Popular Sport Research Articles

Quantitative and qualitative disparities exist between baseball and softball peer-reviewed pitching-related literature: a systematic review from 1990 to 2020

Baseball and softball are popular sports with similar rates of injury, especially among pitchers. However, parity between the two sports is lacking, as baseball receives greater research attention than softball. The purpose of this study was to describe the discrepancy between baseball and softball in terms of quantity and quality of research. We hypothesized baseball literature would outnumber softball literature, be published in higher-impact journals, and be of higher quality. A systematic review was performed to identify original research articles related to baseball and softball from 1990 to 2020. Articles pertaining to pitching were identified via literature searches of PubMed, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and further screened by two independent reviewers. Age group studied, journal impact factor, type of research, and level of evidence were compared between pitching-related baseball and softball articles. Injury-related studies were also subanalyzed, and a meta-analysis was performed to assess rates of shoulder and elbow injuries between baseball and softball pitchers. There were 813 baseball publications and 158 softball publications that met our inclusion criteria. More baseball articles were published per year than softball (5:1, P < .001). Baseball had 368 articles related to pitching, while softball had significantly fewer at 49, and there were more baseball pitching articles published per year than softball pitching articles (7.5:1, P < .001). Pitching-related baseball articles were published in journals with a higher mean impact factor than softball pitching articles (3.1 vs. 2.0, P= .049). There was no difference in methodological index for non-randomized studies criteria for rigorous reporting (P= .678), and among all groups, most articles were level III evidence. Baseball pitching articles included more clinical articles than softball pitching articles (63% vs. 43%, P= .004). Despite the fact that softball pitchers have an odds ratio of shoulder and elbow injury slightly higher than baseball (4.02 vs. 3.60), injury-related studies focused on baseball outnumbered softball studies 7 to1. Softball is under-represented in the literature when compared to baseball with over 5 times fewer peer-reviewed research articles, despite having slightly higher shoulder and elbow injury rates than baseball. Pitching-related softball articles are nearly 8 times less frequent compared to baseball pitching articles and published in journals with a lower impact factor. Further research directed at softball is important to provide evidence-based injury prevention, practice guidelines, and treatment decisions.

Tafakkur Filosofis-Analogis Sepak Bola dalam Terminologi Religius dan Sains

Football is a popular sport worldwide. From small children, teenagers, adults to the elderly, all are fond of this sport. Of course it is interesting if football is associated with science and religion. Thus, the aim of this research is to reveal the philosophical-analogical contemplation of football in religious and scientific terminology. With a philosophical-analogical approach, conclude: that football has 11 players, so it is called a team. The number eleven in religious terminology can be related to the obligation of a Muslim which must follow the 5 pillars of Islam and the 6 pillars of faith. With a scientific approach, the number eleven in religious terminology will find a connection with the miracles of Allah SWT and the Prophet Muhammad SAW. The 11 basic football techniques are also a representation of science where it shows the signs of God's greatness. More specific research on the relationship between religion and science regarding football is needed for the sake of depth of essence.

Effectiveness of Various Mulligan Techniques on Hamstring Flexibility in College Level Cricketers

BACKGROUND Cricket is a popular global sport that requires a combination of physical fitness, skill, and strategy. It is a noncontact sport, overuse and impact injuries are common.Players engage in a wide range of physical activities, including running, throwing, batting, bowling, catching, and diving.Hamstring strains are common in cricket and can occur when overloaded eccenterically. AIM This aim is to find out the effectiveness of Mulligan's bent leg raise and traction straight leg raise along with static stretching in improving hamstring flexibility in college level cricketers. METHODS The Experimental study was conducted in 30 college level cricketers who were divided in 2 groups with 15 participants in each.Group A - Bent leg raise, Group B - Traction straight leg raise. All received intervention for 2 weeks. The outcome measure used was Active knee extension test. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Statistical analysis was performed using Active knee extension test. Mean value and mean difference are used to compare pre-post differences in each group. RESULT Bent leg raise showed remarkable increased ROM than Traction straight leg raise. CONCLUSION The bent leg raise is effective than Traction Straight Leg Raise in improving hamstring muscle flexibility. There is significant difference in improvement of hamstring muscle flexibility in Bend leg raise technique.

One Season in Professional Cycling Is Enough to Negatively Affect Bone Health.

Cycling is a very popular sport worldwide, and several studies have already indicated that cycling at various levels has a negative impact on bone health. This is of concern to both performance and health managers of many cycling teams at different levels because of its economic and social impact. Based on the scientific literature, we hypothesize that a single season at the professional level can negatively affect bone health status. The aim of this study was to assess how professional cycling affects bone health markers after one season. Densitometry was used to measure the bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), bone area (BA), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), T-score and Z-score in professional cyclists after one season. After one season at the professional level, cyclists' BMD decreased significantly in the legs, trunk, ribs and pelvis (p ≤ 0.05). BMC decreased in the arms and spine (p ≤ 0.05). BA decreased significantly in the arms and spine (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, a significant decrease in Z-score (p ≤ 0.05) and a decreasing trend in T-score and total BMD (p = 0.06) were observed. One season of professional cycling is enough to negatively affect bone health status.

Shoulder Pain Biomechanics, Rehabilitation and Prevention in Wheelchair Basketball Players: A Narrative Review

Wheelchair basketball (WB) is an increasingly popular sport that guarantees numerous health benefits for people with disabilities who regularly practice it, such as an improved quality of life and psychophysical well-being. However, WB is a contact and high-stress sport, which exposes players to frequent overloads and injuries, mainly affecting the upper limbs. Therefore, shoulder pain (SP) is the most common musculoskeletal disorder among WB players, forcing them to suspend or abandon this sport activity. This narrative review aims to summarize all the known literature on this topic and to be a starting point for further research. Firstly, it explores the biomechanical causes that lead to SP and the underlying diseases, among which the most recurrent are rotator cuff tendinopathies. Furthermore, this overview deepens the most effective and specific rehabilitation programs for SP in WB players and it emphasizes the need for further studies to trial new rehabilitative protocols using novel technologies to make them faster and more personalized. In this regard, the general recommendation still remains to perform a combination of exercises such as strengthening, endurance and stretching exercises of various durations and intensities. To conclude, the most important prevention strategies are described, underlining the need for constant sport-specific training led by qualified personnel and suggesting some insights on possible new research aimed at improving wheelchair ergonomics, stressing the importance of a multidisciplinary team fully dedicated to the individual athlete.

Betting on Australian Rules Football: Can Expert Tipsters beat Randomness?

Betting on the various codes of football in Australia accounts for the majority of sports betting, with Australian rules football (AFL) by far the most popular sport in Australia. Several studies have revealed the heavy presence of gambling advertising during AFL broadcasts, and a frequently used advertising strategy involves the use of well-known AFL commentators outlining their tips and betting suggestions. To date, no research has examined the hypotheses that skill may help in predicting AFL matches and monetary outcomes from AFL betting. Rather than merely discounting such ideas, it is important to test them empirically. The aims of this study were therefore, to examine if (1) expert AFL tipsters made better predictions than random picks, (2) expert AFL tipsters gained greater monetary reward than random selection, and (3) expert tipsters’ prediction accuracy improved with betting experience. To this end, six seasons of AFL matches, odds data, and expert tipster data were analysed retrospectively, totalling 1141 matches. Random selections were calculated for each match using an inbuilt random number generator within Microsoft Excel and a $2 simulated wager was applied for each AFL match. The results of mixed-effects modelling showed that experts picked more correct outcomes than random selection; experts’ correct predictions were partially mediated by home-game selections; no difference in monetary outcome was observed for experts compared to random selection; experts’ predictions did not improve over time. The results of this study may be used to inform both psychological interventions that target gamblers’ illusions of control, and public health gambling harm prevention messaging.

A needle in a haystack: strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) in otoliths identify origin of largemouth bass from a large Southwest reservoir

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, a popular warm water sport fish, is routinely stocked in reservoirs throughout the USA to augment wild populations. Evaluating if these supplementations are successful requires distinguishing hatchery-sourced fish from their wild counterparts. From 2011 to 2019, over 467 000 largemouth bass fingerlings were stocked from multiple hatchery sources into a large southwestern reservoir (Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico, USA) to supplement the sport fish population. To identify hatchery-sourced largemouth bass, we measured strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) and determined ages using otoliths and dorsal spines. Otolith analysis of 169 fish classified 92.9% ( n = 159) to the reservoir with few fish of hatchery origin (2 from Arkansas, 1.2%, and 1 from Montana, 0.6%). While stocking over 467 000 fingerlings across 8 years appears to reflect negligible stocking success, it is likely that low and variable stocking densities (average 3.0, range 0.29–7.77 fish·ha−1) contributed to the low stocking success in Elephant Butte Reservoir. Dorsal fin spines did not yield accurate age reconstructions and their 87Sr/86Sr values were affected by matrix interferences preventing source assignments.

Football (soccer?) on campus. Examining the historical development and promotion of the world’s most popular sport through transatlantic university comparisons

PurposeFootball is the world's most popular sport and the role of football on campus is of interest to university public relations (PR) and management professionals tasked with operations, promotions and reputation management. The purpose of the study is to explore similarities and differences in the structure and promotion of football on campus in the USA and the UK.Design/methodology/approachThe authors completed this case study research by focusing on two related cases using cross-case pattern identification. Consistent with case study research, data collection methods were combined. Depth interviews with PR and management professionals at USA and UK universities were supported by archived documents, published media and social media accounts.FindingsFootball maintains a high level of popularity among students on campus, but each country's approach reveals different models and competitive market forces. In the USA, varsity football faces competition from popular revenue-producing sports (e.g. American football and men's basketball), but growth in the overall game, which is assisted by international influences, indicates future advancement opportunities. In the UK, football is the dominant campus sport with unique ties to professional football and high growth potential for the women's game. The lack of a fan-based model indicates the possibility for structural change, but stiff competition exists with the historically popular and well-developed professional game.Research limitations/implicationsA well-known limitation of case study research is the absence of generalizability, and each case has aspects that are unique to the research (Lucas et al., 2018). That applies in this instance as well. Variance is expected to exist between, and among universities and, based on this data, this is not possible to generalize to other universities. However, future survey research could use these results to help with the development of research questions using quantitative methods.Originality/valueSports PR research using the case model with professional teams has been conducted, but the authors found no published PR research comparing the structure and promotion of football at USA and UK universities. The outcomes can help with future research inquiries and theory development and are instructive for professionals working in the field.

Head Impact Exposure in Female Collegiate Soccer by Activity Type

Soccer, one of the most popular sports in the world, has one of the highest rates of sports-related concussions. Additionally, soccer players are frequently exposed to nonconcussive impacts from intentionally heading the ball, a fundamental component of the sport. There have been many studies on head impact exposure in soccer, but few focus on soccer practices or practice activities. This study aimed to characterize the frequency and magnitude of head impacts in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I female soccer practice activities using a custom-fit instrumented mouthpiece. Sixteen players were instrumented over the course of 54 practice sessions. Video analysis was performed to verify all mouthpiece-recorded events and classify practice activities. Category groupings of practice activities include technical training, team interaction, set pieces, position-specific, and other. Differences in head impact rates and peak resultant kinematics were observed across activity types and category groupings. Technical training had the highest impact rate compared to other category groupings. Impacts occurring during set piece activities had the highest mean kinematic values. Understanding drill exposure can help inform coaches on training plans aimed to reduce head impact exposure for their athletes.

A survey on football network analysis

Being the world’s most popular sport, football research has traditionally concentrated on empirical summaries or statistics, with only limited data available in the past. In recent years, social network analysis has been applied to a variety of fields, which also brings new perspectives to the study of football sports. In this paper, we survey the literature related to football networks and discuss the use of network measures to analyze the performance of footballers and teams in different types of football networks. We aim to find out how to construct appropriate football networks based on different perspectives on football research. Various studies on football network analysis, including team performance, player interactions, and club behavior, are reviewed. The findings provide insights into team performance, player roles, and social dynamics within football teams and clubs.

Comparison of isometric strength in rotator cuff and scapulothoracic muscles between elite volleyball athletes versus non-athletes.

Volleyball is an exceptionally popular global sport that involves repetitive, rapid, powerful and wide overhead movements, which can seriously alter normal shoulder kinematics. A recognized hallmark of shoulder muscle balance is the ratio of shoulder external (ER) and internal (IR) rotators. By extension, objective measurement of shoulder muscles' strength could help identify at risk athletes and preempt those injuries by engaging in prescriptive strength training programs. This cross-sectional study measured the isometric strengths of 1) shoulder internal and external rotator muscles, as well as the 2) supraspinatus, 3) rhomboid, and 4) middle and inferior trapezius muscles, in addition to calculation of ER:IR ratios, in professional volleyball players as well as in non-athletes. Measurements were made for dominant- and non-dominant upper limbs, in different position of the body (supine and orthostatic) and in different position of upper limb (adducted and abducted position). Our subject population included 11 male professional volleyball players as well as 14 healthy male orthopedic interns from Orthopedics and Trauma school of University of Milano Bicocca. Strengths were assessed by a handheld dynamometer. Each subject's isometric strength was assessed in triplicate in each limb position through a "make test" procedure; the greatest of each triplicate value was the accepted measure of isometric strength. We observed a gradient in muscle strength in the scapulothoracic complex in both groups; the rhomboid, middle trapezius, and lower trapezius ranked from greatest to least strength, respectively. The data suggest also that intrarotators are stronger in rotation adducted position than in rotation abducted position; however, extrarotators seem to be weaker in rotation adducted position than in rotation abducted position. There is also some indication that force development is enhanced in the supine position compared with the orthostatic position. Our findings indicate a scapulothoracic strength gradient with a rank order of strength of the rhomboid>middle trapezius>lower trapezius. The data further suggest that volleyball players have stronger intrarotation in rotation adducted position than in the rotation abducted position, while extra rotation shows the opposite trend. Finally, our data suggest that force development is greater in the supine position compared to the orthostatic position.

Enhancing Cricket Performance Analysis with Human Pose Estimation and Machine Learning.

Cricket has a massive global following and is ranked as the second most popular sport globally, with an estimated 2.5 billion fans. Batting requires quick decisions based on ball speed, trajectory, fielder positions, etc. Recently, computer vision and machine learning techniques have gained attention as potential tools to predict cricket strokes played by batters. This study presents a cutting-edge approach to predicting batsman strokes using computer vision and machine learning. The study analyzes eight strokes: pull, cut, cover drive, straight drive, backfoot punch, on drive, flick, and sweep. The study uses the MediaPipe library to extract features from videos and several machine learning and deep learning algorithms, including random forest (RF), support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, decision tree, linear regression, and long short-term memory to predict the strokes. The study achieves an outstanding accuracy of 99.77% using the RF algorithm, outperforming the other algorithms used in the study. The k-fold validation of the RF model is 95.0% with a standard deviation of 0.07, highlighting the potential of computer vision and machine learning techniques for predicting batsman strokes in cricket. The study's results could help improve coaching techniques and enhance batsmen's performance in cricket, ultimately improving the game's overall quality.

Sentimen Analisis Pembatalan Indonesia Menjadi Tuan Rumah Piala Dunia U-20 Menggunakan Metode Naïve Bayes

Football is the most popular sport in the world, including Indonesia. Several football tournaments have been postponed due to Covid-19, including the U-20 World Cup which will be held this year in Indonesia. However, the tournament was rejected by several parties who did not want one of the participating countries to take part in the tournament. As a result, the FIFA federation canceled Indonesia as the host for the 2023 U-20 World Cup. The polemic that has occurred in the last few weeks has generated many opinions and opinions from social media users, one of which is Twitter. This study focuses on classifying opinions from tweets on Twitter regarding the cancellation of Indonesia from hosting the U-20 World Cup. This sentiment classification uses the Lexicon Based method to determine positive, negative and neutral sentiments, classification uses the Multinomial Naïve Bayes method for calculating accuracy with the Confusion Matrix. Based on the system built, an accuracy of 85% is obtained with a precision of 85%, a recall of 85%, and an f1-score value of 83%.

From Past to Present The Most Mysterious Olympic Sport: A Review of Curling Sport

The popularity of curling, a target sport played on ice with rocks, has been steadily increasing. The number of World Curling Federation member countries has doubled in the last two decades. Shortly after taking part in the Olympics in 1998, curling became one of the most popular winter sports on TV. The reflections of the interest in the society have found a response in the world of science and an increase has been observed in the number of scientific studies on curling. However, despite the increase in studies, there is currently no comprehensive literature review that provides fundamental information about the sport of curling. The aim of this review is to provide general information about the sport of curling and its rules by filling the gap in the literature examining the scientific studies in this field. In this review the history, organization management, rules, strategy, ice properties, materials used and scientific research on the sport of curling are mentioned. While previous studies, particularly in the field of engineering, have explored aspects such as the structure of ice, sweeping techniques, and the movement of stones on ice, many mysteries still remain to be unrevealed.

Psychological Training Method for Table Tennis Players Using Deep Learning

In China, table tennis has always been one of the most popular sports, with small field restrictions and it is simple and fun to play. But what is unknown is that with China’s major table tennis events thriving, the psychological pressure of table tennis players’ training is also increasing. However, the existing training methods obviously do not pay enough attention to psychological training, and there is no complete system for psychological training. Although the current dynamic heart rate measurement method can play a certain role in the detection, there is still the disadvantage of low detection accuracy. The heart rate is an important sign of life, and the monitoring of the heart rate of table tennis players should be strengthened, reflecting the functional state of the athletes’ heart, and facilitating the more intuitive adjustment of the psychological training method of athletes. The heart rate measurement method based on face recognition contains a plate content that is rich. Through deep learning face recognition, the heart rate measurement method has high calculation efficiency, can effectively eliminate the influence of other external environmental factors, can use video recording, and can use face recognition and physiological parameters’ quantification to monitor athletes’ heart rate changes in real time; the visible artificial intelligence auxiliary diagnosis potential is huge. To this end, this paper aims to provide effective suggestions for the psychological training of table tennis players with deep learning as the technical support. In response to this, the aim of this paper was to design a deep learning-based face recognition heart rate measurement method that judges the psychological fluctuations of athletes through changes in heart rate. We conducted a questionnaire survey with the table tennis players of the Hunan team as the object of investigation, so as to understand the source of the psychological pressure of athletes and make reasonable suggestions. The experimental results of this paper show that the heart rate error of the video heart rate measurement algorithm is within 3% in the calm state and within 4% in the post-exercise state. This can effectively measure psychological fluctuations, and through investigation and research, it can provide an effective method for the psychological training of table tennis players.

Formarsi nel calcio, tra ieri e oggi

After a concise reconstruction of the main key moments that have characterized the history of football, this contribution analyzes the multiple articulations of contemporary football, highlights its polymorphism, its complexity and its contradictions. From this route, which ends with the analysis of a “case study”, the remarkable cultural richness and the extraordinary educational scope of the most popular sport in the world clearly emerge.

Junior to senior transition pathway in Italian Football: The rocky road to the top is not determined by youth national team's selections.

Football is a popular sport, but little is known about the youth-to-senior transition rates in elite players, particularly in large and successful countries. This study aims to investigate the youth-to-senior transition rate in the Italian national football team, both prospectively and retrospectively, and to explore if Relative Age Effects (RAEs) affect this transition. Data from 885 players selected in youth and senior Italian national teams between 2000 and 2021 were included in the study. For each player, the birthdate and the number of selection in Under 16, 17, 19, 21 and senior team was considered. The transition rate was determined by the number of youth players competing in the Senior National team (and vice versa), whilst birth quarter (Q) distributions with a chi-square goodness-of-fit test. Prospectively, the transition rate increased as age increased (i.e., from ~20% in U16 to ~50% in U19). Retrospectively, less than 10-20% of youth players were subsequently selected for the senior team. Data revealed a skewed birth date distribution in all age groups, and the RAEs magnitude decreased when age increased (i.e., ORs for Q1 vs Q4 was ~ 9 in U16 and ~ 1.7 in senior teams). Nevertheless, the RAE magnitude was smaller for successfully transitioned players. In conclusion, most players in the senior team were not previously selected for youth teams suggesting that junior international experience may not be a prerequisite for later success. Moreover, while the birthdate strongly influences the selection of youth national teams, its impact is less evident in the youth-to-senior transition.

Is it in the Game? Reflections of Race-Based Stereotypes in EA SPORTS FIFA 22

Scholars have long worked to explore the existence of race-based stereotypes and narratives within sports media. Video game scholars share in this curiosity of understanding the extent to which racial stereotypes are being embedded into games and the role that they may play in cultivating or perpetuating racial stereotypes among their players. Utilizing framing and schema theories as a guide for understanding the media’s role in developing stereotypes, the present study conducted a content analysis of player data present in EA SPORTS’ FIFA 22 to investigate whether racial stereotypes were being embedded in the most popular sports video game (SVG) title through its player attributes. Each athlete represented in the game is given a 0–99 rating across a total of 35 attributes with the intention of reflecting the player’s real-life ability in these areas. Through an analysis of the avatar’s skin tones alongside their respective values for each of the attributes selected for analysis, the study found significant differences between athletes of different skin tones across nearly all of the attributes present that reinforce the Brain vs Brawn narratives scholars have located in many sporting contexts. Conclusions and suggestions of next steps are discussed.

CAMP: A context-aware cricket players performance metric

Cricket is the second most popular sport after soccer in terms of viewership. However, the assessment of individual player performance, a fundamental task in team sports, is currently primarily based on aggregate performance statistics, including average runs and wickets taken. We propose Context-Aware Metric of player Performance, camp, to quantify individual players’ contributions toward a cricket match outcome. camp employs data mining methods and enables effective data-driven decision-making for selection and drafting, coaching and training, team line-ups, and strategy development. camp incorporates the exact context of performance, such as opponents’ strengths and specific circumstances of games, such as pressure situations. We empirically evaluate camp on data of limited-over cricket matches between 2001 and 2019. In every match, a committee of experts declares one player as the best player, called M an o f the M atch (MoM). The top two rated players by camp match with MoM in 83% of the 961 games. Thus, the camp rating of the best player closely matches that of the domain experts. By this measure, camp significantly outperforms the current best-known players’ contribution measure based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (dls) method.

“Lu Xi Yan” Yoga Studio at Zhengzhou City: New Health Culture in the Popular Cultural Society Context of China

Background and Aim: Yoga is a physical activity and its origins in Hindu and Buddhist Culture in ancient Indian societies. It was initiated in the context of Hinduism, involving The control of the body, mind, and concentration. It is expressed in various postures known as Yoga. Later, Yoga spread to ancient China through religious propagation and social relations. Yoga has been transformed from a religious practice into a type of physical activity. Therefore, become a health culture in response to health problems from using the body in various forms. Nowadays, Yoga has become a new kind of health culture that is widely popular. Yoga has become such an important activity in China’s metropolitan fitness that it has become the new popular culture of the country, which is an important phenomenon of this research. The researcher wants to find answers to the phenomenon of Yoga as a new health culture in China today. Materials and Methods: This is basic research using a qualitative research methodology. Data were collected in two ways, 1) document study about the history of Yoga and related socio-cultural contexts in both India and China, 2) fieldwork from the study of the phenomenon of Yoga studios in major cities in China, focusing on a case study at Lu Xi Yan”, Yoga Studio at Zhengzhou City. The main tools for data collection are questionnaires, interviews, and observational research frameworks. An essential piece of equipment is a still image recorder animation Voice and field notebook. Results: Yoga’s phenomena as a new health culture in the process of popular culture in the large cities of China is in the process of China’s modernization. Yoga is integrated with the development of the city, and the rapid development of popular culture, with the urban public as the main body and the main consumption object, stimulating the consumption economy, and producing the unique female consumption economy for Yoga in China, and national fitness drives fitness Yoga, Yoga, as a space, presents a variety of lifestyles, no longer only popular sports for young people, but gradually approaches the middle-aged and elderly groups. People’s pursuit of health makes Yoga form a new healthy culture. Conclusion: (1) Yoga is a body culture. It has been changing its meaning all the time. Since the beginning, the origin of Yoga has been associated with Hinduism, Brahmanism, and Buddhism from India. (2) Yoga has been adapting to a new set of social conditions that put Yoga in a new context, including the new health culture in the context of popular Culture in China. This research presents the flexibility of Yoga culture. (3) Understanding Yoga as a new health culture. Thus, showing the relationship between Indian and Chinese cultural societies in different contexts simultaneously.