Male Youth Research Articles

Injuries Following COVID-19 Infection in Academy-level Male Youth Soccer Players.

Injury epidemiology data are key to injury prevention strategy development. Most such data surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic compare team injury data during the pandemic to that before the pandemic; few investigate injuries by infection status and even less involve academy-level organizations. We hypothesized that in male youth developmental academy-level soccer players, the rate of injury would be higher following COVID-19 infection than in the uninfected. Retrospective cohort study involving 141 male youth athletes from a single midwestern US developmental soccer academy during the spring 2022 soccer season. Injury data was gathered prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. Injury rate (incidence per 1000 playing hours), type, location, severity, mechanism, and mode of play were compared between COVID-19-positive and -negative athletes. Thirty-four (24.11%) of 141 athletes tested positive for COVID-19. Of those 34, 20 (58.8%) sustained at least 1 injury, totaling 30 injuries. Of the 107 (75.89%) uninfected athletes, 30 (28.04%) sustained at least 1 injury, totaling 37 injuries. COVID-19-positive athletes sustained injuries at higher rates (7.10, 95% CI: 4.79-10.14) than uninfected athletes (2.71, 95% CI: 1.91-3.74), with an infected to uninfected adjusted injury rate ratio of 2.08 (95% CI: 1.20-3.59, P=0.008). COVID-19 positive players were 2.78 times more likely to sustain an injury following their infection than uninfected players (95% CI: 1.14-6.96, P=0.026). There were no significant differences in injury type (P=0.515), location (P=0.319), severity (P=0.679), mechanism (P=0.225), or mode of play (P=0.557) between groups. Among academy-level youth soccer athletes, injury rate increased significantly after COVID-19 infection; injury patterns were similar. II - Retrospective cohort study.

Injury incidence, prevalence, and burden in an Argentinian male youth soccer academy: one-season descriptive study

ABSTRACT Objective To prospectively describe the incidence, severity, and burden of injuries in the youth divisions of an Argentinian professional soccer club during a competitive season. Methods 212 male soccer academy players were grouped by age categories and maturity offset as pre-peak height velocity (PHV), circa-PHV and post-PHV. Injury characteristics were recorded as the International Olympic Committee suggests. Results A total of 235 time-loss injuries were sustained by 101 different players. The overall injury incidence rate was of 5.8 injuries per 1000 hours (h), with a training and match injury incidence rate of 4.9 and 9.7 injuries per 1000 h, respectively. The prevalence over the season was 47%. Most of the injuries (202) affected the lower limbs (86.6%) and most of them were classified as muscle/tendon injuries (n = 117, 49.8%). Hamstring structural injury was the diagnosis with the highest burden in both circa and post-PHV groups. Conclusions The incidence, prevalence and injury burden reported in this study would add valuable information to Argentinians’ youth soccer institutions. Post-PHV players had higher incidence, severity and burden compared to circa-PHV. Structural/functional injuries to the muscle/tendon represented the highest burden for type of injuries (41.1 per 1000 h), suggesting a need for implementing preventive measures.

Situational and Dispositional Achievement Goals and Measures of Sport Performance: A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis

The purposes of this systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024510614, no funding source) were to quantify relationships between situational and dispositional dichotomous achievement goals and sport performance and explore potential relationship moderators. Published studies that reported at least one situational or dispositional achievement goal and a performance score were included. Studies without performance scores or based in a non-sport context were excluded. Information sources consisted of studies found in relevant published meta-analyses and EBSCOhost databases (finalized September 2024). The following statistics were conducted to assess the risk of bias: class-fail-safe n, Orwin’s fail-safe n, and funnel plots with trim and fill estimates. The summary statistics were r and d. Thirty studies from 1994 to 2024 met all inclusion criteria with 8708 participants from Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania. The majority of samples were non-elite male youths and adolescents. The random-effects relationships (r) between task climate, 0.20 [0.14, 0.25], task orientation, 0.17 [0.12, 0.23], ego orientation, 0.09 [0.03, 0.16], and sport performance were small and significantly different (p < 0.05) from zero, while the ego motivational climate relationship was not, −0.00 [−0.48, 0.05]. The random-effects standard differences in means (d) for both the task orientation, 0.08 [0.02, 0.14], and ego orientation, 0.11 [−0.05, 0.26] were minimal in meaningfulness. Mixed-effects moderator analyses resulted in the following significant (p < 0.05) sub-group differences: subjective compared to objective performance measures (task orientation), elite compared to non-elite samples (task climate), and athlete-completed compared to coach-completed performance measures and performance records (task orientation). Finding only 30 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, which limited sub-group samples for moderation analyses, was the main limitation. Despite this limitation, AGT provides athletes and practitioners performance enhancement strategies. However, caution is warranted regarding relationship expectations given the small mean effect size values and the true prediction interval ranging from negative to positive, perhaps as a result of the heterogeneous samples and performance measures. A clear line of future research, considering the reviewed studies, with elite athletes is needed to verify the performance benefits of the task climate and ego orientation as well as the use of the ego goal orientation in selection decisions.

Recovery patterns of low-frequency fatigue in elite youth soccer players after official match

This study aimed to analyze the associations between recovery of low-frequency fatigue, jump height and perceptual responses following official soccer matches. Forty-two male youth elite soccer players (age: 17.13±0.70 years; height: 179.17±5.94 cm; weight: 69.74±4.91 kg) participated in this study. Low-frequency fatigue, countermovement jump, perceived fatigue, muscle soreness and perceived recovery were assessed at -2h, +30 min, +24h and +48h relative to the match. Linear mixed models analysis showed that low-frequency fatigue was reduced at the match-end (ES=-0.679 [95% CI = -1.01; -0.34]; p<.001) but returned to baseline after 24h (ES=0.149 [95% CI = -0.26; 0.56]; p=1.00). Perceptual responses were impaired for up to 48 hours following the match (ES=-0.868–1.174; p<.001). Countermovement jump did not differ between any time point (ES=-0.204–0.216; p>0.05). Additionally, the within-subject correlation analysis showed that low-frequency fatigue pre- to post-match changes presented moderate to large associations with perceived fatigue (rm[57]=-0.43; p<.001), muscle soreness (rm[57]=-0.52; p<.001) and perceived recovery (rm[57]=0.38; p=.003). The assessment of low-frequency fatigue could serve as an additional objective measurement for monitoring post-match fatigue, as findings suggest that young elite soccer players experience transient reductions following match-play, which are strongly correlated with subjective markers of recovery.

Influence of video instruction on soccer kick velocity in young players

Soccer is a sport that necessitates proficiency in motor control and cognitive abilities, with kicking serving as a fundamental action. Improving kicking performance is vital for player advancement, leading to the inquiry: “How can video instruction promptly optimize kicking technique in young players?”. This research aimed to investigate the immediate effects of an instructional video on the kinematic variables of kicking to induce an acute alteration in the movement pattern. A cohort of 26 male youths, aged between 10 and 15 years, partook in the study and were segregated into an instruction group (IG) and a control group (CG). The IG received exposure to a video containing specific kicking instructions, while the CG viewed a video lacking such guidance. Both groups were recorded performing penalty kicks before and after viewing the video. Kinematic analysis was carried out utilizing the OpenPose artificial intelligence neural network for pose detection and subsequent 3D reconstruction. The primary discovery was that the length of the last stride (LS) notably increased in the IG following the instructional video. This outcome indicates that video instructions hold promise in promptly enhancing particular aspects of kicking technique in young soccer players.

Temporal trends in suicide ideation and attempt among youth in juvenile detention, 2016-2021.

Data from the general population of youth show increases in suicide ideation and attempt in recent years, with rates of increase differing across sex and racial/ethnic groups. This study assessed trends in suicide ideation and attempt from 2016 to 2021 in youth in juvenile detention, across sex, age, and racial/ethnic groups. We leveraged state-wide suicide screening data of all detained youth (n = 53,769) from 2016 to 2021. We analyzed data for periods defined by statistically significant changes in trends of lifetime suicide attempt, past 6-month suicide attempt, and current suicide ideation. The prevalence of lifetime, but not past six-month, attempts increased, whereas the prevalence of current suicide ideation decreased annually from 2016 to 2021. Overall trends were qualified by distinct patterns among subgroups: rates of lifetime attempt increased among male, adolescent, and Black youth, while rates of current ideation decreased among male, adolescent, and White and Hispanic youth. These data document increasing rates of lifetime suicide attempts in detained youth from 2016 to 2021, especially among male and Black adolescents, concomitant with decreasing rates of current suicide ideation. Suicide prevention approaches for detained youth may need to prioritize variables besides or in addition to suicide ideation.

Sportspersonship orientation in the training process of young football players in different training contexts.

Football plays a fundamental role in the lives of the boys and girls who play it and it can become an invaluable educational instrument. However, for introduction to football to be truly educational, it needs to be carefully planned and guided; otherwise, it may encourage negative and undesirable behaviour from a moral and ethical point of view. That way, many authors claim that a careful and deliberate initiation to football is necessary for the promotion of sportspersonship to become a reality. The goal of this research is to analyse the evolution of sportspersonship orientation in the social sports football schools of Fundación Real Madrid and in association football clubs. For this purpose, the Multidimensional Sportspersonship Orientations Scale is used. The research involves 1509 male and female youth football players aged between 8 and 16 years (M = 10.9±2.2), of whom 952 belong to the social sports football schools of the Fundación Real Madrid and 547 to association football clubs. The most outstanding results show that the players of the social sports schools of Fundación Real Madrid obtain high values in sportspersonship orientation. Moreover, these values remain high in all categories, while they show a significant decrease in players from association football clubs. The social sports model of Fundación Real Madrid can contribute to maintaining high levels of sportspersonship orientation throughout the player's training process.

Using a Phenomenological and Fanon Analytic: A Methodological Framework and Method for Research with Impoverished Black Male Youth

While there is a good amount of general literature on the experiences of Black men in Canada, there is a paucity of empirical data regarding the specific lived experiences of first- and second-generation, Canadian-born, impoverished Black young men (ages 15–29). Black male youth are often impoverished due to anti-Black racism and classism, which together further social and economic barriers. While many methods of data collection and analysis provide a useful snapshot of the experiences of young Black men, many traditional methods are unable to highlight the nuance that lies in complex intersections of identity for Black young men experiencing poverty and un(der)employment. This article demonstrates the success of practices rooted in phenomenology to understand and articulate the unique, heterogeneous lived experiences of first- and second-generation impoverished Black young men who utilize youth employment training programs in three Canadian cities. Further, this article demonstrates how using Frantz Fanon’s scholarly work and applied phenomenology can inform future research on Black and other underserved youth who face complex marginalization.

Contextualizing Attitudes About Violence from the Vantage Point of Street-Identified Black Male Youth: The Role of the Perceived Neighborhood and Bypassing Adolescence in the Development of Black Masculinity

Using Street Participatory Action Research (Street PAR), we examined the role of subjective neighborhood quality in bypassing adolescence (through adultification) and pro-violence attitudes among Black male youth. One hundred and thirty-seven street-identified, Black adolescent males (M/SD age = 18.07/1.66) were recruited using snowball sampling through social networks of individuals who identified as “street” or engaged in illegal activity. Respondents reported on neighborhood quality, bypassing adolescence, and pro-violence attitudes. Results showed that poorer perceived neighborhood quality correlated positively with bypassing adolescence and pro-violence attitudes. Bypassing adolescence mediated the association between neighborhood quality and pro-violence attitudes. Thus, street-identified Black boys who had more negative perceptions of their neighborhoods endorsed more positive attitudes toward violence and greater bypassing adolescence, or perceived adultification through street life. This novel finding contextualizes the development of violence attitudes in this understudied population and may suggest that bypassing adolescence is an important site of resilience within a street-identified Black masculinity framework.

Prevalence and neighbourhood determinants of early sexual debut and multiple sexual partnerships among young people in Rwanda, Ghana and South Africa

Background: The consequences of engaging in risky sexual behaviours (RSB) can lead to HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. The relationship between neighbourhood characteristics and youth involvement in RSB such as early sexual debut and multiple sexual partnerships has been of great concern to government, researchers and policymakers. However, there are very few empirical studies using demographic and health surveys to unpack the nature of this relationship in Rwanda, Ghana and South Africa. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of early sexual debut and condom use, and to explore the neighbourhood factors associated with early sexual debut and condom use in Rwanda, Ghana and South Africa. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using the most recent Demographic and Health Survey Data (DHS 2014–2016) from Ghana, Rwanda and South Africa to investigate the relationship between neighbourhood characteristics and risky sexual behaviour among the youth. Results: The prevalence of risky sexual behaviour in the three countries ranges from 56% (South Africa), 30% (Ghana) and 12% (Rwanda). Male youth in the 20-to-24-year-old category had increased odds of engaging in multiple sexual partnerships for the three countries (AOR 4.58; 95% CI 3.40–6.16), Rwanda (AOR 2.72; 95% CI 2.04–3.68) and South Africa (AOR 4.56; 95% CI 3.33–6.24). Meanwhile, at the community level, community education significantly increased the odds of age sexual debut among female adolescents by 50% (South Africa), and 46% (Ghana), while in Rwanda, this factor had decreased odds with higher community education. Conclusion: To lower the incidence of risky sexual behaviour in the community, programmes aimed at appropriate policy options must be intensified. The implications of these findings is helpful for a developmental approach aimed at reaching Africa’s long-term development goal of eliminating STIs among young people.

International trends in male youth suicide and suicidal behaviour.

Suicide and suicidal behaviour strongly contribute to overall male youth mortality. An understanding of worldwide data contextualises suicide and suicidal behaviour in young men within any given country. Members and colleagues of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry's Task Force on Men's Mental Health review the relevant data from several regions of the world. The review identifies notable findings across regions of relevance to researchers, policymakers, and clinicians. Male suicide and suicidal behaviour in adolescence and emerging adulthood within North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Continental Africa, South Asia, East Asia, China, and Oceania share similarities as well as significant points of divergence. International data provide an opportunity to obtain a superior understanding of suicide and suicidal behaviour amongst young men.

Relationship between Upper Limb Muscle Power and Shooting Velocity in Elite Male Youth Rink Hockey Players

Relationship between Upper Limb Muscle Power and Shooting Velocity in Elite Male Youth Rink Hockey Players

Investigation of Predisposing Risk Factors in Adolescent Male Water Polo Players.

Shoulder injuries are prevalent in adolescent water polo (WP) players. Study aimed to determine whether preseason shoulder characteristics (range of motion [ROM], flexibility, and strength) and core endurance can identify athletes at risk of future shoulder injuries. Shoulder characteristics, including changes in ROM (internal rotation [IR], external rotation [ER], and total), strength (IR and ER), pectoralis minor flexibility, shoulder capsule flexibility, and core endurance, would be risk factors for shoulder reinjury in athletes with previous overuse injuries compared with noninjured athletes. Prospective cohort study. Level 3. At baseline, 53 male youth WP players (mean age, 16.6 ± 3.5 years) were assigned to Group 1 (with previous shoulder injuries [G1, n = 26]) and Group 2 (without previous shoulder injuries [G2, n = 27]). ROM, flexibility, strength, and core muscle endurance were assessed preseason. After a 12-month follow-up, players were again divided into those who developed new shoulder injuries (G3, n = 27) and those who remained healthy (G4, n = 26). Total of 26 players (49%) had previous shoulder injuries at baseline. At baseline, decreased pectoralis minor flexibility, IR, total ROM, and core endurance were found in players with a previous shoulder injury compared with players without a previous shoulder injury (P < 0.05). At baseline, a significant difference was present in proposed risk factors (shoulder and core endurance parameters) between players with and without a previous shoulder injury. Shoulder IR ROM and years of experience were significant predictors of shoulder injury. Early detection of modifiable proposed risk factors may help prevent reinjury in young athletes. Screening at an early age can help identify and address pre-existing injuries, support youth athletes' return to sport after a shoulder injury, prevent new injuries, and improve performance.

Dying for Sex? Sexual Frustration, Socioeconomic Factors and ISIS Foreign Fighters

ABSTRACT That sexual frustration drives foreign fighters into the arms of the Islamic State is a popular hypothesis. Yet the common proxies for sexual frustration ‘male youth unemployment’ and ‘male unmarriedness’ do not square with available and, admittedly, scarce, socio-demographic micro data about foreign fighters. Most foreign fighters were married and employed, but mostly in blue-collar jobs. Often neglected is moreover that most foreign fighters have a migration background. Sexual frustration must therefore not be seen independently from possible socioeconomic frustration. Because strong multicollinearity complicates the empirical separation of sexual and socioeconomic frustration, we employ a principal component analysis to reduce the dimensionality of each frustration. We find that socioeconomic frustration is empirically more dominant, thus lending additional support in favor of the socioeconomic frustration hypothesis and complementing the scarcely existing micro data. Moreover, the results suggest that sexual frustration is a byproduct of socioeconomic frustration, however it is not a significant independent explanatory factor of ISIS foreign fighters.

The Effect of Parkour Activities on Specific Physical Fitness and Grit in the Population of Healthy Youth Football Athletes

This study investigates the effects of parkour activity (PA) on physical fitness and grit for youth soccer athletes. True experimental research with a random control trial design for 12 weeks was adopted in this study. There were 78 male youth soccer athletes involved in the experimental (PA, n = 39) and control group (CG, n = 39) groups. The PA intervention program was carried out three times a week for 12 weeks. Pre-post-intervention tests were carried out to assess physical fitness and grit. The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed that there were significant effects of time, group, and time*group interaction on physical fitness (all, p &lt; .05) and grit (all, p &lt; .05). Meanwhile, Student’s paired t-test results show that the PA group experienced significant differences scores between pre-and post-test in physical fitness (all, p &lt; .05) and grit (all, p &lt; .05), but in CG the differences were significant only occurred in sprint test 30m (p &lt; .05), Illinois agility test (p &lt; .05), hand grip test (p &lt; .05) and there was no other difference, including grit (p &gt; .05). In conclusion, we highlight that PA is the valid method to promote physical fitness and grit in youth soccer athletes.

Incidence and risk factors for symptomatic lumbar bone stress injury in female and male youth cricket bowlers

Incidence and risk factors for symptomatic lumbar bone stress injury in female and male youth cricket bowlers

Agro-Pastoral Youth Participation in Livelihood Activities, Development Programs and Interventions in East and West Hararghe Zones of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

This study was conducted to identify the status and determinants of male and female youth participation in selected livelihood activities, development programs and interventions in agro-pastoral areas of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional research design and mixed methods research approach were employed. A multi-stage random sampling strategy was followed to select four agro-pastoral Woredas (A ‘Woreda’ is an administrative unit equivalent to a District), 12 Kebeles (A ‘Kebele’ is the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia. A Woreda/District consists of several Kebeles) and 398 youth aged 15–29 years for a face-to-face interview. Data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics and an econometric model (Logistic regression) estimation. We found that whereas male youth had better access to land, participation in extension/advisory services and Farmers’ Training Centers (FTCs), agricultural training, and NGOs, female youth had better participation in non-/off-farm livelihood activities and Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP). Our findings indicated that lack of access to financial resources, limited access to land, poor extension and rural advisory services, limited skills development programs and mentorship were key factors affecting youth participation. Other factors include: targeting criteria, discrimination (e.g. on the basis of gender, social structure), cumbersome organizational procedures and requirements, limited availability and capacity of supporting organizations, poor infrastructural developments, mismatch between needs and services provided, conflict, and climate-induced shocks and uncertainties. To overcome these challenges, local and regional governments and their development partners operating in the area should implement a multi-stakeholder, participatory, co-design and development of programs, projects and interventions to enhance collaboration, youth engagement and benefit. Investments in capacity-building and alternative income-generating activities, entrepreneurship education and business skills training are also important.

Pathways to suicide for children and youth in Guyana: A life charts analysis

Background: Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 29 years old globally. Guyana has the highest rate of youth suicide in the world, yet only limited research exists. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify key features of the suicide pathway for Guyanese children and youth and to distinguish meaningful subgroups. Method: The psychological autopsy (PA) method was used to generate life charts for 15 Guyanese children and youth (10–29 years) who died by suicide. Nineteen close contacts of these individuals were interviewed about the life events of the decedent between 6 months and 5 years after their death. Semi-structured interviews lasting 30 to 150 min took place between November 2021 and January 2022. The interview data were converted into life charts and these were reviewed to uncover meaningful subgroups of suicide pathways. Results: Three groups with distinct suicide pathways were identified: hard life (46%), mental illness (20%) and interpersonal stress (20%). There were also two male youths for whom the suicidal antecedents and pathways were unclear. Interpersonal stress, alcohol, exposure to suicide and family history of suicide were common factors identified across groups. Conclusions: The findings emphasise the role of both acute and protracted interpersonal stress for child and youth suicide in Guyana. The structure and dynamics of Indo-Guyanese families are discussed. Interventions recommended include enhancing child and youth community engagement, improving mental health and suicide literacy, alcohol restriction, increasing access to support services, and reducing stigma.

Class, migration and masculinity among Syrian and Turkish youths in working-class neighborhoods of Istanbul

ABSTRACT This article describes the masculinity narratives of working-class Syrian and Turkish youths in Istanbul on their lived experiences of socio-economic inequalities, everyday violence, and discrimination. Based on qualitative fieldwork conducted in 2020 and 2021 with male youths in two districts, it emphasizes the common experiences of Syrian and Turkish male youths shaped by their working-class predicaments, but also demonstrates that certain forms of masculinity performances emerge as strategies to tackle the difficulties in their lives. Turkish youths’ masculinity narratives display nationalism and anti-migrant discourses, whereas Syrian youths seek to affirm their dignity against racism through performances of masculinity.

Effects of the number of ball touches among elite youth players during small-sided soccer games.

This study investigates the effects of manipulating the number of ball touches (free play vs. two touches) on the physical and technical actions of elite male youth soccer players during 5v5 + 2 goalkeepers (GKs) small-sided games (SSGs). Players played in two different SSGs: 1) free play, where the number of touches per possession was not restricted; and 2) two touches, where players were limited to a maximum of two touches per ball possession. A total of 24 male elite youth soccer players (age: 14.79±0.71 years; body mass: 56.02±1.41 kg; body height: 164±2.12 cm) participated in the study. Players' physical metric and technical performance data were captured using a global positioning system and video camera, respectively. A paired-samples t-test or Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was employed to examine differences in players' technical performance variables depending on SSGs' ball-touch rules. The results show significantly more unsuccessful passes (t=-3.48; P=0.04; d=1.92) when players were limited to two touches than when there were no pass limits. The physical metrics indicate that total distance covered (Z=-2.90; P=0.001; d=0.07), meters per minute (Z=-3.44; P=0.001; d=0.11), low-speed running (Z=-2.25; P=0.02; d=0.04) and high acceleration (Z=-1.90; P=0.05; d=0.28) were significantly higher when touches were unlimited than when they were not. Soccer coaches should decide the number of touches per ball possession they allow depending on their tactical and/or physical objectives in training.