Sport Settings Research Articles

Stressors and coping style among volleyball referees in the Northern Border region

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of sports stressors and coping strategies among volleyball referees during match management. Although psychological stressors are inherited in the sports arena, research in controlling or limiting stressors among athletes in multiple sports settings are rapidly growing field of sports literature. However, stressors faced by volleyball referees have received less attention from researchers. This study attempts to develop a framework for identifying the most stressful situations experienced by volleyball referees during matches. Participants were a straightforward sample consisting of 18 volleyball male referees registered in the Saudi Volleyball Federation at the Northern Border region. A Stressors of Volleyball Referee Survey (SVRS) was designed and applied, which consisted of five dimensions based on sources of stress: players, coaches, spectators, mass media, and officiating-technical pressure; these dimensions contain a total of 38 items presented. Results found that all the main and sub-dimensions items for SVRS correlation coefficients ranged between 0.639 and 0.798, which were statistically significant at the level of stability of 0.01. Data revealed that the dimension of officiating-technical pressure ranked as the highest psychological stressor of the total scale's dimensions with an average of 19.78, whereas the lowest ranking score of the total scale's dimensions was the coaches' pressure dimension with an average of 19.56. The study recommended that future studies should apply an intervention program that trains volleyball referees to gain confidence and maintain resilience in order to cope with all stressors faced during matches.

Sharing and discussing sports injury narratives with elite athletes: reflecting on member reflections

ABSTRACT While the notion of creating and sharing multiple narratives in sport, exercise, and health settings to promote a more diverse landscape is often discussed. the process of, and tensions in doing so are less articulated. Extending a previous study that identified the narrative typologies that scaffold elite athletes’ stories of sports injury experiences , the aim of this study was to critically reflect (i.e. introspective, intersubjective; on member reflections with participants to understand how these storylines were received and interpreted. Data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis. Using narrative theory as a theoretical lens , five reflexive themes were identified: (a) confronting the dominant narrative, (b) embracing new materialism, (c) extending boundaries of tellability, (d) linear and polyphonic narratives, and (e) symbolic violence. This study provides evidence of how the process of member reflections can enrich and extend our theoretical understandings and offer considerations about how to shift our social and cultural worlds to become more inclusive and diverse.

Pain Cognition of the Injury Experienced Athletes Depends on Emotional Status

PURPOSE: This study aimed to verify whether the degree of pain cognition by injury-experienced athletes in a sports setting varies depending on their emotional status, and to compare the values between the VAS (subjective pain score) and RIII reflex (objective pain data).METHODS: Injured (n=15) and non-injured (n=15) experienced athletes participated in the experimental procedures with pain stimulation, RIII reflex, and VAS measurement, while emotional images (neutral, pleasure, and unpleasure) were randomly presented. The RIII reflex was measured simultaneously with TENS stimulation of the sural nerve while the OASIS images were presented, and the VAS was measured between the sets of images. Data were collected using electromyography (EMG) and VAS.RESULTS: The relationship between the group and the VAS score according to the emotional state was significant (<i>p</i>=.028), and the relationship between the group and the RIII reflex depending on the emotional state was not significant (<i>p</i>=.344). Furthermore, the relationship of the group “emotion” measurement was not significant (<i>p</i>=.081), but the results indicate toward a correlation.CONCLUSIONS: Athletes recognized more pain at the same intensity when their emotional state was unpleasant, but the RIII reflex was measured constantly so they could recognize less pain in an emotionally stable state. Despite some associations, no difference was observed in the degree of pain recognition based on injury experience.

Angular Velocities and Linear Accelerations Derived from Inertial Measurement Units Can Be Used as Proxy Measures of Knee Variables Associated with ACL Injury

Given the high rates of both primary and secondary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in multidirectional field sports, there is a need to develop easily accessible methods for practitioners to monitor ACL injury risk. Field-based methods to assess knee variables associated with ACL injury are of particular interest to practitioners for monitoring injury risk in applied sports settings. Knee variables or proxy measures derived from wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) may thus provide a powerful tool for efficient injury risk management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify whether there were correlations between laboratory-derived knee variables (knee range of motion (RoM), change in knee moment, and knee stiffness) and metrics derived from IMUs (angular velocities and accelerations) placed on the tibia and thigh, across a range of movements performed in practitioner assessments used to monitor ACL injury risk. Ground reaction forces, three-dimensional kinematics, and triaxial IMU data were recorded from nineteen healthy male participants performing bilateral and unilateral drop jumps, and a 90° cutting task. Spearman's correlations were used to examine the correlations between knee variables and IMU-derived metrics. A significant strong positive correlation was observed between knee RoM and the area under the tibia angular velocity curve in all movements. Significant strong correlations were also observed in the unilateral drop jump between knee RoM, change in knee moment, and knee stiffness, and the area under the tibia acceleration curve (rs = 0.776, rs = -0.712, and rs = -0.765, respectively). A significant moderate correlation was observed between both knee RoM and knee stiffness, and the area under the thigh angular velocity curve (rs = 0.682 and rs = -0.641, respectively). The findings from this study suggest that it may be feasible to use IMU-derived angular velocities and acceleration measurements as proxy measures of knee variables in movements included in practitioner assessments used to monitor ACL injury risk.

“Beyond My Wildest Dreams”: The Reach and Impact of Sport Education

ABSTRACT The connection between the name “Daryl Siedentop” and the model “Sport Education” has evolved over the past three decades to become a prominent brand of physical education. This paper attempts to capture the influence of Sport Education, not only within school physical education, but in ways and arenas far beyond Daryl’s original imagination. It is now used in university physical education courses and teacher preparation programs, in summer camps, and there is evidence of some use in after-school and community sports settings. This evolution has manifest pedagogical iterations of the model far beyond the essential features articulated in his initial vision, and teachers, students, prospective teachers, and coaches have all found a renewed vigor in their sport experience. The paper describes some of these “beyond” iterations of the model as a tribute to how Sport Education has served to realize multiple objectives for multiple practitioners in ways beyond his original aspirations.

Sexual Harassment or Just Coaching? Sport Students Making Sense of Possibly Sexualising Coach Behaviours

Research has shown that athletes are divided in their assessment of possibly sexualising behaviours from coaches towards athletes. How they arrive at their conclusions has received less attention—yet it is crucial to understand as a basis for safeguarding measures. Using video-elicitation focus group interviews with sport students, we zoomed in on different types of ‘grey area’ situations involving coaches and athletes. We drew on social script theory to highlight the cultural tools sport students use to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable coaching behaviours. Our analyses showed that the students drew on two types of scripts in their interpretative work: (1) sport scripts, denoting templates for ‘normal’ coach–athlete interactions (typically with a performance and/or caring rationale), and (2) sexual harassment scripts, encompassing beliefs and expectations of how sexual transgressions play out and among whom. We discuss how the students evaluated concrete grey area situations by comparing and contrasting them with both scripts. In these assessments, the students relied on cues and clues from the portrayed interactions, including the gender of the coach and athlete and knowledge about the specific sport setting. Our analyses demonstrate how views about sexual harassment in sport relate to the specificities of the sport setting and the gendered social dynamics in the situation.

Volunteer retention: Examining intentions and behaviours in the wrap-Up mode of a professional recurring small-scale sport event

ABSTRACT Research question The purpose of this study was to explore volunteers’ intentions and behaviours in the wrap-up mode of a professional recurring small-scale sport event. Research methods Thirteen volunteers completed an online self-administered questionnaire 10 months after the 2019 Osprey Valley Open, a professional small-scale golf tournament held annually in the Greater Toronto Area (Ontario, Canada) since 2015. The questionnaire included closed-ended and open-ended questions about volunteers’ intentions and behaviours. Data were thematically analysed in NVivo12. Results and findings All volunteers reported having positive intentions towards the 2020 Osprey Valley Open. Eleven volunteers continued their involvement with the event as they completed their application to participate again. The positive volunteer intentions among seven participants led to their participation as volunteers in other sport (e.g. organizations and/or events) and non-sport settings (i.e. organizations). The remaining participants indicated no involvement in additional volunteer opportunities after the event. Implications Findings demonstrate positive volunteer intentions can create different types of formal sport participation behaviours among volunteers in the wrap-up mode of the event lifecycle. Notably, legacies in small and recurring sport events occur via volunteers’ ability to repeat their involvement and pursue additional opportunities in and beyond sport.

Parents’ views on coaching in youth community sport settings

Parents play a major role as enablers and motivators of their children’s sport participation and retention. However, parents are often not considered in the data collection pertaining to youth sport coaching initiatives. We investigated parent perceptions of community youth sport coaching within the context of a Coach Developer Program which was trialled across 6 community sport clubs. 17 parents contributed qualitative data via interview. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the themes: expectations of coaching; limitations in coach development; parents’ ability to notice change, and sustainability of coach development programs. There was a mismatch between parent expectations of coaches and their recognition that the coaching role is multi-faceted with coach development difficult where coaching is largely undertaken by novice volunteers. Findings from this study add to the limited literature that considers the role of parent perceptions and expectations of coaching when providing coach development programs in community youth sport settings.

Immersive Real-Time Biofeedback Optimized With Enhanced Expectancies Improves Motor Learning: A Feasibility Study.

An Optimizing Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning theory-based motor learning intervention delivering autonomy support and enhanced expectancies (EE) shows promise for reducing cognitive-motor dual-task costs, or the relative difference in primary task performance when completed with and without a secondary cognitive task, that facilitate adaptive injury-resistant movement response. The current pilot study sought to determine the effectiveness of an autonomy support versus an EE-enhanced virtual reality motor learning intervention to reduce dual-task costs during single-leg balance. Within-subjects 3 × 3 trial. Twenty-one male and 24 female participants, between the ages of 18 and 30years, with no history of concussion, vertigo, lower-extremity surgery, or lower-extremity injuries the previous 6months, were recruited for training sessions on consecutive days. Training consisted of 5 × 8 single-leg squats on each leg, during which all participants mimicked an avatar through virtual reality goggles. The autonomy support group chose an avatar color, and the EE group received positive kinematic biofeedback. Baseline, immediate, and delayed retention testing consisted of single-leg balancing under single- and dual-task conditions. Mixed-model analysis of variances compared dual-task costs for center of pressure velocity and SD between groups on each limb. On the right side, dual-task costs for anterior-posterior center of pressure mean and SD were reduced in the EE group (mean Δ = -51.40, Cohen d = 0.80 and SD Δ = -66.00%, Cohen d = 0.88) compared with the control group (mean Δ = -22.09, Cohen d = 0.33 and SD Δ = -36.10%, Cohen d = 0.68) from baseline to immediate retention. These findings indicate that EE strategies that can be easily implemented in a clinic or sport setting may be superior to task-irrelevant AS approaches for influencing injury-resistant movement adaptations.

LGBTQ-inclusive fan codes of conduct in US athletic departments: a multilevel analysis

PurposeSport organizations increasingly emphasize their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) inclusion by promoting a perfect score on the Athlete Ally Equality Index, partnering with nonprofits to increase awareness of LGBTQ individuals in sport (e.g. Rainbow Laces campaign), or hosting a pride night for LGBTQ fans. Despite these and similar efforts, LGBTQ fans historically have felt unwelcome in sport settings, thereby signaling the need for inclusive fan codes of conduct. The purpose of this study was to examine both the prevalence and antecedents of such policies.Design/methodology/approachUsing publicly available data sources, the authors focused on 350 Division 1 college athletic departments in the USA.FindingsResults illustrate factors at both the macro (i.e. institution) and meso- (i.e. athletic department) levels interact to explain whether a school will possess a fan code of conduct. Specifically, research-intensive institutions with strong gender equity are more likely to possess a code of conduct than schools that are not research oriented and have weak gender equity. This project extends the understanding of LBGTQ inclusion in the sports industry.Originality/valueThe current study is the first to examine the prevalence and predictors of LGBTQ-inclusive fan codes of conduct. Understanding these dynamics can help athletic programs that want to create safe and inclusive sport spaces for LGBTQ fans and spectators.

Teacher-coach-mom: a collaborative autoethnographic exploration into the clashing cultures of physical education and school sport

ABSTRACT Using collaborative autoethnography, critical incidents, and artefacts, one teacher/coach (T/C) role conflict is contextualized in the Canadian physical education & school sport (PESS) setting. The purpose of the project was to use CAE in conjunction with a systematic analysis to promote personal narratives as both an approach to practitioner reflection and as a form of research inquiry to forward the field of PESS and occupational socialization. Data analysis sought to answer the singular question: Was the experience educative? An educative experience required alignment with the Meaningful PE democratic principles of autonomy and inclusivity. Critical accounts of T/C role conflicts resulted in the undesired continuity of T/C role socialization. By sharing these stories to learn by educators are encouraged to reflect on, question, and consider T/C roles in their educational settings.

Female Adolescent Athletes’ Experiences of Body Dissatisfaction Across Individual and Team Sports

There is an abundance of research explaining the physical and psychological benefits of sport and exercise. Some research suggests sport and exercise may act as a protective factor against body dissatisfaction for adolescent females (Fernández-Bustos et al., 2019; Soulliard et al. 2019). However, it is unclear if adolescent females’ experiences in specific sport settings contribute to perceptions about their bodies. Therefore, this study investigated body perception and its sociocultural influences in adolescent females in team sports versus adolescent females in individual sports. Three focus groups of team sport athletes and two focus groups of individual sport athletes, ages 14-16 years, were conducted. The following four core themes were identified around influences and messaging in sport related to the athletes’ bodies: relationships among teammates and coaches, self-concept, functionality, and social influence. Based on these themes, the findings indicate adolescent female athletes may view sport as a helpful tool to reduce or counteract body dissatisfaction, particularly in team sport athletes. However, sport may not entirely reduce the negative impact from normative and potentially harmful messages surrounding body weight and image, both of which are pervasive in society, the media, and relationships with influential individuals, such as friends, family, and coaches.

Collaboratively developed elite injury prevention programs can enhance uptake in a real-world sport setting

Introduction: Efficacious injury prevention programs are rarely adopted and often poorly implemented in real-world sport settings. In 2018, Prep-to-Play PRO was collaboratively developed with stakeholders (sporting organisation, physiotherapists, coaches, athletes) to address the high rate of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the women’s elite Australian Football League (AFLW). This study evaluated Prep-to-Play PRO use by AFLW coaches and athletes.

Anti-Doping Knowledge of Students Undertaking Bachelor's Degrees in Sports Sciences in Spain.

In Spain, students pursuing a career in athletic training, physical education, or scientific evaluation of sports enroll in a bachelor's degree in sports sciences. This degree provides knowledge and skills in a broad array of sports settings and promotes research-based interdisciplinary knowledge. However, the student's syllabus rarely includes specific academic training on anti-doping regulations or doping prevention. The purpose of this study was to assess the anti-doping knowledge of the students undertaking a bachelor's degree in sports sciences in Spanish universities. One thousand two hundred and thirty-three bachelor students in sport science (907 males, 322 females, and 4 participants with non-binary sex) from 26 Spanish universities completed a validated questionnaire about general anti-doping knowledge. The questionnaire is an adapted version of the Play True Quiz of the World Anti-Doping Agency and contains 37 multiple-choice questions. The score obtained in the questionnaire was transformed into a 0-100-point scale. The questionnaire was distributed among students within each university by a faculty member and it was filled out online. Students obtained a score of 65.8 ± 10.10 points (range = 32-92 points). There was an effect of the course in the score obtained (p < 0.001). Students of the first course (63.6 ± 9.5 points) had lower scores than the remaining courses (p < 0.037) while the students of the fourth course obtained the highest scores (68.7 ± 9.5 points; p < 0.019). The students with an itinerary on sports performance were the respondents with the highest anti-doping knowledge (67.2 ± 10.2) points, followed by the students with an itinerary on health (66.7 ± 9.5 points). The knowledge of basic anti-doping rules and doping prevention strategies of the bachelor students in sports sciences in Spain was suboptimal. Increasing doping prevention information in the syllabus of the bachelor's degree in sports sciences is essential as these future professionals will directly work with populations at risk of doping.

Practice theory and examining and managing sport and leisure

ABSTRACT Rationale/Purpose This paper introduces practice theory to sport and leisure management to conceptualize how technology is integrated and changes everyday organization life, and how it can perpetuate or bring an end to unfair and discriminatory practices in sport. Design/Methodology/Approach This paper explores methodological approaches to practice theory, while also introducing several strategy-as-practice studies that could be reproduced in sport and leisure management research settings. Findings Researchers can look to the strategy-as-practice in management and organization studies to conduct future practice-based research, since it offers a way to understand an organization’s strategy and interactions between people and technology. Practical Implications A practice-theory approach allows sport and leisure managers to understand the relationships between individuals and the changing technologies that may influence how they manage across various issues, from safety of youth athletes online, the effect of big data and analytics on professional sports, and opportunities for diversity and inclusion. Research Contributions A limitation to the practice-based approach is that it is not unified, which can dissuade researchers. This paper proposes a value-added conceptual research agenda with accompanying research methods that can provide a roadmap for sport and leisure scholars to effectively use practice theory to study organizational change.

Feasibility of Parkour-style training in team sport practice: A Delphi study

ABSTRACT Research has suggested Parkour-style training could act as a donor sport for athlete development in team sports. This study aimed to interrogate expert consensus on the feasibility of integrating Parkour-style training into team sport practice, by employing a three-round, online Delphi method. Talent development and strength and conditioning coaches working in team sport settings were invited to participate. Twenty-four coaches completed Round One, 21 completed Round Two and 20 completed Round Three. In Round One, coaches answered 15 open-ended questions across four categories: (1) General Perceptions of Parkour-style training; (2) Potential Applications of Parkour-style training; (3) Designing and Implementing Parkour-style training Environments; and (4), Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment. Responses from Round One were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with deductive and inductive coding resulting in 78 statements across three dimensions (Application of Parkour Style Training in Team Sports; Designing and Implementing Parkour-style training Environments; Overcoming Potential Barriers when Integrating Parkour-style training). In Rounds Two and Three, coaches rated these statements using a four-point Likert scale and measures of collective agreement or disagreement were calculated. This study established consensus around a set of design principles for integrating Parkour-style training into team sport practice routines.

Relationship quality in sport: a systematic quantitative literature review

ABSTRACT Research questions Relationship quality research in sport has received increased attention in recent years. A systematic review is needed to synthesise this growing body of scholarship to inform future inquiry. We reviewed the extant literature to ask: when, where and how has previous relationship quality research been conducted? Which sporting relationships and perspectives have been examined? What theories, scales and constructs have been utilised to examine relationship quality? We conclude by outlining critical gaps in knowledge requiring further research consideration. Research methods Sixty-three peer-reviewed journal articles focusing on the examination of relationship quality within organised sport settings were identified for analysis utilising the systematic quantitative literature review (SQLR) method. Results and findings Relationship quality studies have been conducted across diverse geographic and sporting contexts; however, a discrepancy exists in the theoretical underpinnings, relationships examined, and methodologies employed. Only a third of papers applied a guiding theory when investigating relationship quality. The majority (75%) of papers limited their investigation to singular dyadic connections from one perspective. Significant gaps in knowledge regarding the relationship quality experienced by several key groups, such as managers, administrators and officials remain under researched. Implications The synthesis provided by the review highlights opportunities to advance knowledge in this emerging research area. Our findings demonstrate that relationship quality research has not yet fully realised the potential of multi-dyad perspectives and diverse theoretical underpinnings contributing to discourse. The scholarly agenda developed through this research will work to advance relationship quality research and assist sport organisation management.

Parents Want Kids to Succeed in Sports, and Communication is Key

Parents of young athletes want their children to develop physically, grow as people, build relationships, and enjoy playing sports. Parents’ goals also change over time, based on how much their children like sports, how well they do, and the sports setting. In short, research shows that parents’ goals for their children change as the children themselves change. However, parents may not be the best at guessing what their children’s goals are. In fact, researchers have learned that parents often do not cheer for the things their children actually want. So, it is important that, as children grow up and have new goals (for example, “I used to just want to have fun with my friends, but now I really want to win!”), they communicate often with their parents about what they want to accomplish in sports. This will help parents support them and cheer for them while they pursue their goals!

Anthropometric prediction of DXA-measured percentage of fat mass in male karate athletes.

In karate, high percentages of fat mass (%FM) are often associated with poor sport performance. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can accurately measure the %FM (%FM-DXA), but it may not be practical in some sport settings, where anthropometry has long been used as an alternative. This study aimed to explore the ability of sixteen available anthropometric equations to estimate the %FM (%FM-AE) in karate athletes using the %FM-DXA as the criterion. Furthermore, two population-specific predictive equations to estimate the %FM-DXA were developed from anthropometric measurements. Forty-six male athletes aged 21.7±3.8 years underwent anthropometry and a whole-body DXA scan. The results showed that in male karate athletes all the considered anthropometric equations are mostly inaccurate in estimating the %FM-DXA within a range of the limits of agreement in the Bland-Altman analysis, which ranged from 6.43% to 13.37%. Regression analysis yielded two statistically significant models (P<0.001 for both) to predict the %FM-DXA. In the first model (cross-validated estimation of R2=0.85), the predictors were the abdominal, triceps, calf, and biceps skinfolds and in the second model (cross-validated estimation of R2=0.77), the predictor was the sum of nine skinfolds (i.e., biceps, triceps, subscapular, chest, axilla, suprailiac, abdominal, anterior thigh and calf skinfolds). These results underlined the need for sport-specific anthropometric equations to accurately estimate the %FM-DXA in male karate athletes. The two predictive anthropometric equations presented in this study provided a promising tool for professionals dealing with body composition in this athletic population to accurately estimate the %FM-DXA by means of anthropometry.

Examining Pride Cups as a health promotion resource to address homophobia in Australian men's sport.

Effective interventions are needed to stop homophobic behaviours in sport settings as these behaviours are associated with negative health and social outcomes for individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or other diverse genders and sexualities. This paper reports the results of a quasi-experimental study commissioned by a public health agency to explore the benefits of a novel intervention that has been widely adopted by Australian community sport clubs. The 'Pride Cup' intervention includes education for club leaders, sport participants and the hosting of a rainbow-themed 'pride game'. Survey responses of male participants from six randomly selected sport clubs which had received the intervention (n = 148) were compared to responses (n = 137) from six randomly selected comparison clubs (Australian Football, cricket, field hockey, roller derby). Employing a post-test-only design, the study explored differences in homophobic attitudes, behaviours and individual efficacy to react negatively to homophobic behaviours. The study found significant differences (p < 0.001) in self-reported use of homophobic slurs (e.g. fag) in the last 2 weeks by participants in the treatment (11%) versus comparison (31.8%) clubs, and significant differences in the perceived use of these slurs by teammates (25.9% vs. 56.6%) or coaches (7.8% vs. 23.3%). There were also significant differences in efficacy scores, but no differences in homophobic attitudes. These results, combined with evidence of community-driven adoption, support the allocation of public health resources to conduct larger scale trials using pre/post designs to confirm these findings.