Squad Members Research Articles

A Test Battery to Identify Elite Talent Among Youth International Soccer Players

Methods of assessing soccer players’ performance have developed significantly in recent times. The fitness profiles and skill levels of a prospective elite soccer player is a valuable resource for coaches in the process of identifying talent. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to use a battery of validated sport-specific tests to identify elite talent among youth international soccer players in Hong Kong. METHODS: International soccer players from the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) youth academy (U-19) squad took part in this study. Following two familiarization trials using the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT), the exercise protocol consisted of a standardized 10 minute dynamic warm-up, followed by baseline LSPT measurements. Then, each participant completed a validated, soccer-specific, repeated-sprint ability test (RSA) in order to induce game-specific, short-term fatigue. Upon completion of the RSA, each participant was immediately re-tested on the LSPT. Each participant then completed a vertical jump (VJ) test and finally, the yo-yo intermittent recovery test level 2 (YYIR2). Heart-rate (HR) monitors were used to monitor exercise intensity. Data was analysed using SPSS (v. 20). RESULTS: 30 youth (U-19) HKFA international squad members took part in this study (mean ± SD: age 18 ± 0.8y; height 1.73 ± 0.5m; body mass 64.3 ± 8.5kg). The re-test scores of the LSPT indicated that 6 of participants (20%) maintained their skill performance, in spite of a significantly elevated heart rate induced by the RSA; i.e. no significant differences were observed in any of the movement (mov), penalty (pen) or total (tot) time taken to complete the LSPT between the pre- and post-RSA scores (Mov: pre 48.2 ± 2.9s, post 48.0 ± 2.1s; Pen: pre 5.9 ± 7.5s post 6.5 ± 8.4s; Tot: pre 54.1 ± 8.4s, post 54.5 ± 10.6s, p > 0.05). Vertical jump scores were 106.6 ± 8.5 cm. Participants completed 10.9 ± 2.9 stages of the YYIR2, with those above the 86 percentile completing greater than 13.5 stages. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the ability of validated sports-specific tests to effectively identify elite level talent among international youth soccer players. Each of LSPT, RSA and YYIR2 scores proved sensitive in separating the top quartile of elite level players from the remainder of the squad, while the VJ did not.

“Just Because I Dance like a Ho I’m Not a Ho”: Cheerleading at the Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender

Feminist sociologists of sport have critiqued cheerleading for perpetuating gendered divisions of labor and dismissing women’s athleticism. However, no research has centered the experiences of black college cheerleaders or cheerleaders with formal feminist education. Through ethnography and interviews with cheerleaders who attend a historically black college (HBCU) for women, this research reveals how race, class, gender, and ideological perspective mutually inform the HBCU cheerleading style and how cheerleaders interpret their own performances. Squad members deploy womanist language, adopt a sexual politics of respectability off the court, and emphasize the cultural constraint of choreography to negotiate a perceived contradiction between being upwardly mobile black college women and participating in sexualized extracurricular athletics. This intersectional analysis makes visible limits to the liberal feminist ideal of individual empowerment for women in sport and the importance of institutional context in race and gender theory.

What Can Al Pacino Teach Norwegian Youth Athletes? A Norwegian Coach’s Ritual Use of Hollywood Media to Produce Team Culture

This article examines a coach’s use of a Hollywood film as a ritualized means for addressing concerns arising from boys’ participation in Norwegian handball. Through the prism of the ritual I elucidate a set of underlying cultural processes that are unlikely to be unique to this sport and setting. Participant observation among 15 year-old handballers was conducted throughout the 2011–2012 season. Here I focus on how Hollywood meaning was used and received at the arena. Meso analysis reveals how and why the movie became a significant part of the team’s praxis and how ritual allowed competent actors to embrace or reject its meaning. This ritualized media use maintained a system of stratification that was rendered tolerable and meaningful for all squad members, albeit in differing ways.

The impact of in-season national team soccer play on injury and player availability in a professional club

This study investigated the impact of in-season national team duty on injury rates and player availability in a professional soccer club. Time-loss injuries and exposure time during club and national team duties were recorded prospectively over 5 seasons (2009–2014). A time-loss injury was sustained by 37.7% of squad members participating in national duty, all injuries occurring in match-play. The incidence (per 1000 h exposure) for national team player match-play injuries did not differ (P = 0.608) to that for all players in club competitions: 48.0 (95% CI 20.9–75.5) vs. 41.9 (95% CI 36.5–47.4), incidence rate ratio = 1.2 (CI: 0.8–2.4). The majority (58%) of national team injuries resulted in a layoff ≤1 week. Of all working days lost to injury generally, 5.2% were lost through injury on national duty. Injury incidence in the week following national duty was comparable (P = 0.818) in players participating or not: 7.8 (95% CI 3.6–12.0) vs. 7.1 (95% CI: 4.6–9.6), incidence rate ratio = 1.1 (CI: 0.7–2.7). While approximately 40% of participating players incurred a time-loss injury on national duty, no training injuries were sustained and injuries made up a negligible part of overall club working days lost to injury. Following duty, players had a similar injury risk to peers without national obligations.

Defense performance Analysis of Rugby Union

The following match-play data and fitness test results provide an insight into the physical demands of three levels of High Performance Netball umpiring. This information may assist in further understanding the demands of umpiring across the three different levels. Such data could be used to refine umpire specific training and goal setting for future High Performance Umpire Squad members. Match day observations took place over the 2012 Netball Season. All participating umpires wore a Catapult mini-max S4 GPS unit and a Polar Team2 HR monitor for the duration of each match observed. Data from these units were captured in real-time and analysed post-match. Each game was filmed, with one camera focussed per umpire for the duration of each match to capture every movement. Overall the match-play data show minimal difference between the squads with regards to the intensity that they maintain within a game. It also shows minimal fatigue for all three squads throughout the duration of a game.

World Cup Football as a Catalyst for Change: Exploring the Lives of Women in Qatar's First National Football Team – A Case Study

In 2012, five Qatari women participated in a qualitative research study, which aimed to explore the negotiation of opportunity to be members of Qatar's first national women's football team. Qatar is a conservative Islamic country which is experiencing rapid modernisation. Part of this modernisation includes the increasing visibility of sport, for example the successful bid for the 2022 men's Football World Cup. In response to this bid, the first Qatari women's national football team was established in 2011. The project was positioned within a social constructivist framework. Five out of 12 squad members, over the age of 18, volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews. Interview questions probed the women's experiences and influences on their opportunities and journey to membership in the national team. From a thematic analysis, issues such as the management of gender norms and the influence of significant others dominated the data. This research indicated that the women's agency enabled them to manage their situation with a range of strategies and to change attitudes towards women footballers. The winning of the bid to host the men's World Cup has been a catalyst for change in making spaces for Qatari sportswomen.

DEA를 이용한 야구 국가대표단의 타자 선발에 관한 연구

The purpose of this paper is to identify whether the national baseball squad made up of the best players may get the outstanding results in the international competitions or not. Using Data Envelopment Analysis, the relative efficiency of players in Korean Baseball Organization is estimated as performance measure, and compared with the efficiency scores of national squad members. The paper focuses on the proper choice of DEA model in a baseball setting, thereby selecting the BCC model with non-discretionary variable. Two input variables(plate appearances and stolen bases to enforce) and three output variables(runs, on-base plus slugging and stolen base percentage) are used to evaluate the efficiency of the baseball players. Results showed that 22 players among 97 players were classified as efficient and 8 players among 12 national squad members were as efficient. These findings indicate a potential for DEA to be a major part of the analytical approaches in evaluating the relative efficiency of players.

Selection, de-selection and progression in German football talent promotion

This study explored to which extent the development of German professional football players is based on early talent identification (TID) and long-term nurture in talent promotion (TP) programmes or on their emergence in the course of repeated procedures of player selection and de-selection in these programmes through childhood and youth. The annual turnover of squad members in national junior teams (2001–2013) and youth elite academies was calculated; national U-team members were followed up with regard to nominations through subsequent seasons and to their success level eventually achieved at senior age; and all current Bundesliga players were analysed retrospectively regarding their earlier involvement in TID/TP programmes. Analyses revealed that the mean annual turnover of squad members was 24.5% (youth academies) and 41.0% (national U-teams), respectively. At any age, the probability of persisting in the programme three years later was <50%. Among current Bundesliga players, the age of recruitment into the TID/TP programme was widely evenly distributed across childhood and youth, respectively. Accordingly, the number of (future) Bundesliga players who were involved in TID/TP was built up continuously through all age categories. The observations suggest that the collective of professional players emerged from repeated procedures of selection and de-selection through childhood and youth rather than from early selection and long-term continuous nurture in TID/TP programmes. The findings are discussed with regard to the uncertainty of TID and of interventions applied to the selected players, and they are related to the individualistic and collectivistic approach in TP.

Giving everything for athletic success! – Sports-specific risk acceptance of elite adolescent athletes

ObjectivesGood health is the basic foundation for peak performance in elite sports, yet athletes are often conflicted between protecting their health for the sake of being able to compete and risking their health in the form of potential injuries to achieve even higher levels of performance. Adolescent athletes, who are in a sensitive phase of development, are especially prone to negative consequences like injuries or illnesses due to risky behaviors. In an effort to prevent lasting damage, the present study aims to identify groups of athletes who are particularly willing to take risks and the possible determinants of athletes' risk acceptance. Design and methodIn our German Young Olympic Athletes' Lifestyle and Health Management (GOAL) Study, we examined 1138 German national squad members, aged 14–18, representing all Olympic sports. Classification tree analyses enabled us to detect determinants of high and low risk groups concerning sports-specific psychosocial and physical risk acceptance. ResultsWe found several high risk groups. In general, the degree of inclusion in the elite sports system correlates positively with risk acceptance. Athletes who are extremely willing to take physical risks attached high importance to their sports environment and minor importance to their non-sports environment (n = 94; 8%). Athletes who are perfectionists and very focused on their performance were particularly willing to accept physical (n = 142; 13%) and social risks (n = 75; 7%). ConclusionBy identifying extreme groups with an especially high or low willingness to take risks and the determinants of these groups, we can give a more precise picture of elite adolescent athletes' risk acceptance.

Investment patterns in the careers of elite athletes in East and West Germany

Some components of the former GDR sport were conserved or relaunched in East Germany after German reunification. They exhibited large costs, but not equivalent outcomes. This study assessed the effectiveness vs. efficiency orientation of the investment patterns in individual athletic careers one decade after reunification based on questionnaires from 695 national squad members. The Eastern athletes specialised earlier in one sport, participated less in other sports, performed much more specialised training during youth and adulthood, and used athlete services more intensively. They attained greater early success during youth, but not greater senior success. Characteristics of the training career and athlete support did not distinguish more and less successful Eastern athletes. Among Western athletes, more successful careers were characterised by a larger variability of involvement in various sports and a rather decelerated athletic development during youth. The economic inefficiency at the collective level of many sport organisations is apparently mirrored in lower efficiency of investment at the individual level of Eastern athletic careers. In contrast, Western world-class careers were characterised by a stronger orientation towards efficiency. The findings are discussed with regard to path dependence and functionality at the individual and collective level.

Recruiting and retaining volunteer EMTs: from motivation to practical solutions

PurposeMost rescue squad members, both in the city and in rural areas, serve on a volunteer (unpaid) basis. It has been widely reported and observed that the number of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) volunteers is falling in communities across the USA. Meanwhile, internationally, the need for emergency services volunteers is increasing as government support dwindles in these uncertain economic times. The purpose of this paper is to determine how to keep EMT volunteerism at desired levels and provide recommendations for increasing recruitment and retention.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines what motivates people and why people volunteer in general, beginning with a discussion of citizenship participation and international EMS, then reviewing general and volunteer motivation theories, and finally focusing on volunteer EMT motivation/retention theories in particular. Research studies in two diverse locations (one urban, one rural) are then implemented to survey volunteer EMT motivations and priorities, to find what stimulates EMTs to join and continue to participate in rescue squad operations.FindingsTheoretical explanations and research results are analyzed to determine the implications for both recruitment and retention of volunteer EMTs.Originality/valueBased on these findings, the remainder of the article is dedicated to the practical application of strategies which are easily implemented and cost‐effective for any volunteer EMT organization, regardless of locale or country of origin. Utilization of these strategies is both timely and relevant, because few communities' operational budgets can absorb the costs of hiring additional professional EMTs.

Individualistic and Collectivistic Approach in Athlete Support Programmes in the German High-Performance Sport System

This study assessed the relative significance of athlete-related interventions and of repeated athlete selections and de-selections (individualistic and collectivistic approach) in the development of the collective of successful senior performers through athlete support programmes in Germany. The results from a longitudinal analysis of careers in the squad system over seven years (n=4,686) and a questionnaire panel study over three years (n=244) revealed that the annual turnover of squad members was 44%. Results also showed that the younger the first recruitment of an athlete, the younger the exit out of the system (r=0.92), and the higher the squad level reached, the higher was the age of recruitment into a squad. Interventions applied to the selected athletes showed no significant effects on subsequent interferences in the training process or on attainment of success. The collective of successful senior athletes was developed through regular athlete selection and de-selection rather than effects of athlete-related interventions. The observations are discussed with regard to (a) dissimilar individual career trajectories likely to lead to early inclusion in the support system compared to those likely to lead to long-term senior success, and (b) the functionality of de-coupling self-display and action at the collective level of the organisations.

‘Thrown out into the real world’: The retirement experiences of elite figure skaters

This study explored the retirement experiences of elite figure skaters, using qualitative methodology. Despite the extensive research that exists on athletic retirement, no previous study has examined this particular group of athletes. Five former British Squad members and national medallists participated in an in-depth interview. Using Grounded Theory, a conceptual and theoretical framework was developed. The difficulty of a figure skater’s transition out of elite sport was found to be facilitated by the degree to which they internalised their sporting identity, as well as their perceived control over the circumstances surrounding their retirement. A failure to define a future self prior to retirement resulted in a fear to withdraw from figure skating as well as a difficultly assuming an identity without skating. To prevent future elite figure skaters from experiencing challenging adjustments to retirement, parents and coaches should promote the exploration of roles and skills away from figure skating.

Oxygen Uptake, Velocity at Lactate Threshold, and Running Economy in Elite Special Forces

To examine the correlation of peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), velocity at lactate threshold (V(LT)), and running economy (RE) in a group of Special Force Squad members. VO2 peak, V(LT), and RE of 120 male elite special force police squad members (VO2 peak, 57.4 +/- 4.3 mL minute(-1) kg(-1); age, 28.9 +/- 5.2 years; body mass index, 24.2 +/- 1.6 kg m(-2)) were tested using an incremental treadmill protocol (2.4 m second(-1), increase 0.4 m second(-1) every 5 minutes). Running velocities at the first lactate inflection point (V(LT)) and blood lactate concentration at 4 mmol L(-1) (V4) were determined. RE was defined as oxygen uptake in mL kg(-1) minute(-1) at 3.2 m second(-1). Analysis revealed little or no correlation between V4, V(LT), VO2 peak, and RE (r = 0.02-0.35; p = 0.01-0.80). (1) VO2 peak, V(LT), and RE do not correlate in elite squad members. (2) All 3 variables should be assessed when comparing inter- and intraindividual differences in endurance performance of Special Force Squad members.

A Study on The relationship of Police Training and Job attitude - Focused on Newly Employed Sworn Officer Squad Members -

A Study on The relationship of Police Training and Job attitude - Focused on Newly Employed Sworn Officer Squad Members -

The Hazards of War: Blast Injury Headache

Staff Sergeant H. is a 36-year-old, married, male, National Guard member who was referred for evaluation and treatment of pain. He reported that during his 12-month deployment to Iraq he was exposed to 5 large improvised explosive device (IED) blasts. Following the most significant blast, he experienced a 1 to 2 minute loss of consciousness with anterograde amnesia lasting about 24 hours. Several of his squad members were injured in this bombing and one was killed. He reported the onset of intense headaches with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and balance problems. He had several minor soft-tissue injuries, including lacerations and hematomas from shrapnel and his blast-related fall. He received medical treatment in Iraq immediately following his injuries and he later attempted to return to duty. However, his headache and neurological symptoms persisted despite a normal initial CT scan of his brain and he was medically evacuated for further evaluation.

Mobile Technology and Action Teams: Assessing BlackBerry Use in Law Enforcement Units

This research explores the effectiveness of mobile wireless information and communication technologies (ICTs) for law enforcement teams. Law enforcement teams require real-time information access and rapid communication to diagnose potential threats, analyze problems, and coordinate actions. To meet these needs, two U.S. law enforcement organizations implemented pilot trials of RIM BlackBerries for approximately 650 squad members. These trials provided an opportunity to assess acceptance, use, and perceived performance benefits of the technology as well as factors influencing these outcomes. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, user surveys, and system logs. Although the work teams and tasks were similar in the two organizations, the outcomes, while generally positive, differed markedly, with much greater acceptance and use in one organization versus the other. Results show how technical factors, functionality, and implementation processes account for these differences and illustrate how mobile wireless ICT can meet the unique needs for information access and communication in investigative action teams. We expect that these findings will generalize beyond action teams as more mobile workers in a variety of domains adopt wireless handheld technologies.

Does Respiratory Muscle Training Increase Physical Performance?

Special force units and military personnel undergo demanding physical exercise and might benefit from high-intensity respiratory muscle training (RMT) by increasing their endurance performance. This study examined the effects of a 6-week high-intensity RMT on running performance and oxygen uptake (VO2max) in a group of German Special Force Squad members. 17 participants were randomly assigned to a training or control group. Baseline and post-testing included a ramp test, as well as an incremental test on a treadmill, performed to physical exhaustion. VO2, respiratory exchange ratio, and heart rate were measured breath by breath. Furthermore, maximum running speed (V(max)), 4 mmol x 1(-1) lactate threshold (V4) and perception of respiratory effort were determined. During pulmonary testing, sustained maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure (PI(max) and PE(max)) were obtained. RMT was performed daily at approximately 90% PI(max) for 6 weeks with 2 x 30 breath cycles using an Ultrabreathe lung trainer. No statistical differences were detected between the groups for any parameter after RMT. High-intensity RMT did not show any benefits on VO2max and endurance performance and are unlikely to be of benefit to military or paramilitary training programs for an increase in endurance performance.

Comparison of Progressive Maximal Swimming Tests in Elite Female Water Polo Players

To compare the Multistage Shuttle Swim Test (MSST), Water Polo Intermittent Shuttle Test (WIST) and 5 200 m Incremental Swimming Test (IST) responses in elite female water polo players. Fourteen Australian Women's National Water Polo Squad members performed the MSST and WIST, and 13 players from a National Water Polo League club performed the IST, MSST and WIST on separate occasions (no goalkeepers were involved). Peak heart rate, blood lactate and ratings of perceived exertion were obtained for all tests. Expired air was collected following all tests for the National League players. The National Squad players scored significantly better (ie, distance covered) in the MSST and WIST than the National League players (effect sizes=1.60 to 1.79, P<.001). The MSST and WIST scores were significantly correlated (r=.80 to 0.88, P<.001). The MSST scores were significantly correlated with peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak; mL.kg(-1).min(-1)) obtained for all tests (r=.58 to 0.59, P<.05). In contrast, there were no significant correlations between the WIST scores and VO2peakobtained for any of the tests (r=.43 to 0.52, P>.05). Differences in VO2peakfor the IST, MSST and WIST were nonsignificant (P>.05). The MSST and WIST can discriminate players of different competition standards. The MSST can be used to estimate a player's aerobic fitness and peak heart rate. The WIST appears to better mimic the intermittent activity pattern of the game, but its application to female players, to assess maximal intermittent endurance swimming performance, requires further evaluation.

Army Moves to Higher Level of Hearing Protection

Army Moves to Higher Level of Hearing Protection