Youth Olympic Games Research Articles

How to Compare Relative Age Effect in Different Sports? A New Methodological Approach-Example of Youth Olympic Games.

This research aimed to propose a new methodological approach for analyzing relative age effect (RAE) in different sports or samples named "Relative age effect overall scale" (RAEOS). The sample consisted of 1455 male and female young athletes who competed in four different sports (basketball, n = 159; handball, n = 215; swimming, n = 981; taekwondo, n = 100) at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires in 2018. To construct the new model, the sample was classified into four unified quartiles of a specific range depending on the sport (swimming: 48-month range, taekwondo: 24-month range, and basketball and handball: 36-month range). Expected and observed frequencies for each sport, the winners/all athletes, and differences between team and individual sports were analyzed using a non-parametric Chi-square test. The obtained results confirm the existence of the RAE in all four analyzed sports (p > 0.01) in a sample of all participants and the sample of gold medalists. Differences between team and individual sports in the analyzed sample have also been found. The proposed methodological approach (RAEOS) is a simple and applicable tool that provides opportunities for comparison and analysis of different sports and competition formats, as well as improvement of the sports talent system in the context of RAE issues. It is suggested to the sports decision-makers to improve the YOG qualification and competition system to enable fairer competition and reduce the influence of RAE on the performance and development of young athletes.

Optimizing residential light environments in simulated youth olympic village for improving young athletes’ sleep quality and reducing next-morning drowsiness

The concept of High-tech Olympics is pivotal in the modern Olympic Games. Athletes reside in the Olympic Village during the games. Therefore, ensuring a healthy and intelligent environment in the Olympic Village is crucial. A significant factor in this respect is the light environment. Previous studies indicated that adolescents are particularly sensitive to the residential light environment, adolescents experience improved sleep quality in a low correlated color temperature (CCT) light environment in the evening. However, little is known about the effects of low CCT light with varying illuminance on adolescents in the evening and the next morning. Hence, this study conducted a 17-day randomized, controlled trial (7-day baseline and 10-day light intervention) in a simulated Youth Olympic Village. Sixteen young professional athletes (12.3 ± 2.1 years of age) participated in this study. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a 160 lx (dim light group) or 200 lx (bright light group) environment 1 h before bedtime. Both groups had the same spectrum (CCT: 2000 K). The results of blood tests (melatonin and cortisol) and self-reported questionnaires consistently showed that young athletes in the dim light group significantly enhanced sleep quality and reduced next-morning drowsiness compared to those in the bright light group (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that illuminance, along with wavelength, crucially impacts young athletes' sleep quality and next-morning drowsiness in residential light environments, which provide valuable guidance for young athletes participating in the upcoming Youth Olympic Games.

Comparative Analysis of Angles in the Spinshot Throws Towards the Goal in Beach Handball

Beach handball game is a dynamic sport with high intensity, conducted on a sand court. The inclusion of this sports branch in the Youth Olympic Games program in 2018 held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, elevated the profile of this international sports branch and underscores an increased need for a multitude of performance factors in this sport. The research aim. The research aim was to conduct a comparative analysis of the spinshot technique between an advanced player and a beginner, aiming to gather useful information regarding a technical profile for spinning shots in beach handball and to guide training for enhanced efficiency in this throwing technique. Objectives. Objectives encompassed the analysis of video recordings of two players concerning the angles between body segments and between the body and the ground at various moments during the execution of the technique. Methods and means. For the analysis of throws, video recordings of the executions were performed on two subjects, both beach handball players – one being an advanced player, and the other a beginner. To measure the parameters to be analyzed, including angular characteristics of body segments at key moments during the execution of the spinning shot technique, and the execution times of the two players, Kinovea software v 0.9.5 was utilized. Additionally, trajectory analysis and execution time were examined. Results. In the video analysis of the movement, the force generated by the players is not visible, but it aids in understanding the action and the effects of internal forces (muscle action) and external forces (gravity and friction) on the moving players. The discrepancy between the advanced and beginner players in achieving a half (180⁰) spin in the technical procedure of the spinsshot lies in the flight phase. Execution times are close between the two players, but video analysis revealed differences in the quality of their executions regarding the correct implementation of the spinning shot. Conclusions. The analysis results highlight significant differences in joint amplitude between the two players during spinning shot executions, potentially caused by insufficient muscle group strength, reduced joint mobility, or incorrect mastery of the throwing technique. Keywords: beach handball, spinshot, angles movement, kinovea

Особливості спортивної кар’єри олімпійських чемпіонок у боротьбі жіночій

Purpose: to identify the features of the sports career of Olympic champions in women's wrestling. Material and Methods. The main materials for the study were personal indicators of the sports career of 18 Olympic champions in wrestling (data were taken from the official website of UWW (https://unitedworldwrestling.org)). Research methods: analysis and synthesis, documentary method, comparison, methods of mathematical statistics. The study analyzed the careers of 18 freestyle wrestlers from 5 Olympic Games who won the title of champion in these competitions. The study took into account all the performances at official competitions (continental championships and world championships in all age groups and the Youth Olympic Games) of wrestlers. Results: it was found that in 5 Olympic Games, which included women's wrestling in the program (since 2004), 18 athletes won 18 out of 24 possible Olympic gold titles. The youngest age of the first performance at official international competitions before the Olympic triumph among the studied athletes was 15 years old. The latest first performance in the international arena among the study participants was recorded at the age of 25. It was found that the period from the first performance at official competitions to the gold medal at the Olympic Games was 5-9 years. It was also found that the shortest period from the first performance in the international arena to winning the Olympic Games was 2 years, and the longest was 15 years. To win Olympic gold, athletes had to participate in 9 official international competitions on average. The average age at which female athletes won at the Olympics is 22. Conclusions. To win gold at the Olympics, highly skilled wrestlers usually need to participate in a fairly large number of international competitions. However, there are exceptions in history among female athletes who have managed to reach the highest podium much faster and with fewer international competitions. This largely depends on individual characteristics and the specifics of the wrestlers' training system. Keywords: free wrestling, women, highly qualified sportswomen, competition, Olympic Games.

The prevalence of Constituent Year effect in Youth Olympic Games: implications for talent identification and development in basketball

Purpose: The Relative Age Effect (RAE) and Constituent Year Effect (CYE) is increasingly recognized as a significant concern in youth sports, especially in basketball where physical traits such as height, arm span, and leg length are emphasized. This focus often eclipses the critical role of age-related variations in talent scouting processes. This study aims to explore the presence and impact of CYE in basketball, with a specific focus on the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Methods: Utilizing statistical analysis, primarily the Chi-square test and Cramer's V, this research examines the occurrence of CYE among basketball players at the YOG. Results: The findings decisively confirm the existence of CYE in youth basketball (P= .000, χ2= 51.593, df= 2, Cramer's V= .403). Results of male (χ2 = 29.342, Cramer's V: .431) and female χ2 =23.43, Cramer's V: .383) also subsample suggest a significant skew in player selection based on birth year, with a large effect size in both cases. A notable discovery is the disproportionate number of athletes born in 2000, who are 19 times more common than those born in 2002, indicating a significant age-related skew in player selection. This indicates a strong association between birth year and player selection in the context of the YOG for both genders. Conclusions: CYE's prevalence in youth basketball could detrimentally impact athletes' development and teams' overall performance. The research emphasizes the need for a more equitable and balanced approach in athlete selection. The paper proposes practical steps to reduce CYE in basketball, such as narrowing age categories or establishing smaller, more precise age groups to ensure fairer competition and more accurate talent identification.

And You Association and its safeguarding activities

During Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), an activity to prevent and raise awareness of abuse in sport was offered to young athletes in the Olympic villages of Lausanne and St-Moritz. The activity, called And You...?, was not only educational, but also research-oriented. The data collected enabled a better understanding of how young athletes recognize and evaluate the different types of violence they may encounter in their sporting environment. The And You Association was set up in the wake of this event as a legacy of the YOG, with the mission of informing, raising awareness and educating as many young athletes and their coaches as possible in French-speaking part of Switzerland about issues of abuse in sport. To this end, the booth created for the YOG is still used, but other formats (such as small-group workshops) have been developed to reach more people at the same time. An evolution of the YOG booth format is currently being considered, including the development of an application that could be used on connected ­tablets.

Medical and biological fundamentals of young athletes’ training

Background and Study Aim. The social and pedagogical effectiveness of the training process, ensuring the normal physical development of young athletes, and the formation of their somatic and psychological health directly depends on the extent to which the anatomical and physiological features of the child's body are taken into account, which justify the medical and biological bases of the system of training young athletes. The article presents a review of scientific literature on the issues of medico-biological substantiation of young athletes’ preparation. Material and Methods Analysis and generalization of data of scientific-methodical literature and information sources of the Internet; study of documentary materials; method of copying. Results. A brief characteristic of the complex of interrelated tasks – health improvement, education, and physical perfection of the younger generation in their sports training is given. Determination of biological age conformity to the chronological age is one of the actual problems in the practice of sports medicine and preparation of young athletes, especially of puberty age. After the first Summer Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore in 2010, coaches and experts in sports medicine concluded that the formation of teenage competition teams should be based on the indices of their physical development and sexual maturation at the same chronological age. Conclusion. A mismatch between physical loads and the functional capacities of the body of a child, adolescent are the main causes of the development of chronic physical overexertion of body system functions and sports injuries, in particular. Speaking about women's sports, it should be remembered that all the problems in the initial stage of athletic training, for girls and girls who have not yet reached not only social, but also physical maturity.

Role Models and Athlete Expression at the Youth Olympic Games as Impactful Sport Communication Practices

This study investigated athlete expressions and the impact that Olympian (OLY) role models have on athletes participating at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), with a focus on the YOG educational program. The YOG educational program was created in 2010 and has not yet garnered extensive scholarly examination. Therefore, the aim of the current investigation was to develop an understanding of the impact that OLY role models have on YOG athletes and the communicative practices young athletes use to express themselves. This study used a mixed methodology (i.e., survey and interviews) and drew on three theories (i.e., social learning theory, role model theory, and communicative theory of expression) to better understand the aforementioned impact of OLY role models on YOG athletes. An examination of the communicative expression practices of OLY role models, through the mixed methodological approach, produced novel findings pertaining to YOG athlete perceptions of the structure and benefit of the educational program.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PERCEPTION OF THE MASCOTS OF THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES FOR NATIONS AND THEIR CONNECTION WITH OLYMPISM

The Olympic Games is undoubtedly the world’s greatest sporting competition and visual exhibition and is, perhaps, the most important international event with considerable social, cultural, and economic implications. The mascot, torch, and medals serve as highly effective tools for expressing the visual design concept associated with these items. Through careful observation of the ideas showcased in each Olympic Games, one can discern the host country's sport spirit and cultural characteristics. The Olympic mascots serve as representatives of the host city for a period of three years leading up to and during the Games. In this significant role, mascots are considered icons, representing and symbolizing something beyond themselves. Therefore, the mascots themselves become icons of the city that is hosting the Games. The aim of the of the research was to reveal the significance of the mascots of the Youth Olympic Games for the nations from the point of view of perception and their connection with the Olympic ideas and values. Studying the mascots of the Youth Olympic Games, we can note that they are mostly presented in the form of animals. It is noteworthy that the mascots express some element of national culture, or, in other words, express the culture of the city or country representing the Games. Here it is necessary to emphasize that mascots are an excellent way to present the culture and history of a country or city to the whole world thanks to the Games. The mascots of the Youth Olympic Games express the fundamental values of Olympism, carry the colors of the Olympic flag, are a source of inspiration and striving for excellence among young people, and are a call to all mankind to make the world better, cleaner and peaceful.

Epidemiology Of Sports Injuries During Winter Youth Olympic Games

Epidemiology Of Sports Injuries During Winter Youth Olympic Games

Medals, Rings, and Olympic Dreams: A Review Essay of Antonio Sotomayor and Cesar R. Torres, eds., Olimpismo

Medals, Rings, and Olympic Dreams: A Review Essay of Antonio Sotomayor and Cesar R. Torres, eds., <i>Olimpismo</i>

Relative age effect presence among swimmers within Youth Olympic Games

Purpose: Swimming is one of the oldest activities known to man. In the context of sports performance, swimmers became a subject of admiration due to their superior technique and untouchable records. However, such a tendency toward the absolute results increases the danger of Relative Age effect (RAE) occurrence within swimming. Methods: Therefore, the authors of this research aimed to enlighten the possible existence of RAE in swimming during the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2018. Data were retrieved through the web source, and afterward analyzed through the Chisquare test. Results: Results revealed there is an unequal distribution of four generations within the same competition age (youth) category The great value of the Chi-square test (χ2= 289.869; P= .000) indicates the (enormous) magnitude of the effect occurring within the analyzed competition. The youngest 2003 generation was present at less than 10% (7.15%) while the oldest one (2000) represents almost half (42.55%) of the overall sample. Conclusions: Managers of competitive sports events should pay attention to this issue because there is up to four years of difference between some competitors, and that system may include both pre-pubertal and post-pubertal competitors in the same age category. Youth categories, especially cadets in early pubertal stages are being affected. The authors suggest that the separation of this youth category into more than one would be of much help for athletes and sports organizations to ensure more fair competition system. Keywords: talent identification, youth Olympics, RAE, swimming, YOG.

A New Secret of the Youth Olympic Games: A Model for Olympic Facilities Reform

A New Secret of the Youth Olympic Games: A Model for Olympic Facilities Reform

Management practices matter: understanding volunteers’ memories at the Youth Olympic Games*

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aims to understand the memories of Youth Olympic Games (YOG) volunteers long after their participatory experiences and how the volunteer managerial practices constructed those memories. Methodology: Focus groups were used in combination with document analysis to further investigate how the volunteer management practices at the Nanjing 2014 construct the current volunteer memory of YOG experience. Three focus groups with a total of 14 participants were conducted in September 2018. Findings: Involvement- and interaction-related practices have been identified as essential factors in shaping memories, while tangible souvenirs are vital in retrieving these memories in the long term. It confirms that volunteers remembered self-generated and entertaining activities best, referring to the generation and humor effect of memory. Practical implications: Results have implications for informing future volunteer management practices in nurturing young individuals’ memory, which is particularly important for events that aim to empower young people far in the long term as a volunteer legacy. Research contribution: The application of the memory concept brings new insights into the theoretical foundations of mega sport volunteering studies. Further, this research contributes to an essential subject on the Youth Olympic Games by adopting the Asian case of Nanjing 2014 four years after the event conclusion.

Events as a means to foster knowledge-driven urban development: Experience from the new district development in Nanjing

Events can bring important impetus to urban development. In addition to hardware investments, such as infrastructure, events also have important potential in the development of knowledge cities. Nanjing is a typical city where China's knowledge industry is rapidly growing. Since the end of the last century, Nanjing has been promoting new district development on the city's periphery and has hosted a series of events, including the 10th National Games in 2005 and the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in 2014. In this process, the city government also hopes to explore the potential of the knowledge economy and is committed to providing a new direction for urban development.This work reviews the history of Nanjing's knowledge city development from two different dimensions (land development and knowledge development) and summarises the related achievements and lessons in different periods. The authors aim to identify the diverse effects of events in urban social and economic development based on the analysis of the differences in governance structure between land development and knowledge development. This work contributes to the literature on events and provides insights into the potential uses of events as a mechanism for knowledge-driven urban development.

"Nothing About Us, Without Us": Empowering the Youth Athlete Voice in #SafeSport.

"Nothing About Us, Without Us": Empowering the Youth Athlete Voice in #SafeSport.

Research on Evaluation Index System of Sports Events Over Urban Development Based on Symbiosis Theory

With the development of economic globalization, sports events have become a strategic tool that is used for enhancing the competitiveness of the city and achieving the government’s goal. Nowadays, a myriad of cities takes organizing sports events as the goal of urban development. However, what is the relationship between sporting events and urban development? How to build an evaluation index system to measure the relationship between urban development and sports events? How are sports events coordinated with urban development? These issues have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study attempts to analyze the relationship and mechanism between urban development and sports events based on the perspective of Symbiosis Theory. The literature review, expert consultation, empirical analysis, and mathematical statistics were conducted in this study. At the theoretical level, this study uses Symbiosis Theory to analyze the relationship between sports events and urban development. The conclusions are as follows: sports events and urban development are two basic symbiosis units that will form a certain symbiotic paradigm through the symbiotic interface and under the role of symbiotic environment, the symbiosis relationship between urban development and sports events is mutualistic symbiosis. The research constructed the index system for the evaluation of the symbiosis relationship of sports events over urban development. The index system is divided into two subsystems, six primary indicators, and 20 secondary indicators. Among them, the confirmation of index weight of the first-level indicators used the analytic hierarchy process, and the second-level indicators used the principal component analysis. On this basis, through empirical analysis of Nanjing Youth Olympic Games as a case, the results showed the correctness of the evaluation index system, to provide references for cities that later hosted sports events.

Social Media Education Provided by National Governing Bodies of Sport: An Examination of Practices for Youth Olympic Games and Olympic Games Athletes

Social media provides athletes with many opportunities as well as challenges. Scholars have argued for proactive, educational social media training instead of traditional policy and punishment models, yet research on this topic is limited. Therefore, this study sought to understand the social media training/education national governing bodies (NGBs) provided to athletes ranging from Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to Olympic level, and to examine NGB communication employees’ perceptions regarding athletes’ social media use and their organization’s social media training. Utilizing uses and gratifications theory, a sequential mixed method was employed involving a survey of U.S. NGBs and in-depth interviews with NGB communication personnel. While most NGBs used proactive, educational social media training for Olympic athletes, few did the same for YOG athletes. NGB employees felt social media use posed significant benefits or gratifications to athletes, and education and training helped to enhance those benefits as well as minimize the challenges, or failed gratifications, athletes experience on social media.

SafeSport: Perceptions of Harassment and Abuse From Elite Youth Athletes at the Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne 2020.

To analyze the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2020 athletes' understanding and perceptions of harassment and abuse in sport and their knowledge of reporting mechanisms. A cohort study. The Winter YOG2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Accredited athletes at the YOG2020. An athlete safeguarding educational program was delivered at the YOG2020. Participating athletes were encouraged to answer a survey embedded in the safeguarding educational materials during the YOG. Perception of occurrence of harassment and abuse as well as knowledge of the term "safe sport" and reporting mechanisms. The survey response rate of athletes attending the Safe Sport Booth was 69%. When asked to define Safe Sport, 10% of athletes at the YOG2020 correctly identified a sport environment free from harassment and abuse, 20% identified fair play/antidoping, and 19% safety. When presented with the definition of harassment and abuse, 30.4% expressed surprise, in contrast to 46% in the summer YOG2018. A third (32%) reported that harassment and abuse was either "likely" or "very likely" present in their sport, which was similar to the YOG2018 (34%). The group of athletes not knowing where to go to report harassment and abuse was greater than in the YOG2018 (26% vs 11%). There were no differences in responses between competitive sex (boys' vs girls' events) or type of sport (team vs individual). Outcomes of this study, such as the development of youth-friendly terminology and emphasizing mechanisms for reporting of harassment and abuse, should inform the development of safeguarding educational materials for youth athletes.

Volunteers’ collective memory of Youth Olympic Games: macro-level contextual understandings

Knowledge about macro-level context differences in volunteering is critical. By adopting the notion of collective memory, consideration is given to how macro-level context constructs the volunteers’ memory of the experience at a sport mega-event such as the Olympic Games. A case study of the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games was selected. Thematic analysis of three focus groups reveals that volunteers’ memories are regulated by Confucian culture and socialist core value education (i.e. dedication, collectivism, and patriotism), contemporary political discourse (i.e. name card/image of China), as well as the construction of local volunteering culture (i.e. Little Lime). This study situates the Olympic volunteering in a dynamic interplay within the Oriental macro-system. It contributes to an increasingly studied demographic and essential subject for analysis on Occidental Olympic Games, especially when Chinese volunteer service is seriously impacted by the macro-level context and China will host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games after 2008 within a 14-year short interval.