Professional Players Research Articles

A detailed analysis of game statistics of professional tennis players: An inferential and machine learning approach.

Tennis, a widely enjoyed sport, motivates athletes and coaches to optimize training for competitive success. This retrospective predictive study examines anthropometric features and statistics of 1990 tennis players in the 2022 season, using 20,040 data points retrospectively obtained from the ATP official source after the end of the season. These data were cross-verified with information from other sources before categorisation to address any discrepancies. Employing various analytical methods, the results emphasize the strategic importance of tournament participation and gameplay for financial gains and higher rankings. Prize money analysis reveals a significant disparity favoring top players. Multivariate Analysis of Variance highlights the need to consider multiple variables for understanding ATP rankings. Multinomial Logistic Regression identifies age, height, and specific service-related metrics as key determinants, with older and taller players more likely to secure top positions. Neural Network models exhibit potential in predicting ATP Rank outcomes, particularly for ATP Rank (500). Our results argue for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically Neural Networks, in handling complex interactions and emphasize that AI is a supportive tool in decision-making, requiring careful consideration by experienced individuals. In summary, this study enhances our understanding of ATP ranking factors, providing actionable insights for coaches, players, and stakeholders in the tennis community.

Evaluation of Lower Extremities Power, Movement, Position and Effectiveness in Volleyball

Background: This paper presents research on the comparison and evaluation of lower limb power, movement, position on the court, and effectiveness in the players of men’s volleyball. The study involved professional players in the first division of a men’s volleyball team. The main aim of this paper was to show the correlation between lower limb power, movement, position on the pitch, and volleyball efficiency. Methods: The authors presented basic somatic characteristics of anthropology metrics, advanced research results obtained with the Optojump measuring system, players’ results statistics obtained with the Data Volley software (v.4.2024.01), and by applying scientific statistical methods and graphics interpretation. Results: The analyses with the Kruskal-Wallis test showed statistically significant differences in all the variables studied. Flight time (TF, H = 122.967; p < 0.001.) was the shortest for the players in the libero position, then the setter, attacker, middle and longest flight time was shown by the receiving players. The height of the jumps (JH, H = 123.018; p < 0.001) was the highest for receiving and mid players, and then attackers and setters, and the lowest jumps were recorded by libero players. The highest power of lower limbs (P, H = 20.392; p < 0.001) was characteristic for receivers, setters, mid-players and, curiously, libero achieved a better result than attackers. Conclusions: The analysis shows that the power of the lower extremities in volleyball players is associated with the function they perform on the court.

Acceleration and deceleration demands of different soccer training drills and competitive matches

AbstractThis study compared acceleration and deceleration demands between different training drills (compensation, rondos, small-sided games, technical) and matches, and between playing positions. Nineteen professional players were monitored during four microcycles. Efforts intensities were classified as low (25–50%), moderate (50–75%), and high (> 75%); starting speed was assessed in bandwidths (< 5 km h−1, 5–10 km h−1, 10–15 km h−1, 15–20 km h−1, 20–25 km h−1, and > 25 km h−1). Paired mean differences compared activities, and independent groups contrasts compared playing positions, with 90% confidence intervals. Match elicited more high-intensity accelerations than technical drills (effect size [ES]: 1.75 [1.40, 2.28]), rondos (ES: 1.47 [0.92, 2.17]), compensation drills (ES: 1.28 [0.66, 2.09]), and small-sided games (ES: 0.64 [0.11, 1.25]), and more high-intensity decelerations than technical drills (ES: 0.74 [0.24, 1.32]) and rondos (ES: 0.53 [0.04, 1.06]). Compensation drills elicited more decelerations starting > 25 km h−1 than small-sided games (ES: 2.90 [2.18, 3.98]), technical drills (ES: 2.88 [2.11, 4.02]), and matches (ES: 2.06 [1.35, 3.08]). Fullbacks performed more high-intensity accelerations than central midfielders during small-sided games (ES: 0.10 [0.01, 0.20]), wide midfielders performed more high-intensity accelerations than central defenders during technical drills (ES: 0.05 [0.02, 0.08]), and wide midfielders performed more decelerations starting > 25 km h−1 than central defenders (ES: 0.10 [0.01, 0.20]) and central midfielders (ES: 0.12 [0.04, 0.20]) during matches. Match imposed higher demands to players than any drill, and merging compensation drills with small-sided games can be a good strategy to compensate competition acceleration and deceleration demands. Rondos drills should be carefully used due to the high deceleration demands.

Corporate social and digital responsibility in esports

PurposeThe esports industry has experienced a dynamic growth. In this context, a significant evolution in the logic of corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be observed, particularly in the digital sphere. By extending Carroll’s three-dimensional model to include corporate digital responsibility (CDR), this paper addresses a key research question: How does CSR evolve and develop in the dynamic digital industry of esports?Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a qualitative multiple case study research design. It drew on secondary data from 50 professional esports organisations and key players in CSR development in the global esports industry, such as game publishers, pro-teams, pro-athletes, event organisers, and governing bodies. A content analysis of 50 official websites and 72 public annual, CSR, and environmental reports for the financial years ending in 2021 and 2022 was conducted.FindingsOur empirical findings not only map the territory of esports CSR and CDR but also provide practical insights. These insights are later synthesized to develop an esports CSR/CDR framework that extends Carroll’s three-dimensional model. CSR and CDR domains of esports are theoretically grounded (business performance, responsiveness, social issues, and digital responsibilities), while practical implications for managers and academics are forwarded.Originality/valueThis paper stands out as a pioneering empirical study, filling a significant research gap in the fields of CSR and CDR in esports. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first to illuminate these concepts within the unique ecosystem of esports, thereby contributing to the evolving understanding of CSR in the digital context.

Identification of sport talents through leisure activity: a pathway for achieving football commercialization

ABSTRACT The study identifies how the sport talents of young people are identified through leisure activity, which supports them to achieve professional status. Through recreational specialization and network support, we understand how amateur athletes’ leisure participation evolved through realizing their professional sports dreams. Leisure and recreational specialization studies contribute to explaining players’ progression from their street football activity in communities. Semi-structured interviews and interactions with 19 former African professional players reveal that they relied mostly on networks of recreational intermediaries (e.g. agents, scouts) to reach their recreational specialization, offering them professional sports careers abroad. Former players experienced some challenges through their involvement in leisure behaviour as they sought to commercialize their leisure activity of football for socioeconomic benefit. This paper presents valued evidence for recreational managers or recreational intermediaries to support children’s leisure pursuits in identifying their talents and prospects for development to enhance their livelihood and well-being in the future.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FROM THE PLAYERS’ PERSPECTIVE

Background: Women’s football is known to be played at professional level in a lot of countries. In Romania, women started playing football in unofficial matches in 1960, and only after 30 years, in 1990, the Women’s National Football Team was founded. Being a very competitive and accessible sport and taking account of his multiple benefits, women's football became more and more solicited by the students of the University of Bucharest. Objectives: Due to its importance and recent evolution and because we find it attractive, we decided to make women’s football the main subject of this presentation. Along with the theoretical part of this project, we administered a questionnaire to some former/actual women's football players in order to find out their personal perspective related to this sport. Purpose: Understanding the benefits that come along with this sport, how it has been promoted and how accessible they think it is to women. Moreover, we want to link the answers and experience of others, to our own experience in this wonderful sport. Methods: For our study we have asked 24 female subjects aged 13 to 22 years old, out of which 13 are professional players and 11 are amateurs. Our questionnaire is made up of 14 questions, which together highlight the personal perspective regarding the practice of women's football, from three different directions: benefits, promotion and accessibility. Results: In the past years, regardless the area we may refer to (professional, academic, amateur), a fast evolution can be noticed in all three main directions we have researched (benefits, promotion, accessibility). Our research shows that most of the players who have been encouraged by their family or friends to play football kept playing at a professional level. On the other hand, those that were not supported by their family, have lost their enthusiasm, and now they only play for fun or not at all. Conclusions: From a really long list of sports, we chose to play football in college because it is a big and important part of our lives even though we did not choose to do this professionally. Analyzing the answers from the questionnaire, we can conclude that players benefited a lot by playing football, most of them saying that their lifestyle has improved dramatically since they started practicing this sport.

TENNIS GEAR

Tennis equipment is one of the most important aspects of the game of tennis. Often, tennis equipment has a massive impact on how a tennis match plays out, or how the style of play evolves, even if it's less visible. Among the essential components of tennis equipment are the tennis balls and rackets. Complementing these elements is the playing surface, a critical determinant in the game of tennis. This paper aims to demonstrate the evolution of tennis equipment in the importance of quality tennis history over time and how advanced technology has or has not influenced the style of play and its speed. The discernible evolution of tennis balls, encompassing variations in size and materials, has significantly shaped the sport. Similarly, the modernization of racket design and strings, incorporating diverse materials–synthetic or natural–has ushered in a new era of heightened intensity in tennis, characterized by increased speed and power. In the same context, another key element is the playing surface, more precisely the four main surfaces, hard (or cement), clay, grass and carpet, which contributed to changing the game of tennis and its speed, stimulated by the importance of the materials used to create, or the way of maintenance of these surfaces. Finally, in this paper, we will see how tennis modernization had a great impact on the production of tennis balls and the evolution of the way rackets are made, to which is added the composition of materials used in the creation or maintenance of playing surfaces, have led to a marked transformation of the tennis game. It will also elucidate how these changes have often elicited both acclaim and discontent among professional tennis players and, in certain instances, contributed to injuries.

Examining the Influence of Season Phase, Age, and Anthropometrics on Body Composition Trends in National Basketball Association Athletes.

Russell, JL, Baker, BS, Mercer, RA, and McLean, BD. Examining the influence of season phase, age, and anthropometrics on body composition trends in NBA athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-This study aimed to describe seasonal body composition changes in NBA athletes using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and to explore the relationship between these changes and factors such as age and anthropometrics. A retrospective analysis was conducted using 402 DXA scans from 62 professional male basketball players, obtained from one NBA team between 2012 and 2023. Seasonal phases were defined as preseason, pre all-star, post all-star, and offseason. A custom region of interest (ROI) method was used to ensure consistent scan areas for taller athletes who exceeded the DXA bed length. Linear mixed models analyzed the influence of seasonal phases, age, and height on lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM), and bone mineral content (BMC). In-season phases (pre all-star and post all-star) showed small increases in LM and decreases in FM compared with the preseason, with no significant BMC changes. Chronological age was associated with increases in LM but not FM. Taller athletes exhibited increases in LM, FM, and BMC. Significant random variance across players and seasons indicated that additional unmeasured factors might influence body composition. NBA athletes generally gain LM and lose FM during the season, with older players showing increased LM gain. The study's novel ROI method provide reliable data for athletes exceeding standard DXA limits, highlighting the importance of tailored body composition assessments in professional basketball. These findings can inform strength and conditioning, nutrition, and player development strategies across different seasonal phases and ages.

Ventilatory thresholds in professional female soccer players.

This study investigated the ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2) along with the corresponding heart rates, velocities and % of V̇O2 max at which these thresholds are reached in professional female soccer players. It also examined positional differences in the aforementioned parameters. Thirty-three professional players from two teams (age range 18-31 years) were recruited. The players underwent maximal exercise testing on the treadmill for the detection of VT1 (V̇E versus V̇O2 plot) and VT2 (V̇E versus V̇CO2 plot). The test began at a speed of 6km/h and was increased by 2 km/h every 3.15 minutes, with the inclination constant at 1%. Results indicated that the players had an average V̇O2 max of 50.24 ml·kg- 1.min- 1. VT1 (% max) and VT2 (% max) were shown at 72.87% and 91.26% of V̇O2 max, respectively. The respective velocities at VT1 and VT2 were indicated at 10.85 km/h and 12.91 km/h, respectively, while the average VV̇O2 max was 14.61 km/h. The average heart rates at VT1, VT2 and V̇O2 max were 159.33, 185.15 and 192.85 beats per minute, respectively. Furthermore, analysis of variance ANOVA indicated significant differences in velocity at V̇O2max. This study provides important normative data regarding the ventilatory thresholds of female soccer players.

Career duration and later-life health conditions among former professional American-style football players

ObjectivesCareer duration is often used as a metric of neurotrauma exposure in studies of elite athletes. However, as a proxy metric, career length may not accurately represent causal factors, and...

Impact of the Mediterranean Diet on Athletic Performance, Muscle Strength, Body Composition, and Antioxidant Markers in Both Athletes and Non-Professional Athletes: A Systematic Review of Intervention Trials.

Background: The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has gained attention for its potential benefits in enhancing athletic performance and overall health. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effects of the MD on athletic performance, strength, body composition, and metabolic markers in both athletes and non-professional athletes. Methods: The review included seven studies with a total of 116 participants, ranging from professional handball players to non-professional strength athletes. The studies assessed various aspects of athletic performance, including strength, power, endurance, and body composition. Results: The main key findings from the review showed that MD may improve muscle endurance and power, as well as anaerobic performance in CrossFit athletes, and MD was associated with enhanced strength performance, including increased vertical jump height, hand grip strength, and shuttle run performance. The results on the impact on body composition were mixed, with some studies showing improvements in fat-free mass and skeletal muscle mass, while others found no significant changes. The MD also demonstrated positive effects on several markers, such as increased plasma total antioxidant activity and decreased markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Conclusions: In conclusion, while the MD seems to represent a viable dietary strategy for enhancing athletic performance and overall health, more rigorous studies are necessary to clarify its impact across diverse athletic populations.

Right knee ACL, PCL and MCL reconstruction with sports-related anxiety

Introduction: JM, a 20-year-old male professional ice hockey player, presented with a 2-week history of lack of range of motion, weakness, and pain in his right knee, after a 2-year post-medical collateral ligament repair of the right knee and 3 year-post anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament reconstruction of the right knee. Case Description: In the course of history taken, it was revealed that 5 months prior to admission the patient had been informed by a psychiatrist that he had sport-related anxiety. With an unremarkable psychiatric history prior to age 18, the competitive nature of his sports career in addition to financial pressure may have contributed to his sports-related anxiety. His examination findings were consistent with a diagnosis of complete tears of the right anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament along with grade III medial collateral ligament injury. Discussion: The biopsychosocial model was used to explicate JM's case. JM's current injuries prompted reconstruction of the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, and medial collateral ligaments. Psychologically, JM's sports-related anxiety is not a rare phenomenon as recent studies have discovered an increased risk of sports-related anxiety amongst young professional athletes. Sports-related anxiety, along with competitive trait anxiety, may be factors that contribute to sports injury occurrence. Other psychological stressors can add to sports-related or competitive trait anxiety, further increasing the risk of sports injury reoccurrence. Summary: JM was admitted for a right knee open medial collateral ligament repair with internal bracing, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and platelet rich plasma injection. As part of a holistic patient-centered treatment plan, a referral to psychiatry was made to address JM's sports-related anxiety with the goal of decreasing future risk of sports injury. Patient's Consent Obtained: Yes

Relationship between Body Composition and Physical Performance by Sex in Professional Basketball Players

Relationship between Body Composition and Physical Performance by Sex in Professional Basketball Players

Effects of stopped and reduced training on irisin and metabolic parameters in professional female basketball players

Effects of stopped and reduced training on irisin and metabolic parameters in professional female basketball players

The “three-point shooting paradox”: An artifact or a real phenomenon? Replication with large-scale National Basketball Association (NBA) data

Psychological science is often being criticized for failing to reproduce some of its findings. Considering this critique, Iso-Ahola (2024) argues that it is important to establish a demarcation line between artifact and a real phenomenon, recognizing that psychological phenomena are not constant particles that can be definitively declared to exist or not exist upon discovery. In this brief paper, we utilize newly available large-scale data to replicate a finding by Lidor et al. (2022), who reported a psychological effect wherein professional basketball players shoot better under tight defensive pressure rather than free of it. The current analysis of 781,663 three-point shots over 11 seasons in NBA (as compared to 382 shots taken by 12 players during 12 games in the original study) failed to support the idea of the three-point shooting paradox but instead strongly supports the commonsense hypothesis that tight defense hinders shooting performance.

Fundamental study on ambient noise reduction for analysis of hitting sound of professional baseball players

In recent years, the sound of a hitting ball during a baseball game has focused attention on the American Major League Baseball and Japanese professional baseball. It is reported that information such as the direction and distance of a batted ball can be detected from the sound. The sounds of players hitting the ball are sometimes expressed using various onomatopoeic. In our previous study, we recorded the sound of a baseball hit during hitting practice for players of a university baseball team in the Tokyo metropolitan area in Japan. Relationships between the acoustic characteristics of the sound and the distance and direction of the ball were clarified. In this research, acoustic analysis of professional baseball players' batted ball sounds from Youtube and other videos is used to identify the acoustic features and characteristics of the batted ball. This paper describes the method and accuracy of noise removal around the hitting sound extracted from the video using a convolutional neural network with images.

Research of perceptual descriptors discriminating clarinet reeds of identical stiffness

From the musician's point of view, reeds considered as identical by the manufacturer (same cut, same strength and same brand) may exhibit large perceptual difference in terms of musical qualities. Past studies, carried out with clarinetists or saxophonists, have revealed that the reeds were mainly differentiated on the basis of their ``ease of playing'' which appears as the main perceptual descriptor of reed quality. This descriptor proved to be correlated with the reed stiffness measured at its tip in either static or dynamic conditions. The current study aims at discovering if other perceptual descriptors can be used to differentiate between reeds that would obtain similar ``ease of playing'' assessments (i.e. that exhibit the same stiffness). Firstly, the reeds are sorted on the basis of stiffness measurements carried out at the reed tip by using an artificial musician. Secondly, reeds of equivalent stiffness will be selected for perceptual assessment by professional clarinet players. As this selection process might result in subtle differences between reeds, the musicians will be asked to differentiate between them by using a three-interval three-alternative forced-choice (3I3AFC) response paradigm. In addition to this perceptual assessment, the subjects will be asked to verbally describe their criteria for reed differentiation.

Environmental Psychological Characteristic Supporting the Football Player’s Development in Indonesia and Malaysia

Background. The development path of a football player toward becoming a professional player involves four main aspects: physical, technical, tactical, and psychological ones. Objectives. This study aimed to examine the psychological characteristics of the environment that influence and contribute to the development of football players under 17 years old in Indonesia and Malaysia. Materials and methods. This study used a qualitative approach, namely evolved grounded theory, and the data collection process was conducted using three distinct methods: semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis. Twenty-five coaches participated in this study, comprising fifteen coaches from various football academies in Malaysia and ten coaches from Indonesia. All coaches involved in this study have a license and at least five years of experience as coaches under 17. The data collected and analyzed began with open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, and the analysis was assisted by using qualitative research software, namely N-Vivo 14. Results. The findings revealed that several aspects influenced player development, such as policy support, including structured and competitive age group competitions, a healthy football ecosystem; other results have been defined as relationships and cooperation supported by family, friendship between clubs, and teamwork. Finally, the study underscored the significance of involving coaching factors, including passion, patience, and coach psychological treatment abilities. These are the psychological characteristics of the environment that can influence the development of football players. Conclusions. It is hoped that the results of this study can be used as a reference for coaches, the Indonesian Football Association, and the Malaysian Football Association to create a policy that can support football players under 17 years from all aspects, including psychology.

Differences in Player Performance and Longevity After Achilles Tendon Rupture Between Professional Basketball Players in the NBA and WNBA.

Prior studies in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) reported worse player performance after Achilles tendon rupture (ATR). The purpose of this study was to compare time to return to play (RTP) and performance after ATR between NBA and WNBA athletes. It was hypothesized that there would be no relative difference between the NBA and WNBA players. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. ATRs in the NBA between 1987 and 2017 and WNBA between 2006 and 2017 were identified through a rigorous online search of articles. Included athletes had no prior leg injuries and had played ≥3 seasons before and after ATR. Sex, age, position, body mass index, height, years of experience, time to RTP, and player efficiency rating (PER) were recorded. Relative performance was measured by matching injured athletes to uninjured controls in the same league in a 1:2 ratio. Relative differences were compared between leagues, with adjustment for baseline features. Multiple regression analysis was employed to identify variables correlating with RTP and PER. Included were 102 professional basketball players, of whom 34 sustained ATR (21 male, 13 female). Sex/league correlated with differences in RTP (P < .001). There was a significant difference between the WNBA and NBA in PER when comparing 1 year pre- and 1 year postinjury (1.49 ± 0.25 vs 3.87 ± 0.43, respectively; mean ± SD P < .001). Compared with intraleague controls, the relative difference in PER postinjury was 0.81 ± 0.11 (WNBA) and 3.9 ± 0.89 (NBA) (P < .001). Multiple regression analysis indicated that when controlling for years of experience, player position, and age, NBA players took 126 days longer than WNBA players to RTP (P < .001) and NBA players had 9.96 times increased odds of taking >200 days to RTP compared with WNBA players (P = .006). Sex/league was a significant predictor of RTP after ATR. When compared with their respective controls, NBA players saw a greater decrease in postinjury performance than WNBA players. NBA players took longer to RTP than WNBA players. ATRs appear to more negatively affect NBA players than WNBA players.

Cavum Septum Pellucidum in Former American Football Players: Findings From the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project.

Exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) is linked to the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can only be diagnosed at post-mortem. The presence of a cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is a common finding in post-mortem studies of confirmed CTE and in neuroimaging studies of individuals exposed to RHI. This study examines CSP in living former American football players, investigating its association with RHI exposure, traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) diagnosis, and provisional levels of certainty for CTE pathology. Data from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project were used to compare the presence and ratio of CSP in former American football players (n = 175), consisting of former college (n = 58) and former professional players (n = 117), and asymptomatic unexposed controls without RHI exposure (n = 55). We further evaluated potential associations between CSP measures and cumulative head impact index (CHII) measures (frequency, linear acceleration, and rotational force), a TES diagnosis (yes/no), and a provisional level of certainty for CTE pathology (suggestive, possible, and probable). Former American football players exhibited a higher CSP presence and ratio than unexposed asymptomatic controls. Among player subgroups, professional players showed a greater CSP ratio than former college players and unexposed asymptomatic controls. Among all football players, CHII rotational forces correlated with an increased CSP ratio. No significant associations were found between CSP measures and diagnosis of TES or provisional levels of certainty for CTE pathology. This study confirms previous findings, highlighting a greater prevalence of CSP and a greater CSP ratio in former American football players compared with unexposed asymptomatic controls. In addition, former professional players showed a greater CSP ratio than college players. Moreover, the relationship between estimates of CHII rotational forces and CSP measures suggests that cumulative frequency and strength of rotational forces experienced in football are associated with CSP. However, CSP does not directly correlate with TES diagnosis or provisional levels of certainty for CTE, indicating that it may be a consequence of RHI associated with rotational forces. Further research, especially longitudinal studies, is needed for confirmation and to explore changes over time.