Women's Players Research Articles

Physiological, physical and anthropometric parameters in padel: A systematic review

This study aimed to carry out a systematic review of existing research on physiological, physical and anthropometric parameters in padel. After searching through PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, 33 articles were analyzed, covering physiological, physical, and anthropometric parameters. Physiologically, heart rate varies by sex and play level; men amateurs show a lower maximum heart rate compared to semi-professionals and professionals (154.75 vs 169.72 vs 188.6 beats per minute). Women players maintain consistent maximum heart rate across levels (∼178 beats per minute). Lactate levels during competition indicate effort within the aerobic transition zone, peaking at 2.40 millimole per liter in women and 3.38 millimole per liter in men. Regarding maximal oxygen consumption, padel players exhibit levels around 76.3%, increasing to 95.1% during peak exertion. Biochemical and hematological parameters vary by sex, with men players typically having higher basal levels, while competition reduces certain elements like copper and zinc. Physically, men players exhibit superior jump height, strength, and maximum speeds around 2.09 kilometers per hour, with significant lateral movements. The average distance covered per match is 3000 meters, with higher-level players traveling less. Anthropometrically, men players are taller with a mesomorphic-endomorphic profile, while women players have an endomorphic-mesomorphic somatotype. The study highlights the need for tailored training based on specific player characteristics and calls for further research to better individualize physical preparation in padel.

Association between Hip/Groin Pain and Hip ROM and Strength in Elite Female Soccer Players.

Background/Objectives: Hip strength and range of motion have been compared in soccer players with and without hip and groin pain but only in male footballers or gender-combined samples. In female soccer players, the biomechanics contributing to this injury remain poorly understood compared to other sporting injuries. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether differences exist in adductor and abductor isometric test values and hip joint range of motion between elite female soccer players with longstanding groin pain and injury-free controls. Methods: Ten female elite soccer players with current longstanding hip and groin pain and twenty-five injury-free controls from the same teams were included in the study. Hip adductor and abductor isometric strength were evaluated with a hand-held dynamometer. A bent knee fall-out test was also utilized to examine the hip joint range of motion. Results: A significant difference in abductor isometric test values was observed between the control group (2.29 ± 0.53 N/Kg) and the hip and groin pain group (2.77 ± 0.48 N/Kg; p = 0.018). Furthermore, the injured group showed a decreased adductor/abductor ratio compared to the control group (1.00 ± 0.33 vs. 1.27 ± 0.26; p = 0.013). No differences were observed in the bent knee fall-out test (p = 0.285). Conclusions: Female elite soccer players with current longstanding hip and groin pain exhibited higher abductor isometric strength and lower adductor/abductor ratio compared to non-injured women players. There were no differences in the BKFO test between groups.

Insights into coaching effectiveness: Perspectives from coaches and players in South African Women's Rugby

Sports coaching involves navigating ambiguity and uncertainty in stakeholders’ perspectives and managing a dynamic micro-political environment. This study explores the relationship between coaching efficacy and effectiveness in South African Women's Rugby. It examines how a coach's belief in their ability to influence athlete learning and performance (coaching efficacy) correlates with the actual impact on athletes (coaching effectiveness). By aligning coaches’ perceived competence with tangible athlete outcomes, the study provides insights into factors influencing coaching practices and athlete development. The study involved 28 women players (mean age: 24.8 ± 4.0 years) and 8 coaches (mean age: 41 ± 3.8 years) who participated in semi-structured online interviews. The interview script, derived from the Coaching Effectiveness Survey (CES) tool, was analysed using Braun and Clarke's 6-step process of thematic content analysis. Under the four efficacy dimensions, sub-themes emerged as follow: 1) motivation (climate created by the coach and a motivational climate experienced by the players), 2) technique (coaching physical, technical, and tactical aspects of rugby), 3) game strategy (guiding players to successful outcomes), and 4) character-building efficacy (cultivating a positive environment for sportswomanship and holistic development). The findings incorporate feedback from players and coaches, highlighting firsthand experiences of coaching effectiveness. This approach enables experts to identify effective coaching strategies and those needing refinement within Women's Rugby. The study's findings promise to inform future coach development frameworks and foster a comprehensive understanding of coaching effectiveness in the dynamic landscape of Women's Rugby worldwide.

Enhancing the Performance of Female Basketball Athletes: A Comprehensive Examination of Factors and Strategies

This review paper aims to investigate various factors and variables that can enhance the playing ability of women basketball players. Basketball is a physically demanding sport that requires a combination of skills, including dribbling, shooting, passing, agility, and endurance. In recent years, the popularity of women's basketball has grown significantly, and there is a need to better understand how different factors can contribute to the improvement of women players' performance. This paper reviews relevant literature and presents a comprehensive analysis of the variables that influence the playing ability of women basketball players, including physical fitness, skill development, psychological factors, and coaching strategies. By examining these variables, we aim to provide insights that can help coaches, players, and sports professionals optimize training programs and strategies for women's basketball.

Performance dynamics in professional padel: winners, forced errors, and unforced errors among men and women players

ABSTRACT The study aimed to analyse the number of satisfactory shots, the effectiveness of the last shot, and the winners, forced errors, and unforced errors in men’s and women’s professional padel. Data were collected from 41 professional matches at the World Padel Tour Finland Padel Open tournament, focusing on variables such as “set result, effectiveness and typology of the last shot, and number of successful shots”. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including chi-square tests and Z-tests with Bonferroni corrections, were performed. Results indicate that in the men’s padel, the serving pair wins more points than the returning pair. Similarly, in the women’s padel, the serving pair generally wins more points, but in long rallies (20+ shots), the returning pair wins slightly more. A significant association exists between the type of shot and its effectiveness in both winning and losing pairs (p < 0.001). In both men’s and women’s padel, smashes (24.6%–45.7%), bandejas (12.6%–20.2%), and volleys (24.0%–36.0%) are the most effective shots to secure winners. Backhand volleys (18.3%–25.1%) account for the most forced errors, while the most unforced errors are made with bandejas (19.2%–27.0%). These findings are crucial for coaches and players, helping to tailor training to improve match performance based on shot type and sex.

“Women shouldn’t play rugby” – the gendered and embodied experiences of women players in rugby union

ABSTRACT Drawing on interview data, we use gender and embodiment literature to understand the experiences, attitudes, and behaviours of women rugby players in relation to tackle performance and safety. Sampling, data collection, and data analysis were guided by principles and techniques of the grounded theory method. Participants’ experiences illustrate the processes through which women struggle to claim space in rugby. Constraining gender norms, the inferiorisation of women’s athletic achievements, and inequitable playing conditions are at the centre of this struggle. Organisational support and cultural acceptance are predicated on conformity to masculinist models of performance and behaviour whilst preserving the ideals of femininity. However, women’s embodied persistence and agency can challenge the gendered status quo in rugby and reshape the field of play. Revising rugby structures to include more nuanced models for performance development, including commensurate support for the women’s game both in financial sense and in terms of identity could enhance safety and performance in women’s rugby.

Women's rugby for all: Toward an intersectional women's rugby research agenda.

Women rugby players are participating in the sport at the highest levels to date. However, despite this increase in participation, sports sciences and sports medicine/sports physiotherapy (SEMS) research output has not mirrored this increase. Females have hormonally mediated anatomical and physiological profiles, which may have implications for rugby performance, injury risk and rehabilitation outcomes. However, hormonal fluctuations and the physiological differences between the sexes are not the only contributors to sex-related differences in the rugby experience. Rugby is a highly gendered environment, which operates within a hegemonic masculine norm and marginalises female and women athletes. Further, while women players in general are underrepresented in sports sciences and SEMS research, women rugby players and experts from ethnic minorities and the Global South are near invisible in the literature as they are marginalised on multiple fronts. Sports sciences and SEMS research should take an intersectional lens to investigate the joint relationship between the various sources of inequity in rugby. Intersectional research in women rugby players would encourage the conceptualisation and analysis of the complex social inequalities that the most marginalised women players and those who simultaneously negotiate multiple identities experience. Such data can better inform federation-level interventions and policy changes to address the needs of historically marginalised player populations as our research portfolio will be more representative of the world's rugby population.

“Pro Gamers” & Cyberbullying: Workplace bullying & sexual harassment in professional video gaming

As Esports grows rapidly, it is imperative to understand cyberbullying in the professional video game playing context, including those who are most vulnerable to cyberbullying. It is predicted that professional women players would experience more cyberbullying and consequently have adverse effects on their mental health. Participants (N = 145) were collected from around the world (n = 14 countries) and completed a 10-minute online survey. Path analysis demonstrated that being a woman is a significant predictor of a particular type of cyberbullying (sexual harassment) which in turn also predicts mental health outcomes. Further, the degree to which a player treats gaming as a job (i.e., level of gaming professionalism) is a significant predictor of overall cyberbullying, and that cyberbullying subsequently predicts mental health outcomes. This study suggests the virtual workplace for professional players is unsafe, and further research is required to better understand how to protect these vulnerable workers from harm.

Top-class women's soccer performance: peak demands and distribution of the match activities relative to maximal intensities during official matches.

The aims of the current study were to determine the most demanding passages of match play (MDP) and the distribution of match activities relative to maximum intensities during official matches in top-class women soccer players. Twenty-eight women players competing in European championship and international UEFA competitions were monitored during 38 official matches (277 individual samples). Maximum relative (m · min-1) total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSRD), very high-speed running (VHSRD), sprint, acceleration and deceleration distances were calculated across different durations (1-5, 10, 15, 90 min) using a rolling average analysis. Maximum intensities (1-minpeak) were used as the reference value to determine the distribution of relative intensity across the whole-match demands (90-minavg). Time and distance higher than 90-minavg (> 90-minavg) were also calculated. MDP showed moderate to very large [effect size (ES): 0.63/5.20] differences between 1-minpeak vs all durations for each parameter. The relative (m · min-1) 1-minpeak was greater than 90-minavg of about +63% for TD, +358% for HSRD, +969% for VHSRD, +2785% for sprint, +1216% for acceleration, and +768% for deceleration. The total distance covered > 90-minavg was ~66.6% of the total distance covered during the 90-minavg for TD, ~84.8% for HSRD, ~97.4% for VHSRD, ~100% for sprint, ~99.1% for acceleration and ~98.2% for deceleration. The relative distance > 90-minavg was higher (P < 0.05) than the 90-minavg for each metric (ES: 2.22 to 7.58; very large). The present results may help coaches and sport scientists to replicate the peak demands during training routine in top-class women soccer players.

The effectiveness of curricular methods and means in the constant development of the psychomotor potential of 14-15-year-old handball women players according to their specialization within team

The effectiveness of curricular methods and means in the constant development of the psychomotor potential of 14-15-year-old handball women players according to their specialization within team

Media (re)presentation of a black woman esports player: The case of Chiquita Evans in the NBA 2K League

This study investigates the media construction of Chiquita Evans, the first woman to participate in the NBA 2 K League, uncovering a complex interplay of gender norms and power dynamics. Explored through Foucauldian discourse analysis, her identity negotiation within this unique space, where sport, gaming, and media converge, is illuminated. Evans emerges as a trailblazer who challenges and reshapes established gender conventions in the male-dominated esports arena. While her defiance of gender norms is evident, the media's focus on her physicality inadvertently perpetuates gendered expectations. Moreover, Evans’ participation showcases her navigation of racial and gender norms, exposing lingering biases. The intersection of sport and media logic demonstrates evolving dynamics while also highlighting challenges faced by women players. Overall, the media construction of Evans works to encourage acceptance while reproducing established stereotypes, suggesting that increased representation may not inherently challenge power dynamics.

Women’s football subculture of misogyny: the escalation to online gender-based violence

ABSTRACT Research question Given the worldwide growth of women’s football and its presence on social media, it is essential to explore and understand fan attitudes and culture. Research methods This article provides the first empirical social media netnography focusing on English women’s football teams (Manchester United and Burnley) and international fan views towards women professional players on TikTok. We extend this discussion by utilising a netnography in which researchers immersed themselves for seven months in women’s football groups on TikTok to gather and analyse new qualitative data in this context. Results and Findings We identify the escalation of gender-based violence on social media against women players. Four key themes emerged from the netnography: 1. Sexism: the place of women in football; 2. Misogyny and hatred of women; 3. Sexualisation of women; 4. Demand for a male-only space. Sexist comments were apparent in all of the TikTok posts containing female football players, with some also containing more aggressive misogynistic comments. Other dominant comments sought to reduce women to objects of sexual desire and belittle their professional skills, whereas others were appalled at the presence of female players on the clubs’ official accounts, demanding them to be a male-only space. Implications The study contributes to the understanding of online fan cultures on complex, video-based platforms such as TikTok. Through literature review and netnography, we identified a problem for football clubs on social media of longstanding, problematic issues of toxic fan comments.

Pay and Performance in Men’s and Women’s Football: Comparing the MLS and NWSL

Abstract: The purpose of this research is two-fold; first, to assess whether men and women football players “perform the same work,” as required for wage discrimination, and second, to compare pay and performance for men and women players in the top professional soccer leagues in the US. We utilize data from Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League over the period 2016 through 2019 to compare how performance translates into team success in the two leagues and to forecast the salaries of women players for comparison with the men. Our results show that the determinants of win production are the same for the men’s and women’s teams, indicating that men and women do similar work. Additionally, the average woman player would earn more than the average male player if performance were compensated the same way in both leagues for the same number of games.

Injuries in professional women’s elite soccer players in Kosovo: epidemiological injury study

BackgroundAn emphasis has been given lately towards women’s engagement together with their potential in soccer. As this sport develops with athletes becoming more physically fit and skilled, it is unclear what the consequences in terms of injuries are. Having this in mind, this study aimed to investigate the major injuries that occur in women’s soccer players.MethodsThis descriptive epidemiological study invited all 286 women’s soccer players from the 12 participating women clubs in the Kosovo 1st Soccer League (elite football level) during the 2021/2022 season, out of which 142 from 12 clubs participated. Exposure time for 1000 h of playing and training were recorded in addition to the anthropometric data, playing position, and prior injury history during the end of the season, practice, and match. The exact type of injury, severity, and post-injury recovery time, as well as the circumstances surrounding the injuries, were recorded.ResultsIn total 84 injuries were registered with an overall injury ratio (IR) being 3.21 (CI: 2.56, 3.98) injuries/1000 exposure hours. During the competitive season, each player sustained 1.4 injuries on average. IRs were significantly higher during competition (n = 50; IR = 1.57; CI: 1.52, 1.62) compared to training (n = 34; IR = 0.26, CI: 0.25, 0.27). Out of a total of 142 women players, 84 (59.2%) injuries occurred, and no record of injuries was made in 58 (40.8%) players. The overall IR was observed to be 3.21 (CI: 1.24, 3.27), with moderate and severe injuries accounting for 38.1% of total injuries (each), followed by mild (16.7%) and minimal (7.1%) injuries.ConclusionThe women IR in Kosovo women’s soccer players is low while being circa 11% below the international average. Almost 2 out of every 4 injuries were categorized as traumatic, with the IRs being more than 5-fold larger during games than during training. Additionally, these findings emphasize the higher rate of injuries amongst younger athletes, suggesting caution to be taken by the coaches when planning for the match. The collected data may help coaches and trainers create more targeted women’s soccer injury prevention programs.

Exploring the structure of the shot effectiveness model for elite table tennis players

BackgroundCurrently, technical and tactical analysis has become an indispensable task for sport in many countries. Many studies analysed players’ specific technical and tactical factors, but it is rare to quantitatively analyse the importance of table tennis players’ shot effectiveness. This is the first study to propose the new concept of “shot effectiveness model”, and the purpose of this study is to explore the structure of the shot effectiveness model for elite table tennis, including the importance degree of shot effectiveness, and the relationship between them.Methods258 matches were selected between the top 50 players in the world from 2019 to 2021 as samples. Multiple regression analysis was used to obtain the standard regression coefficients and game simulation, and the total decision coefficient (TDC) was used to evaluate the importance degrees of shot effectiveness (SE) on match results.Results(1) There was little difference in the importance degree of each shot effectiveness between men and women players. (2) The importance degree of the first and third shots (SE1), the second and fourth shots (SE2), the fifth and after shots (SE3), and the sixth and after shots (SE4) for both men and women players account for approximately 25%, 35%, 22%, and 16% respectively. (3) There was little difference in the importance degree of each shot effectiveness between Chinese women players and women players from other countries and regions with the same importance order of SE2 > SE1 > SE3 > SE4. However, the structure of the shot effectiveness model for men players was quite different from that for women players. (4) There is a compensation effect between shot effectiveness of table tennis players, and the total evaluation score of 12 and 13 is the dividing line for success or failure in both men and women matches.ConclusionsTDC could well reflect the important degrees of each shot effectiveness in various ways on winning probability in table tennis matches. And this study compared the importance of several types of players’ performance on the probability of winning a match. In addition, we found that there is a compensation effect between shot effectiveness of table tennis players, and the magnitude of this effect will vary according to the type and level of shot effectiveness.

National identities, European identity and cosmopolitanism: The case of female golf fans at the 2019 Solheim Cup

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to consider the relationship between sport and identity formation by examining testimonies of 24 British women who attended the Solheim Cup golf tournament in 2019 to support a transnational team made up of professional European women players. Relatively little is known about the effects of transnational sports teams on identity formation, not least because such teams are themselves rare. The Solheim Cup, contested by teams of female professional golfers representing the United States and Europe, is one such example. The data set consists of interviews with women who attended the competition that took place in a period of political uncertainty between the UK electorate voting to leave the European Union and Brexit actually taking place. The paper analyses the women's views in relation to national identity, European identity and cosmopolitanism. Although it emerges that most of the women felt more European in the context of a competition involving a team representing Europe and were opposed to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, they could also be described as cosmopolitan as a result of their educational level, social class and experience of living in or regularly visiting foreign countries.

Peak Running Demands in Elite Women's Rugby Sevens and Rugby Union Match Play: A Comparative Study.

In women's rugby, players regularly interchange between the rugby sevens (R7) and rugby union (RU) formats. Yet, the game demands and particularly the physical aspects respective to both formats vary and players must be able to respond accordingly. The aim of this study was to compare peak running demands in R7 and RU players. A total of 51 international women players participated. HSBC World Sevens Series (n = 19) and Six Nations Rugby Union tournament matches (n = 10) were analyzed for a total of 437 individual match observations. Global positioning systems were utilized to measure total (in meters) and high-speed (above 16km·h-1, in meters) distance and frequency of accelerations (above 2.5m·s-2, n) during different rolling-average periods (1-7min) to obtain peak running activity values. Power law modeling was used to obtain slope and intercept. For all variables, peak values and the value at the 90th percentile (P90) were analyzed. No intercept difference (P = .25; -0.12 ± 0.17) was observed between formats for total distance (161 vs 155m·min-1). In contrast, R7 players reported a higher intercept (P = .01; -0.29 ± 0.17) for high-speed distance (66 vs 51m·min-1), while the intercept was higher (P = .01; 0.31 ± 0.20) in RU for accelerations performed (6.1 vs 5.4n·min-1). Regarding P90, higher values (P < .001) were observed in R7 for total and high-speed distance and accelerations. While peak overall intensity was similar, P90 on the high-speed spectrum was higher in R7. Information on the most demanding match-play periods specific to both women's rugby formats can inform training specificity by tailoring sessions to ensure sufficient exposure to these peak demands and, consequently, aid transitioning betweenformats.

Analysis on aggression and self-esteem among rural urban semi urban Kabaddi women players

Analysis on aggression and self-esteem among rural urban semi urban Kabaddi women players

The impact of Fallon Sherrock and the increasing prominence of women within professional darts events: a call for future research

ABSTRACT Rationale/Purpose This positioning paper is a call to action for future research regarding the roles of women in the male-dominated sport of professional darts. Women have been present at darts events for over 80 years; however, the success of Englishwomen Fallon Sherrock and Lisa Ashton at the male-dominated Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events placed the sport into the global spotlight in the early 2020s. Sherrock’s successes in particular have been a catalyst, bringing increased exposure to women players competing in mixed draw professional darts tournaments against their male counterparts. Following a historical exploration of women in darts, the article explores the contrasting roles of women at contemporary live darts events. Practical implications Theoretically, the article draws on gender essentialism and Kane’s (1995) sports continuum to consider how the sport can challenge notions of men’s “natural” superiority. Research contribution We propose a number of areas for future research, including: the rise of women players in professional darts; women’s fandom at live professional darts events; the changing roles of women in media and broadcasting; critiques of meritocracy in the game; men’s responses to the increased visibility of women in this male-dominated arena; and strategies to strive for gender equity.

‘Body on the line’: experiences of tackle injury in women’s rugby union – a grounded theory study

ObjectivesTackle-related injuries account for up to 67% of all match injuries in women’s rugby union. The perspective of women players on tackle injury can help key stakeholders understand psychosocial determinants...