One hundred twenty three players completed the study (RBS, n=65; control, n=58). No ACL injury or acute knee injury occurred among RBS athletes versus 1 ACL injury [RR 0.298, 95% CI (0.012, 7.175)] and 3 acute knee injuries [RR 0.127, 95%CI (0.007, 2.421)] among control athletes. Conclusion: The RBS program was not significantly more effective than a conventional injury prevention program in reducing the incidence of ACL injury and other acute lower extremity injuries in junior athletes.

Frequency of injuries, in particular dental injuries, in ski jumping and Nordic combined.

This study investigates the frequency of injuries, in particular dental injuries, among ski jumpers and Nordic combined athletes. It also examines the level of knowledge regarding tooth protection and tooth rescue boxes in this population. Of the 465 sportswomen and sportsmen who took part in the study, 230 (62.5%) of the 368 ski jumpers and 56 (56.5%) of the 97 Nordic combined athletes had sustained an injury. In both disciplines injury was most likely among professionals. The survey participants reported injuries to the limbs (n = 216), head and lips (n = 273 and n = 253, respectively), torso or spine (n = 249), teeth (n = 246), nose (n = 229) and jaw (n = 26). Dental injuries were more common among professionals than either amateur or junior ski jumpers, whereas, among the Nordic combined athletes, juniors were most likely to sustain a dental injury. Overall, the frequency of dental injury was significantly (p = 0.019) higher among adults 12.7% (n = 234) than junior athletes 6.1% (n = 212). The level of awareness of mouthguards and tooth rescue boxes varied between countries. The high injury rate recorded in this study demonstrates that ski jumping contains a considerable risk of injury, including tooth damage. Consequently, it seems reasonable to inform skiing organisations, trainers and athletes about the potential benefits of mouthguards and tooth rescue boxes in order to reduce the risk of dental injury.

B-10 ジュニアアスリートを対象としたSAQ能力向上の試み(身体特性解析,トレーニング)

B-10 ジュニアアスリートを対象としたSAQ能力向上の試み(身体特性解析,トレーニング)

Corporate Governance on the National Olympic Committee of Thailand

The Olympic Games is by far the most admirable competitions among athletes and the most spectacle sports tournaments among sports fans. The Olympic Games is built on their very core values when the games bring together people around the world to witness one of the amazing sports events in the world. It is a congregation of the Olympic Games. Three core values, i.e., excellence, friendship and respect, are around the world. The immense role of the dissemination of Olympic values and promoting and overseeing the Olympic Games falls on the shoulder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which is a decision-making organization regarding the Olympic affairs. Though a huge responsibility lied upon the IOC, the IOC alone cannot operate and function at this successful level. The National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from various countries need to provide considerable support to the IOC, and the accomplishment of the IOC’s objectives can be achieved only if the NOCs work efficiently and effectively. The NOCs perform various functions and provide a significant contribution to promoting sports in a country. Thailand is one of the IOC members. The missions of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) under the Royal Patronage of H.M. the King include supporting and promoting amateur sports and physical education, sending delegated athletes and the international. Competitions, providing welfare and education for athletes and coaches, organizing a sports museum, and coordination with different management of the NOCT are highly essential. Effective management of the NOCT will lead not only to the increasing number of junior athletes and national athletes and the success of our national athletes in major international sports competitions, but also to gear Thailand to be a healthy society using sports as a means to this end. In business, it is often argued that effective management is caused by competition. The term “creative destruction” coined by Joseph Schumpeter has continuously been proven through time that the most effective and innovative firms will thrive. Without competition, there is no real incentive and need for firms to be effective and efficient. Firms can do whatever they want bearing few or no consequences. Many sports governing bodies, e.g. the IOC and the NOCs, however, have no competition and, thus, are a monopoly. Yet, thee organizations need to be most effective. In this paper, we will argue that corporate governance is the solution to make the NOCs and the IOC to be most effective by using an example of the NOCT. Corporate governance (CG) can be loosely defined as to how to institute integrity to organizations/industries. Similar to business, the IOC and the NOCs need to instill integrity to their members no matter who they are or what role they take. A cleverly tailored corporate governance process employing control from both top-down and bottom-up will provide a necessary means to make the NOCs or, in this paper, the NOCT becomes well managed.

Mindfulness and Its Relationship With Perceived Stress, Affect, and Burnout in Elite Junior Athletes

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and burnout and whether this relationship is mediated by perceived stress, negative affect, and positive affect in elite junior athletes. Participants were 233 (123 males and 107 females) adolescent athletes, ranging in age from 15–19 years (M = 17.50; SD = 1.08). Bivariate correlations revealed that mindfulness had a significant negative relationship with both perceived stress and burnout. To investigate mediation, we employed nonparametric bootstrapping analyses. These analyses indicated that positive affect fully mediated links between mindfulness and sport devaluation. Further, positive affect and negative affect partially mediated the relationships between mindfulness and physical/emotional exhaustion, as well as between mindfulness and reduced sense of accomplishment. The results point toward mindfulness being negatively related to burnout in athletes and highlight the role of positive affect. Future research should investigate the longitudinal effect of dispositional mindfulness on stress and burnout.

Effects of supplementation with acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) berry-based juice blend on the blood antioxidant defence capacity and lipid profile in junior hurdlers. A pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine whether regular consumption of an acai berry-based juice blend would affect sprint performance and improve blood antioxidant status and lipid profile in junior athletes. Seven junior hurdlers (17.5±1.2 years) taking part in a pre-season conditioning camp were supplemented once a day, for six weeks, with 100 ml of the juice blend. At the start and the end of the camp the athletes performed a 300-m sprint running test on an outdoor track. Blood samples were taken before and immediately after the test and after 1 h of recovery. Blood antioxidant status was evaluated based on activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px], glutathione reductase [GR]), concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione [GSH], uric acid), total plasma polyphenols, ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and activities of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as muscle damage markers. In order to evaluate potential health benefits of the acai berry, the post-treatment changes in lipid profile parameters (triglycerides, cholesterol and its fractions) were analysed. Six weeks’ consumption of acai berry-based juice blend had no effect on sprint performance, but it led to a marked increase in the total antioxidant capacity of plasma, attenuation of the exercise-induced muscle damage, and a substantial improvement of serum lipid profile. These findings strongly support the view of the health benefits of supplementation with the acai berry-based juice blend, mainly attributed to its high total polyphenol content and the related high in vivo antioxidant and hypocholesterolaemic activities of this supplement.

The relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and passion in junior athletes.

Research suggests that self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism have unique and distinct motivational properties that are evident among junior athletes. Likewise, harmonious and obsessive passions encompass distinctive patterns of motivation. Based on suggestions that different dimensions of perfectionism may be associated with varying types of passion, the aim of the current study was to test the possibility that self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism could be distinguished based on their relationship with harmonious and obsessive passion in junior athletes. Two hundred and forty-nine athletes (M age = 16.07, SD = 2.22) competing in various youth sports completed measures of perfectionism and passion. Multiple regression and canonical correlation analyses indicated that self-oriented perfectionism predicted higher levels of both types of passion. In contrast, socially prescribed perfectionism predicted only obsessive passion. The findings provide an initial indication that the motivational differences between self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism extend to the types of passion they engender. The findings also provide additional insight into the patterns of motivation that are likely to arise from the two dimensions of perfectionism in junior athletes.

The World Junior Athletics Championships: New Zealand Athletes' Lived Experiences

The World Junior Championships in Athletics (WJC), for athletes aged under 20 years, were introduced in 1986 with objectives including: retention, performance improvement, and being a pathway to elite senior performance. The authors documented the lived experiences of a group of participating athletes from New Zealand in order to determine the role the WJC played in their athletics career and whether they continue to invest their time and resources in athletics and the nature of that investment. Twelve New Zealand athletes were interviewed before and after competing at the 2010 WJC. The data from the semi-structured interviews were examined using hierarchical content analysis. Athletes viewed the WJC as a key point of reference and important in the decision-making process as to whether they continue to invest their time and resources in athletics and the nature of that investment. Athletes found the WJC to be a valuable opportunity to gain experience of world-class international competition, and to improve on their performances. Participation at the WJC can be viewed as a non-normative transition that prepares junior athletes for the normative transition to senior athlete.

Time-of-Day Effects on Static and Dynamic Balance in Elite Junior Athletes and Untrained Adolescents

The aim of the present study was to analyse the daily variation of balance in two groups of female adolescents: elite athletes (n=20, aged 13.2 ± 0.5 years) and untrained students (n=20, aged 12.9 ± 0.6 years). Participants underwent two testing sessions over two days at two different times each day. Morningness-Eveningness self-assessment questionnaire was administered to assess the chronotype of the participants and oral temperature was measured too. Significant group differences were found in the overall balance tests (p&lt;0.01). Athlete group showed no significant differences in balance tests with respect to the time-of-day. Untrained adolescents attained better results in the morning in the dynamic balance tests (p&lt;0.01). No correlations were found between chronotype, oral temperature variations and balance tests scores. The main outcome of the study was that elite athletes did not show time-of-day effects on balance, whereas the untrained adolescents achieved better results in the morning.

The relationship of training load to physical-capacity changes during international tours in high-performance junior tennis players.

Given the travel that punctuates junior tennis development, an understanding of the changes in fitness owing to touring and the association between training loads (TLs) and fitness on return is vital. The authors investigated physical-capacity changes from pretour to posttour, determining if those changes were related to the TL of athletes on tour. Thirty junior athletes completed fitness testing before and after 4-wk tours. Testing included double-leg countermovement jump (CMJ), dominant single-leg and nondominant single-leg CMJ, speed (5, 10, 20 m), modified 5-0-5 agility (left and right), 10 × 20-m repeated-sprint ability (RSA), and multistage fitness tests. Repeated-measures ANOVAs determined physical-capacity change, with effect-size analysis establishing the magnitude of change. To avoid regression toward the mean, a 1/3-split technique was implemented for comparative analysis (high to low TLs). Moderate effects (d=0.50-0.70) for reductions of up to 3.6% in 5-, 10-, and 20-m speeds were observed. However, all remaining changes were only of trivial to small magnitude (d<0.40). Closer analysis of the interaction between TL and physical capacities (1/3-split) revealed that subjects who completed the greatest amount of total and tennis TL returned with a greater decline in speed and aerobic capacities (d>0.80). Furthermore, it was observed that match load dictates on- and off-court TL, with an increase in matches won understandably stunting exposure to off-court TL. Specific training should be prescribed on tour to maintain speed characteristics over a 4-wk international tour. On-tour training schedules should be carefully monitored to maximize specific TL exposure after losses on tour.

Injuries and disorders among young ice skaters: relationship with generalized joint laxity and tightness.

This study retrospectively investigated 192 teenage speed and figure skaters with prior injuries documented by an athletes’ questionnaire, who underwent a physical examination to assess their muscle tightness and generalized joint laxity. In all athletes, the degree of muscle tightness and joint laxity were measured by a standardized physical examination. A descriptive report of the types of injuries showed a predominance of fractures, ligament injuries, enthesitis, and lower back pain. Approximately 5% of all skaters tested positive for tightness, while 25.8% of figure skaters and 15.2% of speed skaters had generalized ligamentous laxity. Statistical testing showed an association between ankle sprains and muscle tightness, and an association between knee enthesitis and muscle tightness in skating athletes. There was also an association between lower back pain and generalized joint laxity, which held true only for the male skaters.

The Contribution of Psychotherapeutic Means in Developing of Adaptive Behaviours to Youth Sportsmen

This study tries to highlight the contribution of the means psychotherapeutic in providing “guided recovery”, the sport‘s trophotrope component of training and establishes the most effective relaxation techniques that can provide increased athletic performance by accelerating the effort‘s homeostasis restoration to the pre-effort level and even at a higher level by achieving “overcompensation”. Longitudinal experimental research is applied to a group of 20 junior athletes, aged 12-15 years, and monitors the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic means represented by autosuggestion and breathing exercises (during effort) and Jacobson relaxation type, elements of Hath a Yoga, mental training and ideation techniques, autogenously Shultz relaxation (after effort) by evaluating the functional parameters (basal pulse, blood pressure before and after effort, Dorgo index recovery) in two stages before training and at the end of it. The experiment took place for nine months and showed significantly reduced results when it comes to basal heart rate (mean 4 beats/min) and systolic blood pressure (mean 0,8mmHg) in favor of the experimental group. Furthermore, the same athletes had an average value of Dorgo index recovery higher than athletes who have not been tried any psychotherapeutic techniques. The evaluation of psychic level shows that the relaxation techniques raise the recovery potential of young sportsmen. In sports recoveries, the relaxation techniques are become prophylactic procedures that serve the purpose of neuro-vegetative homeostasis normalization and accelerating psychological relaxation after effort.

The Transition from Elite Junior Track-and-Field Athlete to Successful Senior Athlete: Why Some Do, Why others Don't

Guiding athletes to become senior international athletes is consistent with the brief of talent development programmes. The transition from junior to senior athlete might be viewed as a normative transition. Nevertheless, this transition is likely to be a complex process and some understanding of that complexity is necessary to inform those responsible for developing talent. This study aimed to determine why some elite junior athletes make the transition to become successful senior athletes, while others of similar ability did not. Five male and six female New Zealand athletes who made a final for their event at a World Junior Athletics Championships (WJC) between 1992 and 2006 were interviewed. Five athletes subsequently went on to win a medal or make the final of their event at an Olympic Games or World Athletics Championships or win a medal at a Commonwealth Games, while the other six continued in the sport for six to ten years as a senior athlete but did not go on to represent New Zealand internationally at the senior track-and-field international level. The data were examined using hierarchical content analysis. Athletes who progressed to become successful senior athletes displayed: i) a significant commitment to a clearly defined and realistic goal; ii) achieved early international success at the senior grade; and iii) had a single dominant identity and key strength. The athletes who did not go on to be a senior international athlete were characterised as having: i) competing demands and tensions in their social, academic/career lives, and ii) a lack of progression.

The Working with Parents in Sport Model (WWPS-Model): A Practical Guide for Practitioners Working with Parents of Elite Young Performers

In this article we introduce the Working with Parents in Sport Model (WWPS-Model), which highlights key areas applied practitioners can use to inform their practice with regard to the development and implementation of support programs for parents/guardians of elite junior athletes. The stage approach and nature of the model, which is accompanied by practical checklists, are all intended to serve as a valuable resource to both the experienced professional and the neophyte practitioner about to engage on the applied practice journey within an elite junior sporting environment.

Evaluating sport development outcomes: the case of a medium-sized international sport event

Research question: This study evaluates sport development outcomes of a medium-sized, one-off, international sport event, while also exploring any strategies and tactics that were implemented with the intention to increase participation or other sport development outcomes. The event under investigation is the 2005 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships.Research method: Retrospective perceptions of sport development outcomes were explored using event documents, 21 semistructured interviews with key stakeholders, and media coverage of the event.Results and Findings: The coaching clinic and the new facility were the only two intended tactics expected to intentionally trigger increases in sport participation and development. The sport facility seemed to have been successful, the coaching clinic was not. All other perceived outcomes, both positive and negative were unintended, and their underlying processes are unclear. Partnerships and relationships were established, but were not activated to serve sport development. It was assumed that ‘awareness,’ the new facility, and positive media coverage would automatically attract new participants. There is some evidence to support the ‘demonstration effect’ for those already involved in the sport, but not for new sport participation. A number of missed opportunities to build sport participation were retrospectively identified. Participation effects in the absence of leveraging are likely to be negligible.Implications: Formulation and implementation of strategies and tactics, and measurements need to be put into place from the outset of an event. This will enable the efficacy of strategies and tactics to be benchmarked and assessed. Future research should focus on the underlying processes, rather than just the impacts and outcomes.

Imagery Intervention to Increase Flow State and Performance in Competition

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an imagery intervention for enhancing the experience of flow state and performance in junior athletes. On the basis of previous results, a tailored imagery script was developed to target critical flow dimensions, namely challenge-skills balance, clear goals, concentration on the task, and sense of control. It was hypothesized that the use of cognitive and motivational imagery would increase specific flow dimensions, which, in turn, would enhance flow state and competition performance. Participants in a single-case, multiple baseline A-B design study were four nationally ranked athletes. Following a 6-week baseline phase monitoring flow state and performance and a 6-week intervention phase using relaxation in conjunction with imagery techniques, three participants showed a sustained increase in flow experiences, and all four participants improved their service performance, groundstroke performance, and ranking-list position.

Test of Self-Determination Theory in Swimmers With and Without Down Syndrome

Abstract Self-determination theory (SDT) may offer insight into the motives behind sport participation by individuals with Down syndrome (DS). The Pictorial Motivation Scale (PMS), developed by Poulin (1992), evaluated the motivation of junior athletes with (n = 15) and without DS (n = 15) participating in inclusive community-based swimming. In line with SDT, cluster analyses showed that intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation were all present in athletes with and without disabilities. Swimmers with DS scored significantly higher in intrinsic motivation than non–self-determined extrinsic motivation (−0.45, p &amp;lt; 0.001) and amotivation (−1.28, p &amp;lt; 0.001), suggesting involvement in community-based inclusive sport may promote enhanced psychological functioning in this sample. Further research may be warranted into the motivation of athletes with DS across longer periods of time.

Neuro-linguistic Programming based on the Concept of Modelling

Purpose of the article is: with this work, we want to present some neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques that will improve the performance of junior and senior athletes, cadets, and children of the representative judo team of Romania. Methodswe use an questionnaire and we show that communication is the main channel between athletes and coaches. Resultstwo ways are emphasised in NLP: first, through asking descriptions, such as “saw,” “heard,” “felt” (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic [VAK]), and second, by making the language more dynamic and empirical based on the senses and space-time- nominated topics and events. NLP is replete with behaviour-modification techniques which cause rapid adaptations, particularly in sporting activity, where search-optimising cognitive behaviour is often a short-term goal. Verbs, movements, actions, processes, etc., set the reality in a more precise, more accurate manner. NLP has a real arsenal of effective techniques capable of generating rapid changes in behaviour of athletes for favourable performance. NLP identifies these ways as visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, somatosensory, olfactory, and gustatory to refer to different systems of representation of actions. ConclusionsThe basic principles of neuro-linguistic programming are based on the concept of modelling. Subjects that stimulate visual and auditory channels will have positive effects in the kinaesthetic sphere.