Spanish Sport Research Articles

The Crown in the Crowd: Sport and the House of Bourbon, 1975–2021

Since 1975, the Spanish royal family has used sport as a platform on which to improve its public image. With their families, Kings Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI have appeared at countless events as athletes, dignitaries, and fans of Spanish sport. Among these sporting events, this article uses the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona as a case study to examine the complex relationship between the Spanish monarchy and the stadium crowd. In the liminal space of the stadium, the crown and the crowd are simultaneously separated by hierarchy and official protocol and united in the communion of fandom.

Linguistic Notes on the Globalization of Spanish Sport in Asia

This study examines the internationalization and globalization of Spanish sports, particularly football in Asia and its cultural and linguistic influences. It aims to analyze the role of the Spanish language in advancing Spanish sports in Asian markets, focusing on the cultural impact of football and the use of linguistic products in education. Employing a descriptive approach, the research involves a bibliographic review and a systematic examination of institutional sources to gather data on the expansion of Spanish sport in Asia. The findings indicate that the globalization of sport has been propelled by technological progress and digital platforms, with English acting as the common language. Documented linguistic products include academic research, multilingual guides by the Instituto Cervantes and LaLiga, and the strategic application of Spanish in elite sports communication. These efforts showcase the global sports globalization process, emphasizing linguistic adaptation and promoting Spanish culture. In conclusion, the paper highlights sport as a vibrant arena for linguistic challenges and opportunities, aiding in the worldwide dissemination of the Spanish language. It points out the significance of linguistic products in overcoming cultural barriers and enhancing international relationships, with English as a pivotal lingua franca. The study offers valuable insights for further research and understanding of language and sports studies.

Luis Rubiales as a symptom of Spanish sport poor governance standards

ABSTRACT The contentious actions of Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, following the FIFA Women's World Cup final sparked debates about his aptitude to lead the national governing body. Compelled to stand down, Rubiales faced dual three-year bans, one imposed by FIFA and the other by the Spanish government. This paper contends that the emergence of unskilled and controversial figures, exemplified by Rubiales, within the realm of Spanish sports leadership is a manifestation of the insufficient emphasis on sound governance. The governance framework of Spanish sport, notably the internal structures of national federations, coupled with a general neglect of governance standards, are compounded by a restrained regulatory stance by public authorities. This creates a context prone to clientelism, lack of accountability and lack of innovation. The reform of the National Sports Act in 2022 represents a squandered opportunity to enhance governance standards in Spanish sport. The paper scrutinises the governance provisions of the National Sports Act and compares international sport governance standards with the structures of Spanish sport federations. The article concludes that the conduct of leaders like Luis Rubiales is not a problem, but rather a symptom of Spanish sport's disregard for contemporary governance standards.

A biographical analysis of Spanish athletics coaching pioneers (1939–1992)

ABSTRACT Athletics in Spain was a very minority practice until the 1950s, when athletics underwent a progressive development and institutionalisation that included the appearance, for the first time, of the role of the coach. Through the biographical study of five coaches of the first generation, this research aims to illuminate how the figure of the coach was built. Thus, the profession of coach arises first from the few existing athletic clubs, and later through the profession of physical education teacher. Starting in the 1960s, coaches had access to greater institutionalisation through the growth of the federation and the internationalisation of Spanish sport. The arrival of democracy also allowed them to enter the new regional institutions and take over new power positions in local politics. Finally, the organisation of the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 meant the final athletics institutionalisation.

Impact and engagement of sport & fitness influencers: A challenge for health education media literacy

Influencers of physical activity and sport have acquired an important role in the promotion of health and well-being through digital social networks such as Instagram. The purpose of this study is to obtain a detailed view of the use that sports and physical activity influencers make of the Instagram social network, its reach and impact on the audience. This study monitored and collected data from the channels of ten Spanish Sport & Fitness influencers who projected their activity towards 6,804,930 followers on the social platform Instagram. In addition, the content of the biography and most popular publications of each influencer was analysed, considering the visual aspects, codes and digital languages. The results obtained show a commitment of the influencers to motivate and excite their audience to lead an active life, a healthy lifestyle and to perform a variety of exercises to increase their muscular strength, flexibility and cardiorespiratory resistance, among others. They also offer practical nutrition advice, performance-enhancing recommendations, and individualized training programs. All this through a style and strategies typical of digital marketing and influence to gain trust and credibility, achieve engagement and a positive impact on their audiences, even influencing the decision to purchase services and products from commercial brands. This scenario highlights the importance of media literacy for citizens towards a responsible use of the Internet and social networks, especially towards the consumption of content related to physical activity and sports, thus developing critical thinking to evaluate the information that can influence our decisions and perceptions about health and physical well-being.

Understanding the Predictors of Economic Politics on Elite Sport: A Case Study from Spain.

Sport federations (NSFs) are the main promoters of sport at a national level. Their complex management involves coordinating relations with private entities, public administrations, and international organisations. Therefore, the economic situation of a country and its sport support policies have significant influences on the achievement of the NSFs’ objectives and, therefore, on their sustainability and influence on an active population. This study analyses the determinants of the financial performance of 59 Spanish sport federations (SSFs), 28 Olympic and 31 non-Olympic, based on the relationship between the funding received and their international results during the period from 2007 to 2019 (both years included). The preliminary data analysis included an examination of the missing data, and a t-test was used to compare Olympic and non-Olympic sport federations regarding different variables related to their resources and results. In addition, multiple linear regressions identified the possible predictors of the financing of sport federations and were separately performed for Olympic and non-Olympic federations. The results showed that SSFs were able to maintain their results in the face of decreasing resources. In addition, Olympic SSFs were found to be less dependent on public funding than non-Olympic SSFs for competitive results. This is evidence of a paradigm shift in the management of Spanish federated sports, evolving towards a model that is less dependent on the state, more efficient, and therefore more sustainable.

Prevención y lucha contra la violencia deportiva exógena en la legislación autonómica

La prevención y lucha contra la violencia en el deporte-base es uno de los grandes problemas pendientes en el Derecho del deporte. Se producen graves incidentes cada fin de semana sin que se articulen medidas adecuadas para remediarlo, exceptuando las consecuencias penales. La competencia en la materia es de las Comunidades Autónomas. En este trabajo se analizan las soluciones aportadas por la legislación deportiva autonómica más vanguardista, exponiendo los casos de Cataluña, País Vasco, Andalucía y Aragón.

Adaptation and Validation of the Eudaimonic Well-Being Questionnaire to the Spanish Sport Context.

Studies to date that have focused on the well-being of the athlete have been based on the hedonic point of view. However, there is a second point of view: eudemonia. Therefore, the present study aims to validate and adapt the Eudemonic Well-Being Scale to the sport context. The study involved 2487 from several sport clubs. Several confirmatory factor analyses were carried out and showed that the six-factor questionnaire was the one with the best fit indices. These results show that the scale is in relation to the original scale (from Spain) and to Waterman’s theoretical model.

Genetic Parameters of Effort and Recovery in Sport Horses Assessed with Infrared Thermography.

Simple SummaryThe way a horse activates (effort phase-EP) and recovers (recovery phase-RP) during a sport event can affect its sport performance. The aim of this manuscript was to test horses’ adaptation to sport performance and its genetic basis, using eye temperature assessed with infrared thermography. EP and RP were measured in 495 Spanish Sport Horses, during a performance test, considering sex (2) and genetic lines (5) as fixed effects. The ranking position obtained on the official sport competition celebrated the day after the performance test was also collected. Differences in variables due to genetic line and sex effects were found, showing that, regardless of the genetic line, stallions tended to recover better than mares after the sport test developed. High positive correlations were found between EP and RP for both fixed effects, so that, the higher the EP, the higher the RP. However, for the ranking position, a low negative correlation was found, so that the higher the eye temperature increase, the better the position. Heritabilities showed medium–high values with a medium positive genetic correlation between them. Thus, breed origins and sex influence horses’ effort and recovery during sport performance, showing a genetic basis adequate for selection.The way a horse activates (effort phase-EP) and recovers (recovery phase-RP) during a sport event can affect its sport performance. The aim of this manuscript was to test horses’ adaptation to sport performance and its genetic basis, using eye temperature assessed with infrared thermography. EP and RP were measured in 495 Spanish Sport Horses, during a performance test, considering sex (2) and genetic lines (5) as fixed effects. The ranking position obtained on an official sport competition was also collected. Differences in variables due to genetic line and sex effects were found, showing that, regardless of the genetic line, stallions tended to recover better than mares after the sport test developed. High positive intra-class correlations (p < 0.001) were found between EP and RP for both fixed effects, so that the higher the EP, the higher the RP. However, for the ranking position, a low negative correlation (p < 0.01) was found, so that the higher the eye temperature increase, the better the position. Heritabilities showed medium–high values with a medium positive genetic correlation between them. Thus, breed origins and sex influence horses’ effort and recovery during sport performance, showing a genetic basis adequate for selection.

Incorporating TikTok in higher education: Pedagogical perspectives from a corporal expression sport sciences course

Social media have revolutionised the way humans communicate and socialise. Education is also changing; social media are transforming educational environments, and online or blended learning are increasingly used. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this change. In this paper, we present an educational innovation where TikTok (a social media that is based on creating and sharing 15–60-s video, which has experienced a significant breakthrough during the COVID-19 pandemic) is used as a pedagogical tool. 65 Spanish sport science students participated in this study. A mixed research method was designed to analyse the effect of TikTok use on students. The SPSS 23.0 and NVivo12 software were employed to analyse the data, including the paired sample t-test. The main results indicate that the use of TikTok promotes student motivation, creates an engaging learning environment, and encourages the development of skills such as creativity and curiosity. Therefore, TikTok is recommended to be introduced as a teaching–learning tool in corporal expression courses of the sport science Bachelor's degree owing to its positive educational potential and because TikTok suits the expressive and creative content of the course through music and movement.

Features of femininity: sportswomen in the Spanish sporting press, 1893 – 1923

ABSTRACT This study investigates the visual discourses of Spanish sport newspapers during the initial era of modern sport in Spain. Employing a critical feminist framework, the research focuses on the representation of sportswomen and the construction of visual discourses of femininity. The study identifies a broad range of femininities: from characteristics symbolic of the most traditional image of the feminine, to completely transgressive versions of femininity. Femininity also appears associated with certain sports, and, in contrast to the discourses of the era, it is an active femininity, with the majority of images capturing sporting actions. We conclude that the most traditional femininities live alongside transgressive femininities, and that active movement is an accepted feature of femininity in the context of sport during the period under consideration.

Determinantes de la pertenencia a entidades deportivas

The main motivation for this study lies in the importance sports have in our nowadays society and, more specifically, in the role sport organizations play as merging factor between sports and social relations. The main objective of this study is the analysis of the variables that have an effect on the decision of an individual to become a member of a given sport club. The proposed methodology of using a heteroskedastic binary choice model, and its application to a data set obtained from the survey of Spanish sport habits collected in the year 2005, allows us to be able to obtain a detailed analysis of the effect the different variables set have on the probability to become a member of a sport club. Results show that the demand of a sport club membership is closely related to individual characteristics such as gender, level of education, physical fitness and if the individual is an athlete or not.

A Team of Our Own: The Role of Local and Regional Identities in Spanish Sport

To validate the field, early sports historians often delved into topics with overt connections to politics and class on the national level. However, sub-national groups also use sport and this paper attempts to identify how they have done so in Spain throughout the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries and across multiple competitive activities. On the regional level, Catalonia and the Basque Country have long used sports organizations to define themselves in opposition to the national core. Beyond this, numerous regions include sporting endeavors as part of their unique culture, including long-term Catalan promotion of physical education and the Basques and Valencians each claiming different forms of pelota. Similarly, numerous regions have used cycling heroes, professional teams, and regional tours to foster identity. Local and civic governments have also long seen sport as a useful tool. Before and after the Spanish Civil War, local competitions offered opportunities for non-political community building. Later, newer sports like basketball offered opportunities for smaller cities to find success through specialization, while others recognized that hosting larger events offered national and international branding opportunities. Lastly, the structure of league competition offers cities exposure through regular competition, rivalries, and weekly quiniela choices.

Antonio Viada: regeneracionismo, deporte y lengua española. La institucionalización de las primeras voces del fútbol en España en el &lt;em&gt;Manual del Sport&lt;/em&gt; (1903)

El Manual del Sport de Antonio Viada publicado en España en 1903 se descubre como la primera obra técnica del deporte español que integra un capítulo dedicado al foot-ball, deporte hasta la fecha muy poco conocido en España. El objeto de estudio se centra en el análisis terminológico sobre el capítulo de foot-ball que incluye la presente obra, con el objetivo de recabar información que ayude a confeccionar el Diccionario Histórico de Términos del Fútbol en español que estamos elaborando.

Una lectura acerca de la historia del fútbol español: de los comienzos al régimen de Franco

El propósito de este trabajo es aproximarse a la comprensión de la historia del fútbol español. Partiendo de la base de que en el fútbol se ponen de manifiesto algunos de los dramas de la sociedad, me propongo ir desenvolviendo esta historia en relación a las características propias de la Nación y su porvenir político, durante el periodo que abarca desde fines del siglo XIX hasta comienzos del franquismo. La profesionalización o la reestructuración de la liga, que también son fenómenos mundiales, marcarán los intentos de una nación “atrasada” de encaminarse hacia una modernidad deportiva, en las que los propios rasgos del “atraso” de pondrán de manifiesto. La idea modernidad y los regionalismos españoles aparecerán en este análisis. Para lograr este objetivo voy a apelar a una serie de trabajos académicos, tanto sobre estos años del deporte español, como de otras naciones, contrastando también brevemente los procesos, con el fin de entender la naturaleza de un fenómeno global en tierras españolas.

A combined effort to avoid strongyle infection in horses in an oceanic climate region: rotational grazing and parasiticidal fungi

BackgroundAn approach to preventing strongyle infection in horses was tested, comprising rotational pasturing and the administration of spores of two parasiticidal fungi, Mucor circinelloides and Duddingtonia flagrans.MethodsTwenty-two adult Spanish Sport Horses were dewormed with ivermectin (1 mg pour-on/kg body weight) and then randomly divided into three groups. G-1 was maintained with continuous grazing, and G-2 and G-3 were kept on a four-paddock rotation system. Commercial pelleted feed (2.5 kg/horse) was supplied to G-1 and G-2 twice a week; horses in G-3 received pellets containing 2 × 106 spores/kg of each fungus. Fecal samples were analyzed by the flotation method to estimate the reduction in the fecal egg counts (FECR), the percentage of horses shedding eggs (PHR), and the egg reappearance period (ERP).ResultsThird-stage larvae were identified in fecal pats as Cyathostomum (sensu lato) types A, C and D, Gyalocephalus capitatus, Triodontophorus serratus, Poteriosthomum spp., Strongylus vulgaris and S. edentatus. Two weeks after treatment, the FECR values were 100% in G-1, 96% in G-2 and 99% in G-3; the PHR values were 100% in G-1, 75% in G-2 and 88% in G-3. A strongyle ERP of 6 weeks was observed in G-1, ERP of 10 weeks was observed in G-2, and ERP of 16 weeks was observed in G-3. The counts of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) were > 300 EPG in G-1 and G-2 but remained below 250 EPG in G-3 throughout the observation period of 12 months.ConclusionsThese results suggest that horse strongyle infection could be decreased by combining rotational pasturing with feeding pellets containing the spores of parasiticidal fungi.

Does sexuality play in the stadium? Climate of tolerance/rejection towards sexual diversity among soccer players in Spain

Traditionally, sport has been an environment of discrimination and hostility towards diverse sexual orientations. Yet, recent studies with young athletes signal greater tolerance towards this phenomenon in sport. The acceptance of sexual diversity in sport remains understudied in Spain. This study sought to understand if Spanish sport presents Eric Anderson’s classification of attitudes that are more or less tolerant of sexual diversity. For this, a convenience sample of 279 Spanish soccer players (90.7% males; 9.3% females) was used. Attitudes were measured in an experimental form with the SDS – Attitude Scale towards Sexual Diversity in Sport questionnaire. Results demonstrate medium levels of rejection towards sexual diversity. The data generated by this study can help sport managers implement sensible and effective measures with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to ameliorate discrimination in soccer.

Understanding the gendered coaching workforce in Spanish sport

The present study focuses on the demographic and labor characteristics of coaches in Spain. Kanter’s theory on occupational sex segregation will be used as a guiding framework. The study was conducted with 1685 coaches (82.3% men and 17.7% women) from different sports and performance domains. The results show that there is an underrepresentation of women as coaches in Spain and data highlight that coaches’ gender is related to three structural factors: opportunity, power, and proportion. The present data reveal that women are younger, less likely to be in a marriage-like relationship, less likely to have children, and more likely to have competed at a high level as an athlete when compared to their male counterparts. However, fewer women than men access and participate in coach education in Catalonia and the working status of women was different to that of men. To expand, women worked less hours, were more likely to be assistant coaches, and had less years of coaching experience. Understanding of how gender influences women’s access, progression, and retention in coaching in Spain illustrates the need for gender sport policies and practices in sport organizations. This approach can benefit not only women, but the diversity and enrichment of the coaching system.

Predictability of adult Show Jumping ability from early information: Alternative selection strategies in the Spanish Sport Horse population

The purpose of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters and to evaluate whether performance results of young horses are good predictors for later sport performance, in order to propose alternative selection strategies to assess adult show jumping (SJ) ability. The data included 84,600 performance records from 4011 Spanish Sport Horses. Two different bivariate animal models with genetic groups were compared, using rankings of young and adult horses as the dependent variables. The models included the age as covariate, and gender, event, type of penalty scale and competition level as fixed effects. The horse*rider interaction and the animal permanent environment random factors were tested to find the most suitable model (A vs B, respectively). The heritability values obtained were in the low range, between 0.11±0.01 in adult horses and 0.17±0.01 in young horses. The results also showed high genetic correlations (≥0.84±0.04) between results early and later on in life. With model A, the prediction of the adult SJ ability was higher (Pearson correlation between predicted and real data: 0.33±0.01) than with model B (0.31±0.01). The implementation of alternative strategies, such as two-stage selection, could increase the expected genetic gain significantly (over 50%) compared to other strategies. This strategy could promote genetic progress, without any loss of accuracy and little additional cost.

Physical Education Pedagogy: an analysis of research published in Spanish journals (2005–2014)

ABSTRACTBackground: The majority of reviews related to Physical Education Pedagogy (PEP) refer to the English-speaking world. Some of these assert the need to obtain more data and provide reviews of what has been investigated in languages other than English to be able to assess the current state of the field internationally.Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify, categorise, and analyse articles on PEP published in Spanish sport science journals during the last decade (2005–2014).Participants and setting: A total of 13 journals were selected: 8 were indexed in the Scopus databases, and 5 were added based on expert judgement due to their importance in the field of Spanish PEP.Research design: The study uses a quantitative approach that is exploratory and descriptive in nature and includes document research techniques.Data collection: The identification of all articles published between 2005 and 2014 (both inclusive) was performed. The search yielded 3258 published articles, from which articles whose content was not related to PEP were eliminated. The final sample was 534 articles.Data analysis: The articles that comprise the final sample were analysed and classified according to their content and article type.Findings: Of the 3258 articles published in the last decade in these journals, only 534 (16.39%) address content in the PEP field of study. With regard to sub-areas, half of the research conducted pertains to teaching (50.00%), followed by curriculum (25.66%). The combination of both sub-areas comprises the third largest percentage (9.74%). Teacher education is the least addressed sub-area, with 8.80%, and its intersections with teaching and curriculum in no case exceed 3%. In terms of article type, 38.39% are theoretical studies, historical studies, or essays. One-fourth (25.09%) are quantitative empirical research, and one-fifth (22.47%) refer to experiences in education or innovation. These three article types are predominant, comprising 85.95% of the total. The remaining articles are divided into studies related to qualitative empirical research (7.68%), those conducting empirical research using a mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative) (5.06%), and a testimonial for review articles (1.31%).Conclusions: In the decade studied, an increase in the gap between the number of articles published in Spanish journals specialising in physical education and sport and the percentage of articles related to PEP is observed. Of these journals, those publishing the most articles on PEP were included by expert judgement and are not indexed in Scopus. The implication is an academically worrying state for the field in the Spanish context, differing significantly from the English context.